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Show supplement to the National Enterprise WESTERN AMERinm Personal Income iy)v&oa Cl J 'O; lasK C-yes- : Utilities Breathe Easier PSC Withdraws Advertising Regulations by Mary McMillan Gaber vio- lating first amendment rights of utility companies, the Utah Public Service Commission has withdrawn its proposed regulations of utility advertising. At a prehearing conference held last week, attended by about 60 lawyers and representatives of Salt Lake media as well as utility companies, commissioners heard arguments by Donald B. Holbrook, attorney for the Salt Lake Tribune and Newspaper Agency Corporation. Holbrook cited the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision which struck down a Virginia law prohibiting advertisment of prescription drug prices, landmark saying it is a decision. He interpreted the decision for the commis- - He said he anticipates the decision will generate much litigation in the future. Why should we be in the vanguard of this litigation? This very case could end up in the U.S. Supreme Court, he said. The hearing room was packed with representatives from utility companies, news media and consumer groups. After Holbrook moved that the commission withdraw its proposed regulations and consider each case on an individual basis, attorneys for Utah Power and Light, Utah Broad- casters Association and Doubts Applicability The attorney for the Divi-- . sion of Public Utilities, however, said he doubted the. applicability of the Supreme Court decision to the Utah utility regulations. He sug gested all attorneys concerned file briefs regarding the decision with the Commission and study the matter further. Sandy Adamson of the sioners. Advertising rests on the same plane as any other speech in the marketplace. It is protected by the first amendment. The government has no power to restrict ex- Utility Consumer Action pression in advertisements, Group told commissioners, Holbrook said. There is a difference between advertising by commercial Generate Litigation free enterprise and advertisWe need an opportunity ing by controlled monopolies. Poeple are tremendously con- to study the case and these cerned about advertising. latest developments in the They want to have a say about law, Holbrook continued. it. increase recorded during 1975 was due to inflation. When an adjustment is made for the rise in the cost of living, the effective gain in real income last year was 1.6 in Utah. real Nationally, personal income declined by 1.1 during 1975. Foundation analysts note that during the period 1964 through 1969 personal income gains in Utah were well below the U.S. average. Utah's relative position among the fifty states in per .capita personal income slipped from Counsel for NAC, Donald Holbrook, argues PFC regulations violate the first amendment by imposing prior restraint on advertising of utility companies. rnor icesiraim would have imposed a prior restraint on utilities. wishing The proposed regulations continued on page 5b 29th place in 1963 to 40th in 1969. In 1963, ' per capita income in Utah was about 10 below the U.S. average; by 1969, it had skidded to more than 20 below the national average. Thus far in the 1970s, personal income gains recorded in Utah have been slightly better than those for the nation as a whole. As a result, the Foundation study shows that Utahs relative position among the states in per capita income has stabilized and has Per improved moderately. in income Utah capita during 1975 equaled $4,819, which was $1,015, or 17.4 below the U.S. average of $5,834. Utah ranks 39th among the fifty states by this measure. The report points out, however, that the dollar difference in per capita income between Utah and the U.S. has been widening despite the gains in Utahs relative position during recent years. In 1969, Utah's, per capita income was equal to $2,974, Continued on Page 6b . Future of Park City Rests on Bond City Denies Request for Private Clubs Growth of communities in severSalt Lake City commiordinances during the hear- Summit County may be ssioners have conditionally ings, few suggestions were ely hampered by Park Citys failure to pass a sewer bond adopted changes in ordin- followed according to John issue. ances regulating taverns and Wheat, chief deputy of the But, according to Park Business License Department. restaurants. City bankers, financial inIt seemed the only sugFollowing two days of vestment in the rapidly growhearings held in May, city gestion followed was one reging town will not end until the departments of planning, law ulating the ratio of beer to council stops granting enforcement and business food consumption in rest- city permits. licensing changed proposed aurants. Where the proposed building We havent given a Last week de- regulation had suggested the ordinances. to the effect of the the thought partment representatives re- ratio be changed to failure of the bond issue, submitted proposals to the present 0 ratio was mainsaid Raymond Willie, senior tained. commissioners. vice president, mortgage But a suggestion to create The commission agreed of First Security to meet again after a trial a 4th class of private clubs, department Bank. period of 90 days to consider and pleas to build variance The city council is the the need for further changes procedures into the zoning that can decide at restrictions of the ordinances only body in the ordinances. what point Park City should Although business rep- were bypassed. However, the stop growing. We cannot resentatives suggested num- distance of a tavern from a anticipate that. That is out Continued on Page 7b erous changes to the proposed 70-3- 60-4- d . Mountain Fuel Supply joined with Holbrooks motion. ' - $5,812,000,000; ah increase of $569 million, or 1(9 above 1974 the total. Qy?comparison the nation as a whole registered an 8.0 gain in personal income last year. According to a study by the Utah Foundation, a large part of the personal income V Seemingly fearful of j totaled Personal v income in Utah 0, side the jurisdiction of the lender, he added. Dick Wilde, president of Silver King Bank, Park City, said willingness of future investors to invest money in the town depends on whether the city council imposes a building moratorium. Within Park City limits there are no problems. The present sewer can accommodate about 9,000 Wilde said outsiders have trouble seeing that Park City represents a stable investment Outsiders see potential. Park City in the same light they see Aspen and other ski resorts. But its not the same, he said. Wilde expressed a strong belief that Park Citys financial future lies in its role as a bedroom area for Salt Lake City. That is the potential of Park City, he said, and that depends on the citys ability to The only problem people. would be in the winter when we may have more than 10,000 install a in the people city system. skiing, he said. modern sewer This The affect of the bond failure will be to retard' the growth of the area, especially outside Park City limits, he added. year Silver King Bank has invested about $1 million in construction and long term financing in single family dwellings in Park City, Wilde said. |