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Show WedThursFri, June 30-July 2, 2004 The Park Record A-7 Utah still lags in spending on kids By JILL TUCKER MediaNews Group Wire California now spends less on its children than 47 other states, with only Utah and Arizona lagging lag-ging behind, according to the annual Children's Budget released Thursday. But that could change this year if the governor's proposed budget passes - a scenario that would likely drop California to 50th place in regionally adjusted dollars, said researchers at the Children's Advocacy Institute in their 11th annual report. "When faced with the choice between protecting adults' tax rates or investing in children, the governor chooses the former," said Elisa Weichel, administrative administra-tive director of the University of San Diego-based nonprofit organization. "In case after case, children take a cut in lieu of additional revenue contributions from adults." The report outlines the need for increased revenues to pay for a wide range of programs for children. To counter those who argue the state is overspending already, the researchers compared the percent of personal income Californians are putting into the general fund compared to years past. The vast majority of that money pays for education, health care, child care and other social services directly benefiting children. chil-dren. In 1978, state taxpayers were contributing 7.35 percent of their personal income to the general fund, according to the report. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's revised budget puts that figure at 6.13 percent. The report's authors contend that if Californians paid the same percentage as their parents did there would be an extra $15 billion bil-lion in the state's coffers. "We should at least spend what our forbearers spent," said Robert Fellmuth, the report's lead author. But that idea, said a Swaner teams up with Mosquito Abatement The Swaner Nature Preserve, the Summit County Mosquito Abatement District and Summit County Health Department have teamed up this summer to help prevent West Nile virus while preserving pre-serving the pristine nature and beauty of Swaner. Swaner Nature Preserve has almost 1,200 acres of protected wetlands providing home to at least 40 species of wildlife. The delicate balance of the preserve doesnt allow for current chemical methods of mosquito abatement. So in order to not disrupt this sensitive land, a cooperative agreement between Swaner and Mosquito Abatement has been reached. "By using more eco-friendly, more labor intensive methods, Mosquito Abatement will be able to protect the species that are already in the preserve while preventing pre-venting West Nile virus through eliminating adult mosquitoes," said Tina Quayle, executive director direc-tor of the Preserve. One species Quayle is especially especial-ly concerned about is the spotted frogs. Swaner, working with the Department of Wildlife Resources, has brought back the Columbia Spotted Frog. This native, widespread species has been gone for years. Through the cooperative effort, 5,000 of these tadpoles have been placed back in the preserve. pre-serve. Swaner is a test case for the similar reintroductions of these native species. Swaner has also given Mosquito Abatement permission to go out onto the preserve to test for mosquito larvae. "Typically, the public isnt allowed onto these sensitive areas, but in order to determine if and where mosquitoes mosqui-toes could hatch, these places need to be tested," said Quayle. She also said that a properly functioning wetland should not be host to mosquitoes. "When a wetland wet-land is healthy, there is no standing stand-ing water for mosquitoes to grow." "Thanks to the funding from the Health Department for the expansion of mosquito abatement, abate-ment, we can ensure the safety of the preserve while doing our part to prevent the spread of West Nile virus," said Quayle. For more information on the Swaner Nature Preserve, visit www.swanernaturepreserve.org or call 649-1767. www.parkrecord.com www.parkrecord.com COMPOSITE Available MDF & Bass Wood 1 WEEK DELIVERY 2 12" 3 12" 4 12" 7" A, 7 1 n" SI ATS 24"?C30" 7 Colors 3 Vilance Styles 1 Week Delivery See Store for Details $45 00 24NX36" Single Cell 3 Cell Sizes lOO'i of Colon Energy Efficient Low Maintenence Top Down - Bottom up Skylights Fait Delivery mmmvmsmmvcnmKj tt a r oo I &rfiv 1 r x rvo . Pmo Doot Site .till i i i.-nx lwT T7V I, m YUV 24"X36" '18 Patterns 100 Colors Sky Lights 'Angle Windows ' Room Darkening 1 Arches . 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But to close the deficit, the governor also wants to suspend Proposition 98, allowing him to reduce by $2 billion what's legally legal-ly owed to the state's public schools next year a compromise compro-mise he made with the state's education community. While the report takes aim at the governor's budget, it appears unlikely that all proposed cuts will make it through the Legislature. The 700-page report, for example, faults the governor's budget proposals for higher education, edu-cation, which it said "would result in over a half billion dollar disinvestment in our young adults and would add to the state's ongoing failure to ensure appropriate student access to higher education." Specifically, the report criticized criti-cized Schwarzenegger's plan to save $45 million by diverting 10 percent of the freshmen from California State University and University of California campuses campus-es into community colleges, to reduce by 10 percent the income ceiling to qualify for Cal Grants for college, and to wipe out "general "gen-eral fund support for outreach programs to help students get into and succeed in college. But the Legislature has already indicated its willingness to restore those proposed cuts, and budget plans espoused by both houses include full funding. Even with some proposed budget cuts still in flux, the report outlines nearly two dozen options for increasing revenue, including creating a revenue base of 7 percent of personal income, revising Proposition 13's tax rates for businesses, reducing business and personal tax exemptions and taxing alcohol. The report also provides a long laundry list of how to spend the money on health care, child care, education and so-called safety-net programs. In the meantime, the stale's commitment to children will continue con-tinue to be "embarrassing," said state Sen. Liz Figueroa, D-Fremont. D-Fremont. "It's very devastating that in this administration, we are not spending what we should on our children and our children's future," she said. "The people have to start calling all of us accountable." Your Real EstateTeQTYl... vi Tom Ward Mark Sanders 800-647-3727 sales skiproperty.com Tom & Mark CHOICE VIEW LOT GREENER HILLS In Heber $397,000 10.87 Acres with Panoramic Vie Of WMKh Moursuin llangt Sest View tot In The Subdivision Horse And Outbuildings Allowed Private Community Multiple Building Pmsitxlilies Available Close To Down Town Heber City HomeHide Away fUm imptt il(. .1(1'. . t. . .411.11 wU,. J 1 ! ' EVERYTHING! HURRY IN FOR BEST SELECTION June 29-July 5 only. OUTLET REAL EDDIE BAUER. 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