The Week Ahead
With a special legislative session scheduled Tuesday at 2 p.m., and a lot of other legislative meetings on other days, this chilly last week of summer is shaping up as a busy political week.
The fun actually beings at noon today when supporters of the transportation proposal that will be before the Legislature on Tuesday will hold a rally at west side of the Gallivan Center (near the KUTV studios off Main Street). Speakers will include local government leaders, business leaders, and legislators from Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties. The purpose is to thank state legislators for taking up the transportation proposal and encourage them to approve it so it can be placed on the ballot in November.
Anyone who supports the transportation proposal, which would facilitate TRAX and commuter rail expansion, plus fund highway corridor preservation, is invited to attend the rally at noon today.
See the legislative calendar (which seemed to be down early Monday morning) for all the legislative meetings and the Utah Policy Daily calendar for other political events this week.
Utah Foundation Report
The Utah Foundation has posted a new research report showing that Utah’s tax burden isn’t as high as is commonly thought. The report examines Utah's tax burden over a 12-year period compared to other states. “The report finds that the common method of counting all taxes and government fees significantly overstates Utah's tax and fee burden. A more appropriate accounting of taxes and mandatory government fees is provided, showing Utah ranked 14th highest in the nation with a total burden of $124 per $1,000 of personal income." For more information and to read the report, click here.
Monday Musing
Tax Cut: Now or Later?
Lots of people are opposed to the modest tax cut that will likely be approved at the special session on Tuesday as part of tax reform. Thinking long term, however, it might be wise to accept this tax cut with the hope of preventing a much larger one in the general session that begins in January.
I’m not a big fan of tax cuts when the state faces so many needs in education and transportation. However, I also am a realist and it’s not likely that the Legislature is going to watch big revenue surpluses pile up without cutting taxes. So it’s better to go along with this $70 million cut and argue in January that lawmakers just granted a nice tax cut so there’s no need for another one, especially because citizens don’t want one.
Blog Watch
Rep. Steve Urquhart says: "The D-News reports that 60% of Utahns would rather give money to public education than have an income tax cut. Under J2 (the dual-track system), Utahns can do exactly that. They can calculate their taxes, and pay the higher amount, if they choose. That money would go to public education (and a little to higher education). Anyone wanna bet whether 60% of the people opt to pay the higher amount?" (see also here and here)... At the Senate Site blog, Sen. Sheldon Killpack says: "We're set to discuss a major transportation plan on Tuesday. I should probably offer a few thoughts about this bill and outline the key points of the legislation. First, this is not simply about UTA or a few Trax lines in Salt Lake County. Our desire is to formulate a policy that works for the entire state. Second, this plan includes a big push for corridor preservation. While Transit has been able to preserve many of their future corridors, roads have a long way to go. Open areas are being developed and land prices are rising where future roads need to be built. We're going to lose these corridors if we don't act soon. This plan reserves 25 percent of a potential tax increase for corridor preservation. The other 75 percent can be sliced up between road projects, mass transit, and airports depending on how they play out in the criteria weighting process. With transportation demands outstripping available dollars, taxpayers should expect a process that gives them the biggest bang for their buck. This is a big step in the right direction"... Rep. John Dougall laments government's growing role as "money shuffler"... Rep. Craig Frank suggests some light reading about Utah finances... At Plato's Cave, George Pyle says: "It is altogether fitting and proper that Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. has called a special session of the Utah Legislature for Sept. 19. Fitting because Sept. 19 also happens to be International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Proper because the twin goals of the session are to loot the state's education treasury to provide tax cuts for the rich and to pillage a plan to expand TRAX light rail to the west and south parts of Salt Lake County in order to meet up with commuter rail service favored by the scalawags from Utah County. We can see it now: 'Aaaargh! The chair recognizes the scurvy dog from Provo! Ye lubber!'. Watch for the Jolly Roger to fly over the Capitol Tuesday" (see also here)... At SouthernUtahBlog, Todd Seifert encourages public involvement in the Vision Dixie initiative (see also here)... Utah Conservative handicaps several Utah House and Senate races... Utah Taxpayer disagrees with the Utah Foundation about how Utah's tax and fee burdens compare with other states.
