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Show he Salt LakeTribune Page A26 PINION FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1998 OUR VIEW The Salt Lake Tribune’s Editorial Position Downtown Plaza Has Appeal The prospect of a verdant 22-acre campus-like plaza in the middle of jowntown Salt Lake City — or in any urban downtown, for that matter — has obvious appeal. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has advanced such a proposal this week; now. salt Lake City must put it through a areful review process before it becomesa reality, The church wants to acquire the portion of Main Street that runs from North Temple to South Temple. Then, ifier two constructing an underground ng addition, it would use those acres to connect the Temple Square block with its administrative- suildings block, thus creating a large irk-like area that would attract tourd downtown workers alike. What's not to like? City Council to find them. Council nembers, who have the final say over losing up and selling the street, were understandably miffed at Mayor Deedee Corradini that they did not learn of the plan until the church's announceTuesday morning. The council members didn’t need an invitation to the til there are four council votes to affirm it. Before those votes are recorded, the council must put this project through the samepublic process as any other to determinethatit is as rosy asit seems. And there are questions the public needs answered. The majoroneregardstraffic flow. While the administration contends that the traffic impact will be minimal southbound commuters whofeed into Main Street from Victory Road might be skeptical. Certainly, the public has a right to see reassuring projection numbers first. And, if the 1996idea to close this block of Main (and the block south of it) heightened the traffic concerns of Avenues residents, what has changed in two yearsto relieve their worries? That block of Main Street is not only a thoroughfare for auto traffic, Well, if there are any answers to that question, it is up to the Salt Lake ment press conference; a little advance warning would have beentheleastthat \ civil administration could offer. Blindsided or not, though, the coun- il need not feel that the project is a fait accompli; there is no done deal un- but also for pedestrian traffic. While the new plaza promises to be a more beautiful promenadethan the current sidewalks, are there assurances that it will feel as open andaccessible to the public after the transfer? The public may not be as supportive of the propos- al if it doesn’t. The church andthecity administration believe these concerns and any others can be addressed positively. If theyare right, then this plaza project has an upsidethat even its detractors cannot dismiss: the restoration of nature, of grass and flowersandwater, in the heartof the city. That's an attractive prospect. Schools: Vote for Status Quo The State Board of Education sent a mixedsignalin its recent appointment of a newstate schools superintendent. It appointed veteran Utah educator Steve Laing to succeed Scott Bean. Its decision was made the same day Bean announcedhe would retire Jan.8. On the one hand, Laing’s appointment to sueceed Bean canbeseen as a mark of confidence in the way Bean has run thestate schoolofficesince his appointment asstate superintendent in 1992. Laing is one of three associate state superintendents — all part of Bean's management team. Conversely, this extraordinary confidence also is troubling in the sense that the boardso accepts and is so comortable with the status quo that it wants moreof the same. Some of that status quo is not exact- y inspiring. Recently, the state school {fice announced the results of the most recent statewide testing of students. The office highlighted declining est scores of fifth graders in reading and language arts — performancethat has beenless than stellar for much of this decade. It indicated that this per- formance was largely caused by a chronically underfunded public school system. One of the state superintendent's duties is to be a vigorous advocate for Utah's public schools and their financial needs. The state schooloffice under Scott Bean's watch has done a good job. It has not been spectacularly successful, nor has it committed any grave guffaws. It probably has donethebestit can under Utah’s unique circumstance of having a lot morechildren to school than dollars to finance that schooling The school board may well be content with the way the state school office functions. It may be fully behind the goals it and Bean have agreed upon and wants no newcoursesset. Nevertheless, the board hasan obli- gation to the office of state superinten- dent and the people of Utah to make every effort to ensurethatit selects a suitable successor to Scott Bean. At minimum, this should involve some sort of search for a successorand deliberative thought — more than what ap- pears to have been given this appointment. ANOTHER VIEW From The Chicago Tribune Restore Brady Waiting Period Five years ago when Congress passed deed, there are gapingholes in the data- the Brady Law requiring a waiting peri- base, which means some people who are hased, the law had a built-in self-de- almost certainly will slip by. If the instant check doesn’t flag them, dealers od before a handgun could be purstruct button, The EADOU p withNING ere BID.. button went off Monday, That's when the Brady Law’s five-day waiting period expired. When the law was passed, it was thought that this expiation would mark progress. The