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Show Vol. 10, No. 37 Editorial Tax initiatives would go too far in cutting govt. I very rarely consider political issues important enough to take a personal stand in the pages of this newspaper. As a matter of policy, we don't endorse political candidates. On most other issues we try to inform our readers and let the voters decide. But two of the tax initiatives which will appear on the November ballot are far too important to the future of this state to slip by without personal comment. Beginning on page six of this issue, you will find the full text of the proposed initiatives. By law, the state is required to publish the initiatives. We've gone to the extra expense to also publish a research report by the Utah Foundation, a private, nonprofit public service agency established to study taxes and government. The report takes an impartial look at the initiatives and their impact. Please read them. The effects of the tax initiatives are too far reaching for any taxpayer to rely on the legalistic wording of the initiatives alone. We owe it to ourselves and our posterity to study the issue carefully. Now for the personal comment. While I am in favor of cutting the fat out of government and lowering taxes to stimulate the economy, I am greatly concerned about the combined effect of both Tax Initiatives A and B. On the surface, they sound great. And perhaps a march on capitol hill with budget ax in hand is the only way to curb growing government bureaucracy. But please, let's take a more cautious approach. It's one thing to put the "fat boy" of government on a diet and, over time, train him to exercise, eat right and become lean. It's quite another to suddenly appear with a chain saw, hack off his leg, and then expect him to run a marathon. That is the kind of contest the state of Utah must run to keep up with growing public school enrollments and the critical link between economic health and higher education. The tax initiatives cut too much, too soon, too suddenly. I .don't intend to get into the battle over which figures to believe. One simple example, seems to tell the whole story: If we set budget priorities and say that public and higher education, social services, public health, and corrections are too important to be cut by the tax initiatives, then all other areas of government can be cutback to meet the budget. The problem is that all other areas of government would have to be totally eliminated and then some that's how drastic the combined effect of both initiatives is. And don't get caught in the trap of comparing other states. Differences in school enrollments, taxing formulas and appropriations are too complex to make simple comparisons between states. Finally, there are some principles involved regarding the tax protest movement that need to be considered. 1. Unfortunately this is not a march on the federal government. If we could march to Washington, D.C. and demand a balanced budget, I'd be one of the first to sign up. However, the state of Utah has always been required to have a balanced budget in a very fiscally conservative environment. Tax protesters have done an inadequate job of showing where there is $346 million dollars (plus many millions more in matching federal funds) to be cut in "fat." 2. The initiatives give government no time to adjust. Instead of phasing in the tax cuts, they are sudden and drastic. Even if that much fat exists, the leg will have to go because there's no time for a diet. 3. No one really knows for sure how the tax initiatives will affect the future of the state. That will be left up to our legislators. The irony here is that the tax initiatives say we don't trust them to set a budget in the first place and yet we expect the same legislators to spend a drastically reduced budget more efficiently. When the tax initiatives were written with no regard as to how less money will be alloted, I can only assume the primary motivation was a selfish look at the initiative's authors' own pocketbooks. If our elected legislators are too inept (or corrupt) to set a realistic budget in the first place, I would not trust them to spend a lot less with greater wisdom. The fat will likely stay and the lean muscle will go. 4. The whole concept of the tax initiatives, as they are now written, is antagonistic toward the constitutionally established form of government that has created the highest standard of living in the history of the world. Sure the initiatives are "of the people," but as they now stand, they not only cut all state and local budgets, they tie the hands of our legislators by imposing an untried formula that, in the long run, could be disastrous. We elect legislators to represent us, to handle unforeseen problems and opportunities. No formula can provide that kind of flexibility. If taxation by representation doesn't work, the tax initiatives will only make things worse. I'm sure the tax protesters will now include me with the "Main Street Mafia" and claim that I have some mysterious interest in state spending. They accuse the opponents of the initiatives of using "scare tactics." Well, I guess it worked because I'm scared. I'm scared for the five interests in state spending I have safely tucked in bed. They will soon get up to go to an extended-da- y elementary school that has more students enrolled than my entire high school had only 15 years ago. For their sake I plead with you to vote NO to Tax Initiatives AandB. Bezzant Publisher 50 cents a single copy Wednesday, September 14, 1988 Hadley leads in Primary Poor weather and few primary races combined for a low turnout in Tuesday's Primary election. Utah County Democrats were favoring Robert Stringham over Craig Oliver by a wide margin with about half the election results in. Don LeBaron and Greg Hadley were locked in a tight battle, with only a handfull of votes separating the incumbent and his challenger to become the Republican nominee for Representative District 58, which covers Highland, Alpine, most Pleasant Grove and part of American Fork. John Valentine led Bryce D. McEuen in the race to be the Republican candidate for State Representative District 59, which covers Lindon, part of Pleasant Grove and part of Orem.. Lenora Plothow led by a wide State margin in the Board of Education, District 8 race, with Jay Liechty as a