VITA volunteers needed

Low- and moderate Utah families left between $60 million and $80 million in unclaimed federal tax credits last year.  That's money needed by thousands of Utah familiels who are stretched beyond their financial limits.

Volunteers are being sought to assist low and moderate income families in Utah receive free tax help and possibly cash in the form the earned income tax credit.

Under the “Earn It. Keep it. Save it.” moniker, a coalition of community organizations reaches out to eligible families and provides information about the federal earned income tax credit.

The coalition is under the leadership of United Way of Salt Lake and Community Action partnership of Utah.

Volunteers are needed as tax preparers, financial resource specialists, interpreters, schedulers and greeters at the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance sites.

Those interested may register online at http://www.utahtaxhelp.org/ or by calling 2-1-1.

Salt Lake Dentist Sentenced for Tax Evasion

     
 A Salt Lake County dentist will have to pay about $165,000 or face prison time for failing to file tax returns and taking efforts to evade paying taxes. Benjamin Lee Gilstrap, 59, was found guilty of one second-degree count of racketeering and two third-degree felony count of tax evasion and attempted tax evasion.
 Gilstrap resides in South Jordan but operates a dental office in Sandy. He attempted to avoid paying taxes by co-mingling his business and personal expenses. Gilstrap also failed to file tax returns during a five-year period he had earned nearly $1.5 million:
Year  Income
2003   $304,949
2004  $355,625
2005  $252,019
2006  $291,891
2007  $254,208
Total   $1,458,692
 “Failing to pay taxes brings consequences because it is a failure to basic obligations of citizenship," says Attorney General Mark Shurtleff.  “It is particularly disheartening because this defendant rebuffed all efforts for resolution which resulted in even greater costs to taxpayers."
 On September 19, Third District Judge William Barrett suspended Gilstrap's sentence of up to 5 years in prison but ordered him to provide full documentation for restitution, spend 50 days of home confinement with electronic monitoring, serve 350 hours of community service and serve 6 years of probation.
 "Tax evasion is a serious crime that the Tax Commission continues to vigorously investigate," says Utah Tax Commission Spokesperson Charlie Roberts. "When those who receive public benefits attempt to skirt the law by not paying their fair share of taxes, it places an undue burden on the rest of Utah's taxpayers."
 Gilstrap was investigated by the Tax Commission and prosecuted by the Attorney General's Office. His jail photo is at  http://www.attorneygeneral.utah.gov/PR_1003a11.html.  
     

What? Are You Crazy?

After filing for City Council, I have been asked from countless people about my sanity.  Although the mayor position was time-consuming and somewhat stressful at times, I discovered I loved the challenges and satisfaction of working with others to help make Tooele a better place to live. 

Tooele's City Council and Mayor have separate and distinct roles. Not  all city governments are like this. In most Utah cities, the City Council functions in both the legislative and executive roles. The Council hires a city manager to handle the day-to-day operations of the city.

Not in Tooele. The Council passes  ordinances and sets the budget. The Mayor functions as the chief executive officer and with the administrative staff and employees run the City. As Mayor, usually when I had conflicts with  City Council  members it  was about who was responsible for what. I once said to a Council member, "You have all the dollars (i.e. the budget) and make the laws, what more do you want?"

The City Council accomplishes its role primarily through diligent planning in the city budget process. The City Council prioritizes the needs of our citizens through the various budgets.

The other primary role of the Council is to pass, repeal and modify city ordinances. By their dynamic nature, city ordinances constantly need changing to meet the needs of our community.

The Council also has a critical responsibility in planning for the future of Tooele. The City Council approves zone changes, building ordinances, and master plans that shape the look and feel of our community. The various elements of the City's master plans need to be reviewed and changed constantly.  It's a responsibility that on the surface may look "ho-hum," but one I relish because of its long-term importance and impact.

Because of the nation's economy, the amount of residential and commercial building has been slower than what I experienced during the eight years I served as mayor. I feel strongly that now is the ideal time for us to plan and prepare for the following projects that need to be addressed:

o Trail system - A non-motorized walking, biking, trail system in our city would be a great benefit to our citizens. It's a project that can be built "piece-meal" once it is properly planned. Trails have limited maintenance costs once constructed. It would be a great benefit to children, families, joggers, cyclists, visitors and all our citizens.

o Cemetery -  Both the fencing surrounding our cemetery and the interior roads are in dire need of  repair. Although the dollars to tackle this major project may not be available presently, the Council can plan and prioritize this project for the future.

o Rodeo Grounds - With the construction by the County of the Deseret Peak Complex over the past decade the use of the Bit and Spur Rodeo Grounds, located in northwest Tooele, has dramatically changed. The area has not received the attention it needs from the city and a massive general cleanup would be helpful.  Now is the time to reach out to the community and receive input on what would be the best use of for this large tract of land.

o Newtown - The revitalization of the Newtown (located between Vine Street and Utah Avenue and 4th Street and 3rd Street) will be driven primarily by market forces. However, the City Council can help make this area more attractive through zoning tools and implementing a community development plan.

o Downtown - The current administration and City Council have done an admirable job in attracting viable businesses to our historic downtown area in recent years. Sostanza's, Home Bodies, Gold's Gym, Walgreens, Big 5 and Sears are located here because of the cooperative efforts of the City. The City must continue to focus its efforts in this area.

