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Show Page A22 The Salt LakeTribune OPINION FRIDAY, MAY 14, 1999 OURVIEW TheSalt Lake Tribune’sEditorial Position Students Protest Cuts Downsizing long has been common in Utah's public schools when student enrollment declines, but some students it Midvale’s Hillcrest High School in he sprawling Jordan School District ire talking about doing something ibout it. More power to them. Because enrollmentsare expected to drop by about 100 students next fall, ad ministrators plan to get rid of five teachers, reduce the school’s debate programand possibly cut two Advanced Placement classes Some of the school's students are obJecting to this, arguingthat academic programs are being threatened for retrenchment while popular “frill” pro ms like athletics and performing arts are left alone, a concern that cer tainly is legitimate and deserving of some discussion This is a salutary event for sevi al reasons. One, teen-agers often are ¢ cused of being indolent, self-centered and too passive about the environment in which they live and function. These charges certainly cannot be laid at the feet of these students. Secondly, they are protesting on behalf of their teachers ademicsubjects something one sionally hears about French stu dents sometimes doing but rarely, if ev er, American or Utah students More than a dozen Hillcrest debate students, organized as the Committee for Academics and Reforming Educa: tion (CARE), aired their grievances recently at a Jordan Board of Education meeting. They talked about marching on the State Capitol and staging afterschool sit-ins. However, the students have their work cut out for them. For years, retrenchment and even school closures have been the preferred solutions for dwindling enrollments a problem that seems strange for the Jordan Dis. trict, which is expanding by leaps and bounds in the south end of Salt Lake County. It is unlikely that the school district will, or even can, treat enrollment de clines differently. One way of shoring up a school experiencing an enrollment drop is to bus students from more crowded areas. However, that creates problems of its own, with angry patrons objecting to cross-valley busing to save a long-in-the-tooth school instead of building new schools where the stu dentsare. The students’ struggle may be doomed, it may be a lot like Don Quixote jousting at windmills, but it is for a THE PUBLIC FORUM worthy cause and theireffort, regard less of how successful or unsuccessful it may be, should not be begrudged. Letters from The Tribune’s readers Rubin Steps Down 2 Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin will be remembered as the man who convinced a Democratic president that federal budget discipline is good for the American people. In the process, he helped to sustain the longe t economic expansion in the nation history this century Asa result of that expansion, and his role in it, Rubin has taken on a godlike status. When it was announced Wednesday that he will step down as Childish Boors publicansoften disagreed about specif ics of taxation and spendingpolicy name, cades. In the meantime, the stock mar consideration given by the unruly chil dren and their uncaring parents. Once ur nameandthe city in which youlive arekept confidential leaders of the Center did not take more developing a single theme ket has soared, unemployment has plummeted, and inflation has remained in check Rubin, who became treasury secre tary early in 1995, has shared the credit for the government policies that have esty, a rare quality amongthe titanic candidate to succeed Greenspan when egos of Wall Street and Washington Robert Rubin became active in Pres: the latter's term expires next year. Of course, Rubin is not universally Wall Street as managing partner of sory role to the newpresident, arguing for federal budget deficit reduction. This put him at odds with many of the president's political advisers, who were pushingthe president to carry out his campaign promise of a middle-class cut tax Rubin prevailed, advocating that a balanced budget would reduce interest rates and fuel job creation, Suddenly. balanced budget entered the political lexicon of Democrats. Though supported this sustained prosperity praised. Some conservative Republi cans chide him for favoring deficit re duction over tax cuts. His move to bail out Mexico with a massive loan in 1995. accomplished with an end-run around China came close to United States clinching a ' the ai U China's nm Id But the Clinton nm amounting to ould double if it jc ba: nt companies ea China, Cli ider and aceey vear terms of accession China would lockitself into a process of economi reforms that would benefit not China’s trading part but the countryitself To the United States and other WTO nations, membership would make China a more reliable trading partner and open a huge and lars ati fied consumer market to Chinese ir Te in Wash WTO acceptance in Lith na’s entry into lower that goal For years, billion a “i the WTO. mportant, bi Just a the nthe import U.S. films and music. Now, stung by the mistaken bombing of the Chinese Em $26 me { it if tomorrow. them. € Concise letters are more space, condensed and edited. cause of the volume of mail not all submissions ® Mail to Public Forum, Lake City, are Tribune, P.O. Box 867, The Salt Salt Li Utah 84110 @ Ourfax numberis (801) 2: will not let this experience deter them and I trust that next time, Fault GrowDespiteScientific Evidence.” health of Utahns, we take strong excep lated lawyer and self-proclaimed As physicians concerned with the read with interest your many re as “Practical Gun Laws Can Lower the Body Count" on May 1. I don’t believe that more govern ment control is needed. | beli oppressive, “big brother” go contributed heavily to this 4 tragedy 1 once lived in Jefferson County, Col 1 can testify that disciplining a has practically been outlawed Over hild abuse, the ch scan me into yoi ( hildrer devastate their que t and more th on too anxio' , I went toa parenting cla: Joffe County, It was taught by childless t lighly qualified” instructor who spe urs te i parents were using to discipline I children were i heray volved with several Je ( families remarked to me tha tly conscientious parents” tha es in ved with Child P ‘ We need more parents wt isly care for their childre with hands tied restrictions, nessed a fleeing convicted felon being in our home, I could take some relief that I would at least not have to beg for mercy While castigating the EPA for “cherry picking” data in order to promote to bacco regulation, the