Thread by @BjaminWood

I’m down in Richfield, where the Tax Restructuring and Equalization Task Force Will shortly be holding its third town hall meeting #utpol

6 pm and here we go. Tax Force time #utpol

FWIW the Richfield crowd is overwhelmingly male. I'd guess 4:1 or 5:1 with ~150 people total (but I'm also terrible at estimating) #utpol

After introductions from the tax force members, the Stronger Futures video is played, which you can watch RIGHT NOW at this link, if you're so inclined strongerfutures.utah.gov/wp-content/upl… #utpol

First speaker is the president of the local teachers' union, 2nd speaker is from the Utah League of Cities and Towns, 3rd is a county commissioner. All say it's fine to reevaluate the tax structure, but they urge caution and care, particularly toward rural communities #utpol

Former lawmaker Kay McIff says Utah's was wrong to drop the sales tax on food in 2007, and that restoring the food tax would solve the problems the Tax Force is looking at #utpol

Scott Nickle, a CPA, funeral director and former school board member, says the constitutional earmark directing Income Tax revenue toward education should be removed. He says @myuea is powerful enough that they'll make sure lawmakers give money to schools #utpol #uted

Milliard County Commissioner Dean Draper says he doesn't know what a "tax silo" is, and that the problems on the Wasatch front are not rural Utah's problems.

He also says he's glad most of the tax force is rural, a characterization I'd quibble with a little #utpol

Dan Bruce (sp?) says the gas tax is fair in that's a use tax, but it hits rural drivers harder because of their longer commutes #utpol

Jonathan Alvey (sp?) says it's "Bulls***" that big companies like Amazon and Facebook get tax breaks to build in Utah while residents and small business owners get taxed #utpol

We're now in the pre-written question and answer period. Two members of the audience tried to follow up with their objections to one answer and were told they'd have to write a question on a card #utpol

One of the nonvoting members of the task force points out that rural Utah is a net beneficiary of education funding, receiving more from the state through per-student spending than its residents pay in income taxes #utpol #uted

Rep. Gibson says he doesn't like hearing over and over that Utah schools are the lowest funded, per-pupil, in the nation.

I don't really like hearing my alarm clock every morning, but c'est la vie. #uted #utpol

Last question of the night is "Why can't Utah have a lottery?"

Sen. Cullimore says allowing a lottery opens the door to other forms of gambling and "social ills" #utpol

Sen. Mayne (1 of two Dems and the only voting woman on the tax force) says the people of Utah should be allowed to vote on whether to have a lottery #utpol

That’s a wrap on tonight’s tax force. See y’all tomorrow in St George #utpol