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Key members of the state Tax Review Commission hit the proverbial nail on the head the other day with their criticism of a plan to hold a special session of the legislature next month to enact so-called "tax reform."
Governor Huntsman is pushing a two-track income tax system that would give taxpayers a choice when filing their annual state taxes between a flat-rate of 5.3 percent with no deductions or credits, or as they do now with expanded brackets. Along with the governor's proposal, legislative leaders are talking about cutting taxes.
As Tax Review Commission members pointed out at their recent meeting in Logan, the "proposal is 99 percent a tax cut and 1 percent tax reform." Indeed, it is hardly the comprehensive tax reform the state needs and Utah taxpayers deserve.
In KSL's view, lawmakers should not lose sight of the tax reform process that began under Governor Olene Walker. The goal is to broaden the state's tax base as a means to ensure a consistent flow of revenue for vital public needs such as education.
As commission members suggested, any effort to rush through a tax cut coupled with token tax reform just prior to an election smacks more of opportunistic politicking than statesmanlike lawmaking.
