Letters to the editor
Why so high?
Editor: The citizens of Scofield got both barrels of shock and awe when the new tax bills from Carbon County arrived recently. It seems that while the rest of the nation has been experiencing an economic downtrend in property values, Scofield is a bit of an enigma. According to Carbon County, homes and property in Scofield have doubled and tripled in value. As citizens began to compare their bills, there was no consistancy, as taxes increased from 50 percent to over 300 percent.
When I called to inquire, I was told that Scofield had not been appraised in 10 years. If that is so, then any gains of the first five years, would have been wiped out by the dismal housing market of the last five years. Since no property has sold in over two years, what rubric is the county using to determine these inflated house values?
According to the 2010 census, Scofield has a year round population of less than 25 people, 83 percent of the houses are vacant, and the per capita income is $27,000. This is not a resort town. We have no police, fire, schools, nor emergency services. We don't have trash pick up. There is no marina at the lake. There are no hotels, restaurants, or ski lifts .
If Carbon County is successful at robbing the residents of Scofield, then who's next? Helper? Price? Look out!
Judy Arlotti
Scofield
They will stop coming
Editor: It used to be that I'd go to the Helper Arts Festival and see nice people like my mom and dad, both locals and visitors from out of town. This year, while I saw a lot of friends, I was shocked by the meth crowd there on Main Street, day and night. I saw people drinking straight from their brown bags as they walked; others with their eyelids peeled back, staggering, high out of their minds. These people seemed to make up half the crowd.
Helper has always had its old hobos, but we know these guys. They sit on aluminum chairs on the sidewalk and keep to themselves. This crowd was different: a young and aggressive swarm.
If this is what federal housing grants have brought to the county, please consider changing the festival in order to protect it. Eliminate the beer, the bands, and the tents, or bring everything indoors. Focus on the galleries, art competitions, and theatre performances. Maybe it would be worthwhile to charge an entry fee.
We can love people. We can reach out and offer aid, but when it becomes clear that people love the darkness and hate the light, it is not wrong to keep them away from your friends, family, and the things you care about.
If the Helper Arts Festival becomes known for attracting drug addicts just looking for a party, guests will stop coming.
Bianca Dumas South Jordan
|
