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Show Vernal Express Wednesday, December 13," 1995 OpitliOll 111(1 COHim6nta.ry IHOW COME YOU DIDN'T PAY OUR - V , v WATER ASSESSKKTJ JACK-STRAWS byJackWallls J CAUSE T5 THE W TULS YEAR r T ONLY WAY I EVER 1 V M 1 Alcohol-related vehicle fatalities In December of last year 35 percent of all fatally injured drivers of passenger vehicles had a blood alcohol alco-hol content of 0.10 percent or higher, according to the Western Insurance information Service. That's above the legal limit in all states. While alcohol-related traffic crashes occur at all hours, they peak at night and happen more often on weekends. In 1994, more drivers with a blood alcohol content of 0.10 percent or higher were killed on a Saturday between midnight and 3 a.m. than any other time. While the U.S. is experiencing a drop in the death rate from alcohol-related driving, Utah is experiencing experienc-ing an unexpected increase. From 1990 to 1994 alcohol alco-hol related deaths on our nation's highways dropped 25 percent, while in Utah, during the same period, they increased 57 percent. To reverse and reduce this loss of life on Utah highways high-ways from drunk driving the Alcoholic Policy Coalition and Mothers Against Drunk Driving are initiating ini-tiating efforts to increase the tax on alcoholic beverages bever-ages by a "nickel-a-drink." The nearly $6 million which would be generated from this increased taxation could be used to augment the Highway Patrol by 30 needed officers, improve the salaries of the state police to be competitive with neighboring states and supply police officers with the latest in technological devices to catch and prosecute drunk drivers. The chairman of Alcohol Policy Coalition says, "We should not continue to allow our citizens to die because we are unwilling to fund changes which will help catch and punish drunk drivers." Kathy Brown, Utah MADD president, responds to the Utah problem with, "A few lawbreakers should not inhibit us from taking the appropriate steps to reduce this needless rise in alcohol-related deaths and injuries in Utah. The courts are letting them get away with murder." Ironically, a Vernal man has a record of being convicted con-victed of drunken driving 20 times during the past 1 1 years. James Christian Hartman has been convicted of drunken driving on the streets of Salt Lake City, Murray, South Salt Lake, Brigham City, Nephi, Beaver, Roosevelt and Vernal. Judges have jailed him for from six days to six months, and ordered him to alcohol treatment. Another unusual record for Hartman is that he has apparently never injured anyone while driving drunk. National facts concerning alcohol involvement in traffic crashes is highest for men age 31 to 40, Hartman is 31. This holiday season is especially a time to look out for drunk drivers and never drink and drive or get into a vehicle when the driver has been drinking. PUBLIC FORUM LETTERS TO THE EDITOR What is your opinion? The Express welcomes letters let-ters from its readers concerning any subject pertinent perti-nent to the Uintah Basin. There are no restrictions as to contents, if not libelous or vindictive and of reasonable length (two typewritten double spaced pages). Letters must be submitted exclusively to the Express and bear the writer's full name, signature, phone number and address. Letters may be mailed, faxed at 789-8690 or through e-mail at editoreas-ilink.com. editoreas-ilink.com. The name or names of those submitting letters must appear on all published letters. All letters let-ters are subject to condensation. Letters express the opinion of the writer and are not necessarily the opinion of the Express Editor. Apology Dear Editor, I would like to apologize to the parents of the Ashley Valley Head Start. Recently I passed some fliers out to local merchants asking for donations to help the children chil-dren at the Ashley Valley Head Start with Christmas. I've worked with Head Start in Salt Lake City, Fort Duchesne and Myton and have had nothing but praise from these people for the time, money and effort that I have put into helping the low income families that use this program to benefit their children. Sunday, the 10th I received a call from Dawn Merrick telling me that she was representing the parents from the Ashley Valley Head Start Program and that they did not appreciate my efforts, that the parents don't consider themselves low income. As I understand it, the federal government set up the Head Start program for the low income and that the federal government matches dollar for dollar what the Head Start can get donated either in merchandise or time. I would like to thank the merchants who did and who were going to donate to the Head Start Program and am saddened that I had to return your donation. I hope that you will still help at this time of year. I was born and raised most of my life here in the Basin, and I have found the people very friendly and very helpful when it comes to helping someone in need. Our family always participates in the IGA and Wal-Mart Wal-Mart gift tree, every year. We know that we are very fortunate and we are trying to repay what we have received in the past. Fifteen years ago I was in the same position as these parents in the Head Start Program here are in now, and I have to say that I was very grateful to the wonderful people who stepped in and helped me provide my children with Christmas. It's very hard to raise four daughters on only $425 a month and when it came to deciding to feed or cloth my children, the food always won. Again I would like to thank the local merchants mer-chants for their wonderful