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Show Page Two rnium, wuiuhwmi THE SALT LAKE TIMES .w, .w.w Many Utahns Oppose Proposal to Limit Budget, End Feder al Aid 10 3,000 Meals A Month (continued from page 1) dollars. In Salt Lake we join our efforts through the United Way. In the United Way, volunteer fundraisers provide volunteer dollars to be used by assisted staffs to help the people in our volunteer community who need a hand. Through United Way we put our helping dollars to work in the most efficient way to improve life for others and for ourselves. Question: What do a muscle-boun- d lifeguard, an old diabetic have in common? alcoholic and a Answer: They were just three of the 220,000 people who were helped last year by United Way agencies. Good looking Steve Lasser was one of 262 people who received his training from the American Red Cross in 1975. Monty K. has been fighting the battle of the bottle for nearly half of his forty yers. Now, thanks to the 75-ye- ar life-gua- rd Armys alcohol rehabilitation program, it looks like hell win his way back to a decent life. Seventy-fiv- e year old Elsie Johnson has diabetes. Her eyesight is failing, so a Community Nurse visits Elsies home every morning to help with her insulin injection and share a little conversation. Real stories about real people. Every day in the Salt Lake area there are thousands of stories like these. Your generous contribution to the 57 United Way agencies makes sure theyre success stories. When you contribute your Fair Share to the United Way, you can imagine a chorous of thank yous from the people who are glad you gave. Thanks to you, it works for all of us in the Salt Lake area. Give Wisely Is there an effective way to provide assistance for individuals struggling with misfortunate, illness, handicaps, proverty? In Utah the United Way has developed a highly efficient system to keep administrative costs low and get the help to the people who need it. Funds voluntarily contributed by those in more fortunate circumstances reach directly into the lives of the less fortunate among us. Only nine cents of each dollar contributed to United Way goes for g operation and expenses. This compares with national averages which range from 20 to 50 cents of each dollar. One reason for the United Ways enviable financial record is the fact that it is largely a volunteer organization, with only ten paid staff members. The n of the Utah volunteers representing a community perform many valuable services which keep overhead costs down and effective dollar utilization up. For example, volunteers spearhead the g United Ways drive, conducted once a year in order to concentrate effort and save expense. In addition, nearly 100 volunteers scrutinize the budget requests of each of the 57 United Way member agencies. Divided into small panels, these g citizens hold meetings year round to analyze the adherence of each agency to a set of stringent funding criteria. These include employment of volunteers, conduct of a yearly independent audit, fund-raisin- Many Utahns strongly oppose roposals to freeze the Utah state udget for five years and to phase out Federal aid to the state and its subdivisions, even though they concur in the objectives of economy and of reducing Federal influence in state and local affairs. This was the finding of Utah Foundation, the private, non profit public service agency, concerning an initiative proposal that will appear on the ballot at Utah's November general election. The proposal would limit the Utah budget to the 1976-7- 7 total for the ensuing five yers, and would phase out Federal aid to the state over the same period of time. Federal aid to local government units, if it passes through the state clearinghouse, would be eliminated immediately. The proposal is one of three placed on the 1976 ballot by means of initiative petitions. A proposed amendment to the Utah Constitution will also appear on the ballot. Opponents of the budget limitation proposal believe it would have severe adverse effects that would outweigh . possible benefits, the Foundation notes in a research brief released this week. In the five-yeperiod 1970-7Utah's population increased more than 13 and the cost of living rose the Foundation states. nearly of the proposed budget Opponents limitation assert that a rigid budget ceiling in the face of growing needs and shrinking dollars could wreck state operations, including the school program. In the matter of Federal aid, the Foundation points out that many state programs, especially in the areas of highways and public welefforts fare, are joint state-Federthat could not be carried on by the state alone. In fiscal 1976-7$75.5 million in highway funds (47 of the Utah highway budget) will come from Federal sources. In fiscal 1975, $53 million in public assistance and medical assitance of the funds, more than two-thirtotal spent in Utah for these purposes (excluding administrative costs) was Federal money. It is also pointed out that 70 of Utahs land area is in Federal ownership and that many Utahns feel the state is entitled to some Federal reimbursement in lieu of taxes on this 5, ar 37, al 7, ds land. While more than $250 million in the current state budget is Federal money, with additional funds going to local government units, Utahns pay an estimated total of more than $1 billion in Federal taxes. Proponents of the proposal charge that state expenditures have risen unreasonably, especially in the last two years, and that Utah