This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sanpete County should allow small homes
monday • The McMansion is as dead for many Americans as the fax machine. Zoning laws should be rewritten to account for that new reality. Which brings us to Chris Jaussi, who is attuned to the spirit of the times. His Zip Kit Homes, located in Mount Pleasant, manufactures small, energy-efficient houses in a factory. But there's a problem. Sanpete County has a law that specifies a minimum size for single-family homes. In the editorial "Small homes," The Tribune Editorial Board argues that the ordinance, which effectively outlaws the smaller homes that Zip Kit makes, is unfortunate. Considering the barriers to owning a single, detached home that the housing collapse and the slow economy have created, Zip Kit sounds like it would be the answer for some folks.
—
Police, protesters models of civility
tuesday • The Salt Lake City Police Department rolled up the Occupy Salt Lake encampment in Pioneer Park a week ago Saturday, but that's not the story. How they did it — without breaking heads, without ugly confrontation — that's the story. Both the police and the protesters deserve credit for setting a high standard for humane behavior at a nonviolent demonstration. Police Chief Chris Burbank notified the protesters a day in advance that they would have to clear out of the park at sunset Saturday. For their part, the protesters stayed true to their pledge of nonviolence. Basically, both sides kept their cool. In the editorial "Peaceful ending," the editorial board points out that there's been a lot of empty talk lately about civility in political affairs, but police and protesters walked the walk that Saturday night.
—
Let's give privatizing liquor a hearing
wednesday • The scandal at the Utah liquor monopoly has given state leaders a headache. Some even say that Utah should turn the liquor business over to the private sector. We agree that allowing market forces to shape the liquor business would be an improvement in some cases. One example would be letting demand determine the number of stores and licenses, rather than using today's arbitrary population quotas. In the editorial "Private liquor," the editorial board says it would be surprised, however, if a majority of the Legislature, most of whose members are Mormons who abstain from alcohol as sinful, would ever give up the state's tight control of booze. Governments here are addicted to the $100 million the liquor monopoly pumps into state and local treasuries. Still, Washington voters approved a measure to get the state out of the liquor business while retaining regulations to prevent abuse. Sounds like a good model. Most Utah legislators worship the free market, but there is only an outside chance that they could give privatization a fair hearing.