House, Senate at Odds on Tax Cuts
As Christmas approaches, things are becoming rather quiet on the political front. But one thing that continues to percolate out there is the posturing of the Utah House and Utah Senate over tax cuts and tax reform.
Neither body is being shy about publicizing their differences, setting up a classic confrontation for the legislative session that begins Jan. 15. Previously, the Senate pooh-poohed the House Republicans’ quick caucus decision to cut taxes by $300 million and give another $300 million to education. The latest shot across the bow came Tuesday evening in the form of a post on the SenateSite blog, which represents the views of the Senate majority.
The post, entitled “Ain’t gonna happen,” takes a direct shot at the desire of some House members, particularly Speaker Greg Curtis, to entirely remove the sales tax on food. To do so would violate the principles of good tax reform, according to the Senate Republicans. Says the post:
“Taxation & Economics 101: If you want income that remains stable through the ups and downs, you should impose a very tiny tax on a wide variety of items. I.E.: broaden the base and lower the rates. A higher tax on a very few items results in a revenue stream with wild mood swings.
“Utah is stable. Our economy is healthy. We have a highly coveted triple-A bond rating, and are consistently regarded as one of the best financially-managed states in the nation. The senate is going to favor policies that enhance that status, not detract from it.
”The senate approved reducing the tax on food (to take effect next year) because that will lower the rate while it keeps the base constant. As a group, we're not okay with doing away with it altogether. That would be shrinking the base, making our revenue stream incrementally more volatile.
”Anyone who is serious about cutting taxes will find a different place to cut them.”
Wise Words
“An early American hymn sang of the Christ-child that ‘this richest babe comes poor in being, more pearled within than to the seeing.’ More than any gift or toy, ornament or tree, let us resolve that this Christmas shall be, like that first Christmas, a celebration of interior treasures. And let us resolve to share our many blessings with others now and in the year to come—from the hungry or the helpless near at hand to those in trouble or turmoil in distant lands from Africa to Asia and beyond. As we gather with our family and friends to honor Christ, we can experience the same peace and joy as the shepherds and the Magi did almost two thousand years ago. If we make that peace and joy a part of our lives, our example will serve as a guide and an inspiration for everyone we meet.”
—Ronald Reagan (Source: The Federalist Patriot)
Blog Watch
Paul Rolly reports: "Utah House Speaker Greg Curtis has been getting pressure from moderates in the Republican Caucus to expand the number of legislators on the powerful Rules Committee because they believe it is stacked with ultra-conservatives. But Curtis says he is sticking to eight members, including two Democrats. Last year, Curtis trimmed the number from 15 to 11, then pared it to eight this year.".... In response to The Nation's recent profile of Rocky Anderson, Child of Illusion says: "We need a system in this country to make people like Anderson electable. It is an indictment on our system of government that someone like George Bush can get elected [president] and someone like Rocky Anderson can't" (see also here).... At Times & Seasons, Nate Oman says of Mitt Romney's Mormonism: "Perhaps we are on the threshold of a reassertive and thin political liberalism in which Mormonism will be accepted as one of the incommensurable but reasonable belief systems that a citizen might have. Maybe there is a place for Mormonism in a new civic religion. Perhaps Romney is a politician with the atavistic appeal to play midwife to either of these transformations, and we will look back on this moment the way that Catholics see the election of 1960: The moment of admission to American citizenship. Or maybe Romney will self-destruct before New Hampshire and Mormonism will return to political obscurity. For now, however, I am pessimistic but not apocalyptically so. I don't expect the second coming of Governor Boggs if for no other reason that the chances of Gordon B. Hinckley (or even Boyd K. Packer) delivering a new version of Sidney Rigdon's Salt Sermon are zero. However, it is worth remembering that the first public reaction to Mormonism was not an angry call for extermination. Rather, it was the Dogberry Letters that appeared in the Palmyra Reflector printing pirated excerpts from the soon-to-be published Book of Mormon and treating Joe Smith and his followers as a good joke. A punch line is not persecuted, but he is also not quite a full citizen" (see more Romney blog posts at Boston.com, NationalReviewOnline, CoolestFamilyEver, Uncorrelated, and Utah Conservative). |
