To the Members of the Utah State Legislature: We sign this petition in response to the threat of extreme budget cuts to higher education in the state of Utah. We do not support such measures, and ask you to seek other ways to bridge the gap in the budget. We believe that greater education leads to greater wealth, and that greater wealth leads to greater education. If this is true, then in a time of economic downturn, should we not be investing more in education We recognize that we are in a difficult economic climate, and that some sacrifices must be made. However, some members of the state legislature have proposed budget cuts that should be considered severe. The severity of these cuts will greatly decrease the quality of education throughout institutions of higher learning across the state. In addition, a budget reduction will also reduce the ability of many willing students to gain an education – especially those who already struggle with the expenses of higher education. The State of Utah has been consistently recognized as one of the most well managed states in the Union. We do appreciate the work of the legislature to raise the quality of life for Utahans and those who visit out great state. But once again, we must state that drastically reducing the budget for education also will drastically impact Utah’s future. Please, don’t ruin Utah’s future. Sincerely, The Undersigned.