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Show DESERET NEWS, SALT LAKE CITY, UTaH MONDAY, NOVEMBERS, A5 1973 mmm wb We stand for the Constitution of the United States with its thiee departments of government, each fully independent in its own field California's tax choice: a bold new experiment To those seeking to restrain the growth and influence of big guenme,. it's one of the niost exciting and encouraging developments to come along in quite some time. ment as long and complex as this one runs counter to that pnneiple But with propositions appearing on the ballot by the score at nearly every election, California lost the battle to keep its conrtitu-tioconcise and dear long ago. In an era when the executive branch of has American government generally grown more powerful at the expense of the legislative branch, the Calilorniu plan would limit the discretionary authoutv of the states legislators. But what the people take from the lawmakers the people can restore if the voters subsequently decide theyve made a mistake n To those who wonder any state can really afford to whittle down its tax rates, it's a scheme to give the rich disproportionate benefit s at the expense of the poor. And to those who have not vet made up their minds, the tax limitation proposal that Californians will vole on Tuesday represents a bold experiment which, if adopted, other states will watch closely with an eye to emulating it. Certainly the controversy in California has created more interest among Americans outside the state than has been generated by many other election contests closer to home According to California's nonpartisan legislative analyst and others, the tax limit plan would merely shift the cost ot government from the state to the local level. But the idea behind the plan is that economic growth should allow the state as well as localities to finance increased services without increasing taxes Strong') backed by Governor nonaid Reagan, the proposition before California voters takes the form of a 3,000-wcramendment to the state Constitution that sets forth three mam goals: To confine state governmental spending to a declining percentage of Californias gross personal income, starting at the current 8.75 percent rate and dropping gradually to 7.25 percent in 19S9 d To require that revenues in excess ot annual spending limits be applied to tax reductions or refunds, unless the money is needed for emergencies decreed by the governor. To curb the legislature's taxing instead of power by requiring y approval of any new taxes and by providing that any legislation suspendmg the constitutional spending limits be subject to voter approval in a referendum. Ideally, state constitutions should be as short and simple as possible. An aniend- two-thir- simple-majorit- Mr. Nixon s landslid- e- and year of disaster What e or else may be said of the plan's details, the phiioxophyit embodies is certainly refreshing The philosophy is that big government will keep getting unless more bloated ano inefficient distinct limits are set to Us growth. The philosophy is also that sporadic tax cuts are only a sop and that if government spending is to be brought under control then efforts to limit it must be carried out continuously and systematically, with specific goals kept clearly m view. Nick Thimmcseh By LA Tunes S minute U ISLINGTON One year va-ago. the victoiy u our More 3 ears ' President Nion won the biggest electoral ielory in the hturv of presidential elections His landslide swept 49 of tiie 50 states. Every geographic section, nearly every voter group union young and old member and businessman went for overwhelmingly Kiehai d Nixon. - T From the outset of the republic, the states have beet; considered laboratories for social experiments If a given experiment failed, the impact would be restricted. But if it worked, the innovation being tested would hau a chance to be applied elsew here in this spirit, lets hope the people of California give this danng new plan for limiting government by limiting taxation a chance to prove what it can do Shortly after the election. Dr Gallup took a poll (still fi2 showing unpublished) of Mr percent approval Of all levels of government, the one that most directly affects Us citizens is voters chance of influencing the conduct of public affairs isi never greater local government Local government is responsible for the quality and quantity of police protection. It must see that there is adequate fire protection. It determines the quality of the streets, matters concerning garbage collection, the property tax base, paries