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Show mi 1 2 Varna! Express Wednesdoy, September 4, 1985 NOW THAT THE WA, Editorial SIMPLE SHOT SKY HIGH HERB ARESOME WATER YOUR TIPS TO HBLPCUT DOWN ON USAGE AND HELP SAVE MONEY, . Dispatch deserves By Jack Wallis PUT A CLOTHESPIN ON YOUR DRINK OTHER LIQUIDS ONLY FLUSH YOUR TOILET ONCE A WEEK BATHE IN MILK IT'S. CHEAPER. YOU KNOW . . . . J HOSE WHEN YOU WATER. YOUR LAWN recognition Cost of living increases By Steven Wallis Express News Editor Last week was a sad one for the average local household. For last week the county property tax notices were mailed confirming the increased amount of property taxes owed on real property in the county. It was also the week Vernal City announced its decision to more than double water ra'es for most water users. It was also the week city garbage collection rates increased 50 cents and sewer rates increased $1.75 for a minimum connection. Just a couple weeks ago the landfill (dump) operation increased the minimum charge for a pickup from $2.00 to $3.00 a load to take city-count- y trash. This rash of increases, plus ti.a starting of school for those who have school-ag- e children, made some people fighting mad. The Utah Taxpayers Association is claiming the state property tax system is confiscatory a. 1 is encouraging a move for a Proposition 13 type constitutional amendment to limit the amount that can be taken through property taxation. Couple the local city service increases with increased power, telephone and natural gas bills and everyone wonders where all the money for the additional living ccrt will come from. Most households have a certain amount of disposable income. If the bills increase over the amount of income, some changes will have to soon be made or a bankruptcy situation will soon take place. Local governments are faced with a dilemma. How do you pay for the expense of services. Does the money come from taxation or from charging user fees? Both taxpayers and user fee payers are unhappy with the recent burden that has been placed on them. What about efficiency of operations. At the old junkyards there was very little operating costs. Now that the name has been changed to a landfill d.id state regulations require covering and regulating, the costs have skyrocketed. Under the old city water system, water rates remained fairly stable. Since the state Board of Health required treatment, expensive plants have been necessary to insure pure drinking water for everyone. It may become impractical to use treated water for lawn and garden use. One alternative is to pump water from a well. But now the State Division of Water Resources has increased the filing fees for a well as much as ten times and the power used to pump the water has also increased. About the only solution all around is conservation. However, this will reduce the amount of revenue taken in by the entity charging for the service and in the long run the increase will defeat its purpose and those who are willing to pay will have to be given another round of increases. An amazing thing about our society is that after all the complaints and gripes about taxes, and increases of public services, most people will pay the taxes and bills and soon forget how much of an increase they are paying. The change seems to be the real problem. No one likes change, especially if the change is in the form of increased living costs. It would help if all the changes didnt come at once and if a few of them were down, instead of up. of last month a dispatch center has been up and operational. It has not been without problems, but the biggest hurtle has been crossed that of uniting four entities under one roof. The same project was attempted several years ago without success. Now the pooling of manpower, equipment and clout is projected to save taxpayers some $300,000 per year. The savings come from a decrease from 20 dispatchers in the Duchesne and Uintah Counties to seven dispatchers in the center. No, dont expect a tax rebate in the mail, county and state leaders will likely spend the savings in other areas. For the better part g One of the great benefits of the Central Dispatch is the fact that now instead of seven telephone numers for law enforcement and emergency service in Duchesne and Uintah counties there are three: or toll free Uintah County; Roosevelt and Duchesne cities. The problems the Dispatch Center has encountered since coming online Aug. 15 have been mostly technical in nature: the rotary telephones in Duchesne County, the burglary alarm users in Uintah County, and the burn out of the county building telephone system during a critical time for dispatching equipment and personnel to the scene of a fatal accident in Gusher, a fire in the roof of a mobile home in Vernal and and a van hitting a moose in Daggett County. All happened at about the same time. Most problems encountered by implementing the Central Dispatch have been solved or are being handled by the Management Board. The Management Board is one of two overseers of the Dispatch Center. y It is responsible for the center. If of the any prooperation blems come up that will result in an increase in revenue the Governing Board, composed of a representative from each governmental entity will make a decision. The Management Board is composed of the chiefs of police, sheriffs and head of the Utah Highway Patrol. The dispatch center is pooling its clout in securing a $490,000 grant from the Community Impact Board for additional equipment. Also the center is seeking to implement a 911 telephone number which will put in connection with all callers emergency services. The Dispatch Center is very commendable undertaking, which will improve services for less cost. Those who spearheaded the project should be commended for setting aside any turf problems and going ahead with the Dispatch Center. It is a major undertaking, but it is one those involved will no regret. 