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Show Page 2 August 1975 Utah Farm Bureau News VIEWPOINT By Booth Wallentine aafVHTi Executive Vice President Utah Farm Bureau Labor union arrogance Federation The short-live- d threat of the International Longshoremens Association not to load ships with American grain bound for the Soviet Union demonstrates again organized labor s arrogance that stems from its monopoly position. Representatives of the 132,000 Canadian and American dock workers on the East and Gulf coasts attending the ILAs convention in Miami adopted a resolution July 23 giving their president authority to prohibit them from loading grain on ships destined for the Soviet Union. Press reports state that the resolution drew a burst of applause when it was read to the convention. On July 24, ILA spokesman announced that the union would load the ships. The ILA resolution had said the ban on loading ships would be carried out unless assurance was given by U.S. government officials that the interests of the American public are adequately protected in the export sales. The convention action of the ILA carried a message that was loud and clear. It said that U.S. farmers were to be denied access to vital export markets in order to maintain a cheap domestic food policy for highly paid union workers. Aside from the fact that the ILA has no qualifications or right to threaten interference with U.S. trade policy, its stated concern for national interests is sheer hypocrisy in view of its record. In 1969, Gulf coast ports were closed by the ILA for 115 days. By the time the strike ended and 1969 came to a close, U.S. farm export totals were $570 million short of the previous year. When the strike begain in 1969, farm exports had been tending up for several years. In the fall of 1971, Atlantic and Gulf coast ports were shut down for two months by a strike of dock workers. The ILA first struck October 1, 1971, and was ordered back to work by a series of federal court orders on November 26. The tremendous loss to the U.S. economy from these ILA dock strikes as well as a strike of the West Coast International Longshoremens and Warehousemens Union, headed by Harry Bridges, was tremendous. The ILWU strike tied up 24 ports for 136 days in 1971 and 1972. Some of the foreign export markets lost as the result of these strikes never were regained as foreign buyers looked elsewhere for reliable suppliers. All qualified observers of the current U.S. grain sales to the Soviet Union point out that in view of the record wheat crop and anticipated com crop, such sales would have little if any effect on domestic food prices. It is also ironic for a union to talk about safeguarding consumer interests against rising food prices when soaring labor costs account for a major portion of the money spent for food. Greston Foster, director of information American Farm Bureau Federation The regulators7 cost us plenty totaling 63,444 cost taxpayers, farmers and businessmen $130 billion a year, according to a recent article in U.S. News and World Report. The estimated yearly costs to consumers of government regulators are as follows: Economic regulations, $45-$6- 0 billion, including regulation of transportation, agriculture, financial institutions, and foreign domestic trade practices, among other things. Environmental regulations cost $50-$6- 0 billion, and health and safety products regulations cost more than $10 billion. When this is broken down, it amounts fo $2,000 for each American labor,-energy- , family. It can be concluded with safety that life in America would be improved if government regulators were eliminated. The American dream is designed to hold each individual citizen responsible for his own actions -- Texas Farm Bureau Facts for You self-regulatio- n. POSTMASTER: Please send Form 3S79 to Utah Farm Bureau, 629 East Fourth South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84102. Published each month by the Utah Tarm Bureau Federation at Salt Lake City, Utah. Editorial and Business Office, 629 East Fourth South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84102. Subscription price of fifty cents per year to members is included in membership fee. subscription price: One dollar per year. Non-memb- er Second Class postage paid at Salt Lake City, Utah UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATION OFFICIALS Elmo W. Hamilton, Riverton Jerold N. Johnson C. Booth Wallentine Elwood Shaffer President Vice President Executive Vice President Editor DIRECTORS: Frank Nishiguqhl, Garland; William Holmes, Ogden; Jack Brown, Grants-villEdward Boyer, Springvllle; John Lewis, Monticello; Stuart Johnson, Aurora; KenR. neth Ashby, Delta; Mrs. Paul Turner, Morgan; Robert Johnson, Randolph. Weve finally done it! More Americans are supported by taxes than there are private sector workers to pay the taxes. (And make no mistake about it, only the private sector originates money that pays taxes.) A recent study.reported by the Utah Taxpayers Assn, says Americans receiving welfare, government employees and retirees, food stamp recipients, etc. total 80,655,000. Private sector workers add up to 71,650,000. Looking back, its clear we have fostered social programs which have created a new ma- jority who are willfully exploiting that majority for their own gain. Witness militancy among government workers. . .at every level. See newspaper headlines about shifting general fund money to government retirement benefits. Consider the attitude that somebody owes me a retirement. How about Utah. Not so bad, perhaps, but direct tax recipients here total 166,000, not You say Im anti-govem-.m- ent worker, or against all welfare. Not so! What I am saying is that elected government officials are beginning to pay more attention to those they hire than those who originate the productivity to pay the taxes to support government. Government chokes source Government is important. But much of government has created restrictive regulations which hamper production of the goods and services which create more tax dollars. President Ford recently estimated (excessive government regulations cost consumers more than $20 billion a year. A hundred years ago Lord McCaullay, the British lawAmerica maker, predicted w'ould one day be governed by a dissident majority who relied upon the public coffers. We can prove him wrong, if were willing. And Im proud to be associated with an organization like Farm Bureau e thats working trying to make sure Lord McCaullay is wrong. If you disagree, Id like to hear from you. full-tim- Taking part heightens conference value huddles were part of the program plan during discussion and a film showing on the last morning of Midyear Conference. Eldon Schnoor of AFBF led the session. Small-grou- p A small army of federal regulators - Taxes support the majority counting children on welfare. Private industry and business in Utah employes 327,000 people. Thats two private sector workers for every direct tax recipient. e; Orchard taxes to drop Orchard owners in Utah can look forward to a drop in property taxes due to Utah Farm Bureau action. After reviewing several studies made by Utah State University of orchard income and budgets, the state tax commission has announced a drop in agricultural and assessed value on all orchard land. The decreases range from 10 to 14.4 percent and affect classes I through IV land in all counties of the state. The higher decreases self-improveme- nt went to the more marginal orchard land. In other action, the tax commission increased the valuation on land in classes II, III and IV. Highest increases went to poorer land, reflecting non-orcha- rd the commissions opinion that such land was under-value- d before. Glass I orchard land was lo- wered from an agricultural valuation oi $1000 an acre to $900 in A counties. Class IV land in D counties dropped from $570 to $490 an acre. Congress broadens livestock loans Newly passed amendments to the emergency livestock loan act make that legislation more helpful to ranchers and farmers. Recently signed by President Ford, the changes in the bill do the following: (1) Extend the termination date from July 25, 1975, to December 31, 1976. (2) Increase the amount of the government guarantee on the loans from 80 to 90 percent. (3) Increase the loan repayment period from a maximum of 5 years to a maximum of 10 years. Lower the total loan guarantees authorized under the act from $2 billion to $1.5 billion. (5) Increase the maximum loan guarantee a producer can from receive to $250,000 (4) $350,000. |