The pandemic was hard on all of us, but Utah’s economy came roaring back with record GDP and record-smashing income tax and sales tax revenue. Lawmakers have more money than ever before in the education and general funds. Their response? Cut the income tax instead of further boosting desperately needed education funding.
Then, instead of eliminating the food tax, which they could do right now to provide immediate inflation relief, they propose to end the food tax if we open up the education fund to them to spend on whatever they want. That’s like selling the farm for a single meal.
Amendment G, opening up the Education Fund (constitutionally dedicated income tax revenue being the core) to certain social services, passed in 2020. It was an agreement that was supposed to last 10 years — the length of time it would take all those costs to be fully borne by the income tax. But now, because we happen to have record revenue, there is suddenly a “crisis” requiring another amendment?
Make no mistake — this is extortion.
The supermajority party is asking us to sell the farm for pennies on the dollar, and the good times won’t last. They never do.
Deborah Gatrell
West Valley City