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Show Opinion THURSDAY/May1, 1997 OUR VIEW UINS DELEGATON VENTS EQ st BEING OUT the The Salt Lake Tribune's Editorial Position (popte GRANDSPIRCASE™ ESCALNNTE NATIONAL NONORENT. Unseemly Salaries Senate President Lane Beattie is right. Utahns are going to blame the Legislature for fat salaries paid administrators of quasi-state agencies. And so they should, since the Legislature created the beasts and thenfailed to properly contro! them Neitherfish nor fowl, quasi-public agencies are designed to benefit from the best of both worlds. Their independent natureshields them from cumbersome government rules but also minimizes the state’s financial liability. Their public status gives them access to state subsidies and special tax treatment. Legislative Auditor General Wayne Welsh’s performance audit of quasigovernmental organizations’ compensation methods calls attention to one consequence of the lawmakers’ laissezfaire approach: Pay practices get out of hand. Layne Summerhays,chief executive officer of the Workers Compensation Fund of Utah (WCFU), received $226,294 in salary and bonusesin 1995 and $266,407 in 1996, considerably more than administrators of comparable organizations in surroundingstates. The pay of lower-level executives at WCFUalso is relatively high, and the gislative audit found pr polieies for paying membersof the governor-appointed executive board. Utah Transit Authority General ManagerJohnPingree’s $151,710 compensation package also was described as “aggressive,” or higher than for comparable positions in surroundingstates. Utah Housing Finance Agency Executive Director William Erickson and Utah Retirement Systems Executive Lirector Dee Williams were paid $95,851 and $94,370, respectively, which placed them amongthe highest paid state employees but at a modestlevel in comparable markets. Although governments must pay reasonable wages to attract motivated, talented people, public service should not be a profit-making venture or avenue to personal wealth. An element of “service” — of commitmentto the common. good — should bepartof the employment contract. Taxpayers and regulated clients should be charged only enough to provide competent services, not whatever the marketwill bear or profit-seeking executives demand. Executives of some of Utah’s independentstate agencies may not consider public service part of their job description, since their organizations are designed to operate like businesses. They and the state cannot have it both ways withoutviolating basic principles of government as well as the free market. The Deseret Gym has beena fixture in downtown Salt Lake City for 87 years, the last 32 on its current Main Street site above North Temple. Today, the gym’s serviceis overandit will soon meetthe wreckingball, a casualty to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ intention to build a 26,000-seat assembly hall on the same block. Dedicated members of the Deseret Gym naturally have bemoaned the chureh’s decision, and a few lobbied to change it, to no avail. Certainly, the gym’s closure represents a loss to the community, but as was the case in its unsettling decision to close the Hotel Utah, the LDS Church has the same right as any otherprivate property owner to developits land as it wishes. THE PUBLIC FORUM Letters from The Tribune’s readers In free enterprise, companies are not guaranteed customers or prices. Theytake risks and charge as much as people will pay, given fair competition, to earn as muchprofit as possible. With backing from the government, quasis done face the same risks gs failure. can tae by issuing mandates, aad they can supplement the agency's revenue stream with tax revenues. Thesalary audit reveals only one of manyproblemspossible with the hybrid governmentstructure usedfor 11 state programs. Utah legislators should acceptit as a mandateto either bring the agencies morein line with state government or let them become truly independent. Des Gym: Common Ground Something is terribly amiss this morning for the many habitues of the Deseret Gymnasium. Today marks the closing of the venerablefacility's doors, Maydayfor a cherished place that not only served to elevate the community's general physical well-being but also unctionedas its true melting pot, common ground for people ofall walks of life. If the LDS Churchreceivescriticism for its choice to replace the Deseret Gym with an auditorium, thenlogically it must also deserve some credit for having operated such a facility for almostall of the 20th century, perhapsits most enduring gesture of ecumenism within this community. Indeed, if any single sentiment emergesin all of the recent tributes to the life of the Deseret Gym,it is the sense of community it promoted,forit was a place where Mormons and nonMormons,rich and poor, young andold, white and black Aer, to keep their bodies tuned and their spirits vibrant. They stripped themselves of their trappings at the D.G., and united in a bond of sweat or competition or conversation. Physically, the Deseret Gym was a unique facility in the breadthof activities it offered —- swimming,basketball, Squash, racquetball, weight training, running, or just sitting in the steam room. But communally it was much morethanthat. It was, in sum, a gathering place, one that is already missedtoday by those who spent anyslices of their lives there. ANOTHER VIEW Summarized From The Miami Herald Civil Justice Helps Assure Safety Title [X: Fairness, Not Quotas controversial 2-1 ruling by the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. That al Collegiate Athletic Association's 303 Division I schools now meet this