Education
Since 1847 and perhaps before, The land we all call home (Utah) has placed great value on education.
Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills.
Empowering Intelligence is the impetus to creating wealth and bringing our children back to rural Utah to live.
Education is the forum to learn how to acquire that knowledge and Empower Intelligence.
The Public Schools in Utah are excellent. They are a critical venue to gain the education to Empower the Intelligence our children acquire.
Utah Public Schools seem to come, unjustly, under criticism for being less than perfect.
I was able to teach at Manti High School for several years. I saw first hand the dedication and internal desire many public school educators possess to Empower our children with Intelligence. I saw educators giving all they had to give for the education, safety, health and happiness of those students. Our three children all came through the public school system, first in the Wasatch County School District and then in the South Sanpete School District. All three of our children became lovers of education. All three children learned how to Empower the Intelligence they have. They became lifelong learners.
To Empower the Intelligence we all possess we must have educators that know how to inspire and love to teach. We have to have educators that show our children how to access and Empower Intelligence.
To have the educators that can Empower the Intelligence within our children, the educators have to have the confidence that we will support them. The educators must also understand the sacred trust we have in them and not recklessly squander that trust. The educators must hold themselves accountable and understand that the public will hold them accountable too. The public must understand that to have such educators we must compensate them accordingly.
Our Generations to come, need to be Empowered with Intelligence and the best education, in all its facets we can give them.
Our Educators need to be recognized for selecting a sacred profession. They need to understand the responsibility and accountability associated with the sacred trust we have in them and in their profession.
Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT)
Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT)
Much like most of the West, Utah is a “Public Lands State”, meaning that the majority of the lands within the State are public, almost 75% of Utah is public lands.
What does that mean to the people of the State of Utah?
- The Federal Government does not pay property taxes so fewer property taxes are received by the State of Utah…
- Meaning that fewer dollars go into the schools
- Fewer dollars are available for law enforcement and public safety
- Fewer dollars available to maintain county and city services
- Fewer dollars are available for Health, Safety and Welfare.
Because the Federal Government does not pay property taxes, an avenue was created for the Federal Government to compensate all Public Land States. This avenue eventually became “Payment In Lieu of Taxes” or PILT. The State of Utah being a Public Lands State receives revenues from the Federal Government to offset the losses in property taxes due to its public lands status.
In 1976 Payment In Lieu of Taxes became law. PILT was then revised in 1982.
PILT is calculated based upon acreage held by the BLM, Forest Service, qualifying military installations and other qualifying lands managed by the federal government. In addition to the acreage component, the population base and revenue sharing (oil and gas revenues, grazing and timber sales) are also considered in the calculation.
In 1999 the Forest Service completed an analysis of the equity of PILT as compared to equivalent private property tax assessments. It was discovered that the PILT payments are more than 3 times lower than an equivalent private property tax assessments.
That study was conducted 21 years ago. Since then we have made strong technical advances in property evaluations. I believe it is time, again, to review the PILT calculations and make the necessary adjustments.
PILT is not only a Utah issue. It affects every Public Lands State in the United States.
The State of Utah House and Senate and the Federal Delegations are committed to reviewing and refining the PILT calculation. However we are not the only state that is affected. Refining the PILT calculation will be a long process. We need to convince the other Public Land States that this process is needed.