thoughtfulness and willingness willing-ness to help me at this time. KATHY GREEN Vernal Utah wilderness bill passes committee intact After a spirited debate, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee last Wednesday passed by voice, S. 884, the Utah Public Land Management Act of 1995. The bill, which is commonly, referred to as the Hansen Wilderness Bill, will advance to the Senate floor with much of its original origi-nal provisions still intact: The 1.8 million acres for wilderness remains intact. No amendments were offered to increase acreage, although Senator Bumper said S. 884 is a terrible bill and should, he believes, be amended amend-ed on the Senate floor to add more acreage. Hard release language is still in place after a Bumpers amendment amend-ment to delete it failed on a 10-10 tie vote. This is the first time the Senate Energy Committee has adopted Hard Release for any VERNAL Express (ISSN 0892-1091) Published every Wednesday for $ 1 9.00 per year in shopping area and $30 per year out of shopping area within state and $33 per year out of state within USA by the Vernal Express Publishing Company, 54 North Vernal Avenue, Vernal, Utah 84078. Second class postage paid at Vernal, Utah 84078. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VERNAL EXPRESS, P.O. Box 1000, Vernal Utah 84078. Jack R. Wallis Publisher Steven R. Wallis Editor Vicki Feldt Lifestyle Writer Kathleen Irving Staff Writer Eric F. Pye Sports Writer Janet D Wallis Advertising Marcia Henry Advertising Melanie Morrison Circulation & Classified Ads Phone 789-351 1 - FAX 789-8690 Member of Utah Press Association and National Newspaper Association Ana correspondents Lapoint Martene McClure, 247-2552 Wnrterocks Virginia Ferguson, 353-4584 Manila Clara Robinson, 784-3436 Tridell Loma McKee, 247-2350 Deadlines News Monday 5 p.m. Display Advertising Tuesday 11 a.m. Classified Advertising Tuesday 11a m. wilderness bill. Negotiations to strike a middle ground will continue prior to Senate floor action. By voice vote, the committee amended the bill to require appraisals before the State of Utah and the Department of Interior conduct con-duct the exchange of school trust lands. The original proposal simply declared that Congress determined the value of both state and federal lands to be approximately equal, thus avoiding time-consuming appraisals. The new amendment does allow the State of Utah School Trust Administration to determine which lands it wants to develop and requires the Secretary to accept the State's offer. In large land exchanges in Utah to date, neither the state nor the federal government have ever agreed on values, sending the issue to the courts to decide. By voice vote, the committee adopted an amendment which states that the bill does not require the issuance of operating permits for -industrial facilities located outside of wilderness areas. Commissioner Glen McKee said he was pleased that the bill was on the Senate floor without many changes, but he expects several proposed pro-posed amendments before the Senate approves the bill. Another concern is a presidential veto of the bill which has been threatened, if it is not changed to the liking of the administration. CrET my NAME , IM TUP DADPD'I W tff wirtSff'W - TP I r- WELL MAYBE VOU JUST MIGHT SET YOURJ v i 1 " UP&L to restructure operations Utah Power announcedloday that it is restructuring its operations to enable the company to provide a greater variety of customer services, while also continuing to keep prices low. The company will begin to phase-in phase-in changes during the first quarter of 1996, with all service offerings in place and office changes completed com-pleted by the end of 1996. "Competition and continuing commitment to customers have caused Utah Power to take a close look at its ability to provide better and wider ranges of customer services," ser-vices," said Scott Rhees, Vernal general business manager. "We believe the structure and processes we have planned will enable us to provide 21st century customer service ser-vice by the end of 1996." He said that all utilities in the country are facing the fact that there are others who want to serve their customers. Rhees said the carefully-planned, phased-in approach taken by the company includes a business or phone center concept. With business busi-ness centers in place, the company will have the ability to deal with even the most complex customer issues- with one phone call. He said the company will use state-of-the-art technology, improved customer service processed, 24-hour operations opera-tions and a new computer system to provide "best in class" customer service. "Eighty-five percent of customers already do business with Utah Power by mail or phone," Rhees said. "Those options will remain and will be expanded by the end of 1996 to include payment options outside the customer office, as well as other options, such as electronic transfers, 24-hours phone services, and other ways for our customers to save time. We expect our customers to experience an improved level of customer service with all the new options." Utah Power will roll-out changes in four phases. In the first phase, which will occur in the first quarter of 1996, the company will eliminate walk in billing, payment and credit services at 13 of its Utah offices, but not including Vernal. The second phase will implement a new customer information system that will serve as the backbone of support for the business centers. Business centers will come on line in the third phase. Once rollout is completed in the last quarter of 1996, Utah Power plans to eliminate elimi-nate similar service