OCR Text |
Show 2 THE GREEN SHEET Thursday, May 19, 1988 States Surplus Funds Should Go To Schools Lately weve been told Utah has a surplus of money. While the state has admitted to about $70 million in excess funds, some sources are putting the figure even higher - nearly those sources are to be believed. On the other hand, we've also been told Utah's 1987 per capita income has dropped to its lowest point in 58 years, totalling only 73 percent of the average income of the nation as a whole. Only West Virginia and Mississippi rank lower than Utah. These two statistics may seem unrelated at first, but they arent really. One reason inwhy Utah ranked so low in per capita come figures has to do with another interesting set of numbers. According to figures compiled by the Utah State Office of Planning and Budget, the demographics of this state put us in a rather unique position in relation to the rest of the nation. With 11.9 percent of our population under age five, and 25.5 percent between age five and 17, Utah ranks number one in the nation for children as a percentage of the population. We also have the lowest percentage of the population among the 50 states and the District of Columbia between 18 and 64 earners who pay for educating those children. What does all this have to do with Utahs surplus? Quite a bit! Gov. Bangerter proposed the state return the money to the people. Under his plan, each taxpayer in the state would receive a check, with speculations putting the bottom line figure at about $20 to $30 each. Even if surpluses were to reach the rumored high end figure, the return might come in somewhere between $50 and $100. "windfall" might be handy This for an unexpected night on the town or a downpayment on a color TV, but there are all those kids to think about - children who are being short changed. -- dou-ble--- if so-call- -- Utahs educators have been walking a tightrope for nearly a decade, with the noose getting ever tighter. Jordan District, for example, is contemplating a $4.35 million cut in next years budget while at the same time more kids are coming into the system. While that $4.35 million figure is less than five percent of the districts totaf budget, the bottom line is not just measured in dollars ... kids are being hurt in the process. Jordans position is not unique. Other dismeasures tricts are looking at if to education mediocre which can only lead the process is not stopped. Yet ... Utah has a surplus. Some voices on Capitol Hill have suggested the question of what to do with the extra money ought to be put on the ballot. This is, after all, an election year and the really "tough" questions get harder to answer when lawmakers have to answer to the balbelt-tighteni- lot box. But that fact alone ought to make us a little suspicious not only about the entire surplus question, but the plans that have been advanced for answering it. This is an election plan year and the governors give-bac- k seems to be only a thinly disguised effort to buy votes. If lawmakers dont take the initiative to decide outright to invest that money in education, then perhaps the people ought to make that decision for them. Utahs education system is strained by growth yet budget cuts are the order of the day. A business thinking of relocating, or expanding, to Utah will place high priority on the quality of our education system. What signal will we send them? It is often said that our children are our best investment in the future but our education system can ensure their success or failure. We urge all politicians - not only those this year - to act for trying to get of term the long the state rather than good the short sighted need to "win" votes. -- -- ed New, Bigger Flag Is Hoisted - With Some Help -- Utahs largest flag once again thrills thousands as Van they travel Expressway. You and Your Child: Success in School i'f I by JIM CAMPBELL Utah Education Association President Only 17 percent of Americas voters cast ballots in the 1986 election, and a company called General Dynamics thinks thats shocking. But General Dynamics isnt in shock. The company is doing something about getting young people to vote. They Project, call it the Vote America and theyre providing teaching materials to 25,000 high schools across the county. Theres more. The company is also supplying personal registration and voting booklets to more voting-agthan a students. The goal is to register every one of them - and encourage them to become informed voters. Theres even more. General Dynamics is running a national TV campaign to encourage older voters, too. Thats because slightly more than half the eligible American voters (53 percent) actually cast ballots in the 1986 election. General Dynamics, in an advertisement about the Vote America project, stated: ". . . when a government is of half the people and by half the people, sooner or later the worst thing happens. It becomes for half the people. And no American would vote for that." Utahs percentage of voting voters has been higher than the national average, but slipping in recent years. Young people tend to watch their parents behavior and do as Mom and Dad do. That mean the and general primary coming a shining elections provide opportunity to teach youth of the voting age how important the act of voting is. Simply invite them to go to the half-millio- e n , polls with you. But remember: They must be registered to vote. think Im protected by the law enforcement agency. I just sit back and watch and listen They have to be considered the bravest men no cops at in the world, Saviors. What if there were all? Im not very brave. Everyone, on any job on critics were the ones earth, makes mistakes, but the that killed Officer House, I think. Life will go on but a lot of sadness and skepticism crisis will go along with it where the I like Heroine Is Thanked To the Editor: On Monday, April 25, my son almost lost his life in car accident on 700 W. 6181 South. The life of Betty L. Michael was taken. She was