Sen. Steve Urquhart is trying to round up a majority of his Utah Senate colleagues to promise to oppose any tax increases in next year's general session of the Legislature. This is before Gov. Gary Herbert has proposed a budget, before anyone knows whether the projected $875 million revenue shortfall is getting better or worse, and before the Legislature knows the possible effects of budget cuts on schools and other state programs. To say that the St. George Republican's tax pledge effort is a bit premature is like saying that Custer slightly underestimated the Sioux at the Little Big Horn.

By vowing not to raise taxes, senators would severely constrict the state's budget options. That would be before they know how much reduced spending would cripple schools, colleges, social services, health care, prisons, parks, public safety, courts, natural resources, business development, water, environmental regulation, workplace safety, financial oversight, tax collection, transportation, you name it.

Senate President Michael Waddoups is no spendthrift. But the Taylorsville Republican said he would not sign the pledge, at least not now.

"We don't know what the budget requests are going to be. I don't know what the demands for public services might be that are valid. I'm not going to make that decision in a vacuum."

Precisely.

We have discussed all kinds of possible tax increases on this page. A fuel tax hike, restoring the full state sales

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tax on groceries, imposing an income tax surcharge on the wealthy, returning to progressive income tax rates, bumping up the tobacco tax. We realize this menu drives fiscal conservatives on Capitol Hill nuts, but we believe that all options should be on the table, from spending cuts to tax increases.

We suspect that without some tax increases, state programs could be devastated. But we will withhold judgment until we see Gov. Herbert's budget plan -- he has said he will not raise taxes -- and until we see some updated revenue projections.

The no-new-taxes pledge looks more like grandstanding for ideological purity than it does responsible budget making.

There is a case for avoiding tax increases, especially in a recession, because they dampen economic growth. But when the Salt Lake Chamber is talking tax increases to preserve public and higher education, we know that business leaders are worried about hollowing out critical state services.

Urquhart and his colleagues should be worried, too.