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Show Doing good job An editorial in the Iron County Record last week slapped the Four County MX Policy Board for lack of planning, particularly the lack of Involvement of local citizens In the planning. They charged that a commissioner, mayor and school board representative from each county was not adequate representation, rep-resentation, and that many communities and interests were excluded. We disagree. Having watched this board function, since its very beginning, we must applaud their actions, and especially es-pecially their determination to keep it small enough to be functionable. And still there has been no attempt to exclude any interests from becoming involved to almost any extent they might want. Having watched not only the Four County group, but the Utah State MX Task Force, and the Nevada groups, state and county, we can only say that the Four County has certainly been the most professional, pro-fessional, and certainly the most organized. organi-zed. The State Task Force has been more of an antagonist than a coordinating force. It has been nearly a one man show with state coordinator, Ken Olsen, shooting from the hip. About the same can be said of the Nevada State Group. However, mostly controlled by Las Vegas Interests, it has at least taken a positive approach where Utah has been mostly negative. The Nevada MX Oversight Committee just in the act of being reorganized in February, has never functioned. Started Start-ed as a three county group over a year ago, it fought so much that White Pine pulled out to go its own way, leaving Nye. and Lincoln, with Clark County an ex-offlcio ex-offlcio member calling most of the shots. Then two more counties, along with Clark county were added last fall, and now White Pine wants back in. Reorganized as a six county group next month, they have hardly made a move, and must almost start from scratch. The Four County Policy Board was fortunate to set up rigid bylaws and mem -bership to begin with. It's had good leadership, lead-ership, and few disinterested members, boasting an average of 10 to 11 of its 12 members at each meeting. It also took the approach that it was not their function to decide if MX was a viable project or not, but to plan for the impact on the four counties if it comes. This gave them direction, without confusion, as Nevada and the State Task Force has had. They did not ignore other interests, and set about appointing members last summer to chair advisory committees to include all interests. These committees are now in the process of being organized, and will begin to function shortly, at a time when their input will be invaluable. Earlier it would have just created confusion, confus-ion, and disrupted progress, as it did in Nevada. Even on monetary policy, where the County News has been somewhat critical, criti-cal, we must acknowledge that the Four County Board has been much more conservative con-servative than it's counterparts. Overall, we roust compliment the Four County Policy Board. It has laid the groundwork for a functioning organization, that, can sensibly work to mitigate the impact from MX, and help direct it to the most benefit for the four counties and state. It has established a raport with the Air Force, Corps of Army Engineers, and EDA that promotes respect, and a willingness to work out problems, rather than shove them down our throat. If MX is scrapped all their work will come to nothing. But if MX comes to Western Utah, residents of Beaver, Iron, Millard and Juab counties can be thankful thank-ful that they had leaders who are seriously working in their behalf, and doing a good job, under circumstances that have created only confusion and contention elsewhere. "Red" |
