Comments about ‘Herbert says he won't raise taxes’

Herbert also said such protections make it difficult for businesses to function, suggesting an employer might hire a worker not knowing he or she was gay, and then be unable to fire the employee later.

Please replace "gay" with "mormon." How does it feel? Isn't this the silliest reason to fire an employee?

If you have a poor employee, no matter if they are Mormon or Gay or both, chronicle their bad behavior or missed targets, warn the employee and let them go if it continues. No discrimination. It will help your business by reassuring those employees left that you are fair and honest.

The point Herbert was trying to make was that with special protections for a class of people, it may be impossible to fire an employee for bad behavior or missed target without being taken to court for discriminatory conduct. Whether a person is gay or Mormon, or whatever, neither should have special protected status.

"Whether a person is gay or Mormon, or whatever, neither should have special protected status."

But religion IS a protected status. Because employers can be bigots, it was necessary to pass protections for Jews, black, women, and Mormons. You are protected. If you are fired for being a Mormon, you have redress. If you are fired for being a poor employee and the employers has the proof with your signature on all the warnings, you do not. Period. It should be the same for gays.

Methinks somebody said that once before.

This WAS an article about the new Gov not raising taxes and the focus so far is on whether SLC's bill to protect gays, the transgendered and untraditional families should be trumped with Sen. Buttars latest attempt to foist his homophobic views upon those who are not his constituents. But back to taxes....I am sure the new Gov will not raise taxes, but I am also sure he will cut spending to those with the most needs in order to balance the budget.

Good choice governor not to raise taxes. You might have found an angry mob of those who could not nor would not accept another piece of straw ( IE higher taxes) at your doorstep.

"This WAS an article about the new Gov not raising taxes and the focus so far is on whether SLC's bill to protect gays"

The title said it was about taxes, but the article was really about a news conference he had where he discussed taxes AND the new anti-discrimination ordinance that Mayor Becker wants.

Please read the entire article before posting.

Herbert is already ignoring Huntsman's (our most popular governor, ever) advice. Defy Intolerance...

As a state employee facing potential layoffs or furloughs, I hope that Gov. Herbert will at least keep the four-day workweek. It is extremely popular amongst state employees (85% approval), and helps offset the lower salaries we accept for serving in the public sector.

No tax increase = good. Lower taxes = better. No taxes (i.e. Texas, Tennessee, etc.) = best.

On the national front, Republican tax and spend is bad while Democrat tax and spend is 4+ times as bad. We will hold Gov. Herbert to his promise on tax increases and I hope Salt Lake County mayor Peter Carroon is listening. Utah and SLC anti-discrimination laws should protect all citizen of Utah equally with emphasis on "equal."

So far, I think Governor Herbert has done a good job solving problems and representing the vast majority of Utahns. I'm grateful for a Governor conservative in philosophy, but mainstream in his approach.

Taxes are going to go up, he is running for reelection and will not cut programs. After he is reelectedh he will jack taxes up.

I like the way this governor thinks. Most bureaucrats can't seem to understand that when tax dollars aren't pouring in, it's because tax payers aren't making the money on which to pay taxes. I asked my legislator not to raise taxes but to make cuts just as any business that has a revenue shortfall is forced to do. She asked me where specifically to cut. I wasn't voted into office to determine those details. That's what we voted our legislators to do. Gary Herbert apparently understand this. He's committed to do what I think most voters want (avoid raising taxes), and now he'll have to work with the legislature on the details.

George Bush made that statement and it costed him an election so it is not a good thing to say. I just hope he did not say Read my Lips.

Naw, his strategist tells him to wait until after he's elected to a term. Not raising taxes is more likely to get him a popular opinion vote and then elected. All the other words were just for show.

Great. Like always, the state will just continue to dollar us to death with all sorts of fees.

It appears that most of the folks commenting here understand neither the Utah or the United States Constitution. Gov. Herbert cannot raise taxes nor can Pres. Obama. In both Utah and the United States all tax and spending bills originate in the House of Representatives. (fifth grade social studies) The Governor and President can only sign bills into law or veto any tax and spending legislation.

Yes, I know that the Governor and President have great influence over their legislature/congress especially when the House, Senate, and Governor/President are of the same political party.(gridlock is best) This is why we must pay as much attention to who we elect to our legislature and congress. I doubt that there are 20 percent of Utahns of voter age that can name their Utah Legislature House and Senate representatives. I even doubt that much more than half can even name those representing them in the U.S. Congress.

Only 53.1 percent of U.S. citizens in Utah age 18 or older even bothered to vote in 2008, (Deseret News July 21, 2009) Almost half didn't care, too lazy, or thought they didn't count.

In Utah tax and spending bills originate in either the House of Representatives or the Senate. Get your facts straight before you condescend.

if taxes aren't raised, then services will be cut to those who really need them the most. I've already seen and heard this happening. Up my taxes, but don't cut back on programs for the handicapped and others who truly are in need.