But even though the move makes some sense and is apparently quite popular with the Legislature's Republican supermajority, the tax cut laid out in House Bill 78 is not a plan. It is, at best, part of a plan, a part that would have the state walking away from as much as $200 million a year in funding for its already-overcrowded schools.

Without a total tax code overhaul, a package deal in which cutting some taxes is the political currency needed to raise others, doing away with the corporate tax and counting on the resulting economic development to make up the difference is not wise policy. It is coming in on a wing and a prayer.

Both Huntsman, in his maiden State of the State address, and former Gov. Olene Walker, in one of her last actions in office, have called for a reform of the antiquated state tax code. But, while Walker submitted a comprehensive plan that would neither increase nor decrease total state revenue in the short-run, neither Huntsman nor any current member of the legislative leadership has come up with an overall look at the ways the state makes its money.

Until they do, the corporate tax phase-out approved Wednesday by the House Revenue and Taxation Committee ought to sit down and wait for the other parts to come in.

One part could be Walker's proposal to make up lost revenue by applying the state's current sales tax rate to the purchase of services as well as goods.

Hers was not the most progressive tax plan ever proposed. But it did balance and, by extending the sales tax to services, Walker bet on the same horse Huntsman is counting on - continued economic growth - to pay for all the schools, roads and jails the state needs. Walker noted the shift in the Utah and national economy from one based on selling things to one based on selling services and made the reasonable assumption that the state should get its revenue from the growing part of the economy.

A low tax rate is one of the sales points Huntsman wants to be able to take to corporate location hunters as they consider coming to, expanding in, or just not leaving, Utah. That, no doubt, would help.

But so would the governor's ability to brag about the state's commitment to funding its public school system, a key factor in location decisions made by the kind of businesses we really want here. And such salesmanship is going to be beyond the talents of even our chief ambassador if Utah doesn't meet its obligations to the next generation.

Which, with this proposed stand-alone tax cut, it won't.