a beautiful person, not to mention a very close friend of the family. It is in the face of this terrible tragedy that I feel those people who displayed such willingness to help should be recognized. Of course we immediately think of the professional emergency personnel who so often work without the thanks they deserve. People like the pilot and crew of the. Lifeflight helicopter, the police personnel, the firemen, the EMTs, the paramedics, and the ambulance attendants. To all of them, I give my heartfelt thanks. But there were others who helped too. These people never get the recognition they deserve. Why? Because they never leave their names. These are the witnesses and citizens who stop and help the injured. These people are on the scene before any of the professional people. Such people are not paid for what they do. They help because of their caring and compassion for the victims of these tragedies. I know there were a lot of people at the scene of this accident. I would like to thank them all. I was able to identify one of these people. Before I name her, I would like to describe just how she saved my sons life. She witnessed the accident and immediately began administering first aid. She checked for victims within the twisted wreckage in the middle of the road (which just moments before had been a Ford Mustang). This vehicle had a ruptured gas tank, was smoking and steaming, and according to the fire department, was very close to bursting into flames. My son was in this vehicle. He was pinned in the wreckage and had a large laceration on his neck. He was bleeding profusely. She crawled into this potentially deadly hulk of steaming metal to apply direct pressure to my sons Verna P. Andrew West Valley City, Utah Comments Not Responsible We read the Green Sheet, and I quote from your to your viewpoint printed invitation to contribute will be given to (those consideration page- "Primary with expertise in viewpoints) submitted by people write." which they the topic about So Terrific refer to the letter "Utah Is Not submitted by Wm. Ryan in your May 12 edition The letter speaks for itself - uninformed, wholly negative babblings. Mr. Ryan is of the book "How to Lie With devotee a probably Statistics". For a responsible newspaper to print such obvious flies in the face of your tripe is discouraging. It Continued journalism ot this printed parameters. discolor your fine reputation. degree will eventually station radio puts it best on public A local comments". commentary - "We welcome responsible We - statement refers EDITORS NOTE: The to our As I See It feature. Mr. Ryo.ns observations were a "Letter to the Editor." He disagreed with our editors column. True freedom of the press calls for allowing people free expression in a public forum above-quote- d whether we agree or not. Society Will Pay Dear Editor, This letter is in response to one in which the writer gave a thoughtful and well researched list of reasons why potential dropouts should be kept in school. She is absolutely right about the cost to society when students quit school. However, such students do not belong in the traditional public schools. Most students can acquire an excellent education in the public schools if given a chance. A few do not respond in a traditional school; and if they are forced to remain, they often act out in ways that keep other students from learning. It is an extremely rare teacher who can give a potential dropout the special attention heshe needs and still teach the remaining thirty or more students in each of six or seven classes. The usual scene is that the potential dropout is frustrated at being forced to attend school and acts out in ways that prevent good teaching on he part of the teacher and good learning on the part of the students. Often times there are several potential dropouts exhibiting disruptive behavior in a single class. In the past we have all heard comparisons between American schools and Russian or Japanese schools. There are probably many reasons why American students often score lower in certain subjects than their counterparts in Russia or Japan - not the least of which are that Russian students who do poorly in school are taken out of school to be farm and factory laborers, and that Japanese students work under tremendous social pressure to succeed which sometimes leads to student suicide. Keeping potential dropouts in traditional public schools also costs society. There are a few schools in the Salt Lake valley with teachers who use methods to work with students who function poorly in traditional schools. However, demand is greater than supply because of inadequate funding. We need more another cost to society. Society will pay one way or another. Dear Editor, I have been sitting back pondering as to whether I should write this letter to you or not. It might help the Utah Police force. ,You,,see I think they are kind of a "wounded" group of men right now because of the happening. I feel very sorry for them. I read your editorial one day and the next morning Officer House, I think, not wanting to be considered a "whimp", deliberately risked his life to prove to everyone he wasnt one and lost it. When policemen are at work no one should criticize or interfere with what they are doing unless they, the critics, are willing to go and do the job themselves. Its a "put up, shut up" type situation. If I had been those officers I would have quit and let " take over. It was a gun battle. the big Newspaper people, psychiatrists, humanatarians and the like saying, "You are taking too long," "Were cold." "Save the children." Sometimes I think some people get a thrill out of a kill by watching others. Humanitarians are nothing but a bunch of educated tramps, all say and no do. Well, anyway now the taxpayers dollars are being used, possibly unnecessarily, to support Officer Houses family. What Im getting at is this: Police work is the hardest job of all. They dont know from one day to the other if theyll be alive or