OCR Text |
Show 7 THE MAGNA TIMES Everyone has easy answers to the tough problems of revenue shortfalls in Utah, Governor Norman H. Bangerter told a group at Weber State College Feb. 19, and the group responded with fiery how come questions that demanded simple answers. Everyone has an easy answer to the complex problems, and they can give those easy answers as long as they dont fully understand the questions, Gov. Bangerter said. The Governor faced a crowd of about 300 and explained income shortfalls in the state and the related impact on education and other state agencies, and that in the wake of a $27 million shortfall for this years revenue income announced Feb. 18 by the State Tax Commission. I know businesses are hurting, I have two sons with businesses, but my business is booming. I have 13,000 new students in the schools this year. Welfare is booming, the prisons are booming, he said. That dichotomy of increased needs with decreased funds is leading, not to a choice between taxes or cuts, but to a question of how much of each one. Were going to have to increase taxes just to stay even, and even with that well have to cut back on services, he said. The governor suggested that Weber and Ogden school districts combine, ; he supported the closure of South High School in Salt Lake City, recom-- i mended that urban schools go to year-lon- g schedules while rural schools that By JILLYN SMITH Science Writer Utah State University I have a friend who sneezes when she goes outside into the sun. she The sun always makes me sneeze. The sun doesnt make me sneeze. Does it make you sneeze? Not long ago, a scientist studied this phenomenon-- as I recall, he and his kids were determined that its a genetic trait. Like the ability to roll the sides of your tongue up, you cither have it coded into your genetic instructions, or you dont. Some scientists have turned their attention to the most basic kinds of things-thin- gs that we usually just take for granted-a- nd have come up with interesting insights. Take snoring. Because my father snores, I just thought that older men snored--an- d that women and children didnt. They were more refined, or something. What, me snore? Never! Scientists who have studied snoring say that it has both social and medical consequences. The social consequences, I assume, involve the snoreris loved ones, and probably consist of waking up the snorer, saying roll over, youre snoring, or sleeping in the other room. Some snoring has been measured at 80 decibels. Thats as loud as a jackhammer. The medical conscqucnces-- to the snore- r- can be lack of oxygen, and stresses to the heart and lungs. Scientists have discovered that snoring increases with age. In people age 30-320 percent of men and five percent of women snore. By age 60, 60 percent of men and 40 percent of women are habitual snoters. It s not known why mote men than women snore, but snoring is also correlated with weight: it occurs three times more often in obese people than in thin people. The sound comes from the vibration of muscles and soft tissues in the airway, or from constricted nasal passages. It signifies obstructed breathing, which can disturb the snoreris sleep. Snoring has been linked with high blood pressure. In an extreme form of snoring, known as obstructive sleep apnea, breathing actually stops during sleep, and the scientists suggest it may account for some sudden unexplained nighttime deaths. At any rate, apnea can cause daytime sleepiness, irritability, poor work performance and serious cardiovascular problems. Severe cases can be helped by surgery. Relief for snorers (and their families) is also possible if the head of the bed is propped up, and if snorers avoid tranquiiz-ersleeping pills and alcohol before bedtime. Drastic measures - such as sewing tennis balls into the scat of the snoreris pajamas can force him or her to sleep on his or her side, so its not necessary to say roll over. Aa-cho- Aa-cho- o. s, -- - Were throw-awa- y society a throwaway society says Dr. O.D. Carnahan, President College at Salt Lake. Not only do we desire instant access, knowledge, and success, says the community college president, but also society wants to dispose of things just as fast. Technological creativity generates technological obsolcncc. Tn with the new, out with the old seems to be the philosophy of the 80s. My fear is that in our throaway mood we are abandoning good people. Mature, capable workers are being displaced. They arc the ones who know how to work, who value their jobs. Too often business and industry are casting them aside in favor of computer-literat- e youngsters who work for less We are becoming of Utah Technical because of their inexperience. Dr. Carnahan suggests colleges such as Utah Tech can be used to keep particularly as to computer-literactodays workforce Most enlightened business people recognize the obsolescence cycle is down to four or five years. Continuing education is the answer, says the president. Custom-fi- t training by higher education will satisfy the particular needs of a business. It is far less expensive for a community college or other education-oriente- d organization to design a specific