standard. Brown was a pacesetter in bolstering women’sathletics in the 1970s,It had argued that the proportionality test is flawed. Brown offered survey data showing that its female students had less inter- est than its men in playing sports. ruling upheld a verdict in a civil lawsuit The imposition ofa test that many view as a quota maybe fomenting a backlash in against Brown University. The court had Congress and on campuses where men's ruled that Brown failed to meet a “proportionality test" thatcritics say amounts to a quota. That test says, in effect, that if a school’s general enrollmentis, say, 60-40 female-to-male, then the school’s athletes should reflect those proportions. USA Today reports that only 28 of the Nation- teams have been droppedin order to add women's teams in pursuit of parity. So it might well serve the long-term interests of women's athletics if the Supreme Court found another appealed case on which to clarify Title IX this way; Fairness? Yes! Opportunity? Yes! Quotas? No! TheSaltLakeTribune UTAH'S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1871 PUBLISHER PAST PUBLISHERS Dominic Welch John ¥. Pitzpatrick (1924-1960) EDITOR James E. Shelledy John W. Gallivan (1960-1983) EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR Jerry O'Brien (1983-1904) Harry E. Fuller,Jr. KEARNS-TRIBUNE CORPORATION,14) 8, MAIN ST. SALT LAKE CITY, 84111 ‘ Where to Write Mention “the law” and you maythink of the police officer who wrote youa ticket or of the endless hours of the 0.J. Simpson trials. Other than that, most Americans probably do not give much thought to our nation’s system of justice. Thatis one reason President Kennedy, in 1961, designated May1 as “Law Day,” to foster ‘‘an increased respect for law and for the rights of others as basic elements of a free society.” Often overlooked, but oneof the core contributions of our civil justice system, is its critical role in monitoring the faultiness of the free market. Every day, acress this nation, people benefit from laws that serve as a check against irresponsible actions and dangerous products. Citizen jurors serve as a brake to stop those manufacturers who would put profits before the safety of Because of our unique legal system — envied by people around the world — our children’s clothing is flame-retardant; fewer children choke on toys; passengers are mostlikely to survive a car crash; harmful medical devices have been redesigned; drugs are morecarefully tested; asbestos is no longer in our homes and schools; and consumersinjured by toxic pollution or negligent medical care have the right to go to court and hold wrongdoers accountable. As Justice Hugo Black reminded us: “It is essential that the right to trial by jury be scrupulously safeguarded.” We must always question the motives of special interests who seek to limit our legal protections. On this Law Day, we can be proud of our historical rights and of the men and women — citizens jurors, lawyers and judges — whoparticipatein ourcivil-jus- tice system and thus make all our lives safer. KARLA QUINN Executive Director Utah Citizens Alliance Salt LakeCity @ Whensubmitting letters to the Public Forum,pleaseinclude yourfull name,signature, address and daytime telephone numbers. Information other than your name and the city in which you live are kept confidential. @ Keepit short. Concise letters developing a single themeare morelikely to be published. @ Please type and doublespace. @ Letters are condensed und edited. @ Becauseof the volumeof mail re- ceived, not all submissions are pub- lished. @ Mail to Public Forum, The Salt Lake Tribune, P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. @Our fax number is (801) 237- 2022, Woman’s Choice I think abortion is a woman's choice.It is her body and she shouldbe able to get an abortion if she wishes. Sometimesitis not the woman’s fault that she gets pregnant. For example, whatif she was raped and ended up pregnant? It may be too painful for her to keep the child, so she wants to have an abortion. What if there were laws saying it was against the law to have an abortion? Manyof the women whoget rapedor sexually assaulted and end up pregnant wouldfeel an invasion of privacy. Then there are the teen-age girls who made a huge mistake by having sex and ending up pregnant. So they wantto get an abortion and go on with their lives. Then thereare thoseof us whothink that if the girl doesn't want the responsibility, she should not be having sex in thefirst place. Butwhyare wegetting involvedin other people’s lives? Maybeif we leave them all alone and keep abortion legal, teen pregnancy will drop. JENNIFER HILL Kearns Walking All Over the Law o A few mornings ago, I heard a news report on the television that stated Utah was 12th highest in pedestrian accidents. Bills for Billboards here a year and have been appalled at the daily multiple occurrences of people putting their lives in jeopardy crossing the streets of Salt Lake City. I have never seen such a blatant disregard forlife, especially your own. Twice in one day, during busy traffic on South Temple, I was stopped ata signal. There wasa pedestrian waiting at the curb. As soon as the signal changed for traffic to moveeast and west, the pedestrian crossed in front of that traffic, againstthe light. Every day,at just about any given cornerin this city, pedestrians totally disregard the walk signals and walk against the light, whether there is traffic or not. I've seen manypeoplecross the street, stopping traffic for them, not 20 feet from the crosswalk, with or withouta signal, The very day I heard the news report, a man came running down State Street and ran across the street