Show mwwmwmi w Ooinion i b: The Herald Journal Logan Utah f — "Right conclusions are more hkeiy to be gathered out of a multitude of tongues than through any kind of authontative selection American unat (173-196- Saturday March 6 1999 Our viow t iw p a Page 7 — wwr— " Daytime curfew law should be county wide R in general is a good But with freedom as we all thing know comes responsibility — haven't something some yet developed So although some students at Sky View High School have described it as "being in jail” we have to support Smithfleld's new truancy ordinance teen-age- rs Unless they’re sick or running some important errand kids have no business being out of school The vast majority of kids don’t routinely cut class — as Sky View Principal Terry Griffin said in a recent Herald Journal article "Ninety percent of the studentbody won’t even know this policy is in effect” In addition to helping a small minority of kids buckle down and graduate the truancy law will help curb daytime crime Law enforcement personnel support it There is one problem w ith the ordinance however: It may not work unless Cache County drafts a similar one Sky View High School lies right on the edge of the city limits Kids who don’t want to be caught truant can simply cross the street into the unincorporated area of Cache County where they’re not breaking the law The Cache County Council should seriously consider a truancy ordinance of its own uniform with those already in existence in the county A mind is a terrible thing to waste in or out of the city limits Othor viows miimwtsammmmimmm Tax break for home moms a hollow legislative gesture The Salt Lake Tribune he Utah Legislature has decided to reward with a $100 annual tax break moms of infants in households It's a but shallow gesture And since that same Legislature requires single moms with infants to go to work rather than subsist d on welfare it's On a superficial level you can't blame legislators for wanting to give a pat on the back to mothers or fathers who sacrifice income so that one parent can stay home with the baby In most cases the mother is the one who gives up or interrupts her career to nurture children at home and she pays a real price in terms two-pare- nt stay-at-ho- well-meani- two-face- of social isolation lifetime earning She also may power even emotional rewards as well but reap great there's no getting around the fact that g is often hard monotonous work lonely Of course mothers who work outside the home as well as within it also make sacrifices Some carry guilt for leaving their children in the care of others and then there's the price of sheer physical and mental exhaustion from trying to be the primary nurturcr of children while managing a household and pursuing a career Essentially they are holding down two full-tijobs at once Women as a group and society as a whole can't make up their minds about whether women should work at home with the kids or join the outside labor self-estee- m child-rearin- necessity — not personal preference — dictates the decision Behavioral studies about the consequences for children are inconclusive A news stray in Monday’s Tribune indicated that in the latest results from a longterm study children of women who work outside the home were no worse off than those of mothers who stayed home Given these kinds of emotional economic and psychological complexities it is folly to generalize about what is bat for children their mothers or society But that's just what the Legislature is doing Lawmakers apparently believe that parents are somehow getting short shrift because the state pays $41 million a year for day care for other mothers people Some probably agree with that notion But it's a cinch that a $100 tax cut isn't going to change anyone's behavior One hundred dollars is a pittance for couples who do without a second income And what are single mothers who must work to support their children supposed to make of this policy? What about childless couples who don't receive standard deductions for dependents and resent paying state income tax all of which funds education? If the tax break for parents is an attempt at social engineering it will be ineffectual If it is a gesture in the d culture war it is If it is make to moms supposed feel better about what they are doing it Ls an insult to their intelligence stay-at-ho- stay-at-ho- stay-at-ho- mean-spirite- stay-at-ho- UTAH HOUSE To call the Utah House of Representat9 ives: (801) To write a Utah representative: The Honorable John Doe State Representative State Capitol Salt Lake City Utah 84114 House District 1 (Cache Box Elder and Tooele counties) — Rep EH Anderson 8790 W Highway 102 Tremonton UT 84337 Home phone 854-37538-102- House District 3 (Cache County) — 540 S 1600 Craig Buttars West Lewiston UT 84320 Home phone 258-50- House District 4 (Cache — Loraine Pace North Logan UT 84321 Rich counties) 435 E 900 Phone 753-61- Fax 753-501- 3 House District 5 (Cache) — Evan Monica finally gets new job 0 K so I watched the whole Moni- Lowmakora Here Is a list of addresses and phone numbers for Cache Valley's representatives In the Utah Legislature rtevJJ-nje- a By Ellen Goodman The Boston Globe force For many couples economic T MtN L ca show All two hours But I hated myself in the morning There was Monica Monica Monica Engaging and narcissistic Uncowed and unrepentant Adventurous and willful Open and stubborn One minute 1 to she she ad? ings to fit anyone else’s sexual judgment The dance of flirtation? I was enamored with him was excited and 1 was enjoying it” The next minute I was appalled at her lack of Phone sex with the Prez: ‘‘It’s nt pay-chec- was impressed by her refusal rewrite her Well as Buiger King put: “Stop crying and start eating" The truth is that the Did anybody else notice whole event was one long commercial that ABC chose this show tie-i- n between one set of brands and a new brand name: Monica It was one of all shows to advertise endless commercial a product-placemetheir upcoming special? special for what we can only think “When was 20 of now as Monica Inc At the very outset Barbara Walters seduced the most powerful assured us that she has done this interpolitician in the world: view with no payment of any kind'No k Cleopatra coming to ABC ” journalism for ABC their Aw just a coincidence And journalistic standards were pristine But the network made plenty They jacked up wasn’t that a thong in the the price for a