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Show Comments Free Press - Wednesday, April 30, 1997 - Page 2 On the dream of building in Lehi's fields Editorial US West rate request seems excessive The Utah Public Service Commission should take a close look at US West Communications' recent request for an $85 million "rate balancing" to offset the cost of competition. Most of the proposed increase comes in the form of a $10 addition to your monthly residential telealmost a 60 percent phone bill increase. This would push the average cost of home telephone service to almost $25 a month. To be sure, pressure on US West is at an e high. Utah is growing so rapidly that telephone service providers are having a hard time keeping up. In 1996 alone, US West added 66,700 "access lines" in the state. That's roughly the number of telephone lines in service in the Ogden area. The proliferation of telephone prefixes in north Utah County is a good indicator of how quickly telephis growing. one-service Also, telephone users are staying often because on the line longer Internet access they are changes the way people use the telephone. Calls made to provide Internet access tend to be longer a lot longer than conversational those longer calls And use. telephone put extra stress on the system. Add in cellular telephone use which usually involves US West system on the other end of the call and the problems are magnified. In making its case for a rate increase, US West points out that all-tim- on-lin- the telephone provider long-tim- e makes up the majority of the state's core telecommunications system. That isn't by accident. For years, US West was a government-sanctione- d monopoly that operated outside the realm of competitive business with a rate of return guaranteed by the PSC. It was the nature of the telephone industry that allowed US West to build the core telecommunications system which it now claims it is trying to protect. But changes in telecommunications technology has altered that as well, and US West now finds it must compete in the open market. But competitors threaten to take away the business from US West where it in the more populatis less costly and would ed parts of the state leave US West providing telephone service in the rural areas where costs are greater. Previously, US West has been able to subsidize the cost of this outlying service by spreading the cost all over its system. This balance is changing. All of this means costs will probabut a 60 percent bly have to go up increase seems excessive. Certainly, telephone rates should reflect the costs of providing service, and some of Utah's subsidized rates have not done that. But it is hard to see how spreading the costs around more fairly can result in a 60 percent increase for everyone. US West's proposal deserves careful scrutiny before any telephone rate increases are granted. Taking aim at political correctness I've never subject of my The truth and actions given much thought to the own political correctness. is that most of my opinions are far enough from the extreme that they don't draw much attention. Even the fact that I lean a bit further to the left than most of my family and acquaintances doesn't warrant more than an occasional good natured debate. This weekend I had the unique experience of feeling the cold shoulder that sections of society reserve for those who blatantly do the politically incorrect. We were camping; carefully bagging our trash and doing our best to maintain an environmentally friendly campsite. We were also keeping our music tasteful and reasonably low, in an effort not to disturb others in the area. In essence, we were trying to do everything necessary to qualify as politically correct campers. However, each time we left our campsite, we were greeted with the kind of glares that Mark Furhman might expect to receive if he went for a stroll through the deep south. At first I wondered if it could be our horses that were the subject of disapproval from the scattered groups of hikers and mountain bikers. But it just didn't make sense. We were being looked at as if we were wearing the horses hides, not riding them. Finally, I was able to hear one of the snide remarks clearly enough to understand what the commotion was about. GUNS! Everyone of us was carrying some sort of gun and it was obvious that we had wandered into anti-guterritory. Being from a family that always had a few guns around for recreational uses like shooting clay pigeons and doing some seasonal hunting, guns have been a part of my life. The rest of the group that we were camping with came from similar backgrounds and from communities that n Brynn's Beat By BRYNN BECK accepted, if not embraced, the rugged outdoor lifestyle that happens to include owning and handling guns. So, there we were, like a band of misfits, wearing holsters on our hips and carrying a few rifles in scabbards, among the many who were toting nothing more than earthy colored water bottles and fanny packs. I couldn't stand the idea of having all of these people disapprove of