| OCR Text |
Show 4 "Praise undeserved is satire in disguise. " hurst, English politician (1840-191- 1 ). 'M fe try Broad- - The Daily Herald Monday, As the controversy concerning Police Chief Louis H. Fetherolf has unfolded over the past several weeks, it has become increasingly clear that the Springville city government needs to keep the public informed about their acts as elected and appointed officials. While all parties bear a certain amount of the blame in this situation, much of the responsibility can be laid directly at the feet of the Springville city government. If anyone should account for what happened during the last three months, it should be those charged to oversee the management of public interests. i The controversy appears to be over. The announcement of Fetherolf 's resignation as chief of police apparently satisfied rjiost of the 300 people in attendance at the city council meeting Tuesday night. But in reality, the problems that led up to the controversy are still in place. They include a confused police department, an unresponsive city government and a citizenry kept largely in the dark about what happened. It does not appear that explanations will be forthcoming soon, if ever. Issues that remain as future sore points include: t The specific nature of the problems at the police department that required such a drastic change. Was the crime rate up and officer performance down? The city's failure to follow the recommendations of the outside performance audit that called for them to support the ousted chief. Rather than getting to the bottom of the issue, the audit appears to have increased the confusion. Last but not least is the city government's stonewalling and even arrogant treatment of the news media's requests for information information that the public is legally entitled to and was asking about. If there is a lesson to be learned from this experience, it is the value of communication and the importance of listening. Police department employees were nearly unanimous in stating that the whole controversy could have been avoided even to the point of saving Fetherolf 's job t- -' if city officials had done much sooner vhat they did over the past few days: LISTEN. Veteran members of the police department said this was the first time in more than 20 years that someone from the city Council sat down and talked with them January 22, 1396 cials to remember that they themselves work for the public. An accounting of how they manage personnel and resources is expected. Herald Opinion- ; ! face-to-fac- e. Others in the department said they saw the council member in charge of public safety show his face in the Springville Public Safety building only twice in the past few years. ; These examples, perhaps more than anything, are clear indications of where the true problem lies. While it is true that the police department works under the direction of the city government, it would behoove city offi ! There is a portion of each citizen's paycheck that he or she does not get to keep. That money is called taxes. And people have a right to know how taxes are being used. To keep that information from them is like taking a $100 bill out of a man's hand, then telling him it is none of his business how the money is to be used. The only exception U.S. law has made for such secrecy is during times of national security. And of course, private citizens have the right to squander their resources if they want without having to account to the public. But elected and appointed city officials do not fall under these categories. They knew that when they chose to enter public life. Public safety and other government functions are paid for by tax dollars. If there is a possibility that employees are not meeting the expectations of taxpayers, then the public has a right to know about it. City officials in this case could learn much from modern public relations. An elected official who defensively slams the phone down after saying, "I have no comment to anything you have to ask," is not serving the public well or fulfilling the public's right to know, especially in cases were tax money is potentially being misused. But there is hope for Springville, much of it in the form of new blood. Newly elected council members have already made their presence known by canvassing the public and attempting to get to the bottom of the issues. Perhaps those who have been in office a while could take a lesson from their new colleagues. Because of increasing industry and in this valley, provincialism is decreasing and many changes are occurring that, like it or not, we are having to address. Springville is not immune to these influences. As the city grows, it is going to face increasing scrutiny from a discerning public that certainly will demand much more openness from its public servants than was exhibited during this ordeal. It is human nature to stonewall when faced with embarrassing situations that reflect poorly on our performance, but to do so is not in the public's best interest nor is it in keeping with standards of open government that we espouse so proudly in this free nation. growth Lawmaker says public clamoring for tax reform By REP. JIM RAMSTAD Debate on the need to fundamentally overhaul the federal tax code will begin in earnest with this week's release of the Kemp Commission reform recommenda' tions. While the panel left the be it reinforced the to decided, specifics incredible groundswell of support for alternative tax systems that I've heard repeatedly from taxpayers. ' Among the many criticisms of the current income-ta- x system, the most frequently mentioned concerns are that the system is: Overly complex. The 10,000 pages of IRS rules and regulations make