ALL Utah income taxes -- personal and business -- go to support government schools.  

In Utah, the cost to educate a child is between $5,000 and $6,000 per year.  That's a lot of money for you and your neighbors to pay to socialize each other's children. Well, socialization is what we send children to school for, isn't it?  Certainly that's what most parents hear when they think about taking their children out of the government school system:  "But what about their socialization?"  It would be far less expensive to simply build playgrounds and football fields, and send the rest of the money back to the taxpayers.

The more the government nannies us, the higher our tax burden.  The higher our tax burden, the greater the number of mothers who are forced into the workforce.  More mothers in the workforce means more stress and deterioration of families and neighborhoods.  Thus, it is in everyone's best interests to keep taxes low, enabling mothers to be at home with their children.   Strong families are the best solution to all social problems. 

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Paul T. Mero, President of Utah's Sutherland Institute, says public schools should be like fire departments -- we all pay a little for them and are grateful for the service they provide in times of need, but we pray we never have to use them.  To read his speech, click here.

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an excerpt from:

The Sutherland Update
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May 2002, No. 02-05

HOW HIGH WOULD TAXES GO TO RAISE PER-PUPIL SPENDING?

On April 24, 2002, the Sutherland Institute's Business Roundtable on Private Initiative hosted a special luncheon at the Micron facility in Lehi. Stephen Kroes, Executive Director of the Utah Foundation, and Mike Jerman, Vice President of the Utah Taxpayers Association (UTA), each presented a fascinating analysis of the economic condition and future of Utah.

According to the UTA, in order to increase Utah per student spending to the national average, Utah would have to raise an additional $1.24 billion in annual revenues.  In other words, we would have to make the following tax increases:

* Individual income tax by 72 percent;
* Corporate income tax by 578 to 960 percent;
* School portion of property tax by 163 percent; and
* Total property tax by 86 percent.

Those tax increases would still not cover capital costs associated with that increased spending.

Both presentations were excellent and are available on our web site at the event report at http://www.sutherlandinstitute.org/Events/2002/BRPI042402.htm. See page numbers 13 and 14 of the UTA presentation.