Deseret News | Board backs reinstating 4.7% state food tax

Reader comments
Board backs reinstating 4.7% state food tax

Robert | 8:35 p.m. Nov. 12, 2009

How about solving TWO PROBLEMS at once. Put an additional "income" tax on all the "double dippers", and leave the food tax alone?

Tab L. Uno | 3:40 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009

A sales tax on food is particularly regressive so that the burden of supporting state services falls back on the low-income who are suffering from the very cut backs that the State has imposed serving them. The remaining government services are those serving all Utahns and those that will benefit the most are the wealthy who have more tax credits, tax deductions, who are better insulated from the recession. The unfair burden this tax will place on Utahns continues the double hit that low and middle income residents must bear for the benefit of others, once again.

Inevitible | 5:37 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009

It seems the state, county, and cities are determined to raise taxes rather than cut spending and waste, especially to illegal foreign nationals. These shortfalls are the legislators fault as they perpetuate the injustice to citizens.

Our state government's are in denial about how severely the illegal foreign nationals are destroying our economy and the ability to recover. All illegals and their anchors are a sever drain on funds, education, and jobs for americans.

Our state government is also in denial that all these illegals and their employers are not paying any income or other federal taxes to any government agency. However they all qualify easily to plunder and loot all our social services. These illegals qualify easily because they don't exist, except by utility bills, with no trackable or traceable jobs and incomes.

The state services do not and will not verify anything that an illegal claims. Illegals live a life of deception and wish to remain that way so they can loot us citizens. And they think it's their right to do it. It's deplorable that illegals only pay $50 a month for rent while the state subsidizes their lies and deceptions.

Comments continue below

Anonymous | 6:59 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009

Wow, not only do they want to substantially raise the tax on staples we all need - it's a REPUBLICAN leading the way. Hmmmmmmm.

wallofvoodoo | 7:42 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009

And the Republicans have been bashing Obama for raising tax on the middle class.

See the light here | 8:34 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009

You guys need to go visit a local school. Even better, go teach a class of 30+ for a day or three.

You think we can continue to cut services. Great! Let's have the class size go to 40. Can you imagine trying to teach math skills to a class of 40 3rd graders!! I'm sure you posters are good, but I doubt that you are THAT good.

This sales tax is a good option: illegals pay it, tourists pay it, the wealthy pay it, out of state workers pay it, you and I will pay it. Those who use food stamps will NOT pay it. And the poor get a credit on their taxes to cover any expense they would have.

And my heck, it is only $1.75 per $100 of groceries. And we have paid it for the last 50 years. Only for the past few was it removed, and it was done in the bestest of times.

This proposal is a good one. Many Republicans are supporting it.

Thinkin' Man | 9:24 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009

The only truly fair tax is sales tax because everyone pays their fair share -- rich, poor, illegal immigrants, tourists, UN officials, etc.

A tax on food, however, is a bad idea because it burdens the poorest Americans. Food and medicine -- the basics to sustain life -- should never be taxed for that reason.

Republicans who are truly Conservatives would never support a tax on food!

to: Thinkin Man | 11:35 a.m. Nov. 13, 2009

THE POOR WON'T PAY IT!! See comment from right above yours. Those are the facts.

Thinkin' Man | 12:40 p.m. Nov. 13, 2009

Not all the "poor" use food stamps.

Class Size | 12:42 p.m. Nov. 13, 2009

I'm all for the food tax, it's a very small price and we all pay equally. If you want steak you pay the tax for it and if you can't afford steak then you pay the tax for hamburger. As for schools, I was educated in a class of 40 plus students and I managed to go on obtain a Master's degree. It's not the class size it's the lack of discipline in current classroom setting, the lack of motivation on the part of some students and the lack of support for education at home. We coddle our kids now; we worry about their self-esteem and the burden of homework. There was no question of teaching in different languages, English had to mastered by all and still should be.

RE: Tab Uno | 1:53 p.m. Nov. 13, 2009

????

The low income people this supposdely hurts already do not pay any state income tax and in fact get a tax return. This means I (and the rest of the people that actually pay taxes) have already given them a huge break. At some point there has to be some personal accountability. Most (not all) of these poor people got to be that way based on choices they made throughout their lives. Why should I pay for them and their kids to eat because of their bad choices? I as a single Male in utah already pay a FAR higher percentage of my income to taxes than these people you talk of. They have FAR more tax breaks than I.

The real solution to all of this mess is to institute a FLAT tax. EVERYONE pays their share. We then could still have some sort of limited welfare for the people that actually need it.

(Or and I know this is probably devil talk around here, but quit giving deductions for Tithing. If you did this the state would gain close to 10% more taxes on income)

regressive? | 2:39 p.m. Nov. 13, 2009

This idea of a "regressive" tax is not sound. A "progressive" tax is one that actually charges a higher tax rate to people who make more money and a lower rate to people who make less.

Charging the same tax rate to everyone for food, or for whatever else, is not "regressive" because everyone pays the same rate. A more common term is "fair" tax. Low-income people, as I've been most of my life, pay a greater part of their income for everything.

Cinncinatus | 2:53 p.m. Nov. 13, 2009

RE: Tab Uno at 1:53 p.m.

If you didn't notice, the state already put in place a flat tax, which had a greater benefit to those of the higher income brackets than it did to the working poor. Many who weren't paying anything at all before the flat tax, are certainly doing so now. The removal of tax on food was one of the concessions made to move to a flat rate income tax.

Some people here are arguing that the tax on food should be reinstated because those who are most disadvantaged, i.e., those on food stamps, already don't pay the sales tax at the register. What about and even greater number of people who are above the cutoff to qualify for food stamps, yet are still struggling to pay the mortgage, the utilities, and put food on the table?

Taxed to death | 10:00 p.m. Nov. 13, 2009

No more tax increases! Never, Ever! Cut government spending to balance the budget, I don't care what government agencies get cut; cut them all.

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