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Show Thun1,iy. kUrth 20. --I 0 0Q8: A I I H Y ( R A I AS D DITORIAL tOITORIAl BOARD IVmus. JVwiii'Nf X I'ahUslhr Randy Wright, luvufiiv liJitof Jim Tymii, t tii f oruit tifv I Wifor Oag IN OUR VIEW Developing cooperation A WUR BROKER ASK HIM THINKABOUriHE ivlbSS rem Council's rejec tion of a plan to I bring a car dealer-- , they run into problems. By supporting residents with legitimate concerns, government can help f maintain the quality of life in a ship to a mixed-us- e development in neighborhood or town. The value volved, on one level of the trust of residents cannot be a typical dispute in a overstated. community. On another level it Developers also benefit from provides useful lessons for guiding trust. While they perform a vital growth throughout Utah Valley. task, there have been enough Growth is vital for the con-- , bad apples that some homeowntinued of our region, ers worry as soon as a developer but not all growth is right for all shows interest in a nearby properplaces. Builders, governments and ty. Reasonable development, with citizens must commit to honest respect for all those involved, will do the most to encourage future discussion, reasonable compromises, and a vision of long-tergrowth. benefits. Grabbing for sales tax money In this case, an Orem auto dealtoday may not pay off tomorrow. Of course, taxes can fund needed ership wanted to move into a lot in the Northgate Village at 800 services, but at what price? "It's North and 1200 West. Condo owna tough balancing act," as Mayor ers objected. They said that they Jerry Washburn said at one point had been promised a "village-lik- e in the Northgate discussions. Orem itself, however, may be a community" where they'd be able to walk from their homes to shop, good example of how the immerelax or work. "What am I going diate gains may have long-terto do, walk down to the dealership side effects. Orem has used tax and buy a car?" said one resident. money to fund a wide variety of The developer's situation also programs. But there are stretches deserves consideration. With the of the city where development seems to have grown wildly, and economy sputtering, retail opportunities may not be as plentiful as made the area less attractive raththey were even last year, and an er than more. An appealing city auto dealership may be the best that lures homebuyers may in the offer that comes along. Certainly long run be more prosperous than a builder needs reasonable leeway a town that sells out too easily for in finishing a project, especially sales tax dollars. when unexpected events intrude. The Northgate Village dispute is a good example. A look at the For city government, the expanded car dealership might have site suggests that it's the leading provided more sales tax revenue. edge of coming development that Orem officials recognized the un-- . will eventually roll down to Utah deniable truth that money comes Lake. The lake, as many have in very handy when running a noted, can be a tremendous asset. But simply spewing strip malls city. The city council reviewed the and payday lending offices all the issue and rejected an ordinance way down to the water's edge is a formula for long-terdecline, requiring that the buildings face 1200 West, rather than the busier There are few metro areas in 800 North, a change the auto deal- the U.S. that have as beautiful a ers had said was essential. setting as Utah Valley, and the The Orem situation illuminates quality of life here in general is large issues facing Utah Valley. unsurpassed. The wrong kind The first important point is of development can waste these that if people have been promised great resources. Orem's decision was just one of many that will desomething developers and cities should be required to deliver. This cide that whole area's future, and we hope it is a harbinger of coopmay seem obvious, but all too often developers get carried away eration and reasonable development to come. Other Utah Valley by their enthusiasm and make promises, only to backtrack when communities should take note. Y) V sell A p g well-bein- g j trust and demonizatioa Whether or not the speech defuses the controversy about some crackpot comments by Obama's longtime pastor, it redefines our national conversation about race and politics and lays down a challenge to the cynical use of the "race card." When the Illinois senator took the podium Tuesday at the National Constitution Center, he already had condemned a series of inflammatory statements by his friend and mentor, the Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. In his speech, Obama reiterated his view that some of Wright's comments were "not only wrong but divisive." That description certainly applies to Wright's suggestion that "God damn America" is a more appropriate sentiment than "God bless America" and his assertion that the 911 attacks represented the."chickens coming home to roost" for a racist society that dropped nuclear bombs on Japan and helped to oppress Palestinians and black South Africans. (Sept. 11 seems to bring out the demagogue in preachers on both the right and the left. Pat Robertson and the late Jerry Falwell famously portrayed the attacks as divine retribution for the abominations of legal abortion, feminism and gay rights.) But in his speech, Obama also ' But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table." This is the sort of blunt language that is seldom heard in stump speeches by politicians of any race. And Obama was equally direct in pointing out that fulminations like . Wright's have an analogue in the angry utterances of white Americans who believe and are encouraged by politicians to believe - that their interests are threatened by progress for African Americans. He noted that these resentments as well "aren't always expressed in polite company. But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation." That landscape has claimed many victims, and as he and Hillary Rodham Clinton continue their contest for the Democratic nomination, Obama conceded that some of the crasser remarks by their supporters "reflect the complexities of race in this country - . that we've never really worked through - a part of our union that we have yet to perfect." That is undeniably true and