If I am fortunate enough to be elected to the Council, I pledge my availability. I can be reached at(435) 882-6910 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            (435) 882-6910      end_of_the_skype_highlighting      ,charlietooele@gmail.com, you can read my blog at charlietooele.blogspot.com and you are welcome to follow me on Twitter. I return all messages within 24 hours. I am also always available to meet anyone at their convenience face-to-face . . .  my favorite form of communication.

Peace, love and all that Jazz,

Charlie

UTA structure should be trashed

Here are 10 reasons why the present structure of UTA should be scrapped, sealed in a 55-gallon container and incinerated at a West Desert hazardous waste facility.
(In the spirit of full disclosure, my son, Mick, is a FrontRunner engineer, his wife Veronica is a FrontRunner hostess, and I carry a UTA pass as part of my state compensation package.)
I give the present administration and board full credit for accomplishing what they do best: Acquire taxpayer support and and federal funding to construct and expand services such as TRAX and FrontRunner. However, . . .
#1 Public funding without public accountability - The Board of Trustees appoints the General Manager and the board is composed of those who have special interests in UTA. In reality they hold each other accountable, which is a recipe for disaster.
#2 Board Structure - There are currrently 15 board members, divided among 'public' and 'private' interests. The sheer numbers make it virtually impossible to make the tough (right) public decisions. Board members are more interested in protecting their own interests while not hurting other board members' feelings than making the right decisions.
#3 Higher fees, lower service - UTA has a long, well-documented history of receiving public support, raising fares and reducing service.
#4 Nuts and Bolts - UTA should be in the business of getting people to and from work and to and from essential services. Bus service, the nuts and bolts of UTA, keeps receiving lower and lower priority from the Board.
This D-News article shows the latest example: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372642/UTA-cutting-bus-routes-expanding-TRAX-service.html
#5 Accessibility Attitude - I have no idea why the UTA board is so insensitive to the needs of people with special needs. But they are. When fare hikes loom, people with disabilities get hit the hardest.
On the other hand, I have always seen the operators treat people who need assistance with courtesy and respect.
#6 Good Ole Boy Mentality on Steroids - Just read Wednesday's Trib editoral week to get a taste of what I mean. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/51893294-82/uta-diehl-board-case.html.csp
#7 Board meeting times - They meet on Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. As mayor I was encouraged to nominate someone from Tooele to serve on the Board.
We had an ideal candidate. He was an attorney who lived in Tooele and rode the bus and TRAX to work. The meeting schedule made it impossible for him to serve.
If they were held in the evening, more people would be able to serve and attend the public meetings. Needless to say, management and the Board are in love with the status quo.
#8 Public meetings - If you want to see sincere public comments vanish as quickly as they are uttered, attend a UTA meeting outside the board office. Decision makers stay home while entry level and mid-management personnel utter. "Thank you for your comment" countless times.
#9 Management Salaries - Here's what the top 100 UTA employees bring him home annually:  http://utahsright.com/salaries.php?city=uta_salaries.
These salaries are simply way out of whack with other Utah public officials.  The Board uses salary comparisons from other metro systems - rather than Utah public agencies - to justify these insane levels of pay.
#10 Fare enforcement - I have spent a whopping five hours riding St. Louis light rail in 2009. In our short journeys Janna and I saw cops write trickets for non-paying users, kick riders off for non-payment and strict enforcement to and from major events (i.e. Cardinal games). In 5+ years riding UTA regularly I have seen none of the above. 
UTA says that's going to change http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/51720914-90/2009-2010-carpenter-fare.html.csp. We shall see.
I love public transit. Over 20 years ago I wrote a Tooele Transcript-Bulletin editorial encouraging our readers to vote for a sales tax increase to bring public transit to the Tulees. I ride it regularly and this fall I will probably ride it daily to and from work. BUT . . .
I anxiously await the day when the Legislature musters the political fortitude to say, "That's it, UTA. Your board is dissolved and you now report to the Executive Branch of the State of Utah."
That's when Utah taxpayers and UTA riders will begin to receive improved service and accountabilty for the tax dollars they spend daily for public transit in northern Utah.
Peace, love and all that Jazz,
Charlie

Favorite lines from our national pastime

                                                   Correctly identify these 15 all-stars and their coach
                                                                          and win an all-day walking tour of Newtown.

