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Show Th Paper That Dare To Take A. Stand August 30, 1979 The Utah Independent . Page. 7 Government; House Fight Looms panying the bills, however, is insignificant in comparison to the havoc their passage would wreak on the Constitution. REQIONAUSM The UPSTAGES NIXON Former President Nixons executive order gener- dictate agencies regional already ar ating regional government powers has been abandoned in favor of a stronger nt IN ACTION established by Congress are fine examples of regionalism in action. The Upper Great Lakes Regional Commission, for example, is embroiled in a million-dollkickback scheme; one person has already landed in jail, and more indictments are expected. Cronyism is rampant throughout all the regional commissions, with . fat grants" often awarded to former executives. The House will be considering H.R. 2063 after reconvening; the bill, ominously, confers to the regional commissions it would establish most of the powers the more radical Senate bill gives them. CARTER regional-governme- 11 bj Jimmy Carter as forces dedicated to elimination of states rights gain momentum. CARTER IMPATIENT missions the bills will establish are by far the most sweeping proposals to approach congressional approval. Policy in all areas would be directed by unelected federal bureaucrats; the Senate bill mandates that each regional development plan must be approved by ar federal appointed by the president. Incredibly, state governors will have no say in what plans are finally approved for the regions in which their states happen to exist; of the the appointed federal commissions will dictate what will, in effect, be national economic and land-us- e policy. The commissions are mandated to coordinate the development and growth management activities of state governments and substate entities (counties, cities) with regional policy development, including, but not limited to, economic development, coastal zone (land) management, comprehensive planning, environmental protection, energy conservation and development, transportation, cultural resource development, outdoor recreation planning, and implementation programs. an en Thus, the regional commissions will direct at least 10 facets of your life if they are created; the not limited to clause, of course, will enable the commissions to swiftly usurp whatever authority towns, cities, counties, and states manage to retain. Simpson offered an amendment to eliminate most of the Senate bill's provisions new powers to the granting regional commissions; his amendment was rejected 5 H.R. 2063 masquerades as a public works bill as well, with heavy emphasis on pork-barr- el rhetoric designed to lull taxpayers into believing it is just another federal price tag accom boondoggle; the far-reachi- ng 1-- 47. $4-billi- on President Jimmy Carter, meanwhile, appears impatient to abolish the Constitution; Carter supports the bills. On July 20, however, Carter revoked Nixons 1972 executive order, substituting an even more sweeping one of his own. a federal regional Carter established council for each of the 10 standard federal regions"; he directed 17 Cabinet departments and federal agencies to designate representatives to each of the councils. Carter nearly managed to ignore the states entirely in his decree, mentioning them in a perfunctory manner clearly indicating the administration stand that the states and the U.S. Constitution are obsolete. $ Reprinted from Spotlight 300 Independence Ave., SE Continued from page 1 Kenji and Junior Okada, two of four brothers who operate a family corporation farm of about 550 irrigated, acres near Tremonton, Utah, maintain that an efficient irrigated row crop operation would require a minimum of 350 to 400 acres. They point out that farmers, as they buy ever more sophisticated equipment, tend to expand, and farm more land to take advantage of the equipments efficiency. I dont think acreage limitation is constitutional, says Lloyd Hubbard, who farms about 600 acres near Corinne, Utah. "Its another step in the direction of socialistic government another way of taking from those who have and giving to those who havent. of revised regulations as part of a d draft environdistrict mental impact statement in September 1979. After more public hearcourt-ordere- ings! the final rules are expected to be published in early 1960. Meanwhile, legislation has been limitproposed to repeal the 160-ac- re ation of the 1902 Reclamation Act. Utah Senators Gam and Hatch are of Senate Bill 654, while Representative Dan . Marriott is a of the House version. Although land irrigated by BOR water totals only 1 percent of all U.S. all such land is in 17 farmland Western states and Hawaii but with little in Utah, it produces about 8 . co-spons- ors co-spbn- Washington, DC 20003 sor percent of the gross value of all major U.S. crops. Farmers who do not use BOR water, as well as those who do, are understandably disturbed by An- drus's stance. Some of their com- ments follow. "I think a lot of people have a misconception about what a 'family farm is any more, says flqyd Hale, who farms near Loveland, Colo. "As far as Im concerned, a family farm is one operated by a family and can be whateyer size that family iently operate. era effic- X farmer, Larry Haskell of El Centro, points out that "The proposed restrictions would kill the incentive for any young person to. want to get into agriculture. If the government were to tell me this is all the land I could ever own, this is all I can ever lease, and where I have to live, it wouldnt be long before the government would also be telling me what I can and cant grow. A California Mr. and Mrs. Claude Jeppesen operate a 400-acr- e family farm near minimum of 400 Utah. "A Corinne, irrigated acres is an economic unit in our area, he says. With todays farming technology, there is no way farm as you can consider a 160-acr-e adequate. The right to buy and sell property is one of our constitutional rights, says Jay Child, who farms about 300 irrigated acres near Clearfield, Utah. The UFBF adds: "I think the 1902 Reclamation Act is board-membe- r outdated and something we can't live with today. |