By Jeremy Couch
jeremy@newsroom.byu.edu
More mass transit versus less tax burden is the major issue of County Measure 1, which would increase the sales tax in several Utah counties by one quarter of one percent.
The revenue would be used to create a commuter rail system in Salt Lake, Weber, and Davis Counties.
'This is not an issue of better transportation, it is an issue of less taxation,' said Greg Fredde, vice president of the Utah Tax Payer Association.
Fredde said the tax increase will mainly hurt those with low income.
'I am opposed to this measure because of the increase in sales tax, we as residents have been over taxed and raising sales tax again will impact the poor greatly,' said Jeremy Meier, resident and owner of Meier's Chicken in Holladay, Salt Lake County.
Randal O'Toole, economist and adjunct professor of the Sutherland Institute, said there can be better transportation without increasing sales tax.
'UTA has been putting so much money into light rails and now mass transit without producing any reliable results,' O'Toole said.
In studies that have been done by the Sutherland Institute, automobile usage is growing at the same rate as rail line usage.
'We are not seeing the implementation of mass transit or rails in other cities attract people out of their automobiles,' O'Toole said.
Cities such as Los Angeles have tried to implement commuter rail and have had to cut back on bus services because of excess cost. Officials have found that buses remained full and rail remained empty, he said.
'UTA's facts are misinforming, they will simply be cutting down a minimal number of trips that people take, not on automobile usage,' O'Toole said.
UTA's response to the effects of raising taxes and the inefficiency of the rail is simply that it is necessary to increase taxes so that the state can match federal funds to help pay for the mass transit.
If this is put on hold until it is an absolute necessity then it will cost much more because federal funds will be gone, said Greg Lassen, campaign chair for County Measure 1.
This decision will be left up to voters in Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber Counties on Nov. 7.