Before the income tax change in 1996 while Utah was ranked at the bottom in the nation in per pupil funding, at least we were ranked in the top 10 states in effort to fund public education (amount of money spent for public ed per $1000 of income), and now Utah is ranked about 34th in effort to fund public education, even though Utah now ranks about 12th in median household income in the U.S.
Much of this “tax revision” is based on the “surplus” that was in the Education Fund this year. Until our state is back in the top 10 in effort to fund public ed, we should not be looking at what was not spent as surplus.
So I hope our legislators do not reduce the income tax unless there has been a thorough evaluation of what it will take to get Utah back into the top 10 in effort to fund public ed, and they have allocated the funds necessary to do that.
Also, the proposed revision places more tax burden on households that are barely making enough money to provide basic living needs, as well as other issues. I read in a history book a story of a people who were happy and prosperous until “the people began to be distinguished...according to their riches and their chances for learning; yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches...And thus there became a great inequality in all the land...” Are we seeing this happen in our state and country?
Fred Ash
Sandy