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Show I 2 BOX ELDER t I Brigham City, Utah Sunday, September 25, 1977 hjEWS, Editorially Speaking Gas tax idea merits close Utah attention Governor Scott M. Mathesons tentative proposal to raise Utahs gasoline tax by two cents merits serious study. Concerned by the states climbing accident rate and highway construction needs, hes considering not only the tax hike but a major bond issue to make necessary financing im- mediately available. We suspect city and county officials would be amenable to a gas tax increase if it meant there would be additional funds to meet local street and highway maintenance expenses. tax At the present time, a one-ceis imposed specifically for local use on collector streets and roads those municipal and county routes designated as major arteries. Sixth East in Brigham City, currently being resurfaced from Sixth North to Forest street and First to Third South, is a project financed by collector road funds. nt CONSTRUCTION of the bridge over Box Elder creek on Sixth East, extension of Fifth West between Seventh and Eleventh South streets, and resurfacing of Sixth North between Main and Sixth East are other collector street projects of recent years locally. Needless to say, the funding program has been a boon to Brigham City and, we suspect, to other communities as well. But the money can be used only on collector streets. None other. This has not proved to be a liability since there has been a local waiting list for u ff WS JT'1 The topic of nudity caught the publics attention this past week. Nudity will usually do that. At San Diego, voters said they didnt want a section of beach reserved for bare bathing. At least 86,113 expressed themselves as opposed to an ordinance designating a stretch of sea shore as 900-fo- ot swimsuit optional. However, some members of the birthday suit set declared they will fight to the last fig leaf to preserve their right to bask in the altogether. Robert Jacobs, chairman of the Nude Beaches committee, argued the referendum wasnt a landslide. Some 70,884 voted to retain the 1974 ordinance. Those are the bare facts. Jacobs said hell urge the city council to disregard the balloting. We suspect, however, that the city tensive overhaul of the Social Security system but has delayed in bringing its proposal to the Congress. Congress, itself, is now moving ahead to correct the Social Security situation through a variety of In the Senate Finance Committee started on The First Amendment to the Constitution says: gress shoii make no law of speech or of the press . . Another factor is the desireability promoting street and curb and gutter improvement through special districts. Brigham City has not enjoyed the financial resources in recent years to pursue such projects with the vigor that officials and of "Con- Social Fund abridging the freedom mid-size- mo-ped- residential property owners would like. It all adds up to an important area of need as the governor mulls a gasoline tax increase. Lance, the nations capital has gotten downright dull lately. A recent TV series on happenings behind closed doors in Washington was billed as an Bert not I once did hear him say, Hey, I really had my eyes opened. eye-opene- Bert Lance quitting his job as federal budget director came as a disappointment to a lot of folks. Some figured he was doing a bang-u- p job. One wag here in the N-- J office said the recent investigation into Lances past banking practices had convinced him of one thing the guy was well qualified to handle the federal budget. It was a dubious compliment at best. You have to admit there is a degree of irony in congressmen pointing their fingers accusingly at the good ol boy from Georgia for personal overdrafts. And then stamping their okay on budgets which annually run billions of dollars in the red. This scribe would never mea- sure up to Lance's stature , thats for sure. Someone asked me if Id ever had a personal overdraft like the harried federal official. Whats an overdraft? Is that like an allowance? I asked him. You see I get an allowance every week. And once I borrowed on it and got into all kinds of trouble. I couldnt buy any popcorn at the show. And my shoelace broke and I had to tie a knot in it. It was awful. If Bert Lance had a similar experience, I feel sorry for him. -- i work has plan with Security Trust the fund that most Americans will rely on for supplemental income during retirement. The package is designed to place the system on a sound financial basis for the next 76 years without raising taxes until 1982. It would also eliminate many inequities by liberalizing benefits for women and eliminating the earnings limitations on beneficiaries. Benefits under the proposed package would be based on a new formula that would throw out the consumer price index as the source for increased