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DAILY Friday, August 14 2006 HERALD Editorials A7 EDITORIAL BOARD David Fuseber, Interim Publisher Randy Wright, Executive Editor Donald W. Meyers, Editorial page editor Carole Newkjrk, Public adviser Jason Bellows, Public adviser 2mUj$Hcralt) IN OUR VIEW What to do with surplus money? Brigham Young once said that and Gov. Huntsman is planning to wealth was the most difficult trial call the Legislature back to implement tax reform in September. a person could experience. While he was referring to LatteHis plan uses just the $70 million r-day that was left over from this year's Saints, he could just as easily been talking about the Utah budget drafting process without State Legislature, which is facing touching the tax surplus. This is a this problem. The state ended its responsible approach. fiscal year with $351 million in The Legislature should cdnsider surplus taxes, the larg splitting up the entire est surplus in the state's surplus between the Unihistory. "They've cut form School Fund and A number of lawmakthe Transportation Intaxes before vestment Fund. Adding ers are looking to use it to finance a significant to the princithe surplus to give back reduction in the state's pal will help increase the income tax rate, cutting extra money interest earned on these as much as $120 million funds and allow the state and the in taxes. to eventually reduce the Chi the surface, the results were tax burden for schools idea is attractive. A tax and roads. not good." By putting the extra surplus means some-- , body has paid t oo much, money in these dedicat- and the best way to give ed accounts, Legislators the overpayment back " guarantee that schools is through a tax cut. It and road construction will be funded when anwould also help the state reform a tux system that puts other, budget crisis comes along, some of the state's lowest wage as it surely will. earners in the highest tax bracket. Keeping the money may reBut they've cut taxes before quire some political courage, but it would be worth it. Greater and to give back extra money, and the results were not good. When longer lasting benefits to the public would result. the Legislature had large budget 1990s, surpluses in the it was quick to grant property tax reductions failing to consider that the years of plenty could turn to famine. When the recession hit Utah, legislators scrambled to pare How should Utah use spending. They drained the state's its surplus funds? emergency reserves to balance Send your comments to the budget. The cuts to the Cendhpollsheraldextra.com tennial Highway Fund caused deor call Please lays in some road projects around homename, your the state. town and phone number Giving back the surplus is not with your comments. a wise move this time around. It comments should not exe is money that cannot ceed 100 words; voice-mabe expected to be found in next comments should be no year's budget. While the surplus longer than 30 seconds. may buy lawmakers some time Anonymous and unverifiable to adjust the budget, relying too responses will not be pubheavily on it to reduce taxes could lished. make for a rough ride next year if The Daily Herald will publish extra money doesn't show up. ' comments on Aug. 27. There is no question the state needs to reform the tax system. It is a need that cannot be ignored, , -- "We've come up with a way to create an effective, committed multinational peacekeeping force for South Lebanon." LETTERS U.S. repeating mistake of 'spreading democracy- mid-to-la- What do you think? same mistakes? Thucydides, an ancient historian, recorded the history of the decades-lon- g Peloponnesian War between the Delian League (Athens its chief member) and Sparta and her satellite communities. The war began in 431 B.C. when Athens' troops, under general Pericles, interfered in a battle between a Spartan ally, Corinth, and Corcyra, preventing Corinth from invading Corcyra. Soon after this intervention, Athens placed another Spartan ally, Megara, under oppressive economic sanctions, Sparta retaliated by invading the lands surrounding Athens known as Attica. The arrogant leadership of Athens, thinking its democratic form of government to be the envy of mankind, pursued a course of "spreading democracy" throughout the region using economic sanctions and military intervention, but Athens was finally defeated in 404 B.C. when ft surrendered to Sparta. Today, while America is embroiled in its own unpopular, expensive war to "spree ' democracy" in Iraq, Americans shoui be reminded that we are not and never were a democracy, but rather we are a Constitutionally imited 344-294- one-tim- il MEDIA VOICES Job market makes room for immigrants From the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Aug. 16, 2006 years have tended to be younger and than the overall labor force, they did not have any Since Congress deadlocked on special impact on young, workers in the affected immigration reform last spring, debate over the controversial states, Kochhar found. "Rapid poptopic has moved onto the nation's increases in the foreign-borulation at the state level are not back burner and cooled off conassociated with negative effects siderably. That's good, because it reduces the likelihood that lawon the employment of native-bor- n makers will adopt the overheated workers," the center concluded. The Pew findings shouldn't and counterproductive pliilosophy come as any surprise, for they sketched out by the U.S. House. confirm what most economists It also creates time for calmer minds to weigh in..Last week they have said for years. As a theoretidid, with an important new report cal matter, immigrants create jobs as well as taking them; they start from the Pew Hispanic Center, new businesses, increase.consum-e- r which