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Show DAILY EDITORIALS IN OUR VIEW April 19, 2006. HERALD DailySHerald Albert J. Manzi, President & Publisher Randy Wright, Executive Editor Donald W. Meyers, Editorial page editor Nancy Hale, Public adviser Cartle Newkirk, Public adviser Jasoh Bellows, Public adviser Nisa Give assurances to home buyers home buyers. Such dodges do not serve the public. For most:people, a home is mean unexpected prob- ‘the largest purchase they will ever lems for others. make, and they expect the house People who thought —_to be built well and on dry ground. their homes werebuilt on dry Ordinances like Mapleton’s force ground mayfind their basements ordinary people to have expertise flooding after the water table rein geology and hydrology just to turns to pre-drought states. Others avoid being taken by a developer he breaking of Utah's drought is good news for most, but it may may find the scenic hill- who was probably aware side coming too close for comfort after the extra rain and snow loosens theseil. = : But it seems ee Wesaw this happen some cities in CedarHills last year, take the whena landslide forced families out of their townhouses. Government must protect home buyers by prohibiting building in risky caveat emptor approach Pp areas. Or atleast it ought — buyer be to accommodate the con- ware. to require houses be built ditions — for example, no basementsin areas with high watertables. Someentities get it right. For example, Utah County requires peoplebuilding in the can- yons or in areas west of Utah Lake to take precautions forwildfires, suchasestablishing firebreaks aroundpropértyandinstalling sprinklers on buildings. The countyrecognizes thatfire is a danger in those areas and emergency crews are far away. Butit seems somecities take the caveat emptor approach — buyer beware. In Mapleton, the city requires buildersto sign an agree- mentthat theywill not suethe city if a house is damaged asa result of geologic factors, suchas rising watertables,landslides or shifting ground. The waiverrelieves the of problems. Cities already take responsibility for ensuring that homes meet Uniform Building Code require- ments. Cities do not ask residentsto sign a waiver promising not to sue the city if the builderfailed to follow the electrical, plumbing or other code. Homeownersare not ex- pected to be electricians or plumbers. The sameshould ap- ply whenit comes to hydrology and geology. Local government should require builders to meet standards for sensitive areas, and to be transparentin dealing with homebuyers.In other words,tell people what's up with the property. If a developeris unwilling to reveal all relevant information to should be off-limits. In Spanish Fork,the city was forced to pay to relocate homes afterit permitted a developerto put a subdivision on remember pioneers’ sacrifice I have visited the Martin's Cove area andit is a quiet andinspiring place. Martin’s Cove commemoratesthe | lives of more than 200 people whopulled handcarts hundreds of miles and were | “killed in a blizzardin 1856. While I am in agreement that no re- ligious proselytizing should occur on public lands,I see nothing wrong with groups who pause for a momentof top of an old landfill. All cities should take steps to cityof its responsibility to stop certan developments and improperly ensure that homeowners won't major problemson unsuspecting roles. shifts the burdenof discovering Martin's Cove a place to buyers — and in understandable terms — governmentshould block development. Cedar Hills might have been sued successfully by townhouse ownersfor allowing building in an area one engineering report said silent prayer to rememberthose who | struggled along the Oregon Trail, Cali- get surprises whenit rains hard. This is one of government’s proper fornia Trail, MormonTrail and Pony Express route. | Thosehistoric trails were the channels | through whichsettlers venturedinto the West. Too often,the trails have been | glamorized for books and movies.In re| ality, they were often roads of hardship and sorrow. MEDIA VOICES Rumsteld’s reply to generals not helping his case Fromthe Seattle Times, before the war began,Gen. Erik Shinseki, Army chief of staff, estimated it would take hundreds April 18, 2006 ive Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld credit: At least heis consistent He is as dismissive ofhis mili* tarycritics as he is of the Ameri- can public in explaining the administration’s Iraq policies. A growing numberofretired se- nior militaryofficers have stepped forwardto challenge Rumsfeld’s stewardshipof the Iraq war, from its beginning in 2003 through the insurgency towardcivil war. Their ranks are populated by generals with keydutiesin Iraq during and after the invasion. Does Rumsfeld offer the public a candid rebuttalof their criticism? Does he challenge them on the facts, their expertise or strategic failings? No,he offers a cookie-cutter public-relationsreplythat their numbersaretoo insignificant to matter. References to thousands of active andretired generals is also meantto implya bloated layer of fat in the flag ranks. Ratherthan address the content ofthe criticism, the secretary's supporters producea lengthy list of consultations,as if the sheer numberof contacts were a substitute for an open mind andthe embraceof contrary opinions. All of the grumbling is coming. fromretired officers whose pen- of thousands of troops to occupy Iraq and carry out “all the normal responsibilities