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Show ( t 2 Wednesday. Oct. The Salina Sun 12. 1988 The Salina Sun Tax InitiatiVOScontinued from Page fr More Utah voters are staying at home SAYS UTAH FOUNDATION More Utah voters are staying home, according to statistics by the Utah Foundation. During the last presidential election in 1984, only 61.6 percent of Utahs voting age population turned out to cast their ballot Several years ago, Utah led the nation in voting percentages, according to Steve Densley, of the Chamber of Commerce. The upcoming election is an important one, and will decide the future of several critical issues: a new President of the United State; a new governor for Utah; Propositions 1 and 2; and the much talked about three tax initiatives. All will be determined on November 8th. Provo-Ore- m Facts supporting Tax Initiatives on Ballot Greg Beesley .Chairman Tax Limitation Coalition of Utah Following are some facts supporting Initiatives A, B, and C, that will appear on the November Ballot. The story comes from the Utah Taxpayers Association. Utahs state and local taxes are 8th highest in the nation when compared to personal income. This docs not include the recent record tax increases. Ten years ago we ranked 19th. (Information from the U.S. Department of Commerce.) Utah taxes which impact on households are the highdirectly est of the ten western states: even higher than California. (Information from the Utah State Tax Commission). Over the last ten years, Utah tax revenues have increased 196 percent. Utah taxes have grown faster than all but five states. (U.S. Department of Commerce). During the last five years, Utahs population has increased 9.6 while the number of state and local government employees has increased 20 percent. (U.S. Department of Commerce). Utah ranks 6th highest among the 50 states in the number of full time equivalent state and local (U.S. employees per household. Department of Commerce). In 1978 business bankruptcies in Utah totaled 102. Last year they climbed to 1,265. Personal bankruptcies in 1978 were 1,223. Last year they climbed to 5.467. (U.S. Bankruptcy Court). In 1978 there were only three FHA foreclosures on homes in Utah. By 1987 that figure had skyrocketed to 1,460 and the 1988 figure is estimated to hit 2,000. (U.S. Department of HOusing and Urban Development). Utah needs 25,000 new jobs each year for our young people entering the job market. In 1987 we Salina Sun (USPS 478-08- 0) 63 East Main Salina, Utah 84654 Phone 529-783- 9 The Salina Sun. is published (USPS 478-08- 0) each Wednesday for per year in Utah and $14.50 per year out of the state of Utah by the Salina $ 1 2.00 Sun, 63 East Main, Salina, Utah 84654. Second class postage is paid at Salina, Utah 84654. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to the Salina Sun, P.O. Box C, Salina, Utah 84654. Single experienced net job growth of only 6,170. (Department of Employment Security). During the lat four years, more 31,353 people have left the state than have moved in. (State Economic Coordinating Committee). Utahs average non agricultural annual wage is only $18,012. This is just 89 percent of the national average, yet we are expected to pay high taxes with low wages. (Department of Employment Security). Utahs 1987 per capita personal income was only 73 of the national average; the lowest percentage in 58 years. (U.S. Department of COmmerce). Utah state and local tax revenues in the past ten years have climbed 196 while population has increased only 30 and per capita personal income has increased only (U.S. Department of Commerce). Utahs college classrooms are in use only 52 of the time during the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. school day in the busy fall quarter. Laboratories are in use only 37 of the time. (Utah State Building Board). Teachers comprise only 57 of Utah school district personnel. An average of only 54 of Utahs school district budgets are spent for instruction. THis includes salary and benefits of teachers, and aides, supplies, textbooks, materials, and other instruction related expenses. (State Superintendents Annual Report). Utah state, local and education budget totaled $5.5 billion in fiscal year 1986, the latest audited figures, U.S. Department of Commerce figures. Initiative A would cut $80 million (Utah Taxpayers Association) or only 1.5 of this. INitiative B would cut $145 million (Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel) or only 2.6. 