authors seem to qualms about cherry picking om the few studies that support while ignoring the vast li tudies which, taken as a whole, stitute irrefutable evidence that to: accos use harms the health of huma pinion report is a smokescreen ter ither 1 to hide scientific evidence than provide it. The truth is that if he jumped into my yard next. I pray however, for the neighbors who may not be so well prepared Certainly we must address the root problem of crime, the decay of thetradi tional family, in a more concerted and determined fashion. But in the mean: time we need honest citizens to fill the gap in our increasingly dangeroussoc ety. More than ever we need to ensure the right of honest citizens to carry firearms. FRANK D, MYLAR Salt Lake City tobacco use has been proven over and over again to be the most preventable juse premature death that there is in this countr The authors seem to think that just because tobacco-related deaths mostly appen to older Americans, we should at be concerned. “They probably would Jied pretty soon anyway,” seems to their justification for throwingout all that data on the numbers of lives lost y due to tobacco use, What is hoped that The Tribune its science editor monitor ich articles in the future prior to wast » much space with bogus propa Indolent Critics all the non-Mormons out there are posed to the Mormons in this area why do they live or stay he The Mormons were the first settlers here. They were driven from their homes in the East, an ) wanted this ‘God-forsaken” desert which had only one sca y tree, and miles and miles of nothing RAY H. BARTON JR., M_D. hould shooting was going on downtown, I wit apprehendedat gunpoint just four doors up our block. With three small children “scientist” H. KENT STAHELI, M.D. GEORGE H. CANNON, M.D. All Salt Lake City Suspicious Promenade else, until the Mormons came and built it up into a beautiful city. Then when the non-members came in, they were welcomed as long as they were law-abiding citizens. Now many of the non Mormons are still law-abidingciti zens, but to those who spend their timein sneering and ridiculing the Mormons | would like to ask again, why do you stay here? 1871 1am deathly afraid to visit the new Mormon Mall” after it | mpleted even thoughI'm sure it will be beautiful John P. Fitzpatrick (1924-1960 I'm afraid | will be escorted off the pre nises, or, even worse, arrested. You se« I have a beard and probab n't be caringa coat and tie John W. Gallivan (1960-198 j will never be deterred by firearm borated to write this article like shills of the tobacco industry 1 masqueradingas science wessi But wh ~The Salt Lake Tribune Jerry O' Brien (1983-1994) agoodday for random people to die. You canbet that such cold, calculating killers on to the information in the article. The v 2 UTAH’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE with the results of societal Ironically, about the same time the 1 am absolutely sickened by the t edy that occurred in Littletc such men and women froma society that pro duces more and more lawless and amoral criminals. According to 1997 FBI statis. to stop a random lunatic who decides it's In your Opinion section on May 9, you articles, Reason, however, dictates the exact opposite response: More than ever need law-abiding honest citizens to protect themselves and their decay. Certainly they cannotbe expected published an article entitled “The Big Lie on Smoking Deaths Continues to I have Mormon Church Genealogy Center will no doubt be used as political currency for spineless politicians who see guns rather than the breakdown of the traditional family as the cause ofsocietal ills. Most of the candidates for Salt Lake City mayor will no doubt rabidly call for more restrictions on the personal weapons of law-abiding citizens. able to deal Faulty Article PEARL JENSEN Salt Lake City Big Brother’s The recent tragic shooting at the tics, a womanis twice as likely to be raped in Utah than in New York. Our overworked and underpaid law enforce ment officers are simply less and less the concert will be held in an appropriately super vised facility equire Jespite ma {yet met be of China short. ptters are ved, concert for many of the people attendin, withthe purpose of a culturally moving experience. 1 pray that the musicians Union have minimum ‘ Chin Beijing ing the importar membership in the has not been willin entry the I 4 it ublished. for publishing the piece. The at tending the event ruined a magnificent child exports of garment Keep Information othe lease type and doub! nookian and my hat is off to The Tribu deared him to leaders of those nations No Free ‘re Ticket Ticket For For Chi China numbers. likely to be published. It was very refreshing to read such an honest and forthright review by Jeff Ma suffered deep recession has not en From TheLos Angeles Times ® responsibility for the behavior of the attendees, Congress, remains controversial, al though it did stabilize the Mexican economy. His role in prescribing high interest rates and low government spending in Asian nations that have But in the main, his policies of free trade and global movement of capital have aided the private sector in creating prosperity in the United States. He ap ve been the right man with ws at the right signature, address and daytime ne more, | was gravely disappointed that the yrado. A month ago, the ® When submitting letters to the Public Forum, please include your full Community Center. | was in attendance and I too was appalled by the lack of with Alan Greenspan, chairman of the Feder serve. In fact, the two have collaborated, and Rubin is considered a Goldman Sachs. Following Clinton election, Rubin continued in his advi J read with interest the review of the Sunday Paradigm concert at the Jewish their compromises have given birth to the first federal budget surplus in de treasury secretary, his name was men tioned in the same breath as Alexander Hamilton’s. But it is to Rubin's credit that he would be put off by such hyper bole. In fact, he is admired for his mod ident Clinton’s 1992 campaign as both a fund-raiser and economic policy advis er. Hepreviously had made his name on Armed Citizens Needed Where to Write administration and congressional Re E. Shelled KEARNS. TRIBUNE CORPORATION HOS MAINST SALT LAKE CITY, MUN FREDERICK ANDERSON GERRY NIBLEY Salt Lake City There are too many people, even Mor mons, who do not take the time to search out truth but spend their timelistening to gossip and half-truth or to hears y Some do not ¢ » put fe h the effort to Nuff their next-door neighbors! IOLA HEADLEE Midvale |
