Reader comments
As gas prices plunge, gas taxes may rise

We have a rainy day fund that has alot of money in it. I am sick of politicians not living within there means. We are all struggling and the petroleum companies started this with massive increases in gasoline prices from greed. This translated into minimal disposable income and then belt tightening that constricted the whole economy. Now we are getting a reality check and the goverment is wanting to raise taxes in a recession. What clueless wonder of a pilitician thought this was a good idea? Use the rainy day fund or give us names to vote them out of office - obviously they can not handle important decisions!!!

The stupidity never ceases to amaze me....

Once again we will be forced to choose between FOOD or FUEL.............

My, My, the same idea is being floated around here in Minnesota. What a coincidence. IS THERE NO WAY TO CUT SPENDING, AND PREVENT THE CONTINUAL TAX INCREASES. Shame on you elected officials!

Boy, where isn't there a road construction project? For the last few months I've had to take detour after detour to just get to my house! It's stupid! And most of it so unnecessary! I'm sure they don't need to increase the gas tax, they just don't like to see happy people finally getting a break so they want to take what little we can pay for away! GREED! ALWAYS GREED!

Not only do we in Utah have to deal with a recession, devaluation of the dollar, paying for and supporting the hundreds of thousand illegal aliens, we also have to contend with a government that doesn't know how to budget. Perhaps the government should go to the illegal aliens and their employers (many are part of our elected representatives in government) and ask them for some tax support? If the illegals and their employers paid income taxes, medicare taxes, medicaid taxes, maybe our economy would be able to work within its budget. Now is not a time to raise taxes regardless of the roads and government needs. Every citizen of the U.S. is in the same boat and just trying to survive the recession. The last thing we need to worry about is government greed and roads. No matter how tax is determined, it is never enough and with this method would create an unstable tax base. Government, like everyone else, should and must learn to live within their means and what the economy can bear. What they should be discussing is returning to spending and budgeting with what they get without borrowing, bonding, etc.

I'd be okay with another special session if the Legislature would not pay themselves for the extra days in session. Each legislator makes roughly $150 a day while in session (not counting per diem and travel expenses). This translates to about $5000 + benefits for 45 days while in regular session. And they always vote themselves an increase. So I'll be behind a special session when they agree to forgo pay for those days. We had a chance to vote 'em out and Utah sheep drank the kool aid and voted darn near all of them back in..."we get the government we deserve".

We're making less money, and yet supposedly want more taxes? I don't think so. Yes, we understand that our transportation systems are severely burdened, but no, we don't want to pay for more systems and services that we cannot afford.

People wonder why I don't vote anymore. I'm sick and tired of voting for city and goverment politicians that promise this and promise that. The ONLY thing they can do is LIE just to get the votes. Leave it to utah to find a way to steal some more from us. I was born and raised in utah and I'm so glad to be leaving it!!!!! HEAVEN FORBID IF THESE PEOPLE EVER TAKE A CUT IN THEIR PAY HOW WILL THEY EVER LIVE????

Don't stand by and watch this happen folks, make sure your voice is heard loud and clear. These lawmakers need to listen to the voters and when they don't then they need to see the voters on capital hill.

Organize with protests that this state has never seen before. Its time that we the public, the common Joe get a break from government as well as the oil industry. Huntsman must be out of his mind if he thinks that masking a hike on gas tax will fly at this time.

We voted you in and we can vote you OUT!

Quit complaining! We have a mandate here in Utah. The important thing is we grow as a state by attracting more business. We have one of the lowest property tax rates in the country. We need you to pay more when you drive. The extra few dollars you pay at the pump will offset the tax incentives we give new business. Besides, a few dollars more a month is no big deal to those of us that are responsible with our finances. Our leaders here do a great job protecting our values. To say you want to vote out our leaders is unamerican.

Didn't they raise the sales tax a little while ago for this same purpose? Now they want to raise taxes again. Every single one of those clowns up on the hill that think we need to do this need to step down and leave.

Instead of raising gas taxes, the Legislature should implement congestion pricing instead. This is a more cost-effective approach to addressing traffic concerns.

Near here in Philly the city is closing pools and libraries. Heaven forbid that they dump some do-nothing bureaucrat.

To rase taxes in hard times is ABUSE of the taxpayer - abuse of children, abuse of families, abuse of businesses.

The state gets it's 24.5 cents a gallon regardless if the price is 50 cents a gallon or 5 bucks a gallon. If they go to a percentage, that's just another way to raise the prices even higher when gas prices jump again just before Memorial Day. There's always somebody trying to be creative to gouge us more with taxes. What next?

It's amazing how politicians always seem to tout growth as a solution to our finaces. Well the state has had tremendous growth, why the tax increases? If business & job growth were the panacea that government wants us to believe, there should be a long term trend towards lower tax rates. The dirty little secret is that growth almost never pays for itself in the long term.

I could just SCREAM, the bone heads we have making this type of statement, this time of year, Huntsman and capital hill must be smoking something.

I think we need to get the CHURCH involved in this one, they can control what happens in California, maybe they can help here in UTAH.

Well here's some names for people to vote out of office. Just the suggestion of raising taxes should be good enough. You're fired-because you are dumb. Quite simple. If you want to run for office you remember these names, make a note of these politicians, find out if the guy you are going to run against votes for an increase, and it should be a peace of cake to beat him when the economy gets even worse because of bozos like these. BTW-you only have to work a little over a month in the house or senate to get full insurance for a whole year! There should be more competition for these politicians jobs now that the economy is slowing down. That's one good thing about a down economy.

Interesting that these elected officials didn't announce their tax hike plans prior to the elections in November . . .gee I wonder why?

Politicians couldn't quite bring themselves to temporarily lower gas taxes when they were so high this summer, but now they are low, oh let's add taxes.

My ah ha moment with government and taxes came in 1974, during the oil embargo, soaring prices, and apparent limits in gas availability. President Ford proposed a 10 cent gas tax increase, to encourage conservation and reduce gas usage. On the same day, Gov. Rampton of Utah proposed a 5 cent state gas tax increase, to recover money being lost because gas usage and therefor tax revenues were down.

They were getting us coming and going--the same looks true here.

NO! He is not! How did he get re-elected? Oh that's right, his Daddy's name is on the basketball court at the U, he's Mormon, and he claims to be a Republican. This is ridiculous. When pressed for a budget cut, I bet you he cuts education again. He's ruining our state!