policy, animal regulations, zonuig changes, health care, and dozens of other than it is - matters. So its difficult to understand why so much apathy is pervading this years elections in more than 200 Utah cities and towns. Those elected Tuesday will be governing, in most instances, for the next two to four years. .Traditionally, the heaviest voter turnout comes during national election years Yet a m local elections By failing to vote, not only does a citizen abdicate his responsibility to himself as well as to the community, but he also increases the power of those who do vote. The smaller the vote the greater are the chances of an election being decided by special interests But voting is omy part of one's civic responsibilities. A more basic responsibility is to know the candidates and the issues so that one may ballot intelligently. Good government does not just happen it has to be made to happen. And one of the most vital wavs to assure youre being served by good public servants is to go out and vote for them Tuesday. percent 0 whopping "Resign" and Impeach are the cnes now disapproving Public support for the administration drains New, crippling errors occur weekly The citizenry is numb fiom the dark news from Washington Anticipating the huge Nixon year ago. ! wrote the election, that Pivm win one e The only way to go Jim Fiebig General Features Corp I have miles to go before I sleep, but with the average funeral, grave and headstone By Where vote counts most dent Johnson felt exultation the morning .ifUr his I'M win and vulhm two years, he was a failed Piesident lake a know it all, I v entitled Glory is fleeting and penloiis " My reservations, set in Nivm s perfonii.iiue us Pi eviJS with pen cut disapproving Now. one veal later. Dr Gallup releases a fresh poll 27 the reverse showing percent appnving and a dent about now running $ 1,700 na- tionally. Ive already joined the growing list of Americans who ve decided cremation is the on'y way to go. (It costs about $b)0 to enter the world, the price of leaving should be considerably less.) What I haant decided was the best way to dispose of the ashes. No Grecian urn over but the fireplace for me Like dramatic. something being scattered on the White House lawn when the wind is blowing toward the Oval Ofd to some fice. or newspaper editor who once hand-earne- canceled my column let (Editors, that be a ) warning The best idea I've ccme up with so far is to spread myself around The tentative plan is to have the ashes equally divided into 59 parts and nailed to a single acquaintance m each state. On the front of the envelope will be the underlined notation, On the Enclosure: Fiebig inside will be a short letter Dear Friend, The silly ah you are holding is all that remains of a man who held you in high esteem. Please carry Fiebig to the richest mortuary m your area, nng the doorbell, and leave him on the porch I want as many funeral-hom- e directors as possible to eat their hearts out - In A in Christmas tree behind the Washington White House in Washington has become a fixture of the holiday season for so long that we can hardly believe the custom dates back only to 1954. That was the year the National Park Service began tree for the cutting a two-wee- k display. Starting this year, if all goes according to plan, the national Christmas tree will permanent fixture A donated Colorado Blue Spruce growing in Shickshinny. Pa., is being transplanted to the White House grounds for lighting and decoration which wont harm the growing tree. be a Critical letters about the annual cutting prompted the change. The park service deserves a pat on the back for finding a way to overcome the objections and continue the tradition Its Vietnam War? By Edward Neilan Copley News Service - The light .WASHINGTON that was supposed to be at the end of the tunnel m South Vietnam turned out to be an an illusion; optical mirage Ml quiet on the Vietnam front-- s.nco ' Most the end of the w,-.- r " of the pioblems that with the embattled remain country scene of the longest American involvement in any war-a- re familiar Prices are rising much faster than wages, jobs are scarce, and the economy is wobbly during this period of after the withadjustment drawal of the Americans g Hardly Since the Jan 23 cease-fire- , officials Satgon government Vietnamese 45,151 that say have been killed That total breaks down to more than 10,009 government soldiers. 