the present tax system too complex and costly. Damaging to the economy. There have been 31 major tax enactments and fnore than 400 other public law changes to the tax code in the last 40 years. The Uncertainty has resulted in lost economic (Opportunities. Taxpayers and businesses decisimply aren't able to make long-tersions, resulting in slower economic, growth and lost jobs. ' Biased against personal savings. The U.S." household savings rate is dead last among our partners in the Group of Seven nations. A lack of adequate savings incentives, combined with double taxation of earnings from savings, encourages taxpayers to consume rather than save and invest. Burdensome to taxpayers. According t6 the Internal Revenue Service and the Qffice of Management and Budget, taxpayers spent 5.1 billion hours complying with federal tax laws last year. The nonpartisan Tax Foundation estimates that complying with the entire federal tax system costs Americans $200 billion arnual- m . Economists and tax experts testifying before the House Ways and Means Committee have articulated five desirable characteristics of any tax system: economic efficiency, administrative simplicity, flexi bility, political responsibility and fairness. Our current system scores low in each area. That's why the Kemp Commission was appointed and why the Ways and Means Committee, on which I serve, will hold more extensive hearings on tax reform. Several proposals are on the table. The value-adde- d tax, or VAT, which is used by many European countries, is imposed and collected on the "value added" at each stage in the production and distribution of a good or service. These largely hidden taxes add considerably to the cost of goods and are inflationary as and services well. A bipartisan plan sponsored by Sens. Pete Domenici, and Sam Nunn, would provide a savings-exemincome tax giving taxpayers an unlimited deduction for new net saving. The legislation also would replace the corporate-incom- e tax with a VAT-typ- e tax imposed on all businesses. But the principal debate has been waged between advocates of a flat tax and a national sales tax. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, has proposed a pure flat tax with no deductions. The flat tax has the obvious benefit of simplicity, with taxpayers able to compute their taxes on a form the size of a postcard. All wages and salaries would be taxed at a fiat 20 percent rate the first two years after enactment and subsequently at 17 percent. Earnings from savings would not be included in taxable income, to prevent double taxation of income. Rep. Jim Ranistad, a Republican, represents Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District. He sen es on the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax policy. D-G- pt "We aren't ordering food .. we're laid-of- f white-coll- workers waiting to ar apply for a job." Letters of Jesus Christ of Latter-da-y Saints. I started another law practice, subsequently was called to serve missions in Nigeria, Ireland, India and the Philippines. During these proselyting missions, my wife and I have taught several hundred people who have got down on their knees and asked God if the Book of Mormon was the word of God. The Holy Ghost has testified to them it is the word of God. Does it really matter what FARMS finds out or doesn't find out? What do I care? The Lord has made it clear to me and other that the Book of Mormon is true. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints has survived, grown and will continue to grow regardless of FARMS. Why don't the skeptics write their own book and create a church such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints as Joseph Smith (a young man without much education) did? A product where the tithe probably exceeds $15 billion per year should be incentive enough. Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart tried to into The Church Respect belief This is in response to Grant Milden-hall- 's comments regarding the proposed FARMS building at B YU. One of the best benefits of being away from Utah for the past year and a half is being spared Mr. Mildenhall's frequent caustic comments in The Daily Herald. We recently lived in a Hindu kingdom where people venerated things like trees, rocks, snakes and idols. While we did not feel the same way about these objects, we certainly did not criticize their beliefs. We sincerely loved the people of that country despite our differences in beliefs. If Mr. Mildenhall doesn't believe the Book of Mormon then that is just fine, and I won't criticize him for not believing. However, I would appreciate the same courtesy from him. I'm sure there are many people in this valley, of many faiths, that can do without his disparaging remarks. Many people here follow a tenet expressed by Joseph Smith in that we allow all men the privilege of worshiping God in whatever manner they choose, and we wish Grant would be equally as sensitive to others' beliefs. Boh Houghton Spanish Fork n create a empire and failed. Amy McPherson, Frank Buchman (of Moral Rearmament) and others have tried, but once they and their charisma died, their empires and their doctrines died with them. Why? Because in spite of all the n and good they did, they were In The Church of Jesus not Christ of Latter-da-y Saints, Christ runs his not man. We are only his serchurch vants, from the prophet on down. And as long as this continues, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints will continue to grow and become a stronger force throughout the world. Richard L Tretheway God-drive- man-drive- Truth discovered God-drive- ' read Mr. Mildenhall's letter to the editor which appeared in Tuesday's Herald. He may be right, but his argument