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Show Free Press - Wednesday, January 20, 1993 - Page Editorial 'Robin Hood' bill fails as good tax policy What makes good tax policy? According to the Utah Foundation, there are two key elements to good tax policy: The tax burden should be distributed equitably. Taxes should be efficient, and understandable to the taxpayer. These two goals are difficult to achieve, but in taxing to equalize school funds, the state of Utah has developed both a good and a bad example of tax policy. During the current legislative session, state lawmakers ought to take a look at the good example as it reforms the bad. The good example is the state's minimum school equalization program, which was instituted in 1973 and established the WPU, or "weighted pupil unit." Under the law's guidelines, people from all over the state pay the same property tax for basic education funding, and the tax is then allocated according to how many students, or more accurately, how many WPUs, there are in each school district. This program makes sure "poor" districts have the same amount to spend on each student as "rich" districts. This is a boon for Alpine School District. Theman-date- d state property tax for basic education costs in the Alpine District only raises $208 for each WPU in the district. The state adds $1,200 per student to bring the basic program funding for the district to $ 1,408, the rate established by the legislature for all school districts. Districts that generate more than the $1,408 per WPU contribute their excess funds to the uniform school fund. non-arbitra- Districts can add to that fur. ding with leeway taxes, but the program is fair and easy to understand - the hallmarks of good tax policy. The bad example is the Capital Outlay Equalization bill - the "Robin Hood" bill - passed last year by the legislature to help fund capital improvements for schools basically for new buildings. The idea behind the bill is a goo done because some districts in Utah desperately need funds to meet the needs of rapid growth but don't have the resources to build. However, the new bill meets neither of the two criteria established as good tax policy. The tax burden is not spread equitably and the complicated formulas to determine how the taxes will be collected and allocated are too complex. The law bases how much a district should pay to the state capital equalization fund on the district's current tax rate for capital and debt service, rather than on its real wealth. From there it gets more complicated. Basically it means that some districts are required to pay a lot more to the state fund than is their fair share while others pay less. In addition, it is impossible for the average taxpayers to figure any of this out because the bill's equations are so convoluted they defy description. The Utah Legislature would do themselves, Utah residents and our school districts a service if they would refashion the program to provide equalization of capital outlay funds so that it is more like the simpler, and more equitable, basic minimum school program. -- - Mam was a bit of alright As I think back, the scenes become quite plain. The house where we lived bordered on several acres of woodland. Most of the trees were beech and very old and large. My youngest brother, Ivor, loved these trees. Often he would wander down among them and sing. In his childish voice he would make up his own words and the music came from his heart. Then came January and I was on my way to America. I had said goodbye to members of my family and I looked around for Ivor. Then I heard him down in the woods singing to the trees. This was my goodbye to this years would pass before I would see him again. My wife and I climbed the hill to the little cottage where he lived. He was standing in the doorway with his little corgy dog at his feet. He was no longer the boy who sang to the trees. He was a grown man with graying hair but his voice was light like the voice in the woodland. We spent several days together. We roamed the hills, the hills I so much loved. We visited the brook down in the vale and he commented on the sweet music it made. His health was very poor and before long he would be with his mother and father in the Llanfach cemetery. I was when it happened. I was just leaving for school when the old man came walking up the street. When he was across the street from our house, he collapsed and fell to the ground. Someone called Sgt. Smith the Bobby. It was m ust have been Mrs. Thomas the Clerk, she had the only telephone on the street. I ran into the house and told my mother. She put on her coat and walked across the street to where the old man lay. Just then the Bobby rode up on his bicyle. In a pompous voice he said, "I must take him to jail for vagrancy." My mother looked up at him and said, "You'll do no such thing, you take him and youll have to take me. Can't you see he is r ill?" The old man came around and mother helped him to his feet and led him over to our house. There she fixed him a hot cup of tea and made him comfortable. He tol d mother h is story. He had come to our village to see his daugh ter. He had come by train from down the valley. He had not Lehi arts scene will miss Mary Ellen I've heard that Mary Ellen Cash will retire as head of Lehi's Arts Council and that's a shame. She deserves a rest, but she also deserves a huge vote of thanks from . By TOM GRIFFITHS taken the time to eat any breakfast, so between the cold and hunger he had passed out. Mother fed him some breakfast and I was assigned to direct him to the home of his daughter. On our way , Sgt. Smith passed us pedaling on his bicycle. A few days later we developed a leaky tap in our kitchen. Father said it was a leaky gasket but knew how to fix it. In order to shut the water off it was necessary for father to go out to the sidewalk and reach down a hole and turn off a valve. The hole was deep and small and father had to lay down on his side on the sidewalk to reach the valve. Now, father was quite muscular with extra large biceps. He succeeded in turning the valve but then he couldn't get him arm out of the hole. As he lay there with his arm down in the hole, Sgt. Smith came by. "I say there, William," he commented, "are you having a bit of a problem?" By now father was losing his temper. "No problem," he replied. "I do this for fun