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Show OPINIONS A4 The never-ending need for money: road edition Roads consistently need attention, and that requires money By Amanda Holtman Assistant Opinions Editor @HollmanAmanda In an effort to move away from bonding as funding for road maintenance, Provo could see a two per- cent property tax increase or other funding possibilities. Road maintenance is a neverending cycle of problems. Winter weather breaks up the roads with its freezing and melting cycle, then the summer heat comes and creates an even bigger problem. All the while, the public is driving on the roads, causing more damage. That results in residents hitting pothole after pothole and following road detours where repairs are being done to fix more issues. Then winter comes and the cycle starts all over again. This consistent cycle costs a lot of money, which has been funded by the state, gas taxes, vehicle registration fees and bonds. These bonds give money for a 10-year period, which by law requires the funds to be used in the first few years. Where does that leave us? Seven years for more maintenance needs and no money to fix it. On top of the long period with- out funds, the bond comes with an interest rate that also needs to be paid for. The Provo City Council has made a commitment not to use bonds so they are exploring ways to have consistent funds for road maintenance. One option that is being considered is raising the property tax by two percent. This increase would bring about $78,000, about two dollars more per year for each household, to be able to keep the roads maintained without using bonds. The increase on property tax favors the majority of the residents. College students are temporary citizens and don't pay property tax. That portion of the public still plays a significant role in the impact of the road conditions. With that being the case, is the increase in property tax the best switch in funding source? The city is looking into another option for moving away from road bonding, transportation utility fees. This would be a bill to all residents, just as any other utility bill like electric or gas. This alternative to the bonding or the property tax increase allows equal participation from all the residents, including those that are only temporary and don't pay property tax. While students may not like this additional cost, it seems like a more reasonable solution for the See CONSTRUCTION A5 LAURA FOX/UVU REVIEW Transportation utility bills might be the new way of involving all Utahns to contribute to road maintenance, including students. Keeping busy this Summer Make the most of your free time this summer By Amanda Holtman Assistant Opinions Editor @HollmanAmanda With spring finals over, summer is here, and we are each doing different things. Plans range from no classes to a heavy load, and from little work to full-time. So, whether you have barely any Man of Steel delivers as a summer blockbuster hit, but it isn't perfect. free time or have more than you can handle, what are you doing this summer' Let's explore some of the extremes and see what some students could be doing. I have some friends who are quite busy with working a lot and going to school full-time, while still trying to have a social life. I commend you! That is tough to do, but definitely possible if you put your mind to it and balance everything. See SUMMER A5 PHOTO COURTESY OF WWWCAPSULECOMPUTERS.COM.All Redeeming Superman After decades of disappointment, we get a Superman movie that isn't painful to watch By Josh Wartena Opinions Editor joshua.wartena@gmail.com For my birthday, I got tickets to see Man of Steel, which came out the night before, in IMAX. It was the first time I've seen something other than a nature documentary on such a large screen, and it was a cool experience. Now, I have to be honest, I really wasn't looking forward to the movie. I was excited to see a DC film but had a horrible feeling it was going to be a disappointment close to "The Dark Knight Rises." I like Superman. He's a great hero. Yeah, sometimes his powers get a little ridiculous, and there have been some truly tragic comics and movies over the years, but that's happened to everyone! Do you remember Batman fighting Arnold Schwarzenegger? The problem with Superman movies has always been an incorrect approach to the material. Who is Superman? He's an alien with god-like powers and a perfect sense of justice and morals. Every single crappy movie focuses on the "god-like powers" part of his character. As a result, we get Lex Luthor, whom I always end up liking more than Superman, with kryptonite. Then Superman tries really really hard and wins because he can punch/lift something. And that just sucks. It gets boring. I'll tell you what needs to happen to make a good Superman movie. Take all his powers for granted. We all understand what he can do, so skip the montage of flying around the world and amazing people. Make the story about his identity as an extra-terrestrial. Make the conflict Superman's hesitancy to take up his role as savior. He knows he is more capable and better than anyone else, but he also knows people deserve to choose and grow. Make the movie about whether Superman will lead us by the hand, or drag us by a collar. While this inner conflict is going on, bring in an alien villain, either Brainiac or General Zod, someone who can really challenge Superman without looking ridiculous or using kryptonite. Have the villain capitalize on Superman's insecurities, not just be a punching bag. We know Superman will beat them up, but show him overcoming emotional and mental insecurities. That's the Superman movie I wanted to see walking into that enormous theater. See SUPERMAN A5 Go out and have some fun in the sun. LAURA FOX/UVU REVIEW |