OCR Text |
Show PAGE 4 THE THUNDERBIRD MONDAY NOVEMBER 7, 1988 WE MUST DEFEAT THE TAX INITIATIVES The tax initiative debate has been prominent in Utah media, including The Thunderbird since the issue surfaced nearly a year ago; and coverage of the controversy continues to build as election day draws near. Although information on the rollback is abundant, we feel it important to reiterate the facts in what many term Utah's most important race in the '88 election. Although the initiatives trail in the polls, the race remains close enough to warrant one last warning about the lethal threat Initiatives A, B and C pose to Utah and its education system. Creators of the Utah initiatives have based their campaign on the obvious enticement of lower taxes. In their early days, the initiatives garnered strong support. But as the probable consequences began to surface, support for the initiatives started a permanent decline in the polls. Reasons for the turnaround are plentiful. While the exact fiscal impact of the rollback is unknown, analysts estimate the bite of the three initiatives to exceed $300 million. Higher education's share of the cuts would total some $34 million. And the cutbacks couldn't come at a worse time, after years of budget cuts and with college enrollment on the rise. College administrators throughout the state foresee a 25 percent tuition increase and the elimination of programs as imminent should the initiatives )A 04R FOIKS WiHk i a suiRPee. Wilt V0T0 wHeTrtPR ' f ROM MULiOM T0C.4T Our ePtfCATioM. pass. Cuts in all areas of public service would supplement these reductions in higher education. In short, the tax rollback is not the bargain its supporters tout it as. Initiative A will reduce the state's property taxes from their current 1 percent to .75 percent. Supporters of the tax initiatives like to contrast this .25 percent reduction to California's property tax reduction. Proposition 13, which cut property taxes by 2 percent. While Utah's reduction seems small compared to the California cutbacks, it's important to remember that California's property taxes after the passage of Proposition 13 were 1 property tax rate. percent Utah's And the jury is still out on whether California's Proposition 13 was a good idea, anyway. It certainly wasn't in higher education circles. 'Tuition increased roughly 80 percent in three years as a direct result of Proposition 13," noted David Gardner, president of the University of California school system and former University of Utah president. Passage of the tax rollback would place Utah in academic and economic stagnation. Any Utahn or any American for that matter would welcome tax relief, but Initiatives A, B and C make the price of relief much too high. The Thunderbird cannot stress strongly enough the need for SUSC students to vote against these initiatives tomorrow. pre-rollba- ck t bH DEM NfcWb AND VIEWS Of MJUlHtKN UIAH blAfE COLLEGE u CEDAR CIIY, CIAH VOLUME 83, NUMBER 7 Editor Nicole Bonham Associate Editor Lynn Holt Design Editor Danny Stewart Photo Editor Tyler Brown Copy Editor Anne McCloskey Entertainment Editor Cary Ziegler Sports Editor Brent Richev Operations Manager Lynn Dennett Production Manager Raquel Eves Ad Representatives Cathleen Castle Nicole Fioyd Faculty Adviser Larry Baker The Thunderbird is published each Monday of the academic year by and foi the student body of Southern Utah State College and is not affiliated in any wav with the Colleges department of communication. The views and opinions expressed in The Thunderbird are the opinions of the publication's individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the institution, faculty, staff or student body in general. The unsigned editorial directly above is the opinion of The Thunderbird as a single entity. Letters to the editor must be typed and include the name and phone number. Onlv the name will be printed. Names will not be withheld under any circumstances and the editor reserves editing privileges. Letters must be submitted by noon Friday for inclusion in the following edition. The Thunderbird: ed itorial and advertising offices in SUSC Library 103. Mail at SUSC Box 7758. 9384, Cedar City, UT 84720. Phone (801) U.S. Flag evokes emotional American images 'Access' is a recurring column through which members of the campus community may address themselves to topics of concern andor interest. This week's column is by JIM SHURTLEFF, a senior majoring in history. He is a retired member of the Marine Corps and a member of Disabled American Veterans. He reminds our readers that Friday is Veterans' Day. allowing a wave of memories and emotions to crash about his mind. He revels in the sense of accomplishment of a boy who, after weeks of practice with his mother, memorized the the Pledge of Allegiance before the first day of school. He reflects on the pride showing on the face of a young Cub Scout as he raises the flag for the first time over a newly built school. The north wind blows down the people-line- d He recalls, with fondness, the sense of amazement street, setting a chill in the air. He snuggles deeper as he sits with his grandfather who remembers the into his coat attempting to hide from the cold. Faint first cars and airplanes as the American flag is sounds of music begin to drift toward him from planted on the surface of the moon. down the street. "They must be getting ready to start He shudders at the memory of the utter disgust the parade," he informs the young child standing he felt as he watched young citizens of the greatest next to him. "Yeah," replies the small boy. The country on earth burn and defecate on the flag of music grows louder as the head of the parade moves their country. into view. He revels in the remembrance of standing with Four soldiers march down the street; soon they arms locks with friends around a flagpole to prevent will be in front of them. The closer they get, the it from being desecrated. He remembers the sickness he felt stiffer and straighter his back becomes. The young his friends returned horn in boy at his side tugs on his on his sleeve and asks, as some of coffins. "Hey, what's those guys doing?" He carefully Distastefully, he relives the humiliation and sense his short that the to are honor explains they partner of hopelessness as the flag is lowered for the last guard for the flag. time at the American Embassy, Phnom Penh, As he watches, he appreciates the fact the the flag Cambodia. of the United States is not overly impressive in its He then remembers the elation bubbling within physical appearance. It is, he notes, a rectangle as he flew above San Francisco and saw the flags made up of three colors of cloth red, white and flying atop the skyscrapers, knowing that after four blue. A field of blue occupies the upper d years he was finally home. corner. This field is broken up by 50 white He is jerked back to reality by his small friend's stars. Alternating stripe' of red and white insistent pulling of his coat. The round-face- d kid, in make up the rest of the rectangle. a voice tinged with alarm, asks, "Why are you He understands that it is not the physical aspects crying?" of the flag that cause the flood of emotions in him. "Oh, I'm not crying. I'm just thinking about that It is the fact that the flag acts like an open flood-gat- e flag," he sighs. flag-drape- d left-han- five-point- |