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Letters: Residents can send a message to state lawmakers about ‘rushed’ tax reform


Send a message

Fellow Summit County residents,

You may have already heard about the effort underway to gather signatures for a referendum on Utah Senate Bill 2001 on Tax Restructuring. Please join this effort by signing the petition, by spreading the word, by volunteering to gather signatures yourself.



Why? This bill was rushed through a special session of the Legislature called just prior to the holiday season. This is one more bill in a long line of recent actions by the Legislature to ignore or override the will of the people of this state, two-thirds of whom do not approve of the measures in this bill. They even revised the laws on petitioning for referendums to make it harder for the voice of the people to be heard. We have only until Jan. 21 to gather enough signatures. They think we can’t do it, they think we don’t want to do it. Let’s send a message loud and clear to the Legislature that we are watching them and we are holding them accountable. Their arrogant behavior is unacceptable.

If you don’t like what is in this bill — increases in food tax, gas tax and diesel tax, taking money away from education, taxing more services including haircuts, Uber/Lyft, sports lessons, etc. chosen arbitrarily based on lobbyists, and more — sign the petition.



If you want more time to learn about what’s in this bill to decide whether you agree with it — sign the petition. Then you will have until it is on a ballot to learn more about it and make an educated decision.

If you don’t agree with the way this bill was created, sign the petition.

If you don’t want them to shift funding education away from the income tax, sign the petition.

Find a scheduled signing events to sign. Volunteer to gather signatures yourself. This is your chance to be heard!

Go to utah2019tax.com to find events, volunteer opportunities and more information on the bill. You can also find events on Facebook, by visiting the Summit County-specific page Summit Co Tax Repeal Petition Locations and attend an event Sunday, Jan. 5, from 2-4 p.m. in room 101 of the Park City Library.

Speak up now by signing, speak up again by voting. Your voice matters and you will be heard!

Kris Campbell

Silver Creek


Up in flames

After all that Sundance and independent film do to educate and inform about environment and climate change, lighting off a giant promotional bonfire at the festival is The. Dumbest. Idea. Ever.

Did Robert Redford sign off on this? I want to know.

Tom Horton

Prospector


Nailed it

Jean Marie Hackett hit the nail on the head, or rather bashed the car on the fender, with the guest editorial about the Whole Foods parking lot in the Dec. 31-Jan. 3 edition of The Park Record.

I always try to park on the back row, closest to I-80, because it is usually less crowded, therefore safer. Last week a woman just ahead of me was in her car ready to leave. I stopped to wait as there were no other open spaces. The driver behind me was so impatient that he passed me, pulling yes, right behind the woman trying to back out. Then he couldn’t move because the next car was also waiting for a spot. Way to go, guy!

Upon leaving, I decided to avoid the death-wish left turn by exiting the lot on the northwest end to use the roundabout by the outlet mall. So far, so good. Then when I got back near Whole Foods, a woman executed a “Hail Mary” left turn, nearly causing a crash by attempting to shoot in between me and another vehicle. I stomped on the brakes, risking whiplash.

That entire stretch of road is confusing. First, if one wants to turn right, into Whole Foods, one must stay in the left lane because the right lane ends just before you get there. Then approaching the outlets, one must be in the right-hand lane to keep going and the left lane to enter the shops or u-turn. Of course this makes sense, but after staying left to turn right a few seconds ago, who knows? There is always a lot of last-second weaving as drivers try to get where they mean to go. Landmark Drive is just an extension of “Kill-Me Road.” Add a handful of clueless tourists to the irritated locals and you realize you have risked your life for a bag of salt-free corn chips. How healthy is that?

I try to exercise patience and good humor because I have never seen a blaring horn or the middle finger improve a situation or educate a driver. Come on, Summit County, surely we can do better than this. Lanes, roads, drivers and all.

Becky Yih

Snyderville Basin


The urban landscape

The recent guest editorial from Jean Hackett about the Whole Foods parking lot was not only well written but had me laughing out loud pretty much throughout. Too good. Welcome to the urban landscape. I like shopping at Whole Foods and have resigned to put up with the substandard infrastructure. A lyric that comes to mind … You can’t always get what you want, but if you try…

Why are we having this conversation? The recipe goes something like this … three parts lack of self awareness, two parts of the I’m-going-to-get-mine profit motive, one part of no viable community land plan, all mixed with a dash of the survival instinct. I think Crosby, Stills & Nash summed it up quite well with the last five words of their 1969 hit “Long Time Gone:” long time before the dawn.

Gus Sharry

Summit Park


Added incentive

Instead of eliminating fees for the Kimball Arts Festival, causing a drastic hit to the revenue of the Kimball Art Center, why not allow patrons to apply part of the entrance cost to purchases at Main Street merchants, details and percentages to be worked out. This would be an incentive to attend and encourage entrants to patronize the businesses affected by the festival.

Trying to make up admission revenue through increasing number of artists will not be sufficient and may dilute expected overall quality of the presentation.

Howard Carrey

Park City

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