With only 161 games left in the season, here's my top 10 baseball tunes of all time. I have thrown in four honorable mentions. Blues, jazz, folk and plenty of humor are weaved throughout the songlist.
Even if baseball fails to meet the standards of your personal pasttime, you'll enjoy some of these. In addition to the YouTube link, I have also included a line or two from each song.

1) Right Field (Peter Paul and Mary)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXVnb0wveRg
"Here in right field, it's easy you know, you can be awkward, you can be slow"

2) A Dying Cubs Fan Last Request (Steve Goodman)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xBxZGQ1dJk
"When I was a boy they were my pride and joy, but now they only bring fatigue"

3)  Take Me Out to the Ballgame (Carly Simon)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86yLQ9tvyBo&playnext=1&list=PL955D4A70D9CCBB9C
"I don't care if I ever come back"

4) Willie, Mickey and the Duke  (Terry Cashman)
http://www.thedeadballera.com/AudioPageTalkinBaseball.html
"And Cookie played hooky, to go and see the Duke, And Me I always loved Willie Mays"

5) D-O-D-G-E-R-S (Danny Kaye)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7qYcyUjDPU
"Leo Duroucher, Leo Duroucher starts to wiggle and to twitch; A signal? No! an itch"

6) Play by Play (I Saw it on the Radio)  [Terry Cashman]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocf7RKNEi8U
"The sacks are loaded and here comes that Man again"

7) Baseball, Baseball (Jane Morgan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovL6P9ks47I
"I was so mad I got to thinking; surely this lad will start me drinking"

8) Say Hey (The Willie Mays Song) [The Treniers]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI1qJBG2PCE
"His cap flies off when he passes third; And he heads home like an eagle bird"

9) Did You See Jackie Robinson Hit that Ball? (Count Base & His Orchstra)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-7Ac2LVVYU
"But it's a natural fact, when Jackie comes to bat, the other team is through."

10) Van Lingle Mungo (Dave Frischberg)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKzobTlF8fM
"Sigmund Jakucki, Big Johnny Mize and Barney McCosky. . . Hal Trosky

Honorable Mention
"The St. Louis Browns (Skip Battin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEicZnTrWYA
"They had a one armed man in left named Pete Gray in '44"

Love is Like A Baseball Game (The Intruders)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ4mJhvHI8I
{Strike one} She took me by surprise; {Strike two} Right in front of my eyes
{Strike three} Oh, I was out without a doubt

The First Baseball Game (Nat King Cole)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcliKtqy3Ro
"Rebecca went to the well with a pitcher; and Ruth in a field made a name"

Let's Keep the Dodgers in Brooklyn (Phil Foster)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ8XpKwc3A0
"Beware my friends let me warn ya, they're thinking about taking the Bums to California"

Peace, love and all that Jazz,
Charlie

                                                              So-so second baseman with
                                                                                  great coach Ray Harris (1967)
  

Go Ask Alice (If he's Mormon)

In honor of Alice Cooper being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last week, here's an interesting trivia tidbit about the original Shock Rocker.
Most of you have heard of (and dismissed) Alice being a Mormon. Believe it or not, there is a sliver of substance to the two-generation rumor.
Regardless of your religious affiliation, please stay with me on this one . . .
Alice was born Vincient Damon Furnier, the son of Ella Mae and Ether Moroni Furnier. No jest, his dad is named after two Book of Mormon headline prophets.
His dad was a minister in the Church of Jesus Christ, which originated as an off-shoot of the main stream body of Mormons back in the mid-1800s. Sidney Rigdon, an early leader in the Mormon Church during the Kirtland-Missouri-Nauvoo periods, formed the Church of Jesus Christ of the Children of Zion following the death of Joseph Smith.
That church disintegrated after 10 years, but in 1862 William Bickerton, one of Rigdon's converts, organized the Church of Jesus Christ in Monongahela, Pennsylvania. The church, which currently has a membership of about 12,000, accepts both the Book of Mormon and King James Version of the Bible as scripture. Its members are sometimes referred to as Bickertonites.
In his pre-Alice days, Vincient was actively involved in the church when he was 11 and 12-years old. The family moved to the Phoenix when soon-to-be Alice was 16. According to various blogosphere sites, Ether Moroni later became a minister in the Baptist Church.
It is well documented that Alice now professes to be a born again Christian.
So while it would be a long stretch to say that Alice Cooper is or was a Mormon, at least we know how the rumor began.
Peace, love and all that Jazz,
Charlie

Coach Sloan: Building Your Vocabulary

The guy in the red tie has seen fire and rain.

Gerald Eugene Sloan is a man of his word, and he uttered interesting words over the years decades generations.

