OCR Text |
Show 2 West Valley News, Thursday, February The Magna Times 1, 1996 WORM'S EYE VIEW by GEORGE MANTES divide it by the two million people who live in the state, and it comes to about $50 per person. I dont know if the $50 will keep anyone out of the poor house, but I do know that with this robust economy we should be trying to address the seeds of our infrastructure and try to get a bit ahead to prepare for economic downturns in the future. SENATOR UTAH STATE LEGISLATURE Day 8: We are off and running on the second week of the session. There is nothing special planned for today. We are in a bit of a holding pattern waiting for the pipeline to fill up with bills so President Beatty has scheduled short periods of floor time and the rest of our day is taken up with committee meetings. Our Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel has been inundated with bill requests and they are having a difficult time responding. We are anticipating that over 1,400 pieces of legislation will be introduced this session and that should definitely set a record. The director of this office tried to establish a system where each legislator was allowed two priority bills that would take precedence in the system but members of the majority party would not support the concept. This is truly unfortunate because it would have given us an opportunity to put some sanity back onto the system. Another situation where political reality takes precedence over discipline and sanity. 1 was notified that my first bill be heard in committee tomorrow. Every year we are barraged with complaints from irate constituents about the improper use of dealer plates. They see neighbors, wives, . nd children driving cars with dt ler plates and they want to know why The automobile dealers and Motoi Vehicle Enforcement Division ha . e been aware of this problem for 'lite some time. This extremely negative perception concerns us and v e have tried at times in the past to it. I have been meeting with representatives from the industry during the past summer and we have drafted a bill that should finally correct this problem,,.,, The bill that I am sponsoring will quantify the number of dealer plates that a dealer will be allowed to purchase based on sales performance. This formula should cut the abuses and put dealer plates back into the hands of legitimate dealers. Day 9 presented my dealer plate bill to the Senate Transportation Committee this morning and they loved it. It passed out with no dissenting votes. When I returned to the Senate chamber. Senator Lyle Hillyard I MAGNA TIMES USPS 325-58- 0 8980 West 2700 South Magna, Utah 84044 BONNIE STAHLE GARY R. BLODGETT Editor KENT GOBLE Writer DEANNA JONES Arts Entertainment Editor Production Manager & DALE SIMONS Sports Columnist STACEY T. CASE Staff Writer SHARON LINSCHOTEN Staff Writer Published each Thursday Subscription $15 per year $18 per year out of state Second class postage paid at Magna, Utah 84044 Postmaster Send change address to: Magna Times 8980 W. 2700 So. Magna, UT 84044 (801) 250-565- 6 or FAX (801) 250-568- asked me if I would be able to conduct the Revenue and Tax Committee meeting until he got there. He is presenting bills before another committee and will be late. This is a great committee and I love doing this. The hot issue that will come before the committee today is a bill to raise the homeowners exemption from 45 to 60 percent on property tax assessments. While this might sound good on the surface, I believe it is a very bad bill. If we are committed to get rid of property tax, then we should just get rid of it. When we tinker with the exemptions it shifts the burden of the tax and creates many problems in the system. This will would require a constitutional amendment and I dont feel there is enough support on the committee to pass it. Tonight Mary Ann and I were invited to a social gathering to hear President Clintons State of the Union Address. I was ready for a nice relaxing evening with some of our good friends. I enjoyed the speech and I have to comment that Clinton is finally starting to look and4 act quite. presidential. I wastin ' Washington in November and! had an opportunity to shake hands with Bill. It is an unbelievable experience to be in the same room with a President of the United States. The aura of power is incredible. In my humble opinion, Clinton appears to have come out the winner in this standoff with the Congress. What I do know for sure is that if we acted that way in the state legislature, we would be tarred and and rightfully so. feathered There is no excuse for the total disregard for compromise and good faith bargaining that has been exhibited by Newt and his henchmen. This may sound like political rhetoric but Im being as objective as I can. 10 Today Senator Hillyard and I met with representative of the state tax commission to review different tax cut proposals. At our request, the Advertising Manager Office Manager SportsFeature Day 11 Day J. HOWARD STAHLE Publisher of Campbell's scoop ... a slightly different flavor tax commission ran several scenarios on what the results would be if different tax cuts were enacted. We looked at property tax reductions, income tax reductions, income tax and elimination of sales tax on food. These analyses got incredibly complex and it is a great exercise to try and determine what the results will be for any particular change that is enacted. The Governor recommended a $75 million tax cut, but the majority party is favoring $100 million or more. If your math is anv good, vou can take a $100 million tax cut and TOWN Today in my Health Committee, the big issue was a bill to allow cousins to marry. When issues like this come up, I am concerned if people out in the real workd wonder what in heavens name we are doing up here. I certainly cannot help but ponder that myself sometimes. After Health Committee, there was a floor session in the Senate chamber. My dealer plate bill was on the board for second reading and it passed the body with no dissenting votes. I have established a good deal of credibility among my peers on issues that concern the transportation industry. That is a very good feeling and I will go out of my way to make sure that I never abuse that trust. Now that the snow has finally started, it doesnt know how to stop. The snow made the driving conditions a real threat, so we adjourned the session early. Afternoon meetings were cancelled and I went home to work on my centennial spotlight resentation. Each senator has been asked to prepare a 3- - to historical perspective of the area they represent in the legislature. I owe my good friend, Beverly White, on this one because she truly saved my life. Beverly took the time to write up some ideas that I will be able to use in my presentation. Utah history was the only class I flunked in elementary school, and that is not easy to do. Im