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Show 2 THE GREEN SHEET Thursday, Sept. 22, 1988 I'"" c i c OUR READERS WRITE that money to place sidewalks where they are needed. For example a street where people live, and Vet Lists Concerns I have read and heard a lot lately about Sen. Dan Quayle. I have seen statistics on Television, in print and on the radiation, and I agree with Sen. Quayle that it is honorable to serve in the National Guard. I also believe that those who are called chicken hawks (Quayle, Gingritch Etc.) and are always calling for a strong national defense at any cost, should also consider that when we have a strong defense we sometimes have to use our militapr forces. Sometimes men and women leave their country : perfectly healthy, and sometimes they return missing a limb or with scars or maimed for life or, even worse they never return at all. Example: MSgt. Robert Shumard, a crew member aboard the Enola Gay on Aug. 6, 1945 died from the effects of leukemia in 1967. The leukemia was directly related to MSgt. Shumards service aboard the Enola Gay on the dreadful day that no one will ever forget. His widow received veterans benefits after Senate Bill 1811 was passed and signed into law in May of 1988. I personally, along with several hundred other veterans and their widows, worked veiy hard for over eight years to pass S.B. 1811. Sen. Danford Quayle voted against every pi, ce of legislation that we were able to introduce. He voted against S.B 1811. Sen. Quayle is recognized by veterans organization to be hostile toward veterans. He has voted over and over again to reduce the veteran and his widow and children to a life of poverty. Is this the reward for a strong national defense? I believe that our veterans deserve the highest level that we can give e them in our society. So What If We Sing It Poorly? Robert C. Carter, Vice President National Assn, of Radiation Survivors Taylorsville can you see by the dawns early light. . "Oh say words and the Those accompanying strains of music are guaranteed to stir the hearts of most Americans. Perhaps even moreso when we watch the American flag raised to its strains an Olympic event. following "What so proudly we hailed at the " twilights last gleaming Why then do we have this constant pressure to change our National Anthem? Several groups n individuals and some are again gathering signatures to present to Congress to have the anthem changed to "America the Beautiful." Some would prefer "God Bless America." They reason that "The Star Spangled Banner" is too difficult musically to be sung well by the masses. Some point out that it was just an "old beer drinking song" anyway. Hard Choices For Family On Wednesday, Aug. 31, my wife went to the doctor for her seventh month exam. Dr. Vanwagner heard an irregular fetal heat beat and referred her to Dr. Greggory DeVore. Dr., DeVore did an ultlrasound and discovered that Whitney (our baby) has hypoplastic left ventricle. This means that he doesnt have a left ventricle. Our baby is pretty safe inside his mother. After he is born and the normal hole between the two sides of weeks of age) the heart closes up (approximately Whitney Ray will die. We have gone to Loma Linda, Calif, and have been accepted into their heart transplant program. On Wednesday Sept. 21 Whitney was placed on the donor list. The doctors will wait for a heart. If one becomes available before he is bom they will do a C section and then a heart transplant. If the heart doesnt become available during the next four weeks they will let him be bom naturally and keep looking for a heart until either one is found, or Whitney passes away. After the transplant he will come out of the hospital, sometime between the third and sixth 2-- well-know- "Whose broad stripes and the Oer stars; bright ramparts we watched, were that this country 'is free today because men gave their lives in battle. Its living proof that other men are (and women) appreciative of that sacrifice. Those sacrifices. Francis Scott Key said it better than any of us '5 " ' could have. 1 . - , i 1 k Oh say does that. Star so Spangled Banner yet wave gallantly streaming . . . Oer the land of the free and So what if we dont sing it the home of the brave? particularly well when were gathered enmasse in a football stadium or stuffed into a steamy gymnasium, restlessly awaiting the tipoff. We sing it with the fervor and enthusiasm that bespeaks our love for this, the greatest nation on earth. "Arid the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Our National Anthem remains after all these years a breathtaking reminder sun-bake- d Im proud to say it does. Pm confident it always will. Im that this equally ' confident stirring song will remain our National Anthem. As it should. I dont sing it well myself, but Ive never been ashamed to stand proud and sing it. Heck, I wouldnt sing anything else any better, because thats not one of my gifts. familiar verse. Subsequent stanzas are meaningful, despite the fact they are rarely sung. I personally dont care where the music originated. It doesnt matter if it is difficult to sing (nicely). It is always sung in the presence of our flag, as it should be. It never fails to give me cause to reflect, if only for a brief moment before a kickoff, about how grateful I am for having been born in this country. Ill join, if only mentally during these next two weeks, with those moist-eye- d athletes Olympic games who, at Cindy and I will take care of him. Whitney has to be within 30 minutes travel time from the hospital for the first nine months to a year. This means that Cindy, myself and our two children will have to relocate there for the first year. We plan to return to Utah after Whitney has been medically released, as this is our home. We will be traveling back to Loma Linda every six months for his checkups until he can be released to Salt Lake. The basic cost for the transplant is approximately $150,000. Unfortunately our insurance does not cover this cost, nor the cost of his medication. This will average about $7,000 per year. the heart, sing those words. Proudly, without apology and without embarrassment. Long may that star spangled banner wave over this brave, free land. And long may we sing of