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Show I Often accused Denounces BY GUNN MCKAY doesnt. of the National Addressing members Treasury Employees Union in their annal meeting at the Hotel Utah, McKay revealed that data he has developed with an independent economist and internal IRS studies demonstrate the planned reorganization will cost money rather than save it, as claimed by IRS Commissioner Jerome Kurtz. I asked the Commissioner how much money he thought would be saved by cutting the Salt Lake work force and transferring division responsibility to Reno (Nevada) McKay disclosed. He said it would save about $435,000 each year. Now, last year alone the office supervised collection of over 2,000 times that much money from Utah taxpayers. It doesnt make sense to me to cut an offices ability to raise money in order to save money. If the Audit Division alone were to reduce its productivity by only 2 percent, the entire cost savings would be wiped out." McKay said his research has revealed the clear, and in many cases unrivaled, competence of the Salt Lake office in School TN Home by Dr. Daryl J. McCarty B Executive Secretary Utah Education Association fvJ During the first half of this decade, teenagers in the United States showed a decline in their knowledge of government. They also lost ground in their understanding of and willingness to participate in the political process. And they mixed advances with declines in recognizing and valuing constitutional rights. That iniormation comes to us from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Anna Ochoa, president of the National Council for the Social Studies, says electives (courses that may be taken at the option of a student) are being substituted for hard-cor- e government classes in schools. She reported that in 1961, more than 700,000 students were enrolled in civics courses, while in 1973 the number had dropped to 450,000. I think this ties in with a popular cry of today: Back to the basics. Ofj:our$e, schools have never left what many consider the basics-readiwriting and arithmetic. But arent classes in government basic? Isnt it basic for a youth to know the names of the President of the United States, the governor of our state, and members of Utahs congressional delegation? Isnt it basic for our children to know how our state legislature works? How our courts operate? Isnt it basic for them to study the United States Constitution and to understand its provisions? Parents can impress on their student children the importance of courses in government when these youngsters are making their class selections for the coming year. And theres another thing parents can do: Take a 100K at all your childrens classes and consider their content. ng, Isnt it true that everyone of them is basic in many ways? Schneiters Riverdale Ernie RIVERSIDE GOLF COURSE Riverdale 399-463- 6 Open Daylight til Dark NORTHERN UTAHS MOST COMPLETE GOLF FACILITY starting now. PGA Instruction pp)g( idea He said the Intelligence Division in the Salt Lake office has 3 percent of the regions IRS special agents but accounts for 6 percent of IRS prosecutions, and with Salt Lake agents spending up to 30 percent less time on case prosecution than the national average. According to McKay, the Audit and Taxpayer Service Divisions have similarly outstanding records. Last year the Audit Division raised $5 million more than of the other 11 districts being reorganized. And, acany cording to the agencys own figures, the Taxpayer Service Division is 40 percent more productive than the average district office and is far and away the nations top office in ipir0rvtf8ifi) all of its duties. SALT LAKE CITY-- - Before an audience of Internal Revenue Service employees, Utah Congressman Gunn McKay Friday night denounced with faint praise an IRS proposal to streamline the Salt Lake District office. I applaud an IRS reorganization that would cut waste, McKay said. Unfortunately this IRS reorganization and IRS Championship Course 3 Par Course Tee Driving Range this regard." In other words, said McKay, this office handles more taxpayers with fewer people, and makes fewer errors than anyone anywhere. I think thats outstanding. "The Salt Lake District office serves 1.3 million people-m- ore than any of the other offices being reorganized, McKay continued, and it also consistently and most of the larger offices that remain untouched. In his remarks, the Utah Democrat countered assurances made him by Commissioner Kurtz that taxpayer services in the Salt Lake City office would be unaffected by the shift because no employees who deal directly with the public would be removed. McKay read from an internal management audit of the Western Region IRS offices which rated the Salt Lake offices Taxpayer Service Division first in the nation in productivity. The report, said McKay, attributes that peformance to close and experienced administrative supervision by Salt whose positions would be Lake office administrators eliminated in the reorgaization. The Salt Lake City reorganization was kept under wraps until it was announced with a flurry of misleading propaganda and if it is iplemented one of the best IRS district offices in the nation will be irreparably disabled, he said. McKay said he and Utah economist Dr. John T. Dunlop will soon present their evidence to a congressional committee that reorganizationn of the Salt Lake office will cost it more saves. than money Guest editorial Riverdale has problem A serious problem with which the city of Riverdale is faced is quite unique. The community which had its beginning back in early pioneer times grew up along both sides of Weber River. There were so few people here at that time that for companionships sake they surmounted the difficulty of fording the river to get together. Later through their combined efforts bridges were