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Show t DAILY- AS - HERALD - Thursday, February 1. 2007 ' BOARD , v President A Publisher Dennis, Crig Randy Wright, Executive Editor Donald W. Meyers, Editorial page editor Linda Shetton, Public odviser Jim Hunter, Public adviser . Richard Davis, Public adviser EDITORIAL IN PURVIEW ynii i I r ii t n 1 jiMin J y Legislature at a glance I An occasional series of short opinions on current matters at the Utah State Legislature. Pointless assignment smarter bill writing at the front end of the legislative process would save valuable time. We'd like to see several lawmakers engage in a little more consultation and exercise a little more discipline in the bills they choose to introduce. New laws are not the answer to every little problem. If Rep. Aaron Tilton gets his way, prospective Utah drivers would have to practice composition along with parallel parking. The Springville Republican Rep. Neil Hansen wants to is sponsoring a bill that would make sure police officers don't write traffic tickets just to raise require all teens applying for a license to write a money. The Ogden Democrat report is sponsoring legislation that about a teen who was killed in a car accident. House Bill 322 would would prohibit police chiefs from also require high schools to mainimposing ticket quotas. He came tain lists of students killed in car up with the legislation after his accidents for prospective drivers daughter got a ticket and the of-to write about. ficer told him that the Tilton told reporters city required officers to that he was inspired to write a certain number The Ogden draft the bill after his of citations a day. (InDemocrat is quiring minds want to niece was killed in a crash in Hobble Creek Hansen was know sponsoring talkingwhy to the officer if Canyon. He said he it was his daughter who wanted to get young legislation drivers to think about got the ticket? Hmmmm that would ...) the consequences of reckless driving. Ogden police officials prohibit admit that officers have It's a nice thought, but a flawed one. Ten pages been evaluated on their police is too much to write ticket writing productivchiefs from about a dead teenager. the same excuse ity A page, maybe; but 10 Provo used for its own . imposing pages is impractical. It's thinly veiled ticket ticket busy work: the report quota. doesn't even have to be Hansen's bill is opquotas. posed by the Utah As- any good by objective sociation of Chiefs of Postandards. We suspect lice because, as associathat this bill would even tion president Michael Larsen told give rise to a black market in dead-teereports. legislators, ft would prohibit chiefs from telling officers to write any More important is the matter of respect for the deceased. How tickets at all. Larsen said tickets are used to modify the behavior of many grieving parents would want their child to become the drivers, not to generate revenue. We don't believe this one for a ongoing subjects of badly written second. Enforcement standards student reports about reckless are handed down from the top, driving, especially if they do not accept the fact that their child was and police chiefs are political animals with budget expectareckless? tions. If behavior modification of drivers were the primary goal, as alleged, then ticket writing could be swapped for a simple increase in police visibility Common sense is finally preas it is in Hawaii. Traffic officers in Honolulu vailing in the violent video game drive around with bright blue debate on Capitol Hill. After repeated warnings that lights on top of their vehicles. Drivers see the light from blocks Rep. Scott Wy art's proposal to ban the sale of violent video away and adjust their behavior. This approach fosters commugames to children would never survive a lawsuit, Rep. Kay Mclff, nity cooperation with police, unlike police ambushes (known as has stepped forward with a way to ease Utah away speed traps) that are used by too from the brink. Mclff proposes to many local police officers to meet replace House Bill 50 with a reso- their quotas er, performance lution condemning video game standards. In Lehi, local cops even roll up onto the freeway violence. to generate revenue at an even A resolution, which carries no faster rate. legal weight but makes a philoIf quotas were not the norm, sophical statement, avoids the risk of a lawsuit and allows Wyatt to then police chiefs wouldn't be save face. This is an issue that is fighting this bill. After all, they best left to parents and the video could simply say that once quotas are outlawed, officers may write game industry. Better preliminary research and as many tickets as they please. No more quotas LETTERS . Smoking bill driving veterans out of posts House Bill 273 needs the support of all veterans and those who appreciate our country's servicemen and women. regulations have banned smoking in all American Legion and other veteran and fraternal organizations' meeting places, and social quarters. Because smoking is banned, members of these groups now go to private clubs, depriving the groups of revenue. As a result, the groups may have to consider cutting services, such as: I The VA Hospital program to supply patients with Christmas gifts for their family members. Uncertainty of Memorial Day flag placements on individual graves. The Christmas basket program for needy families or children's party. , The Empty Cradle I Sponsorship of a student to Girls or Boys State. violence against animals. Social workfrom the government and I'm here to The loss of funds because of the ers and psychologists often know that help you." Come up in the spring and smoking rule also could result in the when animals are abused in a home, investigate this further. Everything likely discharge at one Legion Post the people also are being abused. looks good with a foot of snow on it. of six senior employees, several of Violence is violence. And