strong secong place. First and second place will run in the November general elec- Si 1 I m t - t , non-partis- tion. Here are the unofficial tallies at press time Tuesday night, with more than half the districts report- Delores Clcgg, left, Norma Anderson and Elsie Ozancin wait for voters in Lehi District 7 during Wednesday's Primary election. ing. U.S. Representative, Dist. 3, Democratic Party 855 Craig S. Oliver Robert W. Stringham 1597 State Representative, Dist. 58, Republican Party State Board of Education, Dist. 8, 148 167 Don LeBaron Greg Hadley Non-Partisa- 940 Jay Liechty 472 1745 507 387 Rulon R. Garfield Lenora Plothow Charles H. Stewart n N.LeeCrabb Pressurized irrigation system, UTA to be on November ballot The question as to whether Lehi needs a pressurized irrigation system will be decidedby citizens after the city council okayed a motion to put the issue on the ballot this November. The council also approved a motion to put the Utah Transit Service issue before the public to be voted on in the upcoming election. A public hearing on the pressurized irrigation system was held in conjunction with the city council meeting on Aug. 23. Mayor Tripp told those gathered for the hearing that the council had been studying the proposed system for about three years. He said that the council had investigated three alternatives, and that the one chosen for additional consideration was one that would convert the old culinary system into a pressurized irriga ' Barnes indicated that he was in favor of the project. Another citizen, Sterling Merrill, also expressed his support for costs, help eliminate ditch flooding, do away with culverts, reduce insurance costs, resolve ditch conflicts, increase the water supply, protect fire insurance rates. Powell also said the system would eliminate asbestos and lead from the system and be safer than the current system. Reldon Barnes, a citizen present at the hearing, asked where the storage facilities would be located and where the water would come from. Powell said two reservoirs would be constructed, one in the low hills, and one on the old city dump property. The water would come from Deer Creek, shares held by Lehi Metropolitan Water, Lehi Irrigation Company share, water share held by Lehi City, Jordan Aqueduct water, and from wells in town not being pumped. tion system and then to construct a new culinary system. Mayor Tripp asked City Engineer Lorin Powell to explain the proposed system before receiving input from those citizens present for the public hearing. Powell explained that the current problems with the present system were inadequate storage capacity, not enough water for growth, and lead and asbestos in the present system. He said thatfundingfor the $4.7 million project was being requested from three agencies, the Safe Drinking Water Committee, the Department of Natural Resources and the Community Impact Board. The debt service would be paid by user fees. Powell said the proposed system would eliminate ditch maintepower nance, reduce well-pumpi- the proposal. Mayor Tripp said that the city must take steps to protect the good drinking water, and that if the new system doesn't go, the city would have to double it's storage capacity, would have to drill a new well and change the distribution system sometime in the future to eliminate asbestos and lead. After the public hearing closed, the council okayed a motion to place the proposed pressurized irrigation system project on the November ballot and to authorize the city engineer and city recorder to provide the wording with the approval of the mayor. Mayor Tripp opened a public Continued on page Las Vegas Students pitch in to help jury convicts Bennett classmate who lost all in fire When teachers and office work- ers at the Lehi Elementary School became aware of the plight of one of their students, Dustin Beveridge, 8, they pitched in to help. The boy and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Bill Beveridge, 155 West State, lost their home and belongings in a fire on Labor Day. The family lived in a trailer home which was almost a total loss despite the efforts of Lehi's volunteer Fire Department. The boy escaped with just the clothes he was wearing at the time of the fire. .r. "i l.. St ..df? S if Bennett's trial enters its People have been just wonderful, according to Mrs. Carson. "Dustin had a grin a mile wide when he saw what people had donated." jmkm-'- 1 pen- alty phase today as the same jury determines if he should get the death penalty, by lethal injection, or spend his life in prison, with or without the possibility of parole. Bennett was charged with shooting Michelle Moore at the Las Vegas convenience store where she worked. Joseph Beeson, 18, Orem, will stand trial next month for the same death. "Anything synthetic is ruined in a fire of this nature. The contents of the trailer were almost a total loss," he said. 1 UP Edward Bennett, 19, Lehi, was convicted Monday by a 12- - member jury in Las Vegas, Nev., of first degree murder, attempted murder and attempted robbery. been very gratifying." Chief Smith said that the fire was contained in about 15 minutes, and that much of the loss was caused by smoke damage. Fire Chief Grant Smith estimates that the family suffered a $6,000 loss which was not covered by insurance. Chief Smith said that the fire probably started in the kitchen area of the trailer because of faulty hot plate coffee maker. Glenda Carson, a secretary at the Lehi Elementary School said that notes were sent home with students asking for help for Dustin. "We've received bags full of clothes, some of them have too. Theresponsehas 2 !hU 7P ,: " ji ji ' " f Workers, cranes and tow trucks struggle to roll truck back on its wheels after it overturned on southbound week. Rollover brings Traffic southbound on the freeway came to a standstill last Tuesday, Sept. 6, when a diesel truck rolled over. Lehi Fire Department and of- .1 1-- 15 ficers from the Lehi Police and the Highway Patrol responded to the accident P m, which occurred about 1 last to standstill The driver, Robert Howell of Salt l,ake City, apparently fell asleep at (he wheel. Although he awoke when the truck drifted into the median, he and the truck rolled over-correcte- d 1-- onto its side, Howell received glass cuts in his hand and elbow and about $8,000 damage was done to the vehicle. |