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Show A2 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2008 - N E W S - Spanish Fork 280 North Main St. Spanish Fork, UT 84660 Lane Henderson Publisher Namon Bills Editor Dana Robinson . Assoc. Editor The Spanish Fork News is published each Wednesday for $37.50 per year in area and $41.50 out of area by J-Mart, 280 North Main St., Spanish Fork Utah 84660. Email stories to editor@spforicnews.com Email ads to ads@spforknews.com Call us at 794-4964 POSTMASTER Send address changes to Spanish Fork News 280 North Main St. Spanish Fork, Utah 84660 The entire con tent of this newspaper is Copyright© 2008 Spanish Fork News. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the editor or publisher. THE SPANISH FORK NEWS (USPS 024716) is published weekly for $37.50 per year by JMan Publishing, 280 North Main St., Spanish Fork, UT 84660. Periodicals Postage Paid at Spanish Fork, UT. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Spanish Fork News, 42 East 300 North, Spanish Fork, UT 84660. DEADLINES Weddings, anniversaries, missionaries, 1st birthdays, articles, f -1 - . photos, letters to the editor (Arf*hJ Friday, 12 p.m. Display advertising and classified advertising Thursday, 12 p.m. ommunity ews Covering what matters most Morley reiterates platform abortions passed with 98 percent of Republicans voting in favor, and 67 percent of the Democrats voting It is simply amazing how quickly time flies. I in opposition. Across the can hardly believe another board, the moral issues that election season is upon us. we strongly support as a What an honor it is for me community are championed to serve in the House of by your Republican repreRepresentative on behalf of sentatives. my neighbors and friends I have been recognized in southern Utah County's for four consecutive years as House District 66. the legislator with the most I support the Republican conservative and principled platform, which strongly voting record. I believe this favors families, private recognition is an unintendenterprise, educational op- ed result of commitment tions, the right to life and to my guiding principles limited government. Some of strengthening families, maintain that the platforms fiscal responsibility and of our two major political smaller government and my parties are very similar. I willingness to courageously would challenge anyone to vote my conscience. I welread each party's platform, come accountability for my on both the state and na- voting record, and am altional level, and make that ways happy to respond to decision for themselves. I questions regarding my acasser^ that there are signifi- tions, as I represent you, my cant, material differences. constituents. The Democratic Party platUtah has a citizen legisforms clearly favor more lature, meaning we are only government spending, en- in session for a short time vironmental activism, a so- and most have full-time cialized health care system, employment. Every memabortion and alternative ber of the legislature will definitions of marriage, to face a conflict of interest name a few. when considering and votIn the Utah Legislature, ing on legislation, whether we have had several votes those conflicts relate to our on key principles relat- employment, investments, ing to such moral issues associations, or those of our as abortion and the mean- immediate family. That is ing and future of marriage. why we are required to file The marriage amendment a disclosure form. It has passed with 98 percent of been reported that I have Republican House mem- the most comprehensive bers voting in favor, and 79 disclosure statement of any percent of the Democrats member of the House. voting in opposition. Not a I, and each of my Resingle Democrat in the Sen- publican colleagues in the ate voted in favor. The vote legislature, are absolutely to remove state funding of committed to public eduMike Morley STATE REP. cation in the State of Utah. As mandated by the state constitution, every dime of income tax, both personal and corporate, is dedicated to educational funding. Public school funding alone is in excess of constituting 58 percent of our state budget this coming year. With a special session last week formalizing significant cuts in spending in every area except education, that percentage will undoubtedly rise. In addition, Spanish Fork residents pay nearly 80 percent of their property taxes to public schools, due to an aggressive bonding schedule to meet growth, compared to an average of 56 percent statewide. During a vote last session relating to a policy shift on public school funding, I was visiting with a group of high school students from our district who had arranged a visit to the Capitol several days previous. I spoke with them for about 15 minutes in a committee room about state government, a service I and many of my legislative colleagues feel is very important. Consequently, I was not on the floor when voting began. When debate on a bill has ended and the vote is open, a chime sounds outside the House Chambers. That chime cannot be heard in the committee rooms. In situations when the vote on a bill is close enough that the votes of the members who are not on the floor could make a difference, a motion can be made for a Call of the House, requir- ing every member of the House to be located to cast their vote. I was located in the committee room as I was finishing up, and I hurried to the floor. Just before I arrived, the call was lifted, meaning there were enough votes cast to make a final determination. The bill failed to pass before I was able to cast my "No" vote, although the outcome would have been unchanged. As a leader in the majority party, whose responsibility it is to set the agenda, I worked with many representatives prior to the bill coming to the floor to bring about a needed shift in the Capital Outlay Funding Formula, using my known opposition as leverage. This change, in effect, gives credit to areas like ours with a high property tax burden by equalizing it with other lower-taxed areas, thus benefiting Nebo School District to the tune of about $3 million. This offset against the loss from property tax for FY09, due to the policy shift regarding public charter school funding of about $600,000, resulted in a net gain to the district of just under $2.4 million this year. Over the long haul, the capital outlay funding formula will hold our district harmless in this policy shift. Additionally, given that the Property Tax Replacement Fund for public charter schools is no longer needed, those funds which came from the general education fund will now be made available for