dead at the end of their working day. The less interference they get the better job they will do. I personally think they know crisis could have ended with no Barbara Hiatt the if they were not-- ' hasseled by fatalities Murray like you. p "know-it-alls- -- Singer-Swap- al p "sidewalk-superintendent- 561-116- 8 8928 S. 700 E. - SANDY Prices Good Through May 2lst COMPLETE VILIFEGUARD FIRST AID KIT -- -- ? $40.00 value NOW Kit Includes: adhesive bandages, prep swabs, ut Inslls, antibiotics, cold packs, guaze pads, and more to give your family a complete years supply of the Irst aid essentials. combination radiolight that runs off an internal hand cranked generator or charges off a wall charger(included). AMFM weather band radio. Two units can be used as walkietalkies. g A 89 00 STRAWBERRY FLAVORED HOODED VINYL PONCHO APPLE : BUDS Perfect for making sauces and pie filling, or Just as a snack. -- On Sale $4995 $750 Now Case of 6 10 cans Per can 1 Kit Includes: 3 day MRE food pack, tent, stove and fuel, candles, spaceblankets, porta potty, 5 gal. water container, Iodine tablets, sierra cups, 1st aid kit, bodywarmers, hurricane matches. l, Yours truly, LeMar Winegar wounds. She stayed in the vehicle until he could be freed from the wreckage and taken to the hospital. According to the doctors attending him, this woman literally saved my sons life by this courageous act. By now you are probably wondering who this courageous heroine is. Her name is Pat Rowe, of Murray. Pat, how do you thank someone for saving your sons life? I wish I knew. All I can say is that my entire family is grateful to you. Pat, you are a true heroine and we will never be able to repay you for what you have done. Singer-Swap- d non-factua- -- half-truth-s, Policemen Praised full-size- p is concerned. The Family of Peter Fondaco the surrounding landscaped drawing a crowd ot several hundred. Many of those donated property and today it should be a money so the hallmark of our source of pride not only to the nation could once again be businesses who gave it to the community, but to the entire enjoyed by all who journey the area. area. through Perhaps some good came of Originally, the flag was erected the dastardly deed performed at a cost of more than $3,000 by vandals. the by Offices Executive Run Spring Its nice to learn that the (Beckstrand Management Corp.) It community cared enough to help Laboratories. Gull and the replace the flag. measured 30 by 50 feet Still, one must wonder why equivalent of three I can vandalize. Lincoln Continentals parked end people to end and three abreast. understand - though not condone theft. I can accept the fact that The new one is even bigger. sometimes people become angry and resort to violence. But what It measures 30x60 feet and is possible thrill can there be in seen as a result of how local destruction of public and private Another burning government and small business property? can work together to accomplish question is what can we do to projects for the benefit of the eliminate this from our society? community, according to Kelli How can our children be trained to respect what belongs to others Jaynes, speaking for Spring Run. Local citizens, acting on their or to the public? Im fresh out of own initiative donated private ideas. Maybe you have some you funds to replace the lost flag, would like to share. At any rate, Im glad Old Glory Jaynes explained. The participathouse an firms hosted flies open ing again in my community. If honoring those citizens before you havent seen it, its worth a of the Sunday drive. If you have, it Saturdays colors. might be worth a note to those The original flag was finally businesses whose dedication to located when an anonymous the common good has been proven caller - perhaps pressured by a in such dramatic style. reward for his arrest and massive unfavorable publicity - called the The Green Sheet welcomes County Sheriff's Office and told contributions from readers deputies where it could be found. However, it was so damaged from for either Letters to the mildew and tears that it had to be Editor or As I See It. Letters replaced. should be confined to a of about 250 words length It makes you wonder what and not contain libelous thrill that person (or persons) comments. They must be could possibly get from signed and must be received in our office no later than 10 the flag. destroying a.m. Tuesday for publication that week. Certainly it could not have been Longer correspondence may anywhere near the joy the flag created for those of us who travel be used as As I See It I do. - and that roadway commentaries on a space I the see can flag from basis. available Actually, Primary consideration will be given to my front porch. We should all take our hats off those submitted by people to those at Gull and Beckstrand with expertise in the topic for erecting the flag. The flagpole about which they write. A sits on a piece of property just brief description of that under an acre in size. It wasnt expertise may accompany the Mr. much else, for good submission. Beckstrand said. It was isolated All submissions are subject on three sides by roadways. It to editing for space and was too small to use and to large be They may clarity. to ignore. It became a dumping to: The Green addressed ground, so the two firms put their Box P.O. 7187, Sheet, heads together and came up with 84107. Ut. Murray, the plan to install the huge flag as landmark. local They a to Singer-Swap- ' Winkle For three weeks motorists missed seeing Old Glory dominate the skyline along 4800 South as it snapped in the breezes against the backdrop of the twin peaks of Mount Olympus. The flag made its first appearance on Feb. 12 and hundreds of people commented in print, over the airwaves and to what a one another about beautiful sight it was. Then on April 16', it abruptly disappeared. The victim of a vandal, not a thief. Saturday morning a new, larger version of the flag was raised, our readers write Person $3495 2 Person 54995 |