Show Legislators Must Remember It Is Cumulative Tax Load That Counts Without doubt the greatest single issue facing present members of the state legislature and the governor is economy Governor Lee made that issue clear in his message when he said maid Unless our present taxes and expenditures are stemmed the state in ina a more ne nearly normal economy might well wreck itself financially by attempted attempted attempted at at- tempted spending in excess of revenues it could reasonably hope to anticipate The legislature and the governor must have the courage and ability to say no There is obviously a good deal of support support support sup sup- port for this view among the members of the legislature and among the people of Utah It will not be easy to put over any new state spending proposals or any new state tax measures But there is danger that a substantial additional tax burden may be imposed on the people in a rather round-about round fashion through legislative authorization tion of new taxes to be imposed by other units of government in Utah For instance a number of measures which will increase county revenues are in the legislative hopper One of them a bill to permit increased welfare levies has already been given senate approval Another proposes to permit an extra one mill county levy for the support of fire departments A third will permit general fund levy increases in the various various various vari vari- ous counties the increases ranging from one mill to two mills depending on the valuation There is a bill which would increase the sales tax to 3 cents on the dollar with the additional addition l revenues divided between between between be be- tween cities and counties Another measure proposes to appropriate all auto license fees to the B Band and C road fund with the money again divided between between between be be- tween cities and counties There may be some other measures which seek seck to increase county revenues but just those listed would make possible an increase of more than in tax ta revenues received by the counties counties- and the counties actually today are in better financial condition than any other unit of government in the state Plainly it is extremely difficult to stop the trend toward bigger and better taxation If an economy move seems seems' to erect a barrier against new taxes by the state the tax increase pressure eases around to come in the back door with new revenue measures for counties Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps Per Per- haps its it's a bit unfair to pick on the counties exclusively We Ve know that the cities are arc out to get legislative approval for new revenue measures and that the schools have their hand out for a good many millions of dollars for new build build- ings The important point is that the burden burden burden bur bur- den of taxation on the people is not scattered it is cumulative It is the total of governmental siphoning of taxes fees licenses etc out of the economic stream which counts counts and and it makes absolutely no difference in the final analysis to the st staggering taxpayer whether an additional burden is placed on his back backby backby backby by the state the county the city orthe or orthe orthe the school district The weight and the crushing effect is the same regardless of which unit of government is sible |