built, When the railroad came through if was naturally laid alongside the river which enlarged the dividing line in the neighborhood running north and south. During World War II Riverdale Road was constructed to handle the increased traffic. The volume of traffic on it at times and the lack of adequate traffic signals often serves as a deterrant to a free flow of contact. This draws a line from east to west. Then when the freeway system was devised it was unavoidable that it slashed here and there in the western section of the city. G. Edwin (Ted) Anderson, who was mayor at the time, was very concerned with maintaining good newspaper coverage for this area to help keep everyone acquainted with each other and bound into a closely knit unit. It is of major importance that a special effort be made on the part of all Riverdale residents to keep a community spirit alive. This can be done by all areas of the city working shoulder to shoulder on projects to benefit the people in all parts of the city. We are reminded of a visitor being shown through a mental institution. He commented, But there are so few attendants present to maintain control over the patients confinement to this narrow area. Isnt there danger that the and patients will gang up on the restraining personnel them? overpower No danger whatsoever! Lunatics The reply was, never unite! How about it, Riverdale? Are we mentally capable of uniting to overcome the geographical handicaps which tend to confine us to a lesser degree of enjoyable relationship with our fellow citizens? Helen Norton Riverdale Correspondent BY JAKEGARN Property taxes paid by in homeowners Roy averaged $11.73 per $1,000 of value last year, according to a study prepared by Utah Foundation, the private tax research organization. The Foundation calculated the average property tax load in the 69 largest Utah municipalities. According to the study, the property tax burden ranged from a high of $13.59 per $1,000 of sales value in Moab to a low of $3.84 per $1,000 of sales value in Mount Pleasant. Roy ranked 25th among the 69 cities included in the comparison. stems Part of my reputation of being from my desire to expand the availability of our States natural wonders for more to enjoy. The efforts to turn more and more land into inaccessible wilderness is cutting off the nose to spite the face. If we lock all this acreage up and refuse to allow responsible development, how many people will actually reap the benefits? I am convinced that the beauty of such areas as the Uintas ought to be preserved, but at the same time it seems a shame that they are accessible only to those with the strength and skill to rough it with a pack on their back. If it is restricted to the young and hardy we cannot expect the tourist potential of the state to be fully realized, and we can expect our economic base to continue to decline. My goal is to accomodate these two views. We have had tradeoffs in other areas of the State and they have worked out well. The State government has looked long and carefully at Canyonlands National Park, and made a proposal that 92 percent of it be declared Wilderness, but that the otner u percent be made widely accessible to motor use. That seems to me a pretty fair balance. Canyonlands contains views that cannot be found anyplace else on this earth. Those views the owners, property property tax burden (ex- - ought to be protected; but they dont do anyone any good if pressed in terms of taxes per they cant get in to see them. I am all for their protection and I would not want to see that 92 percent spoiled. But I am also $1,000 of market vlaue) has For in favor of allowing people easy access to the remainder. been declining. example, over the past ten Utah is a vast State, and we have enough landscape for both the backpacker and the driving tourist. years the average property tax burden throughout Utah Right now, we are in the midst of an energy crisis, our has slipped from $15.75 per coal supplies are low and we are vulnerable to interruption of our oil supplies, we face a declining economy, and we are $1,000 of value in 1967 to beset by terrible inflation. Under those circumstances, we $10.58 per $1,000 of value in at- need to our priorities strght. The first priority is survivial. 1977. The Foundation tributes this decline to the Participation in the natural experience is probably essential to survival, and I dont want to change that. My point is that fact that inflation has caused property values generally to Utah is so well endowed that we can develop the resources rise at a much faste pace necessary to survival, and at the same time we can preserve our incomparable beauty, in a way that will benefit the than the rise in property taxes charged, tourist industry. Despite the fact that property taxes have been rising during recent years, taxes on homeowners in Utah generally are lower than those paid in most other states. An analysis of data gathered by the Federal Administration Housing reveals that property taxes on singlefamily homes in Utah are nearly 30 percent below the U.S. average. to the FounAccording dation analysis, the property d taxes on an home in Utah averaged $11.99 per $1,000 of sales vaaue during 1975. Thus, the average property tax on a in Utah $30,000 home amounted to $360. For the nation as a whole, the average property tax burden amounted to $17.10 per $1,000 of sales value, or $513 on a $30,000 home. Utah ranked 38th among the 46 states included in this F1IA survey. The property tax burden ranged from a low of $6.39 per $1,000 of sales value in Louisiana to a high of $32.62 per $1,000 of sales vaaue in Massachusetts. Most of the low property tax states are located in the South, while the highest property taxes generally are found in the Northeast and Midwest sections of the nation. Among the eleven Western States, only