Show t' The Herald Journal Logan Utah Tuesday February Pages 5 1988 Tax credit measure makes sense in Utah Few subjects arouse as much passion as the education of our children While most people are in favor of giving every child "a good education” opinions vary widely as to what that entails how best to do it and how to pay for it In Utah over the last few years education has become one of the hottest issues around If local issues such as scheduling are discounted the major statewide conflicts seem to center around school funding In one corner the Utah Education Association is a heavyweight defender of its share of the pie While critics often assert that the UEA is considerably more determined to increase its Revenues than it is to monitor performance everyone admits that the largest political lobby in the state can be extremely effective i In the opposite corner is a varied collection of disparate voices representing a range of people from to parents to professional educators who believe in fundamental changes in our methods of teaching our children The vital tension created by these groups contributes immeasurably to our democratic process and while no one is ever pleased with the result all the time everyone gets solutions jihcy are able to live with once in a while Letters to the editor W Rebekoh The only danger is that representatives of the various viewpoints can allow their opinions to become calcified to the point that they dereactions generate to knee-jer- k That’s the point where critical thinking stops That’s the point where creative solutions become impossible and passions reach the boiling point and we lose what little chance there ever was for useful dialogue There is a strong danger that we've already reached this point on the subject of tax credits for families with children in private schools Monday the Senate education committee voted favorably on the tax credit provision But the 2 vote was as a Deseret News writer pointed out an indication of the uphill battle SB58 faces In an earlier committee discussion a 3 tie vote temporarily stymied the measure And there’s every indication that the idea could face a firing 3-- 3-- squad on the Senate floor Should it be allowed to die there? I think not I think this is a measure that deserves not only debate but full passage Many people upon hearing of the proposal immediately wonder why parents of rich kids would need tax breaks The fact is that most families who send their children to alternate schools are sacrificing to do so Many of these kids have special needs that cannot be adequately met in our crowded public classrooms And this is a bill that would not only as its sponsor William Barton puts it allow parents "more choice to educate their children as they see fit” but would also do much to relieve the chronic overcrowding of our public schools This is why I cannot understand why the UEA opposes this one They’ve howled longer and louder than anyone about the enormous increase in enrollments yet when presented with a logical method to siphon off the overflow they don't like that either They’re frightened of course that if parents were able to afford a choice they wouldn't choose the public schools Frankly I think a great many people are generally pleased with the job the public schools are doing But I think others with special needs and concerns should have the freedom to choose And thousands of people in a grassroots effort have signed petitions to get this bill brought before the Legislature again People who feel strongly that this bill would promote excellence and would encourage businesses who are often concerned with what they hear about class sizes to move their tax dollars to Utah But the real bottom line is that this bill makes economic sense In fact since it costs taxpayers $2400 each year to educate one student and tax credits would only amount to $200 to $400 the state would come out substantially ahead on every transfer The real question is how willing are we to implement creative solutions to our problems? Are we willing to look at this proposal honestly and evaluate it on its own merits? Or are we going to miss a chance to exercise our critical faculties and indulge in the luxury of complaining without exerting ourselves to do something about our problems? Come on Utah we're better than that Rebekah Alpisa of Smithfield is a regular Herald Journal columnist ' Let’s wake up To the editor: t " suggested we bring water down from the big spring in east canyon for our culinary water purpose We were very low on water The town board said it would cost too much Since that time the city has put into our water system three times that cost We are still short of culinary water We now have the Porcupine Dam which furnishes irrigation water for our community Thanks to Marion Olsen for this lovely water system we now enjoy here in our town Marion doesn’t live in the city but he was the means of putting it here People like our community and would like to come here to live But on account of our low culinary water system they are forced to build outside our town Avon is building up fast also We have more than 70 homes outside our town All these had to drive wells for culinary water use Had we put the east canyon water in we could have furnished water for Avon and the ones outside our town and we could have enlarged our comunity and had water to spare The revenue from outside our town would have paid for the system When I built my house in 1973 I built it with a unit in the basement with the idea of renting one out later on That was before the zoning ordinance Now I would like to rent one so we could go to a warm climate for the winter The ordinance reads so we aren’t alldWed to do this The ordinance also calls for no duplex or apartments We are the only toWiiin the valley that won’t allow duplexes or apartments The ordinance also calls for 1H acres to build We don’t need lots that large It makes too much work for us old people to take care of ' Some of our older people would like to sell half their lot for building but aren’t allowed to do this Our young people can’t afford to build and they have to go other places to rent In 1961 1 apartments It’s time we wake up and move over and let others in and not be the dog in the manger Some day the ordinance will have to be changed so we can have our children with us Unless our ordinances are changed I will be forced to sell our lovely home and leave this beautiful little town as other older people have had to do The only ones who can change these ordinances are the zoning committee and town board I am concerned about our children We don’t want to lose them Let’s wake up and make a home and a community for our children that we can be proud of Vernal Norman Paradise Education and taxes i To the editor: In the last few years our education system has been getting much attention from our lawmakers and educators We hear about overcrowded classes no money for books schools salaries etc Basically the problem as I understand it is too many children have overloaded the system Our state Constitution declares that every child has the right to receive a free education I would like to modify that statement and say that there is no such thing as a free education Someone somewhere is paying Mainly