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Show Sunday, November 6, jDon't listen to those biased views Short-ter- Editor, Herald: Taxpayers please take note. Approximately 90 percent of those people who are pleading for the defeat of the tax initiatives are drawing their pay from the public trow. Think about it. Local city employees, school boards, Utah Education Association members, and state employees are screaming about "dooms day" about to happen. Please do not be influenced by the obvious reasons these people are biased in favor of the defeat of the "ls iiAlc ABBCAI C BFA1M fiTfUC UFCriC OP THE HUNGRY TO IMPROVED MORALITY TOTHE HOPE OF WORLD PEACE WITH WISDOM, NOT ARMS. TO EQUALflY, JUSTICE, CPPCKTUNnY DECENCY im , t'O J C BUSH APPEAlSfO MY WALLET) and on. Please vote for the initiatives. Dale Butterfield Provo such thing as a free lunch ized plunder" a broad spectrum of Editor, Herald: I find the political campaigns so interminably long as to be almost nauseating. I suppose it does serve one purpose, however. Sooner or later most of the candidates have, a chance to try to be all things to as many people as they can and to switch positions when that seems expedient, i.e. we now find Governor Dukakis has been a liberal all along but just wasn't sure how and if he should say so. The gubernatorial race locally has been a hotly contested battle with the tax initiatives being a part of that. My point here is not pro or con on the initiatives, (I think many on both sides have spread enough wild threats and "the sky is falling" insinuations as to leave many of us shaking our heads), but that the message that many are tired of high taxes and sometimes unwise spending be heard. , Merrill Cook recently lashed out with if. some wild and irresponsible threats against Geneva Steel Company and pollution. While I recognize that being a strong environmentalist now seems to be the popular political position to take, this seems to me to be pure hypocrisy of the rankest kind. When a candidate who is promising to cut taxes and attract new business strikes out at an existing company which has had the economic imapct on this state's economy that Geneva has had, it appears to be a desperate and glaring ploy and certainly not a position designed to attract many new businesses to his kind of supportive loyalty. Idealistically, we all are pro environment, in favor of clean everything, and want lower taxes, more services, higher salaries, more money for education, " !' prisons, etc.,! lower prices, more and . i i better clean businesses, etc. Realistically, however, there isn't any free lunch! Someone is going to have to pay for whatever we get! Neither business nor government has money in and of itself except what they get out of my pocket, and yours. If we all continued to jump on the bandwagon i.r-of tighter and tighter regulations and restrictions and continue so that we make it impossible to operate, and lose the producing segments of our society, d can we continue as strictly a Reason and logic society? v would seem to me to say no. It's time for enough people to stand up and be counted who feel we can not continue to tighten standards and regulations to the point of ridiculousness where businesses can not operate, and jobs are exported, so that candidates for public office don't feel they are committing political suicide if they take that stand. We also need to support candidates who can enhance our econo' if my and not be deceived by those who promise pie in the sky prosperity as if we were to receive manna from heav , vote-buyi- ng ..' . I service-oriente- 1 en. Ray W. Nelson Orem Free yourself, vote yes on initiatives excessive taxation and extortionary programs to personal liberty and economic freedom? Are we so foolish that we would choose to allow powerful special interests to continue their control ever nearly all sectors of the marketplace and thus keep including Education competition and innovation to a mini- of public . mum? Can't we see through the sophistry of unionists, insulated profesself-servi- ng 1 ' . sionals, var-uu- s kinds of socialists whose alliance government appears threatened by the current tax rebellion? During his politically active years, Ezra Taft Benson warned of the dangers of allowing government to shift from its constitutional role of protecting ur n rights to a de facto criminal role of "redistributing the Wealth" and providing from this "legal- with r'l career bureaucrats, and God-give- Stephen Editor, Herald: On September 8 I sponsored a Women's Republican Club "Meet the Candidate Night." Commissioner Richard Brough indicated that all was not well in the Health Department. He told of unreasonable salary increases and other irregularities.. At the time I was greatly disturbed that such a thing was happening. Because of later conflicting stories, I took some time to research the six county health department, i.e., Central Utah District Health Department. Provo Whatever happened to common sense? Editor: It seems that common sense has a very uncommen virtue in government and almost