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Show The Salt Lake Tribune OPINION Ai8 WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2001 OURVIEW Call Special Session As state revenue projections come in, Gov. MikeLeavitt's recalcitrance next year, the only way they can do theirduty for the governor ses. into special session. Underthe state sion to deal with a majorstate reve constitution, the Legislature has the power ofthepurse, but only the gov- about calling a special legislative nue shortfall makes evenless sense thanit previouslyhas. The mostrecent figures the ‘gover: ernorcancall it into special session. nor has; indicated a desire to.continue even more, ofa revenueshortfall due to a weakenedeconomy. Last month amidreports that the state shortfall could reach $177 million, the governor shunted some leg: islative requestsfora s aside. Instead of having lawmakers spending on public education, the single biggest item in the state's budget. In an ideal ecoriomy, most Utahns wouldagree withhi ut this is not a timeandthereality, hard asit meet to decide on whetherto cut budgets to reflect revenueflows or to is for someto accept, is that government is inescapablylinked with and dependent uponthat of the economy. boost taxes to counter them, Leavitt proposed a combination of cuts and Government neither creates nor generates wealth, but lives off the tapping into thestate's rainy dayre- wealthof theprivate economy. When servefundtothe tune of $60 million. The latest figures, however, show the folly of the gubernatorial Since the governor's proposal, plan. short fall estimates have risen, more Utah companies have announced lays henit is ng, the wealth available for government to tap dwindles too. ‘There are two ways government can Ei closed, like Novell and Gene respectively. The state revenue pic: ture, in few words, simply is getting worse. The most wayto ad- dress it is for the Legis| action. Until the general ureto take ion early p, this is alegislative call. Thegovernor should ensure that kers have the opr to make their call before the damage Fighting Porn The proposed moral nuisancelaws that Utah's empress of porn recently presented to lawmakers contain nothing especially newororiginal, certainly nothing that justified the Legislature's creation | year of Airline Subsidy halls shouldlookatthis 1. thing similar. It would achieve the purpose without the mi: wink and encouragement ofgovernment to confiscate private property which the Utahproposalcontains,al‘ways a dangerouspropositionsinceit ity invites abuse. Pornography Complaints Omsbudsman. Oneproposal would allow authorities to fine, shut downorseize cabarets featuring nude dancing. The oth- er, aimed at unwantedand obscene email, would allow civil lawsui againstInternetservice providers While a legitimate case can be made against the proliferation and commonality of pornography and its coarsening effects on society — the Nov. 19 issue of National Review, fortnightly magazine of politics a and culture, does so admirably — Houston’s proposed nuisancelaw aimedat nude dan halls is not especially original. Cities throughout the coun- try have followedvariations of this practice for years. For example, Chicago has allowed election precincts to conduct plebi- scites to determine whethera baror tavern constitutes a community nuisance. This has been beneficial for prohibitionists, although they have hadto dissemble the moral motivation of theirzeal in the guise of public nuisance. Utah communities interested in regulating or closing nude dance The e-mail proposal is worse. This mischievous and stupid suggestion focuses onInternet service providers, not the originators of the questionable messages. This is akin to punishing the postal senvice because someonedislikes the mail someone sent himorher. In one sense, this twisted approach make: ense. If the tool is civil litigation, pays to focus on what isor is perceived to be the deep pocket. Attorneys general have provedthey are not beyond th sort of ambulance chasing. Just look at the tobacco settlement, or the gang up on Bridgestone/Firestone. Neither of Houston's suggestions represents the best thinking whenit comesto discouraging pornography, whether it takes the form of nude dance halls or unsolicited e-mail. Neitherjustifies her uniqueposition or the real money, extracted from hard-working Utahns eking out a living as best they can, that is spent on her in light of the manyoflawyers populating the attorney Se office, Forest McBride (Forum, Oct. 30), the subsidythat the government granted full. name, signature, addi When American Airlines Flight 587 crashed in the Rocka’ ection of New YorkCity last week, ing all on board andfive on the ground, the nation initially feared there had been a repetition of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Since then, that concern has faded as the investigations point toward a mechanicalorstructural failure as the disaster’s cause. Butin the Rockaways, peoplestill weep. They cry for a neighborhood that has had more than its share of pain. Between 70 and 100 people from this neighborhood