99. Courts The Copy $.35 Publisher: Kevin Ashby Editor: Carol Jensen Correspondents: Aurora: Kathleen Uoyd Redmond: Tammy Johnson Salina: Evelyn Kiesel list cuts Courts Reduce Supreme Court by 5 clerks; District Court 3 clerks, 3 Comm.; Circuit Court 20 to 25 in Small Claims; 2 Consultants in Data Processing; Juvenile Court 1.5 Commissioners; Probation 33 full time employees; 3 personnel in Administration. Elimination of funding for secondary sites would require residents of the following counties to travel to other sites to have cases heard: Beaver County; Emery County; Kane COUnty; Piute; Sanpete; Wayne; Daggett; Garfield; Millard; Rich; Summit; Duchesne; Juab; Morgan; San Juan; and Wasatch. Those living in the followareas would have to travel to ing other sites for Circuit Court: Randolph, Coalville, Duchesne, Nephi, Fillmore, Junction, Kanab, Morgan, Park City, Roosevelt, Salem, Beaver, Loa, Caistle Dale, Sunset, Manila, Heber City, Elk Ridge, Manti, Panguitch and Mon-ticell- Opinion Initiative C will actually 1 Voters are urged to study the issues, and be prepared on elec-stat- e tion day to visit the voting booth and or against the issues, vote The SUN will present a the candidates who will be of listing appearing on the ballot in a future issue. Shall a law be enacted to allow individuals a credit against income tax for tuition, text- book, and transportation costs they incur when their dependents attend a private elementary or secondary school within the state? i o. Computer equipment now in Roosevelt and Park City would be removed and transferred to Moab and Richfield. The elimination of 33 probation officers wouid only leave 1 1 field probation officers save taxpayers money Editor: Regardless of how you feel aboutTax Initiatives A and B, if you support public education, you need to take a close look at Initiative C, The Family Choice in Education Act THere has been a lot of emotional talk bordering on hysteria alleging that this proposal will hurt education. Lets use some simple arithmetic and common sense to examine the initiative logically. It provides for a tax credit to parents who desire to place their children in private schools. According to the formula, it will cost the state an estimate $400 to $700 per child. Sounds expensive, right? But lets take it one step farther. It costs the state of Utah about $2,000 to educate one child for one year. THerefore, we taxpayers will save $13,00 to $1,600 for each child who opts for private education. If five percent of todays school children were to transfer to private schools, think of the millions of dollars that would be made available for better programs, higher teacher salaries, textbooks, etc. Think of the reduced class sizes. For those who still think this proposal would harm public schools, a question and then two observations. Question: Do you have such little confidence in the quality of our state financed educational system that you think people will leave in droves with the slightest incentives? Observation No. 1: A tax credit would only cover a fraction of the cost of private school tuition. It will still be expensive. If Utahns were so determined to have their children educated privately, there would be a lot higher percentage of children already in private schools. Observation 2 A Little competition could only be healthy for our virtually monopolistic educational institutions. In summary, after examinthe evidence, it must be coning cluded that a vote for Tax Initiative C is a vote of support for public education in Utah. Barbara Christian Santa Clara, Utah Facts against tax initiatives If approved, the tax initiatives will seriously impair our efforts to provide meaningful access to our system of justice, according to a group of Utah attorneys. The State Judicial Council recently prepared a budget anticipating the $4.5 million cut that the judiciary alone would have to cut With these cuts, important programs would have to be eliminated, research staff cut, and the judicial process would be delayed, according to the Council. If the issues pass, many secondary sites in the Circuit Courts would have to be eliminated, requiring citizens to travel to a different site to have cases heard. This would be inconvenient and costly for those involved, the Council noted. ' ; Farm Bureau Lists cuts Farm Bureau president, Ken Ashby, says that his organization does not favor high taxes. In fact, we work for greater efficiency in government, he said. But careful study of the initiatives convince us Here are that they go too far. few of die impacts on agriculture if the initiatives pass: The Greenbelt Law could be threatened, as would farm exemptions from property tax on machinery and livestock, the sales tax exemptions on farm supplies and farm machinery and the ability to sell farm produce to consumers without sales taxes. The Utah Department of Agriculture would have to cut such services