is wrong. There is evidence both direct and indirect. Contact Mr. Brent Hall via fax I (801) 378-372- 4, permission granted. But what about the argument of faith and "Pray, God, is it true?" My problem with FARMS, Mr. Mildenhall and others like him worrying about the evidence is that it really doesn't matter when the Lord has told so many of us that the Book of Mormon is true and is the word of God. Some 19 years ago, I married a Mormon lady and took her on an extended honeymoon aboard my sailboat from Los Angeles to Bangkok and back. For three years, I argued all the same arguments of the Somewhere between Fiji and Tonga as we were returning, my wife and I were arguing The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints' doctrine. I wife asked that My quit reading the Book of Mormon as a resource for preparing a trial brief and read it with an open mind and a sincere heart. So at her suggestion, I read Moroni 10:3-1prayed for an open mind and proceeded to read the Book of Mormon. After reading the book, I put it down and got on my knees and asked, "God, is this Book of Mormon thy word or not?" Literally, I felt as if I had been hit over the head with a baseball bat to get my attention. I paused, wondering should I pray more or what when a conviction of the Book of Mormon flooded my body to such an extent I thought I was on an emotional binge. I waited two days before I told my wife I knew the Book of Mormon was the word of God. We arrived in Hawaii a few weeks later and this skeptical, cynical lawyer, age 54, was baptized 0, n. Springville Scriptural studies Only those unaware of the great progress. that has been made in Book of Mormon ' studies would make such a statement. As to insisting that the Book of Mormon, "qualifies as scripture," the dictionary defines scripture as "any sacred or relw gious writing or books." It ctertainly quali fies on that basis. Contained in the book is the promise that the reader will be able ta receive verification of its truth from Gq4 (Moroni 10:4). Millions have so tested it and declare by both word and action that jj; is the word of God. Only those with closed minds will fail to recognize and understand the great progress that has been made in the area of Book of Mormon studies. Every argument against the Book of Mormon has beeii replied to, and not ignored, as Mr. Milden- -' hall states. These replies have been freely' circulated amongst the membership of the LDS church. This openness is one of the many reasons for the loyalty of members to the church and its leaders. Mr. Mildenhall needs to read more pos itively and let in a little light, instead of remaining in the dark. Francis E. Lawhf. Provo Money well spent , . The letter by Grant N. Mildenhall in the Jan. 16 issue of the Herald, concerning the FARMS Book of Mormon research center shows such a lack of understanding to of the say nothing ignorance concerning not only FARMS but of the Book of Mormon itself, BYU and its personnel and indeed all LDS people that it deserves a response. (Or is Mr. Mildenhall just baiting the community?) Mr. Mildenhall evidently starts with the premise that the Book of Mormon is false and proceeds from that premise, ignoring any evidence that may be available. He is courteous enough to qualify it with the phrase, "in my opinion." He appears to be completely ignorant of the fact that Alexander Campbell's booklet, "Delusions," published in 1832, has been completely refuted. So have many other attacks on the Book of Mormon. Today it stands on firmer ground than ever. It is purely gratuitous to state that "those at FARMS are well aware that if they were to spend $6 billion in the building's construction, they will never be able to resolve the overwhelming problems inherent to the Book of Mormon." What an insult to those who support this activity! Insulting their honesty and integrity is the height of snobbery and closemindedness. Proyoi Letters Policy - nic REAP AO. I : The Daily Herald welcomes letters ta the editor. Please address them to: Editon. The Daily Herald, P.O. Box 717, Provo,' UT 84603-071FAX (801) 373-548""J editlitsnet.com. 7. 9. Letters must be signed and include tM writer's full name, address and daytime' telephone number for verification. Preference is given to letters that are typed, and shorter than 400 words in" length. Letters submitted on computer disk are welcome. Letters that are too long, unsigned; illegible, obscene or libelous will not -- '' BY GARRY TRUDEAU, liHUWUmBMIHII'imi.L' hiur-pr- ; The letter to the editor by Mr. Grant Mildenhall regarding FARMS' new, research center was interesting. I am excited that the university is tak;-ing a major step in investigating the histp, ry of the Book of Mormon, the characters and the people who lived during that time. FARMS and the research center will fur-- ; ther document that the Book of Mormon iq a true history. That it is a spiritual message and that it is another testament of our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ. Mr. Mildenhall in his Tuesday letter suggests the money allocated for this new building be used instead for humanitarian reasons. The, LDS Church serves its members and oth-- ! ers in many humanitarian ways. This is a worthwhile expenditure of money Mr. Mildenhall's concern for LDS members ts commendable, but the money for the new: building is well spent. We need to continue to study history. We do not wanttq repeat the problems of those' who went) before us. Charles Berry Doonesbury TI.WA6AIN1D VI5IT7H50LP MAIL SILO!) ; COMB WHAT YvJ S 1 I iufii i FTc zft rr. vv -- IIT.TONK! PICKM5 I RAN POM, OKAY? . a tBWJ mskp: WANT YOLR oOTIT, 3. re I I G ..,-- ,, eoOPONBl Yi I FROM 1 XlhtOPPS! II I I ..',1. I . OOPS... FIGHT T . |
