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Show ! 2 The Salinn gun Wednesday. Sept. 28, 1988 The Salina Sun Opinion Letters to the Editor Some startling figures on nation's ability to read Its frightening. in America, are It Other side of the adult population who What does this mean? It means that on a basic statistical level, that 21 million of these adults read at fourth grade level. Not so bad, you might think, remembering what you were reading when you were in fourth grade. But can a person who reads at only a fourth grade level survive in todays technologically advanced society? Dr. Carolyn Ebel Chandler, Literacy Program manager for the American Newspaper Publishers Association points out that: To understand a drivers license manual, a person needs to read at sixth grade level. To understand a tax return, a person needs eighth grade reading skills. To comprehend instructions on a medicine bottle, tenth grade reading skills are necessary. To read an insurance policy, a twelfth grade level is needed. Statistics say that about 20 percent of Americans 5 read below eighth grade level. Only 1 9 percent age are able use comparison shopping while in a super market, and 20 percent cant find out about a bus or airline schedule. Almost half cant use a map to find their way from one location to another. The literacy crisis has become grave. Survival of democracy depends upon an educated, participating citizenry, able to read and use the information they obtain. These people who cant read are all around us neighbors, friends, relatives. They vote, they make decisions that affect us all - and they cannot read. Newspapers have a concern about illiteracy, because information is our stock and trade. If people cant read, they cant use what our industry produces. Articles such as this one do little good because they cant read them. However, the problem must be reversed. How can we continue to compete with the other nations of the world if our citizens cant read? Literacy goes hand in hand with homelessness and poverty. Adult education is available locally at Sevier Valley Tech; televised programs; and local schools. If you know someone who cant read, try to help them. Get them enrolled; give them some of your time; but see that they learn to read. It will change their entire life - and it will change the life of our nation, as well. 21-2- -- Mountan Fuel will finance furnaces at 1 interest for customers Tax savi ngs f or fam i ly of f ou r given by Utah Foundation Continued from Page 1 certain governmental services could raise other costs for many Utah families and individuals. For example, cuts in motor fuel and diesel fuel taxes likely would result in less money being available for maintenance and snow removal on Utah roads. Another point brought out by opponents is that the tax initiatives could increase other costs by making it more expensive for government to borrow. Recently, Standard and Poors, one of the nations major credit rating organizations, placed Utahs triple A general obligation bonds on its credit watch list. to the organization, According Utahs credit worthiness was downgraded because the tax initiatives, if passed, would diminish the financial flexibility which allowed the state to maintain excellent financial operations despite a cyclical economy. of cigarettes per day would receive an annual tax reduction of $40. Finally, if the family made any large purchases, such as a motor vehicle or boat, that were subject to sales tax, it would realize a tax savings equal to .5 or 1 of the purchase price. The preceding calculations are based on overall countywide averages. The exact tax reduction will vary in different taxing districts within the county and the different areas of the state. The report stresses that voters will have to weigh these tax reduc-.tioagainst the prospect of sharply curtailed governmental services along with the likelihood of added charges and fees. Some agencies may have to resort to special user charges and fees to replace the funding lost from general revenue sources. Opponents of the initiatives raise the point that curtailment of ns Mountain Fuel on September 22 received approval from the Utah Public Service Commission to finance the purchase and installation of natural gas water heaters and furnacesNspace heaters for customers on its new southern system. The financing program is available to customers in Sanpete, Sevier, and Piute, Iron and Washington counties who own the premises in which theequipment will be installed and have a signed service line agreement with Mountain Fuel. The program will be available only until April 1, 1989. Each customer may finance up to $3,000 at 1 percent per month interest. Water heaters must be energy efficient to qualify for the program and may be financed for up to 36 months. FurnacesNspace heaters or fumaceNspace heater and water heater combinations may be financed for up to 60 months. Piping, venting and ducting relating to equipment installation may also be financed. The appliance purchase payment will appear as a separate item on thecustomers gas bill. Theprogram and is designed to be will not be subsidized by customers. It will not affect Mountain Fuels rates. The finance program will benefit both Mountain Fuel and southern system customers. Customers wanting to convert to natural gas will be able to do so more easily, thus enabling them to more quickly take advantage of the lower cost of operating gas appliances. By making it easier for customers to begin using natural gas, Mountain Fuel will bene- - Subscribe today! Call 529-783- 9 fit from increased sales and system utilization, which in turn will benefit all customers by helping to keep rates stable. A brochure and letter describthe program will be mailed to ing David L. Wilkinson Attorney General S tate of Utah . lem throughout the United States. There can be no doubt that child abuse is a pressing problem. 