Washington Watch
Hatch: Court Wrong on Tithing
In a letter to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Sen. Orrin Hatch questions a court decision made in a New York bankruptcy case, says tithes should be allowed in bankruptcy repayment plans (see press release); Hatch brokers a meeting between Cedar City officials and the Union Pacific Railroad to help improve service on the Cedar City rail line (press release).
Land-Use Bills Criticized
Editorial opposes the Washington Co. growth bill recently introduced in Congress by Sen. Bob Bennett and Rep. Jim Matheson (Arizona Republic); environmentalists challenge a Nevada land-use exchange bill drafted by Sens. Harry Reid and John Ensign that is similar to the Washington Co. bill (Las Vegas Sun and Associated Press).
Utah’s Top Issues
It’s important for Utah policymakers and opinion leaders to be aware of and up-to-speed on the top issues facing the state. Here is our weekly list, generated by observing what’s hot in the news media, what’s on the agenda of various policymaking groups, and what’s being discussed among opinion leaders and policymakers. We welcome suggestions and input from UPD readers. E-mail daily@utahpolicy.com.
Hottest of the Hot
- Tuesday special session for tax reform/transit funding
Emerging
- SLCIA nonstop service to Europe
- 4th congressional seat for Utah
- Tolling on highways
- Snake Valley water pumping for Las Vegas
- SITLA land sale on Green River
- Minimum wage increase
- High gas prices
Mature
- 2006 election campaigns
- Downtown SLC revitalization
- Immigration
- Washington County lands sales
- Open space funding
- Guns at college
- Downtown SLC redevelopment
Getting Old
Oldies But Goodies
- Banks/Credit Unions
- Highway funding
- Vouchers/School Choice
- Education funding
- No Child Left Behind
- Healthcare reform/Intermountain Healthcare
Advocacy Essay
PCE Wants Parents Back in Charge
By Nancy Pomeroy
When Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman wrote the word “voucher” in a 1955 education reform article, little did he know that the seed would grow from an idea into 19 programs in 12 states. Currently, a total of 38 states have school choice legislation pending. In short, it’s an idea it seems, whose time has come.
In Utah, Parents for Choice in Education (PCE) has gained ground by putting parents back where they belong – in charge of their child’s education. Bucking the stranglehold of teacher’s unions with deep national pockets and automatic dues deductions from teacher paychecks, PCE has grown a grassroots organization into a reform powerhouse by:
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Putting the focus where it belongs: on the child— not the system
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Representing the interests of children and parents not those of a union with personal financial interests in continued spending
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Increasing in-state PAC contributions to 157K (257K overall in 2006) without forcing supporters to contribute through automatic payroll. (Utah’s teacher’s union has received only 60K from instate supporters thus far in 2006)
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Growing their support database from a handful of concerned parents to 40,000+ supporters willing to call, march and vote
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Refusing to accept the excuses, turf wars and Chicken Little cries of the opposition or
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…the alleged illegal use of the PTA for political “gossip call-downs” eviscerating school choice legislative candidates who are also former educators
- Following the success models of states with successful school choice programs like Milwaukee Public School
In the 2005 session, school choice legislation narrowly missed passage. The 2007 session will again see it front and center. Several House candidates are campaigning on the issue and PCE finds itself making significant gains in mindshare as demonstrated by the wide range of its “mom and pop” donors. Educators, parents, firemen, retirees and grandparents are refusing to let their children fall victim to low test scores, graduation rates and college enrollment figures. Parents are demanding what should have been theirs all the time—freedom. Freedom to choose the best education for their child based on knowledge, not a system steeped in government bureaucracy, geographical constraints, income segregation or teacher’s unions who have a personal financial interest by jobs tied to continued government spending.
Parents in charge of their child’s education. Like Mr. Friedman’s idea—it is an idea whose time has come. |
