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Show Dear Editor: . . Susan Ballantyne Achziger of Layten, wrote an interesUng letter to the editor recently, in which she stated that if the tax . initiatives pass, we the people, will be abandoning all that we hold dear, i.e.: high moral values, quality of life and sound education: s sounds like very dark .and heavy comra. for merely rolling back the huge tax increase to the 1986 level, when we still enjoyed all of those virtues. The huge $168 million tax increase was reported by our government gov-ernment when it was initiated, as being only a 5.6 percent increase. Now that it may be rolled back, they claim it will be a 13 percent tax rollback.They have now more than doubled the effects, even in the face of a now declared $130 million surp us. When the legislature met in special session in August, they made a revision in the income tax increase, which actually reduced the $168 million increase, to $130 million, the amount of the now declared surplus, which in effect proves that the tax increase was unnecessary in the first place. Before they adjourned in February, the Legislature promised, prom-ised, and in fact passed a bill, to give any surplus which might occur because of the huge tax increase, back to the people from whom they took it. They in fact are now in the process of giving $80 million back in a rebate check just prior to election day. How about the rest of the surplus, which also belongs to the people, and was included in the Legislative bill? Ms. Achziger asked the question, "Don't we all have a vested interest in the quality of life in this state?" Yes we do, but should we take the word of conflict of interest groups, to dictate to the rest of us, that we must sacrifice our well being and quality of life, to preserve theirs? The government bureaucracy is trying to convince us, that they are the only ones smart enough to know what is best for us. They are spending huge amounts of money, and spreading scare tactic propaganda to keep us in line, so they can continue to control our thinking, and maintain the status quo. The status "N quo being, continued high taxes , continued multi-layers of gov- A ernment bureaucracy, irresponsible and unaccountable use, J waste and mismanagement of taxpayer money. If we do not vote for these initiatives in November, we are giving them a free hand to do what ever they want, and we will deserve what ever we get in return. The people must take back control of our government. Only by voting yes on these initiatives, initia-tives, are we the people going to get the attention of the bureaucracy, bureauc-racy, and bring about change in their thought processes. R. L. Wright Dear Editor: I have been somewhat amazed at the extensive newspaper coverage recently given to the ongoing dispute between the Davis County auditor and the Davis County Commission. Mrs. Kennington has again succeeded in creating a controversy con-troversy concerning legal issues which, in fact, are not legally disputed. I refer to the allegations made by the auditor to the recent use by the commission of the interest from the hospital bonds to purchase additional acreage next to the proposed county jail complex and her further allegations that the commission commis-sion violated state construction bid procedures and fiscal laws. She has cited as authority for her propositions a recent informal infor-mal opinion rendered by the Attorney General's Office which was given in response to certain questions posed from the state auditor, Tom Allen. The Attorney General's informal opinion did not deal factually factual-ly with either issue, as Mrs. Kennington well knows. I think it is clear that the auditor's motivation in making such irresponsible statements is purely political and is nothing more than a continuing effort to embarrass the incumbent county commissioners and clerk so as to sway the primary election process. . , . ,.. Hopefully, the voters will see such for what it is and make their decisions based on the real issues concerning Davis County Coun-ty government, rather than political rhetoric. However, if the controversy can serve any useful purpose whatsoever, it would be that such demonstrates a clear need for . legislative review. Such a review should not Only encompass the need for an elective county auditor, but should also address the necessity that such a position be occupied by an individual with professional profes-sional credentials, particularly if the Legislature feels that the powers and authority of the auditor should be expanded beyond the limits already statutorily prescribed. Melvin C. Wilson Davis County Attorney Dear Editor; As one, who attended all five of the lectures presented by the NCCS in June 1 988 , 1 received the shock of my life today ! For I received a letter from John L. Harmer, addressed to all Davis County residents. I do not know how Harold Tippetts converted him to his side. Maybe he took advantage of him, as a comparatively newcomer new-comer to Davis County. But for someone who is trying to protect our God Inspired Constitution of our United States, he has surely been led astray. .1 have been a resident of Davis County for about 40 years. I moved here in March 1944, but I spend 22 months serving a mission in the Eastern States for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I also spent a period of 17 months in Anchorage, Anchor-age, Alaska and came home for 10 months and returned to Anchorage for another 22 months. So, it breaks down to approximately 39 years in Davis County. Coun-ty. Ever since I moved here, I always felt good about our Davis County