benefits and substitute general expansion of wage levels. The retire Editor's Quote Book Liberty of order. is the product Will Durant W Letters to the Editor.,. In the city on the Potomac, it seems, there are too many glass doors. And not many surprises any more. You know how long its been since this penman has gotten up and stomped around the living room after hearing an astounding new disclosure of funny business in Washington? Weeks. . .months. . . What are we paying taxes for, anyway! If the Bert Lance affair is the best they have to offer, its a sad day. Why I couldnt even understand what was wrong with what he was supposed to have done because I dont know enough about banking to know what he should have done that he didnt do. The editor invites and welcomes letters for publication in these columns. However, contributions must be signed and also bear the writers adress and telephone number. It is suggested that letters not exceed 250 words in length. Now if they had charged him with being a rotten tennis player, declared that his backhand was suspect and his forehand worse, that I could have related to. Hey, the guys gotta go. Hows the president going to win a doubles match with him as his partner, I could have raved. But to question his banking practices, what kinda stuff is that for a serious-minde- d public to ponder? There have got to be some changes back there, I tell you. . . This war is total Editor: Although there are undoubtedly a few exceptions, the majority of your readers will be interested in a forthcoming new book by Ezra Taft Benson. Entitled This Nation Shall Endure, it is being published by the Deseret Book company. Let me share just a few lines from this excellent new publication: Today communism represents the greatest threat to peace, prosperity, and the spread of Gods work on the earth. And yet, we have men who some in high places declare that communism is not the principle threat to the United States of America. People who make such statements are either uninformed, sadly naive, or else they are the deliberately helping the communist conspiracy greatest evil in this world and the greatest threat to all we hold dear. International communism is the enemy of every loyal American. It has declared war against us and fully intends to win. The war in which we are engaged is totdl I an sure that every thinking American will want to read and ponder the entire volume. self-avow- Sincerely, Ron Shapiro South First West Orem, Utah 84057 329 Years Ago Darlene Burt, daughter of Mr. Sept. and Mrs. Glen Burt of Brigham City, returned to Weber college to resume studies. 25 19, 1952 BOX ELDER NEWS ''i j j tuiiuay Elder l, 55 Soi First West, Brigham City, Utah, 843 Second Class postage paid at t I South First We post office, Brigham City, Utah, 84302. Box Headed by Mayor and Mrs. Sept. Lorenzo Bott, a delegation of seven municipal officials to the Utah Municipal league convention in Salt Lake City. They include Willis Hansen, Earnest Hansen, Earnest Iverson, O. Dee Lund, Fannie- - Christensen, Connie Peters and Tracy Larsen. 19, 1952 Years Ago Officers for the Brigham City Sept. 24, 1967 American Legion post 10 this year are Dr. Robert Shelton, second vice commander; Verl L. Petersen, commander; Les Dunn, first vice commander; and Dr. C.R. Jones, adjutant. Sept. 24, 1967 Councilman Robert E. Keating while announced he will not seek Councilman Rudolph Kaiser added an element of mystery when he announced he has not yet decided if he will run again. 10 long-standin- -- r. - Walker, selected as the homecoming queen and king, and to vocal music director Wes Boman who gained recognition for his years of dedicated service to the school. It would be easy enough to let a tradition like homecoming slip into a state of muted preparation and importance. But Fridays festive display amply evidenced that such hasnt happened at Box Elder High school. Well done, Bees. a social security changes might include bringing federal employees under the system, increasing payroll taxes after 1982 to add much needed stability to the fund, and adding a new working spouses benefit to reduce the marriage time limit for receiving benefits from a deceased partner. Many more ideas will be coming into the debate the Social to improve Security system because of the great dependence by the citizenry on the system that has developed since its establishment in 1937. Without reform there is no doubt that Social Security is doomed to failure in the lifetime of most of our young adults - an unacceptable prospect to both Congress and the American people. several pieces which would the sagging jack-u- p The current dither took attention away from influence peddling by the South Koreans. And whether or not d cars which replaced the government limousines in Washings ton will now be replaced by with rumble seats. There havent even