The recent past has been a startling display of horrific events across the country. Images of evil committed in the name of one political side or another have filled our TVs, computer screens, and phones. It hit home for many of us when the murder of Charlie Kirk took place on the campus of Utah Valley University last month. The belief that something like that could never happen in our safe, small state was shattered in seconds, leaving a scar on Utah that will take decades to heal. To the Kirk family, his friends, his followers, and the attendees at the event where the assassination occurred, we offer our deepest condolences. We hope you can find peace as we work together to heal and make our country a better place.
It is not lost on us that the Utah Taxpayers Association is often seen as an adversary to government and a thorn in the side of elected officials and staff. We are frequently present to call out decisions we disagree with and to encourage the public to be engaged in the governmental process. We believe tax increases should be difficult to pass and uncomfortable to debate. However, our efforts, our advocacy, and our calls to action will never put the safety of others at risk.
We believe it is crucial for disagreements to be expressed in the public square, but never to the point where anyone believes violence is the answer.
Yes, when it comes to taxes, the stakes can be high. This is money in the bank accounts of families saving for a home or their children’s college education. It is money a business could use to pay its workers higher wages or to invest in growth. That is why we work tirelessly to ensure that tax discussions are open to the public and provide ample opportunity for comment. But with all the energy the Association has, we call for civil, productive disagreements and a united stand against any form of violence in our country.
Our nation was built on strong disagreements followed by compromise. Take the U.S. Constitution, for example: large states wanted representation based on population, while smaller states demanded equal footing in our federal government. The result was a bicameral Congress, with the U.S. House of Representatives based on population and the U.S. Senate granting each state two seats.
We cannot afford to stray far from those founding principles—disagreeing, yet working passionately to find a path forward both sides can live with. At times, solutions may not be reached quickly—consider the long-standing challenge of fixing Social Security—but no one’s life should ever be endangered because they see an issue differently.
We will continue our mission to be Utah’s watchdog, holding the government accountable, but we will do so with professionalism and respect. We welcome disagreements and vigorous debates about how Utah should manage its tax policy and how local governments should spend taxpayer dollars. But we will never stand for violence. We call on anyone who believes violence is the answer to stand down.
Our country is stronger when we debate, negotiate, and build for the future—not when we give in to the dark forces of evil trying to spread in our nation. We hope you will join us in disagreeing with passion, but never with violence.