Reader comments
We want a tax cut, say 70% of Utahns

Tax Cut | 2:10 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

I for one think the food tax should remain. It's the only tax some people in the state actually pay. People with large families need to pay their share to support the services they use. I also have no problem with increasing the gasoline tax SO LONG AS it goes for roads and repairs and nothing else. Those who use the highways should pay for them. However, property taxes should definitely be reduced. They're an unfair and discriminatory burden on homeowners when others in the state are contributing little or nothing to the education and health care of their own families.

Tax Cuts and | 5:20 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

Buttars is a part of the equasion?
I can not believe we have people that just refuse to show up and make laws making others responcible
I still await a reply from Sen. Allen Christensen
He does not want to answer my charges and questions
Utah 101
Irresponcibility
These People do not live in our World

Anonymous | 7:14 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

They are stealing an extra $500 from every household in this state and tell us, no thanks we'll find a way to spend it, trust us.

How is it that in a state run by so called republicans, at the start of the year facing a surplus into the 100's of milllions, they make an announcement that tax cuts are off the table and that they will be keeping our money. Before they even met, party brass already decides that instead of giving Utah it's money back they are going to use it to expand government? This from the so called party of small government.

When is Utah and America in general going to open their eyes and start voting for third parties?

Comments continue below

Confused | 7:21 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

Is Huntsman a democrat or republican? By his actins, he sure seems like a democrat, but when I voted for him, I would have sworn he ran as a republican.

Can't feed em'.. | 7:40 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

Heres an idea- lets not give tax cuts to people who are creating burdens on the state health system- namely those who reproduce irresponsibly before they are able to pay for it. Odds are they'll do it again and again when theres a free hand out.

And if cigarettes are so bad for your health, then certainly those smog spewing SUVs deserve an increased tax too.

Or, our legislators could just quit the charade and admit they are trying to subsidize a certain way of life with public dollars.

Gas Tax | 8:06 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

The gas tax should be a percentage, not a flat charge per gallon. Like most people, I hate taxes but I understand the need to pay for roads. Even with a gas tax increase, it would cost me far less in taxes than what it costs in re-aligning my car each year due to potholes and rough roads. We can't have it both ways where we pay very little in taxes and yet have the best of everything. I suppose that is what is meant by the new entitlement generation.

Tax Cut or Better Schools? | 8:04 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

The question that really needs to be asked is do you want a tax cut or better schools.
If you ask the question about the tax cut... of course everyone wants a tax cut. If you ask the one about schools you would get the same answer. I think if you ask them together that Schools would win out hands down.
We need our schools funded better. That is the bottom line and a tax cut will not help with that.

Grandma C | 8:42 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

Every taxpayer wants a tax cut. The call for lowering taxes is nothing new. I have heard it for fifty years. The reality question is: What are we willing to give up? A state budget (or national one) is no different from a family budget in that a certain amount of money is available to cover expenses. Budgeting is simply allocating the monies according to our preferences. Cutting taxes means reducing available funds. Reducing available funds, in the public sector, means changing or eliminating services. What ARE we willing to give up? Cleaner air? Highways? Law enforcement? Educational opportunities for our children? When we request a tax cut, we must tell our legislators where to make the cuts. And promise we will not complain when we see the results.

Anonymous | 8:44 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

Well, duh, who wouldn't want a tax cut? Let's talk about consequences when we talk about tax cuts. The poll should be: what would you like to give up in order to get a tax cut? I bet the 70% would be changing their tune.

Frank T. | 9:30 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

the only tax cut with continual benefit is the property tax reduction. For personal homes this tax should be cut in half. The property tax needs to be eliminated for all retired citizen in the state of Utah

Anonymous | 9:38 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

Add me to the long and (apparently) growing list of people who once wanted to see teachers get a pay increase but who know would prefer a tax cut. Teachers and the UEA, after all, apparently have millions of dollars to blow opposing the right of parents to use a portion of our tax dollars to determine how our children are educated.

I favored school choice because I wanted better schools for our kids. I favored teacher pay raises for the same reason. Since teachers apparently don't want better schools I'll just keep my money and use it to educate my own and let everyone else do the same.

