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FYI - The initiative is so much more than
simply an over-the-top tax on one company in the industry. See for
yourself. The initiative is available online at: http://www.governor.state.ut.us/LT_Gover/radioactivewaste.PDF If you look, you'll see that the
initiative is nearly 13,000 words and 53 pages long. It makes over 100 changes
to laws in Utah. It alters waste definitions from how they in federal law
and regulations. This will likely lead to regulatory conflicts,
confusion, and much litigation. It attempts to remove current taxes on
reprocessors even though they compete for the same kinds of waste. It
keeps people who store radioactive waste-including Utah's major universities
and research companies -from serving on the Radiation Control Board. It
sets the state definition of "impoverished" at twice the federal
poverty level - a family of four with annual income of $36,200 ($17.30 per
hour) would be defined as "impoverished". It defines as
"homeless" any person-including a child-who does not have
"individual control" over their shelter. It tries to make it illegal for the
legislature and governor to reduce funding for public or higher education or
for programs to benefit health, children, human services, the impoverished or
the homeless. It creates the "Education, Environment, and Ethics Fund
Oversight Board"8 and the "Utah Basic Human Needs Authority,"
yet provides no funding to operate these boards. It names certain special interest
groups to those boards. It diverts millions in revenues now going to the
general fund, and puts them under the control of these boards requiring that
monies be distributed to the special interests pushing this initiative. It exempts these boards from the
Budgetary Procedures Act, enabling the boards to hire lobbyists to influence
the legislature and removes the boards from stringent fiscal oversight. It places tax money under the control
of these boards with no legislative oversight or input of how they spend
it. It does a lot of other screwy things,
too. Like I say, read it and see for yourself. -----Original
Message----- Does
anyone have the latest information on the Envirocare Tax Initiative being
placed on the November ballet in Utah? |