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Show The Daily Utah Chronicle, Wednesday. January 18, 1978 Page Four eoirono A kirk johnson -L- Federal bureaucrats press American people to the wall If there is one thing that federal bureaucrats inevitably overestimate, it the extent to which the American jxople will allow themselves to be shoved around. taxes and social security contributions, coupled with the crushing weight of thousands of often contradictory and inane regulations have, at least according to one economist, pushed a sizable number of people to the wall. The wall in this case is the black market, the cash maiket. Ehe "underground economy:" a place where individuals can be free from regulation, interference, and most importantly, income tax. Dr. Peter Gutmann, an economist at City University of New York's Baruch College, said in an article in the Financial Analysts Journal recently that the underground economy currently employs from 800,000 to 1.6 million persons who are not officially recorded as working and may add some $200 billion a year to the reported Gross National is Ever-increasin- g so-call- Product. A portion of that estimated $200 billion much less than half, according to Gutmann is based on outright crime. The rest, he maintains, is generated by legal or quasi-lega- l business enterprises that operate on a cash basis, enabling them to underreport "their receipts and thus evade some taxation. He lists restaurants, car washing establishments, garages, bars and many retail sales and service businesses as particularly able to conduct at least some of their transactions basis. on an underground, cash-onlfree. Such Cash Tax phrases are becoming easier and only. easier to swallow for the millions of Americans who feel themselves shouldering the weight of a snowballing welfare bureaucracy. Indeed, Gutmann concludes in his article that y Editor: The Certainly, a black market is nothing new. Underground cash markets have existed throughout history; whenever the existing powers whether economic or governmental made it profitable for them to operate through or of officially sanctioned trade. In States United World the War II, a thriving black during maiket developed to distribute the otherwise rationed or government controlled goods. After the war, the use of strictly cash markets declined, according to Gutmann, until 196 However, by Gutmann's research figures, the underground economy has been growing steadily since 1961, and in 1976, when the study jxriod ended, showed no signs of slowing down. There" would appear, then, at least one pretty obvious conclusion from Gutmann's data: Americans are patriotic only as far as their pocketbooks or the perceptions of freedom will stretch. When they begin to feel their is not being served by overgrown government, and, in fact, that their freedoms may be in question, the stigma against operating outside that system becomes a much less painful barrier to cross. People are not stupid and they will only take so much a concept too many of our government officials seem over-regulati- over-taxatio- n 1 st understand. Rid hiliui-in-(.iit- Busini's1- Moll Fowler r ijllol t.imtnt-n- Joseph Brixkmefr (.op Diane Julie Harmon n Mill)! Bob Bauer I..IMM1I Jill Conk Vssim.iiii ( in r ilitnis t'luiii;r.ili (.olleen Reihert rdil'H Kdiriu Lisa Mkhele Hum ONLY Cassettes with FREE cassette storage case. QQ 3424 So. State L.i VlllMI Cardner Rrlll(l nl the lail I lull ( huinu ie do opinions rvpn'ssod on llir ilinii.il .i' ihr l'iiirrsil ntirss.iiil npitsiiil he urtts ill (hi suuti-n- rxxK .idiniiusii.iimii. Published d.iil dining l.dl. VMiiiei ,itul spring quitters mm mi hiding lesi wet k hi qiiaiiei hiciksi In I'nblii .mmis Couni il of die I'mversil nl I I, ill. Suhsi itiiions SL'II ,i e.it Mm hiding summer quarter), $ti .in di alli um im.niei All suhsi i ipnuiis must Ix piri,nd. I u weeks niiiur (01 i h.mge of .iddiess hiiw.ml .ill suhsi npnmi i oiiesmtidenie to Snlisi tipnon M.m.igei. Iail I Ink ( hriiiiii lr. I in. in Building. l'nirisii nl I 't.ih I Ik 111 ii ii Standard Audio 486-417- 9 SUN TAVERN - tt is he i d i mi must