Show pnmoii Sunday May 2 2004 A4 The Herald Journal Our view A couple thoughts on the school bond ject are not included in the bond H ave you noticed there are old vehicles on the few very road in Cache Valley — or anywhere else in America for that matter? New cars cost a bundle these days but people seem to spare no expense when it comes to acquiring them Why don’t people feel the same way about public schools? After all isn’t education for our children much more vital to the health of our community and overall quality of life than a shiny new set of wheels? Over the years this space has devoted a lot of ink to criticizing government spending and what editorial writers have perceived as a lack of bureaucratic in holding costs down We think for example that jsome Cache County School District administrators are overpaid Still we’ve found it difficult j jthis spring to join the outcry of Isome local residents in opposing the Cache district’s proposed $60 million school bond issue The money officials say is heeded to improve and add facilities to accommodate an Anticipated growth boom in the next IS years Although dollar--' specifics for each pro dili-jgen- ce ! I : for-doll- ar proposal the district says it intends to follow a “Strategic Facility Plan” crafted by a 27- member task force that included extensive community input Critics don’t want to issue the district a “blahk check” and this concern is valid Perhaps the district would be wiser to address its facilities needs piecemeal as future growth force' its hand But at the same timi there are sound financial reasons for getting a jump on growth And it’s important to note none of the money can legally be used for salaries (thank goodness) As school bonds go this proposal is a bold one to say the least We honestly doubt it will pass and maybe it shouldn’t But all the moaning and groaning about an unreasonable tax burden for education is hard to swallow sometimes On a $135000 home the estimated property tax increase needed to pay off the bonds would amount to $4480 a year Even if the increase is almost twice that as one vocal critic has been screaming that’s a lot less than most of us spend annually just keeping our new cars bright and shiny The j Herald Journal The Opinion page is intended to acquaint readers with a variety of viewpoints on matters of puUc importance and provide memben ot the community with a forum for their viewq Personal cokimns cartoons and letters from readers reflect the opinions of their writers and creators Editorials under the heading Our View represent the views of the Herald Journal editorial board Members of the editorial board: DARRELL EHRUCKcity editor CINDY YURTHfeatures erftor BRUCE SMITHpuMsher ' CHARLES McCOLLUMmanaging editor The HeraM Journal welcomes letters to the gdilor Potentially IMous or offensive letters wi not be published however and the erftor reservee the ri0 to edt af letters to conform to the length and style requirements of the newspaper Letters should be: Typewritten and double-space- d No more than 450 words in length Addressed and include daytime phone number for purposes of verification Signed by the author Inrfviduals are Imited to one pubfished letter within any 30dsy period Address letters to hjletterOhjnewscom Guest com- mentaries are also welcome and are run at the erftor rfscration Bad words disarmed by overuse u By Theodora Roszak Christian Science Monitor W hen the new HBO series “Dead wood” premiered I was delightfully surprised to hear a TV critic on National Public Radio make a point of knocking its wildly excessive use of obscenities — even before he got around to offering the show a positive review At last I thought a display of good critical judgment Don’t mistake me I write in defense of the expletive Every language needs its dirty words They are die cayenne pepper of speech available to communicate uncontrollable fury irreverence or vulgar insolence But the undeleted is the most obvious literary vice of ' bufday ' I’m sure social authenticity would'' be die justification offered by filmmakers for drowning their audience in dirty words Martin Scorsese whose 1990 “Goodfellas” raised expletive usage to new levels would no doubt insist that movies about gangsters or prizefighters simply wouldn’t sound real without salty language Poor excuse There is a name for work that indulges in and predictable repetition whether the words are clean or dirty We call it “bad writing” Good writing sparkles even when it gives voice to characters who are grossly inarticulate There is a well- mind-numbi- ng London publishing world Even so she and all her upscale friends cussed like sailors Woody Allen’s ' ' “Deconstructing Harry” was a mid- comedy of manners that seemed 'intent on replacing every comma question mark and exclamation point in the script with an obscenity I grew up in that quaint era when : J the moral authorities of America cringed to hear Clark Gable utter the wend “damn” Raw language — intruding once or twice used in the right way by the right character — once had a liberating and electrifying effect I believe Robert Altman was first to use the on the screen — — once in “MASH” in 1970 just I remember flinching The word packed die power reserved for nasty words The basis of that power was scarcity the sense of a boundary being overstepped But the floodgates opened after “MASIL” Before the decade was out Michael Cimino in “The Deer Hunter” was timing dialogue to make sure there was a dirty word every six seconds Of course the generation that came out of the Free Speech Move- ment and the 1960s has grown up to season its speech with casual profanity Its political opponents once deplored such incivility but if we can judge by Richard Nixon’s White House tapes they woe themselves Every language needs its dirty words They are the dle-cla- ss cayenne pepper of speech available to communicate uncontrollable fury irreverence or vulgar insolence But the undeleted Fexpletive is the most obvious literary vice of our day developed body of work that does a brilliant job of injecting wit into degraded English The warriors who ' fill Shakespeare’s history plays were as soldoubtlessly as diers and gangsters in our time but die bard didn’t need to wallow in obscenity to make them come alive And think of Charles Dickens Ring Lardner or even David Mamet — before Ire too joined the smut parade Today it doesn’t matter whoi’s talking: Everybody sounds like Tony Soprano Strenuous cursing