only kidding, but history has never been my strong suit. I thought tnwmwip here to be a Senator and now they have me writing book reports. I told you I was going to get very tired of the centennial celebration. Day 12 The Photocop issue has returned to haunt us once again. It seems Photocop issued a citation to a state senator and incurred his wrath. That camera really should have known better than to do something like that. The issue to me is whether the state has the jurisdiction or the right to dictate policy such as this to the local communities. If a city or county chooses to use the Photocop system, it seems to me it should be their decision and they should enjoy the benefits or suffer the consequences from that choice. I just dont think it is appropriate for the state legislature to direct this issue. The end of week two. Im on my way back to the day job for a full weekend of catch-uNext week the action should start to heat up. you then. Dear Editor: Im a sixth grade student at Arapahoe School in Wyoming. My class is studying the United States. Im studying Utah. I love that state. I would like it if some of your readers could send me postcards. It would help my project and grade. Please print this letter. Thank you. Yours truly, Robert D. Friday grade Arapahoe School-6t- h Box 211 Arapahoe, TOPICS LAST NIGHT A WY 82510 PHOTOCOPy by CRAIG H. CAMPBELL CONTRIBUTOR In January 1994, well after dark, I motored down 31st South in West Valley City to the strains of Surf City (ever hung ten on a steering wheel?) and was momentarily blinded by a flash. I let go of the steering wheel and glanced into the vanity mirror to check my hair. With all that flashing, and being lucky (my wife insists Im lucky to have her), obviously the Clearing House Prize Patrol had found me and I wanted to look my best. I straightened my hair to the applauding honks and yells from oncoming drivers. Ignoring their onefingered gestures of good will, I pulled over, anxiously looking around ... SIGH! ! No Prize Patrol. After a moment of silent contemplation (muttered curses), the stars faded from my eyes, the dollar signs from my imagination. One last hair check and I pulled into traffic. Why do people honk like that? Horns are to inform friends and family youve arrived! I proceeded in the general direction of home its hard to drive while crying over lost monies, with Dead-man- s Curve echoing in your ears. About five days later, I found my dreams of riches had been a flash in the pan or eyes, in this case, courtesy of the police. Id won a citation ... Did I mention Im lucky? ... Did I mention this happened in West Valley? Does anyone care? The saddest part of not winning the sweepstakes is, with those millions, I could have bought West where this happened, or Valley didnt happen with reference to the lousy stinking sweepstakes (I love a Photocop that a good sport) Dear Editor: For several years I have been reading letters to the editors in your newspaper from Mr. Ed Radke. In that time, one thing has become perfectly clear to me. This man has the worst case of sour grapes that I have ever seen. He never has anything good to say about his community. He is critical about every worthwhile project that is undertaken by West Valley City. When he is not attacking the community, he is attacking the leaders. I ask myself how anyone can be against bringing so many high profile projects to the citizens of West Valley as the Olympics, cultural arts, a championship hockey team, and the largest corporate development center in the state of Utah. It appears to me that this man is simply disgruntled because he is not on the cutting edge of any of these endeavors. It is easy to see why even his own neighbors do not agree with him because they did not elect him when he ran for a city council position. It is clear that this current city manager and city administration have put West Valley City on the map. It is unfortunate that some people are jealous of that fact and must be a disruptive influence. We need more positive and forward thinking people such as John Patterson in city government positions all over. To demand that he be fired is outrageous. I, for one, am incensed at the editorial which was written by Ed post-aerob- someone be injured or killed idea of because of the flashing speeders. West Valley leadership, show yourselves seaworthy, come hard about to starboard, set a course for public safety. Remove the flash from Photocop. (Sorry about all the nautical terms but the ship in leadership caused me to weigh anchor into a rising tide of sailing terminology ... stop me, PLEASE!) Did I mention this happened in West Valley City? Inane asides: Pro means for and con means against. Progress means to go forward ... what does congress mean? Radke. What is wrong with this man? He needs to get out of his house and look around at what is going on in West Valley City and how things are changing for the better. I may not be a lifetime resident of West Valley, but during my last five years here I have seen local government take some great strides. Let me jog your memory. Automated trash collection. ' Citywide street lighting. The new Lake Park development. Hockey is back in Utah. The Slympics are coming to WVC. A recreation center is being built in my backyard. A cultural arts center. A new WVC park every year for the past four years. Refinancing city debts at lower interest, saving millions of dollars. The first long-terstrategic plan, emphasizing crime as the number one issue. Over 35 additional police officers and 10 new fire fighters in four years. Where have you been during the past four years, Mr. Radke? Bill Serr West Valley City Subscribe to the Magna Times or West Valley News - Locally owned & operated m AWFULLY you oo TtCKUSHf 1 HOLD-U- P MAN STUCK A GUN MY RIBS I f The Might Times is a bonified newspaper I Member of the Utah Press Association 7 u. while driving before your eyes at fifty miles per hour to sharpen driving skills; dampen the palms, armpits, and car seat; and raise blood pressure to workout levels; not to mention what it does for insurance rates. Im as law abiding as the next person (except when the next person is a convicted felon) but its just not good policy to blind speeders; especially when theyre speeding. Loss of control could turn their cars into instruments of death and destruction my 68 Buick Electra was a massive instrument of destruction. I humbly (humility is my only character weakness) suggest West Valley City leaders stop Photocop usage after sundown, until a system is procured, allowing safe operating in the dark my children say Im operating in the dark. The initial cost couldnt compare to the financially devastating lawsuits should Letters to the. Editor gosh! what7 oo operates without the blinding flash thats an obvious threat to public safety. Theres nothing like red and green pinpoints of light dancing r t |