Salt Lake Tribune | 1997-09-24 | Page 14

Page A14 pinion. The Salt Lake Tribune WEDNESDAY/September 24, 1997 OUR VIEW Tine Salt Lake Tribune’s Editorial Position Bold Generosity Words like “weird,” “audacious” and “stunt” havebeen used to describe media mogul Ted Turner's $1 billion pledge to the United Nationslast w eek. But for all the skepticism surrounding the move, there can be no denying its potential for good Turner, the bold founder of American television's first all-news station. Cable Network News in Atlanta, has never shied from blowing his own horn. and heis tooting awayagain. At the annual U.N. Association dinner in Manhattan Thursday, he joked about his being the largest single philanthropic donation yet only nine months of his income. He has boasted about his ability to make money and challenged other money-makersto followhis giving example. Healso took a swipe at the U.S. government forfailing to settle its $1.5 billion U.N. debt. Behind the bravado, though, are ideals that could be catching. Turner said he’s has learned that “the more goodthat I did, the more money comes in.” This billion-dollar bonanza for the U.N., which actually represents nearly one-third of his net worth and will be paid out in stock or loans against it over 10 years, is just the latest in alongline of multimillion-dollar gifts to schools and other causes, He already has given away $17 million this year. The “spur of the moment idea” for a non-profit U.N. foundation was inspired, Turnersaid, by the examples of Mother Teresa, Jacques Cousteau and Princess Diana — and bythe endofthe Cold War. He expects foundation funds to assist refugees and children, clear land mines andfight disease on this “interconnected planet.” So Turner is not trying to set govern- ment policy with his incredible generosity: he is trying to put private wealth to work solving human problems. Funds from the new foundation would not be used to run the United Nations, whose operating budget runs about$1 billion a vear. Despite Turner’s challenge. the United States still can demand reform in those operations before clearing up its debt. Former U.S. representative to the U.N. and nowSecretary of State Madeleine Albright has praised Turner for an “extraordinarily generous act.” He deserves the accolades Sure, a gift given in humility might be easier to accept. Utah’s own Jon Huntsmanand L.S. Skaggs have made a habit of more discreet yet similarly magnanimous giving. But if Turner's THE PUBLIC FORUM Letters from The Tribune's readers Midas touch eases human suffering on the planet and inspires other business plain abouta bit of brashness? I was born and raised in Salt Lake City and gratefully moved to anotherstate two years ago, I recently returned to “This is the Place” to find that the city was in an accelerated identitycrisis from too much growth, too fast. I couldn't get out of the city fast enough. ‘Twenty years ago when one would occasionally see a “Do Not Californicate Utah” bumper sticker, few were concerned about too much growth. In the mid-1980s, KUTV initiated a “Project Linking Church, State If most residents of Boulder, Utah don't drink booze. they risk nothing personal were the town council to authorize alcoholic beveragesales bya local restaurateur. But there's moreat issue in the council's rejection of such a request than minding one’s own business. In denying liquor licensing for Mark Austin. Boulder Mountain Lodge owner, enacting an ordinance that permits onlythe sale in town of beverages containing no more than 3.2 percent alco- hol by weight, for consumption “off premises,” town council folks openly acknowledged they were guided bythe fact that most Boulderites are members of the Churchof Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints. a denomination that abjures strong drink. In other words, religious wishes would overrule commercial interests Of course, Austin is appealing the decisionin court, making the inevitable argument that his formal request deserves more consideration than a sectarian dismissal. He has a point. Proposing the ordinance, councilman Wulf Barsch wasn’t subtle. “This [town] wassettled by Mormons who do not believe in the use of alcohol,” he said. “This is Mormon country and there are a lot of Mormons here,” he added, “ most people understand Mormonsdonot believe in the use of alcohol.” Yes. but what has that to do with a resort owner's understandable need to serve visitors belonging to other faiths the legal consumables they expect during a vacationvisit, even if that includes a potable heftier than 3.2 beer? Local residents aren't forcedto join in or even watch such indulgences. Boulder and its attorney argue in the lawsuit that Mormon politicians “cannot be divorced from their religious beliefs” and that denying Austin his request to serve alcoholon his property because Mormon council members are religiously opposed to the consumption ofalcoholis legitimate. Rather,it soundslike a questionable 2000” to evaluate the projected growth and its desirability. That was during the “Bangerter Years” wherein the prevalent political position was, “Why, some growth hare(sic) in Utah won't hart (sic) usa bit.” “Project 2000” faded into the sunset along with the quality of life in Utah. It makes onerealize the false security the citizens of Utah have hadin electingoffitate and construction industries, simply because their Republican pamphlets have featured them in pictures with their large families, along with the caption, marriage of state and church. If the “Active in Community and Church.” court solemnizes it, Boulder governmentcan be run accordingto prevailing religious doctrine, Mormon or whatever, And residents