has become standard dialogue in everything except costume drama — until that is “Deadwood” “Bridget Jones's Diary” was about an articu- late young woman working in the f foul-mouth- ed J : See WORDS on A5 Your view Visions of a new downtown park To the editor How fortunate for the renewal of life in downtown Logan that Utah's state legislature in March denied funds for a Workforce Services office building in city center where the Cache County Sheriff's office and jail are scheduled to be demolished iii May How appropriate it is that this site instead can he transformed into Logan city's first public park in the heart of town True the city has such pleasant shady parks as Willow Park GarfT's Wayside Garden and Merlin Olsen Park But these restful areas are on the periphery of downtown The welcoming refreshing greens and shades of the Tabernacle grounds in city center are y private and devoid of benches How readily economically and fittingly then a new public park can be created on the old jail site The offering of such a humane pause in people-friendl- all Logan center’s shadeless radiating asphalt pulsing motors and blaring brick w alls and concrete walks can be made by a simple westerly extension of the freshly landscaped grounds of the renovated courthouse For downtown workers shoppers walkers and weary this new readily accessible public park can provide surcease in a continuation of courthouse shade trees and cool lawns interspersed with restful benches and picnic tables and perhaps the plash of a small fountain Jan Bakker Logan Charter schools succeed sans bonds To the editor As an alternative to the $60 million being requested in the bond election consider charter schools Charter schools are tax funded public schools They receive WPU (per pupil)Tunds like other public schools They do not get bond money Drive by Thomas Edison Charter School at 180 E 2600 North in North Logan and see what kind of school buildings can be built without increasing your property taxes Compare the test scores of Thomas Edi- son to those of other public schools in the valley Children can be educated just as well without raising property taxes Vote NO on Tuesday - Teri Miles Mendon Reasons to vote on school bond yes To editor the I would like to encourage voters young and old who live in the Cache County School District to find out where their polling stations will be for Tuesday's bond elections mark the date with a big star and plan to attend and vote YES on the school bond election! I will! I have volunteered at the schools my children attend for 16 years 1 1 of these while living here in Cache Valley I have appreciated becoming rcquainted with good people whose business it is to teach our youngsters as well as dedicated volunteers I do not attend school board meetings regularly but I have made an effort to get to know two of the women who serve on this board I admire them and thank them for their service and yes I trust them! I also trust the judgment of the task force who recommended the amount of money the bond will authorize I have attended meetings and learned about the recommendations the task force is suggesting This group was made up of 25-3- 0 people from all walks of life and most of the communities in our district The list included some I know and admire I have seen nothing within the buildings of this district that is not modest and serv iceable We do not have fancy facilities in this district we cannot afford them I do not expect the new buildings and other improvements planned to be any different (If there are flashy appointments at some schools it is probably the work of a generous donor How thankful we are for them!) I believe that the school-ag- e population in the district is growing and that there is a need to house them! Right along with that growth come parents owning taxable property Rather than grouse about others wanting to live and raise their families in this lovely place let’s care about one another work together for the common good and support our elected school board in their efforts to help us educate our children Who’s with me? Carrie R Norr College Ward Soccer league not a city program To the editor In response to a previous letter to the editor regarding the recreational soccer program of Logan I'd like to clarify some misunderstanding The recreational (and competitive) soccer program is an independent league for which the city is not directly responsible I'd like to express my thanks to the city particularly the Department of Paries and Recreation for their efforts to provide fields for the soccer community They have coordinated with the league to provide these fields and have worked hard to be sensitive to the league's needs The city has been supportive of the soccer community and has met its civic duty for many many years As to the nature of the complaints and concerns raised I'd simply like to provide a little background First the league is nonprofit and almost exclusively volunteer-ru- n The few individuals that have stepped forward to provide what has largely been a rewarding experience fra1 the kids should be applauded However our league — unlike the other two leagues in the valley — is significantly understaffed Second the competitive program is run considerably different from the recreational program This is because the stresses of organizing the com- petitive program can be alleviated more easily There are more proverbial “carrots” to hand out per capita funding is larger and participation — by nature — is significantly smaller It is what it is Providing recreational soccer is not for the faint of heart Yet if you feel as I do the league could enjoy some improvement I would Encourage all members of the soccer community to look for opportunities in which they can provide their skills and time to help your league Alleviating pressures in seemingly unrelated areas can sometimes have profound effects Your help is needed and requested Finally to all the coaches that have filled in as the leader of these young teams my profound gratitude goes to you Parents my hope is that you will join me in this express it to your coach and encourage your kids to do the same To me there are few greater fulfillments than to be a coach of young kids developing skills while having fun Again thank you! Michael Huff Logan I 'XtfHt conclusions tn mere to Gejjatfvnl out of a multitude of tongues tfci araj iyil of auifwitaautuUction' — JuJge Leaned ffoU America jurist (lS72-19t- l) |