Rocky extends an olive branch

Davis County leaders can feel the love.

One county to the south, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson is feeling a similar vibe.

And so, with all these good vibrations going around, Anderson has an offer — call it an olive branch — for the Davis County leaders he's been feuding with for the past two weeks.

Anderson pledged to slap an "I (heart) DAVIS COUNTY" bumper sticker on his natural-gas Honda Civic if Davis County commissioners return the favor.

"I'll put one on my car if they put an 'I Love Salt Lake City' sticker on their cars," Anderson said. "I think that mutual love is a good thing."

Davis County Commissioner Alan Hansen said he's more than happy to take Anderson's quid pro quo, which, at least symbolically, may help quiet the political war being waged between Utah's capital and its neighbor to the north.

"Absolutely, I've got nothing against Salt Lake City," Hansen said. "I'll put it right next to my 'I heart Davis County' one. I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Anderson's olive branch came after the commission pulled nearly 300 "I (heart) DAVIS COUNTY" bumper stickers out of the closet Tuesday.

The stickers are being dispersed in response to Anderson's Jan. 11 State of the City speech, which drew the ire of many Davis County residents and politicians.

Still, it's unknown whether any stickers will be available for Salt Lake City's mayor. Hansen said he will deliver the heart-felt stickers to state lawmakers at Capitol Hill today.

But if Anderson really wants one, Davis County could order another shipment.

"I'm sure we could get more if we need more," Hansen said. "We sure love our county."

Anderson said Tuesday he loves it, too.

In his Jan. 11 State of the City speech, Anderson chided his "friends from the north" who clog traffic, foul the air and "make us sick simply because of the choices they make about where they live and how they get around."

Two weeks later Anderson maintains his speech was not meant to be critical of Davis County but rather of the proposed $750 million Legacy Parkway, a second north-south highway through Davis and Weber counties.

"My comments were not anti-Davis County; they were solely in the context of urging a mass-transit first approach before we build more highways that are going to create more traffic, more pollution and more serious cardiac and respiratory disease, as well as cancers," he said.

Davis County leaders are still upset about Anderson's 2-week old comments. During a County Commission meeting Tuesday, commissioners joked about Anderson's comments directed at his "friends from the north."