who might believe public policy should incorporate what is LDS President Gordon Hinckley proudly stated in the recent Timearticle regarding the Salt Lake Valley, “.. . what you see today. . this is a story of success.” But what would master planner and visionary Brigham Youngsay if he fair, just and equitable for everyone in the community instead will be obliged to behave in a manner imposed by the predominate faith Atrial is scheduled for sometimein December. Howironic such a matter has emerged during this year’s sesquicentennial celebration of the Mormon migration West — a minority forced to escapepersecutionit suffered because it didn’t conform toreligious practices overbearingly prevalentat the time. saw “The Place” now? Take a good look at Los Angeles, Salt Lakers. . it’s coming your way. SCOTT MULVAY Tucson, Ariz. a Profs Carry Heavy Load Arecent Tribune article reported that college professorsat state-supported institutions were being required to spend 12 to 15 hours each week in the class- ANOTHER VIEW room To the uninformed, this might appear to indicate that instructors only workthat many total hours each week. I can attest from personal experience that for every hour spent meeting with Promising NewsFrom China must be researched and prepared. Tests must be written and then graded. There are term papers to read and meetings ship. But, of course, firmlyundertherule perhapsin deference to party elders who opposed the elimination of state ownership, a historic principle of socialism. Nevertheless, Jiang is steering China toward a system with capitalist proclivities mention the committee meetings, recruitment events and counseling sessions. A 15-unit class load, which is usually five classes, is more than full-time job. of the Communist Party. Political change is not likely in the maskedby socialistic euphemisms. Heportrayed a business-minded China college can expect to earn somewherein the neighborhood of $430-35,000 per year. A good plumberor truck driver can easily make this much, and.they didn’t have to go to collegefor eight to 12 years to be considered qualified for the job. President Jiang Zemin’s initiative, un veiled at the 15th party congress. which endedin Beijing last na into freer markets , will move Chi- and private owner- short term, but theplan to sell small and medium-size state industries to shareholder groups or private owners marks a revolutionary shift in Beijing's socialist- style economy. This abandonment of a central tenet of communism could eventually lead to some democratization of China. Its leadership presumablyis close- ly tracking the experienceof other Asian nations where prosperity and growing middle s have sparked political change. ending or modifying authoritar jan rule ful not to use the word “privatization,” that can acceptindividual wealth and di- verse private ownership (individ vestment in a state-owned business is called “public ownership"). Jiang encouraged mergers, standardized bank- ruptcy procedures and even theheresy UTAH’ form a competitive mechanism selecting the superior and eliminating the inferior Inshort, the marketwill rule. It is the latest twist on the late Deng Xiaoping's ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics.”’ INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1871 PAST PUBLISHERS John F. Fitzpatrick (1924-1960) John W. Gallivan (1960-1983) Jerry O'Brien (1983-1994) PUBLISHER Dominic Welch EDITOR James E, EDITORIAL PAGE Shelledy EDITOR Harry E. Fuller, Jr. KEARNS-TRIBUNE CORPORATION,143 8, MAIN ST, SALT LAKE CITY, MILT “7 of layoffs for greater efficiency, “so The Salt Lake Tribune When submitting letters to the with students after class hours — not to A new,full-time instructor at a Utah FRANKLIN ALLEN LATIMER Price oO Painful ‘Healing’ In response to Elder Jay BE. Jensen preaching that the spirit and playing sports will heal homosexuality (7ribune, Sept, 14), he obviously is very uneducated about the topic. The reason homosexual mendid not play sports was because they were homosexual. The absence of sports was not what caused them to be that way If the LDS Church wants to help our society, it would preach celibacy and accept these people the way they are. Doesn't he realize the painful repercus- sions of encouraging homosexual men to get married, play sports, pray and have children? This will ultimately result in broken families — wives and children without a father in the home. KENNA TEAL Salt Lake City House. Hesaid he would like to abolish property tax altogether, because someday he might be ona fixed income and he did not like the prospect of being kicked out of his home for lack of property-tax funds. The speaker made a lot of sense. veloping a single theme are morelike- ly to be published, Please type and double space. Letters are condensed andedited. Because of the volumeof mail received, not all submissions are published. @ Mail to Public Forum, The Salt Lake Tribune, P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. WOur fax number is [phone]. Utah has an insatiable thirst for more tax moneyyear after year, totally disregarding the populace’s ability to afford its so-called budget. Currently, families receive a windfall of $500 per child a year. These children need an education, funded by property-tax payers. Fromthe looksof it, Utah’s state sport is sex. Since childless couples, the elderly and the single folks are already overburdened by the manycreative tax laws of this state, I propose changing the property tax to a sex tax. The more oneparticipates, the more one pays, be it a homeowner, renter, tourist or resident. Any act resulting in childbirth is taxed again, like being caught remodeling your house without