commercial to Victoria’s Secret five times its normal cost As the ads went on and on — I counted nine in one break — they added up to an estimated the commercials were riveting I brigah to get more meat from the ads than from $35 million Which is only about $15 million short of the cost to taxpayers of the confessional There was Monica admitting to her Ken Starr's investigation That doesn't count what the scandal weight problems Then on came Mctabo-lif- e has brought into the coffers of the offering diet supplements “Does cable stations Or the feel like a game you can't win?” dieting There was Monica explaining why the lawyers Or the folks selling everything president went for hen “Sometimes you from $2 Monica buttons in DC to the just need a piece of normalcy" Then on $7 joke book in London As for Monica herself ABC may not came Julia Roberts in a movie promotion claiming that “anytime I try anything have paid her but there was a payoff Monica The Interview was a normal it's a disaster” intro for Monica The Book to be foDid anybody else notice that ABC chose this show of all shows to advertise llowed by Monica Does Europe At their upcoming special? “When she was worst she’ll be raking in a couple of million dollars Monica is now a Cull-sca20 she seduced the most powerful politician in the world: Cleopatra coming to industry The only thing she ABC” Aw just a coincidence And doesn't have is a registered trademark on wasn't that a thong in the Victoria's her own image Secret ad? What was it the ad on the Monica For that matter Acura seemed to be Show said “There are some things offering an advertorial when it intoned: money can’t buy For everything else “If you chase after goals but forget your there's MastciCard” heart you'll always be answering to The bad news is that we have all someone else” And I don't even want to become accomplices — all marketers think about the advertising genius who and consumers in the decided to put their Maytag ad on after The good news is that this spirited young the blue dress segment: “Stain Stain thing has finally found the high-payiI'm going to live forever I'm going to career for which she is most eminently ruin your shirts” qualified: talking about herself fun" One minute the garnered sympathy for the massive intrusion of tier privacy by the trio of Tripp Starr and the Media TTie next minute she shredded the last remnant of this privacy by telling all about another affair and an abortion One minute she was basking in her own "I'm very loving I'm very loyal I'm intelligent” The next minute she was telling us “I don't have the feelings of self-wora woman should have" The most revealing snippet was when this young woman proudly recalled the time in her toddlerhood when she put her hands on her hips and said “You are not the boss of me” Didn't anyone ever tell her No? But at halftime in this two-hoevent the Monica show began to feel like the Super Bowl or at least my version of the Super Bowl The game was boring but self-imag- e: th 1 user-friend- ly le Mon-econo- Your viow Ward 2009 S 3200 West Young Ward UT 84339 Home phone Oisen 752-430- 4 UTAH SENATE To call your Utah senator at the Senate: (801)538-103- UT84114 Senate District 24 (Box Elder Cache counties) — Peter C Knudson R- Brigham City 1209 Michelle Drive Brigham City UT 84302 Home phone 5 Senate District 25 (Cache Rich Summit counties) — Lyle W HHtyard 175 E 100 North Logan UT 84321 Home - 723-203- 753-004- Reduce taxes and government growth To the editor: 5 To write your senator at the Senate: The Honorable John Doe Utah State Senator Room 319 State Capitol Salt Lake City phone srvaaawwaniit 3 business 752-261- 0 The economy has finished another year strongly in spite of the naysayers predictions that it would falter There was an August stock market scare but there has been a full recovery at least in the Dow So we’re now dear to go on adinflnidum with the direction being only up Not so fast! Most people think that the reason the economy has performed so well the past few years is because of low inflation low interest rates the technological revolution or the federal balanced budget Those things all $829 billion in 1998 That’s nearly a doubling in the past six years Taxes have been increasing similarly at the state and local level If we’re going to have a soft rather than a hard landing we've got to do two things Reduce taxes and the growth of government spending and programs On a personal level gradually reduce consumption and increase saving In spite of the ominous clouds overhead and many stern warnings from leaders our feelgood immediate-gratificatio- n society seems determined to ride over the cliff contribute but are not the cause The main driver of the current boom is con- sumer spending This spending is largely financed by debt The personal saving rate has declined in the past five years from 5 percent to 0 percent In the last quarter the personal saving rate turned negative for the first time since 1933 That is a truly frightening development It is obvious that consumers cannot continue to have negative savings nor can they manage the present debt load Consumer spending has to decline Another economic activity killer is taxes Personal federal income taxes have Ralph Cull Providence increased from $476 billion in 1992 to Fillmoro mmmm Herald Journal MUBIMBBlim The Opinion page Is Intended to acqueint readeri with a variety ol viewpoint on matters ol public Importance and provide member ol the community with a forum lor their view Personal column cartoon and letters from readers reflect the opinion of their writers and creators Editorial under the heading "Our VleW represent the views at the Herald Journal editorial board Members ol the editorial board: BRUCE SMITHpubHshar CHARLES McCOLLUMmanaglng editor MIKE WENNERGRENdty editor editor CINDY YURTHfeature 3QR COPY J The Herald Journal welcomes letters to the 1 editor Potentially Hbatou or offensive letters wtt not be published however and the editor reserves the right tosdtsll letters to conform to the length and style requirements at the newspaper Letters should be: Typewritten and double-space- d No more then 450 words In length Addressed and include daytime phone number for purposes of verification Signed by the author Individuals are Smiled to one published letter within any 30-da- y period Address letters to hjlettarOhjnewscom Guest commentaries are also welcome and are run a! the eddor1 discretion 81 1 |