Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Flat tax flap
During a special session on Tuesday,Utah legislators gave in to Governor Huntsman's flat income tax proposal. Well, sort of. Next April residents can pick whether to go with a bracketed plan plus deductions or the 5.4 flat tax. Is it the best or worst of both worlds? Who wins and who loses? Does the flat tax benefit the rich at the expense of public schools, as some say, or will favorable income taxes stimulate the economy? To voice your support or to criticize the new plan please post a comment below.
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4 comments:
It is clear from every poll and from my experience on the campaign trail, that most Utahns are opposed to this plan mainly because it impacts education funding. I hope that Governor Huntsman is correct in his assumption that Utahns will quickly see an influx of Fortune 500 companies, which will replace the lost education funding. However, I have been unable to find any documented evidence to back up this argument, especially when we are bordered by some states with no state income tax. Meanwhile, a simple Google search will reveal a number of studies, which show that a good school system will attract economic development regardless of the state income tax levels. The quality of Park City’s schools tends to bear that out.
Most of the people who believe that this is tax reform are the legislators that voted for it. The rest of us recognize this as yet another tax cut for the wealthy, a disproportionately small portion of the population. After the huge windfalls in tax breaks wealthy Americans have been receiving at the federal level for the past five years, the smart thing to do would have been for the legislature to slightly increase taxes in those high income brackets and skip the flatter tax altogether. This would add needed money to our desperately under-funded schools and more equitably distribute the tax burden.
The Jones – Muscaro bill of year’s past was good legislation. It would have widened the tax brackets, indexed them against inflation, and addressed school funding now, not at some nebulous date in the future - a day that will likely never arrive. Unless the voters of this state do something different this Election Day, Utah is destined to be dead last in per pupil spending, pupil-to-teacher ratios, and in our ability to provide anything more than a rudimentary education. Our children deserve so much more.
How much more do you want to spend on ungrateful kids that fail to learn because they would rather be playing video games, listening to their Ipods and surfing the net for porn? Stop hitting the Education Panic Button everytime a tax reform is proposed and you may get further with your agenda.
Thank God that self serving Laura Bonham has set the record straight on tax reform.
One correction though. Good schools attract residents that want to live in an area where their kids can get "learn-ed" real well with a kwality edukashun and stuff. They dont attract econommic development. Sound and consistent tax policy along with a well developed infrastructure and a competent work force draw new businesses to an area. Good schools are important for several reasons, but they dont drive economic development. I learnt that at an early age in my publik skool.
So what you are saying Laura is that you would like to confiscate my hard earned money and redistribute it to people who are too lazy to work for it.
I do believe our (my) children deserve more. You are saying that the playing field should be more level? You are saying that the government should do more? It is up to the parent to see that the child is given an education and not the government. Park City has great schools because the people here believe in them and not because they are forced to give up their hard earned dollars.
As far as the studies go, I feel you are misreading them. A good school system is because of economic development and not the reason for it. No one can argue that schools need money to thrive and that schools depend on a good economy in the area it dwells. So, good economy equals good schools.
You have to take a step back and look at the big picture and not your own little world if you want to realy make a positive difference in the world of ours. You have to use common sense and logic when making choices. That cannot be more true in politics.
Good luck to you Laura and I hope you shed the shackles of partisian politics and see the light of the Independents.
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