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Show FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6 THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE 4, 20C0 U Light Ea il Needs Help RED GUNS continued from page 5 continued from page 5 looking for there. Americans use blatant circular logic in claiming they need guns to protect their families from criminals, but the accessibility of firearms in this country is the cause of gun violence. Until Utahns specifically, with ail other Americans, can take their fingers off the trigger long enough to think critically about the firearm crisis in this country, we stand little chance of avoiding shocking levels of lethal violence in the future. Socially-unconscio- don't know who short. is what people this thought that when wanted to read they picked certainly up the paper, but thought we had a higher quality of journalism at The Chronicle than In I 1 was displayed. Finally, a note to Red magazine: I would like to say if you're going to print crap, at least print crap that is readable. AMBER GOLIGHTLY Sophomore, Undeclared ADAM DAVENPORT to travel in the future. Our valley is expanding out (and up) like a fat man at a on dollar day. Without loosening the belt of our transportation system now, there will be large, stinking messes all over the valley that will make the main-streconstruction lock like a tea party. More people live in West Valley City and work up at the U than work in downtown Salt Lake. Once the U's line is in place, West Valley City will have one of the strongest arguments in the valley for its own line. Why not give it to them now, before the city's representatives come begging and before it gets any more congested out there? And it goes without saying how nice it would be to get off car, and get off a couple your plane, get into a light-ralong-terblocks from your home. No parking, no cab fare, no angry friends at your arrival gate at 3 a.m., no problem. Should we and our legislators wait any longer to add Chuck-a-Ram- et Chronicle Opinion Columnist I ight rail is good. So good, in fact, that each train I've has been filled to So good that revitalized are businesses downtown by the being hungry constream of "sardine cans" that deliver freshly-packe- d sumers all day long. line to the univerSo good that funding for the is in of cut sity jeopardy getting Recent developments on Capitoi Hill have indicated that it is now "crunch time" for the University of Utah's light-rabid. Despite heavy lobbying in Washington, D.C., and extra line may efforts from some local politicians, the for in the 2002 Winter Olympics. not become a reality time "Oh my goodness!! Not in time for the Olympics," you may say. "What are we all to do?!" Oh, that's right; we don't have any traffic problems that aren't connected to the Olympics. There is no smog hovering over us like an ugly, stinking blanket. The U doesn't have parking problems, the city won't have parking problems in the future, and busses are not a failure because of the seen, regardless of the time of day, JL capacity with eager, happy TRAX-goer- east-we- s. st il m Don't we have transportation problems without the damned Olympics? Won't these problems continue after it is all said and done in March il east-we- st Olympics. ' , I realize the January 2002 deadline is a nice, round number that is an easy target for the construction's completion, and I agree it is important for us to look like a real city when the world watches us for those 2 12 weeks; but should we, along with our legislators, keep putting the 2002 spin on everything that is light rail? Don't we have transportation problems without the damned Olympics? Won't these problems continue after it is all said and done in March 2002? An adviser from the House Appropriations Committee specializing in transportation issues recently visited Salt Lake City to discuss the light-raproject. He mentioned that unless we and our legislators stop demanding $85 million in federal funds because we need a system, but only for the Olympics, we won't get anything. Citizens of Salt Lake City can justify efficient mass transit on the grounds that the city is growing and needs a system to keep the increasing populace mobile, happy and efficiently consuming all over the valley. '.The Olympics are coming; that is a big deal and means a lot for our city and state. But it is only a party, after and before which everyone will still need to get around the il mass-trans- it so, then you may be just who we're looking medication conducting a research study of an investigational of cold sore lesions. You and Suffer from cold sores? for. We are If possible prevention if appropriate), must be 2 years of age or older (with parental consent, and in good general health to participate. IF INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT: for the treatment 1 U of Utah-Clinic- al Studies, 546 Chepeta Way, Ste 2300 2002? more beneficial lines around the valley? Waiting another five to 10 years to make serious additions to what is already an extremely successful system will be detrimental to Salt Lake City, Sandy and possibly Provo residents on many different levels. They won't be able to travel with reckless abandon all over the valley for five to 10 years; and when the city governments finally decide to construct the additions, the process will take longer and be more of a general bother than it will be if the legislators do it now. Within the next two to three weeks, the issue of federal funding will be decided, and with it, the future of the line is in great need of active supspur. This light-raport from the community. Community members need to write letters and contact their representatives; they can't drop the ball now, or our problems will only get worse and the solution will be harder to attain because of our procrastination. We ail know that a more comprehensive system will benefit everyone in many different ways, Strong community response in support of this line of light rail will send a message that we (the university community and Salt Lake City citizenry at large) are serious about this it east-we- st il mass-trans- it mass-trans- 16-d- ay valley somehow. Salt Lake does have a need for mass transit independent of the Olympics. In fact, if we don't come together and make this happen now, the road to light rail will only get tougher thing. It will demonstrate that we all know the consequences of waiting too long to act on this issue, and we don't want to realize those consequences if we can minimize them by acting now. Hopefully our actions will get our representatives to realize that, too. 1 Fizzu las us u$ ' JEW. mmm inviting fo ht fouchus 4? 'dm. enjoy |
