The new courthouse is an ugly, scary box
The new federal courthouse displays a prominent example of European "New Brutalism" architecture within Utah.
GSA project manager Al Camp's commission for the building architects to serve the judges completely misses the point that government is designed to meet the needs and aspirations of the public.
In the past, courthouses were architectural knockoffs of Greek and Roman civilizations, perhaps because of their philosophical and/or spiritual quests defining good and evil. The new courthouse gives utterly no exterior hint of its purpose other than some industrial-type activity.
It is an example of how blind some federal bureaucrats can be in seeing the sensitivities of the locals. This should have been an easy, stately building design.
Most times when I take Trax by the old federal courthouse, I think of the numerous cases in which federal prosecutors and the courts were able to resolve cases, which, for one reason or another, could not find justice in local or Utah state courts. They were truly dragon slayers in many cases.
Every time I drive by the new federal courthouse I think, "Gosh, what an ugly, scary box that is!"
Anthony Arnason
Midvale
Trax rules need to be enforced
The Utah Transit Authority should be defunded. Why? Because they fail to enforce their rules, such as no smoking or skating at the train stations, no foul language and no feet on the seats of the train. They also refuse to have Trax police on the trains.
Yesterday, while I was riding on train car No. 1163, there were two boys sitting behind me, wanting to shoot rubber bands, and had I not said something to them, they would have shot a rubber band that could have hit me in the head.
I have seen people smoking cigs or asking for money on the platform. This has got to stop. I have seen people skateboarding on the platform, but Trax police laugh at my complaints and look the other way. I complained to the Salt Lake City Council, but they just let it go in one ear and out the other.
If Trax police won't do their job, then I suggest they be replaced by the Utah National Guard or the United States military. Enough said.
Douglas Cotant
Salt Lake City
Socialism and capitalism make for a better America
Loren Boddy [May 11, City Weekly, Letters, "Socialism never works"] needs to understand that socialism and capitalism combined make the best economy and standard of living. Our police departments, fire departments, public schools, libraries, utility companies, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and all of the city, county, state and federal agencies, etc., are all socialist agencies/systems. They are definitely not failures; a few of them just need reform.
For example, if Medicare were to include all adults and children, and be financed by a progressive health tax upon all employed citizens and businesses earning more than the federal poverty level, it would not need government funding, nor would it cause any debt. The Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, private health insurance, HMOs, PPOs, etc., would all go away. The taxes collected would go into a Medicare checking account, held by four large private banks. The funds would pay the private medical providers. This system has both private enterprise aspects and socialist aspects, and would be better than the systems used by Canada or the European countries.
Stephen Clark
Salt Lake City