every day." Just then, mam, who saw the problem, came out with a bowl of soapy water which she poured around the arm in the hole. In a moment father's arm was free and he stood on his feet. Sgt. Smith spoke to mam, "By George, Elizabeth, you are a bit of alright." "That's right, Sgt., but don't you think you should be chasing law breakers instead of gawping at us?" She's had some heady triumphs, and some sad disappointments, but through it all, she's done a whale of a job for the citizens of Lehi. Remember, she started the whole thing. And, she's persevered through apathy and ignorance, proving that the arts in Lehi is a tangible force and an important aspect of life here in our town. She brought Bill Evans back to us, and she pioneered the Cowboy Poetry Show duringthe Roundup. She's proved that there is more than cows and kickin' during rodeo days. She also initiated the children's theater here and proved that hundreds of kids are interested in acting, singing and dancing, just as many as there are interested in sports. The auditions for roles in the several children's theater productions proved that interest. Literally hundreds of kids, with parents in tow, showed up to try out for parts. Does that tell you something? - home-fron- better believe it By BETTY FOWLER Anyway, I'd like to say a personal thanks to Mary Ellen for a job well done. I'd also like to thank Kathleen Reed for her efforts in behalf of the children of Lehi. She directed several musicals, and they were all outstanding. She has a terrific ability to bring out the sometimes buried-dee- p talents of local children. She laughed with them, never at them. She listened to them, understanding their need to express themselves. She taught them to forget themselves, their hangups and their inhibitions as they proved themselves on and off stage. Kathleen has moved to Salt Lake City, and the community will miss her talents very much. ( Wow, what losses. Mary Ellen and Kathleen out of our public life? What do we do now? Thank goodness for folks like the Dalys and the Glen Smiths, who continuS' their labors to bring the arts to our children. And, for heavens sake, let's be proud off others who work hard to bring the arts td our city. People like Jacqueline P. Colledge of Utah Regional Ballet, our local dance teach- - . ers who help children love music and dance: How about piano teachers who earn just a pittance of what they deserve. There many others who inspire, teach and show our young people by example how much can be gained by an interest in thearts. They are priceless jewels in our ' community's crown. But Mary Ellen Cash worked without'-- , remuneration of any kind to accomplish her . goals. Oh sure, she earned satisfaction, but some times satisfaction is a lonely bedfel.-.- low. Call her and tell her how much you've .' appreciated her work. She's not going to get a million dollars, perhaps not even a gold watch, but your thanks will help warm her--. generous, giving heart. -- -- - New business page will debut today The Editor's i& It Column We are always looking for ways to make our paper better but often we are weighed down by the many forces that govern the newspaper business as well as all other businesses. For one, we obey lots of laws, including Newton's first law of motion: A body at rest tends to stay at rest. takes some work to get us moving. But this week we hope to make a move in a positive direction - space permitting. This week we are starting our first business page. Oh, we won't have any stocks and bonds listings, but we hope to highlight local folks on the move. The page will feature a new business regularly, and since there are lots of new businesses created all the time in our area, we hope to be able to feature one a week. We have always covered grand openings, or run stories for new businesses, so this isn't a basic change in strategy. But we now have a place for this. We are also introducing a new column, written by Tom Forest, an Alpine resident who is an estate planner and registered representative for John Hancock in Salt Lake City. Tom plans to write his column with the readers in mind handing out useful information of many types for our readers. The initial columns will include information on coping with new tax laws, how to best invest your money, and creative ways to finance a college education. I've read the initial ones, and they look interesting and informative. The page will be located in the section of the newspaper that is common to all three newspapers the same section in which we run our television listings, classified ads, comics, obituaries and movie and other entertainment-typ- e listings. 1 By MARC HADDOCK Breaking out this kind of space has not been easy. The news space in the newspaper depends on the number and size of advertising we sell. When we sell more ads that run inside the pages of the newspaper, we have more room for news. When we sell fewer ads, we have less space - the paper shrinks. So we have bigger papers just before the Thanksgivingand Christmasholidays, when advertisers put on the holiday rush. And we have smaller papers in January and February, with less space to fill. This creates interesting situations. The news slows down in December, be- cause the people who make our news city councils and local schools take a break. But our papers are big, requiring us to come up with creative ways to fill the news space. Those year-enwrap up things you see on the television and in daily newspapers are all in response to the dearth of news at a time when there is an excess of news space. Conversely, there is usually a lot of news breaking around the first of the year after - d New Year's day. Public officials are sworn into office, city councils get back into gear after the holidays, lots of new rules and regulations often take effect on Jan. 1. But many of our advertisers are worn"-ouThey have spent their advertising bud-- " ' ' get during the Christmas season, and they ' back off a little in January. So our papers are smaller and we have to come up with creative ways of getting all the news in the t. newspaper. That's why it's a bit risky starting a new feature in January, as far as space goes. As I mentioned, it will take a lot of energy to break the patterns we have developed in' " putting our newspapers together. But we to committed the business are page making an important part of the paper. We