Having read a recent Public Forum letter about tax refunds vs. increasing funding for education I am reminded about a letter I wrote in 2006.
In it I wrote that the legislators say in surplus years, “with this surplus revenue we need to give the taxpayers a refund,” and in lean years, “the revenues are too tight to give education the money it needs.” By 2006 when I wrote that I had been an educator in Utah for more than 31 years and now 16 years later nothing has changed!
This also reminded me of something my father said to me when I said, “I did not have time for that.” His response was, “Son, everyone has 24 hours in every day — be honest and admit that you think other things are more important.”
Budgets are just like that 24 hour day and it is time for the legislators who want to give a refund (bribe for votes?) to admit that they think giving a refund is more important than giving added support to education.
David Hart, Torrey