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Show i 2B Sun Advocate, Price, Utah 9mm Thursday, May 4, 1995 Opinion lsDBTORIAL... GENTLEMEN, I Q1VE YOU Developing land use objectives A story is told of two friends fishing, in a stream of water. Suddenly, they spot a baby floating downstream. They abandon their fishing rods to rescue the baby. More and more babies float toward them, keeping them scrambling to rescue the infants. Then one of the fishermen clambers up out of the water. "Wait," his friend calls. "Aren't you going to stay and help me save these babies?" "You stay here," his companion answered. "I'm going upstream to see why all these babies keep falling in the water." Across the nation, we recently celebrated Earth Day. This was a celebration that was observed by thousands of people taking a few hours of their time to clean up or revegetate the land where we live. We live in a place where much of the time, there is screaming and namecalling associated with the way we want to take care of our little section of this earth. It hip-dee- p seems like it is always us against them... us against those blankety-blan- k environmentalists. But as I have reviewed the reasoning behind why the environmentalists want limited land access and compared them to the reasons why we, the locals, want fair use and access to public lands, I found many of the goals on both sides to be the same. I found that we stand together on many of the issues concerning the protection, prolonged use and enjoyment of this land. Then we have examples of the idiotic, thoughtless extremists on both sides. For example, last week our area host so-call- number THREE' race the overwhelming majority? I can remember the first time I was through Buckhorn Draw, finishing 370 miles south to the Bullfrog Basin area of told where and where not I could go to Lake Powell. the bathroom out in the wilds on a four-da- y The race consisted of running, horseriver run. To most, this would not be back riding, rappelling, canoeing ma- much of a request, but I was troubled for neuvering and rafting. The running and weeks. Now when I go to Lake Powell and horseback riding were all done on existother places on our own desert, we have ing roads. So when I had heard that Mitsubishi to walk up through the bushes to go Motor Sales of America withdrew its mountain climbing and you have to walk support because of possible impacts the through a stinking, white paper littered race may have on the environment, I area that usually surrounds any campcongered up in my mind some closed site. I am starting to see that as more and minded environmentalist painting a picture of ruin and doom. Why else would more people come into our backyard, the intelligent people make a decision to pull more restrictions we will be wanting. To their support? heck with the environmentalists. We must always be thinking multiThis race was an opportunity of a lifetime for these participants to see and ple use, but I don't think there is one of experience some of God's most perfect us who condones any kind of use that and rugged creations. And now we have also accommodates destruction. Once a nationally cried announcement that again, this is some common ground we, the people, should only dream about where both sides concur. At some point in time, we need to doing these kinds of things because of possible negative impacts. quit trying to save all the babies and I was thinking how stupid this antake a minute to go upstream and find nouncement was and how narrow mind- out what the problem is. As I see, it most of the problem is a ed, no, close minded these people are. Then during the same week, I read a lack of communication. If we laid out on stoiy about the other kind of extremists. the table all of our concerns and desires I heard where some local land users, for the use of the land surrounding us, I blowtorched their way through a locked think the vast majority on both sides gate onto protected property to do a little could work out the necessary comproand camping in a protect- mises for agreement and support. ed area. Why? I guess I am tired of all the unnecesI see litter by the sackful strewn sary bickering and name-callinI feel along the roadsides. I see blackened fire-pit- s bad that a term like "environmentalist" all along the roads where camping is portrayed as a damnable personal ed a worldwide By KEVIN ASHBY Sun Advocate publisher JOHN DOE Eco-Challen- ge four-wheeli- g. looks available. This is an example of the same kind of destructive mentality it takes to shoot a high powered rifle at petroglyphs. Can you see that when we take the extremes out of both sides, we are getting to some common land use desires by view. We all want to use and protect this land. Not just for our use today, but for our children tomorrow. This desire makes us all concerned for the land and how it is used. Let's get together and move forward. Guest editorial Arguing against capital gains tax By RICHARD LESHER President, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Of all the economic proposals now before the 104th Congress, perhaps none promises greater and more immediate benefit to the United States economy than the reduction in the capital gains tax included in the Job Creation and Wage Enhancement Act of 1995, HR-9- . Since the capital gains deduction was repealed in the Tax Reform Act of 1986, there have been several unsuccessful attempts to reinstate it. For the time being, however, capital gains continue to be taxed as ordinary income. The effect is to discourage capital formation and mobility and to otherwise hinder business efforts to expand and modernize. To reduce or eliminate entirely the tax on capital gains would spur precisely the kinds of economic activity our society needs the most creating jobs for workers at all levels. Better yet, taxes generated by the ensuing