a permit. I am convinced the sex-tax levy would be great success. Not only would it generate large amounts of revenue, but it Make Users Pay Lately there has been muchwritten,including youreditorial (Tribune, Sept. 8), about the subsidy to the timber industry in the form ofthe Forest Service either building or paying an allowance for road building. We should putthings in proper perspective. would open a whole new dimensiontolife users of the timber, especially buyers of in Utah as well. How aboutit, legislators? RICHARD F, GOERS Salt Lake City to pay for logging roads, the logging companies will have to add that cost to the price of logs. This will causethe resulting lumber to increasein price, either by creating a scarcity if timber costs too much Superiority Complex ‘This subsidyis actually a subsidy to the new homes. If the Forest Service ceases QO It was interesting to read the Tribune or by the addition of the additionalcosts. I believe that this and all other subsidies, including those for the UTA, the article “Joklik Out to Regain Community Support” (Sept. 15). He talks about a pos- sible deficit, but in the same thought, Joklik offered the reassurancethat “the school systems, the agriculture industry, the recreational use of public lands and others, should be totally self-supporting, only thing helping us, and I say humbly, is having me in charge.’ What a dictatorial statement! Obviously, based on this statement, all the other people on the Olympic staff are doing nothing. with the users paying the actual cost of the program. It is unfair to make taxpayers pay for services and products they do not use ‘These subsidies are simply robbing Peter to pay Paul. It is a meansof transferring wealth from one party to another. Awhile back, a Tribune editorial warned Joklik that running the Olympic organization was notlike running Kennecott. Poor Frank just doesn’t get it! DICK DENNIS FRANK W.MILLSAPS Salt Lake City oO sometimes more are spent on related In unveiling China's economic changes at the party congress, Jiang, who also is general secretaryof the party, was care- China’s long march toward economic With the arrival of the dreaded property-tax notices, | am again reminded of a statement by the speaker of the Utah Public Forum, please include your full 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 de- the students, at least three hours and matters outside the classroom. Lectures with the Communist Party's historic decision to end state ownershipof industries. Where to Write cials with vestedinterests in the real es- Summarized From The Los Angeles Times change has taken a huge leap forward Utah Needs a Sex Tax S.L. Becoming L.A. tycoonsto join the cause, who can com- Salt LakeCity Oo EditorialCriticizing Sentences Was Unfair, Lacked Information 1 am disappointed and outraged bythe recent editorial ‘“Muffled Message” imum sentence than they will with the sentence given them by the two judges. (Tribune, Sept. 3), which unfairly, and Furthermore, tnese men, and people without proper information, criticized 8rd District Judges Glenn Iwasaki and Tyione Medley for the sentences they handed down to two individuals who pled guilty to second-degree felonies resulting from a recent burning of a McDonald’s restaurant under construction. like them, may be such martyrsthat they do not mind going to jail or prison for their cause, Therefore, a probationary period which includes a severe sentence behind bars, coupled with community service and contact with the fire depart- The Tribune believes that these selfdescribed animal-rights activists are nothing more than ‘terrorists’ who ap- parently should have received a harsher punishment than the year in jail and several hundred hours of community service and other conditions imposed upon them by Judge Iwasaki and Judge Medley. Does The Tribunebelieve that a year in the Salt Lake County Jail is a walk in the ment, is a far better approach than merely locking them in prison, throwing away the key, and having them comeout as martyrs who have learned nothing from the experience. In order to fully understand why Judges Iwasaki and Medley sentenced the individuals to the punishment they re- ceived, The Tribune would have to have accessto the full presentence report prepared by the Utah State Adult Probation and Parole Department as to eachindihours of community service, including vidual, and be familiar with all of the factime at a fire department location to gain tors surrounding the circumstances of understanding of the harm arson does to * their involvementin this offense. society, is like a hike in the mountains or Since The Tribune obviously does not going to Disneyland? park? Does The Tribunebelieve that 500 The felony convictions these individuals obtained at the ripe old ages of 19 and 20, and thefact that they were sentenced to a year in jail for their offenses, ‘as well as the other punishmentthey received, will haunt them for the rest of their lives. Had they been sentenced to the Utah State Prison to the maximum the law allows, an indeterminate term of 1 to 15 years, they would have probably served no more thanone year to a year and a half maximum. It is likely they would have done more time with the max‘ ’ have accessto that information, it should at least consider the fact that two judges, separately sentencing two of the defen dants in this arson, concluded that providing them with the maximum term under the law would not serve the best interest of justice. That fact should at least give The Tribune pauseas to wheth eror notit has the information necessary to provide a public judgment about the decisions madeby these jurists. LARRY R. KELLER Salt LakeCity