I appreciate Bob Bernick's writing. He often has good points to make and gives perspective to political problems. For that reason it was particularly disappointing to read his Nov. 12th commentary, "Low-income Utahns likely to keep bearing tax load."
In the piece, he confuses tax rates with taxes and he confuses taxes with tithing. When he says that "Gov. Mike Leavitt and legislators, led by the majority Republicans in the House and Senate have given significant tax cuts in the 1990s" who's he trying to kid?It may be true that some tax rates have been reduced, but the amount of taxes -- what comes out of taxpayers pockets -- has increased every year of the Leavitt administration. The almost 8 percent a year increase in state spending was built on taxes, and in absolute terms there has been a near monumental tax increase every year.
The slight of numbers that counts the difference between what the drunken sailors in the Legislature spend and what the tax receipts are as surplus conceals the size of the real surplus which is the difference between the amount budgeted and the tax receipts.
Thus instead of having a $300 million surplus, we end up with a 25 million "surplus." This keeps the natives from getting restless and demanding a return of some of their hard-earned money. Bernick also seems to have bought into the Utah Foundation idea that taxes are OK if they don't take more than a certain percentage of personal income. Percentage of income is called tithing. Taxes should be based on what is needed to efficiently run the government and not on a benchmark of 12 percent of personal income.
Our governor seems to have never met a tax he doesn't like. He is now pushing for a new tax on Internet sales. Here's a guy who is so inefficient at governing that he can't get the trash picked up along I-15 and he wants to reorganize our national tax system. Give us a break.
Lee Allen
Provo