Show Rebuttal to Arguments Against opposing Proposition 1 we do not intend to tax truly charitable hospitals The constitution does not have to be changed to make charitable hospitals tax exempt The present constitution and Utah Supreme Court rulings provide a method if they meet certain for charitable hospitals to be requirements For example because Shriner’s Hospital and Primary Children's Medical Center provide much charity care they have never paid property taxes If they remain charitable they probably never will Proposition 1 is unnecessary! By Non profit hospitals are often no different than hospitals In the past hospitals were not taxed because they cared for the sick and poor They were often operated by religious groups only to provide a public service Because hospitals were genuine charities and served a public purpose they deserved tax exemptions Now there is little difference between many hospitals and hospitals run for profit Non profit hospitals are big businesses often run by large corporations Some supposedly charitable hospitals even turn away or sue patients who cannot pay These hospitals should not receive property tax exemptions It is time to tax bigbusiness hospitals unless they really are charitiei If a hospital or nursing home does not provide charity care then it should pay property taxes If this amendment passes any hospital or nursing home that is set up to be would be even if it gives no charity care at t There will be no incentive for hospitals to provide charity hospitals should be tax exempt! ire Only charitable 3y defeating Proposition I we encourage hospitals to be true charities Proposition 1 is too vague and could allow hospital to avoid taxes unfairly The field of health care changes eveiy day Given the way the amendment is worded it is difficult to know how it might be interpreted Clinics and other medical facilities if they are set up as might qualify as corporations Passing this amendment could encourage many institutions to set up as corporations just to avoid taxes County boards of equalization could not review the status of these hospitals and nursing homes Now counties can require hospitals to pay taxes depending on how much charity care they give Let’s not give tax exemptions that aren’t justified! Arguments Again! Proposition Ao I State Legislature passed overwhelmingly Propoa vote of 25 to 2 in the Senate and61to9intheHouse Representatives The Legislature passed this proposition: The Utah sition of by To clarify the recent Utah Supreme Court rulings on property tax exemptions Unless Proposition is passed these rulings may take several years and hundreds of thousands of dollars in hearings and legal expenses to clarify resulting in increased cost to patients hospitals like Primary Children's Medical Center which millions of dollars In charity care may be taxed provide because the court’s rulings are vague and difficult to apply II hospitals ARE difhosptlals and ferent All revenue generated by hospitals is used to provide new equipment facilities and services for the communities they serve For profit hospitals distribute a portion of their earnings to investor owners hospitals have no investor owners only exist to benefit the communities they serve and under traditional American law have been exempt from taxes III To continue an exemption which has existed since statehood The proposition is clear and precise Only non profit hospitals and nursing homes as defined by state statute will qualify for exemption No new exemptions will be created IV To avoid a new tax on the sick the elderly and the poor those who can least afford it The proposition will avoid a new regressive sick tax of the worst kind: the sicker you are the more you will pay Vote “FOR” Proposition Avoid a new sick tax Senator Warren 6124 Cottonwood Salt Lake City Senator Fred E Pugh Lane Utah W Murray 84117 Finlinson 720 Shiloh Utah Way 84107 Unfair tax exemptions cause higher taxes for everyone If nursing homes and hospitals take unfair advantage of this amendment to avoid paying taxes we will lose tax dollars All taxpayers will have to pay more to make up for the loss One of the reasons that property taxes are so high now is there are relatively few people in the state who are required to pay property taxes Proposition 1 would leave other taxpayers with an unfair tax burden Vote "AGAINST" Proposition Representative Joseph 72 West Delta M Moody 100 North Utah 84624 Representative Spencer Wyatt 204 East Elberta Drive Ogden Utah 84404 Paget |