This news is not so thorny

Newspapers are often criticized for reporting so much "bad news," an observation with which I take exception. Thank heaven it's "news" when bad things happen and good things are routine. On the other hand, stories like "Utah 'stingiest' in aid for poor" (July 12) focus on the thorn to the exclusion of the rose petals.

If the story is read back to front, here's what it says: Utah has one of the lowest poverty rates in the nation. Because ... it has an economy that's better than most like other Western states, citizens here believe in "personal responsibility." And faith-based poverty programs take up some of the slack. While Utah's $1,712 per low-income person for Medicaid, food stamps, and other benefits is nowhere near as generous as Maine's $6,401, we do provide a safety net, and it does help people until they can become self-reliant. If helping people get back on their feet is "stingy," then maybe we are.

Clark Larsen

Holladay