the taxpayers of this state you and I This money comes through our state income taxes and property taxes I realize that taxes are important and I don’t mind paying my fair share However the way our system now stands these taxes are not administered in a fair and equal manner Approximately 70 percent of our state income taxes go directly to the school system But it seems that the more children one has the less money he or she will pay into our education system That deduction allowed for each is because of thd child on the state tax form But what many of us don't realize is because of this the tax burden is shifted unfairly to those of us who are single or have small families I for one do not believe that this is a fair way of administering taxes that support the schools of this state What’s fair is fair I shouldn’t have to subsidize the education costs of a family with six children in the system to the extent that I am now It was their choice to bring these children into the world and should be their responsibility to share a larger portion of the burden not a smaller We have to realize that things have changed We just have too many children to educate to ignore the fact the more children we have the more the system is overloaded An educated society benefits all of us But it is very hard for me to see the benefit of paying more taxes to the schools than someone with a very large family I need the money as much as they do I don't propose to know all the answers but it seems the only fair way to support the education of our children is a flat tax on state income and maybe even a head tax for each child in the system That would distribute the burden evenly and fairly according to one's income and the number of children in the system us PALESTINIAN Thanks To the editor: Thank you Donna for your words of encouragement I appreciate them! February is a time when we think of the father of our country and Honest Abe It is a good time to remember all our fathers and how their attitudes and teachings influence our life My father was a survivor of an orphanage environment I am the 14th child of my parents A girl with hearing impairment so I should learn all I can do of domestic chores and read good books It was Lincoln who said: “Good boys who to their books apply will be great men by and by” Can this include girls too? In the past year I have seen what was shown on television of “The Holocaust” I read “The Other Price of Hitler’s War” by Martin Sorge It was the reign of terror under a dictator I read of the prisoners of war encamped at the fairgrounds in Cache Valley and a few of their trials Having lived in Delta Utah a few years I recognized the alkali desert where American Japanese were relocated at “Topaz” as described by Leonard Arrington I had not known such tragedies occurred there I read “To Destroy You Is No Loss” by Joan Criddle and Teeda Butt Mam It is the reality of refugees escaping to save their lives and working to share freedom After viewing the film “Any Boy or Girl Will Do” to train for Army life and the military discipline they are subject to removed from all identity of civilian life I wonder what kind of parents can they hope to be? Arthur R Bassett wrote: “Demanding obedience to the will or ideas of others is often an easier way to create and maintain a kind of unity than is persuading people especially if the authority structure is as well established as it is in Mormonism All parents know this from rearing their children Give up your ideas we insist mine are better In the process creativity is squelched if not destroyed That is the tragedy of this stance” “How Much Tolerance Can We Tolerate?” Sunstone September 1987 Where do we learn how to use kindness and love? Thanks A The Alliance for the Varied Arts AVA would like to thank all f BY Marsha Rawlins AVA coordinator Patricia Stephens AVA president Rhoda Thurston Hyde Park ( CWTlKEP the people who came to see the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia puppet production of “Peter and the Wolf” on Saturday Jan 23 Due to transportation problems the production company did not receive their stage materials until Saturday noon in Salt Lake City This caused the cancellation of the 1 pm performance and the delay of the 3 pm performance The audience for the 3 pm performance demonstrated great patience and understanding in waiting for the production We would also like to thank the Unicorn Theatre students Lynelle Adams Laura Taylor Christy Toone David Toone and Laurel Cannon for entertaining the audience during the delay Thank you Cache Valley I Wayne Iverson Millville To the editor: mm$ thank you To the editor: Our family would like to thank the person who was driving on IffAEU AWAY IN WBT BANK AN? 5AZA East and 300 South in Logan late Thursday afternoon (Jan 28) and hit a brown dog I know you'll probably say “It should have been on a leash” I agree it should have been The point I want to make is all you did was to stop and see if you hit the dog No effort was made on your part to see if anyone knew who the dog belonged to before you just drove off There were children on the block who could have told you In fact my son and daughter were there and saw the whole thing My came home hysterical after seeing a dog she loved very much hit Now a sincere thanks to Ron the man who did see you hit the dog and stopped to help Bugsie the dog He was kind enough to take her to the vet I’m sorry to say that despite Ron's efforts Bugsie and her puppies died on the way to the vet Yes she was pregnant We appreciate you and your kindness Ron Thank you! The Dahles Keith Dee (Ann) Cheryl James Brandee and Ashley Logan 100 Air quality To the editor: I have lived outside Logan for 11 months and am slightly disgusted with the air quality in town At about noon the air above town looks terrible Those who live and work in town should walk to work when possible conserving fuel and lowering the extent of pollution I attend classes at the university and walk home to 600 South almost every day The exercise is great When it's warm my bicycle is very useful Here’s to our health! Dan Zamecnik Logan King supported To the editor: I have read with interest the letters that have been written to the journal during the last two months regarding our County Executive Bruce King and would like to add my opinion to the others that have been expressed I find it interesting that Bruce has for an entire year borne the workload formerly handled by four men and at the same time has pioneered all the first-tim- e questions challenges and obstacles that come with breaking-i- n our unprecedented new form of government I am grateful to the County Council for finally getting him some help via a public works director 1 am proud of the way Bruce has served the county His efficiency energy integrity and gentle manner are just what we have needed to successfully establish this new form of I doubt that any of us fully government appreciate the significance of this achievement I sincerely hope that neither the recent challenges from a small group of people nor the taxing challenges that are sure to arise during the next three years will discourage Bruce from seeking We need the continuity of his He has leadership my vote already single-handed- ly Shirley Brown Mendon |