When he announced his resignation Thursday, he garnered more air time and newspaper ink during a 24-hour period than any Utahn in history - with the possible exception of Elizabeth Smart. Think of the competition: Brigham Young, Ted Bundy, Butch Cassidy, Philo T. Farnsworth and Donny Osmond.

With all the coverage, I've yet to read about my favorite Sloan story.
It occurred in a pre-season game against the Celtics back in the mid-80s when Jerry was in his early years as an assistant to Frank Layden.
Out of the blue the Jazz bench was whistled for a technical. Coach Layden screamed "On Who?" 
"They guy in the red tie," the official shouted.
With a bewildered look, Frank glanced over his shoulder, caught a glimpse of Jerry donned in a red neck tie and then went ballistic.
"The guy in the red tie! He's going to be in the Hall-of-Fame one day and you don't even recognize Jerry Sloan? You're disgusting!"
Little did anyone one know that within a few months, Frank would hand the Jazz reigns over to Sloan and he would direct the Jazz for 23 rough-n-tumble seasons and 1,121 wins.
Granted, Jerry won't win any Mr. Congeniality awards, especially from those who make a living blowing whistles and talking hand jive to the scorer's table.
He had the unique talent of taking a single cuss word and using it and its various forms as a verb, adjective, adverb, noun and pronoun. Frequently in a run-on sentence.
Jerry makes Ang Cerroni blush.
Two years ago Jerry entered the basketball Hall of Fame and the public got a peek of his soft heart at the induction ceremony.
For years Jerry has said, "I could wake up tomorrow and be gone. Who knows?"
He now leaves at age 68, his legacy engraved in the hearts of Jazz fans and the record books.

"May I make just one little comment, sir?"

Dynamic Duo in a Family Affair

                                            Tooele's gold medal medley relay. That's Casey
                                       kneeling with the cap on and Skyler pointing
                                       on the the right. (Salt Lake Tribune photos)


I'm going to pop-off and say that Skyler Smith and Casey McEachern are the two best swimmers to ever compete on the same Tooele team. But I've only been attending state swim meets for 50+ years, so what do I know?
You may argue that Mark Sanderson and Scott Christensen from 1979 or Jess Allen and Mike Rockwell from 1967 were the top pair to don purple Speedos.
And the real old-timers would make a case for any combination of Mark Imai, Craig Lohnes, Jim Whear, Rick Battison and a guy named Mel Roberts from the 1961 and 1962 teams. Tosh Imai and Dave Rimington on Coach Pratt's early teams were both bonafide all-Americans.
But for me and my money it's Skyler and Casey.
They teamed with Chase Stoddard and Tyler Von Hatten to win state in the 200 medley relay. Yesterday Skyler won the closest race at State by claiming gold in the 100 fly. Casey turned a donnybrook 100 back race into a thumping by hitting a 51.91 and winning by more than a body length.
Casey finished third in the 200 I.M. on Friday and Skyler grabbed a silver in the 100 breast. Their 400 free relay team finished fourth. And just for the heckuva it, Skyler was honored as an Academic All-Stater.
Skyler and Casey share two things:
     1) work ethic and
     2) genes.
Mel's not one to say that so-and-so was the hardest working swimmer he has ever coached; however, he will tell you that no one has outworked Skyler or Casey.
Casey is the son of Kris Holt and Brett McEachern. A generation earlier (my, that sounds like a long time ago) Kris was a top-notch backstroker, sprinter, distance and "How can I best help the team" swimmer for Tooele.
Casey has a whole slew of uncles and aunts that swam for Tooele, including Mike Holt who was a state backstroke champion in the mid-80s.
Skyler is the son of Staci Remington and former state champion Stuart Smith. In fact, Skyler broke his dad's varsity record in the 200 I.M. last year. Stacey was a standout breast stroker for Tooele in the mid-80s.
Skyler's aunt Susan Smith Houghton was a speed demon and among the top female swimmers for Coach Roberts. His Grandpa Russ was a champion swimmer for Coach Leigh Pratt and continues to announce all Tooele home meets.
Skyler's great-uncle David Rimington is the only swimmer in Utah history to win a gold medal in every State race he entered all four years. He was 8-for-8 between 1957 and 1960 in an era when you could only swim two events.
They have strong foundations, work ethics and hearts. Even after four years of hurt, pain and agony under Coach Roberts' eyes, they still love the sport.

College swim scholarships are as difficult to obtain as snowballs in Vegas,  but Utah or BY-Academy coaches would be bright to entice Skyler and/or Casey to their campus.

America's Insufficient Funds

Dr. King with Jackie Robinson

As we reflect today on America’s tardiness in fully implementing the God-given rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, here are a handful of my favorite excerpts from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech.  He delivered it on the footsteps of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28, 1963.

“One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. . .”

“It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’”

“We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline.”

“Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.”

“I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.”

And of course . . .

“When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, “Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”