Show Commissioner Smoot Explains NACO's Legislative Goals Stanley M. M Smoot as vice- vice president of the Utah Association Association Association tion of County Officials was one of five i ve representing the state of Utah among approximately approximately approximately 2000 delegates to the National Association of Counties Counties Counties Coun Coun- ties held in Washington D. D C. C recently said one of the main issues concentrated upon ef efforts efforts efforts ef- ef forts toward increased man manpower manpower manpower power training and employment ANOTHER ISSUE OF moment was the great concern of county government with the handling of urban problems of law en enforce enforce enforcement en- en force men ment public t-public safety health education and employment employment employment employ employ- ment opportunity One of the legislative goals of the National Association of Counties is to structure the federal federal federal fed fed- eral grants in aid system to provide state and local governments governments governments gov gov- with increased flexibility flexibility and discretion in the dis dis- dis THE NACO also hopes to co promote increased effort to towards towards towards to- to wards the establishment of an intergovernmental c corn compre comprehensive o m p pre pre- r e- e manpower training and employment program Including Job development and creation Commissioner Smoot reported He also said the Committee on County planning brought out the fact rural poverty affects a approximately p pro x i mat e 1 y 14 million Americans IN METROPOLITAN areas one out of every eight people is poor but the ratio increases to one out of every four in rural America On the other hand he said of those who 11 live ve in the suburbs only an estimated one out of every fifteen is considered poor by today's standards About 30 per cent of our total U. U S. S population lives in rural areas but 40 per cent of the nations nation's poor Ii live ve there Unemployment and under-employment under are major major major ma ma- jor problems in such areas with the present rate of unemployment un unemployment unemployment un- un employment in r rural u r a 1 areas averaging about 18 per cent among farm workers and 37 per cent for under employ ment This contrasts strangely with the governments government's recent statement that unemployment is at its lowest level in 14 years with 35 per cent of the labor force unemployed A SIDE effect of living in poor rural areas Com Corn Smoot said according to the Committees Committee's Committees Committee's Committees Committee's Com Com- report is one of Il 11 literacy More than five million rural adults are illiterate Rural poverty pov pov- erty is acute In the south but it is also present and serious in the east west and north FED FEDERALLY ERA L L Y support supported e d See so SMOOT on page 2 Smoot Explains I Continued from Front Page manpower programs mostly de devoted devoted de- de voted to aid of the unemployed and the Inadequately educated now carry an annual price tag of 21 billion and has increased eightfold since 1961 Corn Com Smoot said The Committee on Health and Education suggested that the present challenge is to build a balanced and orderly vehicle to administer the pro programs g ram s without losing the stimulus to continue innovation Some of the programs familiar in Davis County are remedial education outreach programs to seek the discouraged and i- i ad adult u I t basic education programs to remedy academic deficiencies subsidized training training training train train- ing programs to provide the inexperienced with work discipline discipline discipline dis dis- and skills and supportive ve service such as medical aid THE COMMITTEE suggested that a course of action be formulated formulated formulated form form- by the representatives of county government with respect to improving the county's role as a coordinator and sponsor of manpower programs Another solution suggested at the National Council but which has already been effected effect effect- ed last year in Davis County was regional planning and co coordinated coordinated coordinated co- co effort between mayors and county commis commis- It was stated that correlation correlation correlation cor cor- relation was important because unified thinking and planning is a necessity to work out lems LOCAL C CRIME RIM E prevention and control was another major consideration Some of the statistics statistics statistics sta sta- quoted according t to o Com Corn Smoot are auto thefts occurred last year of which 64 per cent were committed committed committed com com- by youth under sixteen Thirty five per cent 01 or an all anthe the murders committed were done by members of the victims own families of which 25 per percent percent percent cent were between brothers and sisters CLOSER cooperation between police departments and the residents residents residents res res- of individual communities ties was recommended again something which Davis County County County Coun Coun- ty instituted this s year in both its northern and southern ends of the County when the Police Advisory Councils were es es- es Planning and zoning and proper transportation facilities were considered an important phase of the work facing County officials with the continued mi migration migration ml- ml gration away from metropolitan areas IN ONE county in the east one ong out of every 13 homes w was s considered n not not- r fit t to live in according to a state survey Another county had square miles of unincorporated area under its Jurisdiction Improper planning and zoning with due consideration to the future was considered import import- ant If were we're not careful Davis County could be in the same sam position as some counties in other parts of the U Un United n i it t e d States said Com Corn Smoot ONE OF the most Import results of his atten attendance 7 at the NACO convention he h be was being able to h hat he hear first hand at some problems problem more congested counties in uT S S. S face and the U U. U ho how w they hat been peen handled ha e vE j jIn In so some me Instances th the they ep present pitfalls which Da DaVi County can avoid with pro proPer Per planning and cooperation ilea im With I its Mayors In other instance instant effective problem solving solving i other areas which proved us useful USe use- ful the Commissioner sald I sai said i had already been put into effect within Davis County A A continued strict ance of present zoning Or orb n nances in our County will wili pre pree vent future problems such a ot uncontrolled construe construction of sub sub-dl sub divisions and ens industrial da de etc leading to ad ad verse factors in public health 1 in turn fostering undesirable e J i conditions of living CO COMMITTEES I SUCH as the Davis County Resource Development De De- Committee the Planning Council the Mayors j and Commissioners Correla Correia 1 tion lion Committee will con conto to be formed and utilized With win a 1 in Davis County hazardous 1 problems and conditions such as other counties suffer frog fron i arising Com Corn Smoot said U It |