1.6n0 civilians and more than Jo W Communist troops killed in hos'ce action Vietnam s South fragile economy needs tune and to mend a fabpc tom by many years of war Latest intelligence reports suggest no tine have Communists intent. m of allowing Sj,gon am Pom i, uhlan, respite pressure ir-r- The I' S intelligence assessment. mad? pubke on Oct. 24, said that North Vietnam has moved 70 Quit troops of that total plus UK) tanks raid 200 artillery pieces into South Vietnam since the tease fire was signed Does Whos charge of dirty tricks now? in still very much alive The current American intelligence estimate is that Hanoi has a force of 270,900 North Vietnamese regulars in South Vietnam and around 75,0(10 Viet Cong troops This compares with tho Vietnamese South regular force lev 'I of 375.000 plus t gulars that push the total of men under aims to over one million the presence of a s'termnentd Communist four his ministration vital, of responding to the American tradition of moving the country ahead This would mean innovative neve domestic policies ami refinements "f the detente with the Communist world lie spoke of new players on his team, and some new plays. though this wouldn't be a but a very serums game business " the Miami Herald tree grows He ConeUly mined Ins eye to leselvmg the Vietnamese war. but he also spent much time on restructuring the bureaucracy He was worried, adhe said, that second-teralmost inevitaministrations bly are downhill Watergate was probably the most remote concern m his mind Mr Nixon was surrounded by technocratic, not political, thinkers, at a time when it should have been just the other way around Politicians smell scandals. Technocrats don't remarks in late November. 1972. President Nixon spoke earnestly of keeping Ins ad- Ad editorial from A print, weic that "there aie men m the White House who feel the big w.n vindicates the character of Mr. Nixon's campaign his cloistered style and their perception of merica They are best advised not to be too sure of themselves Time and circumstance have blessed Mr. Nixon pobtii ally " Well, time and circumstance now curse Mr Nixor, political K. Most of the White House gang which got him into this awful jam is gone They were resident bacteria winch infect ed the whole instead ot turn ing his sharp analytical mind to Die disease of Watergate after the election, as ar.v shrewd politician would have, Mr Nixon went to the top of the mountain at Camp David where lie sclif he finds it to easier for inm to work, think m a more certainly " . mean stepped-uimminent f.gh'mg ts Vmenean offie.als .ue reportedly debating North Vietnamese intentions A certain amount of smull-sca'- they e airtields rep.iied con'roi umov Soutr, atn.im TN off rials pp'd tin; an o'fepsive m me k,e Deiom i through February dry sejson believe it will come .Jong the coast, probably in the vicinity of Nha Trang An- other possibility is an attempt to take the old imperial capital of Hue fiehting has been going on steadily, but me group of analysts fears the fresh buildup s.gnals major ground action in the near future. There are even suggestions that the Communists might introduce am! bombers Ilyushin-MIG-17- . 19 and 21 jot tighter from fuo planes, flying reientlv bm The other tienn is that the new forces lr'roduced by the CoRirnunshts part nf a consolidated base being established to continue a long po litical struggle Vccording to this line of reasoning, the new highway system, which has replaced the mean dt nr, e Ho C hi Mir.h Trad as the mam simply route aKo has a primarily po rather than nuliurv lrtK.i north-sout- e pu'-po-- h In the campaign, Mr. Nixon 10 announced Birthright Goals for all Americans, much in the fashion that Pres-iden- t Roosevelt once proclaimed the Four Freedoms for all Americans. Mr. Nixon's goals included living m peace, a right to equal rights, health; jobs for all who can work, a livable America: an Vmenca free from fear and crime, reform of government at all levels, a pluralist, open America where government liberates, doesn't dominate the individual, and tne right to be bom in a land "guided by deep moral and spiritual principles . Unfortunately, the events of 1973 have given Mr Nixon scant time to pursue his objective of moving the republic toward the 1ft Kirthnirht Goals Those who hate Mr Nixon can enjoy a rich, cynical f elmg m rereading them If Mr Nixon has any tune to muse the anniversary of his enormous victory of one year ago, it riu'st be a bitter mus ir.g indeed these days And. sadlv he stil needs political idvve m the wars way. bit he i'Ti t for u BUCHUJflLD i .. WVMilNGlON 'Ihete is no doubt that President X:ons ei edibility is at a low ebb. Proof of .this is that win n he a pi essential proclamation declaring Noi 22 a . i hanksgiv ing Day . m.my people thought he did this to take the country's mind off ins W atm gate problems. " a man told me on the bus, that he "I! s verv strange decide at this time to make a proclamation about " Thanksgiving Day 1 "the President always issues a 'But." piotested piodainatum concerning Thanksgiving and it usually is in ' curly Novembt r would "How do we that this Thanksgiving Day is the leal thing' Suppose lie's doing it just to stare us. "1 think it's a s.id commentary on the times that anyone would question the President about a Thanksgiving ' provlanut'on 1 soul "Rut. ' the nun said. let's say. for aigumcnts sake, it mi t really Thanksgiving Day. Let's say that the President hopes to get the people to lorgei aooul Agnew, ITT, Bebe Rebozo and San t hnnente. Suppose we all go out and buy over to dinner, and watch footturkeys, and lnvtp ball game, .,!! day tong and it turns out it isnt Thanks-gimg after all V ha do we do then'5 v vou imped' h the Pre .ident, I said not enough." the man said We would have celebi ated a holiday that wasn't legal "The President said Nov 22 was Thanksgiving Day. and I personally think we should take his word for it, I snd "What more can he do-- Its "Make him prove it." the man said "How can he prove "We should make him open up his files and turn over h:s pel senal diaries to us " 5 ou do that." I almost shouted. If you asked cn't the President to turn over all his papers concerning hia decision to declare Nov. 22 Thanksgiving Day, you would be violating executive privilege Every President after that would be subject to questioning on how he arrived on the date to celebrate the holiday That has to be weighed against the legaht or what he has done. How do we know that the cranberry people didnt contribute to his last election campaign?" I said, that after Thanksgiving is I am certain, over and all the ficts are revealed, you will see that the President had no choice other than to issue the proclamation that he did " "I hope you're nght." he replied 1 "I don't blame you for being skeptical, replied but Nixon's the only President weve got. sympathetically, Sure, lie s made mistakes, but I dont think anyone has ever caught him messing around with a national holiday. I know personally that he has agonized over Thanksgiving tor months Only he can decide what day is best for all the American people. Once he has made hts decision I think we owe it to him to back ban to the hilt and make this years Thunksgn ing Day the greatest one in American history. T he man on the Inis nodded Maybe. But to hear the tapes before 1 buy my turkey. still like SYDflGY HRRRIS Would you belicv e that you could take a long sentence m prison better than a short stay in jail? Most Americans wouldnt indeed, most dont even know the difference between tho two. though there are 4,000 jails in this country, most of them unspeakable. One man who does know is Dr. Karl Menninger, who has looked into the problem deeply, especially in his book of a few years aso. The Crime of Punishment Now, in his new book, Whatever Became of Sm? (which I will comment on in a future column), he repeats his indictment m a few terse paragraphs I cannot refrain from quoting: The public refuses to abandon its pleasant fantasy that jaiLs are just little local lockups where miscreants and suspects may spend a night or even a week and be more wary of sin and police thereafter. People refuse to believe that jails are almost without exception horrible, destructive. ruinous, hideous atrocities of which every citizen should be ashamed " Actually the worst penitentiary is less harmful to most voung offenders than the best of jails! Jails ruin young men. Can't the public grap this indisputable fact? How can a docent prison attempting a rehabilation program do anything for a boy who comes to it from a jail where he has been corrupted by some of the in the bullpen5 Even without the abuse and harassment ol other inmates, the horrible confinement in hot stuffy, crowded, dark, vernur. infested iron cages is a ternble experience literally a form of torture. When one considers that this is all illegal, since the law does not stipulate these iniquitous concomitants of detention in any sentence, our sinfulness is permitting the situation to continue in our society, and at our expense, seems very evident and very great. Karl Menmngtr is no bleeding heart; he believes m moral, as well as legal, responsibility for our acts, as his new book fully shows Ru he is a realist, in recognizing that certain kinds of punishment are a worse enme than un they seem torci'sfv or revenge . I t Sea Id F |