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Show Arguments Against VOT& 1. Proposition 4 will reduce education funding by millions of dollars over the next few years! This money will have to be replaced from other sources! Supporters of Proposition 4 claim that it will not reduce education funding. They say it will only change the way that education is funded. This is untrue! Proposition 4 will transfer revenues into the state school fund that have historically been used for current education needs. Putting these revenues into the state school fund will decrease the amount of money available for immediate use. Many years will pass before the increase in interest on the state school fund equals the extra amount of revenue going into it. Until then, education funding will fall millions of dollars short of present levels. Utah's budget is already very tight. Providing extra funds to make up for the shortfall will be difficult. Raising taxes, or levying new taxes, will probably become necessary. Extra funds will have to be provided every year until the interest on the state school fund equals the revenues from resources. In short, Proposition 4 will place a burden on taxpayers for years to come! Proposition 4 will not really increase education for funding many years! Supporters of Proposition 4 claim that the increased interest from the state school fund will eventually pay a rntyor part of Utahs education bill. With the 2. additional revenue, taxes could be lowered. It will take many years to reach that point! Consider the facts: If the annual revenues from resources continue to be about $7 million dollars (the 1983- 1984 figure), it will be 10 years before the interest on the fund even replaces itself! Even if Proposition 4 works the way its sponsors claim, before Utah taxpayers realize any it will be a benefit. On the other hand, taxpayers will probably see increased taxes right away! Proposition 4 will take too long-tim- long to produce real benefits! 3. The state needs all current revenue sources to fulfill its obligations! Utahs resources are strained to the limits. Many important programs have gone without funding because of lack of money. Proposition 4 will tie up millions of dollars in a trust fund. The state would benefit more from spending the money now! While the money might be useful in the future, it would definitely be useful now. There are also other considerations. Inflation may lessen the value of the dollars we save now. By saving money for the future instead of spending it now we may not be able to get the greatest value for our money. Spending money now on critical educational needs may reduce the amount of funding necessary for remedial programs later. For Utah s sake, we need to spend this money now! AGAINST PROPOSITION 4! Senator Wilford R. Black Senate Minority Leader 826 North 1300 West Salt Lake City, Utah 84116 Rebuttal to Arguments against Proposition No. 4 1. Even the opponents of Proposition 4 admit that it will eventually increase funding for education. They are merely unwilling to exercise the discipline that it will take to reach that goal. Any savings or investment program is a plan for the future, and involves sacrifice. No matter what the future cost of education is, every dollar of interest from the State School E und will be one less dollar that has to come out of the taxpayers pocket! 2. The funds that Proposition 4 will transfer into the State School Fund are from resources. Mien those resources are depleted, that source of income will be gone forever! The taxpayer of the future will have to make up the difference out of his pocket. It would be intolerably selfish to squander the income from these nonrenewable resources with no concern for the future. 3. Opponents claim that every available penny is needed to meet the obligations of the state. This is not true! State spending could be cut. During the past three years the Governor has ordered 2 percent reductions in spending on seven different occasions, with only small impact on state operations! Scrupulous budget analysis by the legislature will make up for the shift of funds proposed by Proposition 4. No increase in taxes will be necessary! Governor Matheson says: The time has come for Utahns to face up to the rising cost of educating our children. We cannot afford not to support this constitutional amendment! VOTE FOR PROPOSITION 4! Senator K.S. Cornaby Senate Majority Leader 3794 Hermes Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84124 Representative Ervin M. Skousen 3316 Metro Way Salt Lake City, Utah 84109 |