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Show Page 36-T- Provo, Utah. Sunday, February HERALD, HE 15. 1981 What the Herald thinks, what the columnists say and Opinions what our readers think The Daily Herald Comments Ethks Law Weeds Clarification, Stiff Penalty The conflict of interest issue goes to the very heart of the un- derstanding that should exist between an employer employee. An tra mile" treatment of his customers, the owner finds an employee giving special dis counts to friends and relatives The employer's next move, it he is to preserve his good business reputation and his business, itself, is obvious He needs to get nd of the employee who has bent the rules to his own ends. The person was hired to increase the firm's business and profits not take care of his o'vn interests and his cronies at tne employer and hires an employee to help him solve his problems and achieve the goals he has set for himself and his company. The present Utah Ethics Law which should clarify that understanding between elected and - appointed officials and the citizens who in effect hire them isn't doing the job. Herald Reporter Josephine Zimmerman's year-lon- g firm's in- vestigation which led to the series of articles that concluded in The Herald Friday provides ample evidence of that. Consider the example of an employer in private business. Let's say a clothing store owner finds out that one of his sales six-pa- rt . clerks has been sneaking merchandise out the back door of the store for himself and for his friends. Or, let's say that after years of building up a good business "ex reputation of even-hande- ( 6Mitni-7- J expense. The voters "hire" public officials through the ballot box to look out for their interests. Just what that interest is at times may be hard to define, because the boss in this case is a board of directors comprising thousands of voting members. And once that board of directors does the initial hiring it is woefully short of supervisory or disciplinary tools. The product dealt with is harder to define, too. It is service. But it isn't unreasonable to expect the people we hire to make public policy decisions feus mas based on the clearest Dossihlp determination of what is best for the greatest number of people serving on that board of directors. And when a public official participates in a public policy decision which benefits him personalor his family, business asly sociates or friends he is behaving no differently than the sales clerk mentioned above Josephine Zimmerman's reporting on recent county zoning decisions which improved the value of land owned by Commissioner Kenneth Pinegar and his present and former business associates should make it clear to any reasonable person that the current Utah Ethics Act needs work. In fairness, let us hasten to point out that Commissioner Pinegar's actions all were legal under the current law. But the gulf the current law leaves between what is legal and what is ethical is a wide one. The act sets forth some noble general standards for conduct by public officials, but it provides no real penalty to deter those who mission. Feedback Management services and bring Orem City's spending in line with its let's eliminate this tax. There is no need to make the residents pay for things that we cannot afford. After all. some of us barely make it now with inflation as it is. As I see it. this is very simply double taxation. That is. we are taxed on property and sales to support the city and then the city says "we made a mistake, we need to tax you again to cover our expenses". I say let's get some better managers and cut our expenses in all Orem City departments. Let's make Orem a great place to live without the residents paying twice! Scott W. Carter Orem Citv Resident 969 W. 1420 N. Orem Violence Is Obscene, Too Editor. Herald: would like to appeal to the citizens of Central Utah, and to that group of young people who constitute the majority of our area's theater goers, to refrain comV pletely from attending the movie scheduled at the Central Square Mann Theater beginning Feb. 13 titled "My Bloody Valentine." The deranged, subhuman type of .mind that dreams up such garbage should not be encouraged to continue dumping it upon our cities, in my opinion, even if they were free, let alone by paying exhorbitant Priday's opponent. Reese H. Johnson, received 3.056 votes, or 47.4 percent of those cast. Incumbent Priday beat Johnson by only 335 votes in a close contest usually won easily by sitting board members. "Reese Johnson was chosen by 47 percent of the electorate and because of that he has to be highly considered for the job." says School Board Chairman Dan Fugal. "In fact he may be the logical choice, but at the same time 53 percent of the people voted for Leland Priday and that 53 percent have to be considered, too." Fugal points out that to be fair the board should consider every candidate who offers himself or is recommended since it is not necessarily true that Johnson would be the second choice of the majority who voted against him. Some of the board critics have expressed concern that the decision on a successor for Priday would be made in a closed board meeting. Fugal asserts that he will not let that happen. He explains that, by law, a majority of the school board can vote to have a private session to consider the character of applicants. He said the board will call a public session to hear from candidates themselves, or from community leaders who wish to support a name before the board. "We want to do everything we can in the open and the decision will be two-thir- income. Furthermore, or indirectly soliciting or receiving any pledge of future employment based on an understanding that it would in s vote or financially by violating the law ac- - Prescribes tion that anv official who fails to file the statement ol economic interest can be barred from continuing to perform his duties and be denied compensation or salary Prescribes at least a $1,000 fine for violations of the act and fines equal to the amount of personal benefit gained plus a mandatory jail sentence if the official Prohibits anyone from offering public