Show Gunnison Valiev NewsSalina Sun September 25 1996 Page Major tax revenues in Utah continue to rise Off the top Water has a price by The Utah Taxpayer Association Utah tax revenues continued their dramatic growth in the fiscal year that ended June 30 1996 can water cost the same or in some The bulk of Utah’s revenue contin- cases more than soda pop? Go fig- ue(j jo come from three revenue ure I love soda pop but it isn t that sources: property taxes ($110 for you lion) personal and corporate income My youngest son has been learn-- taxes ($130 billion) and sales taxes ing about water at school He clued ($146 billion) me in to some important data Did State sales tax revenue grew at an you know that more than 50 percent astounding rate of 99 eclipsing Local of fresh water on the planet earth is last year’s increase of 86 frozen? Cool huh At one park in sales and use tax revenues collected New York state there are no fish or by cities and towns in Utah 8revv even Sales tax revenues ducks or any wildlife because of faster at 11 acid rain That is scary to him and to from the public transit tax a sales tax in cities operating public of 25 me while 130 Right here in Gunnison Valley we transportation grew by sales tax revenues for the Olympics have some scary water problems revenues from 90 by Finally grew There are some people who live outthe transient room resort communi side of the city limits who would like to have the opportunity to have secondary water for irrigation In past years some were and some were not given the opportunity to “pay up” and get on the secondary line Now if you can buy water shares the farmby The Utah T axpayer Association ers won’t let you on to their irrigation While rising personal income and pipesystem Thepipes are maxed out tax cuts have lightened now You can lay a new pipe line legislative the burden of state and local taxes as from the water source But I think a percent of personal income Utah this could cost some major $$$ continues to rank among the nation’s So there is water water some15 states with the heaviest tax burwhere but it will cost you den according to a new study by the Off the Top is the product of Lori's rambling and often disjointed thoughts This Taxpayers Association conversational style piece does not reflect the opinion of this newspaper According to calculations by the UTA and using the latest data available from the US Department of Commerce Utah's state and local tax burden ranked 14th heaviest in the nation with Utahns paying nearly $ 9 per $ 000 of personal income in taxes in 1993 The national average in 1993 was $115 by Todd Wheeler Residents of the state of Alaska bore the heaviest tax burden nearly The nights are starting to get colder and the leaves on the trees are starting double that of Utahns’ paying $228 to change color This means the time has come to close out another golfing $1000 of personal income in season (It should never have even been started in the first place) think the per state and local taxes New York sport was invented to inflict and torment anyone who tries to play it Wisconsin Hawaii and Minnesota is is it called ofthe because all other four letter believe the reason golf truly rounded out the top five Residents of cuss words had been given other meanings before the game was invented Missouri were in the enviable posiBut those other four letters words are heard frequently on the golf course tion of paying the least in state and never used any of them) (But local taxes per $1000 of their perGolf really is a fun game but only if you are watching other people play sonal income at only $91 Alabama it and can laugh out loud at them The game involves hitting a little ball with South Dakota Tennessee and Vir a long stick into a hole in the middle of a pasture For you golf enthusiast who ginia round out the bottom five are getting offended by this won’t mention any names Mel stop and think Over the past six years the about it This is a simple description of the game local tax burden has become Even am not immune too have been infected by the terrible disease of lighter In 1988 for example Utah thinking can play golf After all how hard can it be to hit a little white ball? ranked 9th in the nation with just over $129 per $1000 of their perSo recently joined my Dad and brother for a quick nine holes My brother stood up to the tee looked down at his ball the club went back behind his sonal income going to pay for state f head and then started on it’s path forward At the precise moment the wrists and local taxes By 1990 Utah twisted and brought the club around and hit the ball straight down the proved to 13th at $122 and by 1993' while Utah still ranked 14th Utahns fairway My head came up as watched the ball sail and land about 250 yards on average paid $119 per $1000 of from the tee “Beautiful shot” and complemented my brother as stepped income in state and local up to take my shot I tried to imitate exactly what my brother had done the personal taxes This positive trend is a result club head came around and smacked the ball watched as the ball dribbled of Utah’s strong economy an over the edge of the hill where the tee sat proving personal income and an had not done to bad on the par five The first hole was finished finally expansion of the overall tax base In I had scored a four (ok so it was a four over par) By the end of the round addition it is expected