me, without even having a chance to explain. My initial reaction was that I should leave a note at each camp site telling how cautious we are. That our guns are always in a safe if not in use, that we have all been trained in gun safety. I especially wanted them to know that typically, we shoot at rocks for target practice and that the biggest reason that we carry guns with us on horseback is so that my husband can pretend that he is John Wayne! Of course, I didn't ever leave the notes. I will never be able to tell those people that I share many of the common concerns about guns. Guns are misused for crime and misuse also leads to tragic accidents. However, if we give up the control of everything that we've found a way to hurt or kill ourselves with, we would have to give up personal choice on everything from food selection to automobiles. (Two of the biggest killers in America today.) As uncomfortable as it was to spend the weekend on the wrong side of politically correct, I intend to keep on sharpening my shooting skills. For the sake of political correctness, I will always remember to refer to myself as a marks"person" instead of a marksman. My friend Susan is either really wise or she is just a Kevin Costner fan. That she quoted a line from Costner's Field of Dreams in the context of a public hearing shows me that it is probably more of the former. Quite frankly, I'm glad that she's astute, because Lehi needs more "stutes." More ierts," too. Before I get to her profound observation, should explain about what I consider to be a very frightening vein of thought that has surfaced in recent weeks. Some of the discussions surrounding proposed developments in and around Lehi have brought out nearby homeowners who have come to protest what they perceive as substandard future neighbors. There are people who believe, for example, that somehow a person with a larger lot makes a better neighbor. To counter those arguments, and in an attempt to explain why a particular development is being created on its particular terms, some developers and other have argued that larger lots or larger homes will price such a home out of the reach of many homeowners. The reasoning is then expanded to say that pricing a home out of the reach of more people will also mean that the children of existing residents will be among those excluded from buying. Finally, that line of logic takes on its scariest form in the idea that we are somehow shortchanging the potential residents of these developments by not being able to hear their position at the meetings. Since when should we be so concerned about people who are not here? Should not our first concern as a community be to the of the people who continued already live here? When a politician conies back home for his constituents, it is usually well- - received. In North Carolina, however, the pork has four legs and a distinct odor, and one politician feels that his state has been turned into a giant pig pen. With the tobacco business heading south, the swine industry has been good for North Carolina, and you would think the politicians would be happy to see Joe Pig taking the place of Joe Camel. But that's not the case with state lawmaker Richard Morgan. The pig people want to build an enormous pig farm next to a country club in his area. You can imagine how difficult it would be for members looking at three-foo- t putts to concentrate when a thousand pigs are grunting in the back- ground. Not only. that, but when the wind passes over the pig farm on the way to the country club, it would be easy to understand why the members would get their knickers in an uproar. Pity the poor pig who is being blamed for degrading the North Carolina environment. While the problem may seem to be what the pigs are doing to the environment, it really boils down to what the pigs are doing to golf. How close should a pig Dick p,t&fi Boland 1997 Creators Syndicate, Inc. farm be to a golf course? Can you put pigs closer to a municipal course than a private country club? Can members of clubs adjust their handicaps as a result of constant pig distractions? How many lawmakers in the North Carolina legislature play golf? Pig farming has come a long way since farmers kept a couple penned up to eat the garbage. The South has always been famous for their pork barbecue. You would think that a state that has fallen upon hard times with its tobacco crop would be elated at a chance to replace the loss with mouthwatering barbecues. The people who have been sending smoked hams up North for By RUSS DALY I well-bein- g Here's where Susan's profundity comes in. On her way out of the meeting, she said to me, "If you build it, they will come." As I pondered her borrowed phrase, I realized how much truth it contained as it relates to the incredible growth that is occurring lately. Perhaps a larger lot and a larger home will price certain homes out of the reach of some people, but I believe that there will always be others who can afford the higher price tag and who want to move into our area. No matter which type