argues that the surge in demand and provide labor in inimmigration since 1990 has not, dustries that would not otherwise contrary to a widespread perception, hurt American workers. The expand. As an empirical matter it's worth noting that the 1990s, study isn't definitive, but it adds when immigration reached its to a large body of evidence that suggests that immigration is not a highest flows in nearly a century, was the best decade for American drag on the U.S. economy ,.and it workers since the 1960s in terms deserves to be on the congressioof rising wages and falling unemnal reading list. The Pew methodology was ployment rates. Of course there are other reasimple: Economist Rakesh Koch-ha-r sons for Congress to overhaul studied 22 states with rapid increases in immigration from immigration law. Undocumented 1990 to 2004 and compared them immigrants represent a large and to 28 states with slow iminigra-tio- n growing share of the foreign-bor- n population; that suggests growth, and then asked that the system is breaking down what happened to employment workers. What he and it imposes a burden on local of native-bornative-bor- n authorities. The found was no pattern workers did just as well on backlog of visa applications also a range of job indicators in represents a disservice to employers who seek new sources of lastates as in bor and to immigrants who want states. to come to the United States for Interestingly, even though aD the right reasons. workers in recent foreign-bor- Republic. Thus, why spread democracy? Bliss Tew, Orem Utah County's judicial system becoming abusive All areas of the judicial system are in need of female representation. In most cases women enhance any system by offering the benefit of their perspective as well the other talents they may possess. However, the people who live and work in the Utah Valley jurisdiction are in danger. In the fog of sleeplessness residents hardly know what hit them until they or their family members are incarcerated and find themselves in substantial financial debt fighting to survive and situyet often invested into a n ation. Patriotic idealism is shattered as a person sees the lack of individual rights being twisted in the name of justice. It's time for a change; far too residents have been many hurt. It can be impossible to win against certain people in positions who have the power and influence to destroy lives. Many people in judicial positions take serious the public trust, others do not. There is an upcoming County Attorney election. By public involvement hope for needed reform may begin in that election. All good people need to work together anyway they can to no-wi- law-abidi- n n Garry Trudeau D00NESBURY AraZ. Pg,W t . I: mnn '"LWar rrsowen I !"'r"- - rnr PUBLIC'HSWNG' Does history repeat itself ? Of course we all know it does, but a better question is: Do we learn from history, or do we sadly repeat the I lJ PT&-rn- l If employers offer better pay, then there will be ample, legal labor. This I Judy Price, will make products cost a little more, American Fork but not everything should be sacrificed on the altar of economic efficiency. Half the world, if not more, would History not likely to smile like to live here. Do we want a popuon Bush's accomplishments lation that large? We already admit more legal immigrants every year Here are the highlights of six years of George W. Bush. than the rest of the world combined. It's unfortunate that many countries He invaded Iraq, and every reason he gave for doing so, has proven to be are poor by comparison, but it isn't the fault of the United States. a lie. Kofi Annan has stated it was an Mexico has just as much, if not illegal invasion. So far, about' 2,600 U.S. troops have more, natural resources than the United States. Sure, corruption is widedied, plus an estimated 60,000 Iraqis. Bush has circumvented the Constitu- spread in Mexico, but this problem will never be solved if Mexicans emigrate tion and allowed our government to listen in on telephone conversions, and instead of taking on their government. We should redouble our efforts to has set up an offshore prison camp at control our border, and ensure that Guantanamo Bay. Bush has allowed, authorized and employers dont hire people who are here unlawfully. I am willing to pay encouraged Israel to attack Lebanon a little more for my fruits and vegand totally wipe out its infrastructure, etables. all in the name of two captured solI Thera Lue Bird, diers. Provo In Gaza, Israel has imprisoned dozens of legally elected members of the Palestinian Parliament. Bush has allowed Israeli bombing to continue, and all the while blaming everything on How Iran and Syria. Meanwhile, the United States has letters to armed Israel to the teeth, giving it dhlettersheraldextra.com $2.71 billion of aid a year, mostly in 5 Fax to the form of weapons. will Bush W. Malt to P.O. Box 717, George surely go down in history as America's worst presiProvo, UT 84603. dent. Letters must include the I I Michael R. Kelsey, author's full name, address and Provo daytime phone number. We prefer shorter letters, I Economics poor excuse 100 and 200 words. Letters for tolerating illegal may be edited for length. I Writers are encouraged to immigrants include their occupation and One of the arguments commonly other personal information. heard when discussing illegal immigraI Because of the volume of lettion is, "These people do the work that ters, we cannot acknowledge Americans wont do." unpublished letters. This line of thinking is only half I Letters become the property right. A more accurate statement is of the Daily Herald that Americans won't do that kind of work for those kinds of wages. bring about change where they know it is needed. to comment 344-298- MALLARD FILLMORE ,f MM it iu.j Bruce Tinsley ' 9 |
