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Show V nnmr . t . SaA&ca 4A Tuesday ApriMO, 2001 v .v SNOWNOTI DWARFS AND THE Staff colon) n FOUR STILL WHISTLING Pondering true value of raising children V By KEVN ASHBY , .'".V. , Sun Advocate publisher ...... k You get to be a hero : just for retrieving a frisbee off the'garage roof, taking the training wheels off the bike, removing a sliver, filling the wading pool, coaxing a wad of gum out of bangs and coaching a v .1' Have you. ever wondered why you are haying a hard time making ends meet? At least part of the problem might be the cost of raising kids., v. The United States government recently calculated the cost of raising a child, from birth to 18 and came up with $160,140 for a middle-inco.family p Talk about sticker, shock and the figure doesnt, . even touch college tuition, For Carbon County residents with kids,, that fig, ure leads to wild fantasies about all the tilings we could have bought all the places we could have traveled, all the money we could have banked, v. For other people, that number might confirm the decision to remain childless, But in tiie end, I had to break it down ihto.smaller chunks for it to be more palatable for my tastes. -found that $160,140 Isn't so bad if you break it down, It translates into $8,896.66 per year, $741.38 a month or $171.08 a week. That's a mere $24.44 a r day or just more than a dollar an hour, Still, there, will be those people who think tiie. . best financial advice would be.not to have children ; if you want to be rich. .. , I propose that its just the opposite. What do you get for your $160,140? How about:. baseball team that never wins, but always gets treated to' ice cream regardless. You get a front-ro- w seat to history to'witness .. the first step, first word, first ra, first date, first time behind the wheel: - ! v. Ybu get to be immortal, !;. ;:V ; You get another branch added to your family tree and, if you're Jucky, a.Tong list of names in your ter what the boss said or how your stocks per- - obituary called grandchildren, You get art education in psychology, nursing, V formed that day. ;; v;, . .for $160,140, you never have to grow up, ; criminal justice, communications and human sexu-- r You get to finger paint, carve pumpkins, play ality no college can match! In the eyes of a child, catch lightning bugs and never stop , you rank right up there with God,-;You have toe power to heal a boo-bo- o, befieving irrtne impossible!. scare '. You have an excuse to keep reading toe a- d- ': away monsters undertoe bed, patch a broken heart, ventures of Piglet, Pooh and Tigger too, watching : police a siiytber party, ground toein. forever and Saturday morning cartoons, going to Disney mov- -. iove them without limits, so one day tiiey will, like les and wishing on stars. you, love without counting toe cost You get to frame rainbows, hearts and flowT realize there is another column that could be ers under refrigerator magneto and collect spray-paintwritten about toe times you would gladly give up noodle wreatiis tor Christmas, handprints toe money tor piece and quiet, less tension; words set in clay toir Mother's Day .arid cards with backwithout spite, understanding without questioning ward letters tor Fathers Day. and a life without arguments. . '; .For $160,140, 1 propose theres no greater bang But sometimes we need to be reminded of just ! tor your buck. ? v;;: how goad we do have it .: . . .. . , : : ; . .;' . - - ; hide-arid-tt- -- . 1 . . ed . .; . Guest column LettefB to the editor J:r. Student offers causes for bankruptcy ; By STEVE RHODE ' Guest columnist . , ; differing viewpoint on Carbon High propi fEditor - ; ! to ' If toe cduple consider bankruptcy as a way to. solve their financial problem, it wont The new bank- -. , blame! . '7 Unfortunately,. the bankruptcy reform legislation that.is about to be passed by the United States Congress does nothing to address the real causes .of bankruptcy.--; In an effort ' ; 7 ; . . . to stein the recent years' floort of the-wron- g : ! . . : . al, r . : in toe first place. : 7 :. .. -- The underlying reasons leading to declaring ' bankruptcy often include unrealistic money, goals, compulsive spending; consumption habits., selfesteem issues and lark of personal responsibility: and financial awareness.!! These issues, and many more, are toe real reasons that people find themselves. in. financial' trouble. Until we, as a society, face them head on, people are going to continue heading toward insol- -. ; vency - new bankruptcy bill pr not. Debt problems cannot be explained away by say- -: ; -ing that toe. credit card Companies are marketing too much or that bankruptcy laws are too loose. Years of experience working with people in financial trouble demonstrate time and time again that.: money problem are never about toe money! Money problem are a symptom of bigger life is- -' ..sues, 7.7 Here is toe crux of the problem: bankruptcy is a legal, financial solution that people use to solve nonfinancial issues. The inability to pay toe bill is toe symptom not toe diagnosis. :! , It seem that we are always more comfortable trying to identify who is the victim and the perpe non-leg- : - ;-- . U-- . -- -- bankruptcy filings, the banking industiy and its at-- -: lies in the House and U.S. Senate are ignoring toe underlying reasons why people got Into trouble . -- - 1 . : ! dialleng-togourteenmind- I ng . v-- : : ; , . . : . . . . Letters to the should focus on ptxblic issues rather than private personalities or entities. All submissions must be verified v prior to publication. The paper reserves tiie right to edit letters not only to satisfy spaced constraints, but potential liability concerns. j ! - j The voice of Carbon County since 1892 Kevin Aituyj Ljmnette Chricta Kaminski Lynda Barnett EDITOMAL Claiiified, Editor Reporter Rqidrter Linda Thayu Darla Lee . Lynda Banaeu . Office Manager Circulation Receptioniit . . Hourc Monday -- Friday 8:30 un. to 5 pm. at 845 East Main, Price, Utah. . ' Telephone: (435) . Fax: (435) 637-271- 637-073- 1 tc . . ratec 50 cents per oopy $37 per year in Carbon and Emer countiei, $40 in Utah and S54 oufridt of Utah per year by maiL Subscription lepk omcE Thank you . . . it wasn't easy acting like a moderate during tho campaign. 