unknown in become politics. I have been trying to find any tax limitation initiative that has been voted down by the people that has not resulted in a tax increase. All that I have been able find are similar to the California Proposition 13 that was passed several years ago that many people have referred to both positively and negatively in this campaign. It followed two initiatives that failed in two prior elections that were both followed by substantial tax increases. It seems inevitable, based on the history of this type of election, that if all three initiatives fail that we can expeftt a tax increase. In the last four years the "average" Utah worker, with the increase in the cost of living, the increase in taxes, and what has happened to the average wage has lost from 12 to 26 percent of his take home purchasing power. I don't, know of any average Utah worker that has called up and had his electricity, gas, telephone or even his cable TV turned off. We have all had to "tighten our belt" and cut out some extras and trim some of the waste, but we haven't ' cut out any of the essential services that we require to maintain a reasonable standard of living. If all three initiatives pass, the projections by proponents say that they total a 6 percent cut while the opposition says that they total more like a 12 percent cut. There are groups that claim' higher percentages than these but the gubernatorial candidates all claim within this range. Two of the candidates claim that the only way to handle these cuts would be to eliminate some essentail services and the other says that there would need to be no essential services cut. I personally will not vote for Initiative C because it seems to open the possibility of more loopholes for those who try to take advantage of the system. I will vote for A and B, however, because if one of them does not pass it will almost guarantee a tax hike and because I don't think that taking six cents out of the states dollar will necessitate cutting essential serv, ices. . Common sense says that six cents from the states budget dollar can be absorbed and help give the people of Utah a feeling that the state can Tespond positively to their needs without cutting kindergarten, busing or law Jock Andrews Provo Smokers benefit from tax initiative I obtained board minutes and data sheets from the district office and talked to the chairman, Commissioner Warren Jensen of Millard County. The health board consists of one commissioner from each county for a total of six and seven members. The representation of board members was decided by the six counties when the health district was formed. i On July 21, 1987 the health board (Brough was there and approved) set the following policies: 1. Each school nurse would be paid by the school districts and this amount would go directly to the Health Depart- ment. . 2. Each county would pay 30 cents per capita to replace the Utah Medical Assistance Program. The state had removed their Vz mill from the counties which had paid for this program. The 30 cents was not to make up for Sanpete County not paying their share. 3. The total bill per county (including the 30 cents) would be $3.30 per capital. (Not the reported $3.50.) 4. Piute, Wayne, Sanpete, and Juab . (not two counties are reported) would trade "in kind" (not free) office space by a determined formula; Millard and Sevier would pay rent charges. The statues required each county to furnish office space. The problem came when no one told our county clerkauditor, Pat Greenwood. In January, the county budget was set for the '88 year. The above items were not mentioned. Part of the problem was that Juab was on a calendar year and the Health Department was on a July to June year. (Starting in January, the Health Department is switching to a calendar year.) Later, Pat received the bill for the decisions made at the ' July 21, 1987 board meeting. Boy, what a shock and what a headache! Now who is supposed to get the information back to the counties? I totally disagree that Juab County no longer benefits from the Health Depart- ment's "in kind" contributions. Juab has a 10.7 percent of the six county population. Juab receives 12.3 percent of the personal health services, 13.6 percent of the environmental health services, 10.4 percent of the public health administration for an over all total of 12.3 percent. We're getting more than our share of service and it's good quality service too. For only $20,625 per year, Juab County is able to comply with a thick booklet full of state health regulations. On our own the amount would be prohibitive. The Health Department budget. staffed and morale was low. These raises brought the health staff more in line with comparable jobs and education levels. I know because I researched it out. It is a shame when something as vital as the health of our community is sacrified to the political ambitions of a candidate. Jeannette Johnson Part educate the students to the health hazards of smoking. Therefore it would be safe to say that no one would benefit from this tax decrease. Actually