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Show Hire locally Dear Sir: : The projected unemployment rate for April in Uintah County is 12.9 percent. In Utah it is 8.6 percent and 10.4 percent in the United States. One of the reasons for the high unemployment in Uintah County Coun-ty is that nearly all of the contracts for construction are being given to outside people. Uintah County has had many tax financed construction projects in the past few years, and more are coming up. Most of these jobs are given to contractors contrac-tors from out of town who are bringing in their own help. Until economic times improve or some other means is found to stop this procedure we will see more and more of our local jobs being done by people from outside. You cannot blame a contractor for wanting to bring in his own people but that is not an answer to Uintah County's unemployment. The Green River bridge, Bonanza road, sewer project and new nursing home are just some of the tax supported projects that are being done primarily by outside workers. Many of these workers are living in trailers, campers or cars arid have little or no input into the economics of our community. By leaving leav-ing this area to visit their families, friends, and homes on weekends they often buy their food, clothes and other necessities out of town. The local merchants mer-chants are having a difficult time because of the recession and are not receiving their fair share of the payrolls. Indirectly this is effecting every person in the area. On Feb. 28th the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 that a Boston law requiring that its residents hold one-half of the jobs on taxpayer-financed projects within the city ci-ty did not violate the constitution. The decision seemingly grants governments the power to exclude all non-residents from jobs supported by local or federal tax dollars. When tax dollars are used in projects, then the first people hired should be the ones who paid the tax dollars - not outsiders. ' Some of the projects that will be starting star-ting in the near future include new schools and an addition to the county courthouse. Unless things change, I am afraid that we will see most of these jobs going to people from out of the area. Could we not, as a community, require of a contractor that he hire at least some percent of his work force from local sources? If you are concerned about this problem, pro-blem, please contact your commissioners, commis-sioners, councilmen, school board members and other elected officials to insert a clause in all future contracts and to pass laws similar to Boston's. If nothing is done then perhaps an initiative petition should be started. Sincerely, KENT D. SMITH |