one chooses to build, there are buyers for homes that will cost $100,000 and buyers for homes that will cost $300,000. Case in point: While some of these people are complaining that the council should mandate larger lots, the people at Saratoga Springs are selling what I consider to be rather pricey .homes that have very little surrounding acreage. What I feel it boils down to is that everyone has his or her own preferences, and people will purchase whatever home type is available that meets the greatest number of their personal preferences. Many of the people who are against certain developments have cited the city's recently completed Master Plan, saying that city officials authorized the payment growth. An urban planner would likely be able to work magic with a formula that could determine the exact numbers, but we may want to look at approving a certain amount of homes only as the city also gets requests from businesses that meet a particular set of criteria, for example, sales volume, number of employees, area of taxable property. The development issues have been hot topics, and although many people would hope to reach a compromise between developers, property owners, neighbors and the principles in the Master Plan, I doubt that everyone will be able to be satisfied. While it's true that property owners have considerable rights in determining the use of their land, those rights can extend not only to the extent as the law allows, but also to the extent that their usage does not infringe on the rights of their neighbors. As Susan pointed out, "If you build it, they will come." I hope that we can build a community that, despite the quantity, continues to be the community of quality that we know. After long wait, wedding is finally here It's been a long wait, but Thursday, barring the proverbial flood, fire or natural disaster, Ian and Kristy will be married. Frankly, we can't wait. Here is a brief synopsis of the action up to date: who met Kristy is my Ian, an Englishman from Nottingham (where Robin Hood is from) while both were LDS missionaries in Scotland. After Kristy completed her mission last October, they struck up an Internet friendship which blossomed into romance. Ian came to Utah last December and proposed before returning to England. The couple set ,a March 22 date, unaware that the bureaucrats who handle such things as intercontinental romances need more time than that to do all the paperwork necessary to get the bride and groom in the same country for the wedding. So last month Ian's family came for the wedding, but Ian could not. He was stuck in Nottingham, waiting his fiance's visa. The visa came the day before the wedding date, but the wedding has already been until Thursday. Kristy postponed returned to England on a trip that was to have been a honeymoon but wasn't because both Kristy and Ian believe you should have a wedding before you have a honeymoon. (I know this idea isn't popular everywhere nowadays, but some people still find the idea a good one.) When Kristy returned from the honeymoon that wasn't she brought her groom-to-b- e with her. They set a new wedding date (May 1) and they have been spending lots of time together giggling and acting silly ever since. r, The Editor's Column f By MARC HADDOCK It will be a relief when they finally get married and can settle down and stop acting that way. That could take anywhere from two years to a lifetime. But at least they can giggle and act silly in their own place instead of doing it at ours. That will be dandy. Am I stressed? Not really. For I am blessed with a wife who has near miraculous skills of organization and planning. On the other hand, I am a model of procrastination and poor planning. So it's not that I couldn't take care of all the details of an affair like this one. It's just that by the time I get around to doing anything, Sharon took care of it a couple of months before. In cases like these, her way is better, lots better. From what we can tell, all we have left to do is pick up our tuxedos, go to the wedding and show up at the reception. I'm probably missing something here. It seems like there is a luncheon thrown in there somewhere. But Sharon has the master list, so I'll have to check with her. We have planned perfect weather for the occasion. Ian's parents are going to complete their financial destitution by returning to Utah. They were to arrive Tuesday night to give them a day to recover before Thursday's ceremony. They are bringing their nephew, the Best Man, with them. Other than that, Ian will pretty much be a stranger in a strange land at Thursday night's reception in The Bungalow in Pleasant Grove. Well, not that strange. He is getting used to Utah and has been knocking on lots of doors over the past few weeks looking for full time employment. There have been a few nibbles, but nothing concrete. He's still pretty cheerful. He even says "Cheers" instead of goodbye, and he's pretty confident he'll find an appropriate position in good time. In the meantime we have printed wedand sent out a twice ding