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Show THE ZEPHYRNOVEMBER 1990 PAGE 15 an interview with Ken Sleight Democratic Candidate for State Representative Ken Davey conducted an Interview with Utah State Representative Candklate Ken Sleight, a Democrat The Interview has been edited for clarity and length. Zephyr: What are malor Issues facing Utah residents? Ken: I think It has to be economics, especially regarding rural areas. Without Jobs, everything else suffers. I think the availability of money Is one of the biggest problems In rural areas. We need a crash program In the banking areas to force money down here. One way would be a revolving loan fund through the Impact board, rather than putting all that money Into roads like the Burr Trail and the Book Cliffs Road. Make money available to small businesses to make Jobs. Zephyr: What kind of businesses are vou talking about? Ken: Ught manufacturing would be very effective, but before we can get that we a need healthy economy. They're not going to come knowing were weak. They want to Powell They're throwing me and a number of other outfits out because the Park Service Is limiting It to one outfit To me, I would much rather see It like the river operators, where theres dozens of them. We got to watch Industrial tourism. We build up our towns, and If we dont also preserve our outback, well be hurt They don't come to see Mo, or Montlcello. If we dont take cars of the country, were spending our capital, so to speak. My philosophy Is, we develop our towns, make them as attractive as we can, but we preserve the outback. We guard It They want to develop Lake PowelL The Governor and others think this Is a panacea. What Is does to many of the small towns, the glitter of Lake Powell win pull people through our towns, and well Just be like Kanab, Just a stop on the sitting way to something else. That's one of the reasons Im opposed to the Glen Canyon developments. ITs drawing attention to Just one area, not the rest of us. You have the reputation of being a radical environmentalist How Zsphyr: accurate Is that? Ken: I don't know what a radcal Is. If you believe In something very strongly, Is that being radical? I dont want my Rainbow Bridge destroyed, but I dont look at that as radteal. I dont accept Just going to a hearing and saying I dont like It If I tael I havent been property heard, If I havent been able to speak out adequately, I go to the next step. I dont like when the public hasnt had a chance to express Itself, or when you havent been given adequate Information. Zephyr: Is the BLM doing a good lob? Ken: They are managers of land. They have to answer to all demands, and there are so many. Its no wonder they're always being criticized. Everybody wants to use the land, and they are In the middle. On some levels, they are understaffed for the responsibility placed on their shoulders. They dont have the field people they really need. When I look at their budget, thats where I get aggravated. They're spending money In areas I dont think are priorities. But others will say Its a priority, and you get In a big fight But ITs not a fight so much with the BLM, Ifs a fight with the other users. Zephyr: What are some of the things they are Ken: They are trying to overdevelop. The BLM wants to put In a big village thing down on Cedar Mesa. Homes and things like that museums. They're getting out of land management theyre developing Jobs for themselves. And when they put up a museum for artifacts, and the publicize It automatically theres more people coming, automatically theres more pressure on their meager funds. They're advertising for people to come to BLM administered areas. Theyre Increasing the Impact If s creating a demand for their sendees, and they find they dont have enough money to put out rangers or adequately see If there are archeological problems. They dont have enough money to assure that the mining Industry to cleaning up their act We got a lot of problems of cleanup down In San Juan, of culinary wells blng polluted. Tailings are a big problem on BLM lands and they dont have enough money to get that cleanup going. Zephyr: The U.S. House of Representatives want to Increase grazing faea on public lands by 500 percent over the next 4 veers. Whet do you think? Ken: I think there can be modification of foes, upward or downward, depending on the conditions. If you're going to do It based on market value, some areas an Increase might be In order. In other areas, It.mlght be too much. Increasing It 500 percent Is going to make a lot of the grazers go out of business. The cattle people are being hit from all sides. Not only government regulation, but they have the environmental Industry against them now, and on top of that Is the drought Now, theyre going to say, "on top of all this, lets raise your rates. Youre not taking Into consideration the community, how much the rancher has put Into Improvements. People put money Into those permits. They went along with the rules, regulations and laws as were set down by the federal government I guess In one swoop they can take out all the cattle people, If they want to. But Is It right? Zephyr: You've focused In vour political ads on more money for education. Where should the funds come from? Ken: They should come from not Investing In a lot of other things the state Invests In. They had a big surplus that could have gone to education. They gave It back to well-to-that last people, during special session year. There was the subsidy to the ski Industry. They said, "we can get more people In by giving the ski Industry millions. They did that My opponent voted with them. My opponent put In a bill for a couple of million dollars for the Book Cliffs Road. Why didnt he turn around and say, $2 million goes to education? Education will help the poverty problem we have. over-priorttM- know that we are viable, a growing, vital community. Retirees wont come either, If we dont get our act together. Poverty Is extreme down here. And the Governor sits up there and thinks hes doing a great Job on providing