to agriculture as predator control by $50,000; market reports by $52,000; soil conservation by $148,954; groundwater pollution control by $40,000; meat inspection by $27,112; brucellosis prevention by $12,240; weights and measures cut by $36,452; brand inspection by $50,000; and other programs costing $632,502. There would be an estimated $800,000 reducion in research at Utah State University. Estimated $797,000 cut in Cooperative Extension Services, plus very significant county government reductions in extension services. Reductions in weed control, insect control at the county level, and cuts in numerous local services to agriculture. Again, the Farm Bureau does not favor higher taxes. We have worked for tax relief for the farmer and rancher for many years. But these initiati es are not well onsidered and particularly, A and B go to far!, the farm leader concluded. Department of Health and Social Services Currently the state Departments of Health and Social Services are trying to find ways to deal with a $10.3 million shortfall in the Medicaid budget. If the Legislature does not approve a budget increase, these cuts will be made: Close the Utah Medical Assistance Program (UMAP) for 6,000 adults whose incomes are under $290 per month and who have life ' Letters to the Editor must be signed. We welcome letters to the Editor. Letters letters name. with Unsigned will be printed All letters as they are all letters to We print try will not be printed. is submitted but at editting for length at times necessary. and notified called will be If editting is required the writer if . possible. Let's pay fair share of tax Letter to the Editor: When you dont have answers, then say the opposition is using scare tactics. The truth is that the facts are frightening. Trying to compare Utah and California is like comparing apples and oranges. When Proposition 13 was passed in California, the state had a $4 billion surplus and the tax rate was a high 3 percent. Their rollback to 1 percent is low, but only slightly lower than Utahs 1.1 percent today. So we are starting the rollback where California finished. California bailed out the schools with the $4 billion surplus, but that is now gone and some of their counties are virtually bankrupt. Their schools no longer are locally controlled. These are provable facts. Do you want state control of schools rather than local control? Also Utah does not have a surplus. State expenditures have declined by 7.1 percent since 1985. So we are trying to cut back. Sevier County is a poor we only pay a small and county amount of taxes into the Uniform School Fund. We get 78 percent of our school money from the state. So we are cutting our own throats to vote for further cuts from the state. So the schools are not hurting? We do not have an accredited school in the Sevier District. Northwest Accreditation will not give accreditation to schools without certified librarians. In order to try to cut costs the District has put uncertified aides in the libraries. They have already cut supplies several times. There are many classes in Sevier District with over 40 students in their classes now. The teachers in Sevier School District have not had a raise in three years. These are plain facts. There are many other compromises in the school in the last three years that arent good, and if you are really interested go to the District and to the schools and ask and find out for yourself. Utah ranks 47th in the nation in the number of non teaching employees. In other words, Utah has very few Administrators by national standards. However, even if we eliminated all 40 separate school districts, their boards. Superintendents and support staffs, m the savings would be just one percent of the educational budget, and the schools would be in total chaos. Utah has 38 of its population 17 and under, and not in the work force. Most states have about in the 17 and under age. So 15 Utah has less people in the work force than any other state. We also send more to school and more to college than any other state. Utah property taxes are clearly not the highest or even close to them. California bases their taxes on 100 percent of property value, and their property values are much higher than ours. Utah bases their taxes on 80 percent of the property value. My daughter justmoved from Orem to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and their property taxes are more than double. THese are facts. No one likes to pay taxes, but everyone wants services. The Public Library in Salina just spent thousands of dollars on new windows. It was done with a matching grant from the State Library. If the initiatives pass, the State Library told us they