cruelty is whom are grandmothers helping supt David Watte, Eureka cruelty. Only a fool thinks sadistic vioport grandchildren and, in one case, lence and cruelty against animals will a daughter needing a transplant surstop and not spread to people. gery. Illegal immigrants' kids keep Last year, a man in Kearns picked It is only proper to thank Rep. CurU.S. citizens out of college tis Oda for his sponsorship of this bill up kittens from classifieds and then to avoid serious injustice and hardship. broke their bones, stepped on them, Enough of the Daily Herald's frontI M. Thomas Boley, and burned them in order to keep in page hand wringing, wet hankie artiSalt Lake City contact with his cles about illegal immigrants not being In Ogden, a cat was found charred tuition. able to get in a pan of rice and vegetables at a car I'm sure that there are legal students Bus driver, passerby saved And also remember Henry, that will be anxious to fill those slots woman from blindness, pain dealership. the puppy who was put into an oven but because of "political correctness I would like to thank two generous after a fight. One of and diversity" have not been allowed by an in. There are plenty of people who helped me on Dec. 15. Henry's eyes was scorched out and I tripped in a parking lot on 1230 his paws were fused together from the students that would love to come here heat. This needs to stop. North in Provo. It was a hard fall I tuition. and get our hit my face and hip on the pavement It is time for Utah to pass House Bill The universities will not lose 61. Please write to your representaand immediately had a bloody nose $200,000. Also let's not forget the fact and black eye. tives. that the state is being asked to give A UTA bus was going by and the I Stewart N. Thorpe, additional funds to cover the added driver saw me falL He stopped the bus Salt Lake City students. I view Gov. Huntsman's statement and a woman and her son got off to bill" about vetoing "this EPA doing right by Eureka help. She was the first to come to my aid. as being immigration. I Your recent article, "Eureka man I David Buss, thought I would be OK if I went feuds with EPA" was an inaccurate Provo home; she wanted to call 911. Eventually we compromised on her taking me portrayal of the Environmental Protecto the hospital. Others helped get me tion Agency and the magnificent work it has done in Eureka. in my car, and she drove to the emerEPA employees in Eureka are gency room. She and her son waited until I was checked in and my family friendly and committed to helping our city. The properties the EPA has called, then she returned the car keys letters to and went to catch another bus. cleaned are left safer, more attracdWettersheraldextra.com I wish I could more directly thank tive and more valuable. In most cases Fax to the bus driver who interrupted his run, they have gone above the minimum, and the woman who got off to help even providing landscaping and extra Mail to P.O. Box 717, me. I greatly appreciate their generous topsoil for gardens to make sure their Provo, UT 84603. actions. My left eye was saved that produce is safe. t Letters must include the The EPA also helps Eureka's econnight by a skillful surgeon, and my author's full name, address and is 50 more than fractured pelvis healing. omy; employing people daytime phone number. I Marian H. Monson, in a town where there are few other I We prefer shorter letters, Provo opportunities, improving the city in100 to 200 words. Letters frastructure and renovating historical may be edited for length. Put animal abusers in prison buildings. Art Cornish's assertion that propI Writers are encouraged to before they hurt people include their occupation and erty that has not been cleaned by the "Criminal Penalty For Animal CruEPA cannot be sold is completely false. other personal information. I know of at least three homes that elty" is up for vote for the third time. I Because of the volume of lethave been sold in the past year in EuAs Cheryl Smith of Wasatch Huters, we cannot acknowledge mane noted in the Dairy Herald, doreka, one of which was financed by a unpublished letters. mestic violence has been on the rise in local credit union. I Letters become the property the past 11 years in Utah. Despite Cornish's belief in "abuses of of the Daily, Herald. domestic of rise and "crimes" committed the with the power" by Correlating violence against people is domestic this is actually a case of "Hi, I'm EPA, can-tin- n Game over ' -- . MEDIA VOICES pro-illeg- Barbara's last race From the Kansas City Star, Jan. 30, 2007 yond the racing world. Although they knew he would never race again, owners Roy casual horseracing fans and Gretchen Jackson took exhorrified when the traordinary measures to save the racehorse Barbaro horse that won last year's Ken-- broke down at the start tucky Derby. of last year's Preakness But horses need four Stakes. Any serious healthy legs, and treatIn an instant, the bay ment to one injured leg injury colt was transformed limb can cause painful from a Triple Crown inflammation in the is contender to a patient others. The owners finally made the decifacing huge odds against recovery. Any serious to a horse. sion to end the horse's leg injury is struggles. A happier ending ening to a horse. Bar- ; would have allowed baro's right hind leg was shattered. Barbaro to survive and For eight months, the horse and breed future champions. Deprived its owners waged a courageous of that, racing fans are left with a and inspirational battle for his sur show of courage and a reminder vival. News Monday of Barbara's of the bond that humans share with animals. death by euthanasia spread be- - How to comment Even 344-298- 5 life-thre- D00NESBURY Garry Trudeau vth;I I I BmrrK.. I 1- - J" w I Iw XI . , i1 4 MALLARD FILLMORE fI Bruce Tinsley I I Urtiwcr 5rVY OtftlU 0-- Ye. zdfoet .. J I QtXXY. to vy !.ftt WP nwvarwu . Kim tte m&2M$2t mrr raw to |