Letter: Large families should pay more for schools

My children have long since left our public schools. I'm happy to support the system with my taxes because I believe education is the key to a better world, but shouldn't large families using the system pay at least their fare share?

Sen. Pat Jones is sponsoring a bill that would gradually decrease the size of this tax break for those with more than two children ("Senate panel OKs bill requiring big families to pay more for schools," Tribune, Feb. 10). Conservative lawmakers say this is a tax increase. Rather, it would be the reduction of an entitlement that currently incentivizes greater use of a public service by some while asking other taxpayers to subsidize them.

We all pay tax on gasoline based on how much we use the roads. Shouldn't we pay for education based on our individual demands for that service as well? If six children each go on to have six children of their own, they could enroll 36 students in the schools.

This growth explains why we cannot provide funding for additional teachers and instructional aides to ensure the governor's goal of increased graduation rates. We simply cannot continue to pay the price for increasing school population while giving tax breaks to those who impact it the most.

Paul Zuckerman

Salt Lake City