of small family homes died in the World Trade Center, many of them police officers or firefighters. Anintense painis also still being felt in another part of New York City — the gritty Manhattan neighborhood known as Washington Heights. More than half a million people who have immigrated from the Dominican Republic live there. And they weepfor the 175 paisanos whodied on Flight 587, which was boundfor Santo the Rockawaysarea of Queens. It won't be easy, but healing will come, Evenif the Nov. 12 deaths are not linked tothe terrible events of Sept. 11, these victims are just as deserving to be remembered as those whoperished in the terrorist attacks. The LosAngeles Times TheSalt LakeTribune UTAH’S INDEPENDENT VOICESINCE1871 PUBLISHERS PUBLISHER , John F. Fitzpatrick (1924-1960) minic Welch EDITOR James E.Shelledy John W. Gallivan (1960-1983) EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR é Jerry O'Brien (1983-1994) a RandyC.Frisch developing a single theme are more likelyto be published. y ee piece in The Tribune (Nov. 11), His comparison of all who do not agree with “Chicken Little” did not leave mefeeling reassured. ~ First, Arrington gave his papers to USU to ensure access. His past expe- rience evidently madehim fear thatif his papers were in the LDS Church’s possession, they would not be avail- air, aircraft were going out two-thirds empty. Simple economics if there is ® Mail to Public Forum, The Salt Lake Tribune, P:O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110 did not create an inventory is irrele- no money coming in, and millions going out for salaries, fuel, airport fees, changes have to be made. @ Ourfax numberis (801) 257-8950. @ Our e-mail addressisletters@ sltrib.com, At Delta they have offered excellent packages for voluntary layoffs and retirements as have the other airlines. As .the economy turns around more people will be flying and employees will be called back. Many of the managers, vice-presidents, CEOs have chosennot to receive their bonusesthis yearuntil their respective airlines are back to making profit. The normalfare to Missoula that you quoted inyour letter has an advance purchase ofat least seven days out, notfive. As a suggestion, try the In- ternet — airlines do offer fares that are deeply discountedon-line. KATHLEEN FLATLEY dering thousands on Sept. 11. Still, violence is approved — by the ones committing it — in mostofits instityitionalized forms (wars and massacres bystates, lynching, beating chil- dren). One recent Public Forum letter declared that violence does solve problems,citing World WarII as one Faulty Legislation The GOP leadership in Congress have been pushingfora vote on a fast track trade negotiating authority to expand the controversial North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), claiming that this will somehowboost the economy.Thefast track legislation itself will have exactly no impact on the economic slump.Fast track merely sets ground rules for congressional consideration of a trade deal if deals can be negotiated. This is not a trade deal itself, it creates no market liberalization and it lowersnotariffs. Fasttrack doesnotrebuild,it does notrestore, it does not heal andit will not bring America together. In fact, heavy-handed tactics on this vote by the congressional GOPleadership are sunderingthe bipartisan unity which has reigned since the Sept.11 attacks. The shameless fast track promoters are selling the American public snake oil. Fast track legislation will generate no economic growth, create no able for researchers. Second, that he vantif the executorsofhisestate, his family and USUall understood what documents were to be deeded. Third, any suggestion that Arrington was less than honorable or that he violated a trust is being raised by the LDS Church,not the media. The media did not cause hisrelease as historian and it was not the media that sent “students” to monitor his lectures at Brigham YouUniversity. Fourth, asking if we would wish this sort of information revealed about us is an interesting question, given the numberoffamilies as well as researchers who do hot donate their records to the LDS Historical Department. It would seem that there is a lackoftrust in the motivation of theinstitutional church andthat it is perceived as more concerned about its own image than individual privacy. Fifth, I agree the issue is about ownership but only because possession and ownership determine access. What's censorship to one party may merely be the efforts of mid-level functionaries to protect an institution that’s actually doingfine. Lastly, being compared to “ChickenLittle” wouldn't be near as offensiveit hadn’t comefrom “Father KnowsBest.” BRUCE SMITH Gig Harbor, Wash. Qa jobs andstimulate no wealth. GEORGEW. NECKEL Salt Lake City Questionable Display fect (exceedingly important) was to save Jewsstill alive. Young persons think we went to war against GerAdvertising Litter many because of Nazi murder of Jews. False. Germany declared war Congratulations to Highland first. Even educated persons wrongly think the Holocaust waspart of war, MayorJess