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Show SPRING 2004 Page 6 The West View This opinion section is an open forum for community issues. Editorial columns and opinion articles are strictly the opinion of the author. Letters of an indecent or demeaning nature will not be published. Letters will be edited for style and space. Gay Marriage Does No Harm From the Editor. Over the past few years, I have heard statements from a few local residents, such as. “I am not into publicity,” or “I don’t care for the media,” after being asked to be interviewed or pho- tographed for The West View. At first, I didn’t understand why someone would object to being the subject of a story in their own community newspaper. I thought? “Don’t they realize what an important part of the community they are?” But gradually, I have come to understand that some people have had bad experiences with the media in the past— been misrepresented or negatively portrayed. This is especially true for people living on the west side of Salt Lake City. It is no wonder that some people would be turned off to the idea of being featured in the newspaper - they don’t trust the media. , That is precisely why I have volunteered a great deal of time and energy during the past three years to publish The West View. | believe that this newspaper provides a vital opportunity to more fairly and accurately represent the people of the West Side. In the process of preparing The West View’s mission statement, I spelled out wail of ay goals and hopes for the paper. These could be called oour “vision” statements: I have been trying very hard to understand why some people think that gay marriages should not be permitted. As far as I can tell, the arguments in favor of such a ban boil down toa selection « of the homosexual lifestyle. Some lifestyles may not be welcome in your house or your social circles - frankly, you don’t have to welcome anyone wearing socks into your home if you really don’t want to - this is an entirely personal choice on your part that can be made on whatever basis you choose. On the other hand, any such rejection that is made universal, and enters the legal code, must be subjected to much more rigorOus tests. It is not enough that many people - even a majority of the population - find a lifestyle somehow objectionable. After all, if that were the only yardstick required, many different lifestyles that are now quite common - including people of color liv- ing in freedom, and down-to-earth, hard-working populace. ¢ To foster pride, ownership and involvement in community councils and other community improvement groups, with the intent to create positive change in our neighborhoods. | ¢ To promote mutual acceptance and appreciation among the dif. ferent cultural groups on the West Side. ¢ To stimulate and promote west side businesses. marriage, moving into the Poplar Grove area, my husband and I lived on the “East Side.” We had the typical East Side views of the west side of Salt Lake City. We worried about what things would be like here. Would there be gang members or drug dealers living next door? Would our neighbors be uneducated or unclean? Both of our families warned In the last issue, Winter 2003/2004, The West View mistakenly identified Inoke Hafoka as the Senior Class President at East High School 3 when actually he is the Student Body President of the entire school. Hold Politicians Accountable for Tax Reinvestment greater Economists at the Utah State Tax Commission seek to answer is for those with higher incomes. The studies by the Utah State Tax the question related to fairness. Commission find that property, They use data from state income, sales and excise taxes paid in Utah are regressive. When these taxes are added into what households pay for State income taxes, the study came: up with these results: A» to examine what percent of income Utah taxpayers pay each --year. | : Taxes are called “progressive” if the greater the household income, the higher the percent of income goes to taxes. For example, in Utah, a family of four with taxable income of $25,000 pays less than one percent of income to state income taxes or about $250. A family of four with taxable income of $50,000 pays three percent or about $1,500. Families with taxable income $50,000 pay between three and three and a half percent of their income for State income taxes. Taxes are called “regressive” if the percent of income is higher for low-income taxpayers than it $1,800 in taxes. A family of four earning $25,000 pays 10 percent of income in state and _ local taxes. A family of four earning eight percent — Chuck Schamel, Salt Lake City ten years old. Wow! How uneducated we were! Living here has opened our eyes to “the rest of the world”. We have thoroughly for nine years! Our first child is lives. We’ve learned to look past were moving to a ed it was just until we could get through school — we’d be gone by the time our first child entered kindergarten. the surface into the hearts of people, thereby gaining a greater appreciation for who people really are. While the area does have its problems, no longer do we view it in the same sheltered, narrowminded way we once did. We’ve Stayed because we’ ve felt needed and wanted and a valued part of the community. It is unfortunate that more people won’t take the Supposed “risk” and move here. And while we may not live here forever, we’ll always be grateful for the experience of having lived here, the valuable things we’ve learned, and most of all, the peo- ple we’ve met. ) Jennifer Hansen, Poplar Grove 14.0% 12.0% 10.0% - 8.0% 6.0% 4.0% 2.0% family of four earning $15,000. pays certainly and the Income Class pays 12 percent of income in all state and local taxes or about: $50,000 benefits of marriage to same-sex couples State Taxes Paid as a Percent of Family Income Tax time is here. For all taxpayers, this means the scramble to assemble records and forms, wondering if we owe or will get a refund in state income taxes. Taxpayers also wonder if the tax system is fair. property, sales and excise taxes than the other hand, the self-right- could be argued to do so. | Well, we have lived here now us that we porarily pacified when we insist- CORRECTION On constitution should be amended to deny the legal enjoyed our associations with people from all different walks of life.. People seem more genuine here. We don’t have to try to be someone we’re not - there’s no need to put on any fronts here to compete for social status or to be accepted. We have found many high quality people here that we admire and who have become our lite-long friends. For the most part, people on this side of town seem to be less focused on appearances and material goods and more focused on their families and being neighborly. Moving here has changed our rough and dangerous area of town. They worried about our family’s safety. They were tem- With increasing community involvement and support, The West View is on its way to achieving these lofty goals. near that mark. eous sanctimony that leads some to suggest that the Kastsiders Change Their Views Before ° To provide a voice for the people of the West Side. ¢ To report on important issues, events and resources (of particular interest to west side residents and businesses) that may not be covered in the major papers. ¢ To improve the perception of the West Side by highlighting our positive attributes, such as our rich diversity, interesting history interracial Mormon religion - would never have been accepted. In order for a legally codified rejection of this sort to stand the test of time and to be considered legitimate, reasonable, or constitutional, it must meet some Strict requirements. In my opinion, the legal rejection of a way of life can be considered appropriate if - and only if - that way of life inherently does harm to people who do not agree with it and/or do not take part in it willingly. The selection of a lifetime partner who happens to be of the same gender does not come anywhere in State and local taxes. For families earning more than $100,000 a year this percent drops to six per- State income tax Hl Sales tax O Property tax 0 Excise tax cent. The accompanying chart Shows the tax burden compared to family income. , The good news in this report is that west side neighborhoods are economically powerful because of the taxes they pay to state and local coffers. Elected officials and political parties need to be held accountable on how they invest taxes back into our west side neighborhoods. ’ Edie Trimmer Poplar Grove |