that go along with a situationlike this.” Paul Wolfowitz, deputy secretary of defense, described Shinseki’s commentsas “wildly off the mark.” The Army secretary who deferred to the general's expertise was fired by Rumsfeld, and Shinseki was shunted asideandretired by that June. That memory is still raw. On Sunday, even Gen. Richard B. Myers, recently retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a Rumsfeld defender, said Shinseki’s treatment was wrong. Audible frustration by senior military officers is a long way from a challengeto the ironclad civilian authority over the military. If things get nastier, expect Rumsfeld’s defenders to impugn his critics with that dark canard. In the absenceof serious con- gressional oversight of the admin- istration's handling of the war and its cost, the public has to go far afield for reliable information. ote generals are speaking their rsais as dismissive of them as he was of the soldier in | WhenI visited the area, a guide told | me about the SweetwaterRiver. Despite | the picturesque name,it was full of | rattlesnakes. That helped dramatize the | .fact that the Mormonsettlers in wagons | and handcarts needed prayer to over- comethe perilous obstaclesin their way. Few people today would make the hugesacrifices they did. I am just glad that the BLM and LDS Church can reach | asettlement and quit the petty bickering. bJames A. Marples, rovo | Fans made Orem Owlz Easter | egg hunt a great success Toall those brave souls, both young and old, who stood in the cold, the wind | and the rain to “enjoy”ourfirst Easter | egg hunt, wesay thank you. The conditions werenot the best, but fan Casares str mienCH What about the “wall between church and state”? Whyis this political statementcoming from any pulpit in Utah? Doesn't if’seem that the LDS Church and the Republican Party are synony- mousin Utah? As a Democratic Mormon,| was not “buoyed”up nor do I see a moraleboostin thatflat statement. I agree with the unnamed LDS Church official who said the church statement “should not be overinterpreted.” Also I am in agreement with BYU's Kelly Patterson who finds little encouragement or significance for Utah Democratic Mormons. also agree with GOP Chairman Joe Cannon, whosaid, “They'll (Utah Demo- graphs,taking pictures with Hootz the Owl and the UVSC Wolverine mascots, and, most importantly hunting and findinglots of eggs. crats) be waiting a very long time.” Is there a “wall between’church and state” in Utah? Don't the church and Utahpoliticians understandthe significanceof that statement? » W. Susan Chipman, Pleasant Grove Knight Owlz Booster Club fundraiser Fearmongers stirringfight everyone seemed to havea great time playing various games, getting auto- Weappreciate your support ofthis and look forward to seeing you at more community evcats this upcomingyear. » Brenda Ridley, 2006 Knight Owlz Booster Club President Orem Line blurred rating church, state by pronouncement Astatement made by LDS Church leaders on March19 urged all church memberstoparticipatein their neighborhood political caucuses. The First Presidency added “principles _Iraq who asked him about the compatible with the gospel may be sions and ranks at discharge are scarcity of armored vehicles. The found in the platforms of majorpolitical secure. This maynotseemlike a profile in courage,but the consequences secretary's reply: “As you know, you go to war with.the Army you have. They're not the Army you, ‘ies.” So did that one line really support the neutral stand of the churchordidit re- of professional candor were made might want or wish to have at a mind MormonRepublicans and Mormon clear very early. In February 2003, - later time.” Democratsof the difference between \ them? against PFS, nuclear energy Wetrust experts in manyfields. Why then should wetrust only nonexperts the usefulness of Hill Air Force Base. Because of that response to fear, our presentpoliticians fight nuclear power, regardless of the country’s need for clean, abundant, economical energy which doesn't use foreign oil or produce greenhouse gases. i Toprotect jobs at Hill, they oppose nuclear energy, regardless ofits outstanding safety record. Without the hyped-up fears, the Goshute project would be acceptable. ) Steven C. Barrowes, Ogden . aa enship a privilege In America,a nation of law, people don’t demandcitizenship, they qualify forit. » Dave gies Provo [ ] | Howtocomment | E-mail letters to ‘“tletters@heraldextra.com Fax to 344-2985 regarding nuclear energy and nuclear Mail to P.O. Box 717, weer: have anyexpertise in » Letters must include the Asa PhD.physicist I agree that spent nuclear fuel would be dangerous if it werenot contained in massive, robust ae phone number. umber. ae » Weprefershorter letters, ventional weaponora plane crash without releasing any radioactive material into the environment. Also, more than 3,000 U.S. shipments of spent nuclear may be edited for length. ) Writers are encouraged to include their occupation and other personal information. * aie yee with noradiation » Because of the volume of letters, waste? re containersthat could withstand any con- Fearsare high because they have beencultivated, starting with former Provo, UT 84603. 100 and 200 words. Letters tmpublished eee Gov. Leavitt. Because of public fears, the » Letters ee themn Eeoperty Air Force brass would cease flying close by the Goshute Reservation, reducing of the Daily H . DOONESBURY- Garry Trudeau BD, IVEBEEN GIVING ALOTOF THOUGHT 70 Saeed |