| OCR Text |
Show t Wednesday; January 11, 1995 The Daily Utah Chronicle Balanced budget amendment a poor gimmick - was it all of those Democrats who don't seem it's the to be as numerous these days American people. The deficit will never be wiped away with a mere wave of a magic wand, just as it won't be solved with empty gestures like the balanced budget amendment. The problem will only be solved when the public is able to face the hard reality of cutting spending. . It is still political death to talk about cutting entitlements, raising the retirement age and taxing gasoline. At some point however, these are all options that we are going to have to deal with. The American public simply must allow politicians to have the freedom to seriously consider all possible solutions. And just as importantly, we must demand that our elected officials make a serious commitment to adopt policies which are effective. a political carrot on the American public held in front of the eyes of unsuspecting votfederal government spends over $150 ers (or to complete the metaphor, unsuspectmore than it takes in every year. It ing donkeys who should know better). ; is an outrage, and the public is growing angry It may be cynical to say that the promises about it made by the incoming Republicans were is But the proposed balanced budget merely part of a brilliant tactic to turn public amendment the answer? The amendment is unrest into votes against Clinton and other being touted as a final solution to the problem Democrats during the last election, but if the (well, a Republican solution, anyway) but the new Congress really wants to solve this councurrent plan leaves a major loophole that will try's problems, they should work to cut almost assuredly sabotage real progress in cut- spending rather than make showy gestures ting spending Congress will still be able to which appeal to the simplistic mentality of vote themselves the privilege of running a deficit. And that's basically what a balanced budget And of course, the amendment doesn't amendment and so many other elements of require the 104th Congress to do any serious "The Contract With Americaw are tangible budget cutting of their own. At best, the cur- victories for the Republican party to appease d rent proposal is a attempt to get the American public someone else to do the dirty work. Clearly, all of this is made possible by the At worst, the proposed amendment, and public's frustration with deficit spending. But just about everything else in the "Contract the tragic ironv here is that die real enemy at With America" for that matter, is a snow-jo- b the heart of the problem isn't Clinton, nor Chronicle Editorial - The - , 'Joe-six-pac- k' half-hearte- ChronicleLetters. ......... ... ...... Gibson is " PV misinformed uu' SAY we Mr-- FooT L. I " prop something; on the serbs Editor: ; Perfect timing by the Daily Chrony editorial staff. The editorial urging the federal government to help with abortion scrutiny and decrying the terrible, vicious forces in the e movement was juxtaposed with the tremendously insightful views of the Dittohead, Doug Gibson. Gibson tilts against the windmill of group-base- d thinking in the context of multiculturalism. Perhaps he will share his views on they'll never FORSETJ anti-choic- The Chronicle is an independent student newspaper. Unsigned editorials reflect the majority view of the Editorial Board VI Dr k " , m , . A extremists? thinking of the Sadly, Doug Gibson takes up arms against a paper tiger. The real problem with liberals is that they don't have the guts to take a gun and shoot those that disagree with them. Thus, they will never be feared by their political opponents ' (or respected by their peers) . RayGalinsky pharmacy. the anti-aborti- group-base- d V , "Letters to file Editor'' an open (brain to people of aO persuasions However, letters oft scurrilous or libelous nature, or those; which demean or threaten harm to any individual or group based on race, gender, sexual orientation or religion win dm be considered for pubheation. Letters must be typed and signed d may be edited for style and space. ' To ensure that tetters, we not submitted under false names. Tit CtrtmiJrt editorial staff mint speak with every fetter "writer before public- -' tioo. Letters from those with unSsred phone numbers must now submit thesx letters s& person with picture I.TJL at Tht Ckmkk office, room 240 Uraon. Start finding real ways to Jeff Dennlen fad, so it ; . Chronicle Editorial Columnist or plastic?" That question Paper good as any other at embodying the existential anguish of modern times. The grocery clerk' might as well ask, "Would you rather kill a tree or add to a toxic waste dump?" This is the catch-2of the times, and a symbol of where we are stuck in our struggle to improve the environ2 ment ' ; of you wondering, die coris: none of the above. answer rect For those Bring your own bags. They're sturdier, easier to carry, and you do the recycling yourself. helw Environmentalism has become a is hard to separate fashion asm and admit that what we are sav- from truly helpful and significant soluing is not the planet, but our own rear tions to environmental problems. ends. If we really want to make a diffIt is true that we cannot continue erence to the world, then we must go this reckless abuse of our environment for much longer. But if we fail a are beyond the bumper stickers and sentimental media pining. the ones who will die, not the planet If , The first thing that should go is this that happens, I doubt that our cher- misty-eye- d sentiment that we should get together and "save the 'we really want to make difplanet." Mother Nature is a IJ species. The heads of those nasty ways to do this, but one that makes sense to me is to make the products we buy reflect the true cost to the envi- multinationals belong to the earth too, though they may not know it Exxon and DuR)nt (to pick two completely at random) will have no chemicals to 'sell ifafl their customers are dead. I don't know why we expect such great things from our corporations. They were formed to make ; money. Everything they do is to make more money. Why are we a mean old (insert word Mrs. ference to the world, then we must surprised when they try to do this in every way they know Gingrich whispered to Connie go beyond the bumper stickers and how? Chung), and would rather bite sentimental media pining. :. The new environmental your hand off as accept a hug. ' v No doubt the x mantra is "sustauiability" and so people of Pompeii's nascent environmental ished planet will miss us at all. And far as mantras go, this one is a pretty movement was nipped in the bud have no doubt about it, Mother good one. The idea is this: while in die when their island was buried several Nature will eventually replace us and short term it pays to cut down (or polfeet deep in volcanic ash. There probaall the other species we managed to lute, kill, whatever) everything in sight, wasn't obliterate time the even on the way down, r to change bly you can maximize long term profits if "Save stickers from second .The our most bumper important thing you harvest your resource at an optiPlanet" to "Run for your lives!" "'. we need to do is for each side to quit mal rate; '. ., We would do a great service to the casting the other as the Great Satan. It The key is to encourage, (read: does not bode well for the trees if we make it more profitable) the harvesters trees, butterflies and owls if we would romantiwith mawkish the cannot even get along with our own to take the long view. There are many dispense " -,- '. ,' ;. -.- -- f ronment All this would be more effective than buying recycled paper in trendy colors or shampoo made by rain forest tribesmen (Which are both fine, but other things we do cause more harm than these two). Trade not aid" is a nice idea, but it would probably be even better if we just left the indigenous peoples alone. Introduce them to the glories of free enterprise if we must, but I wonder if they haven't got a better idea about that than we do. ; I dream of a time when environmentalists will hug not only trees, but CEOs of Monsanto, DuPont, and Exxon. I dream of a time when people can celebrate their differences every,.' : ; where (here, Bosnia, Rwanda, Ireland, etc) instead of killing each other over them. Then, and only then, will our planet be truly safe, " |