commissioners, until this last year. Maybe it was because be-cause of all the blunders and trouble the Salt Lake County Commissioners were making, they over-shadowed Davis County. However, most of that time I was working in Salt Lake City, and spent about 1 1 hours or more of each working day away from Bountiful. Now, I am retired and I have had time to take in many of the lectures or classes held by Cleon Skousen. Then in a very strange way and a series of circumstances, I found myself in the huge crowd of six-eight thousand people in front of the state capitol, shouting for no more taxes. Then we quietly moved into the state capitol and again shouted for no more taxes. The security guards complimented Mills Crenshaw on his orderly conduct of leading that many people into the capitol and maintaining main-taining orderly conduct. I can't express the hurt I felt as I read Mr. Harmer's letter criticizing Mr. Lawrence for changing from a Democrat to a Republican. After all, President Reagan did the same thing, yet he not only supported him strongly, but Mr. Harmer was his Lieutenant Governor. Mr. Harmer accuses him for bringing out the "corruption" in the Davis County commissioners. When the commissioners break the law and make their own rules that the county auditor cannot get access to their books to audit them; one cannot help but be suspicious, and think they are hiding something. Thank goodness Mr. Lawrence took the time to dig in as much as he could and uncover some of their corruption! When they have bonded Davis County to the sum of $84,900,000 more in the last five years, they are not saving us taxpayers anything, they are taxing us more. When I went up to protest the amount they raised my taxes for those bonds, I was told that my taxes would keep increasing on the bonds for at least the next five years and maybe longer. It has been my experience, once my taxes go up, they never come down. So, I'll probably be paying higher and higher taxes for the rest of my life. I wonder if Mr. Harmer knows that they spent over one million dollars for a piece of land in Kaysville to build us a county fair grounds. Then they changed their minds and convinced con-vinced the people of Davis County that the fair grounds should be in Farmington and won another bond vote to build a jail and use some of the ground for the county fair. They used the bond money they had to build two new hospitals in Davis County, to pay for the land in Kaysville. Because private enterprise came in and built a hospital in the north and south ends of Davis County, they should have paid off the bonds for the hospitals instead of spending it foolishly on land in Kaysville. So, now we have no new jail nor a fair grounds, but our taxes keep increasing because of them. Does Mr. Harmer know that the auditors can find up to $800,000 of un-accounted funds spent in Davis County, and they do not even have to report it to our county commissioners? Does he know that the total indebtedness of Davis County is $127 million? Mr. Harmer said Mr. Tippetts hasn't raised taxes, and yet my taxes are going to keep going up and up because of this indebtedness! '. . , . . Miss Pearl Wendel Bountiful " i Dear Editor: Bountiful City has done many things to beautify and improve the downtown Bountiful Main Street area. We commend the city officials for most of the things accomplished in the present beautification project. However, as the present project progresses, it is important that the continuity of the plan for beautification be completed in a consistent manner to accomplish the beautification objectives properly. A cause of great concern to us is the area between the curb and sidewalk on the corner of 3rd North and Main Street. Instead of landscaping consistent with other similar areas on Main Street, large concrete slabs were placed in front of the 95 year old James Smedley, Sr. pioneer home (one of the few remaining pioneer homes on Main Street). The result is very harsh, unsightly and unnecessary. As early as February, 1988, we expressed concerns to the city council regarding removal of the large pioneer poplar trees and the effect on both the James Smedley, Sr. home, which was constructed in 1893, and the effect on the beauty of downtown Main Street provided by those lovely trees. We were deeply concerned about the possibility of losing an irreplaceable part of Bountiful's rich pioneer heritage. At the time, we, as Bountiful citizens, looked at the colored renderings of the Main Street project. The Main Street improvement area including 3rd North, was to have grass, trees and automatic sprinklers. This property appeared to be basically the same as the adjoining properties as far as landscaping was concerned. Because of assurances given to us regarding new landscaping, we reluctantly agreed not to resist the planned beautification project. At a meeting held in February, 1988, the city council members and Mayor Stahle assured us that the beautification project would result in the planting of new trees and grass with automatic automa-tic sprinklers along the front of the home. We asked Mayor Stahle if the front hedge would need to be removed. At that February meeting, Mayor Stahle assured us that the front hedge would not be disturbed in any way, and now it has been removed completely. It will take years before a hedge that size will grow back in place. Jack Balling, city engineer, said "Come back and see me a year from now and you will be able to tell me how beautiful the trees and grass are in front of your home." There was no mention of anything regarding the cement slabs to be placed in front of the home. These unsightly slabs of