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Show Page October DIXIE SUN 4 7. 1988 EDITORIAL V5CC Opposition Calls November Initiatives a Shotgun Approach Dear Editor, I consider myself to be a fiscal conservative. I keep very tight control of my own family budget. In administering the budget of Washington City, I take great pains to preserve the financial integrity of that community. often disagree with what consider to be unnecessary appropriations by the Utah legislature, and I am distressed that the U.S. Congress refuses to approve a balanced budget believe in fiscal amendment. restraint in all levels of government, oppose any tax increase by the Utah legislature, and support tax cuts. selective, cannot support the However, shotgun approach of this years tax initiatives. I cannot support any measure that would damage or destroy essential state programs or services, and that would place the state in financial jeopardy. Those who initiated the initiatives are fiscal reactionaries who would force us to return to the past even if in so doing they threatened the financial integrity of the stale. To me, it is rather difficult speaking or writing about the tax initiatives for realize that most of those who support the initiatives are people who feel they are overburdened by our high tax rate. They do not understand the consequences that will occur if these initiatives pass. On the other hand, I believe that these initiatives are the greatest fraud ever perpetrated upon Utah citizens. Those who are directing the statewide drive in support of the initiatives are the greatest to work this state. They are making claims that cannot be substantiated and promises that cannot be fulfilled. Merril Cook, independent candidate for governor, is telling the disgruntled taxpayers of Utah that these tax cuts will bring prosperity, that they will create many new jobs, that education and other essential public programs will not be hurt and that I have a plan to make them work. When confronted with the fact that every respected political leader, civic leader, educator, economist, fiscal analyst, and organization in the state is opposing the initiatives and warning of the adverse effects of the passage of these initiatives, his only or reponse is they are lying these are just scare tactics. Simply stated, one initiative, the peoples tax reduction act would repeal all tax increases passed by the state legislature in 1987. This would include income, gas, sales, and cigarette taxes. If this is passed, the loss to the state would be $168.9 million in the first year alone. The other initiative, the peoples spending and limitation amendment, would limit residential property taxes to Vt of percent of fair market value and percent of other property (they currently average 1.1 percent through-ou- t the state). This in- Dear Editor, What would happen to you if your tuition was raised next year by $270? What would happen to you if 21 faculty and staff had to leave the campus? What would happen to you if 325 college? Why? Its all about tax cut proposals that protestors initiated and now we get to vote on it. The problem is, do we want it? Initiatives A and B will 1 1 students were denied entry to Dixie next year, 10,000 students statewide? You ask yourself, why do I have to deal with it? Well, are you registered to vote? This incredibly important issue is decided by your vote on November 8. What is it all about? Taxes? Tuition increases of 30 percent? Feeling the power?. Cutting athletics, musicals, and services at the con-artis- ts 1 1 itiative reduce would particularly property taxes, gasoline, tabocco and sales taxes. Initiative C gives a tax credit to people who educate their kids at home or in private schools. To students what do tax cuts mean? If the government didnt pay for our schooling (two thirds of which they do) could we make it? In this article lets discuss why the tax cuts would cripple the school and the state. If the Utah public passes devastate the public school districts and also city and county government, for they receive most of their revenue from property taxes. They would lose at least $177 million in revenue the first year alone. The total first year loss of revenue to the state would be $349 million. In order to fairly evaluate the tax initiatives and Utahs current economic condition, we must acknowledge that Utah does have a very serious problem. Our salaries (our per capita income) are almost the lowest in the nation. Our state tax base is very small, and our tax rate, when compared with our incomes, is unacceptably high. As an example of the dilemma we are in, only one state taxes its residents more for education than we do, yet no state spends less money per pupil to educate our students than does Utah. But we must attack this problem with common sense, not with a shotgun approach that the initiatives employ. One problem with the initiative is that they cut far too deep. They would cut out the meat with the fat, the good programs with the bad. We would be forced to cut back or eliminate many essential programs or services. Some refer to the initiatives as a meat cleaver approach. To a large degree, the initiatives are just a cop out, an easy way to cut expenditures when you dont have enough guts to carefully analyze this referendum, the average taxpayer will receive some relief of their tax burden, amounting to $110 per person. Sounds good doesnt it, but what would it actually do to us? That 110 dollars comes from the state and cuts about 329 million dollars from its wallet. 329 million dollars is a lot of money. Considering Grounds? Youd have to cut a lot to make up 13 percent. If the initiatives pass Utah is going to cry in pain. Music? Counseling? Air Sciences? from Education, kindegarten to graduate programs, will take the biggest hit. Senior Citizen programs, Highway Patrol, prisons, road maintenance, Medicare, city governments, that cultural Dixie College gets only 5.5 million from the state, you start to wonder if it is not in jeopardy. If the initiatives passed, Dixie would have to cut its budget by 13 percent. If you were president what would you cut? Debate? conditioning? each program and then eliminate or cut back only those programs that should be cut back or eliminated. Most economists and fiscal analysts agree that the initiatives will do nothing that its proponents promise. They definitely will not bring prosperity to the state. They will force the closing of many essential Utah programs in the areas of mental health, rehabilitation, social services, handicapped services and many others. Many programs that survive the cuts will be so severely limited budgetarily that the quality will go out of the program and essential sevices will no longer be preformed. Looking at higher education alone, the consequences will be devastating. Since much of your cost of education is currently being subsidized by state appropriations, colleges will be forced to limit enrollment and greatly increase tuition costs for those who are permitted to enroll. Low enrollment programs will be eliminated, many elective classes or programs will disappear, many classified staff employees will be eliminated, and though untenured teachers will be terminated. Nonacademic programs may have to be eliminated such as Program Bureau, some performing arts and possibly even athletic programs. Dixie College is already handicapped in the purchasing of needed equipment by restrictive budgets, but these purchasing activities and tourism budgets will all take additional blows. Analysts and law makers say that the initiatives would set the state back many years, that businesses would leave and that our recovering economy would cough uncontrollably. There is a group on cam budgets would have to becc even more restrictive. We may have to actually close our colle. n as some fear, but we may hau S drastically cut them back or e 8 have each college beet an appendage or a subsidiary i larger school. Greg Beasley Merrill Cook may call these v ij nings scare tactics, but I wc challenge either of them to si 0 us specificalh how they wc 3 propose cutting $33.9 million r S higher education budgets that f 8 already been unfairly and fi bitrarily cut to the bone by 8 ecutive and legislative decision the past 2 years. The public schools w'ould h to cut back by $125 million. A; very least, this would require t to increase class sizes, unnatu Vlepu Ru ly consolidate districts, elimi merit and incentive programs, reduce or eliminate bussing, v tional programs, handicap programs, capital expenditn kindergartens and sp programs. The issues before us this are among the most critical of in the history of this state. Wc at a crossroads. The reputat the economic stability and quality of life in this stale may be determined by what happen November 8. I challenge students to stand up for what I think is right and to take didatt rightful place in Utahs poli: Busk process. Jul Robert A. Slack Dixie Co Political Science Department pus called Participation which is trying its best! . help students become av.f 1 of the initiatives and their treme effect upon all of "T Participation 88 will you register to vote, rte answer your questions. T are also sponsoring stud j forums with import! -- political figures to give y a chance to learn more. T1 even have a voter day da Duk on the schedule. You ibecc the also be involved. Lets resolve to take c trol of this issue. The stud 1 vote is powerful. We need let people know how we 'poli about our future. Lets the ball rolling. Voting on A, B, and C will do a i r |