Utah gets an 'F'

When I was in school, there was real shame in getting a D grade, let alone an F. If you got one, you worked hard to improve your grade. My, how times have changed.

Gov. Gary Herbert and our Legislature's leaders show no shame over Utah's F grade for air quality ( "Air pollution in Utah gets 'F' grades from American Lung Association," Tribune, April 25), even though it damages the health of Utahns and the state's reputation.

It's because voters don't hold them to account with the political equivalent of being grounded, having their allowances cut and forced to go to summer school. There is no serious effort to catch up.

Our leaders have become immune to feeling embarrassed by bad grades. After all, Utah's been getting Fs in education funding for years, and our elected leaders have shown no determination to get their act together. Instead, they're allowed to go outside and play with their new highways, sometimes at the expense of education funding.

At last, someone needs to be the adult, the parent, and take charge of our priorities. Sadly, it'll have to be the feds, because voters here are not interested in disciplining their wayward leaders.

Shame on us all.

George Walker

Salt Lake City