1 in 4 girls are sexually molested before reaching age 18; 1 in 8 boys are, as well. To truly understand the nature of child sexual abuse, it is necessary to understand some basic facts about it. 1. 80 to 85 percent of all child sexual abuse is committed by someone the child knows, with the great majority falling into the category of incest. Stepfathers as a group present the highest rate of abuse. 2. 75 to 80 of men who sexually abuse children were themselves sexually molested as children. This statistic makes clear that unless we as a society do something to stem the incidence of abuse, it will increase in the future. 3. 80 to 85 of all prostitutes were sexually abused as children. 4. 90 of those who suffer from dissociative mental problems . such as schizophrenia and multiple personality disorders were sexually bused. 5. The average person whose primary sexual attraction is to children, molests from 70 to 100 children before ever being caught. They tend to repeat their crimes more than any other group of criminals. 6. Children who are sexually abused and not successfully treated often suffer from a great variety of short and long term effects: many commit suicide, suffer from intense depression, confusion of identify; become obsessed with sexual con- 8. Reliable studies agree that no more than 8 percent of all reports of child abuse made by a child are fictitious. Kids can fabricate such reports, but the fact is that they usually dont and those who are well trained in this area can almost always determine such a false report No other crime is as difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Our children are our future. They are leaving us with a legacy of problems to take care of in the future if we dont take care of them now. Abusers who delude themselves into thinking their conduct does not harm their child victims are completely duct. Although treatment is successwrong. ful with many, it may never work for I will do all possible to make others. 7. On the other hand only a sure that cases of child abuse that small proportion of these pedophiles deserve attention from the justice can be successfully treated and even system receive attention. The public those who can admit that their future has a right to expect of its elected behavior is completely up to them. officials that they will do whatever is Such treatment involves only behav- required to ensure that our children ioral modification which is never a can grow up in a safe and decent environment sure cure of the problem. southern Oct. 1 system customers about For more information on the appliance finance program, customers should call their local Mountain Fuel office. Thanks for help Dear Editor: I would like to give the Sevier and the county Commissioners County Road Crew, along with the Forest Service a big public Thank You. We all appreciate the attention' ahd' help they have given to the Gooseberry Road. 1 1 is much nicer to travel on now. WE are hoping that it will last, and to make sure it does, we are still trying to get it oiled so it will last many many years. Thanks again to all those who have helped and supported me with this matter. , w , Thank You, Amber Curtis , SHOULD BE COMPLETED IN 1989 Work will The contractor continue on is expected to begin work soon to complete another section of in Sevier and Emery counties to four lanes. Ron Lewis Construction, of Moapa, NV, submitted the low bid for the third section. The Lewis bid of $21,755,473 is for 12.9 miles from Muddy Creek to Devils Canyon. The length of interstate that has been completed to only two lanes extends 46 miles from Fremont Junction to Rattlesnake Bench. Four projects will be required to complete it, and a steel arch bridge will span Eagle Canyon. Lanes that have been in use since 1970 will be rehabilitated. Some of the existing surface will be removed and replaced with 2.5 inches of new bituminous pavement, along with a one inch seal coat layer. All of in Utah will be open for traffic in Utah by the fall of 1989, however some of the new lanes wont be finished by then. The next section to be opened Child abuse in Utah continues to grow Child abuse is a pressing prob- ; Dear Editor: I would like to clarify a few ; misconceptions formed by many ; the editorial in ; people after reading of the paper issue 14th September for a change in need the regarding first for schedule graders. the First, the meeting was held during Back to School night in hopes of getting more parents