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Richard Piatt Reporting A major influx of money for the state means big differences of opinion about what to do with it.
Should there be another round of tax cuts? Or should things like education, and social programs, get the extra cash?
From what we've found, people have pretty strong feelings about what to do with the state surplus. Earlier this week, the Governor said that surplus amounted to 1.6 billion dollars. And a fight is already brewing about tax cuts.
But most of the people we spoke with today told us they think public education should get more money, before tax cuts are considered.
Governor Huntsman has already proposed 100-million dollars to lower the flat income tax rate to five percent.
Legislators already indicate they want a 300-million dollar tax cut.
Here's what people told us:
Lee Rawley: "I'd like to see the tax on food resolved. I'd like to see heath care issues resolved for those who don't have the money to pay for health care."
Barbara O'Reilly: "I'd rather see it go to a definite program, where you can measure some impact of it."
Judy Scott: "Schools can use it so much. And the teachers are really not being paid what they deserve, compared to what they go through in the classroom."
In September, Dan Jones and Associates asked about this issue for KSL and the Deseret Morning news. A vast majority told us they thought public education should get the 70-million dollars that was on the table at that time. The tax cut idea wasn't a bust, though; 32 percent said they favored that.
People also think the state should completely drop the sales tax off food. And they support Medicaid funding dental and vision benefits, both of which are in Governor Huntsman's proposed budget.
