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Show THE SALT LAKE TIMFS Page Four FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 1976 lASHIRCTOI REPORT Provo Utah Tech Slates 2nd Annual Focus on Women By Rep. Allan T. Howe Secretary of Transportation informed Coleman has Congressman Allan T. Howe that he has decided in favor of a request William made by Rep. Howe and other Utah officials. The request asked that sanctions not be imposed against Utah because of with the National Highway ce Traffic Safety Administrations (NHTSA) standard for motorcycle helmet laws. Had Secretary Coleman not granted the exemption, the sanc- tions imposed against Utah would have meant a loss in highway safety funds of approximately $650,000 and a loss in highway construction funds of 10 percent, or as much as $6 or $7 million. I am, of course, very pleased Secretary Coleman has decided in favor of my request, Rep. Howe said. In testimony before a (NHTSA) hearing on September 4th of last year, I argued that Utah officials have developed a motorcycle safety program that will save as many or possibly more lives than the NHTSA guidelines, and I was most gratified that Secretary Coleman agreed with my position. Utah was threatened with sanctions because NHTSA standards call for state laws requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets at all times, while Utah law requires helmets only on roads with speed limits posted over 35 mph. The Secretary of Transportation has the power to exempt a state from these standards if the state demonstrates it is conducting an alternative motorcycle safety program designed to meet the same ends as the NHSTA standard. Utahs program and a request for exemption was presented by Congressman Howe, Utah Governor Calvin L. Rampton, Utah Public Safety Commissioner Raymond Jackson and other Utah officials at the September 4th hearing. In a letter to Congressman Howe informing him of the decision. Secretary Coleman stated, Although concern for the safety of roads motorcycles on lower-spee- d Administrators to the prompted begin proceedings against Utah, the motorcycle safety program submitted by Utah seems calculated to carry out the basic goals of the motorcycle safety standard. The State offered evidence of a high rate of helmet use and presented a plan calculated to raise the roads to the rate on high-spee- d neighborhood of 90 percent. This plan includes a motorcycle safety education program, a licensing program and a public information program. Upon review of the information submitted by Utah, Secretary Coleman continued, I concur in the recommendations of the Administrators that Utah should be granted approval of its highway safety program, as reflected in its highway safety work program and comprehensive plan and as supplemented by its detailed plan for motorcycle safety." Rep. Howe also noted that in addition to asking approval of Utahs program, he supported legislation rescinding the Secretary of Transportation's authority to imcycle helmot pose an standard on states through the threat of sanctions. That legislation has passed the House and similar legislation has passed the Senate, but a final version has not yet been worked out and passed by both houses. Utah's case will not be changed by this legislation, Congressman Howe pointed out, because the Secretary has already approved Utahs program, but two other states that applied for exemption, California and Illinois, will still be in line for sanctions if the Secretary retains his power to require a strict helmet law or an acceptable alternative. Secretary Coleman has indicated to me he will definately impose sanctions against California if he retains the power to do so, and that he may impose sanctions against Illinois, but will wait until legislative action is completed on the question of his authority, he continued. While it is no longer necessary to protect Utah from sanctions, I still intend to give my full support to the legislation removing the Secretary of Transportation's power to impose a helmets-at-all-time- s standard. I think questions of this nature should be decided by each individually and not dictated from Washington. State safety agencies are in the best position to know local conditions and requirements and develop a safety program that will be effective. The motorcycle program developed by Utah is evidence that state agencies can and will develop good safety programs without the necessity of standard conforming to a hard-lin- e in laid down Washington, he ve . lace your tru$t in Some trust problems a lawyer can solve better than a bank. Some trust problems a bank can solve better than a lawyer. Most trust problems a lawyer and a bank can solve better together. First Security's Trust Department staffs resi- dent experts in investments, accounting, computers, taxation and other trust and estate manage- ment related fields. Together we can work out the best solutions for your clients. You shouldnt settle for any thing less. Call us for all the details. Trust Department First Security Dank of Utah, N.A. 350-536- 1 Member FDJ.C. Utah Technical College at Provo will sponsor its second annual Focus on Women on February 4, a g seminar of talks and discussions on the concerns of women and open to anyone interested, according to Mrs. Carrol Reid, Utah Tech Dean of Women and general chairman of the day. The event will begin at 10 a.m. with an address by Utahs First Lady, Mrs. Lucybeth Rampton, wife of the Governor of the state, speaking on the Future of Women in Utah. Other morning activities will include a discussion, beginning at 10:45 a.m., by Utah Tech students and graduates on Women in Occupations. The mornings events will conclude with Development by Jan Tyler, assistant professor of child development and family relationships at Brigham Young University. Mrs. Reid said luncheon at the college cafeteria is scheduled for 12:20 p.m. Cost is $1.00 for non-UTstudents. Reservations are necessary and may be made by contacting the Dean of Students day-lon- al Self-Conce- pt C Office, extention 46. 