In is d .mil d(iiihlesp,ii i d nil a 7 sp,n i Inn Vddnss leltelstn I jl lets to 111 F limit." less s ill Ix given pi nil 11 the tight loiihi I lie ( hmiiii Ir Ii.in i unlets .is.iil.ihle lot out usi We n lot IiIk-1i it ii ii i i v .mil span- x m is in ''nl wolds I of I i 01 PRE can only say that if you haven't seen a gymnastics meet you are really missing something there's more to the world of sports than basketball. The women have their next meet January 27 at HPER 101 at 7:30 p.m., and I would really recommend it. Lynda 11 Heyer I Alpine Ski Team I want to apologize to the students who came in to pick up their books and checks for bookswap. The checks were written, but because of a problem with the change of signatures on the checks with the bank, I did not make it back at the designated time. All the checks have now been mailed to those students whose books were sold and the remaining books are found in Room 38 of the Business Classroom Building. Also, I would like to thank all those who participated in the program, especially the managers, Wes Decker, Mike Roberts and Bruce Peeples, who made it a bigger success than was expected this quarter. I would like to thank ASUU and the Chronicle for their support of the program and Gerald Walk of the University Book Store for supplying needed information. I think all those who participated thought it was a good idea and a worthwhile program. We hope all will participate again next quarter. Kirk Davis Controller Bookswap presents PHILLIP AFTOORA Director of Admissions Friday and Saturday Jan. 1 9th & 20th from 9:00 PM 'Til Closing 400 W. & So. Temple 74-spa- DENTAL CLUB presents ED PRATT & CO. The Daily Utah Chronicle accepts and encourages letters to the editors from its readers. All letters must be typewritten, signed and must include writer's name and social security number. Preference will be given to those letters typed on a line. Address all letters to: "Letters to the Editor," Utah Chronicle, Union Building 240. Typewriters are Daily available for use in the Chronicle office, north wing of the Union. Editor: ancv Etheridgr N u s t limit Martha Wickelhaus ssisi.mt Nrws Fdilot Jim Smedlev SjKlHS Hditoi kirk Johnson hdiion.il Fditoi nti M.in.itiri Siee Johnvin drmiiib; Mjii.trt Jeff Howrr 12- - Letters guidelines Thanks swappers Jonathan ( lark Hail l ssm i.ut Kdii'u 3UDC-9- 0 er CHRONICLE Free For Three Maxell team at the University is excellent. What really surprised me was the small number of people in attendance. Doesn't anyone remember the excitement of watching the women at the Olympics Nadia Commenechi or Olga Korbut? Well that excitement is here too! These girls have won many regional competitions and placed high in national competitions before coming to the University to compete, and they are high-calibcompetitors. I was on the edge of my seat for much of the night. . hard-presse- d maxell attended my first gymnastics meet last Saturday night. I'niversity women were competing against the I'niversity of Southern Illinois and both teams are ranked in the top 10 of the country. I was extremely impressed at the strength, agility and grace of all the competitors and thoroughly enjoyed the competition. Gymnastics is truly an amazing sport and our I ever-increasi- to CASE WESTERN DENTAL SCHOOL at the Marriott Library Auditorium Thursday, Jan. 19th 7:00 PM Refreshments will be served ALL INTERESTED STUDENTS WELCOME - Support gymnastics unless something is done to counteract "the public's growing contempt for the tax system and government regulation," an part of the nation's economy will go a resulting loss of confidence in "with underground its controls and and statistics plus huge losses in government tax revenues." self-intere- ETTERS LETTERS Rugged, lightweight touring skis... FISCHER Europa 99 99.00 Reg. 109.00 The Europa 99 is Fischer's lightweight mountain and open country touring ski. Light metal edges aid in improving edge hold and stability in downhill gliding and wind crusted snow. Durable, high strength reinforced fiberglass, polyethylene running base. Lengths 190, 200, 205. 210, 215 cm. I O OCA C a Ct. l M |
