Show f t Vote no on sales tax increase TN N February 1993 the Utah State 5 1 IN Legislature created an arts tax to be approved individually by county Salt Lake County is the first county to attempt attempt at at- 0 tempt to tp pass the tax increase If passed sales taxes would rise from percent to percent The increase is anticipated to raise up to 8 million The funds are to be distributed among arts zoological and botanical Up to 85 percent of this revenue will go to those organizations with annual annual annual ano an an- o nual budgets over Another 10 percent will be distributed at the discretion discretion discretion tion of the county and the final 5 S percent is reserved for small arts groups Organizations that stand to gain from the tax increase include the Utah Symphony Symphony Symphony Sym Sym- phony Ballet West Utah Opera Company Company Com Com- o. o pany Salt Lake Repertory theater Utah Museum of Fine Arts Woodbury lire Rire- Rire Woodbury Dance Company and others The pub public ic vote on this tax is scheduled for June 8 The Horizon feels that this date is much too soon There has not been sufficient time to properly inform the public nor to thoroughly debate the issue Rushing the vote is a tactic employed by those who support the measure These supporters likely expect expect expect ex ex- ex- ex a low turnout and so hope to pass the initiative Why not wait until the general election election election elec elec- tion in November to present the issue to the people Perhaps they resort to these clandestine e methods because they fear that the increase would hot not pass when brought before the majority of the voting public The arts are certainly valuable and enjoyable however it is those who go and partake of these even events ts who should have to shoulder the cost It would be difficult to contend with the conclusion that the majority of arts patrons are among the more affluent members of society Certainly it is the patrons who should bear the increasing increasing increasing ing operating costs of the arts It is not fair to make everyone including the most poor pay for an event enjoyed mostly by the rich If there must be a tax increase the additional funds should apply to more pressing needs The money should go to schools social programs and community community community com com- development long before it should go to subsidize the hobbies of the wealthy Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini Corradini Corradini Cor- Cor supports the initiative as do groups with vested interest in the increase increase increase in in- crease such as the U of U board of trus trustees tees and the Chamber of Commerce Commerce Commerce Com Com- merce Yet Mayor Corradini was unable unable unable un un- un- un able to unite her fellow mayors behind the cause Perhaps they feel as the Horizon does that raising ticket prices or some other method needs to be employed to raise funds for the arts It is unjust to tax others for what the rich can canwell canwell canwell well afford to pay for We should put resources in into to more crucial areas before providing additional funding for the high arts |