789-422- 722-458- 3 day-to-da- treatment plant during open house, but the plant has been put on standby until problems are resolved. RESIDENTS TOUR Nielson... Continued from page experience as he fell overboard and was rescued by Commission Neal Domgaard, Uintah County. Its too early to take a stand on the Browns Park road, said Ron Crittenden, field manager for Congressman Nielson. Costs of the road, its route or its impact have not yet been evaluted, he said. 1 6580-8000- ) Published every Wednesday and Friday for 4 00 per year in area and S20 00 per year out of area by the Vernal Express Publishing Company, 54 North Vernal Avenue, Vernal, Utah 84078. Second class postage paid at Vernal, Utah 84078 POSTMASTER. Send address changes to VERNAL EXPRESS, P O Box 1010, Vernal, Utah S 1 84078 Publisher Jack R Wallis Editor Steven R Wallis News Writer Traci Menke Aldon Rachele Sports Editor Women's News Merle Young . Janet D. Wallis . Advertising Karen M Curran . . , Advertising Nell Gurr . . . Circulation and Classified Ads Accounting Nancy Colton Phone 789-351Member of Utah Press Association and National Newspaper Association Area correspondents Vera Snow, Jensen Manila Clara Robinson, . . . Ada Openshaw, Naples. Tridell Lorna McKee, . Lapomt . Maeser Ballard Whiterocks Glines Arda Mansfield, Enid Hatch, . Tracy Phillips, .Virginia Ferguson, Norma Damon, 789-062784-346789-314- 247-235- 247-237- 5 789-315722-492- 353-458- 4 789-'30- Ouray, Leota, Rondlett Sheila Bioxham, Deadlines Wednesday Edition News Advertising Monday Tuesday 5 00 p m 1 00 a m Fnday Edition News Advertising Thursday Thursday LETTERS TO THE EDITOR What is your opinion7 The Express welcomes letters from its readers concerning any subject pertinent to the Uintah Basin While there are no restrictions as to contents or reasonable length, letters must be sumitted exclusively to the Express and bear the writer's full name, signature, phone number and address Names must be printed on political letters but may be withheld for good reasons if requested on others All letters are subject to condensation. Pros and cons Vernal Express (USPS PUBLIC FORUM lOOOom .00 p m Dear Editor: There are those that are opposed to the Browns Park road because they claim it will spoil a blue ribbon fishing stream. Then the game department and the Forest Service claim the road would damage the deer herd and the boating scenery from the river. The Forest Service has a campground in Little Hole with a good road to service the area. The BLM has two campgrounds in Browns Park at Indian Crossing and the other at Taylor Flat Bridge serviced by dirt roads. The new road from Little Hole to Red Creek would be out of view of the river with no access to the river until reaching the Indian Crossing campground. There is a dirt road at present from Red Creek to the Swallow Canyon and Bridgeport boat ramps and the other two campgrounds. Now you have these facilities that are all in place. The Forest Service has campgrounds and overlooks all around Flaming Gorge and also the Little Hole campground with good roads to them and maintained with oiled or good gravel to keep the dust and dirt from making a dusi cloud every time a vehicle drives in or out. Now in the park there are miles of river all accessible by car. There is a paved road to the Utah state line from Colorado then dirt roads in Utah that create dust clouds every time a vehicle travels from one campground to another or from one fishing spot to a boat ramp or campground a beautiful cloud of dust following them wherever they go. I have a home place near the road, everything you have is covered with dust. You sweep the porches and dust the house every day and still you have dust on everything all for the pleasure of fishermen, boaters and recreationists that come into your place all hours of the day or night and say, I cant get up Jessie Ewing Canyon. Would you give me a pull? or My people that were to pick up me at the boat ramp must have gotten lost. Would you take me to my vehicle at Flaming Gorge? and so on. I see on the TV where Kennecott is being pressured to take care of the dust problem that the wind creates from their tailing ponds. Also a contractor was threatened with a $10,000 a day fine unless he takes care of the dust problem created by the construction site. I wonder why the federal fish and wildlife, the state game dept., the Forest Service, recreationists and other concerned agencies do not have the same responsibility as private companies to do take care of the pollution they create. promise was made to complete the road from the Colorado state line to Flaming Gorge fifteen or so years ago. A I say close the river, the road, and the campgrounds to all but those who live in the park or else correct a very unpleasant, unhealthy and disgusting situation. A long time resident of Browns Park, WILLIAM ALLEN p.s. In regards to the article in the Vernal Express Aug. 30, 1985, concerning the road and taxes. I feel they are not fully informed as to the tax equity. The