OCR Text |
Show Opinion and Commentary 2 Vernal Express Wednesday, August 2, 2000 JACK-STRAWS t Hot weather driving by Jack Wallls Temperatures in Utah are soaring and the sizzling heat can be tough on vehicles and can create dangerous danger-ous situations for motorists. "On days when the temperatures reach the 90s and 100s the number of AAA members experiencing breakdowns increase by at least 30 percent," said Rolayne Fairclough, AAA Utah spokeswoman. "Motorists need to take special care when driving in these extremely high temperatures." Everyone knows hot weather is a main cause of radiator overheating, but the heat can also drain weak batteries of their remaining energy, cripple air conditioners, condi-tioners, create or enlarge hose leaks and snap worn belts. AAA Utah suggests checking these maintenance items for trouble-free driving: -Fluid levels. Make sure the fluids-coolant, transmission trans-mission fluid, windshield liquid-are clean and in proper proportions. -Batteries. Replace old or weak batteries because high temperatures compromise battery life. -Tires. Check tires for uneven or excessive wear. Inflate to recommended pressure. -Belts and hoses. Inspect and replace any belts or hoses, which are worn, cracked, brit tle or too soft. Even well maintained vehicles can break down, so it is important to carry an emergency kit. Items to include are extra drinking w ater, a windshield shade, wireless phone, flashlight, warning device, jumper cables, first aid and tool kits and a gallon of coolant. Security is another concern because the number of vehicle thefts increases in summer. Even though a hot car is very uninviting, motorists need to keep their vehicles locked and windows up during the summer. Windshield shades, parking in shaded areas and letting let-ting the vehicle air before entering it are ways to make driving a bit more pleasant in this heat. High temperatures can lead to pinging in the engine. If this occurs, AAA Utah recommends changing to a higher-octane fuel during the summer months. If changing fuel does not eliminate the noise, have the engine checked by a certified technician. But regardless of the season you should have your vehicle serviced regularly. Proper maintenance can lead to better performance and a longer vehicle life. Plus, taking care of your vehicle helps you take care of your family-you can feel safer knowing that your automobile is well maintained. World bank or world bunk by Mark YVeisbrot, PhD. Pity the World Bank. Every month the organization gets hit with another scandal or resignation that sends its hefty public relations operation into overdrive, working on damage control. This month it's the Bank's $40 million loan to China for a project that will resettle 60,000 people in an area that was once a province of Tibet The Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, has called it "cultural genocide." geno-cide." Last week the project took another blow when an internal evaluation was leaked to the press. The Bank's independent Inspection Panel found that the Bank had violated most of its own safeguards in considering the loan. For example, the Bank had failed to adequately consult with the people who were to be resettled, or with those displaced by the resettlement. Nor did it consider alternative sites or other options a major violation of the Bank's guidelines. The Bank's latest embarrassment follows a very disturbing dis-turbing resignation last month by Ravi Kanbur, a Cornell University economist who was lead author of the World Bank's influential 2000 World Development Report. . . . Kanbur quit because he came under pressure, reportedly report-edly from the U.S. Treasury Department, to alter the manuscript so that it would conform to the IMFWorld BankTreasury's orthodoxy on globalization. That orthodoxy maintains that the opening of markets to international trade and investment is the most important impor-tant policy that governments can adopt Challenges to this view have been gathering momentum over the last few years, in both developed and underdeveloped countries. Kanhur's resignation is looking like a sequel to that of Joseph Stiglitz, w ho was the Bank's chief economist until December of last year. He was forced out after he criticized the IMPs costly mistakes in the Asian financial finan-cial crisis, and in Russia. The World Bank and the IMF insist that they know what's best for every country, and that their policies promote growth and development These claims are generally accepted at face value, in many cases even by their opponents. In fact, critics often accuse the Bank and the Fund of being overly concerned with economic growth, and not paying enough attention to the needs of the poor or to protection of the environment. But their record on economic growth is their most spectacular failure. Over the last 20 years, low and middle-income countries throughout the world have implemented the economic policies of the World Bank and the IMF often under the threat of economic strangulation. The worst disaster has been in Russia and the states of the former Soviet Union, which lost more than 40 percent of their national income in the 1990s. This is worse than our own Great Depression. Income per person in sub-Saharan Africa has declined about 20 percent over the last 20 years. In Latin America, it has barely grown: maybe seven percent per-cent over the whole two decades. By contrast both of these regions showed vastly superior economic growth in the previous two decades, before the IMF and Bank's "structural adjustment" policies become the norm. From 1960 to 1980, income VERNAL Express (ISSN 0892-1091) Published every Wednesday tor $1 9.00 per year in shopping area and $30 per year out of shopping area within Mat and $33 per year out ot state within USA by the Vernal Express Put Company, 54 North Vernal Avenue. Vernal, Utah 84078. Periodicals postage paid at Vernal, Utah 84078. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VERNAL EXPRESS, P.O. Box 1000, Vernal Utah 84078. Jack R. Wallis Steven R. Wallis . ..Pubfisher ..Editor and co-pubKshsr Carol Jewart ufestvte Vicki Feidt Pubttc Notices Tara Mayleft Advertising Marie Yoder .... .Advertising JcxJy Smuin Circulation & Classified Ads Phone: 435-789-3511 FAX: 435-789-8690 Website: www.vemal.com e-mail, editor OvemaJ.com DEADLINES News Monday 12 noon Display Advertising - ... ..Monday 6 p.m. Classified Advertising .... .........Monday S p m. Public Notices Monday 3 p.m. 