refreshingly honest. No single speech will recalibrate America's consideration of race and politics, but we are closer today, thanks to this remarkable address, to facing our history and perfecting our nation. D00NESBURY HOME rri I UEf My modest proposal is different: The Democratic candidates should debate John McCain. Think of it as especially fitting in a year that marks the 150th anniversary of those famous encounters. The optimal arrangement would be to have all three contenders on the same stage. This would be one-sto-p shopping for voters, who would get a chance to see how the Democrats stack up against the man whom one of them will face in November. Conveniently, Clinton and Obama are planning to meet for a debate in Philadelphia on April 16. The sponsor, ABC News, could just set an extra place for McCain. True, that could be dangerous for McCain, who would be exposed to incoming fire from Clinton and Obama simultaneously. In addition, a three-wa-y debate creates the risk that McCain, having decided that he would prefer to run against one of the Democrats, could go easy or easier, anyway r on his favored candidate in the hope of a matchup in the fall. This doesn't worry me too much: McCain isn't one to throw a fight, and in any event it's not entirely clear at this point which candidate he'd want as an opponent. I'd be willing to settle for separate McCain against each of debates mopow VIWV1. W risk-takin- g I mentioned my modest proposal to a different senior McCain aide the other day, he dismissed the notion of a three-wa- y debate but didn't rule out separate encounters. . As for the Democrats, Clinton's interest in this kind of matchup is ,i . i i i . . i ciear. ui ine iwo canuiuaies, sne is me more experienced debater. Lagging in pledged delegates, she has more to gain from a potentially event. That doesn't necessarily mean that Obama would be walking into a trap. He wins the Most Improved Debater award of Campaign 2008; there's . . . game-changin- g ., cvci) u nicuu-- c u tu uicu lie u: ,M iiuiu ilia .uuui own against McCain or even a n-Clinton combo. (I'm not giving up on seeing them all on stage at once.) Imagine how much a bravura Obama performance could quell Democratic nerves about how he'll stand up to the inevitable GOP assault if he wins the McCai- nomination. In any case, if Clinton and McCain were to agree to a meet-up- , this would be an offer Obama couldn't afford to refuse. Candidates? mhimnist for the Washington Post Writers Group. is n -- -- Marruc -I Ruth Introducing new columnist Ruth Marcus We are pleased to announce that columns by the Washington Post's Ruth Marcus will run weekly on these pages. According to the Washington Post Writers Group, "Marcus has covered every institution in Washington, from the Supreme Court to the White House to Congress; she has reported on every major Washington story of the last two decades, from contested Supreme Court nominations to contested elections, from political presidential impeachment. campaigns to a She can dissect a Supreme Court opinion; unearth and hard-foug- hard-foug- a fundraising scandal; and write, always in a manner, about the details of the federal budget or the intricacies of health care reform. "As much as Marcus captures for readers the inner workings of Washington and its money culture, she writes with equal ease about social issues and the real world concerns of modern parents. She does not shy away from the fact that she is a woman but does not let that define her columns; she brings gender to the table when it is relevant to the discussion." explain down-to-eart- MALLARD FILLMORE zzn r tuicnao- - I Start with McCain, who's arguably got the least to gain here. After all, the longer and nastier the Democratic battle, the better off the Republican nominee will be. But while McCain has the luxury of pacing himself, raising money and coalescing the party while the Democrats bicker, he's also out of the spotlight during this stretch. Hard to imagine a better way than this to get some attention. In addition, turning up with the Democrats, together or separately, ; would give McCain the chance to make his case to the independents and Reagan Democrats he says are crucial to his success in November. And this is the kind of challenge McCain enjoys. He might just say yes because it appeals to his side and reinforces his image as a the Democratic contenders. Again maverick. Back when it looked as if Obama was about to clinch the Democonveniently, there's another debate scheduled next month, this one in cratic nomination, McCain's staff was North Carolina on April 19. Obama has discussing the prospect of holding presidential debates this summer, well accepted; Clinton hasn't yet RSVFd in advance of the normal schedule. So have a Clinton-McCai- n debate in in "He loves debates," campaign manPhiladelphia, then Obama-McCai- n North Carolina. ager Rick Davis said last month at a TV. It's hard lunch sponsored by the Christian SciTalk about must-se- e ence Monitor. "We will want as many to imagine voters in either party not wanting to tune in. But why would the as we can possibly get." Excellent candidates agree? why not start now? Indeed, when Garry Trudeau i gnmmy.com voters are having choosing between candidates. Here's an idea that could help them decide: debates. Had enough of those, you say? After 20 Democratic debates, the last three e between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, even the most diligent voter could be forgiven for not being enthused. No one craves another seminar on the merits and drawbacks of an individual mandate to buy health insurance. offered a context that explained (without excusing) Wright's ravings: "For the men and women of Rev. Wright's generation, the memories ofhumiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of or white friends. white Philadelphia on "A More Perfect Union" was that rarity in American political discourse: a serious discussion of racial division, dis- ajw v Democratic A serious discussion may have begun as an in political damage control, Barack Obama's speech in rotrcunc. Add McCain to make debates a dream matchup MEDIA VOICES It ..a.. nmv RUTH MARCUS . From the Los Angeles Times, Wednesday, March 19, 2008: ...... winwo. -- Bruce Tinsley WHY? i MftPAT A TOTAL otm -- Me, w WW, A WOflL |