Recent concerns by the citizenry of Utah County over the cost of programs they are asked to pay for, most recently -- UTOPIA -- in Orem, have precipitated my response. Depending on the program, those who live and shop within a city are the ones who pay (fully or partially) the costs of the programs the city provides. Even those restricted to the most humble of budgets pay a share of programs they may never use. Regardless of the number of citizens who embrace a new program, there will almost always be an increase in the tax burden to those citizens who do not utilize the program.
The question that should be considered by all fair minded folks is, "is it ethical, honest and fair for all residents to pay for the activities of just part of the population?" I am persuaded that costs associated with safety, peace, sanitation, orderliness, and cleanliness should be shared by the entire population of residents, because all residents benefit from those costs. When a municipality adopts programs (mainly recreational) that are utilized by only a part of the population, the decision makers (aware or unaware) are imposing costs on certain residents who receive no benefit and gave no permission for assuming the costs. Some would say this is unethical and a violation of the responsibility to represent all citizens in fairness.
The tragedy of the decision makers in Orem, who voted a decade ago, to adopt UTOPIA, is that they are imposing costs of an activity that most citizens do not use (they use other internet providers) and without the citizenry permission. In summary, there is an inevitable tax burden increase associated with new programs.
David E. White, Orem David White. Daily Herald Newspaper.
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