it would be correct to say that everyone would suffer from this action. This is just another of the many flaws in the tax initiatives. Richard B. Gappmayer Orem one-ha- lf - ! Editor, Herald: Tax limitation initiative "B" would decrease the cigarette tax by 11 cents would per pack. The net effect of this be to allow the smoker to get more smoke per dollar and to reduce by about $10 million from the state school of this money would be used to top-salari- ed Juab County's Commissioner representative is Richard Brough. Neither the director nor the staff have a vote. The board sets the policy and the budget for the Health Department. The director must administer within those parameters.i gains problem the last 4 years from Health Dept. J. Stone long-ter- m 7 Unhappy about Juab benefits d enforcement. Editor, Herald: Are we as a society so dependent on monopolistic, immoral government that we would willingly prefer the bondage : "so-calle- benefits." The tax limitation measures don't go too far, as some claim. If anything, if we want they don't go far enough government modeled after true, constitutional principles. Vote your conscience: Vote yes on the tax initiatives. a Page Editor, Herald: The three tax initiatives that will be on the November ballot are complex and leave many voters confused. However, the imapct if passed is clear and must be understood by all. Many voters have accepted the notion put forward by proponents of the initiatives that "tax cuts are followed by prosperity." This is an incorrect assumption however. The proponents argue that a tax reduction will put money in the hands of citizens that they in turn spend in their communities. And as this money moves through the economy it will have what is known as a "multiplier effect" resulting in economic development, creating new jobs etc. However, under current economic conditions, there will be little or no multiplier effect. Money which would be spent in our communities fixing roads, building schools, hiring school teachers, etc. will be transferred from the government to the private sector. Most of this money will leave Utah in the form of lower prices for goods and services purchased by people from outside the state. In other words, the big tax break that Utah Power & Light would receive means lower rates for people in California. The millions of dollars saved in taxes by UP&L actually means that local and state government will lose revenue that Editor, Herald: would otherwise be spent in local comHow many of us want a repeat of the last four years in the state of Utah with munities, creating jobs, maintaining f services, etc. poor economic conditions, inadequate Idaho, which passed similar initiasalaries and too many unhappy and discouraged citizens, while being taxed tives in 1978, has not prospered, but on the contrary has suffered econoirucally: from every angle by those who say that There has been a net loss of jobs in "we know what's good for you." Idaho over the past decade and educaAt Gov. Norm Bangerter's door lies for the responsibility the millions the tion as well as other important sectors of the economy have been hit hard. As taxpayers will have to pay the thrifts, because the state was foolish enough to a result, the people of Idaho have suffered greatly. enter into the insurance business, comUtah, on the other hand, has experipeting with private enterprise. enced a 30 percent higher growth rate At his door lies the $60 million Great than Idaho over the past decade and Salt Lake pumps, as if we could second enjoyed a net increase in jobs without a guess the weather. tax cut. At his door lies the responsiblity for A second argument made by propothe tax initativies, which without the nents is that lower taxes will attract mammoth tax increase wouldn't have businesses to Utah thus creating jobs, come about. A tax increase that any etc. The fact however is businesses do responsible person with a little calculanot make location decisions based pritor could have told him was way out of line. marily upon tax rate considerations. Infrastructure (roads, sewer, schools, At his door lies the huge bonuses paid to the etc.) as well as proximity to markets teachers if they and a skilled labor pool are more adA would retire. relative who took of told windfall important considerations. me he that that vantage would have had to work another seven Big business understands that a tax cut would result in the deterioration of to level and attain that years the infrastructure and is therefore not of payment; hence, we paid for a dead in its long term interest. UP&L, one of horse money without work. the biggest beneficiaries if the initiai This sounds like I'm not for teachers. I'm totally for teachers and against tives pass, is opposed to them because it understands the adverse impact it highly paid administrators who can will have on the business environment afford to drive a Porsche and take their in Utah. families to Europe while teachers live The proponents of the initiatives fail at a poverty level. to consider the fact that Utah receives