OCR Text |
Show SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH New Session Of State Legislature May See Streamlined Committee The Democratic Majority in the House of Representatives will meet later this month to organize a standing committee for the 41st legislature. This according to Rep. Ronald Rencher of Ogden, House Speaker. Mr. Rencher will propose a streamlined setup of 10 standing committees in place of the 15 which functioned during the last legislature. I may get some opposition from the caucus, for when you reduce the number of committees you also cut down on the number of chairmanships and committee spots available. However I feel that fewer committees could work more efficiently andmeet more often. Senator Ernest Dean, Senate President said he has met a couple of times witht he majority leadership of the senate regarding committee organizations but no date has been set for the organizational task. Now is the time when most of the senators and house of representative members start specu Prepares Proposals On Airport Parking lation around selections of the Joint Appropriation Committee co chairmanship. Customarily the chairman comes from the senate with the co chairman from the House. Mr. Rencher said he is proposing nine house committees in addition to the Rules Committee. The state Federal and Local concerns committee a combination for the former Political subdivision and the state Federal and Military Affairs committees. The new committees being proposed are the Transportation and Public Safety, Social Services, Industrial Development and Consumers Protection, Energy Natural Resources and Agriculture, Revenue and Taxation, Education, Judiciary, Labor and Manpower Development. The Republican minority in both House and Senate cannot select minority committee members until the Democrats act. Customarily they are selected by floor leaders after taking into consideration legislators wishes. Utah's First Lady Helping With Food Stamp Awareness Program Hello! Food Stamp information. May I help you? That greeting has been given by Utahs First Lady, Mrs. Calvin Rampton and many other volunteers manning the Utah Food Stamp Information hotline telephones since November 11. On that date, an intensive three month statewide campaign was launched to inform as many Utahns as possible about Food Stamps. Mrs. Rampton has received part of the more than 3,000 calls made so far asking for more Food Stamp information. Callers usually ask general questions about Food Stamps such as who is eligible, and where to apply, and how long it takes to get them. The volunteers like Mrs. Rampton answering the phone try to provide basic Food Stamp Program facts and will send the caller a packet of Food Stamp information if they so desire. Thus far, the campaign has says been highly successful, Tim Funk, State coordinator of the Food Stamp Campaign, we have reached a lot of working people and people on pensions that never know they might be eligible. With more volunteer help like Mrs. RamDton has given us we hope eventually to reach everybody in the state. Inflation is killing the regular wage earner, and the elderly too. We need to let them know about the FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1974 ; 'Abolish Property Tax' Says Utah Gov. Rampton, It's Regressive Utahs Governor Calvin L. Rampton speaking to a meeting of the National League of Cities and Towns proposed the abolishment of property taxes. Governor Rampton, said that property taxes are cumbersome, inequitable and regressive, and no longer meet the needs of the government. This proposal sounds very good to many but where is the money going to come from? Increased income taxes. In the governors address to the officials of the league, Mr. Rampton noted that property tax was a good source of revenue in early America but not any longer. Such taxes ought to be eliminated in a non income producing property at least and perhaps on all property. A policy with Salt The income tax if Governor Calvin L. Rampton Lake City International Airport adjusted would make properly up any parking lot operators is forth- revenue loss from property One of the difficulties is that coming, City Auditor, Lawrence levies. property taxes do not increase A. Jones said Monday after The governor said that as long during inflationary periods but agreeing with recent findings aslocal governments rely on the mustwat for the slow process of which show the $500,000-a-yea- r or until property tax they will always property operation has potential problems. be faced with financial is raised. mill the levy A report on the changes will (Continued on page 8) be issued in two weeks, Mr. Jones said. He first must meet with parking lot operators, Air --5 Terminal Services, Inc. One of the first changes Mr. Jones will order is a move in the cash registers. The public can not see whats being rung up. Mr. Jones said. The auditor also said he and V 4 City Fiscal Consultant Fred M. Oliver will study other parking lots within the city. Another recommendation will probably be installation of exit gates. The controversy swirling around proposals to allow The gates will not open until something is run up on the cash more competition in the telecommunications industry often resembles the problem of priorities reflected in the register, Mr. Jones said. A month ago, procedural age-ol- d question of the chicken and the egg. In other problems sparked a meeting of inairport, auditing and concessions words, which comes first: competition or the public officials with Parks Commis- terest? It lias been rightly concluded by the U.S. Court sioner Conrad B. Harrison in of Appeals for the District of Columbia that competicharge of the airport. The contract with Air Term- tion must he considered in terms of its impact on the inal Services expires next year public, not merely as a means of equalizing competition and city officials indicate it will among rivals. not be renewed. There should be no question that the U.S. telecomget-tou- gh ion TODAYS EDITORIAL Public Interest More Important possibility of Food Stamps. Food Stamps are for working people with big families and small incomes, for people on pensions, or for anyone with a low or moderate income who meets the eligibility requirements, explains Mr. Funk. He says that anyone can find out about stamps by calling the toll free Food Stamo hotline Monday through Friday from State Tax Commission munications industry has more than met its obligation to serve the public. Long before be official arrival of Says New Stamps he consumer protection movement, the huge, integrated Providing Problems service to the network was telephone providing quality self sticking Christmas 17. S.. backed end-to-eby responsibility for complete tax late allow paystamps may ers to avoid a penalty for tardi- that service. Guided by the common carrier principle, ness. the traditional objective of serving the people under pubThe stamps, carrying a Dove lic regulation has. over the years, offered value of servof Peace design, are being tried out in five postal districts nation- ice pricing in which higher charges to businesses for wide. including Utah. In an special services have permitted lower charges to resi8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. is effort to SDeed up the mails, dential customers. This The number to call perpetual guarantee of excellwhich usually get bogged down the average telephone Try it! You may even reach in a glut of cards, letters and ence and dependability assures the Governors good wife, Lucy packages around Christmas, the (Continued on page 4) Beth Rampton! (Continued on page 8) New -- nd |