been any new rumors surface about officials who hire secretaries just to lick stamps, applaud when the boss comes in and stir his coffee. With all due respects to Mr. demands. fathers would find it a naked abuse of majority rule to do so. Another item in the past weeks news was that Rudolf Nureyev, Russian-bor- n ballet star, will appear wearing only an Arab headdress in photographs covering three pages of Playboy magazine. The magazine called this exposure a great leap forward for Nureyev. We suspect if it were very cold in the studio, he took several leaps just to keep warm. In more youthful days, we recall swimming in the river sans bathing suit and swinging out over the water on a rope. That was a great leap forward. But as we recall, our only reward for the experience was water clogged ears and mosquito bites in inappropriate places. Perhaps Playboy had something else in mind. Additional programs. IN LEAGUE WITH additional streets coming onto local systems, the cost of surfacing and maintenance materials continues to climb. As does the cost of equipment and other related expenses. Thus, local government is caught in the same squeeze that currently hampers the Utah Department of Transportation in its efforts to meet highway building and maintenance Homecoming show was winner Friday While Box Elder may have lost the football game, the high school turned in a winning halftime performance Friday night at Ferguson field with a sparkling homecoming show. The student government which we understand put the program together deserves an editorial pat on the back for this job well done. And so do all of the 254 students who took part, including the marching band, Rockettes, cheerleaders, color guard and others. Oh yes, and the two dozen sophomores who g tradition carried out a mounon B the the by lighting tainside east of Brigham City. With teacher Rob Bishop narrating, the show moved along with color and class, even including an entry of the homecoming royalty in antique cars. It was exciting for students and alumni alike. Of course, special congratulations are due Dottie Campbell and Ladd program is underfinanced. The Carter Administration has announced an ex- Ture, subdividers are charged putting in streets, but once dedicated and accepted, they become a community responsibility thereafter. pM ment age for maximum earnings would be increased from the mandatory 65 to 68. As previously suggested by members of the Senate, the optional age of 72 could be offered for working people whose productivity is not impaired by aging. This approach would be conditional on agreement by both employer and employee. Adsocial ditional security payments derived from additional work would be added to retirement benefits for the extended employee. The mandatory age limit of 68 would apply through the year 2000 but reduced benefits would still be available at age 62 as they are currently. the 1976 campaign in Senatorial Utah, there was extensive debate about the stability of the nations Social Security system. Hearings in the U.S. Senate in early 1977 confirmed fears that the system was not paying for itself. The Annual Report of the Trustees of the Social Security Trust funds, as released in those hearings, shows that the with l' nv During collector projects. As a new gasoline tax is contemplated, however, attention certainly should be focused on channeling a portion of the income back to the local level. It should come with the flexibility for use as community and county officials determine. As new subdivisions develop and existing streets are extended, it adds a further burden on local government for maintenance. news bringing out bare facts WVW Social Security Reform n 50 Years Ago Sept. 27, 1927 At the meeting of the board of directors of the county fair, assurance was given that the floor of the exhibition building would be covered with sawdust so that the place will be free and clean of dust. A place will be provided as a rest room for ladies at the fair grounds, reports Mrs. Orson Jensen, director of the home department. Charles "Tuff Claybaugh Publisher General Manager Bruce T. Keyes, Managing Editor Mike Perry, Sports Editor Sarah Yates, Society Editor K. Wayne Claybaugh, Advertising Manager Shirley Richardson, Classifieds Betty Claybaugh, Circulation Arland Tingey, Newspaper Supr. Van Claybaugh, Photo-Pres- s Supr. H. E. Anderson, Commercial Printing Supr. rate $10.00 per year payin advance in connection with Box the Elder Journal (published Thursdays) in Box Elder County, Subscription rate $14.00 per year payable in advance in connection with " Box the Elder Journal (published Thursdays) outside Box Euler County. Subscription able Member Utah State Press Association, National Newspaper Association and United Press international. Advertising Representative: Utah State Press Association, Salt Lake City, Utah. |