State should help mining communities
John Florez
If Utah's legislators can rush to raid Utah's "tax cookie jar" to the tune of $35 million to rescue a soccer stadium, how come they are not hurrying to rescue our counties struggling to cope with a mine disaster, one that has taken a great human and economic toll?
Why do the people in Carbon and Emery counties have to rely on concerts, fund-raisers and donations, while an "entrepreneur" comes to town and gets legislators tripping over each other and making creative moves to give our tax dollars away? The fact that there is an outpouring of good will and donations from residents, and silence from our legislators, speaks volumes about the growing disconnect with our lawmakers.
Follow the money. That's Utah values.
We used to have legislators fight to protect the interests of Utah workers. Now, they seem more concerned about protecting campaign donors. Somewhere along the way, we have diminished the value we place upon working people. Some legislators are quick to lash out at Washington politicians for not enforcing our immigration laws and federal intrusion, yet allow our labor laws to become paper tigers and content to have the "feds" protect our miners.
Why is it that in the 21st century rural children have two choices: go to work for the "company store" or leave town? Staying home means either risking your life in dangerous jobs earning $20 an hour or trying to get by on two or three minimum-wage jobs the Department of Workforce Services says are plentiful.
The solution: Apply the same energy, drive and commitment of resources legislators demonstrated in saving the soccer stadium; even 50 percent, $17.5 million, would go a long way to bring new vitality to struggling communities.
The governor and Legislature should work together to create a coordinated and focused approach to bring together the private sector and the state's resources; then, give power to the director of the Office of Rural Development to coordinate and concentrate all the state agencies' resources in restructuring a rural community's economic, education/training infrastructure.
It would reduce agency turf struggles, stop the recycling and isolated approach of using the "same old programs" and allow for the potential brought about by new technology and communication. Start by bundling the resources of such programs as economic development, small/micro business, education and job training that "actually" connect students/workers to new jobs created with a renewed and diversified economic base, to take advantage of the global economy driven by the Internet. Use the "economic enterprise zone" program to attract and diversify a community's economic base.
Recent comments
The only State aid will be from the Department of
Social Services...
swrl | Sept. 4, 2007 at 2:06 p.m.
Not sre why my comments earlier seem to have been censored, but Mr...
JGolden | Sept. 3, 2007 at 5:49 p.m.
Why do you think that taxes should be raised to subsidize business...
BOB NEALE | Sept. 3, 2007 at 8:30 a.m.