options at most of the company's other customer offices. These offices will be identified identi-fied later in 1996. Rhees will continue to focus on customers in the community. The company's field services personnel and others will also continue to provide pro-vide additional customer services. Utah Power's line crews will ensure that the high quality of electrical service will be unaffected by these changes. Rhees said Utah Power is a strong company because it is a low cost generator of electricity, but that in itself is no longer good enough in a competitive world. "We must also be the best provider of energy-related services," ser-vices," he said. "That requires focusing more closely on customers and identifying identify-ing opportunities to provide customers cus-tomers with more choices, better and faster than we ever have." Perfect New Year's resolution just quit by Judy Uphold Trying to decide the perfect New Year's resolution? Why not give up tobacco? Quitting tobacco has an immediate positive effect on your body. Just eight hours after your last cigarette, the carbon monoxide in your blood decreases. After 24 hours, your heart rate and blood pressure drop. In 48 hours, your ability to taste and smell improve. An ex-smoker can have the same health as a nonsmoker in less than five years. The Uintah Basin Public Health Department (UBPHD) is offering tobacco cessation classes for adults and teens. These classes cover all aspects of quitting tobacco. The biggest hurdle is physical withdrawal. withdraw-al. Nicotine is as addictive as cocaine, withdrawal symptoms are difficult to bear. Cessation classes cover how to handle withdrawal symptoms and methods of quitting. Once you have quit, the nicotine only lasts in your body for about three days. Physical symptoms cease after three to five days. Once the physical symptoms have subsided, you have to deal with the "force of habit." There are many simple techniques that deal with breaking the habit. With determination and consistency people have given up tobacco and added years to their life. To register for a tobacco cessation class, call the Uintah Basin Public Health Department, 781-5475. Voice of Business Less than meets the eye c i m jsa. by Dr. Richard L. Lesher President U.S. Chamber of Commerce washlnutun "Who are you going to believe," comedian Richard Pryor said in one of his more memorable routines, "me or your eyes?" Listening to the politicians, news reporters and commentators droning on and on about the "draconian" cutbacks in federal spending required by the Republican budget that President Clinton opposes so adamantly, one might get the impression we are on the verge of a serious seri-ous downsizing of Uncle Sam's spending machine. But there is less to this story than meets the eye, considerably con-siderably less. To be sure, if the budget vetoed by the president had become law, and the reasonable assumptions it is based upon proved to be valid, we should reach a balanced bal-anced budget within seven years as planned. But that does not mean the federal budget will be smaller than it is today. To the contrary, over that seven-year period, federal spending would increase by $2.6 trillion even under the Republican budget. The deficit would decline because in the same time rev enues would increase by $3.3 trillion even assuming approval of the hotly-debated $500 per child tax credit and adjustments to the capital gains tax. Seen in that light, the budget appears as a much more rational and even-handed proposal than the scary headlines suggest. What truly is scary is what will happen if this budget, or some reasonable facsimile facsim-ile thereof, is not enacted and federal spending is permitted per-mitted to continue on its present course. In 1995, Uncle Sam spent about $1.5 trillion, give or take a few billion. At the current pace of growth, the Congressional Budget Office says that would increase to $2.1 trillion by the year 2002, a jump of $600 billion bil-lion or 40 percent The budget approved by the Republican majority of Congress calls for a spending increase over that seven year period of $358 billion, considerably less than would occur without changes, but a substantial increase nonetheless. But within the context of Washington politics, this massive increase in federal spending is branded a draconian cutback. This is the same mentality, you may recall, that prompted Vice President Al Gore to lambaste the Republicans for "cutting" federal spending on school lunches. In truth,, the Republicans hiked spending on school lunches by 4.5 percent but to the business-as-usual Washington politicians like Gore, a mere 4.5 percent increase is a cut. The great controversy over Medicare stems in large measure from the same skewered mentality that cannot can-not distinguish an increase from a cut. Millions of Americans today believe the Republicans plan to "cut" spending on Medicare. In reality, under' the Republican budget plan, spending on Medicare will rise 6 percent a year between now and 2002, well ahead of expected inflation. In politics as in war, truth is usually an early casualty. casual-ty. Some politicians are contending the 1996 budget denotes a fundamental shift in national priorities and rejection of our historic commitment to the social safety net In reality, the greatest threat to our social safety net is continued fiscal irresponsibility which can only lead to economic chaos. The Republican budget is a politically bold but financially moderate effort to save the social safety net, and preserve it well into the new century. The closer the final budget is to that plan, the better it will be for all of us. |