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Show Page 2 ,v " ' UTAH FARM BUREAU October, 1970 NEWS Gateway Ammendment Discounted Farm Bureau has no policy on this issue and since the last issue contained a favorite view by Gov. Rampton, the following is printed to give another view for reader consideration. Amendment is lauded by its proponents as the The Editor's note; .'C. ?. 'Gateway They have launched way to bring our Utah Constitution voter to give this the to influence g' a campaign of this matBefore considering 3rd. proposal his sanction November potential dangers. ter, we had better take a look into some of its amendments under future that The proponents say Number 1. understand. to voter the the Gateway method will be clearer for At the outset this does not make sense because the Gateway Amendment allows for from one to 'any munber of subjects' to be con'up-to-da- te.' 'name-droppin- IHtew LDng Ceron IHlDgjIluwsiy SsiiFefy US sidered in a single amendment. it is because sii.jle subjects reour that founding fathers wrote that are easier to understand two striction in the Constitution in the first place. They said, 'IF as or more amendments are proposed, they shall be so submitted Avodledl? - 1 Winter is the time for trees and bears to rest and hibernate. Like the ostrich when trouble comes, the bear finds a cave and refuses to come out until spring or the problem is gone. That is a good enough solution for animals or plants but what about humans. You can usually tell humans because they go around on two legs most of the time. That reminds me thatsomewhere I heard it said, "There must be something to horse sense. After all, how often do you see two horses collide?" Accidents on the highways are causing great losses in life, injuries and money. "Oh sure, "you say, "Look how many jobs are created to repair damaged automobiles!" spite of all the employment created by war, particulary such wars as Viet Nam our desire is to avoid such action until it is absolutely necessary or as is the rule until you're fired upon. In the statistics related to drunken or intoxicated drivers. One in fifty drivers are driving with a drink or two and considered intoxicated, can you identify these cars as you drive? If you can you could avoid being hit by them. Of the 55,000 people who lose their lives annually in auto accidents its reported drinking was a factor in 50 of the deaths. This leads to Question? What are we going to do about drinking and driving and highway accidents? There are several things thatcan be done about drinking and driving. Encouragement to avoid driving if you're going to drink has been given. This has largely been unsuccessful as deaths from drinking continue at a high rate. Perhaps its time to suggest, firstof all, that hazards associated with drinking suggest that the practice be stopped altogether and not just before driving. In this way the worry about drunken drivers or drinking related accidents would be eliminated. Savings would amount to more than 25,000 lives annually from auto accidents alone. Secondly more effective enforcement in the courts could be a goal. Perhaps a mandatory jail sentence should be required instead of allowing a fine and giving the keys back for another ILm aIaaIamm 1a trast the simplicity of that concept with the one i Gateway proponents want the voters to pass. Propositions 1 on the November 3rd ballot reads as follows: 'The revision or amendment of an entire article or the additon of a new article to this constitution may be proposed as a single amendment and may be submitted to the electors as a Such amendment may relate to one single question or proposition. Not just one, two or even subject, or any number of subjects. . . three, but any number of subjects may be changed in a single proOur founding fathers wrote the restriction position on the ballot. limiting amendments to one subject at a time for clarity and understanding. Surely, theirs was the wiser of the two methods. Number 2. In any 'package deal,' there may be some bad things as well as good things in the package. Under the Gateway method of amending, a package with any number of subjects may be presented to the voter for consideration. This could place him in the position of casting a 'yes or 'no' vote for the complete package. He would, get something have to vote for something not desirable in. order desirable. . More bad laws than good ones are being passed in our Congress todaybecause of that method being allowed. Our founding fathers were wise in stating that single subjects only could be considered when amending our constitution. An amendment under the Gateway method could be Number 3. stated in such a way that constitutional restraints now imposed on government could be lost in an amendment that is not clear to the thus leaving the powers to be detervoter or which is open-endmined by the legislature. For example, a whole article, consisting of many carefully-spelle- d out subjects, could be wiped out in one swoop by one vote. In its place could be substituted a vaguely worded article giving broad powers to the pollcians; powers which were spelled out in detail The people would be in each section of the present constitution. asked to have faith and put confidence in their elected leaders. The words of Thomas Jefferson are appropriate here. He said, 'In questions of power, then, let not more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution.' This is good advice that could be well heeded today. to. ed go-aroun- another lineofthoughtinsafepracticesas winter approaches, there are many little things to do to avoid accidents. How often do you see drivers on their way to work with frost on the windshield and only a hole the size of a hotcake to see through. In How many drive too fast on slick roads because they ride with too many in the front seat? How many cars are late for work? How many have you seen with tires worn smooth and still driving, particularly in the winter when traction is so important? It's been said accidents would stop whensafercars were built, when better highways were completed, when, when, when, .... but accidents continue. guns, cars don't have accidents. People have accidents in cars. Until drivers care enough to learn and practice better driving habits accidents will continue. What are you doing about highway safety? Like ditors Lament UTAH FARM BUREAU (T1 NEWS Getting out a publication has its problems. If we print jokes, some readers call it kid stuff. If we don't, others say we tend to be too serious and technical. If we don't print every word of every contribution, we don't appreciate them. If we run them verbatim, the book is filled with junk. If we change the other fellow's copy, we're too critical. If we don't we are reproved for slipshod editing. If we clip items from other publications, we're too lazy to write them ourselves. Like as not, you'll even say we borrowed this one. You're absolutely right. WE DIDI r t Published each month by the Utah Farm Bureau Federation at Salt Lake' City, Utah. Editorial and Business Office, 629 East Fourth South, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84102. Subscription price of twenty-fiv- e cents per year to members is included in membership fee. Entered as second cuss matter March 24, 1948 at the Post Office at Salt Lake City, Utah under the act of March 3, 1879. UTAH FARM BUREAU FEDERATION OFFICIALS Elmo W. Hamilton, Riverton S. Jay Child, Cleafield Mrs. Willis Whitbeck, Bennion V. Allen Olsen Neil Sumsion President Vice President Chairman, Farm Bureau Women Executive Secretary Editor DIRECTORS District One: A. Alton Hoffman; District Two, William Holmes; District Three: Jack Brown; District Four Ed Boyer, District Five: Ken Brasher: District Six: Jerold Johnson; District Seven: Richard Nelson. Ken Ashby |