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Talk, of course, is cheap.
And powerful Utah lawmakers have been talking up a storm, of late, about eliminating the sales tax on food. In KSL’s view, it is time to move beyond mere words and turn rhetoric into reality. It is time to get rid of one of Utah’s most regressive taxes.
For at least three decades, many prominent politicians have spoken gloriously about cutting the tax on non-prepared foods. Like so many before him, Governor Huntsman made it a key element in his campaign platform. Now he’s joined in the discussion by an array of powerful legislative leaders.
Easy to talk about, so hard to actually do!
Foremost, it would eliminate millions of dollars from various government revenue streams! Worried bureaucrats and politicians, naturally, see a half-empty glass. Their focus is the negative impact it would have on their budgets and their pet programs.
On the other hand, consider the good it would do for society, especially those who are the poorest among us. In the end, what valid justification can there possibly be for taxing something as essential as raw food? That Utah is one of only a handful of states to do it remains an unequivocal embarrassment.
When it comes to cutting the food tax, lawmakers should finally turn words into action.
