This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Utah County Sheriff's Office not above the law — Provo Daily Herald Editorial

"... It's bad enough that Deputy Edwin Randolph, the subject of a lengthy list of complaints and more than one criminal investigation during his tenure, continues to remain employed. For those unfamiliar with Randolph, he's the deputy at the center of Brigham Young University's handling of the reported sexual assault of one of its students — a case BYU became aware of after Randolph was accused of turning over the case files in an effort to facilitate an Honor Code Office inquiry.

"That one black eye should be enough for the sheriff's office to take some action. However, every bit as poor has been its response to those who are legally attempting to obtain information about Randolph's conduct. ..."

Speaking of which:

Newly released records: Deputy wanted BYU Honor Code Office to investigate alleged rape victim — Jessica Miller and Matthew Piper | The Salt Lake Tribune

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Utah sputters and spins on SAGE and Common Core — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial

"Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has failed a big test. So suggesting that a lot of other people around the state be excused from tests they were facing is the least he could do.

"The governor took a break from his busy fund-raising schedule Friday to suggest to the Utah Board of Education that it should stop using the state's own SAGE test to review the progress of high school students. And that it should, like him, give up trying to explain to parents and activists what the Common Core education standards really are and abandon those, too. ..."

"Utah children came dangerously close to being used as pawns in Gov. Gary Herbert's re-election campaign.

"But thanks to House Speaker Greg Hughes, it didn't happen. ..."

The political lightning rod that is Common Core — Deseret News Editorial

" ... It is true that the very term 'Common Core' has become a political lightning rod. But to abandon it, and the unique Utah Core that has resulted from the diligent efforts of the State School Board will not in our opinion bring any greater clarity to this issue. Any effort to chase ignorance around a table will lead to nothing but exhaustion. ..."

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More homeless left behind by Utah's economic boom — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial

" ... The economy in this neck of the woods is up dramatically. Construction is booming. Unemployment is down. Utah is consistently ranked as being among the best places to do business.

"Yet the most recent figures from people whose job it is to watch such things is that homelessness in Utah is up 7 percent in the last year overall, and has soared 17 percent among families.

"This sad development is not in spite of all that other good economic news. It is, in many ways, because of it. ..."

The problem of rising rents — Deseret News Editorial

" ... This is a situation where the needs of the poor require immediate attention, and individual situations need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis as governments seek broader, comprehensive solutions. The free market should not be used as an excuse to allow the poor who are in need of housing to fall through the cracks."

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UTA needs to break the secrecy habit — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial

" ... The pull felt by the board and management of the Utah Transit Authority to ignore its nature as a public agency and keep various — or any — of its activities out of public view is apparently very strong indeed.

"How else to explain a recent decision that meetings of the UTA board's various committees are to become closed-door 'work sessions' from which the public that rides, and pays for, the transit system will be excluded. ..."

UTA's closing of committee meetings violates the Open Meetings Act — Ogden Standard-Examiner Editorial

" ... Utah Transit Authority, you made a bad call. Even Gov. Gary Herbert took time on Thursday to blast the decision. Don't wait for the courts to order those meetings open — do it on your own. ..."

UTA can take a hard lesson from Washington — Deseret News Editorial

" ... We applaud the leadership of UTA for recognizing the need to rebuild the public's trust and for taking action to begin that process. Rather than allow UTA's lack of public confidence to follow the path of Washington's Metro system and become a detriment to progress in the entire region, every effort must be made to build a transportation system that is cost-effective, reliable and that has the public's trust and confidence. With the coming airport expansion, this region has the potential to be a national model for integrated multi-modal transportation systems. Let's make it happen."

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Guv's 'speed-dating' scheme is just pay to play — Salt Lake Tribune Editorial

"It's not easy to embarrass a crowd of lobbyists with a plan to sell political access, but Gov. Gary Herbert and his political staff managed to do it Wednesday.

"With Herbert looking on, his campaign staff told a couple dozen lobbyists and supporters about their 'speed-dating' plan that would grant one-on-one access with the governor to those willing to give generously to his re-election campaign. ..."

If you've got the money, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has the time — Ogden Standard-Examiner Editorial

" ... This is a governor who's raised more than $6 million since 2010. He'll get the money.

"But now Utah voters will wonder, 'At what cost?' "