waiting period wouldn't be necessary because the nation would have a computer net- work in place to conduct instant back- svound checks on gun buyers and flag those who should be disqualified because of criminal records or a history of mental illness. Did somebody say computer? Where there are computers, there are glitches. ‘This one might be called the Y2AK-47 problem legally prohibited from buying firearms maysell them weaponsonthespot In onesense,the instant-check system is an improvement. The waiting period applied only to handguns, while the instant-check applies to all firearms. In time, the instant-check system will be- come more thorough as states improve their records. But thenation’s protection against the saleof firearms to the wrong people has been weakened. Anobvious remedy is available to Congress. Last summer Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill, and others proposed a measure to retain a three-day waiting period for handguns. The House and Senate Months ago, gun coritrol advocates warnedthat the states were moving slow- leaders ignored them — and in the pro- ly in putting criminal and mental-health cess ignored the overwhelming public support for the Brady Law. The waiting records into the database that would be period was a sound, safe idea. Congress tapped for the background checks. In- ought to revive it. "EXCUSE US...GUR MISTAKE... WE WERE EXPECTING tulOC. SITE SELECTON (MMITTEE.” THE PUBLIC FORUM Letters from The Tribune's readers Tunnel Vision Salt Lake Cityis a beautiful city with spectacular viewsof the mountains and sella Have youever driven along Wasatch Boulevardat night and looked at thecity lights? Haveyouhad a chanceto see the stunning panorama of the valley belowandcityscape against the distant mountains? As youdrive along the boulevard on a clear day you can see the Great Salt Lake, a breathtaking vista. Last night I looked across the valley to the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen, a photographer's dream. Wasatch Boulevard is probably the state’s pre- mier biking, running and scenic drive, for manypeople. If youhavenothad the opportunity to experience this, you had better hurry, UDOThas decided to make UTAH’S INDEPENDENTVOICE SINCE 1871 PAST PUBLISHERS John F. Fitzpatrick (1924-1960) PUBLISHER Dominic Welch John W. Gallivan (1960-1983) Jerry O'Brien (1983-1994) EDITOR James B. Shelledy KEARNS-TRIBUNE CORPORATION,143 S. MAIN ST, SALT LAKECTTY, 84111 ® K pose, to protect homes from the incessant noise of the freeway. This time UDOT hasgone toofar! UDOTevidently had a meeting with theresidents in that area and they voted to build the wall. The problem is the wall is on the wrong side of the street. Not only is it misplaced, it affects more people than just the neighboring resi- dents. Wherethewall is currently being constructed (the west side of the street), it will actually make the noise bounceoff thewall andback to the homes,notat all reducing the sound. When I think of how much weeach pay in tax dollars each year and howlittle control the citizens have in how it is spent, I get very upset. Think of the thousands of dollars this useless and obstructive wall is costing every taxpayer in the city and the state. Not to mention howit is going to detract from our beautiful city. Something needs to be done before UDOTturns our city into a series of tunnels. Please stop the wall before it is too late, APRIL EB. SHIRLEY Sait Lake City oO Deceptive Advertising I was hoping that when the elections passed, the deceptive radio and TV ads would stop. Utah’s bankers have picked up the gauntlet and arefilling the air- waves with more half-truths and lies. Are they so desperatein their struggle to destroy credit unions? Several friends have asked me why small credit unions have put a radio ad on the air, complaining about larger credit unions. This ad was paid for by bankers and is a deliberate attempt to deceive the public. Since when were bankers hired to defend Utah’s ‘‘smaller” credit unions? The radio and newspaper ads both talk national statistic again to distort the facts. Utah's credit unions obviously do not earn billions of dollars. Like the banking industry, credit unions have seen a consolidation of their numbers, but this has not been a result of voracious large credit unions. Facts that all bankers can readtell a differentstory. Credit unions and banksdisagree on a principle. Please dignify your arguments and yourselves with facts, not the current barrageof lies and distortions. The public deserves nothingless. CYNTHIA KUEHNE Bountiful > Habitual Giving With the holiday season fast approaching, peace, love and charity are on cur minds and in our hearts. Donations pour it as scenic as a concrete wall. ‘The wall I am referring to begins on 4500 South on Wasatch Boulevard and is extending southward. All of the views of the city will be blocked from so many wholove that drive. Are we to expect in the future to be driving in concrete tunnels all over the city? In some areas I realize that they serve a very good pur- about Utah's credit unions, then use a TheSaltLake Tribune Whereto Write When submitting letters to the Public Forum,please include yourfull name, signature, address and daytime telephone numbers, Information other than your name and thecity in which you live are keptconfidential I Keepit short. Concise letters developing a single themeare morelikely to be published. @ Please type and double space W Letters are condensed and edited. M Because of the volume of mail received,notall submissions are