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Show TISNLSSSsRRHnaoseseooososasssys => Ee PS SSIS N SASSO OGHRA R= = SH SH KH SSSSESSS otk SS ee ce ee gy SUNDAY @ FOR THE RECORD, C-2 @ BARBER! & WILSON, C-4 MLOTIERY, C-4 JANUARY16, 2000 Leavitt Plans for Reconstruction of State Capitol Leavitt said during a SaturdayafCapitol office. “This is such a Capitol. A solid hit might have toppled some of the single-slab marble columns that support the building’s top two floors, says Gov. MikeLeavitt. Now smart planningis needed to ensure that an earthquake — or even just plain wear and tear — won't ruin the building. That's the idea behind the Millennium Project the governor plans to unveil (Monday during his eighth annual Stateof the State Address. “The driving worry is we could lose the whole building,” ternoon news conference in his treasure, and it ‘needs our attention.” Theplan calls for plowing part ‘of $30 million in unexpected estate-tax revenues into a'new Capitol improvement fund. Leavitt said he would supplementthat: “down payment” with an as-yet- undisclosed source of money. Whether lawmakers will approve the idea is yet to be seen. “Tt needs to be done,” agreed Rep. Gerry Adair, chairman of the spending committee that oversees state buildings and a long- time advocate of Capitol renovation. “But I'm not sure with the highways and the schools there will be enough money.” Legislative leaders already have knocked the governor’s proposed budget as unrealistic because it taps $27 million set aside for other building projects and diverts transportation-bond payments to boost education funding. Leavitt's budget also proposes spending $37 million on mainte- nance and construction of state facilities — the minimum allowed understate law. “This is one of those projects tied to our heritage,” said Leavitt. “We havenoalternative to doing this restoration.” Engineers already have been hired to assess the need-and suggest a strategy. They are expected to begin drawing designs for the repairs as early as 2001, but work would not begin until 2004 orlater. Leavitt could only say the cost would be “significant” but could not say how much thestate will haveto spend. A 1998 estimate put repairs at $140 million, with $35 million to $40 million of that needed just to gird the building for a sizable earthquake. Work has been under way for nearly two years on the steps into the Capitol, where water had seeped through cracks in the grand staircase and rotted steel cables into rusty grit within the concrete. More than a dozen panes are lost each year when snow crashes down on the roof from the copper-covered dome. Other sections of roof are coated with a sealant that has cracked from the endless cycles of freezing, thawing and warming. Chips have fallen from the terra-cotta slabs that form many of the Capitol’s outer walls. After the tornado, an ‘Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune Gov. Leavitt details much-needed refurbishing at the Capitol. inspection turned up little dam age. But there was evidence that water had crept close to the art Age also plays a role in the needed repairs. Computer networking lines, heating and ventilation systems snake, along deco-style murals that describe the state's history inside the Cap- See LEAVITT, Page C-10 itol dome. Olympics Scandal Runs Deep Mental Health Bill Returns Legislature will look at insurance coverage Welch, Johnson not alone, ethics chairman claims BY NORMA WAGNER ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Mental health advocates backing bill for the fourth straight year say they have more support than ever for a proposed law that BY MIKE GORRELL © 2000, THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE would require insurance carriers to cover mental illness on the same level as other chronic illnesses, such as asthma and diabetes. tice Gordon Hall believes more Olympic bid Opponentsof the bill, however, are once again making the same argumentthey havein previous years — that such a.man- Games.A year ago, Hall led an investigation into the matter for the Salt Lake Organizing Former Utah Supreme Court Chief Jus- leaders than just Tom Welch and Dave Johnson knew aboutthetactics used by Salt Lake City boosters to secure the 2002 Winter Committee. Whetherthe circle of knowledge encom- date would force some business- passed one more person, a handful of others es, particularly small businesses, to reduce health insurance for or the full bid-committee board remains a mystery. employees or drop coverage altogether because the cost would be so high. “They [Welch and Jolknsony eouldn’t have doneit without others knowing,” said Hall, Vicki Cottrell, of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)in Utah, maintains that study after study has shown that opponents are exaggerating those cost increases once again. She points to a Salt Lake City law firm as proof that the additional cost for mental health coverage is low, reasonable and humanefor families who cannot afford the benefit on their own. The 90-employee law firm of Callister, Nebeker and McCul- ‘AlHarimann/TheSalt Lake Tribune lough endured only a halfpercent increase when it asked Festival With Bells its insurance carrier to include psychotropic mental health medieations in its health plan — which added only $175 a month to the firm’s $35,000 monthly insurancebill. “Medications are the second most expensive part of mental health treatment, with inpatient for hospitalization] being the first,” Cottrell said. “And the ma- jority of the time when patients get treatment, they don’t go inpatient. It's when they can’t get the treatment, when they have no- where to go but the hospital, whenit gets expensive. “So if we can get people treated early, treated effectively, with theoffice visits and medica- tions, we won't see so many people disabled and so many finan- cially devastated. The costs will be less.” Countered Ruth Apn Hamilton, director of governmentrela- tions for the Salt Lake Area | Chamber of Commerce: “Ninetyfour percent of Utah businesses -| have fewer than 50 employees, continuesto hear evidence. Even if the Justice probe determines fast-paced rendition of “My Knapsack on My Back,” a favorite Germanfolk song played on bells by Rick Schwemmerof the Salzburger Echo Band,rings throughtheair at the Weber County Fairgrounds on Saturday as part of the Hof Winterfest 2000 and Craft Boutique. The celebration is in its 14th year. For more