expansion would more than offset the loss of revenues from the captial gains tax. Another compelling argument against the capital gains tax is that it is often based upon illusory profits, such as those generated by inflation, as opposed to real appreciation. Thus, you may have IF 03 MERDICT invested money in a home or business that has merely kept pace with inflation, but otherwise not grown. However, in order to use that money for another more efficient investment, you must first cash it in and pay capital gains taxes on the face value of your profit, which is only the effect of inflation. A great many investors facing this prospect are inclined to just leave the money where it is and avoid the additional tax. But the economy gains when people move their money around, looking for opportunities to profit. A vote for a reduction in the capital gains tax is a vote for (Continued on page 3B) IS FINMIV REM) Letters To The Editor promise has been missing in Voices differing interpretation of wilderness hearing Editor: I would like to respond to the April 25 letter ofLawrence D. Davis of Helper. Mr. Davis and I both attended the wilderness bill hearing in Price on April 13, but his and my interpretation of what occurred there differ. He apparently is about the fact that disturbed there were resia number of dents who traveled here to give testimony and that not enough time was alloted to local testimony. He stated they tied up most of the limited hearing time and ignored the speaking time. In fact, both viewpoints with people behaved this way. The hearing was prolonged so that everyone who was scheduled to speak did in fact speak. I do not believe what Mr. Davis purports, that locals were unable to give their opinions because wilderness advocates dominated the meeting. Rep. Bill Orton repeatedly asked for written comments to be submitted and indicated that those would have the same importance as spoken testimony. The deadline for written comments was May 1. I agree with Mr. Davis that this process of evaluating the five mayor wilderness proposals, obtaining public input and making a wise decision for wilderness designation in Utah is a tall order. I think we both admire the governor and our lal delegation for out-of-to- two-minu- te attempting to settle this issue at last. I also think we would agree that this process is imperfect by anyones standards. When the final decision is made, many people on both sides are going to feel as though this land has been ripped away from them, doomed to inappropriate management of one kind or another. I have attended a number of these hearings. People on both sides of this issue have been speaking out with great emotion. Many have shown poor preparation or education on the issue. Many people have voiced views fed them by organized groups which is not necessarily bad because this is a big issue. What is apparent is that people on both sides hold their viewpoints closely, whether they are accurate or not. In my opinion, we can draw the following conclusions: First, it is inevitable that there are going to be substantial mistakes made in the final bill. This is evidenced by the wide and widening gap in public opinion and fluctuations in proposals from counties. In fact, adjacent counties have opposing recommendations for lands that cross their borders. The inclusion of hard release language in the bill will forever seal these mistakes from future correction. Hard release language should therefore not be included. Second, the spirit of com SltMStW 0JC(L 4 these discussions. Someone once said that a true compromise is when, after the final agreement, everyone leaves the table disappointed. The Utah Wilderness Coalitions proposal is for 5.7 million acres of wilderness and various county proposals total about 1 million acres. True compromise lies somewhere in the middle, such as the BLMs 2 million acre or Utah Wilderness Alliances 2.8 million acre proposal. I believe these proposals are well researched and would result in a reasonable combination of both multiple use and wilderness areas in Utah. Third, if our elected representatives do not fulfill their duty to represent you in this or other issues, the next stop you should consider is the voting booth. Paul J. Sheya Price Resents Tribune feature article Editor: A feature story in last Fridays Salt Lake Tribune on North Ridge High Schools honor program was of keen interest to me. The occasion was most outstanding the honoring of the roll students who raised their grade point averages one point or more. These kids had never been honored for much in their lives, and I feel it may be the turning point for some ofthem in their attitudes toward school and their futures. I was offended by the smart-aleck- y manner in which T.J. Quinn portrayed the occasion: ...a senior, slack shouldered, left hand in pocket, slicked-bac- k dirty blond hair... Surely the boy who had raised his grade point to 3.88 from 2.34 deserved a kinder, more gracious description. Then: ...It was a day when the eggheads wore crowns... Webster defines egghead as slang, an intellectual, usually a term of derision as used by non-hon- or I f f x V ls. Then at the end: He ascended the stairs at the end of the gym and knelt before a guy in a blue cape King Arthur? Yoda? God? Perhaps Mr. Quinn was once one of the lofty who was accustomed to looking down on the lower forms of life. I dont know. But these kids deserved praise and respect and their hour in the sun. I also wish to praise highly the teachers and administrators who conceived and four-pointe- exe-cut- i i rs ! i ed this worthwhile assembly. I resent Mr. Quinns article. My son tells me that Tony Welsh was the Tribune editors brother. I taught at Carbon High School for many years and while I didnt know Tony, I surely knew of him. He is still honored in the halls of Carbon. May S. Bertelsen Price 4 |