our Star love for it, just as our forefathers Theres more to "The Spangled Banner" than that one ever-famili- ar Daymon, Cindy, Courtney, Zachary Peterson Murray K. Bruce Whetstone Magna Thanks WVC Police to West I need to publicly express my thanks services. fire Valley police and I have lived in West valley less than two years and have, in that time, called the police department about four times, (direct thanks to a phone sticker I received at an openhouse at a nearby fire station). And I also had two occasions of help and concern from officers that were just there at the right time. Every time I have called the police department the response has been within minutes. One call to report vandels was answered in seven minutes and the officers caught the youths in the act! Yesterday on a call to report an abandoned vehicle, again the officer was here in five minutes. When I expressed my thanks and appreciation and told him how impressed I am, he told me to write a letter and let his chief know. I encourage others to also write their thanks down and let these officers superiors know about it. It truly scares me when department cuts are threatened. Services as life and death as police and fire need to grow with development, definitely not be the ones to be decreased. Government needs to cut off the fat and waste, not severe the lifeline! Kaye Mindar West Valley City Hes Offended The controversy is heating up and we continue to hear and read more of the rhetoric expounded by both sides of the tax initiative issue. It is typical in such a hotly debated issued that many claims and figures are used that vary somewhat from being correct. Each government agency and school district has put forth figures of likely cuts they will be forced to make in their respective budgets should the initiatives pass. The same happened during both the Massachusetts and California limitation initiatives. I should state at the onset that, while I do not support all of the initiatives, it offends me to have all three put into one category called "tax limitation." One that I do support is the tuition tax credit. Initiative C, which if passed has the potential of creating availability of a large amount of dollars for public schools. It is not a tax limitation measure and its potential could help make up to over $30 million available in our school system as well as cut some of our large classroom loads. These factors would help offset some of the budgetary restraints forced by the limitation and initiatives. Another thing that offends me is that all entities of the "establishment" project dollar amounts of cuts they will have to make in their various budgetary activities should the initiatives pass. Nowhere yet have I heard or read of any common-sensapproaches to the use of alternative methods of supplying services. There are several alternatives to simply cutting services to save dollars. Contracting out to the private sector, pooling equipment purchasing, better utilization of facilities, cutting duplication of services (especially in education), and several privatization methods remain viable alternatives we never hear about. In California, following passage of Proposition 13, city and county agencies were forced to seek alternative methods of providing services with fewer dollars and that gave birth to countless innovative moves including privatization. Schools have also found areas of through alternative methods. Lubbock County School District, in Texas, found it could save the taxpayers of that district over $5 million by contracting out food services and building maintenance activities. Many other districts have found extra economy in pooling purchasing of equipment through a central system, managed by a private sector coordinator. One positive effect of the initiatives, if passed, will be to force tax consuming entities to genuinely seek more economy and efficiency. True, we undoubtedly will see some services cut, but the process will definitely bring more accountability in government for the taxpayers. It will be difficult because many have already been forced to cut agencies expenditures through earlier funding shortages so a true test of ability will be given to our appointed and elected government and school people. But remember throughout this campaign... the true impacts of the initiatives will be somewhere between the extremes of the claims of the proponents and opponents and a lot will depend on how innovative we can be in making do with less government spending. roll-bac- k e Editors note: Those who would like to help out may do so by calling Daymon at 266- - 6826 or Jeanine at have done. 272-355- 1. College Student Sounds Off . They Want In I am a college student, mother and housewife. I have two goals in furthering my education; I want to AS I IT teach children, and my husband is in construction, so frequently hes unemployed. If I were employed and it would be devastating to Utahs higher and our family would benefit greatly through the times education. "I encourage everyone to become public of unemployment. informed, he said. If the tax initiatives were to pass colleges would Mayor Brent Anderson said, "An estimated cutback by eliminating programs and teachers. If $700,000 in West Valley City services and public programs were no longer available then some projects could be cut. I am against the tax rollbacks students wouldnt be able to go and the ones who and initiatives." stayed would have to pay an increase of 30 percent "Taxpayers for Utah" newspaper stated that $8.6 according to college officials. If I did graduate would million in corrections would be cut and the only way the school districts have the money to hire me if to a large cut would be to terminate youth get they just laid off 300 teachers? corrections programs including parole officers. The Salt Lake Mental Health would have to lay off Mike Phillips, deputr administrator of juvenile employees and counselors if the initiatives pass. I court stated, "We have 112 probation officers. We who needs the services of Salt Lake have a son would lose 40 in the state. We would have to reduce Mental Health. When my husband is unemployed the number of kids to be supervised. Theres a we get a lower fee, but if they eliminated