class to update workers needs, than for a company to set up its own education department. is a big area that frightens many adults. The colleges Computer-literac- y have the computers. They have the faculty. They can teach beginners as well as sophisticates. Continuing education lifelong learning - is a fact of American life. Business and industry need to plug into it rather than toss aside valuable, loyal workers. education: the future Co-o- p An increase of more than 20 percent in numbers of students participating in cooperative education this quarter was announced by Jim Godfrey, Co-O- p director at Utah Technical College at Salt Lake. enrollment this Comparing co-o-p quarter to the same quarter last year we have an increase of 45 students, God- - MAGNA TIMES USPS 3255-800- 0 9124 West 2700 South, Magna, Utah 64044 BONNIE STAHLE Advertising-Offic- e Manager Many employers and students arc seeing the benefit of this cooperative venture. Cooperative education implies that a student gets college credit for certain work experiences, and gets paid by the employer for that work. The latter is a significant difference from most college and university internships. At Utah Tech students in many different programs can get co-o-p experience. Often they go to school part of the day, and work in co-o-p But there are all sorts of variations. For example, for the past year or students more we have had co-o- p or two fullentire an working quarter time at Hill Air Force Base, and then come back to the college to finish their trey said. part-tim- associate degree. STAHLE Publisher Managing Editor Published Thursdays Poftmottof wnd chonQ of oddroot to: 9124 West 2700 South, Magna Utah 84044 Jer snd Class Postage Paid i i4044 Mao',- - ' e. p is Godfrey points out that emthe both by closely supervised ployer and the school. "The employer supervises the student as to quality of work, attitude, effectiveness, etc. Utah Tech has a corps of faculty who also visit with the students to make sure that the goals and work experiences are in harmony with what the college requires in its curriculum. Cooperative education has been around for a number of years, with more than 1,000 colleges and universities currently involved, and over 300,000 students participating. co-o- J. HOWARD h PAGE TWO which fell under the budget ax last year, will not receive any more money this fiscal he said. The state needs a new prison facility, but at the current 20 percent increase in inmate population that building will be full as soon as its built and another prison will have to be constructed. Fd love to not have to build prisons, but we have to have one. People are already complaining because were releasing prisoners ahead of schedule, he d, said. The governor said he would support a flat tax, but told one questioner that a head tax is unlawful according to the states constitution, and is not fair to say to kids you cant come to school (if parents cant pay). The issue then becomes do you want to tell people how many children they can have, and I dont think Fm ready to do that, Gov. Bangerter said. Lotteries arc also not a financial panacea for Utah. Lotteries will not raise that much money in the size of a state that were in, he said. But while the problems are complex. Gov. Bangerter said they wouldnt last By 1994 school population will begin to drop, and the budget crunch will m ease. Were not down and out in Utah. We still have our resources. Tough times dont last, tough people do. Were going to tighten our belt and move forward with our resources, he said. Ieacher salaries rise slowly Snoring: nothing to sneeze at says. arc dwindling in students and have large transportation costs go to a lengschool week. thened four-da- y Were using every device we have (to protect education), but people dont yet realize that they may have to dose South High School and consolidate school districts here, Gov. Bangerter said. Were going to have to be individually responsible and make these kinds of cuts. If not, then weve got to be willing to get out our check books and write out a bigger check, he added. In his last two years in public office Gov. Bangerter said he has allocated eight percent more of the states economic pie to education while reducing other agencies. However, budget constraints mandate that education, both public and higher education, must go through the same squeeze as other state organizations in order to maximize effidency. Fm not trying to cut education, but weve had to make some cut backs because the revenues are not coming in. If we dont put money in education the long-tereffect is devastating, but we also have to make changes (in education) as we go, he said. But be assured, he added. Every dollar we do not get will be translated in reduction in services. The governor supported the development ofTrappers Loop because of the businesses and industries such a development could attract, but Burrs trail. THURSDAY, MARCH S, 1987 Foundation analysts point out that a teacher with a bachelors degree who began teaching in Utah five years ago received an average starting salary of $ 12,6 1 6. Over the past five years, that same teacher would have received