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Show comment Citizen Wednesday, Oct 12, 1988 Page 2 Now is time to register for Despite a pretty lackluster performance in the recent primary pri-mary election, Utah voters can be expected to turn out in substantial numbers for the coming presidential election Nov. 8. ; But while Utah always boasts a high voter turnout, the fact is if you haven't registered, you can't vote. The coming election features a number of factors that will help get the vote out. In the first place, any presidential election generates a lot of interest. True, this yearns presidential campaigns have been lackluster and marked more by slurs than attention to programs pro-grams and policies. But most voters find one of the major candidates repugnant enough to draw them to the polls, if only to vote against Mr. Dukakis or Mr. Bush. Utah also features a gubernatorial campaign that is attracting attract-ing a lot of attention - due in a large degree to voter dissatisfaction dissatisfac-tion with Gov. Bangerter's performance over the past four years. Are tax initiatives harmful to health? Grumble leaned back in his chair and sipped his Coke through large chunks of ice. He let out a low moan something like an animal that had been caught in a trap for a few hours and was just getting mentally prepared to start gnawing gnaw-ing off its leg to get free. What on earth is the matter? I asked. I hadn't seen Grumble so despondent in months. "It's these tax initiatives," he said. "They are going to pass, aren't they." The comment was a statement, state-ment, not a question. Looks like it, I said. The opinion polls say the popularity of the initiatives ini-tiatives is waning, but not enough to turn things around before election elec-tion day. "But can't people see how the health of our state will be affected if they pass Initiative B. It has me worried to death." Well, that's certainly not healthy. But why do you see this as a health issue? "Haven't read the initiatives. If Initiative B is passed, it will reduce the cigarette tax by 1 1 cents a pack. That can't do anything but encourage encour-age people to smoke. "I just can't figure out why these tax people are so anxious to make it that much easier for people to afford af-ford those 'coffin nails,' anyway." But you don't understand, Grumble. It's not the cigarettes that have been targeted, it's the taxes. "You say that, but that's not the way it works. If we approve Initiative Initia-tive B, all well be doing is making Women suffering from I perceive a malady amongst the women of the world. I call it "dis-unitus." "dis-unitus." Men are not immune, and children may be victims, but the ill side-effects affect nearly all women. . Underlying dis-unitus are three basic questions without black and white answers: ( 1) To bear, or not to bear. That's bear, as in "to have children," not "bare," as in "to take off clothes;" (2) To work or not to work; and (3) To relate or not to relate with those having different opinions and life-styles. Differences on these questions are dis-uniting us. It takes communicating with style and an understanding of various personality types to help us live in harmony with each others' differences. differ-ences. I'm assuming that we want to live in harmony with each other. Sometimes I'm not so sure we do. Let's look at the first question, to bear or not to bear. Ill write about the other two another time. For too many women, nature decides a different course in life than that which they would choose. I ache for women who would love to have children, or more children, and find that is not their lot during this life. ' In the meantime, for those of us who have been blessed with fertile bodies, there's another dilemma: how to deal with those who think we are culprits rather than Zion's mothers raising a chosen generation. genera-tion. State white By GREG BEESLEY Chairman, Utah Tax Limitiation ' Coalition of Utah . On Sept. 23 at the State Capitoj the Governor's Committee on Cost Effective Government presented the report of its 10-month study of four tax-supported organizations. Tragically, what should have la-en a celebration of public-spirited service on behalf of taxpayers turned into a grand media production to discredit- this significant effort: The committee, it seems, estimated that fronr $40 to $60 million . dollars could be saved annually by the introduction o modern management techniques. I further found that the University of the editor's column By MARC HADDOCK it easier for people to get a smoke. "That starts a vicious circle. Older people will smoke more. More younger kids will start because be-cause cigarettes will be cheaper. "And it affects us all, since we have to breathe the air that smokers smok-ers pollute." But Grumble, I said, people don't go in for that kind of activity any more. We are smoking less and enjoying health more. "Just because it's cheaper than tobacco. But mark my word, if they lower the price, they will increase the use." That's a pretty narrow viewpoint. view-point. And besides, they aren't just lowering the