invitations few wedding luncheon invitations with the and written over, just for date whited-ou- t effect. In the shuffle, we undoubtedly missed some people. Maybe a lot of people. And some people who were supposed to get that luncheon invitation didn't. We don't know who did. Let's just say there has been a bit of confusion. Most of those we missed were the result of my lack of organization, not my wife's, so let me pass out apologies in advance. Any of you who would like to meet the happy couple are welcome to come by Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at The Bungalow. Just be prepared for a lot of giggling and acting silly on the part of the bride and groom. I'll be the serious one. Letters to the editor Why put a gate at Vets Ballpark? Editor: can't believe that Lehi City put a locked gate on Vets Ballpark. No one can get inside unless they have a key. That's going to make it really hard to have baseball teams come and practice this summer. I've seen people go over and try to get in, but disappointed by the gate being locked, have to turn around and go back. Parents can't go over with their children I Pity the poor pig in these days of pork with pork The Daly Planet of a considerable amount of money to complete the plan, then seem to go against the principles contained in the opus. Officials have said that residential development alone does not provide an adequate amount of property tax revenue for the city, and must be offset by a commercial tax base. The Catch-2- 2 of the situation is that businesses will not locate in a community that doesn't have the corresponding residential development to justify opening a business. If both of these types of development go hand in hand, perhaps we ought to consider some sort of growth management that would limit the number of homes being built to a proportional amount of business years should stop and consider the consequences of limiting pig production. The sensible thing would be to close the golf course. There are too many golf courses in North Carolina already. A poll showed that eight out of 10 residents living in pig country favored tighter controls on the swine industry. Tourism officials are aghast at the thought of turning the state into a great mud hole hosting millions of swine. They give little thought to the rest of the people in the country, who depend on the other white meat to lower their cholesterol levels. Someone has to raise pigs. The country needs bacon, ham and sausage. If we want to play golf we can go to South Carolina, where the weather is better. It looks to me like the politicians are trying to hog the land for golf rather than create jobs for the residents. I hope the citizens of North Carolina will see the benefits of becoming the swine center of the country. When hard times come, you will find you are much better off with the pigs than with the golf courses. You can enjoy a fine pork dinner, but golf balls are very hard to chew and even more difficult to swallow. Let the pigs lead you to and help them practice anymore. Or a group of friends can't over and play a friendly game. If they locked the gate because of vandalism, I think that's a pretty aimless reason. Sure, little things happen, but I haven't noticed any vandalism immense enough to put locks on the gates. People detest having the gates there, so as a result, it has been torn down by outraged people. I hope that the next time someone knocks the gate down, it stays down. Teisha Berry Micron ruined Lehi's hills Editor: I am not pleased about Micron and how it ruined the landscape of the hills on the north side of Lehi. Now the Micron property is waste of space, and doesn't help us at all. The Micron building should have a rea son why it is still there, and my opinion is that it should be a shelter for those who lost their homes in a flood or an earthquake. Then people won't complain about Micron' and how it is a big waste of space. If they turn it into a shelter the water won't reach the building, and if an earthquake won't harm the building because it was built for that reason. Clinton Gray Traffic lights needed in Lehi Editor: I am a citizen in Lehi, a town that is experiencing tremendous growth. I am very concerned about the traffic that has been coming to this town. There have been many new businesses and many of new families come to Lehi. The result is the roads have become heavily congested with cars. It is almost impossible to get across Main Street. We are in great need of traffic lights. Traffic lights will decrease the amount of wrecks and confusion around Lehi. Traffic lights would be very helpful to the citizens of Lehi and we would greatly appreciate it if the city could consider traffic lights. Rusty Rymer Policy on letters to the editor welcome letters to the editor. All letters should be typewritten and double spaced. Letters must also be signed, and must include the writer's name and telephone number. Please send letters to Editor, Newtah News Group, P.O. Box 7, We American Fork, Utah, Newtahaol.com. 84003 or through email at |