Adamsonforhis battle to butit began before any act of World bring down those ugly posters and War II: Germanykilling its own citi- signs that all these litterbugs are zens who were non-Christian(not just nailing to public property. Here in WestValleyit looks like we may have Jews). Equating Pearl Harbor and Sept. the nicknameof Waste Valley. Those 11 is shallow: Pearl Harbor was a idiotic signs and the eyesore they military action against a military create haveto be removed. I suggestthat the police contact the target at a time when the USA was already producing weaponsfor war. owner of thé sign by tracking the World WarII made us emperor; rul- phone numbers and addresses on ing the world has been a hard and them. Cite the litterbug and then the bloody task ever since. Our action judge mustsentence the critter to 10 against Vietnam grew out of power days of community service of taking changes due to World WarIl, for down otherlitter, removing staples andnails from the utility poles, bus example. Our Civil War? Did it save the stop benches and then finish the senUnion? North and South are hostile; tence by making the lousy litterbug the nationstill reeks from the intel- paint damaged public property. The same goes for the jerks who lectual sickness of slavery. Andthe violence of Sept. 11? It le- putflyers on our windshields when gitimized G. W. Bush:as president; it our vehicles are parked in shopping substituted Old Glory for a black centers, malls or other areas. These armband or crape as symbols of idiot polluters need to get a life and mourning. Are we a happy people? stop trying to make a fast buck off So-so. As long as Prozac and other those of us who would like to kick mood-affecting drugs last. their litterbug butts. Last month,Salt Lake Organizing Committee President Mitt Romney personally stood before the Salt Lake City Council and assured it that construction of the Olympic rings in the city’s foothills would be done with little or no environmental (Tribune, Oct. 17). We already know this to be untrue. Two new roads have appeared near the site. There is substantial erosion, even before the start of serious construction or the winter rains and snow. Romneyclaimed that access to the site would be on existing roads. He didn’t mention that one of those roads had been constructed by SLOC only weeks before. Effective repair of the damage will require several hundred thousand dollars. I suspect that in fact no repair efforts will be undertaken.If so, we will end up with scarred hillsides and new roads that will act as magnets for every teen-ager in the valley with access to a 4x4. A larger issue is more troubling. Apparently, Romney feels justified in making false and misleading statements to the City Council in support ofwhathe perceives to be the “greater good”of the Olympics. Are these the values that we want associated with this event? CLARE OLIVER WestValley City WILLIAM B. THOMPSON Salt Lake City example. That war’s onlypositive ef- Salt Lake City 4 clusion would be reached. That sf - until I read Steven R. Sorensen’ received, not all submissions are published. ETHEL C. HALE ‘THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE, 143 S, MAIN ST, SALT LAKE CITY , 84111 versity and the LDS Church had agreed on a process to resolve ownership of Leonard Arrington's papers, I was reassured that an equitable con- mercial airliners. Once theairlines were backin the refundable, tickets as the weapons of choice b¥the terrorists were com- serve distortions of history. No word can describe the depravity of mur- traveling to her homeisland to visit her husband. AndFelix Sanchez, a young-financial consultant who handied investments for Dominican baseball players, He had been away from his World Trade Center office when the Sept. 11 attacks occurred. His luck ran out when he boarded Flight587. New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani organized a prayer service last Sundayfor the victims of both of the neighborhoods; the rites drew top officials and more than 4,000 others to @ Keepit short. Concise letters After reading that Utah State Uni- @ Please typeand double space. @ Letters are condensed and edited. ® Because of the volume of mail Distortions of History Ivelisse Taveras, a 42-year-old hairstylist and mother of two who was confidential. non-refundable tickets as well as on A memory spanning decades may be a curse;it is uncomfortable to ob- Domingo. Aboard the flight were people like and Informa- tion other than your nameand the city in which you live are kept monetaryloss the airlines were experiencing; The airlines were grounded for almost three days while newsecurity measures were put into place. People were cancelling their tickets and refunds were being given on a Neighborhoods Weep Anew daytimetelephone numbers. to the airlines after the World Trade Center tragedy was to help with the Roy ANOTHER VIEW Less Than Assured We Welcome Letters @ Whensubmittingletters to the Public Forum, please include your In responsetothe letter written by Paula Houston's position as Obscenand THE PUBLIC FORUM worsens. £ vax geen tants } y |
