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Show Mieison mices pledge to help sole problems tecently appointed to the prestigious ergy and Commerce Committee, shman Congressman Howard Nielson s in the Uintah Basin on a fact finding t Thursday. I.S. Congressman Nielson was one of 25 bing for appointment to the Energy 1 Commerce Committee. "Why they ise me, a freshman congressman over iers I don't know, but it is a real lor," he said. )uring his brief stop in Vernal Thurs-f Thurs-f Representative Nielson met with al government leaders, pledging his 'luence to help with local problems, ernal City Mayor Samuel Snyder said it the area is experiencing high employment, and inquired as to elson's influence with the U.S. ythetic Fuels Corporation, (SFC) to ; the energy projects on their feet. Jielson said SFC is under Fossils and els subcommittee of the Energy and mmerce Committee to which he was pointed. Nielson said he had visited rieral synthetic fuel projects in the I psevelt and Vernal area and felt that ly were viable projects. "The Basin should still expect develop-, develop-, nt in oil and gas, besides shale oil ': elopment," he said. i ihould the Indian land go to "Class 1" ; uld come under the Interagle Vista w which could restrict structures ich would mar scenery from land so ssified. You were wise to get the Power Plant (DG&T) under way before the interpretation inter-pretation of the law, because the stacks can be seen from the highway at the Dinosaur Monument," Nielson said. "I'm leaning more to the production side than to protecting the invironment," he added. Revenue Sharing Nielson said in 1978 he was sold on the Revenue Sharing program which allowed allow-ed states to receive block grants from the federal government to use as they desired. "But they didn't dissemble the categorical grants in the same' amount opposing the action. He said he favored cutting the categorical grants in the same amount as Revenue Sharing increased federal spending and then to lower taxes by that amount. . "If we can short circuit the system and leave the money with the people we're better off," he said. Rep. Nielson had similar views on Reagans New Federalism proposal, which he favored if it was dismanteled on the federal level and states were given the means to fund the services. County Commissioner Byron Merrell said that one of the major problems in the area is the lack of access to higher education programs. Nielson said that if the predicted energy impact occurred in the Vernal area, "it would be a good time to apply for a junior college and Vernal is the most likely location." Commissioner Merrell asked if it was possible to give energy companies a tax break if they participated in building an energy center in the Vernal area. Nielson showed interest in the suggestion and requested re-quested the commissioner to write his idea down and send it to him. Jones Hole Hatchery "The closing of the hatchery (Jones Hole) would cause more stir than if you closed Hill Air Force Base," Nielson said raising a smile from local leaders. He asked the group if they supported Senator Glade Soward's bill to have the state fund the hatchery, which was recently cut of federal funding. Local leaders said they supported Sen. Soward's bill. Nielson said he thought the U.S. government was "welching" on their committment to stock Flaming Gorge with fish and because of the attraction to Flaming Gorge for fishing, the hatchery should be funded. He said that Sen. Soward's bill was only on-ly a stop gap measure and the federal government was obligated to fund the project possibly by using James Watt's congressionary fund. He said that after meeting with Daggett Dag-gett County he felt by Utah operation the hatchery wouldn't help Flaming Gorge because it was a two-state project. Continued on page 5 :' , .1 .-' -. , S f f .-. r , . . 3 L '1 i: . ' : v , - --.. . " - , -: h ' - : & ' .' rl v. - -", . , . , a "': . v- - - n . - ' v '. V " . 4 : . . - " , - , :"! ' .-; , . - -. i - r i . . A s - U.S. REPRESENTATIVE Howard Nielson right is welcomed to Vernal by member of the Dinah-Mites, Don Showalter. vjielson... Continued from page 1 e promised to join with Jim Houser !;ntice the federal government to fund I hatchery for one more year to allow tes to make a decision whether he Irked to own it. U a dinner meeting Thursday evening p. Nielson stated he was sworn in as congressman on Monday and torn at on Thursday for a iition he took. He said his wife was not inning to attend the swearing-in emony, but after a personal invitation pm President Reagan she joined him Washington for the event. vlielson said there were many changes congress he was going to -work for. ne of them included requiring the pluses in budgets of politicans to go ,:k to the Treasury to encourage thrift Jtead of the present philosophy to bnd no matter what just to use up ones ,dget. ' mother problem area is raising wages E'lower paid civil service employees and tomatically raising those in the higher els. Those in the higher levels should be connected to Civil Service wage reases, he said. Nielsen said he was against the bill it required banks to withhold 10 per-it per-it of interest and dividends on savings i would do all he could to repeal the Being on the Energy and Commerce ( mmitte Rep. Nielsen said he would do . he could to make the Clean Air Act "re reasonable for western coal, which iw in sulphur dioxide compared to eastern il. He said he would work against the 5ta law that would prevent any yelopment that would be visible from tional Parks, monuments and federal ids. Jene Hall, Vernal Area Chamber of mmerce President presented Rep. jlsen with a ceramic dinosaur, as a imento of the area, which is only given special euests visiting. |