as cars were attempting to turn left, right where he was crossing. Crossing in the middle of the block is the same. It seems that people wait for traffic and then walk or run across in the middle of the block. ‘The mentalityis, “I'm more important than you are and I'm going to do what I want. Never mind that others have the right of way. Who cares if the light is red? Lawsare for someoneelse!" I would really like to see the police stopping and ticketing pedestrians for their flagrant lack of respect of traffic rules. It might take awhile, but people would eventually get the idea and start following the rules. It's worked else- where. It can work here. SUSAN D. HOLMES Salt Lake City What Squabbles? a In response to “Squabbles Undi U.’s Popular Sociology Departme! (Tribune, April 2): I'm quite frustr: with thisarticle. I am a non-traditional student ankia senior at the University of Utah. I pres+ ently hold the position of chairperson of the Sociology Student Advising Commit- tee (SSAC) and havebeeninvolved with the faculty of the Sociology Department: for the past two years. The SSACis the voice of the undergraduate students, and. with this responsibility I attend faculty meetings, serve on various committees and help maintain the student evalua: tions of the instructors. I’ve not seen that which has been res ported to the state Boardof Regents.I've not witnessed the “seriously dysfunctions al atmosphere” by members of the facul-, ty. o I'm surprised it's not No. 1. I've been Mostcollegesstill spend much more on men's sports than on women’s,So it’s importantfor Title [X to remaina vital presence in athletics. That's why it's disappointing that the U.S. Supreme Court muffed a chance last week to bolster the law's standing by clarifyingits intent. Without comment,the court let stand a Page A14 Gov, Leavitt professes to believe that the state should notinfringeon traditionally localissues such as planning and zoning. Manylegislators espouse a similar opinion. Unfortunately, neither the governor nor mostlegislators will put their vote where their mouth is when the autonomy of local government is pitted against a well-financed opposition. Reagan Outdoor Advertising helped ourstate's elected officials demonstrate their hypocrisy during the ‘97 legislative session. The House and Senate passed SenateBill 14, “Amendments to the Utah Outdoor Advertising Act” (sponsored by Sen. Al Mansell), and our governor signed it into law, contrary to the “veto” recommendation from his staff. ‘Thanks to this new law, billboards in Utah have about as muchprotection as an endangered species, The logic of this bill escapes me, but its implications will become clear as more bill! are erected adjacentto our already cluttered federal, state and local roads. Local zoning authority has been pre-empted to ensure that we have more “opportunities” to help one industry (and one company in particular) make more money. The visual pollution cd by billboards all over this state should offend and embarrass everyone. But I suppose weshould put ourselves in the shoes of our elected leaders. How can someone vote against a businessman who employs a cavalry of lobbyists (many of them formerlegislators), provides free campaign billboards to elected officials and donates an immense amountof cash to the governor and manylegislators? It appears public policy can compromised for the right price. KIM SCHULTZ Salt Lake City Being on campus daily for the eatee years and interacting with vari fessors from the Sociology Denrtnent I have not encountered the reported discontent, especially during this past year. If anything, I have seen more sharing of ideas and general camaraderie. CARMEN MOULDS WestValley City o Please Deposit $320 People of Utah, get your letters or phonecallsin to the Public Service Commission before it is too late, and your phonebill increases by $320 a year. With the huge bonus US WEST President Richard McCormick gave himself, $1.1 million plus a fat salary with fringe benefits, this would be a good time, considering US WEST’s enormous profits, to ask for a reduction in youree rates. o L VANDYKE Salt LakeCity Enid’s True Colors Thearticle about Enid Greene (7ribune, April 6) showed Ms, Greene's true colors. The Tribune quoted her as commenting about Merrill Cook,"*. . . he has an important job and needs to stop worrying about me. Heneeds to worry about being in Congress.”” Believe me,noloveis lost from meto Mr. Cook. However,I find this comment as blind and uninsightful as the rest of Ms. Greene's naive campaign and jaunt to Washington. I suppose she was worrying about Congress during her two years there that could be nothing but focused on her pregnancy,childbirth and then the infamous divorce scandal. Family values. Forone reason only have I taken plea- sure from the Waldholtz-Greene and Cook terms in office: They provide mar- velous fodder for the Salt Lake Acting Company’s annualtribute to Utahns. ALICE M. WARD oO Salt Lake City ‘ Seedy Freeways Recently I read in The Tribune of Ze for landscaping along the ered I-15 freeway system. While I was glad,to learn that aesthetics are being considered, I am also concerned. In our arid climate, the maintenance of plant would be difficult, costly and perhaps environmentally soundifirrigation is te q Personally, I would gettin see spent for maintaining th borders ease Redes afie teenyep along our freewaysis repulsive. ene1 certainly appreciate all that volunteers ate doing in picking up litter, it is not nearly enough. Perhaps we need crews to service the freeways on a daily basis. The most exquisite landscaping would be disgusting if covered with debris, GEORGENEBOND Salt Lake City ‘ |