Show Report From Washington LAURENCE J J. J BURTON House of Representatives During the last few weeks our attention in Washington as well as in Utah has again turned to the subject of high high- ways The reason is that that million was sliced out of the highway construction program 15 million in Utah as a part apart of the federal budget cuts As we all know too well in Utah our interstate highway program is moving slowly at atthe atthe atthe the present as it is The mountain mountain mountain moun moun- tain road from Ogden to Salt Lake and the Hot Springs to Brigham City route are two examples of long construction delays but its it's much the same situation all over the state Weather conditions certainly add to the out dragged-out program of Utah's highway construction but r-but now with the new cutback from the states state's highway coffers coffers coffers cof cof- fers the drag may suddenly be a halt The Utah scene is much worse than in many other states Inthe In Inthe Inthe the case of the national figure the amount of completed highways highways highways high high- ways looks bright miles completed out of some the Utah interstate program has completed only miles out of In fact act only miles are really under construction with miles mUes left in inthe the preliminary ary stage on the engineers engineer's table Coupled with a previous Utah highway cutback of 37 million mimon the current 15 million million mil mil- lion llon looks very big big big enough that it might just make those remaining miles of highway highway highway high high- way nothing more than simple lines on an engineers engineer's table Naturally the highway program program program pro pro- gram will eventually be completed completed completed com com- but I would hope that it is completed in time so I would be able to take my family fam fam family ily for a drive through our scenic state state not not just highways to be completed for use by my grandchildren The highway program is suffering suffering suffering suf suf- fering as a result of the current current current cur cur- rent Administration cut in the f federal deral b budget get Provisions in inthe inthe the he surtax bill called for a 6 billion expenditure cut but butin butin butin in no way should the highway program be affected The President in his own request for a 35 billion cut included the highway cuts of million and backed up his position by saying that the highway program was a part of the regular budget To my knowledge the program program program pro pro- gram is not a part of the regular federal budget Highway Highway Highway High High- way funds come from trust funds collected from motorists at the gasoline pumps and for auto An official of the Public Works Committee told me Friday Friday Friday Fri Fri- day that the highway cuts were completely illegal but that there wasn't anything that could be done jokingly Half-jokingly the man said that an army couldn't even be caned called in to protect the funds After all he said the President is Commander in Chief More seriously though its it's doubtful whether anything can be done at this late stage Legislation halting the cutback could be introduced but the Public Works Committee and House Rules Committee would have to pass on the legislation and both committees have Democrats Democrats Democrats Dem Dem- as chairmen and would probably follow the Administration tion line anyway But lets let's say the legislation was passed Who then would have to sign the bill into law The President would never sign signa a bill that in effect would say he had done something illegal mega A in the Humphrey for President camp told me that the Administration could cut the highway funds because the President has executive powers to do such things But even Utah's Governor Calvin L. L Rampton Hampton a strong supporter of the Johnson Hum Administration Adm said he was extremely disappointed l at atthe atthe atthe the cutbacks Gov Rampton wrote me that he had sent a telegram to the President protesting protesting protesting pro pro- testing the cutbacks and called for other areas to tobe be deprived of funds rather than the highway program While the current construction construction construction tion of Utah's highways continues continues continues con con- future programs are the ones which will wm be hurt by the cutback and we cannot delay our highway programs for even one month The safety factor is the im important important important im- im issue Our rising death rate on the highways ha has to tobe tobe tobe be stopped Utah contrib contributed ted persons killed to the national na national national na- na death toll of last year Of course we cant can't put all the blame on poor highway conditions but bu it is a reality that safe highways reduce the possibility of a traffic traffic fic accident And saving just one life should be enough to make the President realize reaUze that the cutback of highway funds is NOT in the best Interest of this country's citizens |