counselors the judge would confine them to one of possibility and staff then the fee would be too high for us to the corrections places. This would be a greater afford. If there were not enough counselors, we cost youth to the state than if they were allowed to remain would have mental patients running around who at home on probation. really need help. I talked to a 2nd Juvenile Court probation officer If you want to cut taxes which ones should we cut? who stated that Salt Lake County would lose all of The gas tax would be cut by 5 percent, a loss of $40 its 20 officers. The probation only choice left would million dollars. No, you say, because this pays for be to send the youth to corrections detention center our road maintenance and winters coming. What of Decker Lake because lots of the youth corrections about the cigarette tax which pays for pre-natcare would be eliminated. He also said that programs for poor mothers? How about $125 million in together the two facilities only have 100 beds This education? How about eliminating some parole would affect crime greatly. officers or youth correction services? This would Vote for education and other programs. Vote overcrowd the prisons which are already bulging against all the initiatives. (These figures taken from Mike Christensen who is the head of education of economic development). Colleen Worthen The Salt Lake Tribune on Aug. 10 said, "Granite school district would have to cut $20 million which would mean up to 350 Granite educators would lose their jobs. Higher education official say the states Is It It? colleges and universities would close $34 million Our educators tell us that if the tax initiatives equivalent to the total budget of the states five smallest colleges, up to 10,000 students could be pass that there will not be enough money to fund the educational program that we now have. Grades turned away." Other districts face the same thing. Dave Ballard, division chair of sciences at Salt are mandated by the Utah State Constitution. That Lake Community College said, "There is no fat any leaves kindergarten as one of those areas which out more. We would drastically be cutting programs, of necessity may be cut. This would be a terrible loss teachers and students. Two years ago we had a 6 to the school children of this state. Kindergarten percent cutback and seven programs and teachers could very well be the most valuable year of a childs were eliminated. This would be three times that educational career. Are the few tax dollars that tax limitation may possibly save each one of us worth a bad." Brent Goodfellow, executive assistant to the year in the educational life of a child? president at Salt Lake Community College and legislator says he has personally studied the issue William C. Brost most people possible. the Again I wish to thank not only Mr. Hams, but whole Magna Area Council for its hard work and has a untiring efforts to ensure that Magna responsible and most importantly, responsive, representative council. 3 week. hand-ove- where children traverse, instead of to improve a vacant lot. I wa. very concer led about what the do. Magna Community Club was trying to Then as if in answer to my concerns, Steve Harris, Magna president of our Community Council, the out that Area Council in a Sept 15 article pointed state other and UDOT with the council is working and county officials to see this money benefit the To the people of Murray: With the question of the annexation of a portion of the county into your lovely community looming on the horizon, I would like to express some of our SEE feelings regarding the situation. We reside in "Bennion." It is also a lovely area. The citizens of this area have a tradition of service and community pride. We care about our neighbors and communal needs. Sadly for us, the situation of the county is not as stable as it once was. For this reason we have initiated a move to become part of your city. I do not wish to address the questions of power, water or finances. All that is or has been addressed by agencies hired by Murray City Council. Those are the facts and the figures and accessible to anyone who cares to read them. Instead I prefer to say something about the emotional issue of Murray "opening her doors. We have been your neighbors for a long time. We shop in Murray, we play in Murray, we work in Murray. We are intrinsically closer to you in spirit than any other part of the valley. The figures say we (including the Estes development) will not be a financial burden. I believe that we as a people will be an asset to Murray. Our neighborhood are clean, neat and well planned. We are a stable population that is not overly dense. We have sent our kids to schools to which we give literally thousands of volunteer hours of service. We have community pride and we associate, serve and add to the tax base in positive ways. We would like to join the town of Murray and Bill Barton would come to her as full partners, willing to join, State Senate, West Valley serve and cooperate in maintaining the tremendous integrity of the City of Murray. al Ralph and Diana Parker Worth Bennion ' g Clarification Needed Wayne Owens is on record as favoring the death penalty. I guess the record does not speak for itself. Of Mind Last week Owens voted against an amendment to the Omnibus Drug Bill that would give the death I wish to thank Steve Harris of the Magna Area to drug kingpins. Is Wayne in favor of the Council for easing my mind. An article was printed penalty death penalty or not? If he is, then why is he voting in the Sept. 8, Green Sheet edition written by Laura an amendment that would give the people Jo McDermaid. Mrs. McDermaid apparently felt a against deserve it most the death penalty? If he is not that dire need to use federal funds for sidewalks, curb in favor of the death penalty, then either he or the and gutter on the west side of 8400 West between news media is dropping the ball. I encourage one of 2770 and 2910 South. Although for what I cant the two parties to clarify the issue for us voters. understand. You see, the only thing there is a vacant field owned by MCC member Arther Flangas. Chris Isaac I couldnt understand why the MCC wouldnt use Holladay Peace 1-- cost-savin- |