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, signa-ture, phone number and address. Letters for the sole purpose of expressing thanks to individuals or groups will not be printed in the forum. Letters may be mailed, faxed at 789-8690 or through e-mail at editorvemal.com. The name or names of those submitting letters must appear on all published letters. let-ters. All letters are subject to condensation. Letters express the opinion of the writer and are not necessarily nec-essarily the opinion of the Express Editor. Tickets Dear Editor, I recently had the wonderful experience of visiting the beautiful Uintah Basin as a spectator for the Goodyear Rockcrawling Championships. It was a very enjoyable weekend and it was a pleasure to watch as several world class drivers drove specially built vehicles vehi-cles over amazing terrain. I also enjoyed the hospitality expressed toward me and my family during our stay there. We enjoyed the fine services offered in the Uintah Basin and look forward to the time when we can return to enjoy the scenery found there. Upon returning home I was disappointed to leam that many of the spectators and participants in the championships champi-onships had received tickets from various law enforcement enforce-ment officers in the Vernal and Roosevelt area. One man reportedly received over $1000 in fines for "problems" "prob-lems" with his vehicle, such as no front license plate. I find it appalling that these officers would apparently take advantage of the participants of this great event for no apparent reason. I would not be writing this letter if the tickets had been issued for violations such as speeding or reckless driving, but to issue fines for no other reason than the lack of fender flares is appalling. The event was very well advertised and I would think the officers would be aware of it taking place. To prey upon the unsuspecting unsuspect-ing people flocking to this event is very disturbing and I would hope for more honorable behavior from those working to keep our cities safe. MICHAEL MILLS Logan, Utah per person grew 34 percent in Africa, and 73 percent in Latin America. The only region that has grown rapidly over the last 20 years has been South and East Asia. But this region had similarly rapid growth in the previous two decades. And these are the countries that have most disregarded Washington's instructions. China, which quadrupled its national income over the last 20 years, does not even have a convertible currency. In short, there is no region in the world that the Bank and the Fund can claim as a success story while their failures have been widespread and devastating. That is why their top officials, when they are questioned ques-tioned about these issues, will point to an individual country's progress over a relatively short period of time. For example, in a recent New York Times article, U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers cited Uganda and Poland as success stories for their economic model. But Uganda, despite seven years of growth, is still 30 percent below its per capita income of 1983. And Poland is very unrepresentative of the IMF's work in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Sadly, most of the 19 "transition economies" in that region are still living far below their 1989 levels of income. Perhaps the attention of reformers should turn to downsizing these institutions with their unchecked power, an incredibly long string of failures, and no serious seri-ous reform in sight The simple slogan of the protesters who gathered outside the World Bank and IMF headquarters head-quarters last April may turn out to be the best strategy for reform: "More World, Less Bank." Mark Weisbrot, PhD. is an economist and Research Director at the Preamble Center in Washington, DC. His latest book is "Social Security: The Phony Crisis" (with Dean Baker), 1999, University of Chicago Press. I nnwi'T NPPH AMV KIPNA TIRES ON THE BACK THIS CAK HA rKOrjT WHccL DRIVE V Roy Gore blasted for endangered fish failure MOAB, Utah Today environmental environ-mental leaders, led by former Sierra Club Executive Director David Brower, joined Green Party presidential presi-dential candidate Ralph Nader in blasting Vice President Al Gore and the Clinton Administration for their failure to forestall the extinction of endangered fish species in the Columbia River and Colorado River watersheds. Despite overwhelming scientific agreement that breaching of four fish-killing dams on the Snake River in eastern Washington state is necessary to protect dying salmon species, Mr. Gore is on record supporting sup-porting the Clinton Administration's recent decision to abandon the breaching proposal. "Al Gore has shown that enforcing enforc-ing the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act is unimportant in a tight political politi-cal race," said Mr. Nader. "Despite his reputation as being stiff, the Vice-President seems to have little backbone when it comes to protecting protect-ing the environment." Trout Unlimited recently called the Administration's position a "death sentence" for Snake River salmon. Noted environmental leader David Brower echoed Mr. Nader's sentiments. senti-ments. "The Vice-President is ignoring the law; is extinction necessary to get Mr. Gore's attention?" In the Southwest earlier this month, calls for decommissioning fish-killing dams were dismissed by the Administration. Federal dams in the Colorado River watershed are largely responsible for the endan-germent endan-germent of four fish species native to the river system vital to our prized national parks, including Grand Canyon. A coalition of fifty-five organizations organiza-tions led by Glen Canyon Action Network (GCAN) of Moab, Utah, called for decommissioning studies to be done on Flaming Gorge Dam on the Green River and a comprehensive compre-hensive study of endangered fish recovery to be performed for the entire Colorado River Basin. In clear violation of Council on Environmental Quality guidelines under the National Environmental Policy Act, the Administration announced it would not conduct a decommissioning