concrete are out of place and inconsistent with the beautification concept and objective. ob-jective. Bountiful City has at least, in part, recognized that placing of the large, unsightly slabs of concrete was a mistake. The city has partially corrected this mistake by removing one section of the concrete slabs. This was a step in the right direction but, in order to correct the entire mistake, the remaining slabs must be removed and appropriate landscaping put in place. It is clear that Bountiful City has a golden opportunity to complete beautification of Bountiful's Main Street in front of the 95 year old Pioneer Home. The decision Bountiful City makes on this matter now will not, only affect the present citizens and visitors of Bountiful, but also will affect future generations. As residents of Bountiful we have always been proud of our city and its efforts to beautify and improve Bountiful. We strongly feel that Bountiful City must replace the concrete slabs with appropriate landscaping consistent with the overall Bountiful Boun-tiful beautification project. Alice O. Smith Richard N. Smith Dear John Letters This column is presented as a community service of Charter Summit Hospital and is ' written by John Waterbury, Director of Chemical Dependency Services. John has a B.A. jl in sociology, a Masters of Rehabilitation Counseling and has been counseling the chemically dependent for over 15 years. Letters or responses may be sent to him at: Charter Summit .Hospital 175 West 7200 South, Midvale, Utah 84047 561-8181 By John Waterbury Dear Editor, We would like to extend our most sincere gratitude to the citizens, law enforcement officers, elected officials, employees and volunteers, particularly those in Davis County and Farmington Farm-ington for the outstanding Utah hospitality they extended to vice presidential candidate Dan Quayle. In the short amount of time between confirmation of Quayle's plan to visit Utah and his arrival, hundreds of volunteers worked work-ed together to pull off a splendid event. The great democratic process that we so freely enjoy in this country is strengthened and fortified by the opportunity to hear our candidates for national office express their view and goals for this country. We are proud of the volunteers' willingness to-work, and the genuine hospitality shown by the citizens of Utah. We are a great state and the commitment to excellence by all of our citizens was overwhelmingly displayed to Senator Dan Quayle, the state and the nation. H. Craig Moody Utah Republican State Party Chairman Bonnie Stephens and Delonne Anderson Bush-Quayle campaign co-chairs Dear Editor: If the tax initiatives pass, win prosperity follow? The financial experts responsible for telling their clients where to invest their money give a resounding no! The possibility that the initiatives will pass has led the firm of Standard and Poor to suggest lowering Utah's bond rating. Who cares? Anyone planning to stay in Utah at least two years. Currently Utah has a fine bond rating allowing us to pay lower interest on money that the state borrows to finance state projects pro-jects (new water projects, public buildings, economic development, develop-ment, etc.). If the rating is lowered, Utah will pay higher interest. in-terest. And just how is Utah to cover these increased payments when its tax revenues have been cut? California hiked fees after Proposition 13 passed. Fees and borrowing are not limited by the current initiatives. You can expect both forms of re venue raising to increase dramatically if the initiatives pass. If you like utility franchise fees, registration fees, school fees, and hook up fees, you will love Utah after the initiatives pass. A Utah with high fees and increasing debt may be someone's vision of the desert blossoming but it's not mine! The; computer based analysis from back East sees the initiatives as a bad economic omen as well. Perhaps the sponsors of the initiatives should share their economic secrets with the investment experts . . . but then they would probably be laughed out of town. Brandpn Thacker Bountiful k . . . - . , . , . . . . Dear John, I'm a grandmother who has six grandchildren and they're all involved in drugs. It's hard to believe! Things are so different now. It seems that just a few years ago, no one had any problems with drugs, and now everywhere you look, kids are spaced out. Why do they do it? Don't they know what they have... all the advantages... all the opportunities? When I look at them, all I .. want to do is cry. Why can't they see what they're doing? Are they crazy? R.M. Dear R.M., Parents and grandparents have been asking these same questions ques-tions since time began. Our problem is that the numbers and seriousness of the problems are growing at such an alarming rate that we're being beaten by them. My advice is to become knowledgeable about alcohol and drug abuse, organize the necessary tools and skills to meet the challenge, and put ourselves into action. We have to pull off the blinders of denial. And we're doing it to some extent. We simply need to speed up our efforts. Maybe the following information will help. Well, there you have it. That should be enough information to get the ball rolling. Next, use all the wisdom you have accumulated accumu-lated in becoming a grandmother and organize an effort to combat the problem. Contact someone to come in and teach your church or civic group. Find out about intervention techniques. techni-ques. Organize education programs for the youth If you're not sure who to contact, call me and I can put you in touch with the right people. The important thing is to do it now. |