OCR Text |
Show t October Page Four Utah loses $15 million federal highway money by Rep. Laurence I. Burton During the last few weeks, our attention in Washington, as well as in Utah, has again turned to. the subject of highways. The reason is that $200 million was sliced out of the highway construction program ($15 million in Utah) as a part of the federal budget cuts. As we all know, too well in Utah, our interstate highway program is moving slowly enough as it is. The mountain road from Ogden to Salt Lake; and the Hot Springs to Brigham City route are two examples of long construction delays, but it's much the same situation all over the state. Weather conditions certainly add to the dragged-ou- t program of Utahs highway construction but now with the new cutback from the states highway coffers, the drag may suddenly be a halt! The Utah scene is much worse than in many other states. Whereas the national figure is completed highways Vote for looks bright 26,000 miles out some 32,000 of completed the Utah Interstate program has completed only 309 miles out of 932 In fact, only 17 miles are really under construction, with 450 miles left in the preliminary stage on the engineers table. Coupled with a previous Utah highway cutback of $37 million, the current $15 million looks very big big enough that it might just make those miles of highremaining way nothing more than simple lines on an engineers drawing 450 table. Naturally, the highway program will eventually be completed, but I would hope that it is completed in time so I would be able to take my family for a drive through our scenic state not just highto be ways completed for use by my grandchildren! The highway program is suffering as a result of the current Administration cut in the federal budget. Provisions in the surtax bill called for a $6 billion expenditure cut but in no way should the highway program be affected. The President in his own request for a $3.5 billion cut, included the highway cuts of $200 million, and backed up his position by saying that the highway program was a part of the regular budget To my knowledge, the program is not a part of the regular federal budget. Highway funds come from trust funds collected from motorists at the gasoline pumps and for auto equipment An official of the Public Works Committee told me Friday that the highway cuts were completely illegal, but that there wasn't anything that could be done. the man said that an army couldnt even be called in to protect the funds. After all, he said, the President is Commander in Chief!) More seriously, though, its doubtful whether anything can be done at this late stage. Legislation halting the cutback could be introduced, but the Public Works Committee and House Rules Committee would have to pass on the legislation, and both committees have Democrats as chairmen and would probably follow the Administration line anyway. But lets say the legislation was passed. Who then would (Half-jokingl- y, . Utah has a tremendous opportunity to further expand the production and marketing of many products. In livestock alone. Utah could add the equivalent of another $200 million business Growth of population in California alone suggests that Utah may well become a major supplier a distribu- tion' hub for the California market Some Americans have cine or more birth defects which affect their dally lives, according to the March of 15-milli- on Dimes. GOLDEN MANGELSON Engineering the Future J. . of Juab County EYRE 4-Ye- ar Elect County Commissioner WITH OVER A HALF CENTURY OF CONTROL OF YOUR COUNTY a Republican Commissioner for two years of great service and leadership! ONE-PART- Y COMMISSION, Oils TUmniffi IF? GOLDEN UNDERSTANDS THE LIMITATIONS OF LOCAL PROPERTY TAX GOLDEN SUPPORTS AGRICULTURE AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE j I ! A (ClhifflDTig DON EYRE IS YOUNG, A Vote for Golden and will a Vote for is yield: PROGRESSIVE AND ENERGETIC Vote Republican November 5 Paid Political Advertisement by Juab County Republican Committee, Bob Thomas, Chairman 1 Experience Success - Judgment Paid Political Advertisement, Citizens for Mangelson J. Clair Collard, Chairman d a reality that safe, adequate highways reduce the possibility of a traffic accident. And saving just one life should be enought to make the President realize that the cutback of highway funds it NOT in the best interest of this countrys citizens. Fresh "Eyre" DONALD con-trlbute- 275 persons killed to the national death toll of 53. 100 last year. Of course, we cant put all the blame on poor highway conditions, but it is ey Breath of a has to be stopped. Utah have to sign the bill into law? The President would never sign a bill that, in effect, would say he had done something illegal! A spokesman in the Humphrey for President camp told me that the Administration could cut the highway funds because the President has executive powers to do such things. But even Utahs Governor Calvin L. Rampton, a strong supporter of the Administration, said he was extremely disappointed at the cutbacks. Gov. Rampton wrote me that he had sent a telegram to the President protesting the cutbacks, and called for other areas to be deprived of funds rather than the highway program. While the current construction of Utahs highways continues, future programs are the ones which will be hurt by the cutback, and we cannot delay our highway programs for even one month. The safety factor is the important issue. Our rising death rate on the highways Johnson-Hum-phr- 25, Committee, |