cigarette tax. Gas will cost 5 cents-a-gallon less as well. Won't that be nice? ' ' 1 Gt; "Absolutely not. You think driv-ingis driv-ingis so healthy? Look athowmany people get killed on the highways up my alley By DEBRA HADFIELD A number of researchers are now writing about what they perceive per-ceive as an American "birth dearth," and the calamities they perceive will befall the free countries coun-tries of the world if we don't start having more babies right away. Gene and I have tried to fulfill our patriotic duty in balancing the birth score with the communists. Despite the birth-dearth gang, many Americans don't appreciate our efforts. When my husband ventured with me and our six children to Monterey, Calif., for a business convention, I took the children to the famed Monterey Aquarium alone. That adventure brought endless if; - washes committee findings on waste Utah, which is surely the greatest sacred cow this side of Bomgay, was shot through with poor management practices. Not the last of these was an unwillingness at almost every level to institute cost saving procedures. For example, one of the small findings of the committee was that graduate students in the Mining Department are subsidized to the tune of $26,000 each per year and that half of those receiving graduate degrees then leave the state for work. It can't be asking too much to ask the university to reconsider this sort of arrangement. The study also found that the teaching load at the U averaged between five and six hours per As CandidatesWilson and Bangerter line up on the same side on major issues, we could expect interest in the election to wane. Merrill Cook, however, has spiced up the election by offering a strong contrast to the Republican and Democratic candidates. Many Utah voters are interested in getting rid of the legislators legisla-tors who gave us Utah's largest tax increase in history two years ago again a plus for a large voter turnout. And, speaking of taxes, the three initiatives on this year's ballot are generating as much controversy and emotion as any issue on Utah's ballot in recent history. The tax initiatives and their implications have stirred up voters, both for and against, to such a degree that many people who haven't darkened a voting booth in years may be expected to show up at the polls on Nov. 8. That's why now is the time to register for the election, if you need to do so. . You need to register if you haven't voted since before the last every week. Higher gas prices keep people off the roads, and that benefits bene-fits everyone, doesn't it? . "Not only that, but fewer people driving cars means less air pollution. pollu-tion. Anything we can do to delay the consequences of the greenhouse green-house effect will benefit mankind. "When you think about how unhealthy all these changes will be, you just can't help but wonder if we should be increasing taxes on cigarettes and gas, instead of rolling roll-ing them back to when we were driving and smoking too much, nonchalantly flippingour ashesout the window as we rolled down the highway. "Besides, doesn't it seem odd that the decrease on the gas tax will take away the funds to repair roads while encouraging more of us to spend our free time joy riding?" I could see Grumble was out of control, so I tried to slow him down a little bit. But it isn't just cigarette and gas tax, I protested, Initiative B will also reduce sales tax and income tax. The theory is that if people have more money to spend, it will spark our economy and improve things all around - increasing tax revenues because of an improved business climate. "Well, that's unhealthy, too," Grumble raved. "We already spend .too much money in this state on tcandy and soda pop highest per capita expenditure in the world and the universe, if I remember right. Why do we want to give people more money to buy things 'dis-unitis' gaping and comments from unknown un-known onlookers. I overheard one woman comment com-ment to her friend, "Look at that poor woman. I've been watching her. All those kids call her "Mom.' So she's spent thirty dollars to bring those kids in here to stare at fish, when she could have gone to the pet store for free!" Nathan, who was 10 that summer, sum-mer, said, "Mom, just tell them we're the Monterey 1st Ward Primary Pri-mary having a quarterly activity." During that same trip, when I went in a grocery store in San Francisco to buy supplies for one lunch, the checker asked me what I was celebrating. A couple of years before that, we took our three young sons on another an-other business trip to Denver. This trip we left our two little girls with Grandma. I was standing on a corner in downtown Denver with my little boys, waiting for my husband to come from a meeting, when a prostitute pros-titute walked up to me and indignantly indig-nantly told me that something ought to be done with people like me. Two years ago, Gene and I went on another business trip to San Antonio, Tex. This time we took only our youngest daughter. She was five months old. When we arrived home, I wrote this verse to her: