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Show ne TE ~ Opinion and Editorial Jury 27, 1999 WASATCH COUNTY COURIER PAGE 21 n u R l a y o R e h Getting t T= Jordanelle fire station.I know it seems we have beat this horse to death, but it refuses to die. It started out simply enough.I was just curious about how. se RUN-AROUND on page 25 Report the Facts- I Letters to the Editor LETTERS TO THE college level and to be tax exempt. Mr. Gingrich, at the persistence of Congress, paid a fine for this assumed illegality. As far as most people know, what Mr. Gingrich did was EDITOR POLICY _ We invite the submission of reader opinion letters for publication in illegal, and he admitted to it in his willingness to pay the fine. — I am writing in response to your question in your first issue “What do You Want?” You asked what you should cover when it comes to the criminal justice system in Wasatch County. My desires for a free press is, that through it I can receive all the available information in my community in a timely manner. I understand that we all have biases and that it is hard if notimpossible to report without showing forth some bias. However, the most important thing is to report the facts and whether or not the reporter shows any bias on the subject, the citizen with any intelligence can thereafter make their own determination. 7 A case in point is Newt Gingrich and all the news, which was passed on concerning his tax violations created by the money used to teach his political classes. Many said that it was against the law to be teaching assumed conservative ideas on a Nothing more was ever heard except in The Wall Street Journal, which ran a small Mr. Gingichs’ actions were Mr. Gingrich had done was Why was there so little article that the IRS found that all of performed within the law. Nothing illegal. publicity on this vilification of Mr. Gingrich? Why did Congress not reimburse the money they The Wasatch County Courier. We will do our best to print all letters we receive. We promise not to pick and choose which ones to publish based on our own agenda. However, a few rules are probably in order. 1. We reserve the right not to print letters we deem to be inflamma- had fined Mr. Gingrich? tory, factually inaccurate or with unsupported accusations. _ My point is that I would like you to publish as much Fite al information as possible. If situations warrant that when more inquiry and investigation reveal further facts and truths, pub- are unable to print your letter because of space considerations. But, please, don’t stop writing. We will try our | lish it also. Iam quite excited with this paper and I ae you will be successful in your endeavor. | | | | : Editor: | was told I couldn’t. So Derek, if you were going to insist CTW UML ATT manager (and former County Attorney) had them. Dan j Matthew’s office told me they had sent all the information on a GRAMA request fee to Derek’s office when Derek took over as County why didn’t you say sothe fo Attorney. So back to Derek’s office where I was told that two earlier times I was in ‘the bids for the fire station were handled. We knew that he had no idea were the information was kept. Apparently, your office? I had been _ the job of designing the station had not been bid out. We | no one in county government knew where the documents - after the documents for 9 were told that since the county liked the Pine Brook fire were. Later that day I ran into Commissioner Ralph Duke days before anyone men_ Station the county was saving time and money by using in the Commission Secretary’s office. Commissioner tioned a GRAMA request. the same plans and architect. However, we never really Duke assured me that he would see that the documents Add 10 days plus three bought that argument. Since the design was not bid I . were found and that I’d get a copy ASAP. Fair enough. days for a long weekend wanted to know how the construction was handled. So I Then it gets strange. I gota garbled message on my. and you would have made asked the county clerk for the bid documents, bid tabula- _ cell phone from my office. I thought the message was that -me wait 22 days. tions and contracts for the construction of the fire station. the Commission Secretary had the documents ready to be In the meantime Brent Simple enough. I’ve asked for this same information literpicked up. Thinking Ralph had come through ‘on his had found a copy of the ally hundreds of times from other cities, counties and promise I proceeded to the Commission Secretary’s office Architectural Contract for states. I’ve never had to ask at more than two offices at to pick up my documents. She wasn’t in but I noticed two me as well as a copy of By DAN STEPHENS any one agency. Find the right office, tell them what you bundles of papers with a hand written note saying the bids the county’s Purchasing Courter P UBLISHER . _want and they pull it out for you to review or copy. Not in for the fire station were attached. I figured, “great, they Policy. I’m beginning to ANAGING E E\DITOR / Manaainc think I’m the only one Wasatch County.. have them.” Only the Secretary wasn’t in so I wandered to _ When I asked for the documents at the clerk’s office, the clerk’s office and located her. She informed me that, who has ever read the Purchasing Policy. The policy clearBrent Titcomb, who has always been willing to produce first, she didn’t have them, but Derek Pullan did. Second, ly states that “The record and each bid shall be open to what he has, told me he couldn’t locate them right away I would have to make a GRAMA (Government Records public inspection.” I guess in Wasatch County “open to — but asked that I give him a day to find them. The next day Access Management Act) request and wait ten days for. public inspection” means filing a written request, waiting I arrived to pick up the information but was told that the them. Last,.I would have to pay five cents a page and $40 ten days and paying public officials for their time in documents were in Derek Pullan, the County Attorney’s, an hour for the time necessary to round up and copy the rounding up documents they should have ee availpossession. Derek told me he didn’t have them but Paul - documents. I left stunned. Twenty minutes later I called able. What a crock. : Wilson, the County Engineer had them. Paul, who was the secretary and asked who had insisted on a GRAMA I can understand why the souls would make folks very helpful and candid, told me that he didn’t have them request and was told it was Derek Pullan. I asked if I could like Vic Orvis who has a legal case against the county and but Dan Matthews, the Jordanelle Special Service District just go to Derek’s office and review the documents and has reportedly asked for hundreds of documents, file a 2. We apologize in advance if we best to print your next letter. 3. We will print letters as they are submitted, with spelling and grammatical errors. This is not because we want to embarrass or ridicule writers with their errors. It is because we do not want to unintentionally change Sincerely, Brian Olsen | ters are written in character with County Commissioners Field Day Your Wasatch County Commissioners would like to. invite the public to aio the Wasatch County Commissioners — field day. On Monday, August 2, 8: 30a a.m. in lieu of their aia commission meeting, the Commissioners will fon the County visiting various sites. We often hear and read about the different developments and activities in the County. Here is your opportunity to see and visit these sites with your Commissioners. They will visit the following sites: 9:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. 11:30 a.m 12:00 Noon 1:00 p.m. 1:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 3:15 p.m. 4:30 p.m. Olympic Venue Hailstone Village Development. Jordanelle Water Treatment Plant Jordanelle Fire Station Deer Crest Development 2661 in advance to schedule a time on one of our machines. 4. We give priority to letters submitted on 3 1/2 floppy disks in text only format. Please keep your letters under 500 words. We do reserve the right to edit long letters for brevity. All letters must include a signa- ture and a phone number. Please » bring a photo ID with your submitted letter. The Courier will confirm the identity of the writer. We will not print your letter without conforma- | Lunch Butte Property Development Deer Mountain Development Indian Hollow Aspens Development Big Pole (Wolf Creek Ranches Development) Greener Hills Development Meet in. the back parking lot at the County Administration Building, 25 North Main, intentional errors to emphasize a a point. We will be glad to proof and correct any letters that have a written _ request to do so after the signature. Of course, we won’t print that request in The Courier. You are also invited to come to our office and write your letter at one of our computers. Please call 654- _ on. Monday, August 2, 1999, at 8:15 a.m. You will need your own vehicle or car poo! with others. The County will have available limitied transportation. Aean ees lunch will be served. tion. The Wasatch Coun Courier is not responsible for, nor do letters to the editor express the views of The Wasatch County Courier. The Wasatch County Courier cannot and does not vouch for the accuracy or validity of any Letters to the Editor. Pre | _ the meaning of your letter. Some let-. _ |