total salary increases of $3,237 in the basic salary schedules plus $2,815 in the annual experience increments. In addition, the Legislature made several reductions in the required employee retirement contributions which would add e another $551 to the average annual pay. Altogether, the total increase to the teacher with experience amounted to $6,603 or 52.3 percent. Moreover, if the teacher had acquired added academic training during this period, he or she would have received an even greater salary boost. According to data compiled by the National Education Association, the average salary paid to classroom teachers in Utah last year was $22,341, compared with $24,141 in the eight Mountain States and $25,257 in the United States as a whole. When a comparison is made of salary levels for all instructional personnel (teachers, principals, supervisors, guidance personnel, librarians, etc.), Utah is even closer to regional and national averages. The analysis shows that the average salary for all instructional personnel in Utah was $25,528, compared with $25,838 in the Mountain States and $26,567 for the nation. Moreover, if allowance is made for the fact that Utah pays most of the employees share of the retirement cost (a benefit not generally available in other states), the total compensation package in Utah would be slightly higher than the Mountain States and U.S. averages. Because of the severe financial problems in Utah this year, only minimal increases in teacher salary schedules were provided for 1986-8This was reported by Utah Foundation, the private research group, in its regular annual analysis of teacher salary changes in Utah. According to the study, the average increase in the teacher salary schedules in Utah amounted to about $275 or 1.5 percent this year. In several of the districts, no increase in the salary schedule was provided. The Foundation report notes, however, that most teachers not at the top step of their salary sole did receive a normal experience increment which averaged $742 this year. Thus, the total pay increase for most teachers in 1986-8- 7 averaged $1,107, or 5.4 percent. Teachers who currently are at the top step of the salary ladder, of course, did not receive the experience increment and would benefit only from any change made in the basic salary schedule. Starting salaries for Utah teachers with a bachelors degree averaged $15,312 this year. In most districts the salary schedules provide regular increases for experience and for additional academic training. Thus, experienced teachers with a masters degree will receive maximum salaries averaging $27,026 this year, or about $11,714 (77 percent) more than a beginning teacher with only a bachelors degree. The 1986 Utah Legislature also appropriated $34.3 million for a career-laddprogram which would add to the basic salary amounts for many of the teachers. take-hom- five-yea- rs er Taxpayers should mourn, Olson says Today should be observed as a taxpayers day of mourning. Black arm bands should be worn by all to demonstrate die shock and dismay felt by taxpayers about the action of the 1987 Legislature in hiking taxes $202 million, says Jack A. Olson, spokesman for the Utah Taxpayers Association. I believe this Legislature will go down in history as the group that raised our taxes higher than any other legislative body, and at the same time, deliberately took away the peoples right to bring the tax increase before the citizens for a vote, and who did irreparable damage to the families and businesses of the state, Mr. Olson said. How many Utah families, in todays economy can afford a $402 tax increase in their budgets? asked the tax watchdog spokesman. Obviously, the legislature thinks Utah families can afford it. The $402 was computed by dividing the $202 million tax increase by Utahs 502,000 households. The $202 million includes $60 million from the Vi cent sales tax increase, $40 million from a five cent gas tax increase, $ 1 1 million from the 1 1 cent cigarette tax hike, $70 million from increased individual income taxes, $10 million from corporate income tax acceleration, and $11 million of increased property taxing power for libraries. ' The $202 million does not include $33 million of accelerated tax collections in the current fiscal year. This includes $15 million in sales taxes, $10 million in gas taxes, and $8 million in corporation income tax. Taxpayers have never lobbied the legislature harder or better than this session, yet their cries were met with deaf ears by legislators. Not only were taxes increased in spite of overwhelming public opposition, but taxpayer efforts to let the public have the final say through a referendum vote were dashed by the legislatures carefulness in seeing that each tax hike had a majority vote, Mr. Olson explained. I promise you, the people will have the final say. This defeat only gives greater resolve to taxpayer volunteers who now will carry tax limitation petitions throughout the state, Olson said. It should be recognized that the $202 million in higher taxes is not just for next year, but will go on and on, year after year. We warn citizens that this will not be the last tax increase