study for Flaming Gorge. CEQ and NEPA regulations specify that the Administration must examine a range of alternatives in the NEPA process, not concentrate solely on a predetermined course of action which does not guarantee recovery-a requirement of the Endangered Species Act Recently the Administration declared its opposition to decommissioning decom-missioning Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River, failing once again to support recovery of endangered endan-gered species and restoration of the river ecosystem through Grand Canyon National Park. 0"er the past four months, a GCAN-led coalition of sixty-five organizations has called for removing Glen Canyon Dam and restoring 250 miles of inundated river. "Al Gore fiddles while the Earth bums,' said Mr. Brower, Chairman of Earth Island Institute. "Scientists agree that many dams have to go if we're to save our rivers, but the Vice-President seems willing to sacrifice it all for commercial interests." inter-ests." Many rivers in the United States are profoundly harmed by dams which block fish migration routes and destroy habitat For years, dam removal has been known to be critical crit-ical in protecting and restoring endangered fish populations. "The Columbia and Colorado river systems are dying, and their resuscitation depends on dam decommissioning," said GCAN President John WeisheiL "Alternatives are available to address all the supposed benefits of these dams, but Clinton and Gore would rather watch these rivers perish than have the Vice President lose campaign contributions." - The Administration continues to discount the viability of and growing grow-ing need for removing large dams as part of a sound river management policy for the twenty-first century. Power generated by dams is becoming less economical as the cost of environmental mitigation increases. Increasing energy conservation conser-vation efforts using existing technologies tech-nologies can lead to significant reductions in electricity demand. The vast majority of water diverted from rivers is used for heavily subsidized and inefficient irrigated agriculture. More appropriate appropri-ate agricultural practices could eliminate the need for many of these dams and still meet municipal needs for generations to come. Existing road and rail transportation transporta-tion systems provide viable alternatives alterna-tives to dam-assisted river transportation trans-portation and allow the costs of moving commodities to be incurred by shippers instead of being subsidized subsi-dized by taxpayers. Despite massive investments in structural approaches to flood control, con-trol, rising economic flood losses have caused river management experts to plan for and work with floods instead of trying to defend against them. Mr. Brower and Mr. Nader noted that Vice-President Gore "has set a new standard for hollow environmental environ-mental rhetoric" and urged the Vice-President Vice-President to act on his book, "Earth in the Balance," to safeguard biological biolog-ical diversity. "Had Mr. Gore read his book as carefully as I have," said Mr. Brower, "he would realize the necessity of decommissioning the dam that could restore Glen Canyon, a world wonder equal to the Grand Canyon." Dutch John... Continued from page 1 the longest continuous residency or longest time elapsed from when their lease was issued by the Bureau of Reclamation and given priority for purchase. Eligible residents were provided with notice of properties prop-erties that were available, their appraised market value and any purchase pur-chase contract requirements. It was the responsibility of interested buyers buy-ers to fill the requirements and submit sub-mit a purchase contract. Every available house in Dutch John has a contract to be sold, with 30 homes currently purchased since the privatization went through. Also sold have been six lots where there are modular homes. The Bureau of Reclamation will retain 14 homes to house employees. With the building of Flaming Gorge Dam in 1958, 80 percent was to be used for energy and 1 5 percent was for flood control. The money spent on the flood control was not an expense that could be repaid. With the sell of the homes in Dutch 'John the Bureau of Reclamation will put the money into their treasury trea-sury to offset the 15 percent originally origi-nally paid. By the end of this year the Bureau will have finished its involvement in the Dutch John community privatization. priva-tization. Sales to outside individuals wishing wish-ing to purchase lots will be at the determination of the county as to when those will become available. A list of interested purchasers is currently being kept at the Daggett County clerk's office. For information informa-tion contact Vickie McKee. According to Busic, "from a geographical geo-graphical standpoint, Dutch John Is the some size as St George and has the potential for growing pains, but I don't believe the county will let that happen." Dutch John has two original businesses. Flaming Gorge Recreation Services and Green River Outfitters. There has already been a growth in the area with Green River Outfitters moving from its original location at the airport and expanding. With only about 700 year-round residents and winter recreation not a big revenue Busic believes that Dutch John will retain its small town charm. Drug Court... Continued from page 1 help the parents get through the drug court program, and have a chance to regain custody of their children as well. The relationship between drug use and crime and child neglect is indisputable, and is a drain on the limited resources in Utah's criminal and juvenile justice systems. Trie money for the drug court is from the settlement of the state's lawsuit against tobacco companies. Gov. Leavitt said the funding will be renewed annually. "I'm proud mat the state of Utah has recognized our efforts to build a successful coalition with the Uintah County Sheriffs Office, County Attorney and the 8th District Court," said Wallcntine. "We look forward to another successful year." The Uintah County Drug Court has one of the highest success rates in the nation at about 95 percent Maybe Washington and Salt Lake City recognize that small town America is where government really serves its citizens." , .pvt ft- |