taxpayers cannot afford to continue the trend. They also assert that the through Government, Federal revenue and d sharing, grants-in-aiis exercising undue influence on state and local government policies, and that eliminating Fedeal aid would reduce and eventually end this. Opponents of another proposal on the ballot, to permit recall of elected and appointed officials, are divided into two groups, the Foundation notes. Some critics feel that election procedures in a democracy provide sufficient control over public officials. Others think that some provision for recall might be desirable to meet emergencies, but that the numbers of signatures required in the proposed law are so low that the law, if enacted, would become a means of harassment of dedicated public servants. A survey conducted by the Utah Office of Legislative Research indicates that no state now providing for recall of state officials has as low a percentage requirement for voter signatures as is contained in the Utah recall proposal. Another ballot proposal would ban public health officials from adding fluorine uor any of its derivatives or compounds or any other medication" to public water supplies without approval of a majority of voters at a duly consti- tuted election. Utah Foundation notes that "arguments for and against fluoridation have been repeatedly aired in Utah in recent times and will not be repeated ere. It is, however, pointed out that critids of the ballot proposal are fearful that the language of the proposed law could extend the ban to include chlorination, an established and accepted purification measure whose elimination would be a major public health hazard. and an annual financial disclosure. When satisfied that the agency is managing its resources properly, the committee allocates funds according to the existing needs of the community. Another money-savin- g aspect of the United Way operation is the sharing of information and assistance by the agencies, eliminating costly overlaps and duplications of services. By carefully utilizing each dollar, the United Way last year helped more than 220,000 persons in Salt Lake, Tooele and South Davis Counties. They were typified by a family in need of temporary shelter; a drug addict seeking rehabilitation; a handicapped person looking for employment, and an old man who wanted companionship. cross-sectio- fund-raisin- hard-workin- dial 860 Where thousands of listeners enjoy concert music and news every day! the LEASED GRAPEVINE In a report filed this week with the City Commission, Walter R. Miller, assistant city attorney, said Salt Lake paramedics should not be allowed to take breath and blood samples from smoke inhalation victims. However, Miller said he believes commissioners should reserve final judgment on the matter until a recommendation is received from the Paramedics Advisory Committee. The recommendation was requested by the county fire chief. Miller said he thinks the administration of blood and breath tests could jeopardise the paramedics present immunity from dvO action. . Secretary of State Clyde Miller says he wants to clear up some before points on election write-invoters start writing names all over' this fall's ballots. Miller said a voter writing a persons name in for any of the races doesn't have to worry about spelling, as long as the election judge can determine who the voter named, the vote will count regardless of the spelling. The secretary of states comments followed Jim McConkies decision to s, launch a write-i- n campaign against Congressman Allan Howe. . Judge Stewart M. Hanson, Third District Court, this week denied a motion to alter his earlier decision that Joseph Duane Ward cannot be prosecuted for murder. Ward, 31, now in jail for parole violation, admitted killing Richard R. Anderson, 28, during a robbery last May. 15. The judge ruled two weeks ago that Ward had confessed after being granted immunity from prosecution, and this week the judge refused to change that decision. Smoke, fire detectors and fire extinguishers are being sold in Utah that have not been listed by a reliable testing laboratory like Underwriters Laboratory or Factory Mutual. State Fire Marshal Grant R. Walker who said these listings are a person's assurance the products have undergone actual operating condition tests. According to Walker, some of these tests call for more endurance than what would be encountered in normal use for which the products were intended. Support efforts to develop fluoridation of public water supplies in Utah has been voted on by the Utah Council for Handicapped and Developmentally Disabled Persons. The council is a planning and advisory body required under state and federal legislation. It makes recommendations to the governor and Legislature concerning needed services for the handicapped and for plays an active advocacy role council-adopted the disabled. A resolution points out that dental problems are of special significance to the handicapped, retarded and disabled. The council also voted to support other known meansto reduce dental cavities, such as good nutrition and dental health education. Utah will receive $446,888 from the U.S. Forest Service, Utabs share of earnings from sale timber and services from the National Forests. Payments totaling $109.5 million will go to 39 states and Puerto Rico, 25 percent of the $438 million earning during the 1976 fiscal year by the Forest Service from timber sales and fees for grazing, mining, recreation ana other land use charges. |