For The Gateway developers, one would hope this experience might help them see that being a responsible corporate citizen is an investment in their community. Being a good neighbor is good business. It gives them the opportunity to examine their corporate behavior and the values they reflect. Healthy communities are realized when citizens, government and the private sector work together.

Hopefully, planning staff, too, have learned the most important thing they bring to government during their stewardship is trust and involvement of citizens. The value of sound planning is that it provides stability and predictability upon which people can invest and plan for their future.

The City Planning Commission can keep the public's trust by maintaining the integrity of the 1999 master plan rather than making it so people have to fight their own government. Who knows, maybe someday Charlie Brown can trust Lucy to not pull the football away at the last minute.

---

Utah native John Florez has founded several Hispanic civil rights organizations and has served on the staff of Sen. Orrin Hatch and on more than 45 state, local and volunteer boards. He also has been deputy assistant secretary of labor. E-mail: jdflorez@comcast.net