Sen. Aaron Osmond, R-South Jordan, was interviewed a couple of times on the radio last week, and the Deseret News printed an editorial recently (“Teacher tax incentives,” Aug. 9) to discuss the senator’s idea to help teachers out by eliminating their state income tax.
This is a really bad idea. Granted, teachers deserve to be paid more, and we face a problem retaining the ones we have. So pay them more. Tinkering with the tax code just makes the code more complex and unfair. Every so-called loophole in the tax code used to be somebody’s way to favor a group or industry that supposedly needed help. And the reduction in revenue from the elimination of teachers’ taxes could just as well be given to the teachers in increased salaries. I understand that such money doesn’t always get to teachers, but the Legislature has enough smart people that I bet they can figure a way around that.
And what about all the other worthy occupations that would like more money? Don’t police, firemen, home health care nurses, etc., also deserve some consideration?
Give the teachers a tax break and other groups will soon be knocking on the door for theirs.
David Erickson
Elk Ridge, Utah County