on the events, see story on Page C-2. someof the ethics panel's: findings were offthe-mark, Hall said he hais “no misgivings” aboutconclusions reached when the panei released its report on the ‘scandal 11 months ago. “Our report was as broiad and detailed as Show Lures Those Who Hear the Whistle’s Call BY MARK EDDINGTON ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE No one had to railroad Saratoga Springs resident James Dean intoat- tending the Great American Train Show at the state fairgrounds in Salt Lake City this weekend. Trains are ties that have bound the 67-year-old retired free-lance photographer to what has been a magnificent ob- session during six decades, ever since he got his first model train set as a For the serious train buff, a railroad showthe scale of this oneis notrifling matter. Especially when it boasts eight gargantuan model train layouts, 40 vendors and enoughrail-related paraphernalia to satisfy the whims of the most finicky connoisseurs on the widest variety of budgets. Want a career retrospective of Box Car Willie hits on cassette or CD? No problem. Neitherare O-, HO- or N-gauge trains. O-gauge boxcars, like the Lionel he re- train sets of many an American's childhood,are built to about 1/48th the scale of an actual boxcar. The ratios for HO- As attested by the several engines gauge cars, typically about 6 inches long, and N-gauge are even smaller. S-year-old. “It was an American Flyer,” called, “I still haveit.” and state mandates only affect small businesses. History has and 54 boxcars Dean has added to his pie for health-care coverage , the cost is going to be collection over the years, hestill has the fever. But if he needed any consolation Saturday, he was not alone. Organizers shown that when some kind of who underestimated what he was getting himself into when he agreed in spring 1997 to be chairman of SLOC’sethicspanel. Hall presumes the answer will not be forthcoming until the U.S. Department of Justice completes its criminal investigation into the scholarships, gifts and direct cash payments that Salt Lake’s bid committee provided to IOC membersandtheir relatives in the 2002 campaign. Justice, after all, has had an extra year to build a case andthe authority to makepeopletall. “Subpoena power,” notied Hall. The Justice Department investigation showsnosign of ending. At least one grand jury in Utah, and perhaps others elsewhere, Whatever the scale of hobbyists’ addiction, vendors at the show had their measure, Ken and Yvonne Flory of Orange County, Calif., say the market is good higher for small businesses. Often big companies, such as US West,are self-insured andthere- train show” expect 10,000-plus model because trains and their model counter- See LEGISLATURE,Page C-10 two-day, whistle-stop at the State Fairpark by show's endthis afternoon. parts havebeenrolling across the American psychefor years. Lionel, for example, is celebrating its 100-year of “America’s largest touring model train enthusiasts will have attended the we could possibly makeit: in the timelimit and restrictions we faced,” said Hall. “We developed all we could do with the power we Thereport found no evidence ofcriminal wrongdoing, but plenty of ethical miscon- anniversary this year. “You throw out the name Lionel, and four in five adults say they had one as a child, their father had one andtheir grandfatheror uncle had one,” Ken said. “One in five will still haveit.” All told, more than 250,000 Americans are serious modelrailroaders who think little or nothing about dropping $500 or more on their hobby in any given year. Indeed, there are plenty of high-ticket items that will set the serious train enthusiast back even further. A 1960 Lionel set in mint condition recently fetched $68,000. More typical are the engines and boxcars available for between $1,000 and $5,000 at shows, in magazines or overthe Internet. The 700 E Hudson engine Lionel sold for $100 in 1938 is now a runawaybest- duct. It laid the bulk of the> blame on Welch and Johnson, the bid coimmittee’s senior managers. It said no facts were uncovered that proved board members; knewofscholarships or other improperpayments, but chastised the trustees — in pariticular the three: memberexecutive committee of Frank Jok- lik, Spence Eccles and Ver! Topham — for being derelict in not overseeing manage- ment'’sactivities more closely. That determination dumbfounded and angered Welch and Johnson, their attorneys and supporters. They claimed the ethics panel ignored evidence they had provided and had made them scapegorats while going easy on the board and its attorneys from Ray, Quinney & Nebeker; thie governor; the mayor; IOC; and U.S. Olymapic Committee officials. Othercriticism: The ethi cs panel did not seller that commands$6,000. Conductor lamps,like the circa 1890 models hawked by Montana vendor Les detailed notes of the investi gatory process; and an attorney from Lathaim & Watkins, See TRAIN SHOW,Page C-2 See CHAIR MAN,Page C-3 keep transcripts of interviews or maintain UTAH QUOTES “Justice was done. They paid dearly for what aedid, Ailwe were well-compensated for the injury.” ~ Caldera attorney Stephan Susman, after the company * settled its suit against Microsoft for $250 million. “How offensive is this to work- ing men and women who are paying their taxes?It's just wrong.” ~ MayorRocky Anderson, on iden parachute’ severance packages for city workers “We're just going to have to body-slam those fellas — metaPhorically speaking,ofcourse." ~ Presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, on Commission on Presidential Debates cochairman Frank Fahrenkopf Jr. and Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, while on a campaign “T've never seen Commissioner Gardner inebriated or under the influence of alcohol on the job. “We sucked.” “It’s not quirky, It's not conven tional. The reason i t seems strange ~ University of Utah gymnas- fo Utahns is becautse Utahns are What he does at home or in other tics coach Greg Marsden after used to conventionat! work. Gilgal places, I don't know,” his team's beam performance isjust original.” ~ Gary Herbert, Gardner’s * ~ Artist David Si acec, describ- commission colleague ing Gilgal Garden stop in Salt Lake City Ka pn a. oe pene Mh ~ eriperrr BYJUDY FAHYS THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE As dumb luck would haveit, last summer's freak tornado took a hard right turn just before it came to Utah's 90-year-old state |
