This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In light of the Utah Legislature's annual return to craft meaningful policies, I have a suggestion for education funding.
Utah is at the bottom of education funding, and performance is now showing that we must improve the entire K-12 system. I don't expect that Utah can be at the top of funding and performance — I would settle for average.
Settling for average is a sad goal, but it would be a big improvement. So how to pay for that? I suggest Utah trade its abundant natural resources that are extracted by mining and drilling for an investment in its human resources.
Yes, tax those that profit from Utah's resources, and require they pay handsomely. Recall that Texas, just as red as Utah, has no personal income tax in part because of its taxes on natural resources, namely oil.
So Utah legislators, convert our natural resources into vital human resources. And someday, we just might be average!
Douglas Meredith
Bountiful