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Show Opinion The College Times MONDAY. OCTOBER 8, 2007 Editorial Applause for commuter rail project The College Times applauds the Utah Transit Authority's recent signing of a letter of intent with Federal Transit Administration to fund five new rail projects. This is in addition to a U.S. Senate bill that was passed in mid-September that will give $8 million UTA to partially fund construction of a bus rapid transit route between Orem and Provo. Under the agreement, 20 percent of the cost of .five new rail projects will be picked up by the federal government. One of those, a commuter rail line from downtown Salt Lake City to Provo will do much to improve access for the UVSC community to Salt Lake County and vice-versa. With a station planned right across 1-15 from UVSC, students, faculty and staff will be just a hop, skip and a jump away from Salt Lake County. Not to be confused with TRAX, commuter rail has stations that are spaced further apart and resembles Amtrak trains more than trolley cars. The bus rapid transit proposal would build dedicated lanes over existing roads for a route between UVSC and BYU, then down to Provo Towne Center. Busses would get prioritized treatment at traffic signals and would cut down the current 30 minute trip between the two major colleges in the area. The close to $900 million investment for commuter rail is well worth the expense. Utah County cannot rely on cars alone to get people to their work and recreation; just look at the gridlock every day on 1-15. It will only get worse, as reconstruction of the interstate is due to begin in several years. Salt Lake and Utah county residents made a statement when they helped passed a sales-tax hike in 2006 to pay for its expansion. Complaints that public transit does not pay for itself are valid. But what roads pay for themselves? Those who drive cars do not pay for the cost of road construction themselves, it comes out of tax revenue. Public transit needs to be thought of in the same way in that it is an investment in our quality of life and not used as just a money maker. By 2015, commuter rail and bus rapid transit should be up and rolling, and we can't wait for that day to happen. Mark Johnston / The Dally Herald Staff Infection What do you want to do for fall break, but can't? Stand up quit sitting on the fence, and take a stand I'd love to follow the Mandy Moore tour, but can't. Something called a restraining order. decide for yourself Luke Htckman / wish I could hang out with my mom. I can't, however, because she lives on an alpaca farm in West Virginia, which is a four-day drive for me, and I don't have the flow to fly. Besides, alpacas provoke me. Jason Pytes / want to go to San Francisco to pick up the shoes that I left there last month, but can't because I'm too busy knitting. And no matter how I try, I just can't knit and drive at the same time. Mel Sundquist / would love to go back to Havasupai with the Outdoor Recreation trip as I did this past spring break. That place is heaven! But got to give the hours to the internship. Mark Johnston / would like to stop the insanity between the U.S. government and Iran. Let's be real. With over 300 tactical nuclear weapons, and Iran only just developing nuclear capability, who honestly thinks they are a serious threat to us? News flash: our Ignorance is our own biggest threat. I can't stop this insanity over spring break because, well, I think it's clear. Carmell Hoopes-Clark / would love to finish my novel during fall break, but I can't-lpian to begin writing it starting winter break. thought it was their duty to expand "from sea to shining sea," as the potential On the heels of General national anthem, "America Petraeus' address to Con- the Beautiful" states. Of gress and the ever-present course, this manifest desdebate of whether or not we tiny was the explanation, should be in Iraq, a lot of or maybe justification is a Americans are left wonder- better word, for clearing ing, now more than ever, natives from their lands. What exactly is our governThere seem to be a lot ment's objective in Iraq? of similarities in the U.S. Today, throughout the government of 1845 and world, our government that of today. This adminsees it as their responsibil- istration wants us to beity, and god-given calling, lieve that this war is merely to uphold everything that a war to remove tyrants they deem "right," and to from power and fight the force those beliefs on peo- terrorists of the world, but ple throughout the world. do they have other goals? Many opposed to this soWhile suspicions of a called "tyranny," saying conspiracy theory that Presthat it is all too reminis- ident Bush and his band of cent of Manifest Destiny, a idiots are actually trying way of thinking that was so to establish our country's prevalent in the mid-1800s. name in the nations of the Starting in about 1845, Middle East, just as their the U.S. government. 19th century counterparts David Lewis Guest Opinions writer did, may be supported only by nebulous facts, there have been innumerable statements of ideology which indicate that is exactly what they are doing. There is no denying that democracy is great-it gives us all the opportunity to speak our minds, but that does not mean that it is the best and only way for all nations. Removing oppressive tyrannies that deny humans their unalienable rights from power is more than okay, but did we not accomplish that in 2003 and four years later we are still there? Is it not time to mind our own business and pull our troops out? Many have said that an immediate and complete removal of our troops would be disastrous not only for the Iraqis but also for the United States, and this may very well be true, but beginning immediately to phase out our troops presence in the area should be something that all, not only the brave men and women fighting in the war and their families, should want to see. Everyday we are bombarded from all sides with the news of casualties in the war that are adding up by the hour, and for many Americans, this has become morally exhausting. And for what? We need to ask ourselves: Do we support the decisions of our government? Wherever our allegiances lie, we should be taking a firm stance. Quit sitting on the fence. We are in college to expand our horizons and take our knowledge to new levels; so do so, and take a stand. A my Thau t One of my best friends is FINALLY turning 21, the baby of our group, and we were planning on going to Las Vegas to celebrate. We have been hoping to go since March. As it turns out, we are all to poor to go and are staying home and working instead. Heather Brown / wish I could go to California, sit on the beach and do nothing. But I have to work. Erik Frederickson The College Times Your Campus Your News. , Your Paper |