of first graders to the meeting. Unfortunately, in recent years meetings held to discuss such problems or needs for changes have been poorly attended. With a usual attendance of maybe ten parents if we were lucky. Good support of meetings has only occurred at Back To School Night or when children were participating in the agenda. Second, this solution was not reached after only twenty minutes of thought. The principal, teachers and some of the affected parents have been trying to find a solution for weeks. The solutions their joint efforts had supplied were discussed and voted on. Third, only five people voted to keep the class at the original 8:30 time. There are 32 students in the class. Parents of 27 of the students were at the meeting. In many cases both parents were in attendance. So, in comparison with the number of parents affects; a small fraction voted to leave the schedule unchanged. Fourth, Salina City has no part of the funding of the buses. However, they are responsible for the wages of the crossing guards. As was told the city when the cross guard system was originally begun, funding cannot come from an independent source, such as PTA, for legal reasons. Also, some of the people doing the most talking at the meeting about helping fund the $1,000 cost, are the same people who have asked to be omitted from fund raising activities. Finally, those parents who have children in the class that was changed are not making any more trips to the school now than they would have been had the schedule remain unchanged. Before, they were making an extra trip in the afternoon; now, that extra trip is made in the morning. Many parents feel as I do that this change is better, because it allows the younger children the opportunity of walking home with older siblings, should they need to walk; rather than walking home alone. Yours Truly, Carolee Noyes PTA President and affected ; . first grade mother . , isnt just Johnny who cant read is now one-thir- d functionally illiterate. it Seminar to help on tax preparation Need help filling out W-2- s for your employees? The Social Security Administration announces a free seminar to explain the proper way to fill out -- 2 Form (Wage and Tax statefor ment) employees. The seminar will be held Octo-ber2at the IRS building, 465 South 400 East, Salt Lake City. It will cover the importance of correct reporting, how to report and will include a workshop to allow the employers to practice preparation of the forms. Workshop will be held at 1 p.m. The IRS will also be available at the seminar to answer questions. The seminar is free but requires a reservation due to limited space. Call Jan Hadley.IRS Taxpayer Education Coordinator at 524-6091, 5. 1- -70 is in Sevier county, about 2 10 miles from the south Richfield interchange to Sigurd. Grading and leveling on that project is nearing completion. j More on tax There will be both good and bad news for Utah residents if voters approve the initiative to roll back increases in income, sales, fuel and cigarette taxes. The good news is that the average Utah family will save about $330 a year in taxes. The bad news is that the same family might end up spending more than that for state services that could be cut as a result of the initiative being approved. A report from the Economic and Statistical Unit of the State Tax Commission notes that if the initiative does pass, Utahns would see about a 1 percent increase in disposable (or spendable) income. The typical family of four, which earns about $32,000 a year would save around $330 a year. A single person earning $20,000 a year could save $190, and a single parent with one child earning about $ 1 6,000 per year, could save $155. The result of these cuts would be $141 million to Utah families. State officials say that taxpayers may never see an actual increase in their spendable income. The cuts could mean higher school fees, rougher roads, which in turn mean more vehicle repairs, and a rash of user fees for other services that have been traditionally paid by the government . Tax Commissioner, Roger Tew says that voters must examine both sides of the ledger. Yes, you will have a little more income, but you have to look at what benefits you will lose and what it will cost you to pay for those services out of your own pocket money. Tew says that if $141 million can be cut without affecting state programs or public employees, there would be a very positive effect on the ' economy. But if the $141 million in cuts translates into significant layoffs of public employees, and cost to society in unemployment and reduced services could outweigh the economic benefits. The Salina Sun (USPS 47fH)80) 63 East Main Salina, Utah 84654 Phone The (USPS 529-783- 9 Salina Sun. 478-08- 0) Is published each Wednesday for S 1 2.00 $14.50 per year in Utah and per year out of the state of Utah by the Salina Sun. 63 East Main. Salina. Utah 84654. Second class postage is paid at Salina, Utah 84654. . Please POSTMASTER: send address changes to the Salina Sun. P.O. Box C. Salina. Utah 84654. Single Copy $.35 Publisher: Kevin Ashby Editor: Carol Jensen Correspondents: Aurora: Kathleen Lloyd Redmond: Tammy Johnson Salina: Evelyn Klesel |