appro- priation to the WPU, over 90 percent of which goes to public district schools, and will increase per-pupil funding to all of our children, also benefitting our district. Due to our robust economy, public schools have been funded at unprecedented levels - 41 percent just since 2006. Unquestionably, funding for education is tied directly to the economy. The economy truly is the tide that raises all ships. In recent years, we have grown the economy to such an extent that most who graduate from Utah schools and desire to stay and work in our state are able to find employment. We are the envy of the nation, having been honored as the best run state in the nation for several consecutive years. This is due primarily to the policies and fiscal responsibility of the Utah State Legislature. Too often in the political arena information is incomplete or skewed to the advantage of one group or another. I would encourage anyone who is interested to review my voting record. I have represented with integrity the values of the people in District 66, and, if re-elected, I will continue to fight for you by holding fast to my core principles of strengthening the family as.the fundamental-unit of society, treating taxes as a sacred trust used only to promote the proper role of government and controlling government growth. Swenson responds to Rep. Morley Debbie Swenson CANDIDATE In response to Representative Morley's letter, I submit the following: Republican incumbent Mr. Morley makes false statements about the Utah Democratic Platform. The word "abortion" is not even mentioned in the Utah platform, and the Utah County Democratic Platform is pro-life. Republican incumbent Mr. Morley makes lame excuses for missing a critical education vote. Mr. Morley's information is incomplete and skewed because he never bothers to consult with edu- cation experts in Nebo District. The truth is that Nebo District had no net gains from the previous yearT but suffered a $680,000 loss. A robust economy will only benefit public education if taxes are not continually cut. In 2007, Mr. Morley and the Republicans passed the largest single tax cut in Utah's history. This year, Republican incumbent Mr. Morley voted for a new "single rate" tax in Utah that gives a tax break to the top 5 percent of Utah's wealthiest families. Republican incumbent Mr. Morley strongly supports giving your tax dollars to subsidize the private education of wealthy families. "A robust economy will only benefit public education if taxes are not continually cut." - Debbie Swenson In 2004, when I pointed out to him that the "tuition tax credit" plan was a tax break for the rich, his reply to me was, "So what's wrong with that?" Mr. Morley and the Republican legislature have been wasting taxpayer dollars by micro-managing and looking for a "magic bullet" to improve Utah's schools. Research has verified a bullet, Mr. Morley: reduce class sizes and increase teacher pay (we have the largest class sizes and lowest paid teachers in the nation.) We can't give teachers raises with "one-time" money, nor can we reduce class sizes with it. One-time money accounts for the largest portion of the funding increases by the Republican legislature during the past two years (this is money that we will only get for one year) What can $3,702 buy? That's how far below the per-pupil spending we are, 'Have a happy week!' 'Round and About Benjamin Kathleen Olsen Relief Society members of Spanish Fork West Stake enjoyed a special evening on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008, as they gathered at the West Stake Center for supper, before viewing the broadcast of the Relief Society General Conference. The supper was under the direction of the Relief Society stake presidency, which includes president, Karma Woffinden of Benjamin 2nd Ward, along with her counselors and secretary. Assisting on the supper committee from the Benjamin wards were Michelle "Anderson, Rosalee Hayward, Debora Shell and Pat Swenson. ••• Kyle Peay and Corinne Adams were married on Saturday, Sept. 27,2008, with a lovely reception honoring the couple that evening. Kyle is the son of David and Tammy Peay of Benjamin. The newly weds will make their home in Spanish Fork. We wish them the very best in their life together. ••• Trent and Kortnie An- derson, of Ioka, became the parents of a little boy who was born at the Uinta Basin Medical Center, in Roosevelt. The baby, who will be named Olin Trent, was born on Sept. 7, 2008, and is also welcomed by his big sister, LayLee, 10. Wayne and Michelle Anderson are the Benjamin grandparents, and Clair and Lottie Anderson are the great-grandparents. Congratulations to the Anderson family. ••• Those involved with the Benjamin 1 st Ward Relief Society reading group are reminded of the next meeting, which will be held at the home of Rosalie Singleton. The book being discussed that evening is 'Fool Me Twice. * ••• By the time anyone reads this the weather will most likely have changed, but this has been a very beautiful time. With the extended warm season, the flowers have been rejuvenated and bloomed profusely and the gardens have continued to produce longer than some years. It is going to be extra hard to not have the delicious vine ripened tomatoes when the frost does come. Anyway, enjoy this time. Have a happy week! in comparison to other states with similar demographics. Multiply that by the 29,000 students in Nebo district and charter schools, and it comes to a whopping $107,358,000! At the expense of Utah's children, incumbent Morley is proud of his record of keeping children in crowded classrooms and our teachers underpaid. Utah Republicans tout how well-run Utah is by economic measures, but ignore measures of other issues that matter in children's lives, such as education and healthcare. Republican incumbent Mr. Morley believes that just "declaring" conflicts of interest is all that's necessary to Madison's Avenue insure ethical behavior from our legislators. I believe that legislators, by law should avoid even the appearance of potential personal gain from legislation. Legislators should not be sponsoring or promoting legislation that will financially benefit themselves or their business. It's time to stop taking excuses from our Republican legislature when it comes to education and ethics. In the past 5 years , there have been no less than 12 different bills introduced by Democratic legislators to tighten up the ethics in our legislature. They are either killed in committee or on the floor by the Republican leadership. It's time for change. by "Big Al" and "Farnzy" "But Mom, you can't get the CAKE RUSH if you don't use your hands!" |