published Mail to Public Forum, TheSalt Lake ‘Tribune, P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. Wi Ourfax number is (801) 237-2316. Feolish Expenditure After reading the article, “Morgan's Government Faces Legal Challenge” (Tribune, Nov. 22), 1 was absolutely shockedthat the residents in Salt Lake County would allow their county commissioners to spend $30,000 for a “‘po- tential legal challenge” of a new form of government in Morgan County. Brent Overson stated that “the expenditure comes from revenuesleft over in 1998's budget.” Well, lama resident of Morgan Coun- ty and a proponent of the new sevenmember council. The members of our community accomplisheda precise, conscientious investigation to implement this form of government, including detailed research with the Utah Code, con- tacts with the state attorney general's of- fice, and state representatives. Although $30,000 may not seem like muchto the peopleof Salt Lake County, and obvious- ly a “drop in the bucket” for Mr. Over- son’s ability to spend the people's tax money,it happensto bea large sum for the people of Morgan County. If the Salt Lake County Commission and the Utah Association of Counties are going to waste $30,000 just to research the legality of our new form of govern- ment, and particularly in another county, then please send the money to me. I have the documentationto show it's legal, and Lord knows, I could use the money. JOHN M. BARNETT Mountain Green a Willing to Help Your editorial titled “Teen Violence Must Stop” (Nov. 12) touched home. This specific editorial hit home because I was certified an adult for an aggravated robbery I committed in December 1997, I was brought to jail on Jan. 23, 1998, after I was booked through the juvenile court system. T have also seen on television a story about violent youth offenders. It stated that 77 youths were certified as of 1998 into food banksandcharities have an excess of volunteers. Students reach into their bare cupboards to donate thelast can of soup, families volunteer at local shelters, and multimillion-dollar corpo- rations pitch in to help. For a season, the world comestogeth- er to ensure that the naked are clothed and the hungry are fed. While making their holiday donations, people assert they have met their “niceness” quota for the year. But what happens to these people after the holiday season has passed? Can a bagfull of groceries and secondhand toys dull hunger pains a week or even a month later? People see the surplus of goodsand services and assume that it is normal. However, the lives of the materially less fortunate are more accurately described as, “feast or famine.” During the holiday season, people are constantly remindedto give, creating a surplus for only a shortperiodof time. if everyone staggered their donations, those in need could receive aid year aroundrather than just during the holiday season — at no additional cost. Give yourself monthly or bimonthly reminders. Write it in your planner. Makeit a habit. We don’t need under- paid, overweight men with fake beards and cheap red suits to remind us that there are people less fortunate than our- selves. So after the charitable donations this holiday, take a second and write yourself a reminder to keep the spirit of giving in your heart throughout the entire year. SUSAN GRIFFIN And three other BYU students Orem Oo Environmental Proposal The Salt Lake Organizing Committee intends to have the “environment” join “sport” and “culture” as Olympic ideals. Tam embarrassedby Utah's lack of envi- ronmental awareness and concern, de- spite the natural beautythat surrounds us and drawsevents like the Olympics to the state. In addition to the SLOC 12point environmental platform, I would like to see counties in and along the Wa- satch institute our own very modestsix- pointplan. 1. Establish curbside recycling of aluminum, newspaper, plastic, and glass in every city by 2002. 2. Install vapor capturesystems (stage 1 andstage 2)at all gasolinefilling stations by 2002. 3. Use oxygenated gas during the win- ter months. (Picture our brown cioud ob- literating the majestic Wasatch in news stories broadcasi around the globe in ) 4. Make public transportation effi- from, I believe, '96 or '97. I've seen and cient, affordable and convenient, not talked to several of my fellow youth of- only to and from Olympic venues, but to have seen several 15-17 year-old offenders go to prison. I would like to know if there is anything I might be able to do to help my generation from com- 5. Require the inclusion of safe, convenient bicycle and pedestrian routesin all new developments. fendersin this jail. It bothers megreatly plete feelings of failure. I plan to go to various schools and, if possible, youth correction centers to hold seminars offering youths a word of encouragement and a personal testimony of my own experience as a certified juvenile. But this will only be after I've finished my sen- inter- andintra- county. 6. Make environmental education a priority in our schools, so that future generations have an understanding of the importance of maintaining a healthy environment. Like it or not, Utah findsitself on a world stage. I know that the beauty of the areawill inspire awein the rest of the tence and probation. Please give me world, just as it does in me every day, ideas as to anything 1 might do to prepare for myservices, JASON MEINHART to maintaining and promoting that beauty to be equally impressive. Salt Lake County Metro Jqil \ But I would also like Utahns’ dedication { JANSB. WAGER Midvale |