Forget the public school teachers - I don't care for them anymore.

Its Our Money... | 10:01 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

always. The taxes that are levied are always calculated on budgets. If more money comes than the budget proposals figured, then it goes back to the people. This is not a delightful bonus to our bureaucrats to spend. We elected our officails in part due to the nature of their fiscal decisions (proposed and actual.) The portion of money above the figured budget technically we haven't given them the vote to spend. Give it back, start the budget process again, if you want more money, we'll see if we vote for you to make that happen.

Anonymous | 10:11 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

I hope they get rid of the 5.35 flat Tax that would more than double all raises given in last 10 years from any cost of living increases received. Also I think they ought to cut in half property taxes for seniors like alot of other states have done.

Fiscall Conservative | 10:58 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

Those who would feign claim to be fiscal conservatives need to consider the following to be considered congruent and believable:

Fiscal conservatives don't give tax breaks for more than 2 children... they would be more inclined to impose a head tax on more children to pay their fair share of impacting social services, etc.

Fiscal conservatives don't reduce taxes or raise taxes, they move to tighten the budget within the revenue basis currently in place and float with the ups and downs.

Fiscal conservatives don't play both sides of the aisle. Fiscal conservatism cuts across the board... cut social and domestic budgets also requires an equal cutting of foreign expansionistic military based budgets as well during peace time. (Congress has not within constitutional guidelines formally 'declared' war and so we our budgetary processes should be approached accordingly.)

Fiscal conservatives don't necessarily lean purely Republican, conservative or neo-Con all the time, as the Bush/Chenny/Rumsfeld neo-Facist triax clearly showed (and continues to show)... talk about uber fiscal liberalism...

Fiscal conservatives also don't attempt to dupe the public with funny math or rhetorically deceptive accounting tricks to forward hidden self-serving agendas.

Looks like there are not real fiscal conservatives out there, is there?

Get Real | 11:34 a.m. Feb. 24, 2008

I don't care how you want to rationalize or justify it. There is NEVER a good tax increase. Giving up roads and education???? The federal government is spending money on things like The National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Governments waste money. That's all there is to it. By definition, if there is a surplus, it means they don't need it. The didn't budget for it. It's not their money, it's ours, WE THE PEOPLE. This state needs to turn every incumbent out to pasture, starting with Gov. Huntsman. No more wealth redistribution. It doesn't work.

Ken Baguley | 1:36 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

If tax cuts don't come and come soon and high, the people will rebel as they did in 1977. A fellow named Howard Jarvis...A mormon from Utah created the proposition 13 tax cuts for the state of California. And, Man, they were cut to the bone and we started all over. Taxes could not be increased more than 1% per year from then on. The schools were the loudest screamers but it all worked out in favor of the taxpayers

Darin G. | 2:32 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

It really is time for these so called conservatives to show us that they understand the role of government. They do not do a better job of spending my money then I do. Please just stick to the basics. Let the free market decide on the other stuff.

Chuck | 5:07 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

That is such an unfair poll question! Ask it along with: do they want roads, schools, etc. Perhaps we should take a poll on how many want money!

Real Parent | 5:22 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

I want a tax cut but I can wait a year or two until we can get the beginning teacher salary up to $40,000.

I want my money but I want my kids to get a good education first. Right now they keep getting first year teachers who work for a year, get pregnant, then leave. Nothing against them having kids but first year teachers have a huge learning curve and my kids have been the part of too many!

Spencer | 5:38 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

Until my kids are in classes with 20 - 25 students, K - 12, I don't want a penny back.

Look at the spelling and grammatical errors in the comments on this site. If that doesn't show a clear need for better education, what does?

Grandma J | 5:57 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

I agree with Frank T. Even reducing property taxes for seniors to half would be a great blessing indeed, depending upon their income.

I am apprehensive of some of our Governor's goals. Not happy with what he did about the Hockey stadium at all.