economic stimulus. But hes not doing much for us. Neither Is David Adams, really. Hes been In for 6 years, and were Just as much In poverty now as we were 6 years ago. Zephyr: When Moab funded an economic development program through the Chamber of Commerce, those Involved concluded we couldnt draw those light Industries, because of Isolation and shipping costs. Is that true? Ken: Its true up to a point But theres been a lot of Ideas generated by rural people. They wanted to expand, but theres been no money available. We dont have to tax breaks. spend thousands of dollars to beg somebody to come In, and give them all the And has to be there climate. Is business a this them Is show What we need to do good I have to here. should banks Into the say good stay banking system. The money that goes and our take It The most here. of money chains, Western. they First about keep They things Investments. put It Into the Kashoggl-typ- e financial Zephyr: You are known as being opposed to the Book Cliff Roads for reasons. With the oil situation and the rising cost of crude, doesnt that make a project like the road more viable? Ken: It could be more viable. But so Is solar energy and everything else more viable. But the thing about the road Is that If It Is so viable, If they need It right now, theres enough money within the mineral Industry right now. The reason for the Impact fund In the first place was to take care of the Impact problems. It was not to turn back to the mineral Industiy. It negates the very purpose of the funds. Were subsidizing the minerals Industry. Were not using It as It was Intended. We could use that money for our Infrastructure needs. I doubt we really needed to hold the courthouse bond election. We could have put money toward that courthouse, If It was done It seems whoever has the right But we dont sit down and say, "what are our priorities?" most pull, the most special Interests, gets the money. with a proposal for a Zephyr: Up In the Book Cliffs, the BLM has come up conservation area. What do vou know about It and what do vou think of It? Ken: I heard about It at a livestock meeting, but I havent seen the fine points of I It On the whole, Its probably a good Idea, but I dont know enough about It But It national parks. sometimes wonder when we make these conservation areas, wilderness, these at look We consolidating another might It bureaucracy. seems like might be setting up I see no reason for a separate Forest Service and a BLM. agencies. areas for mineral and Zephyr: The Book Cliffs are considered one of the malor m extraction resources. Wouldnt locking It up. making production harder, affect the long-terInterests of the state? Ken: I dont know what the stipulations are for this conservation area. A conservation area would certainly help out the wildlife, and Its a great wildlife area, along with the minerals Industries. And they have to be compatible. They have to get together. I The state has done a wonderful Job In protecting the elk up there. think they ought to state management under wildlife preserves trade for federal lands up there and Increase the I But think the state Is going to This goes counter to some of my environmental friends. become much more environmentally oriented as time goes on, and the federal government less so. Industries? Zephyr: Whats the future of the extraction Ken: I think Its great In the long run, but Its going to be slow. But In the future In the past Well be more I dont see the Industry being the make or break thing It has been recover from to the uranium decline. time on an even keel, I would hope. Its taken us a long na? do Zephyr: The sales tax Initiative. Months ago It had broad support In the state, but polls now Indicate a malorttv are against It What s vour view? Ken: Im certainly for It for low Income people. Why tax food for the low Income, or the middle Income? There shouldn't be a sales tax. However, a lot of people can afford It And theres no reason we shouldnt have a sales tax on tourists who come In to buy. To take that away will put us In a real bind. So we should do It through a tax credit They pay the tax when they buy food but poor residents get It back. Zephyr: The ballot In November calls for getting rid of the sales tax on food with no tax credit How are vou going to vote on that? Ken: Id have to vote against It If you vote for It, 'then the Legislature has to restructure the taxes very quickly. And I ask, "do I trust the Republican majority of there to do that? Or are they going to come back and raise taxes for lower and middle Income people, or cut services? So fear comes In, and thats whats going to kill It People want sales tax taken off food, but they're scared. And I am too. It would kill us down here. Zephyr: Youre running against David Adams. What do vou think of him? Ken: I like him personally very much. Hes an attractive candidate. Hes well liked. I But think his philosophy Is wrong. Hes In a leadership position, and he keeps telling the people because he Is In a leadership position he can do great good for the area. But because he Is In the leadership, tied to It, he must go along with the leadership In many Instances, against what we want down here. He had to go along. Thats where I have an advantage. Im not tied to the leadership. I don't have to go along, and I wont go along. You have to look at me as a maverick. Im not tied to their special Interests. I havent taken money from the special Interests that I touldnt say no to. I can be my own man. Once you become Involved In leadership, you make commitments. He cannot really speak his own mind. David Adams has been notorious for missing rolls. Missing votes In the state tourism? Zephyr: Should southeast Utah push He had over 90 absences In one year. Ken: The tourist Industry Is a shining star right now, or will be. But It too can be legislature. an albatross around our neck, Industrial tourism. If Its nothing but that It can destroy your continued on page 16 In. its already hit Lake way of life. We have to really watch It Uke the monopolies coming |
