Show Naming highway after Bangerter discriminatory Dear Editor For the past few weeks I 1 have been hearing all the debates regarding the proposed name-change name of South to Dr Martin Luther King Jr Drive The general feeling of the people Ive I've talked to is that the or so dollars re required required required re- re to reprint street signs and directories directories directories tories is too great a cost and after all why do we need a new name for the al already already already al- al ready common South I have listened listened listened lis lis- lis- lis to both sides and given it much thought I read in the Salt Lake Tribune this weekend that the West Valley City Council already has approved the re renaming renaming renaming re- re naming of the West Valley Highway to the Bangerter Highway after our former Governor Norman Bangerter I have lived in West Valley City all of my 20 years and I have never seen such a waste of my tax dollars in all my life The highway still is under construction construction construction tion for the most part and the stretch that already is in place had new brand signs put up not more than six months ago The city members were not consulted consulted consulted con con- before this change was made and if they were as most of the city's governmental actions are concerned the city sure didn't try a whole hell of a alot alot alot lot to find out the peoples people's opinions on the subject I sure would have given them mine In the article the city justified l the name change by saying that the former governor had done extensive things for West Valley City and should be As far as I am concerned the most Mr Bangerter did for West Valley was rezone old property to make it more marketable to state out-of-state companies companies com com- panics th that t hire state out workers He all but ignored the needs of the working class who supported his tax hikes the discriminatory taxes sin and his most memorable lake pumps in the polluted Great Salt Lake He rarely addressed the underpaid and strike threatened strike threatened and Hercules employees who under his administration have lost their jobs and are arc finding it nearly impossible to be retrained All this from a man who graduated in the heart of Magna Cyprus High School and who lived within a rocks throw of West Valley Valley Val Val- ley City I admit I am coming from a a. a family who has felt the brunt of Mr Bangerter's administration being the daughter of a employee and union mem mem- ber But from what Ive I've seen Mr Bangerter has tried to whittle away at atthe atthe atthe the working class until they cave in give in or drop out I for one will not pay tribute to a man who let my family wait in fear of a shut-down shut while he did nothing to save it If the West Valley City Council would like to honor a former governor gover gover- nor I suggest they give that privilege to the late Governor Scott Matheson He was the one responsible for the upgrading of West Valley City and its economy He was the one who took a stand for the working majority in inthis inthis inthis this once small town and gave pride r to the people living there He was the kind of governor who listened and acted on the peoples people's behalf not for what he deemed as the peoples people's best interests Maybe Im I'm looking at this wrong May Maybe e we should name the he highway Bangerter Highway After all during the Bangerter administration wasn't Bangerter construction the most highly contracted construction group for the state What a coincidence My father always told me to choose my battles carefully As I see it the people who are complaining about Dr y King Drive and not saying a word word about Bangerter Highway haven't chosen a battle at all We cannot honor a man who fought his battles with peaceful actions actions ac ac- ac and moved an entire nation and generations to act on injustice but we feel good about honoring a man who has done more harm than good for West Valley I think its it's more than the money I think its it's the precious idealism of a few lightly disguised racists I hope Im I'm wrong Connie Carmie A. A Anast medical secretary 4 |