Wyoming reported a lower average property tax burden on homeowners than did Utah. c Clearfield ( FHA-finance- Report FHA-finance- to limit property taxes to 1 percent of market value. Property owner protests in other states JOY HOUCK Jfl Produce A FILM BROKERS ADULTS SUM PICKENS BARBARA INC Virqil PRXift RELEASE Cane r PGi $1.50 KIDS LADIES Open Saturday and Sunday at rov 75 NIGHT ON TUESDAY 1 p.m. Other days 6 p.m. rami 5637 S. 1900 W. Phone 7734)904 TUESDAY IS LADIES NIGHT increase. in Roy rank 25th in state amendment Executive d Property taxes tax burden indicated for Utah. The Foundation notes that there has been a growing resistance to the property tax across the nation. California voters will decide in June on an initiative Slamnq are affected indirectly by the tourist trade. The bulk of these jobs are in the major population centers, but as facilities become more readily available, it is certain that the distribution of the jobs will change as their numbers tourist-relate- am often accused of being against environmental protection and preservation because I favor mineral and economic development in Utah. I do not believe that these two ideologies are incompatible. It is true that I am interested in the development of Utahs mineral wealth and its positive impact on the State' economy, but I am also completely aware of the consecration needs of the State. In the long run, it is conceivable that tourism will be even more important to Utah than the vast energy and mineral wealth of the State. Right now, more than 44,000 people are directly employed in the tourist industry, and many more I March and local com- munities are forcing public officials to promise property tax relief. Foundation analysts point out that the property tax on a home is determined by two factors: (1) the assessment or valuation that is placed on the property for tax purposes and (2) the total mill levy imposed by the various units of government. Both of these factors may vary widely from community to community as well as from state to state. Although the property revaluation program that has been carried out in Utah diring the past few years has resulted in higher property taxes for many 27 783 N. 850 W., reported the theft of a tool box and tools, valued at $135. 15. George Bunker, 296 S. 1000 E., reported someone had shot and broke the glass door to a sliding patio door. Amy Markos, 95 W. 650 N., reported a missing skate board and bike. Ray Collatz, 1700 S. 200 E., reported hit and run damage to his car while it was parked in front of his residence. John Vlaanderen, West Point, was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol. Charles Weaver, 74 N. Lakeview, reported two missing bikes. Two vehicles, abandoned at approximately 1020 S. 700 were impounded. Police responded to the following: A citizens assist, three unfounded intrusion alarms, assisted Layton PD, assisted the fire department, responded to two disturbing the peace complaints, report of a lost child, and a barking dog complaint. March 28 Smiths Food King reported an unindentified individual stole three of beer. Daniel Lewis, Roy, was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol. Edgar Weber, 130 Lynwood, reported someone threw a rock or other hard object at a $1000 plate glass window. Triangle oil reported a gas skip. A old boy was apprehended for shoplifting three packages of marbles from Sprouse Reitz. Police responded to the following: a a disorderly conduct report at Clearfield Swimming Pool, a disorderly person a Clearfield Job Corps, possession of tobacco by juveniles, three unfounded intrusion alarms, a medical assist, assisted So. Ogden PD, and a citizens report of a telephone Robert William Adams, six-pac- Throughout the Western States, the property tax on FHA homes averaged $6.83 per $1,000 of sales vaaue. This was 40 percent more than the average property AHK ,u(o) harrassment. March 29 Coach Thorne reported the theft of one-hadozen tennis balls, ten baseballs and 18 pair of socks from Clearfield High. Police responded to a civil dispute when a young boy called the department when his father spanked him after running away from school. lf Wood, 1175 S. 1000 E., reported hit and run damage to his car. Dorothy Weston, 657 Ann St., reported an egg thrown at her house. Mrs. Albert Leikis, reported a four year old wandering around the library. olds were cited for illegal consumption of alcohol. Three fifteen-yea- r Police responded to the following: an unfounced intrusion alarm at, Wilson Sporting Goods, two reports of juveniles smoking, a citizen assist, an assault at Job Corps, and medical assist. March 30 Walts American Service reported his station burglarized. Ester Lannar Maddox, Ogden, was cited for driving under the influence. Two youths were apprehended for shoplifting at Smiths Food King. 1 old boy for stealing 12 manager, Stuart Lee reported an eight-yea- r Barry E. ' erasers. Tommy LaRoque, 75 W. 250 N., was cited for driving on revocation and giving false information to officers. March 31 Barbara Bailey, 838 Hill Top Drive, reported her Pinto had been burglarized. Dorothy Russell reported finding a lost child near the Clearfield Community Church. April 1 Cecil Paul Fiosher, 646 James St., was charged with auto burglary and Mike R. Nelson, Ogden, was charged with conspiracy to committ auto theft. . Phyliss Evans, Layton, was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol. John Galanaugh, Layton, was charged with public Intoxication. Three juveniles were charged with vandalism after they picked up a stop sign. Danny Louis Zanone, Hooper, was charged with auto theft, heft. Terry Greenwell, 75 W. 250 N. No. 42, cited for shoplifting at Smiths Food King. Police assisted Utah Highway Patrol, assisted Riverdale PD, responded to a simple assault at Job Corps, and a report of a runaway Juvenile. |