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Show Page March 18, 1982 EDITORIAL AND OPINIONS UTAH PRESS ASSOCIATION'S CAPITAL NOTEBOOK By David C. Pruden SALT LAKE our Utah State Legislature at work almost takes ones breath away. Its truly impressive. Farmers and factory workers, housewives and businessmen, educators, and attorneys gather together for a few weeks each year with the all consuming desire to bury their fellow dtizens under an avalanche of new legislations. In spite of low pay, limited staff support and only twenty working days, our elected offidals somehow find the time to regulate almost everyone. Taxpayers were hit with almost $18 million in tax and fee increases. Newspapers, truckers, hunters, liquor distributors, those on unemployment, and school children found themselves the Innovation, economic growth spring from samDI business Cars, airplanes, pet rocks and thousands of other products and the economic and employment they growth generate started out at one time as the developments of small businesses. Today, firms with less than 1,000 employees generate roughly half of the new ideas and innovations that, in turn, generate 50 percent of Americas economic growth, according to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology study. Another study showed that small businesses, which employ about half of those who work in private industry, produce up to 24 times the innovations per research dollar spent than larger firms. so when federal government needs a new aircraft part developed or a new idea tested, where does it turn? Not to small business. Small firms contract for only 3 to 4 percent of the $40 billion the government spends each year on research and development. Big companies, which sometimes are reluctant to bear the risk of new ideas and are content to stick to things they do well, get the balance. That follows a pattern that was established as far back as 1903, when two brothers in North Carolina waited five years to get federal support for an innovative idea they called t he airplane. ' ' The Small Business Innovation and Research Act, which tI recognizes the innovative potential of TtCl3 CDgoAgCd Cyprus students, it is thought, are going to rough it for a year, with their lockers on their back, in knapsacks, carrying books, lunches and coats everywhere they go. The bells wont ring, because they are housed in the building to be destroyed. The intercom .wont work, because it too originates in the main office, which is to be located in the foyer of the auditorium. If a student wants a counselor, he will look somewhere in the gym. But if hes a g Americas small businesses. It requires federal agencies with a research and development budget ofover$100 million to set aside 1 percent of that amount to be contracted out to qualified small businesses. At least $400 million a year would be transferred to smal businesses, at target of new legislation. no additional cost to taxpayers. Each year someone suggests that the This bill, by forcing government limited sessions held in Utah allow far too agencies to fund small businesses, would little time for proper governing. Im support the parts of the economy that might stimulate the entire economy, said Sidney Green, president of Utahs Terra Tek, a 250 employee energy research firm. In innovation and research, bigger is not better. Small businesses are responsible for more innovation. The government would get a double impact for its bucks; it would get its research, and the economy would be stimulated at no added cost. The present of Centervilles Research Materials, Inc., Dr. Ram Natesh, agreed. The largest amounts of innovation come from small companies, and small, high-technolo- gy firms are uusually much more This is one of my favorite holidays. he said. This bill will be Would you expect less when my maiden good for the whole country. name was McCarthy? I love everything The Senate agreed with Mr. Green and Irish leprechauns, shamrocks, clay pipes, Dr. Natesh: it overwhelmingly passed the the blarnev stone. Irish Wakes, coffee, Small Business Innovation and Research spuds, whiskey, and Spring soap. bill at the end of 1981. The measure now Naturally, my favorite color is emerald awaits approval by the House, while green. Besides Hawaii, the two places I would potential economic growth, higher emto visit are Ireland and the Azores love and new ideas and innovations ployment, t Islands. Part of me is also Portuguese, but hang in he balance. not this time of year. I have corresponded with a fellow photographer in Ireland and he has sent me some pict ures which further int ice my interest in that country. cost-effectiv- e, 0pp?0G!D The saddest thing that is happening at Cyprus is not the decay and sinking building, but the destruction of key vocational programs by administrators. A recent decision seems to include loss of the graphics and foods programs, as well as a reduction in auto mechanics programs. This is reputed to result in the reduction in staff by 14. But that probably means in reality, two teachers. CITY-Watchin- sophomore, he need not seek an auto mechanics class present plans are to restrict sophomores from taking that class. Do you wonder how junior will get an education? So do we, since history and English dasses are to be housed in the ice rink, with temporary partitions dividing ten to twelve dasses. There are presently no screens for audio visual equipment, no plugs to plug in such equipment, no effect ive noise barriers for competing neighbors, no book cases, inadequate lighting, and for that matter, has anyone remembered that the heating plant for Cyprus is' also in t he building to be razed? Last of all, we must ask, is the wes program being cheated . again Would these changes be in the best ir terest of the students involved? Would thi happen on the east side? Valiev I told my Niall Foley, what my name was, and he responded: With a maiden name of McCarthy you obviously letter-frien- d, have an Irish ancester, but the problem is that next to Murphy, your maiden name would be most popular. That will make definitely seeking my Paddy roots beginning to wonder. It seems they have plenty of time to harrass the newspaper industry. In fact, the only group that escapes from regulation because of limited time arguments is the legislature iteself. Members of the State Senate and House of Representatives can move from one district to another without losing their seat. They can accept campaign contributions from special interest groups in unlimited amounts with no penalty for failing to inform the voters as to the source of campaign financing. They can conduct private business on the floor of the legislature, while the body is in session. They can earn income as paid lobbyists for special interest groups directly impacted by the very legislation that they are considering while supposedly acting as representatives of the people of their district. The time for a strict code of ethics for members of the State Legislature is long past . W hen they ask for your support in the next campaign, committ them to implementing regulations that will protect all the people. The taxpayers of the state deserve legislative reform. ferent spelling. She married a McCarthy. Imagine a full Portuguese and full Irish- man. Now its filtered down to me. Theres a in me from my mothers side, but she has quite a bit of Irish in her too, so that makes our blood spalsh of a few other breeds pretty green. Miki T likes St. Patricks Day too. Her and I both know how to do the jig-an- d love to perform, especially after a little Irish libation. Shes probably a little more Irish than me because she was born in California, while I was born in Nevada. Isnt California closer to Ireland than Nevada? She also has a little more to jig lhanido. Im getting all ready for the big day. I have two favorite buttons I wear. One says, Help Make St. Patricks Day A Legal Holiday. 1 got that button back'in 7 1 when I was working at KVLV. A couple of industrious young men from New York were promoting a record and sent out a bunch of buttons in a packet. My other but ton says, It s a Great Day for t he Wee Folk. Im pract icing my brogue while polishing my shillelagh and trying to get up enough nerve to try some green beer. And, of course, my menu of the day will be corned beef and cabbage. And, if you believe all this blarney, wait unt il May when it s Portuguese Festa time. difficult . Ill probably have more luck on the My ancestorial name there is Azores. Serpes. For years we thought it was Serpas, like the ones around here, unt il we found a copy of my marriage certificate and found the dif- great-grandmothe- the MAGNA 91 rs TIMES 24 W. 2700 So., Magna, UT 84044 801-250-56- Published every Thursday Application for mail at second class postage rates is pending at Magna, Utah. Postmaster may send address change to 91 24 W. 2700 So., Magna, Utah e I 1 JERRY OLSEN J- - Editor HOWARD STAHIE Publisher I 702-423-31- j Fallon, NV Tahiti was discovered by Capt Samuel Wallis, an Englishman, in 1767 and not by Capt James Cook, as many believe. I Yearly subscriptions are $8.00 $ 1 0.00 outside Utah Member Utah Press Association USPS 325-58- 0 Excuse me! I STRONGLY support the ERA Howm I doin so far? . |