will be struggling to exist and will not have grant money. Now it was noted that we need a water fountain and a long list of other essential things in the Library. Well, taxes pay for the Library. According to Cook, companies will come to Utah if taxes are cut. Well, research into why companies locate in one state or another has taxes 5th on the 1st and schools are 1st. There is a great chance that if the initiatives go through we will lose two Junior Colleges. That is disgraceful. The Highway Patrol announced 70 would be cut from their force; when at this time, crime is very high. The State Road said that potholes will be more than common if you vote yes. Whether you like it or not, you have to pay for services. The old cliche is still true, you dont getsomething fornothing. Even California didnt try to rollback anything but property taxes. Utah is trying to go back to the Dark Ages. I would like my grandchildren to go to excellent schools, to have libraries, to be safe as possible and ride on smooth roads. I will keep an eye on government, but will be glad to pay my fair share of taxes. Joye D. Robinson Salina, Utah threatening medical problems. Eliminate the Medicaid Medically Needy Program for 7,000 - mostliy children and elderly who have no other way to get medical care. Eliminate physical therapy for 1,167 people Cut financial assistance to 2,200 medically unemployable people from $217 to $195 per month (General Assistance) Eliminate vision care for 3,853 people; podiatry care for 2,766 Elimiate Emergency Work Program for 1,000 destitute or homeless singles and couples without children Eliminate mental health treatment for 225; dental services for 7,220; speech and hearing therapy for 668; eliminate payment for prescription drugs for 35,177; end alcohol and drug treatment for 98 Close the Washington County Dentention feacility for youth corrections Reduce the Self sufficiency Program that helps welfare recipients get training or go to work Eliminate 370 child care slots that allow people on welfare to work or get training Eliminate welfare fraud investigaion. If the Initiatives A, B, and SAYS POST OFFICE C, pass on November 8, the Departments of Social Services and Health will likely be underfunfed by $20.1 million. This will reduce federal matching dollars that come into Utah by $25 million. These are additional cuts that they are likely to make: Terminate nursing home care for 2,400 of the 4,800 nursing It may only be October, but home residents released the following mailing deadEliminate 410 more child now is the time to start thinking lines for Christmas, with outbound care slots; Stop Welfare Reform; about mailing some Christmas packsurface packages needing to be mailed Eliminate in home child care licens- ages if they are headed overseas. in early October. The U.S . Postal Service has ing; Elimiate air quality protection or radiation control for all Utah citizens Eliminate prenatal and for 400 pregnant women care perinatal INTERNATIONAL & MILITARY MAIL by cutting the Baby Your Baby OUTBOUND AIR MAIL Program AIR AIR Eliminate the states CanPARCELS LETTERS DESTINATION & PRIORITY cer screening program & CARDS PAL SAM Further restrict eligibility Africa Nov 21 Dec 2 Nov 9 Oct 27 for General Assistance to remove Alaska Dec 7 Dec 7 Dec 1 Nov 23 Hawaii Dec 7 Dec 7 1,000 people Australia Nov 21 Nov 24 Elimiante the Inc9me Nov 23 Nov 7 Caribbean Dec 9 Dec 9 Nov 24 a that Nov 21 Disregard, policy helps 3,000 Dec 2 Dec 2 Europe Nov 23 Nov 14 welfare clients work Fbr East Dec 2 Dec 2 Nov 23 Nov 14 End jobs for 450 social Dec 2 Greenland Dec 2 Nov 23 Nov 14 services staff, increasing workloads Time to think about Christmas mailing further Reduce day treatment and group home slots for 400 handicapped people Eliminate beds for 118 sverely mentally handicapped people at the Utah State Training School Reduce foster care services to 50 children Reduce crisis options that help prevent child abuse and prevention programs. Check with school for Mid Terms Principal Timothy Smith, at North Sevier High School, reminds parents that if they have not received a Mid Term Report for their high school student, by Friday, to check with the school, or come into the office for a copy. Middle East Southeast Asia Central & South America Nov 21 Nov 21 Dec 5 Nov 24 Nov 21 Dec 5 Nov 9 Nov 9 Nov 23 Nov 2 Nov 2 Nov 14 Offices outside the Continental United Stales, such as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Hawaii, Alaska, and the Dust Drritories, should advise customers of actual posting dates to ensure that Christmas mail en mute to other countries is available in the Continental United States by the dates listed above. OUTBOUND SURFACE |