proposal as the Governor claims. The Legislative Fiscal Analyst reports that the state will need increased taxes of another $100 million per year for the next several years. two-thir- Passing an amendment wont solve all Constitution woes Whenever internal pressures build up, and conflicts between different groups of Americans become acute, there bob to the surface those who want to change the Constitution. They argue with some persuasiveness that a plan of government that was suitable for 3.8 million widely scattered inhabitants, most of them living on farms or plantations, cramps the activities of 230 million in a centralized, heavily industrialized society. Some of the arguments for change are brought forward by minorities who want to legislate something before there is a public consensus on the issue. That is what happened with National Prohibition - the Eighteenth Amendment (1919), which was later repealed by Amendment XXI (1933). There was then an enthusiasm to set a temperance ideal, but the general will to enforce such a discipline by law was lacking. Today, a parallel scene is being set by those who want to get an amendment to accomplish the purpose of legislation, or to prevent the legislature from appropriating funds above a certain limit. The first trouble with Constitutional amendments that are substitutes for legislation is that they may be unenforceable. And not all sins can be handled as crimes. And laws that cant be enforced are bad laws, whatever their theoretical merits. The fundamental trouble with such amendments is that the process of discussion and public debate by which a they short-circu- it people develops a consensus and acquires the will to maintain a certain discipline by law. There are other amendments being brought forward, and these have to do with die frame of government itself. Admirers of foreign models, like the Nazis and the Communists, seldom get much following in America. But there Communist Party and its various fronts. Today the' right-win- g extremists are praising the national heroes John Poindexter, Oliver North and Richard Secord for taking the same stand Or is it the same stand? Those who took the Fifth 35 years ago were for " the most part private citizens. They were not in the same position of public trust as Vice Admiral Poindexter, Lt. Col. North and General Secord. The Fifth Amendment was without doubt shaped to guarantee the liberty, dignity, and privacy of citizens. But it was not intended to describe the limits of officers in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Most certainly it was not intended to apply to uniformed officers in the armed services. The degree to which the Founding Fathers despised arbitrary regimes was equalled by their esteem for those who took up the birdens of public office to perform a public service. It would hardly have occurred to them that the time might come when persons entrusted with the stewardship of public trust would under scrutiny crawl back into their caves and demand the protection to which ordinary citizens are entitled in their round of ordinary affairs. These officers trying to take the Fifth, to which they are not entitled, arc not private citizens. They have enjoyed the privileges of power and now they must accept some of the responsibilities. If an ordinary GI can be called upon to give up his schooling or his job, to leave his family and loved ones, and perhaps lose his life in the national interest, then those who have enjoyed the privileges of flag and field rank are hardly free to hide themselves behind a shield that was intended for private citizens. Funding opinions being sought Opinions regarding the funding of Salt Lake County social service agencies are being solicited from citizens and consumers of social services by the Salt Lake County Board of Commissioner:. Approximately 1.8 million dollars ft Salt Lake County Title XX Social Service Block Grant and Community Services Block Grant funds are available for the provision of such ser -- TOWN ARE you vices as counseling, residential care, legal services, and recreation. In October, applications from public and private agencies wishing to provide social services to low and moderate income people were received. Requests from these agencies totaled two million dollars. The Salt Lake County Human Services Advisory Council has reviewed all applications and will make TOPICS SURE THIS STORY IS ORIGINAL? CERTAINLY HEAVEN BE pRAieec? funding recommendations to the citizens arc urged to attend to express Board of Commissioners by March 2. their opinions regarding the funding The Salt Lake County Board of recommendations of the Human SerCommissioners will hold a Public vices Advisory Council. For further information regarding Hearing regarding these recommendations. The hearing will be Wednesday, the Title XX - Social Services Block March 11, 1987 at 7 p.m. at the GovGrant and Community Services Block ernment Center, 2001 South State, Grant Public Hearing, call Sharon Bre-siSalt Lake City, in the Commission Salt Lake County Human Services Chambers, First Floor. All interested Administration, n, 468-219- IT IS,' I SHOULD AT Kpijvg.' THAT LAST MEET PUDVARP |