that due to was scoring ones and twos (over par) even had a couple of pars significant property tax cuts in 1995 is course carried around the is ball Golf one of the few games where a spare and 1996 Utah’s state and local tax This is done because every once in a while there will be a shot that slices when burden will continue to improve it is supposed to hook or vice versa The second ball is then dropped on the While Utah's overall position apground and the shot is retaken If the second shot is worse than the first then peared to be improved the tax burthe first shot is taken have never seen this rule in a rule book or seen it done den of state sales and income taxes by the professionals on TV but on the golf course have met few people who remained onerous in 1993 Accorddo not use this rule ing to the study Utah's sales tax It has been said that a golfer is only as good as their best shot Thinking burden nearly $39 per $1000 of ranked eighth about this try hard to remember my best shot It had to be that put made personal income studied the angle carefully read the green heaviest in the nation in 1993 nearly at the course in South Ogden perfectly and took the shot The ball rolled up the hill suddenly the tiger 30 higher than the national average of $27 per $1000 of personal opened his mouth and the ball rolled in It then came out his tail and headed What a shot! income Utah’s high ranking is in for the hole circling it once and then falling in A it shot part a result of the state’s continued a was miniature So what if it was only great golf Besides it’s not healthy to walk around yelling “Ah golf!” after every collection of sales tax on food Washington state residents carried shot the heaviest sales tax burden paying ’ Todd 's Wheelin '"does not necessarily reflect the opinion of this ne wspaper by Lori Olsen “Water water everywhere without a drop to drink” I don't remember where this saying comes from but I believe it refers to floating out in the ocean and being very thirsty Well Gunnison water has something to be desired Now don't be offended! There are many places in the United States that have terrible tasting drinking water When I moved to St George as a college student I quickly became dehydrated because I couldn't stand the water Mesa and Phoenix Arizona have warm ucky water They also have stores in nearly every strip mall with delicious cool water and ice for a price I was raised on pure Idaho well water Which is probably the best water in the world I know those bom and raised here in the valley find nothing wrong with Gunnison water So I guess it’s what you’re raised on Water is always an issue at our house With my picky palate we buy drinking water At 89 cents a gallon it adds up But the taste is worth it Today I dropped in Top Stop for some water A one liter bottle cost $119 Guess what? A one literbottle of also costs $119 How State & ties and tourism recreation and cultural taxes grew by 5 3 and 126 respectively The individual income and corporate franchise tax revenues experienced an increase of93 compared to an increase of 129 last year Revenues from the gross receipts tax the on Intermountain Power Agency (IPA) and electrical corporations creased by 90 from $44 million in to $84 million in The dramatic increase was due to a new tax imposed on all electrical corporations in 1995 Property tax revenue fell for the first time in decades due to a $90 ion property tax cut m passed by the legislature in 1995 The cut resulted in a 18 reduction in total property tax revenues collected in 1995 stead of a 69 expected increase local tax burden 14th heaviest in the nation Todd's Wheelin' A four letter word Golf $56 per $ 000 of personal income in sales taxNew Mexico Hawaii Louisiana and Tennessee rounded out the top five Four Montana New Hampshire' and not have a sales tax Utah’s property tax burden just over $30 per $1000 of personal come ranked 35th in the nation in 1993 lower than the nearly 18 national average of $37 All fifty states collect property taxes Terol Teri Amy Jo Blackburn Cleo Brian Bob Kristen and Mike(left to right) make preparations for the upcoming Special Olympics Queen project includes 'Special Olympics' Miss Sevier County Queen Amy Jo Blackburn hopes to use the platform she has chosen to accomplish many good things with the help ofthe community Her platform is to increase the awareness of people with disabilities throughout the year “I feel have some great opportunities in which the disabled may be involved this year as well as Amy everyone in SevierCounty”said Jo The first activity is the Special Olympics which will be held at the Richfield High School football field on Saturday October 5 996 at :00 A practice for the event will be held at the Richfield City Park on Saturday September 7 1996 at 1:00 pm “There has never been a Special Olympics in Sevier County” said Blackburn “I want to make it a yearly event so it will become a tradition in the county” Participants and their families will also be treated to dinner and entertainment after the event at 6:00 pm at the Richfield Youth Center Entertainment for the event will be provided by Miss Sevier and her court For further infomiation or to register for the event call pm Mel ©Marty’s AUTUMN FUN it in for a FREE Slice of Kids color this and Hey page bring Moose Bros Pizza during UEA Weekend! 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