J-heff | 7:25 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

Yes a cut that would be nice, the children can deal with 80 in a class. While were at it will spend $90,000,000 to make the state capital(home of legislatures) earthquake safe but not spend money to protect children in their schools from earthquakes.

Anonymous | 7:39 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

The self employed are punished and dealt with unfairly in so many ways; everything from lending practices that have a built in bias against the self employed, to health insurance biases that stem from the insurance companies, to a long list of taxes that stick it to the self employed.

And...it's amazing to me how governments get all excited during the good years and ramp up the property taxes, only to see the economy fall flat and those property taxes now become a huge burden on everyone. Property tax law should be changed so that it can only be raised by a vote of the property owners--now there's a novel idea! Property taxes are never rolled back because the economy has gone in the tank, the governments (all levels) just expect people to tough it out and pay the tax...and quit whining about it.

Bart | 8:25 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

Well, Huntsman supports McCain! What can you expect from a man like that? Oh yea, I guess all of will have to support McCain or drink of the grape koolaid that obama is sending around.

Clare | 8:41 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

Ken Baguley,

I grew up in California. Once they passed Proposition 13, the whole education system fell apart. All of the opportunities that had been offered to me as a student suddenly disappeared. It was a disaster. I was actually glad when we located to Utah. I thought it would be better here, but it wasn't. Education is the most important thing we can give a person. Educating the children of Utah will make it possible for me to retire and receive benefits when I'm a retiree. I have no problem paying my taxes. My husband and I were unable to have children, but I know it's important to think in the long term, not the short.

Enough | 9:07 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

I just registered my new car the other day. $280 in sales tax. $23 in county tax. $52 in local tax. $6 for the plates. Oh yeah...$80 for the registration. Then I will pay tax at the pump. I will pay tax on the food I buy. I will pay tax on my income. If I invest in the market, I will pay capital gains tax. Property tax. I hope they never impose a stamp tax. There might be a revolution someday. This is ridiculous. Those of you who don't feel you pay enough already, donate it to the government and the rest of us will take what is rightfully OURS! We don't live in western Europe, but our politicians seem to think we do.

to Clare | 11:04 p.m. Feb. 24, 2008

I grew up in California too. My parents were having a hard time making their mortgage payment, then Prop 13 came along and suddenly we were ok again. Seniors were losing their homes due to rising property taxes. California schools have been in trouble for years - but property taxes are only one piece of the picture. Look at some of the other issues - in the 90's, while tax revenues were rising drastically, state spending rose at TWICE the rate. I have no idea where it went, because certainly the schools didn't get it for their core mission. Then again, California schools have been incubators for experimental idiocies for a LONG time - new math, fuzzy math, whole language, bilingual education - you name if there's a stupid idea California will throw money at it. But that's not Prop 13's fault.

Anonymous | 10:03 a.m. Feb. 25, 2008

taxes may not be3 appreciated when you pay them but they deffinently help when you are going to the library or attend public schools.

anonymous | 11:42 a.m. Feb. 25, 2008

I have a hard time swallowing giving more tax breaks to seniors. I am sure it is hard for the seniors that never saved any money but lets look at reality. On average each senior received $29,000 from government programs last year. Half of all taxes collected already go to seniors and believe it or not seniors control most of the wealth. So the 12% of the population that controls most of the wealth and receives 50% of all taxes collected from governemnt programs should be tax exempt? Sorry but I don't think so. My generation has to pay taxes to help you out and save for our own retirement since the government programs will be bankrupt by the time we retire. And everyone that thinks having more than 2 children is a drain on an economy go take a class on social economics. That is a very short sided approach. If you want to argue 8 or 10 children fine but not 2.

cut food tax! | 4:43 p.m. Feb. 25, 2008

Cutting the taxes on food in Utah would be fair for everyone and a great start! Utah lags behind the rest of the nation in this type of merciful tax break!

Add your comment

Comments are monitored. Any comments found to be abusive, offensive, off-topic, misrepresentative, more than 200 words or containing URLs will not be posted.

Words Remaining

E-mail address: For internal use only. We may want to contact you to publish your comment (not your e-mail address) in the newspaper or for a separate story idea.