officials or members of their household gifts worth more than $100 in any calendar year if the person making the offer has a legislative or administrative interest in an agency where the official exercises authority Requires full disclosure of all the official's and the official s family's business names, directorships, property holdings and income sources and mandates periodic updating of that information which shall be kept on file for public inspection. Requires the official to make a public declaration of all potential conflicts of interest. Establishes a state government ethics commission on the same model as Oregon's with three members appointed by the governor and one each by the ma jonty and minority parties in each house of the legislature. Prescribes penalties of at least a $1,000 tine for violations and double the fine if the official benefitted himself or others - himself or others benefitted financially by violating the law or if he defrauded the public treasury. Requires the same disclosures of all potential candidates for office as well as timely itemized reports of campaign contributions and their sources throughout the campaign Too many officials in Utah take the view voiced by former Attorney General Robert Hansen that a public office represents "the abilitv to reward vour - friends and punish enemies " The Herald tends 10 your oe oio- - fashioned about such things and subscribes instead to the words of the late Theodore Roosevelt: "A " public office is a public trust Reese Johnson Logical Choice o The most logical choice to fill a vacancy on the Alpine School Board is the candidate who took second place at the recent general election, or is he? That's the question members of the board of education will try to at their Tuesday board decide meeting when they meet to name a replacement for Leland F. Priday. who is resigning to go on an LDS Editor. Herald: I am writing to voice my opinion toward the recent 5 percent tax levied on all utility bills in Orem City. 1 feel that it is very unnecessary! Orem has an excellent tax base considerably better than some of the other cities here in Utah County. The current problem Orem is facing is probably the result of poor management of funds and overspending. One would certainly think Provo City with its shrinking tax base would be in greater need of revenue from this type of tax than Orem City. Orem has a constant expansion in the business community and an increase in industry which brings in more revenue for the city. However, it is Orem that proposes the tax, not Provo. This was a real surprise to me. By all means let's pursue a course to eliminate wasteful spending and from directly fluence the official TffZX Robert McDougall rr kvmvou & Try Better cannot or will not live up to those standards. The Utah Legislature needs to go back to work on Utah's law and produce a new one which at least: Expressly prohibits a public official from using his position to obtain financial gain or special privileges for himself a member of his household or any business or institution with which he or a member of his family is associated. Forbids a public official or member of his family from soliciting or accepting gifts worth more than $100 in any calendar year from any source which is known to have a legislative or administrative interest in an agency where that official exercises authority Forbids a public official from furthering personal gain through the use of confidential information gained through his official position. Prohibits a public official prices. Are we to have all of our holidays parodied by the creations of a bunch of neurotics? Are we next to have our intelligence insulted with "The Axe Murderer's Christmas" or "The Easter Bunny's Blood Lust? First it was "Halloween." and now this. Is there nothing sacred s to enough for these leave alone? Money keeps them if working yours and mine we're foolish enough to give it to them. Grant N. Mildenhall society-dropout- 513 N. 200 E. American Fork made in a public meeting. But if the board asks for an executive session to discuss matters of a sensitive, personal nature, then we'll probably go into an executive session." explains Fugal. He said the board may call prospective candidates into the closed session where they can be quizzed in private on their attitudes. Thus far Fugal is in possession of about 10 letters in response to the board's official announcement that it wants written suggestions on the appointment from people in American Fork and especially from the voting precinct Priday represents. He admits that most of the letters in hand have to do with Reese Johnson or Nancy Williamson, secretary-treasurer of Citizens for Better Schools (CBS). Williamson is a candidate suggested by, among others, the president of CBS. Noel Reynolds. His group is an organization of Alpine School District parents set up as a watchdog on the district. CBS has taken no official position on the vacancy and. in fact. Laureen Jaussi, the group's executive secretary and a frequent critic of the district, is supporting Johnson. Williamson is a certified teacher, a mother of four children in grade schools and high school and would provide a woman's balance to the board, asserts Reynolds. He believes she would make a good compromise choice Johnson's candidacy appears to have considerable support in the community. "I think the school board is surprised by how much support I am getting." says Johnson with considerable satisfaction. "In fact I'm a little surprised myself. People I never heard of are calling to ask what they can do to help." Johnson tends to be fairly confron-tivin his politics and some of his supporters believe that may hurt his chances of being appointed The candidate himself is more confident. "I believe I have a very good chance of being appointed because I believe I can convince the board I can work with them," he says adding diplomatically that his fight e has been with the district's administrators and not the school board. Johnson adds he is somewhat pacified of late because he is pleased by many of the changes he sees being attempted in Alpine District Schools by a new administration. He