will generate the space weekly, and we hope the space will become ing after a time. Look for the names of your friends and neighbors, because they will be there. That' is the kind of news we print, and we don't '' plan on changing that on the business page or anywhere else. The page is designed to feature local-- ' businesses and the promotions of local residents. Tom's column will contain informa- tion that can help you m ake better decision all kinds of money matters. Any suggestions about the content of the V page, as well as information about local N residents and local business will be welC? 3 corned. Call me at and I will be happy to discuss the page and the philosophy behind it with you. This is new ground for us, we are open to . suggestions. The only thing we hope is that when we are done, we will have produced a. self-genera-t- 756-527- better newspaper. After all, it's hard sometimes to get. things moving, but the same law tells us. that once things are moving, it's hard to stop them from rolling ahead. Editor: With recent snow storms accumlating rapidly within Utah, motorists are noticing large amounts of deer migrating to lower elevations. Many deer are assembling near warm roadways where grass may be exposed. Most motorists react to deer on the road by swerving or slowing down. But day after day, we are still innundated by fresh deer carcasses appearing on the roads. To aid in helping reduce the road kill population, a motorist horn honking program may be beneficial. Deer do not like loud noises, and shy away from the average automobile horn. Most motorists are hesitant about honking, in fear of confusing or scaring a deer toward the roadway. Ahorn honked 50 to 100 feet from a deer will create the opposite effect and scare the deer away from the offendingnoise. Deer farther away than this distance could become desensitized and not benefit from this program. I But if 5 0 percent of Utah drivers honked at deer on the road or shoulder, whether these deer are a hazard to the vehicle or not, we may aid in preventing accidents for other drivers. Next time you confront a deer on the road, experiment by honkingyour horn long and clear. If some of the deer are deterred ; from entering roadways, even during heavy ' traffic periods, we can help alleviate some problems with already hazardous road con' ' ditions. -- Judy Goodwin Alpine Thanks to those who shovel snows Editor: As my daughter and I deliver this grand old newspaper every Wednesday morning, I would like to thank those people who take care of their yards by shoveling their sidewalks and driveways. It makes it so much easier to get the' paper to your porches. To those of you who don't shovel, there ought to be a law! And ifthere is, it ought tc be enforced. --Jim Grade school seeks info Editor: am a fifth grade student at Truman Benedict School in San Clemente, Calif. I have chosen your state of Utah to write a state report on. I have chosen your state because I think that you have neat things. Also I want to know the things you do in I your state of Utah. I was hoping some of the readers of your newspaper would be interested in sending me any information they think would be valuable to my report. This could be letters postcards, pictures, maps, stories, past I pamphlets, etc. I look forward to learning more about. your state from your readers and would be" ?' very appreciative. -- Erika M. Mrs. Wittenberg's ClassI; Truman Benedict School 1251 San Clemente, Calif. 92673" hear the argument that nationalism government." The United Nations, toothless for decades, has recently emerged as an arbiter and enforcer, and disciples of "world government" want the United States to Time Syndicate "playing world leader," urging the United Nations to expand involvement in Bosnia. With the problems of our home front seemingly insoluble, we presume to "mind our neighbors' business" instead. elseWe are espousing where in the world though we have not yet measured up to the responsiblity of ourselves. Michael Levine wants a statue similar to the Statue of Liberty erected offshore Los Angeles. His would be a Statue of Responsibility. Levine believes that our society will survive only as long as its citizens are as nt do more. Realistically, however, the world is no more ready for one government than it is ready for one god. An ancient axiom has been inverted to read: What works in practice does not necessarily work in theory." Forty nations of the world are not at peace with themselves. To expect them to close ranks in support of a world government is like hitching a team of unbroken horses to a wagon; you'll likely end up with a smashed wagon and horses that are wilder than ever. History says that what the world needs most is a star to steer by - which we once -- were. -- MacNaughtan. belongs to the past; that all of us must soon pledge our allegiance to a "world 1991 Lo Angeles . Honking may save life of many deer conscious of their obligations as they are of their rights. He wants a Statue of Responsibility to keep us reminded. mems ' Letters to the eel it op America no longer the world's lighthouse Our nation in its beginning and for about 150 years thereafter was a "lighthouse." Everyone else was going our way. The French, watcing our example of individual liberty and threw off the yoke of their own dissolute king and rapacious aristocracy. England, watching our example, initiated sweeping democratic reforms. Mexico, Central America, South America - watching our example - freed themselves from Spain. And thus, from the 1780s until the early 1990s we led the world. We sent them no guns, no butter, no money. What we did do was to mind our own business so well that we were a worthy example. Today our home front is in such disarray our own streets are so dangerous of our own people so impoverished our schools failing - our national virility diminished by drugs our leaders, t confounded by problem s, seek to refocus attention on other people's business. President Bush and Britain's Prime Minister Major have been on the phone Vou'd Lehi people. - boy. Forty-fou- 2 Policy on letters to the editor letters to the editor. All letters should be typewritten and double spaced. Letters must also be signed, and must include the writer's name and telephone number. Please send letters to Editor, Newtah News Group, P.O. Box 7, American We welcome Fork, Utah, 84003. I c |