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Show JANUARY 1996 this is the place by John Helton Representatives, Mel Brown, explained gasoline indexing to a news reporter during the televised Summit panel dis- | cant understand She is ether this! crooked bont be silly Near... ES you neea Or Foolish, neither do | eat those traits want in in my Washington | John Gor Longressinna| representitivel J iy [ Rast idee \a o- w APPIN hero APPAPGORT we ee Sorny Jy @eeeseeeeoeoeoseeoeoceooceeoeeoec eves eeoeeeee2 2020802808080 80888080880888 @ Governor’s Summit Marred By Complex Growth Problems By .B. Rappaport Governor Mike Leavitt put to rest fears of overpopulation, traffic jams, air pollution, disappearing open space and a predicted shortfall of water at his recent and much ballyhooed Growth Summit. During a televised broadcast and panel discussion at Cottonwood High School last month the governor laid out his plan: “Roads, and lots of ‘em,” the goyernor retorted when asked how he planned to alleviate traffic congestion along the Wasatch Front, where 80 percent of Utahns reside and work When asked how he would clean up the air pollution in the mountain valley’s from all the auto traffic, the governor responded: “Roads, and lots of ‘em.” When asked how he planned to open save space, Gov. Leavitt answered: “Roads, and lots of ‘em.” water, New sources of Gov. Leavitt? Roads, and lots of ‘em.” Gee, and to think some of us thought problems these troubling would require new and innovative solutions. The Republican governor has convinced just about everyone that the state's tax on gasoline will be “indexed” by the Republican Utah Legislature in order to solve these ressingo issues. The Speaker of Utah’s House of POWDER BEACH REALTY Residential Sales Vacation Rentals Investments | “S¢ript: Nielsen ratings just show that no one outside the of the panel watched the Summit. @ PARK CITY Gey, PRICE mh Snowbird/Alta Solitude/Brighton Salt Lake Valley (801) 944-9444 wp Post released families Growth a erg Property Management Park City Deer Valley Wolf Mountain cussion: “Gasoline indexing is when you index the gasoline by taking into account the inflation and indexing it against the gasoline as it pertains to gasoline indexing.” Is that anything like raising the gas tax? the reporter asked again. “Indexing the gas tax is when you index the gasoline over a time period — with inflation in mind because inflation decreases the tax value,” the speaker of the House said But is that anything like a tax hike? the reporter persisted. “It’s gas indexing. That’s what it is. I won't say it again,” Brown said again. The governor then smiled into the TV camera and explained to the audience that the state would use the gas indexing to “build new roads, and lots of ‘em.” The gasoline indexing will be made palatable by a tax break, he noted. But Democrat Scott Howells objected. “Why give a tax break to everyone just to raise the gasoline tax? It doesn’t make sense,” Howells insisted. “Democrats don’t like that idea,” he added. To this, the Speaker of the House stuck his thumbs in his ears and wiggled his fingers and said: “Na na na na na, we have the majority. Na na na na na. And we're gonna index gasoline whether you like it or not. Na na na na na.” This only seemed to steam House minority leader and Democrat Frank Pignanelli, who is known in political circles simply as ‘the Pig.’ “Yeah, sure, we want roads. But we don’t want that damned, I mean darned, indexing,” the Pig retorted with steam coming out of his ears. But to this Goy. Leavitt smiled into the TV camera and attempted to strike a conciliatory note: “I hear Democrats saying the same things as Republicans: Roads, and lots of ‘em. There now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Arr” In Park City call: 645-9444 PAGE 18 OUTLET MALL Take Kimball Junction Exit to Park City, turn west at the first light. GET THE SECOND AT HALF PRICE Receive a FREE gift with purchase with this ad. |