Fred C Cox for House District 30 - Fighting Tax Increases

 

 

At the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, I was the original sponsor (1 of 5) for the Utah 2019 Tax referendum. Working with voters throughout the state, both liberal, conservative, and everything in between, and as volunteers, we were able to gather over 170,000 signatures in 29 counties, exceeding the 116,000 required signatures in 15 counties. Because of the success of our team, the Legislature and the Governor repealed 2019 SB 2001, instead of facing the backlash of the voters that fall.

 

Remember we had identified 5 major items in the bill that had people ticked.

Major Problems with 2019 SB 2001:

First, if you raise the cost of vehicle fuel, by increasing the state fuel tax by 35%, a family driving around town has less money to go to the store to buy food. These added fuel costs will drive up the cost of goods at the register as well.

Second, raising the cost of food by raising the sales tax on food by a 177% Utah tax increase, means the family has less money to buy food. The State paying this family back later, doesn’t help. Why should a family making it without the government be pushed into requiring help?

Third, by reducing the amount of money going to public and secondary education by $680 Million, while promising public education will not be hurt, means they are either going to change the Utah Constitution or the legislature is going to make sure our property taxes go up, either directly such as 2015 SB 97 and 2018 HB 293 or indirectly by making the local school boards raise our property tax and those boards getting the blame.

Fourth, the bill sets up changing the funding of roads by removing the constitutional required funding from transportation related taxes, including transportation related sales tax, and replacing it with highway user fees and a road usage charge program.

Fifth, Adding to the increase of services with sales tax, which can drive service type businesses out of the state or at least out of business.

Also Remember we invited the left and right and everyone in between to unite to stop the bill, 2019 SB 2001. There was one initial rule, respect. We need this group to keep pressure on the legislature and governor so they don't create 2019 SB 2001 again, as a whole or in pieces. That is what United us and still does.

If any of these items come back in any form, they will be repealed by the voters. Food Tax, Fuel Tax, Education funding, Transportation funding, Services. No New Taxes. If they think this was just the food tax, they are wrong