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Show 4uK. ,L f .V r V PAGE 16 THE ZEPHYRJANFEB 1992 The Davey Report - ERRATA byKenDavey Chevron Oil gave $3,000 to the Grand Education Foundation, and the money will go to buy dictionaries for Red Rock Elementary School students. The foundation has recently been set up as part of a statewide system to solicit contribution to Individual school districts; money donated In Grand County to the schools here. It's a good program, and It can only be hoped that goes directly companies doing business here, including other petroleum firms, film companies, those making bucks off tourism, and those screaming the loudest about money for schools, take . tax-deducti- ble part Chevron Oil makes It a practice to give donations to local foundations, charities, and civic projects. And even though their oil well In the Hatch Point area came up dry, they see a long-terfuture here. The contribution was a part of their corporate outlook. Columbia the Oil, only company to actually hit In the current oil play, Is also expected to come through with a donation of about the same size, though it's been delayed due to corporate problems m back east But there's an ugly rumor going around, that the oil companies have been approached to contribute money to the new visitors center being built In the center of town. In fact, it's more than a rumor. It was first mentioned by a travel council board member and confirmed by a BUI official. The visitors center is being financed by transient room taxes paid by motel guests, money that by law must go to tourist related promotion and facilities. Let's just leave it at that Oil company contributions to Uoab should go to facilities and programs designed for local residents. And there are literally dozens of possibilities. How about an adult education center, or a cover for the swimming pool, or a fund to help people purchase catalytic converters for wood stoves? How about more booka for the library or help In renovating the long term care unit at the hospital? How about using the money to save lives by purchasing smoke detectors for people's homes? A host of possibilities. Let's keep the visitors center off the list. and getting more so, to rent a home in Moab, and the cost of buying one continues to escalate. Just 4 or 5 years ago, H was possible to get a two bedroom home, in good shape, for little more than taking over payments. It was a sign of depression, of a town's Inability to provide for its own people. Atlas was closed, the mines were shut or working skeleton crews, and people were leaving town. Now things are different More people than ever are coming to the national parks, meaning more people than ever are making a living providing food, lodging, trinkets. Mountain bikers come in the spring and fall, a growing number of skiers hsve discovered the La Sals. And small-tim- e investors, betting on continued growth, have scarfed up whatever real estate they can, some for vacation homes, others for overnight rentals, and still others as pure and simple real estate speculation. At the same time, people living here and renting houses began seeing the handwriting on the wall, and many of them scraped together what they could for a downpayment Within just a few short years, the real estate market had changed, and living on the cheap vanished. Notices of houses for rent disappeared from the Advertiser, replaced by ads from realtors range. extolling the virtues of homes in the Its minimum wage job market will expand; will there be enough affordable housing for them? But what Is the one biggest criticism of the tourist Industry? That it doesn't pay enough. According to the Department of Employment Security, the service and trade Industries, with more than half the employees In the county, pay the lowest of all categories, somewhere around $800 per month on average. And why does It pay so low? Well, at least partially because there are enough people who come to Moab for the spring, summer and fall to create a cheap labor pool. Many are young and footloose, they breeze Into town more for the recreation than the work. If for three or four months a year they can live here and raft Westwater and Cataract, bike the White Rim trail, strut about the bars and taverns, they're happy and content, temporary residents with temporary concerns about the future of the town. The truth Is, the more transient workers fill the employment needs In Moab, the lower the wage scale will be. The more temporary workers find jobs In town, the less permanent residents can earn. rtiMD 15 A 31AUK difficult, out-of-to- $50-75,0- 00 And now big time investment is taking place, with million-doll- ar motel and mini-ma- ll plans. Increasing housing costs, increasing low paying jobs. This is where the Grand County Housing Authority comes in. The Housing Authority has formally been around for awhile, but only recently resuscitated by the Southeastern Utah Association of Local Governments AOG, the multi-counorganization in Price that oversees a number of social service programs for Grand, San Juan, Carbon and Emery counties. the Authority so they could pursue Section 8 vouchers, a federal The AOG program to help low income families pay rent The program was modest, aiming at helping only about 10 families here, but even though limited in scope, it is a beginning to solving what could in the future become a bigger social problem. Now the AOG is handing over the reins of the Authority to local control, and a new board of directors will be appointed by the county commission. And it could begin branching out In both the Times Independent and the Zephyr, the Housing Authority has printed a survey "to determine the housing needs of the community" and to "establish the goals of ty the Authority." It is a laudable goal. But it's worthwhile to stand back and make sure we all realize exactly what could happen If the Authority charges off into big plans and projects. And that Is particularly the case because one of the major arguments in favor of the housing authority goes like this: There will be more motels built next year and in the future; that meana the What if these footloose people can't find a place to live next aummer? What if there aren't enough of them to fill the jobs at the new motela and restaurants? Possibly, just possibly, some of those minimum wage jobs could turn Into 6,8,9 buck an hour jobs. Still not great, but better than 4 and a quarter. Tourist facilities are making money by the bucketsfull, its about time they paid their employees more anyway. And if the Grand County housing authority takes as its goal the need to find homes for minimum wage workers, then they are using government money and power to cut the pay of people who live here all year long. And it could end up as a public subsidy for the motel and restaurant owners, by providing them with a way of keeping wages down. There are people In town who deserve some help In finding places to live, single mothers, injured or handicapped residents, young people starting to carve out a lifetime In the region. But let's be sure they are the ones who truly benefit from a housing program, and not the tourist business owners, already making swollen profits. Let's make sure a housing program is designed to help the majority of Moab residents who work for a living. 1992 is the 40th anniversary of Charlie Steen striking uranium at the Mlvida Mine. And some people In Moab want to celebrate the event, with a sort of "Uranium Days" celebration. Reportedly, Steen has agreed to attend. Steen Is known as the man who set off the uranium frenzy In southern Utah. But less known, he Is also the man indirectly responsible for making Salt Lake City the fraud capital of the nation. SUNLIGHT IS FREE! A PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL CONVERTS SUNLIGHT DIRECTLY INTO ELECTRICITY PROVIDING RELIABLE POWER 24 HOURS PER DAY. FOR: REMOTE HOME, CABIN, RV, WATER PUMPING. SUPERIOR ENERGY SYSTEMS 4 1 CVSR 2510 MOAB, UT 84532 (801) 259-76- 38 Professional design and installation Competitively priced Complete kits with instructions 120v, 240v AC - 12v, 24v DC Local references available Q SOLAREX authorized dealer |