EXCHANGED GREETINGS Oh, Baby Tawna, How many times have we heard quarter. By contract, faculty members are required to teach eight hours. This finding was undisputed un-disputed by the university for three Jnonths, but on the day of the report presentation it was announced that the Board of Regents claimed that the faculty was actually teaching nine hours a quarter. The committee discovered a conflict of interest on the Granite School Board, where teachers and principals or the spouses of teachers and principals were serving. ser-ving. In the Health Department, they found different personnel systems being used in different parts of the same department and duplication in budgeting and accounting efforts. Nov 8 general election that are clearly unhealthy?" He took another sip of his Coke. "As for income tax, we already have too high a standard of livingin this country. It makes us greedy and soft and lazy. "The way I see it, that tax increase in-crease two years ago was a blessing. bless-ing. It helped us realize that we are better off with fewer material possessions" pos-sessions" When did you become such a minimalist? I asked. As far as I remembered, Grumble had always been pretty satisfied with all his stuff. "Since 1987 -just like the rest of Utah. About that time I gave up smoking, sold my car and got rid of all my property because I couldn't afford any of those things anymore. But I'm used to it now. "The way I see it, the tax initiatives initia-tives are a step back to a more selfish time. We experience personal per-sonal growth in adversity - so the tax initiatives are anti-personal growth, the way I see it. "Besides, if they roll back those taxes now, there won't be anything in it for me." Well, that seems like a pretty selfish reason to oppose cutting our taxes, I said. "Maybe, but after all, selfishness selfish-ness is a good part of what these tax initiatives are all about." And without giving me a chance to talk back, Grumble rput 'his . empty glass on the counter and -headed out the door to begin the long walk to the refrigerator box he now calls home. our customary greeting exchange: ex-change: "A baby girl! Is this your first?" "Oh, no, she's our sixth." And then we brace, me with pasted smile, you with soft-eyed baby reception, recep-tion, for expected shock waves. "Your SLXTH? SLX children?" I reply with forced calmness, with strained cheerful countenance counte-nance to soothe the shaken air: "Yes, we have six children," And wait to guide the varied conversation con-versation paths leading in the same direction: "Oh, my dear girl, how do you do itr "But you look so young for six children!" (I don't hear that one so much any more.) "How can you give them individual individ-ual attention?" "All from your first husband?" "Do you get any time for yourself?" your-self?" And I reply, once again, sensing, without desiring, self-defense, self-defense, "My time is mine; I chose them, each one, to share that time." And then I add, if the air needs further cooling, still with soothing smile, "Someday they'll pay your social security," and whisper to myself silently, "And mine." Recommendations made by the committee largely related to the improvement of processes used for budgeting - considering cost vs. expected benefit and eliminating marginal programs - and the application ap-plication of sound management techniques in providing services in a cost efficient manner. Unfortunately, the committee members were under the impression im-pression that their task was to use their business knowledge (and let there be no mistake, these were professionals) to try to help the government improve its service to the people of the state. In some cases, their work was presidential election, if you've moved out of your previous voting district since the last time you voted, or if you will turn 18 before the election and haven't voted before. Voter registration is simple. It can be done at the Utah County Elections Office (in the new Utah County Building on University Avenue and Center in Provo) by Oct. 18. Also, neighborhood registration agents will take registrations registra-tions Nov. 1, 2 and 3 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. in their homes. The addresses of local agents will be published in this newspaper the last week in October. , Voter registration is the first step towards exercising your right and obligation to take part in the selection of the people and policies who will run our nation and state over the next four years. If you're not registered in your current voting district, make sure you do so now, before it is too late. Then on Nov. 8, don't forget to vote. The scout says a lot about the boy A short time ago it was necessary for us to buy a Cub Scout uniform for our grandson. I was amazed to learn how expensive scout equipment equip-ment is. No wonder it is difficult for some parents to outfit their boys with scout uniforms. Anyway, it reminded me of the time, many years ago, when I was a scoutmaster. I had never achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, but I was well aquainted with