applauds public involvement meetings, curriculum activities involving parents and other programs he believes are starting to take into account what parents want. Both Williamson and Johnson well could be candidates for the award of "the people most likely to say nothing about almost anything." Both are anxious to say nothing that would antagonize a board member and hurt their chances at getting the appointment. Both admit to previous misgivings about the school district and to bee full-tim- ing outspoken about school problems. Both are anxious to be appointed so now they place blame for the problems on the district's paid professionals and they absolve the school board itself which appears to be a switch. Both candidates made it plain they would prefer I said nothing about the entire issue lest school board members percieved they were trying to exert pressure through news columns. That's a switch because to date. Johnson's supporters have been anxious to have the matter of Priday's successor aired publicly in case the school board disappeared behind a locked door to find a candidate who and would be wouldn't make waves. It seems that whether the board chooses Johnson or Williamson it citizen will not get a sleepy-eye- d anxious to rubber-stamevery proposal presented by the district p administration At the same time, the candidates assert that they wouldn't be appointing a prickly pear interested in neddling rather than offering constructive solutions to the district problems. School board members hinted in the official invitation to submit candidates that they wanted to get some feel for who would best represent the community. My private view is that the election demonstrated without question that Johnson would be acceptable to almost half of the electorate. It seems from the lack of opposition to the publicized suggestion of Johnson's appointment that he would not be anathema to the other half of the electorate. Logically, he appears to have enough support to be an effective and choice for the d post. Fugal has not made public any other names of people who have asked formally for the appointment in writing, and he admits that Johnson and Williamson are the subjects of most of his mail. The view that Johnson was willing to put his time, money and ego on the line in an election race and thus deserves the appointment appeals to me. Johnson seems to be the candidate with the best backing and in my view should be appointed. He ran in good faith against a candidate who cannot now fill his term and thus deserves a chance at the job. N. La Verl Christensen Remember Self less Civic Leader This is about a citizen whose deeds in behalf of his community are countless ... but little known, partly because of his own blue-ribbo- n modesty. At 92, John O. Beesley of Provo is in frail health now. It's been quite a few years since he was out in front spearheading a civic project or serving in a leadership position. Nevertheless, he continues as a benefactor of his community through rare generosity to individuals and institutions a policy he and his wife, the late Effie Evans Beesley, adopted many years ago. Uncommonly modest. John hasn't been one to talk about his accomplishments ... and it will remain for his intimate associates to disclose any details of the Beesley philanthrophy. We can only say here that the John O. and Effie E. Beesley Charitable Trust Fund is an active, viable institution, with LeRoy J. Olsen, trusted long-tim- e friend, as chairman. John, during his business career. was owner of the Mutual Coal & Lumber Co. which he founded. Undoubtedly his most lasting con- tribution in civic leadership came with establishment of the Utah Valley Hospital in the late 1930s. The Chamber of Commerce, which spearheaded the effort, was assured that the Commonwealth Fund of New York would approve a $200,000 grant if Provo and Utah Valley could raise $90,000 as the local share. John accepted the role of finance and in three months of chairman the depression year of 1937 the drive netted $91,454 in cash and pledges, so that on Oct. 14 the Herald was able to announce with a banner headline: "Hospital Drive Over the Top." Ground was broken the next spring for construction. Two of the key associates in the campaign were the late Sidney W. Russell, Chamber of Commerce president, and Clayton Jenkins, manager. Clayton, now in his 90s. was secretary - treasurer of the hospital project and kept a splendid record. Dr. Franklin S. Harris, then president of BYU, was the first head of the hospital board. Beesley was a member of the first executive committee and. with others, helped guide the institution through the early expansions, leading toward the magnificent hospital we know today. A sensitive person and a gentleman, John has seemed always neat in dress and appearance. In his business success, he became a "home town" product of the free enterprise system as he mixed hard work with good management. The Beesleys had no children. John took a lot of pride, though, in projects for the benefit of youth, especially with ths American Legion, the Kiwanis Club, and the Elks Lodge. As commander of the Provo in 1926, he figured prominently in the early development of Harmon Park. Once he recalled to this writer that title stipulations prescribed that the park Legion "be devoted forever to the plav of children." A charter member of the Provo Kiwanis Club, he served as its president in 1938. Nine years earlier, he was president of the Chamber of Commerce. For more than 30 years he was on the Provo Metropolitan Water board, much of the time as chairman. A staunch believpr in the American way, he once chided critics of the system in a letter to the Herald editor. "Many do not comprehend the responsibilities involved in protecting our freedoms and security," he said. "And there are those who think everything is wrong in America ... that society, the economy and the established institutions should be made over. And they would destroy the country to bring this about." John O. Beesley i confined in the Utah Valley Hospital now. If you have words of thanks or encouragement for him. why not drop him a note in the mail? J |