| OCR Text |
Show 1 6 - The Daily Thursday, November Utah Chronicle 16, 1995 Opinion Drinkers Are Not Alone in Wanting Safer State Roads rQ tax increase being proposed by two groups Kba- may mean drinkers will be paying a bit more for their anti-drinkin-g Raying five cents more per drink is unlikely to hurt the finances of but the most dedicated drinkers, but the effect of the proposed tax increase would be enormous. Revenues generated from the tax would go a long way toward aid- WWWIWfWR-- all agencies in catching and convicting drunk ing drivers. If the increase is adopted, 30 new Utah Highway Patrol troopers will be hired. Additionally, the woefully low salaries of existing troopers could be brought up to a level comparable with regional norms. With new, reliable, equipment, the force could also arrests would be accompainsure that the increase in drunk-drivin- g nied by an increase in conviction rates. The importance of increased vigilance on our highways is clear considering the number of deaths related to drunk driving has increased dramatically in Utah. deaths has decreased. Nationally, the number of drunk-drivinin killed 1994 Utah in However, 94 people were up 36 percent since 1990. But does it really make sense to impose yet another alcohol tax? Few commodities in this state are more heavily taxed than booze. The Alcohol Policy Coalition and Mothers Against Drunk Driving arc the authors of this proposal. They reason that since alcohol is required to produce drunk drivers, the liquid agent of our undoing should bear the tax. In this way, the proposed increase could be seen as a fair "use tax," similar to vehicle taxes, which help fund highway maintenance. However, it is no more a use tax than existing alcohol taxes that fund such diverse programs as school lunch. The vast majority of people who purchase alcohol Are not drunk drivers. Most drinkers are as terrified of drunk drivers as teetotalers and the people who love them benefit from arc. In fact, all drivers ' u w state-of-the-a- g - - Give Drunk Drivers alcohol-relate- Jackman - Chronicle ' If we're going to attempt to make sense of the current tax system fife by taxing only goods and activities associated with the services funded by those taxes wliich would be as confusing as it sounds then - Traffic Safety Administration there were deaths in 1993. Over 17,461 43 percent of all highway fatalities in 3 were caused by drunk drivers. In 1990 alone, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that drunken driving accidents cost America $46.1 Kenneth safe highways. - Editorial .. jgsm Columnist dreadful killer stalking the high- byways of America. This has no regard for race, religion or age. This killer is just as likely to extinguish the life of a young child as the life of an adult. It has killed people in every single state, county and city in America. It is difficult to catch this elusive killer, but even when the killer is caught very little action is taken. In fact, this killer can be found back on the streets in less than a year, and often in less than three months. This killer could be your next door neighbor, fraternity brother or even your uncle. The killer of whom I am speaking is better known as the Drunk Driver. there is no need for a tax increase on alcohol. Instead, existing alcohol revenues should be used to fund increased highway patrol expenditures, and the school lunch program should seek its funding from a more logical source: parents of school-agediildrcn. I Iowevcr, tliat proposal wouid fly over the Utah Legislature like a lead balloon. Instead of attempting to target segments of society with use taxes and ski taxes, doesn't it make more sense for all of us to share die load? After all, when it comes right down to it, all of society benefits from and nourished children, just as we all benefit from safe highways. Tlie Daily Utah Chronicle is an independent student newspa- is W2iys m lj Zkiller d d per. Unsigned editorials reflect the majority opinion of the Editorial Board. Ticket to Jail One-Wa- y According to the National Highway d to kill somebody. As the old saying goes, "Third time is the charm." I can only hope that the "charm" does not include myself, my family or my . friends. "The first step to combat drunk driving is to lower the legal blood alcohol contentfrom It would be quite easy for the legislature to stop this sense- less slaughter. does All Why society society put up .08 percent to .00 Why needs to do is with these scum leave decide they will any question as to whether not stand for who masquerade too drunk drivers as humans? Drunken driving much to anymore, and tell the legisla-"""- " is a scourge upon and not ture t0 pass society near enough is "being done to combat the comprehensive and driving laws. laws Under the drunk drivour current problem. In the state of Utah it can take up to three er docs not pay enough for the crime. DUI offenses before the offender has to The first step to combat drunk driving is serve any prison time. Usually this prison to lower the legal blood alcohol content time is minimal. In letting a DUI offender (BAQ from .08 percent fin Utah) to .00 percent Why leave any question as to whether escape with a slap on the wrist the judge is see "Drunk on page 7 basically giving die offender three more tries billion. percent or not a person has had drink?" anti-drinkin- g Gingrich Could Win in '96 -- If He Runs Against a Rock Jeff Chapman Chronicle Editorial Columnist imply said, there is no way that BiQ Clinton will lose the 1996 presidential elections. It may seem premature to make such predictions; a lot can happen in one year. Nonetheless, I will stick to my guns. While Colin Powell was still , hedging on whether to run for president or not, it seemed like he could win. Now, I don't see how anybody can beat Clinton. 'Who could beat him? Bob "I'm . Younger Than Ron" Dole? Phil "Deep-Throat- " Gramm? Newt "The Fuse Is Lit" Gingrich? Newt Gingrich has less chance of being elected than docs a blunt inanimate object. People don't like Gingrich. In the most recent Washington fhst poll. Gingrich only had a 29 percent approval rating and 45 percent disapproval. Clinton. Gingrich comes across as mean-spirite- harsh and power hungry. There is room for this in Congress, but not as the leader of the country. What about Bob? It's not that Bob Dole is old. It's not just that he has less charm than George m.- changes his opinion in an attempt to win support, then it scctis he's not in it because of his convictions and ethics. He's willing to sacrifice " Compare this to the 54 per- cent approval and 41 percent disapproval ratings given This is the same problem that Clinton faces. If Dole constantly -. :- - one-side- Christian right has grown over the past years. Now it is Its not just that he has less charm than George Bush. His real problem is that he is doling out his personal and political integrity "faster than large and influential enough to be a major factor in deciding the Republican nomination. It isn't, however, large enough to determine the Dreamworks SKG sold stock " these for the sake of power. This isn t exactly the same for u- Dreamworks SKG sold stock. He aKb&ir?1 radically Although we don't like to admit it, America docs like compromise. We like to imagine ourselves as one nation, not a nation divided. This is a Republican quandary. The power of the "It's not that Bob Dole is old h:. . u: :. j.i: t uu j uuiiuj political integrity" faster than n...K will never elect someone who is so - -- 3 pahf ft (Cyou .1 fete h crrb1 . ' presidency. So, in order to win the big race, trie Republicans will have to find a person who can rally the right and soothe the moderates. Reagan did this with his blind charisma. Bush cou,dn,t 1uitc PuU il off' CoIi PoweU wouldn't have had the con- al social stands. None of the cur- - rent candidates can rope in the middle voters. For all of the differences within the left's agenda, they form a much more cohesive whole. Jerry Brown, Paul Simon and Jesse Jackson occupy completely distinct political worlds, but they all accept each other as Democrats. Dole and Gingrich are in the midst of a Dole said the tax cut isn't viable and Gingrich went at his throat for not supporting the Contract with America. This infighting is common within the Republican's ranks right now. First-timcongresspeople, the taste of blood on their tongue, are on the warpath. cat-figh- t. e "It's a revolution,"' cries Newt. But the wind is running down behind the revolution's sails. The Republicans no longer have the nation's blind allegiance. This was noticeable on a small t "CKRtM" M past 7 . |