I would be happy to lead the teachers a substantial amount of matching funds in a strike to get better salaries, which from the federal government which it beto well have may very happen, will loose if the initiatives pass. This cause, unfortunately, some of those in will result in an increase in user fees charge have to be hit over the head (water and electric hookup fees, fishing before they realize that teachers are for and hunting licenses, camping fees, real and have to eat. etc.) in order to make up the shortfall We, the citizens, state and nation are in revenue to state and local governthe losers when teachers have to moonment. Not mentioned also is the fact to because class less than light, they go that if the initiatives pass, tax on liquor prepared. It is our fault if test scores and tobacco would be reduced. not what they should be. are There is another important consideraIf all of the above makes you think tion. Utah has a very young population that I would vote for Wilson, I want you which means that the cost of education to know that I believe him to be every for a larger pool of children must be bit as poor an administrator as our borne by fewer workers. It is true that governor. The only thing he has offered is to BOND, BOND. My common sense per capita Utah has higher taxes than tells pie that is a hidden tax, but a tax many other states, but it is also true that Utah spends less on education per nevertheless. He doesn't have the training, educacapita because of the large school age tion or business expertise to turn this population compared to the wage earnstate around. Nor do I want Robert ing population. If family size in Utah were the same Redford, his financial lieutenant, to be as the national average, approximately to able call the shots on Provo Canyon $400 million in taxes used for education and Utah's environment. would be saved. If initiative C is It is time for us to put aside the labels of Democrat or Republican and passed, which would give a tax credit to families with children in private put on a label of Concerned Citizen. schools, this alone would result in an I am for the tax initiatives because estimated $3.7 million loss to the altells me we that cannot my budget continue the growth of government at ready stretched state education budget. This would handicap the citizens of its present rate. The plight of citizens Utah in the increasingly competitive of this state with little income is totally ignored. Each government entity raises job market. The voters of Utah must resist the salaries and taxes almost yearly. Someshortsighted temptation" to lower taxes thing has to give! a few dollars and consider the long It's time this government once again term impact it will have upon our became a government "of the people, children and the future economic vitaliby the people and for the people," and not a government by a few of the rich. ty of our communities. Eric Hyer Arline H. Heaton Orem Provo are our priorities? The Salt Lake City county sheriff is calling fcr the defeat of the initiatives. He is "double dipping" at the taxpayers expense to the tune of approximately $100,000 a year. And the list goes on No m -- initiatives. Does everyone realize that the state superintendent of schools draws pay far exceeding the governor's yearly pay? This fact is obviously out of line. Where , THE HERALD, Provo, Utah, 1988 salary in- creases did'not come from an increased per capita charge to the counties. It came from good, internal management without a cut in services. The salary increases were necessary because the health staff was underpaid, under- Nephi . Orem mayor no friend to small business Editor, Herald: It's rather amazing to see that our Mayor Blaine Willes looks upon small business in Orem as being tacky. Using his own words, "We don't want the area to look tacky with a lot of small properties." Small properties are small business locations. These people want a nice clean and street, as they well deserve. Incidentally, there are large acreage areas yet on State Street, if he has not noticed, where larger businesses could be added, to beautify the area. Having lived here on or in the business district for more than 48 years, I have watched the support and the lack of some for these businessmen, who believe the mayors or city fathers support them. Nothing could be further from the truth when city money is being used for development in areas that did not have ed to be rezoned for new business. State Street is the oldest business area excellent for development purpose for any city to have. It runs from 1600 North to 2000 South, 400 feet back on each side of State Street. With lots of . traffic to bring in new business. the I believe it is high time Mayor and the council be so advised that these tacky looking areas are from their own neglect and making, and not from neglect by the small business group. Could it be our city fathers have bigger eyes than they have a stomach? And have forgotten to represent the people instead of a few. Wm. Rohbock Orem Look for more letters on page 8 |