This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The good fight: Milford Flat and Pine Creek. Dakota Ridge and Neola North. Monarch and Kimball and Kate. The battles of the 2007 fire season are already legendary. From the Color Country to the high Uintas, more than 450 fires have burned more than 600,000 acres in Utah. And there will be more. Thank goodness for forest-fire fighters. They've safeguarded our homes, properties and lives by dropping tons of retardant, manning miles of firelines and removing fuel from the path of the infernos by fighting fire with fire. And while lives and homes have been tragically lost, it's safe to say that the efforts of our local, state and federal firefighting corps have saved many more.
An open book: The technology exists. So why not use it? That's the question being asked on Capitol Hill by Rep. Bradley Daw, R-Orem, who says he will propose legislation to require city council and local school board candidates to upload their campaign finance disclosure forms onto the official state Web site. Daw said the law would increase public access to these important documents that allow voters to track donations. It's a great idea, as anyone who values openness and transparency in local government will agree.
