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Show WfiewTOnimt The Park Record D Section A Thursday, February 3, 1 994 Page A1 4 New Animal Services Director finally a professional approach Editorial The first of two large steps toward improving conditions for animals in Summit County was taken by county government this week with the hiring of Connie Turkington as the new director of County Animal Services. Turkington brings a wealth of experience to her new position, including time spent as director of the Salt Lake County North shelter and experience with animal shelters in Utah and California and law enforcement in California. Upon her hiring she was lauded as the most qualified applicant from a competitive field, and the Summit County Friends of Animals expressed elation at finally having an Animal Services Director who was qualified to do the job. While the fact Turkington was hired is a definite plus for Summit County, the Park Record simply asks, why did it take so long? The time has long since past for Summit County to stop acting so unprofessional in how it deals with animals and animal rights. Many people have been saying this for so long that it should come as no surprise to the county that all they hear from the Snyderville Basin is a collective sigh of relief, rather than thunderous applause for their efforts. The Summit County Friends of Animals have, in recent years tried to maintain an amiable relationship with Animal Services officers and Summit County officials. But their frustration reached a fairly substantial level this past year as they documented problems at the existing Summit County Animal Shelter at Kimball Junction. Among these problems were complaints that the kennels were being hosed down while the dogs were still in them, and that puppies were being kept in the same area as adult dogs thereby increasing the risk of them contracting diseases they were not yet strong enough to defeat. Also, the Friends of Animals voiced concerns over the lack of professional training and education possessed by those in charge of taking care of the animals. Periodic visits to the shelter have revealed that sick animals have not been quarantined quickly enough, and in certain situations the abuse of animals has been ignored and animals have been returned to their abusive owners. The Animal Services workers, though well-intentioned and often times genuinely concerned for the animals in their care, have been given very little to work with. They have no place to move dogs while kennel cleaning takes place and there is no separate area to keep puppies away from adult dogs. In short, the Summit County Animal Shelter is an archaic structure that was not suitable to keep animals in when it began use several years ago. A new animal shelter, which is scheduled to begin construction this spring, is long past due and is the second of the two giant steps toward demonstrating concern for animals by the county. But plans for a new shelter may not even be where they are now were it not for the fact that Friends of Animals practically blew a gasket last fall upon learning that plans by the county for a new shelter were no where near fruition. In scrambling to save face and pacify animal rights activists in the area, Summit County has simply done what it should have done all along: provide a professional manager and facility for the Department of Animal Services. While it may be appropriate at this point to say thank you to Summit County for the new director and the planned new facility, one only hopes that nothing further will stall the development of a professional approach to animal issues in Summit County. Perhaps it would be more correct to thank the Summit County Friends of Animals for playing the role of watch dog and goading the county into, action.. fcF it v' Ufl wo, you, vcr1 Government should stay out of the health care business by J. Elliott Williams, Immediate Past-President, Congressional Medal of Honor Society 1-,-,, ir- n- Tliuinmlb Up, TIhuinisb IDowra THUMBS UP to the Park City community for sponsoring the Chinese exchange students arriving Friday evening to spend the next two weeks. THUMBS UP to all the coaches, families and friends who soon will be headed to Lillehammer to support our local athletes. THUMBS DOWN to the unwarranted national media criticism of Park City during the Sundance Film Festival. 6, A. C2 care guaranteed and run by the government has turned out to be a nightmare. While everyone else in the country has access to the finest technology, the most skilled surgeons As a patriotic duty to my country, I am and physicians, and the finest hospital urging every American to get involved in the facilities in the world, VA users are confined to fight against government-run health care as a system that isn't even mediocre. And they're "envisioned by President Clinton's health-care trapped. There's no way out, because most of proposal 'ilu"" ' b 3Vu; .'" the 2.5 million veterans who use the VA don't From a veteran's perspective, the lesson is have any alternatives, simple: Government-run health care hasn't So when I hear that government is going to worked Ask any veteran what they think of have a monopoly on health care through these the Veterans Administration and the health regional health alliances, I shudder. When I care it provides to more than 2.5 million vets, hear that a new national health board is going and the answer will be the same almost to set standards for the rest of the country to anywhere in the country: it is government at its follow, I think of the way VA standards have worst. been allowed to deteriorate. Waiting periods of 60-90 days to see When I think of the second-rate care that specialists such as cardiologists. Incredible veterans are consigned to receiving, I just can't amounts of paperwork. Average three-hour sit still and let the rest of the country go down waits whenever you try to see a doctor, the same path. Hospitals that are physically falling apart. Government acting not as healers, but as roadblocks to h Guest Editorial Don't let government run your health care into the ground. Donli i.i u ..1.. : L The entire history of the understanding problems such as Agent Orange 20th century shows that once government gets and the current Gulf War Syndrome. its hands on something it never lets go. There That's what we deal with every day. have to be ways to improve health care Hopefully, other Americans will never have to without having government run it, as President endure the same difficulties and hardships as Clinton is currendy proposing. His plan takes we do in getting basic health care. In fact, if us down precisely the wrong direction, and anything, the Veterans Administration should serve as the Number One example of how NOT to run a health-care system. That s why I m so amazed that so many of everyone veterans ana non-veterans alike need to let our elected officials know that this is the wrong way to go. It may not seem like a big deal now. But 10 Quote of the Week "I never thought I'd see the day when our Supreme Court would make blatant misrepresentations to the public, and that's what they did." --Summit County Public Defender Elliot Levine on allegations made against him by the Utah Supreme Court. our national politicians, including President years from now, when you're overwhelmed Clinton would advocate a larger role for with paperwork and waiting three hours to see government in providing health care instead of a doctor or 90 days to see a heart specialist, it a SMALLER one. Because, based on our will be much more important to you. We have experience, the government just isn't up to the to ensure that this scenario never happens, job. The proof is in the numbers: Of 26.7 million veterans eligible for VA health care, . Elliott Williams served 20 years in the less than 10 percent actually seek VA U.S. Navy. He was awarded the Medal of assistance. Honor for his service in Vietnam. The views In one of the most perverse outcomes expressed in this article are his own and do imaginable, what was supposed to be an not represent the views of the Congressional extraordinary privilege for veterans medical Medal of Honor Society. The opinions expressed in our guest editorials do not necessarily reflect the views of the Park Record. STAFF PEP m mm PlIKISHER ..M........M...MM..M...MH.w.N..MMMMAndy Bernherd Editor ..Sena Flanders Staee Writers.... Amber McKee, Nan Chalat, Luke Smith, Sunn Vittitow, Dave Macfarlane Tom Clyde, Rick Brough Debbie Schmidt -.Rac belle Ekkhoff -.Kim Dvdfey .Pamela Halnsworth .Tom leese, Tracy Gallagher, Bonny Royce, Holly Rudy Crathic AtntT ..Jennifer CHto Photographer & Darkroom Eva Kropp Production Xat James Crcuiatwn .-Chuck Cunningham , Scott Ohen rtamnttt.-,. .,' Im 1L , , p...l Woodi Contrirutinc Writers SURICRIPTIONi.i. mini. mi Claw f wo Manager Accounting . 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