Comments about ‘Fee hikes loom on Legislature's agenda’

I love how the Republican legislature is holding firm to their promise to not raise taxes....so instead they're raising "fees."

In case you're wondering, there's a huge difference between a tax and a fee.

A tax is the government taking your money for their own purposes. A fee is the government taking your money for their own purposes. See the difference?

Hooray for lower taxes and higher fees!

There is a difference. Property taxes can be itemized as deductions while fees can not be. Thus, the legislature places a double whammy on the taxpayers. If the legislature had been more responsible when this State was experiencing record bedget surpluses, we would not be in this terrible situation now.

The legislature has absolutely no authority to impose the kinds of fees in the first place, much less hike them. These fees have nothing to do with government's sole purpose of protecting us from crime and foreign invasion.

The legislature has the authoruty to raise anything they want because we keep reelcting 90% of them.

The harder it gets to make money the more we get charged in fees. Should do wonders to stimulate the economy.

why doesn't the legislature just go to pay day lenders

Cry babies, all of you.

Call it whatever you want to, but a tax by any other name is still a tax.

sob, don't give these guys any ideas, we're the ones who'll end up paying for it.

As everyone knows, even our legislators, that any fee or service charges a government imposes, collects, and puts in the tax fund kitty, it's a tax by whatever adjective they want to describe it. Don't start celebrating the no tax increase party yet, the legislation is going to have a couple more sessions this year to consider the taxation issues and amounts. They are waiting for a less involved public and avoid public ridicule to work with the taxation issues in a more secretive session. Then this legislation is doing exactly what Obama was against, using this stimulous as funds for obtaining bonding (borrowing) and indebting taxpayers in long term loans that will be attached to property and other taxes to pay for it. It would be interesting to see if these legislators run their businesses and households the same way they run a tax and spend government. And of course they all have a tax free supply of money in their campaign accounts to live on. With this tax free income they can enjoy the good life and the luxuries it allows them.

For you complainers that don't seem to have a clue about state government, be thankful that we don't have the nearly bankrupt state government that they have in California and other fiscally liberal states. We can thank the Utah Legislature, but certainly not the governor, for the excellent financial position of the the state. A few small increases of user fees is insignificant compared to the problems facing most of the states.

Be thankful we have the legislature that we have. Complaining about it being republican is simply partisan sour grapes.

Well, Stewart. I am seek of government taxing me in anything I do. I can not afford this taxes. That's what I say when I have to buy food. "I cannot afford it". Can the government say the same?
The legislature should ask, can the constituents afford more taxes? They should ask us if we whant to pay more taxes. It is suppose to be our government. NO?

There is an up side to this, although I personally don't agree with raising "fees". If economic conditions continue as forecasted, there will be less vehicle pollution, because we won't be able to afford them. That finances the state's economic burdens, and works down the bad air most of us breathe. And it lowers the price of gasoline...