1 . . Jackie Andenou Richard Shaw. - Send change of addreM Et Main Street, Ptfce, Utah 84501 OaMifiedi deadline: Monday at 10 a.m for TkeadqrV puUication and Wednea day at 10 i.tn. for Thunday'i pubiica . tion. , ; Sale Salea ' Lyimda Johncoo : 845 Director '.Sales Lever' Shiiky.Stubbi I Potmtcr PnMiiher ADVEKTISING Sue Mocker v. ' Changing the date would have onfy caused soblems with planningknd As a at etudent Carbon High. preparation. Credit card companies and toljr extensions qf : ruptcy Jaw will attempt ta squeeze eyeiy last penny to differ on Mrs. ; School,' I Many studente had planned otW credit are often erroneously cast as toe villains of out of timm and provide years of fiscal punishment Blackburn'sbeg thoughts abouttiur Jufr evmits around this date so that they ; pur matron's consumer financial problems. .. without ever addressing or providing assistance iorprom4; v could attend prom, Not onfy did ; ; filed in 1 1990. for for the true underlying reason tor their overspends had bankruptcy protection ,J I agreewith the fact that fahh and many teens have their tuxedos: gotten into financial trouble and was unable to re- ; ing, 'V; ;. .worship are important Ialso be-- ! ready ordered, but many had their ; pay my debts for reasons that 4 could easily have v; The causes could include relationship pcpblem, UevthhIgh School fa Shout grow-- : flowers ordered as welL Reorder ' blamed on others: .! had about $2fi,000 of credit selfcompulsive shopping, compulsive spending,, ing up' and making the right deci- ' lngforalater date would havecbst; sions or learning from card pebt and Halt, at toe time; toe credit card esteem Issues or otoer bea fortune that some just cannot af-money A 7 'tmes! ; olame! to were 'v. haviors..'-; companies v ,; Even if the school officials were I was Maybe the school was wasn't a! victim of credit card , wrong. Bankruptcy reform should not create a system' - to make slater time, people ooukhH : seeingwdikhdeloan s extracts installment from that debtors without raortgdgejend-eroutfits, companies, ever, money : cfaionwe would make. expect that to be dmie to teas than ; or anyone else, I was just in denial about toe the underlying reasons why they got into .: ; Whether we diose to go to the ; two days, which fa the number of ; trouble in toe first place.'',1 ;V ; .? reality of my situation. promenade or to go to the priest-- ; days before piom that this problem I willingly used toe credit offered to me. Nobody Unless you discover why a debtor's expenses hood se88km,Ibelieve that itdiowBd was exposed.-;came with me to toe store, put a gun to my head exceed Income bankruptcy will only he e way to ; where our hearts were. : ' I have known about prom since and made me taka' my credit card from my pocket make temporary reductions In expenses but will do Many of my LDS friends did not DBcembeKMtvbelfsomeooewohld V :: and hand it to toe clerk! 1 did it all inyself. attend the priesthood sessfan as! have said something earlier, then ! nothing to fix the reasons that brought bankruptcy " I frantically searched for a viable solution to my film to toe financial edge..1; - .!;: the school may have been able to! weil,buttheyhadnopr(Alanind&. Credit few said are there help problem. counseling representatives ddingwriattheyneededtodalhey change the date of the prom. 4 : ... Unfortunately, very places that could not and v People knewvshen these events : else offered overcome consumers kneakmgwithtbeirparents.tfaat life these nobody help they issues. any underlying advice other toan bankruptcy.:,: Even tip budgetary and credit counseling centers they hadcommitted to prom weeks were sdieduled. Why didnt any ; v before and they stuck with their body speak up? 7 My situation was complicated;! needed help and that consumers will be forced to go to do not adiWo hundred commitment, didn't know what else to do, so l filed, yoimg men? That dress these issues. ; v 7 would the time have have been the total number of Changing may Tiie tighter toe bankruptcy laws :tol994, 1 turned my life's biggest mistake into squeeze cononjy made problems, ranging from boys whowere at prom. Buttaking a sumers, the more they will blame others tor their, hope and assistance tor others by angry parents whose children are into consideration that evwyone fa financial problem. They will never find a reason to not LDS to a mndi nonprofit organization That helps' people find solufaterendingtime not LDS reduces, the number of ! ' tions for difficult financial problem. accept personal responsibility for their financial whldi many students may not have, people in that dtuation of having to We help our clients deal with toe emotional, beactions and will likely find themselves in similar' beenabletostayoutto. fraction of the choose; to a I havioral and financial effects of money troubles. financial straits again:! v total number. ; .. IamLDS,butmaqyofmyfeQow . ' ; The bankruptcy bill.addresses only one of those ; The financial industry loses more than $40 bil- -. dassmAtea, faiduding dose friends, I feel that not only was thereto : lion every year to bankruptcy. Its difficult to quail: are not and would have strongly possible wayto change the timdor :;VT!.issues, Take for example; a husband who blames his tify what individual bankruptcy filers lose, but toe disagreed with changing the time or (Continued on pegs ; wife for overspending and claims Our debt troubles financial and emotional costs are big ... I.nprewww wnwnr Why are your fault Stop buying stuff." f : (Continued on'page BA) etUtor ' in cases of financial troubles. We find comfort. in. finding omeone trator : date of prom. It Is a tradition t&at promenade start at seven o'clobk; as it has for many years npw; Publication No. (USPS isiuec a week at Price, Utah. Periodica poatage paid at Price, Utah, and ai additiaoal mailing office PO Bat 589 Castle Dale, Utah 84513, . 174-96- , twice Entire contents copyright C2001 Advocate Inc. AB Si rbtt tesencd. 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