Taxing Times
September 30, 2010
Mathison Votes To Send Congress Home Without Voting on Tax Cuts
Congress adjourned Thursday morning at 1:04 AM for the November 2010 midterm elections. The vote was 210 to 209 to adjourn. Congressman Jim Mathison voted with Speaker Nancy Pelosi to adjourn, ignoring the need to renew the Bush-era tax cuts to assure business and the public that they will not incur tax increases next year.
Christian Science Monitor: Congress Adjourns, but Spending Bills and Tax Cuts Still Loom
Arizona Also Considers “Save Our Secret Ballot” Proposition
Arizona is considering a proposition to preserve secret ballot elections. Their “Save Out Secret Ballot” proposition is similar to Utah’s Constitution Amendment A that will be on the ballot this November. The amendment would guarantee the right to private ballots in all elections, including political and unionization decisions.
Arizona Daily Star: Prop 113 Aims To Preserve Free, Fair Elections
Census Reports: Utah Household Income 15th Highest In Nation, Per Capita Income 49th Lowest
Utah’s average household income in 2009 was $55,117, fifteenth highest in the nation. However, per capita income in Utah remains the 49th lowest in the nation at $30,875. The average full time income for men was $45,800 (21st in the nation) and for women was $31,186 (37th in the nation). The census also confirmed Utah’s large family size and high marriage rates.
Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Is Unique, But Changing
Deseret News: Utahns See Person Income Drop in 2009
Utah Likely To Gain Additional US House Of Representatives Seat
Early results from the 2010 census indicate that Utah may pick up an addition seat in the House of Representatives. The population of Utah has grown significantly since 2000, but official number have yet to be released. Arizona, Nevada, Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, Florida and Texas are also expected to increase their number of congressional representatives.