1 Afternoon schedule will begin at p.m. with a talk by Sandra Haggerty, syndicated columnist and assistant professor of communications at the University of Utah on Similarities Between Sexism and Racism. Following will be Dr. Hugh Gillilan of the Center for Human Development, speaking on "There is Still Hope for the American Male. Dr. Dillilan will then moderate a panel on Partnership Marriage. The day will conclude with a session beginning at 3:45 p.m., evaluating and generally discussing the conference. Mrs. Reid said the college staged its first Focus on Women last year for a sizeable and interested audience of women from this area. She stated that those attending may park in the lot west of the college, across University Avenue. Babies born to poor parents are often smaller and more likely to have birth defects than infants of the more affluent, the reports National Foundation-Marcof Dimes Poor nutrition during pregnancy is a contributing factor, according to a recent study. h MR. EXECUTIVE NEED SECOND INCOME? Exceptional opportunity to help manage my growing business. Mr. Ed P.O. Box 1776 Salt Lake City, Utah 84110 (1-1- 6 The Utah State Board of Education at its December meeting held recently called for increased involvement by the public in education decision making. The resolution to develop and encourage procedures whereby the public could become more involved in the educational process was the number one priority of 18 adopted by the Board during the session. At the meeting W. Robert Wright, Chairman of the group, emphasized the importance of public involvement in education. At present, said Wright,, much of the decision making in our public education system is carried out by school administrators without adequate input from the people. We feel, though, that the public has both the right and the obligation to guide the destiny of our public schools. We encourage school officials at 'all levels to develop policies and Mrs. Lucybeth Rampton Non-tradition- State Board Calls for Public Involvement in Education 3) procedures whereby the public may be more meaningfully involved in influencing decision making related to policies and goals of our public school programs, added Wright. This should include activities such as: making sure all state and local board meetings are open to the public, disseminating, to the public information regarding the operation of schools, and establishing other communication two-wa- y channels with the public. Wright also charged the public with the responsibility to become more involved in education at the level which directly afreets their Parents as public own chidren: should be especially concerned about the education of their children. I would suggest that every parent meet with each childs teacher at the beginning of the school year to set educational goals, goals which recognize and respond to the individual strengths and weaknesses of the child. Establishpartnership ing this three-wa- y among student, parent and teacher will help insure a relevant and meaningful education. Another way the public can guarantee their voice will be heard is to become acquainted with the candidates for school board positions and elect local board members who are sensitive to public input, board members who, in fact, represent the views, attitudes and wishes of those who elect them, added Wright. After all, concluded the Chairman, Utahs schools belong to the public, and all the facets of the school system should be under public control. This includes curriculum content, classroom teaching and student behavior. . Mountain Fuel Supply Denies Rates e Customers Penalize Low-incom- Mountain Fuel Supply Company said its rates are based on cost of service, and denied accusations that current rates penalize customers to the advantage of large industrial customers. Company officials took that position in prepared testimony submitted to the Utah Public Service Commission. The Commission is holding hearings to determine if recent rate increases should be structured so as to have greater impact on some users than on others. There are some proposals expected to be made, which would assign higher rates to the majority of residential users in order that a minortiy of users might enjoy lower rates. Ray P. Work, vice president for Consumer and Public Affairs, told the Commission that Mountail Fuel is aware that recent rate increases had an impact on and elderly people. He said the company has taken steps that would lessen the impact on all residential customers. He pointed out, for example, that the percentage rate increase to Mountain Fuel's industrial customers has been more than twice the increase to residential customers during the past two years. Work noted that natural gas rates are lower here than almost anywhere else, and are less than any other fuel or energy source for residential users. Though these rates are rising, they have risen far less than the cost of living in general and as a consequence, the impact of rising utility costs on fixed income groups is not nearly as great as the impact of other elements of the cost of living. He said it is true that large industrial customers still pay less for each unit of gas than do residential customers, but that is because it costs less per unit to serve the large bolumes of gas they burn. As every shopper knows, a hundred-poun- d bag of flour costs d less per pound than a bag because it costs less per pound to bring the larger quantity to market. The same is true of natural gas. Work noted that the Mountain Fuel system is designed to meet low-in-co- low-inco- five-poun- the demands of residential customers on the coldest expected day. The rest of the time sales are made to industrial customers, and this helps reduce the cost of service to residential customers. Work said there are alternate proposals to the current rate structure which, are being expounded by individuals who appear to have made little effort to analyze their true long-ruimpact on the conn sumer. He said some of the proposals may have some relevance to other utilities which face great problems of financing plant additions to meet peak load demands. And, he said, one proposal might work in warmer climates than Utah. Mr. Work said Mountain Fuel and its employees realize some customers elderly and need assistance. But, he added, The concept of doing something for the poor through utility rate manipulation is merely a covert means of redistribution of income. Redistribution of income is most commonly handled in our society through voluntary contributions or through taxation, neither of which g is part of the historical process." low-inco- rate-makin- Taxpayers Can Check Off For Campaign Fund Utah taxpayers can again designate a dollar of their federal taxes to the 1976 Presidential Election Campaign Fund, according to Roland V. Wise, District Director of lnternal Revenue for Utah. Contributions to the fund, which are to be distributed among all eligible Presidential candidates, does not increase the amount of tax paid or decrease the amount of refund due, Mr. Wise said. To designate, taxpayers simply check the Yes box on line 8 of Form 1040 or 1040A. On a joint return, each taxpayer has the option of designating to the fund. Taxpayers who do not wish to designate can decline by checking the No" box. For that matter, Mr. Wise added, a husband can check Yes' and his wife No, or vice versa. |