the great out-of-doors. Mine were the older scouts with eight boys in the troop. Seven of the eight were normal boys, but number eight was a bit of a problem. Not that he was mean or spiteful, quite the opposite. He had the personality that could sell iceboxes to Eskimos. But he was lazy and wouldn't do his share of the assignments. As an example. It was decided we would take a trip to Yellowstone, In order to finance it, we decided to collect scrap metal and sell it to a junk dealer. The father of one of the boys had an old truck which he let us use for our collecting. In those days Orem was spread out over a vast area and many people had small farms with a lot of farm equipment, some of which was allowed to rust in their backyards. These were " the tmef 'whom we contacted for our collection. For example, there was old Cliff Jones whose backyard looked like a junkyard with old farm equipment, including an ancient tractor. I knocked at his door and explained what we wanted. He let out a few choice swear words and informed us that he owned nothing to the Boy Scouts. But then he looked at the boys who stood just outside his front yard. He pointed to one boy and said, "Is he one of your group?" I assured him he was. "He is one of my ward teachers and is a mighty fine boy. If he is a member of your troop you can help yourself to that stuff out back, including in-cluding that old tractor." So preparations were started. Each boy ws assigned to make a trail tent. He could choose the color of trim for his tent. Through the C letters to the editor School events Editor: We would like to comment on the success of two events held recently re-cently at American Fork High School-Back To School Night and Parent-Teacher Conferences. It was gratifying to see so many parents par-ents involved in their student's education, and we, as a PTSA board, would like to thank the parents in this community for their support. We appreciate the principal and his assistants for sending information informa-tion home through the mail so that every parent would be notified not only of these two events, but other events each month. The teachers recognised as helpful and they were welcomed. But in the case of the University of Utah, they were caught by surprise when they came face-to-face with the anger and resentment of those who kingdoms they were invading. That the governor and his staff have allowed, and even encouraged, the discrediting of this important effort is an indication of why our state is in its present difficulties. Placing politics with i.axpayeio money has, unfortunately, become an accepted practice in our state. And who dbuots mat it will continue so long as the people don't put a stop to it? browsing 1 ' ji jl By TOM GRIFFITHS B winter months, the boys, with the help of their mothers, completed rtheir tents. That is all but the personality kid. He had not started on his. I contacted his mother and with her help his tent was completed. com-pleted. On Saturday mornings when we sallied forth to collect scrap he always had an excuse to do something else. Our finances were secured and from our ward members we were given a few chickens and even a few rabbits. That summer morning in July ' donned early and fair and our boys were on their way to Yellowstone. You learn a lot about boys when you travel with them. For example, we stopped at a cafe for our breakfast. One boy had pancakes which he proceeded to cover with catsup. Another boy had root beer with his scrambled eggs. The stop in Yellowstone was Old Faithful. It was here we had supper. We cooked the chickens and the rabbits in two dutch ovens with potatoes, carrots, etc. Those boys couldn't tell, or didn't care, which was chicken and which was rabbit. It all went down the same way. The next day we traveled to Lewis Lake. This was the jumping off , point for our hike to Heart Lake, a distance of over 12 miles. The adventure of our personality kid happened at Heart Lake. Next week I will tell all about it. successful were well prepared in suggesting ways of encouraging and motivating motivat-ing our students and in giving feedback feed-back to the parents of their student's progress. The guidance counselors provided pro-vided each parent with a copy of their student's needs in order to complete graduation requirements. require-ments. So many parents were appreciative of this effort in becoming becom-ing better informed. Information was also given by the Counseling Center concerning scholarships, ACT testing dates, Advanced Placement classes, vocational voca-tional programs, etc. Parents provided pro-vided a luncheon for the teachers so they could stay at the school for Parent-Teacher Conferences. The Parent-Teacher-Student link was made stronger because of the efforts of individual people. It is great to be involved in the PTSA at American Fork High School. Our slogan for the year, "PTSA is for EVERYBODY.'wascertainlyrein-forced. EVERYBODY.'wascertainlyrein-forced. Our thanks to you all. American Fork High School PTSA Board Home Town Service Up-Town Selection American Fork Chamber of Commerce |