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Show PAGE 14 THE ZEPHYR JANFEB 90 around the bend by ken sleight The canyon country of southeastern Utah Is our home. We love It. We provide many essential services and goods to the state and nation. We have a beautiful and enchanting country. But with all of this, our economic progress has not kept pace with other sections of the nation. We should have the same opportunity to share the rewards and fruits of society as any other section. President Bush has well pointed out that "America's economlo recovery will not be complete until rural Americas economic recovery Is complete. Well said. Our local economies In Grand and San Juan counties have been seriously hurt by the recession of the past decade. They have been slow to recover. We have suffered severely, and long-lasti- ng economic and social damages have occurred. Our area has been especially vulnerable to this economic downturn: Jobs were lost, Incomes fell, people moved away, businesses failed, foreclosures were frequent, and public Investments were not made. We have a lower per capita Income, higher poverty rate, a lower tax base and a great number of our residents must travel to distant medical facilities for specialized and costly care. Transportation services and facilities are minimal. We have no bus services connecting our towns and poorer areas where such services are desperately needed. Our existing highways are In dire need of repair to bring them up to safety standards. We have Inadequate water and sewer systems to care for future growth. They barely meet health and safety standards. The cost of developing these systems are extremely high on a per capita basis. We have fewer educational opportunities. There has been a dramatic exodus of the most educated and skilled of our young people. Teacher salaries are low. Classrooms are crowded. Education In our area has fallen behind that offered In urban areas. These deficiencies have made It difficult to attract new business. By every economic measure, our area is poorer than that of the nation as a whole. There are solutions. There are many programs on the federal and state levels that address rural development We must find better ways to coordinate these programs and to become better Informed about the availability of assistance. This assistance must be found. But persons attempting to begin new businesses or to expand existing businesses often have trouble raising debt and equity capital from the banks and other sources. The cost of acquiring the funds Is not so much the Issue as is the access to those funds. Rural banks, even though knowledgeable about real estate loans, may be less 8ble to determine the prospects of other worthy business projects. They are thus reluctant or Incapable of financing these new firms. Beginning small businesses can be major sources of economic growth. best wishes for a merry Christmas and Smaller firms, those with fewer than 20 employees, have been the most significant contributors to net Job generation In the United States since the early 1970s. The stimulation of this new business creation, rathor than tho recruiting of existing businesses from elsewhere, could Improve our economies across-the-boa- rd. We must come up with a program that will stimulate the making of loans by our financial Institutions to new and smaller businesses. Revolving Loan Funds may be the answer. Such funds could come from federal and state sources to be leveraged with private funds. Each Revolving Loan Fund would make loans to small businesses which often need capital In amounts too small to be financed through usual financial Intermediaries. Also the risk of larger loans could be shared by having the Revolving Loan Fund "package" the loan with several banks. With minimal federal and state Investment, bank lending could take place that would not otherwise have occurred. The banks participation Is critical In helping to diversify our economy. There are certain priority projects for which the funds should be used. Special care should be taken to assure projects of the highest priority to meet present and future demands. The following are some of my own priority Interests and concerns. We need a grant or loan program that addresses safe drinking water and wastewater problems. This Is especially critical In our smaller and poorer communities. Infrastructure Investments should be made In a transportation system. Our Special Roads District should be Involved not only In road construction but In the formation of an adequate transportation system which would Include bus services to connect our communities together. We need an Improved program which would link students vith the best national and state Instruction available through telecommunications. Access to the best teachers, even though far away, is extremely Important We should hook Into more educational computer data banks. Telecommunications can Improve our medical care. Teaching hospitals can be medical experts can look at diagnostic Images linked to our medical facilities sent electronically which would greatly assist local doctors. Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Chairman of the Agricultural Committee In the Senate, recently Introduced a bill (S.1036 "The Rural Partnership Act) In Congress that would, If enacted, improve our economic situation. It Is designed to address the namely the lack of access to capital for problem, I've mentioned In this column small business and rural Infrastructure needs. It Is focused on "bringing rural America Into the 21st century on an equal basis with urban America. There also needs to be a revamping of the State Impact Board and the process it has of awarding funds to the various counties. There needs to be a better method In equitably distributing the mineral lease funds. As It Is set up now, the few board members wield too much power In making Its decisions on where funds shall go without sufficient study and public Involvement Recent loans and grants have been heavily skewed to costly new road development far removed from our communities. For Instance, I would much rather see the money that Is to be spent on the costly Book Cliffs road be spent for our own local Infrastructure, education and hospital needs. We should use the money for projects where we live, work, and go to school. The State Legislature needs to get Involved to see that the Revolving Loan Funds can be established so that we can be more Intimately Involved In determin, ing our own priorities and uses of the money. We desperately need to Improve and build up our Infrastructures for present and future demands. We ought to be concentrating all available funds on the above mentioned needs. If we delay, well have much greater and more costly problems later. . - TRUTH, JUSTICE and the AMERICAN WAY from Welcome Back, Emmett and MILTS K-- D famous food since the 50s 3rd South & 4th East 259-742- . SECOND HAND 1021 Mill Creek Dr. $ 4 (from the Zephyr) ' |