municipalities in the valley have drawn millions from impact funds for sewer, water and roads. The Browns Park area and Daggett County north of the river have the Clay THE VOICE OF BUSINESS Tan reform: Mow to get there from here By Richard L. Lesher President, Chamber of Commerce of the United States This mechanical methodology has two ominous implications for tax reform. First, it mows down its very underpinnings: that reform will produce growth. Refusing to recognize the benefits of new growth dooms tax reformers to revenue underestimates. Remember when, as a kid, you and a buddy agreed to swap treasured artifacts? Both parties grabbed both items and on three each took the coveted new belonging. Imagine the same ritual with hundreds of millions of private and public sector participants and you have a taste of tax reform. Just as above, everyone wants reform but no one wants to let go of comfortable arrangements or pet notions until everyone else does. Foremost among the bugaboos is the idea that losing a cherished tax break will visit disaster. The Wall Street Journal reports that Congress is buried in dubious studies allegedly showing that proposed changes would put a legion of entire industries out of business. But an even bigger stumbling block has been the search for revenue keeping revenues after neutrality tax reform roughly the same as before. Neutrality is essential to keep tax reform from becoming a hidden tax hike, but the problem is that has come to revenue neutrality mean static neutrality. Static neutrality works like this: if you reduce rates one percent, then figure on losing one percent of revenues. If you repeal a deduction, add back the amount taxpayers would have saved from that deduction. Americans want to see corporate taxes hiked. Part of this is disinformation about low tax bills for big corporations (itself a subject for another column). But an even bigger reason can be found in a New York Times poll. Dispirited by interest groups niggling of the static and the revenue estimaters, half of all Americans now believe that taxes on middle-incom- e earners would be increased by tax reform. So how better to prevent that then to sock it to the big guys corporations? But doing that would even further undermine the hand-wringin- g In fact, the hardest blow to reform has been a congressional committee finding that the Reagan plan would cost the Treasury $305 billion in taxes on individuals over five years. A Chamber of Commerce estimate which takes into account the effects of growth, however, shows that the committee overestimated losses by 50 percent! Such underestimates give rise to the second implication: if revenue is lost, then new revenue-raisin- g wrinkles must be found or worse, rates raised. This process is even more pronounced if interest group pressure salvages a host of discredited deductions. If we start creating new taxes, like the confusing windfall tax on corporations proposed in the Reagan plan, or if rates are raised, then tax reform ceases to be tax reform. We are merely reshuffling the chairs on the deck and the economic efficiency of lower rates and fewer deductions is lost. And the most likely targets of new revenues as the windfall tax indicates are corporations. According to an Epcot Poll, 51 percent of growth-creatin- g benefits of tax reform. We do need to spend some time working on the the tax reform proposals forwarded to date to ensure that the final package aids in the formation g of capital, promotes technological advancement, improves our competitive posture internationally and most important, spurs further job creation. But to accomplish those goals, were going to have to get some folks to let go of their cherished assumption that lower rates mean lower revenues and to let go of their bias against incentives for productive investment. Perhaps the best way to accept the advice of a taxpayer who answered the call of House Ways and Means Chairto man Dan Rostenkowski write Rosty. He reportedly enclosed a and urged the Chairman to use this if you have to. growth-producin- (D-Ill- .) two-by-fo- Basin gas fields that have paid taxes along with the ranchers for 50 years. Also, there are three pipelines running through the park. What does this area receive? Schools? No. Roads? No. Just a dust trail and nothing more. I see the state building and resurfacing the main street of Naples to a four-lan- e highway. Our gas tax and other funds are helping to pay for the road. I am not opposed to Naples having the nice schools, roads, sewer and water lines, but I also feel Browns Park deserves better than a dust trail and nothing else except dust and pollution from recreationists that are degrading the park road without true facts of the situation. I pay sales and gas taxes doing business in Naples. I also pay taxes in Uintah County. DUIs.... Continued from page ambulance to the Duchesne County Hospital in Roosevelt. Ignacio was charged with DUI. Tests revealed that Ignacios blood alcohol level was 2.7 percent. Both accidents were inby vestigated Lloyd Trooper 1 Meacham. Les Langford said that Sgt. troopers arrested nine persons over the long weekend for DUI. Officers also kept busy over the past weekend investigating a large number of accidents. Several of the accidents were alcohol related. According to statistic compiled by the state office of the Highway Patrol the Vernal District issued the largest number of DUI citations. 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