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Show U TA FRIDAY, MARCH 4,2004 T A T E S M A N Contact: 797-1762 editor@statesman.usu.edu Utah Statesman Writing Center justified in charging fee Staff Editor in Chief Emilie Holmes News Editor Katie Ashton Assistant News Editor Brooke Nelson Admittedly prepared to take some heat for changing their policy, the Writing Center is now charging students not enrolled in an English class for its services. While the change may be inconvenient for some students, we find the reasoning more than justified. The Writing Center exists solely because of funds paid by students enrolled in flllP VllHV ' Features Editor Joel Featherstone Assistant Features Editor Steve Shinney Sports Editor Aaron Falk Assistant Sports Editor Andrea Edmunds English courses. For fairness' sake, students not paying the $35 fee, which also allows use of the Ray B. West computer lab and 200 printouts, must now pay for their visits. The fee is small, $2 or less per visit and can be paid in the Cashier's Office. Students who would normally take advantage of the center should not be deterred by the fee. The new policy will also allow others previously not able to receive the one-on-one tutoring, such as faculty and graduate students, to come in for consultations. We encourage the Writing Center to use its new revenue to continue to improve a good thing. Regardless of a-student's major, being able to write with clarity is an essential skill. Whether preparing applications for post-graduate work, or just getting a second opinion on a persuasion essay, in this information age, students need a place to improve their communication skills through the written word. World & Nation Editor Lindsay Kite JOttJIMUsa^^ A terrorism tyrant cornered As the Middle East changes all around him, Syrian President Bashar Assad still tries to play by the old rules. He figured he could sponsor terrorism in Iraq and Israel and thereby block progress toward democracy and peace. He calculated that the car bomb that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri - whether or not it was planted by his agents - would stop the gathering Lebanese independence movement. He was wrong: In each case, such tactics have been defeated by an emerging Arab movement of people power. The 8 million Iraqis who turned out to vote, the Palestinians who have overwhelmingly supported the cease-fire with Israel, and the tens of thousands of Lebanese who have been marching and camping in the center of Beirut have all proved more potent than assassinations and suicide bombs. If Mr. Assad will not yield to the new political realities they are creating, he will place his own regime at risk. There is no sign that the crude and callow tyrant gets the message. His response to the turmoil set off by nis own criminal policies has been to adopt the standard formula of beleaguered Middle Eastern autocrats: appease the superpowers, blame Israel and appeal for "Arab unity." On Sunday, in.a gesture aimed at Washington, the Syrian government abruptly turned a top leader of the Sunni insur- The Washington Post Guest Editorial SYRIA See Page 13 CANJAPA OPT5 OUT 0? V.S.fAt55iut \JJ\LL-bO IT A10NS Photo Editor John Zsiray Private property rights in the Court's hands The Supreme Court is cur- vital for economic rently deciding the most stability of the important case in the history community, and of the United States of thus justified the America. Oral arguments taking of the priowned were heard Feb. 22 in Kelo v. vately City of New London, a case property under the that questions the state's Eminent Domain established by authority under the Eminent doctrine Court's Fifth Domain doctrine created by Supreme the Fifth Amendment's Amendment jurisprudence. Takings Clause. The decision made in this case will have a greater effect in every American's life than any other case decided to date. Why the Right is Right Jared Westbroek The petitioners in this case represent four citizens of J^ew, .London, Conn.. ,Th^y. have had their homes condemned by the city commissioned Development Corporation (NLDC), after they refused to sell to make way for the event that the property they legally owned potentially would be utilized by Pfizer, a private drug company. Pfizer was expected to create thousands of jobs for New London thus improving the economic status of the community. With all of this theoretical job growth, New London expected to create between $680,000 and $1.2 million in tax revenue for the economically failing city. These activities were seen by the City of New London to be The problem is that government officials and Americans have forgotten these goods provided to us are provided at a cost and are only produced because there might be a profit in the end. The Fifth amendment states, "No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty, or property ... nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation." The Fifth Amendment recognizes that it is vital for a society, if it wants to function cohesively, to be able to take private property to provide public goods like roads. It also recognized the fundamental right to property for freedom to exist. Thus the Eminent Domain doctrine was embedded in the Constitution with a requirement that the property was only taken for public use and just compensation is given, creating an essential check on this power. There has always been strict scrutiny considering the justification for taking property. The key ingredient has always been that the public had indiscriminate access to the services provided by the land. It was a public use standard and not a mere public benefit like New London used. The public benefit interPRIVATF PROPFRTY See Page 13 Jobs often give workers more than money A few days ago my annual Social Security statement came in the mail, and for some reason I read it more carefully than usual. Perhaps it's because I'll celebrate a birthday in a month, and eacn one takes me a big step closer to retirement age. I saw something in this year's statement that I'd never *~* ^ noticed before, although a colleague assures me it has always been there. It was my entire earnings history, dating to the first job I had that paid into the Social Security system. My mind flashed back to that summer after my freshman year in college. Throughout high school I had done odd jobs, mostly mowing lawns on the weekend and occasionally helping out on a ranch. With that full-time summer employment in 1966, however, I would make more money than I'd ever made in my life - a whopping $913, enough for a full year of college tuition, room and board, with some left over for clothes, gas and other expenses. When I think back, the managers at Gifford-Hill concrete company must have understood that they Knight Bidder Tribune Bob Rav Sander! weren't just taking on another worker but were doing their part to help send a poor kid to college. My main job was to wash the cement trucks as they came in each day. And although I was only making minimum wage (about $1.25 an hour then), I worked long hours and usually got paid overtime. That's what was odd. The trucks generally didn't start returning to the yard until around 3:30 p.m., but I punched in every morning between 7:30 ana 8. There was little to do for* much of the day, so the managers had me drive the sweeper around the yard or take inventory of expansion joints. They easily could nave had me report at 3 p.m. and clock out around 7:30 JORS See Page 13 Assistant Photo Editor Michael Sharp Editorial Board Emilie Holmes Katie Ashton Brooke Nelson John Zsiray Aaron Falk Michael Sharp About Letters • Letters should be limited to 350 words. • All letters may be shortened, edited or rejected for reasons of good taste, redundancy or volume of similar letters. • Letters must be topic oriented. They may not be directed toward individuals. Any letter directed to a specific individual may be edited or not printed. • No anonymous letters will be published. Writers must sign all letters and include a phone number or e-mail address as well as a student identification number. • Letters representing groups — or more than one individual — must have a singular representative clearly stated, with all necessary identification information. • Writers must wait 21 days before submitting successive letters — no exceptions. • Letters can be hand delivered or mailed to The Statesman in the TSC, Room 105, or can be emailed to editor@statesman.usu.edu or click on www.utahstatesman.com for more letter guidelines and a submission box. Utahstatesman.com Online Poll How do you feel about the recent TSC vehicle roundabout controversy? • I think the roundabout can accommodate both cars and buses. (35%) • Ticketing cars is an overreaction. (12%) • Cars should not be allowed in that area; only buses and shuttles should have access. (11%) • I sometimes think it's a safety issue when too many vehicles are in that area. (9%) • The university needs a drop-off area in another place. (29%) • I need more information. (3%) Visit us on the Web at www.utahstatesman.com to cast your vote and see results from past Utah Statesman online polls. Check out these links on www.utahstatesman.com • Local TV listings • Faculty evaluations |
