The winners and the losers

Winner: Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon stood up to fellow Democrats this week and vetoed their plan to raise property taxes countywide. Why did he do it? Because, given the current economy, the last thing people need is for property taxes to reach deeper into their pockets. That is the great paradox of government. When times are bad, the impulse is to tax more in order to cover losses. But what government, and the economy, needs is for more people to spend their own money, expanding businesses and creating demand. Corroon seems to get it.

Loser: This may have happened way out of our circulation area, but the death of a 2-year-old girl by a pet Burmese python in Florida should be a warning to everyone everywhere. Do not keep dangerous animals as pets. The Humane Society told the Associated Press that at least 12 people, including five children, have died from pet pythons in the United States since 1980. Given the occasional reports of people found to keep tigers or monkeys in their homes, without anyone else's knowledge, the total number of deaths from dangerous house pets is probably much higher.

Winner: Is Salt Lake City family-friendly? Is summer warm? Forbes.com this week ranked Salt Lake City among the most family-friendly cities in the nation. But the criteria were a bit different than you might expect. Compared to median income, people here spend less on life's necessities than they do most other places, leaving more for family stuff. Apparently, sometimes the simple things in life do cost money, after all.

Winner: Don't let it be said Utahns are passive in the fight to restructure college football's Bowl Championship Series. Sen. Orrin Hatch wrote an essay on the unfairness of it all, which was published by Sports Illustrated. And next week, University of Utah President Michael Young will testify to the U.S. Senate on the matter. At issue is whether the BCS violates antitrust laws. Of course, the U. finished undefeated last season, including a win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, and never got a chance to play for the title. By the time Utah officials are through with this, we hope the BCS brass wishes they never let that oversight happen.

Loser: If someone calls, says he's your grandson and asks for money, hang up politely and then check it out. Salt Lake City police say scam artists from Canada are targeting the elderly in Utah with this fraud. The whole idea is to get people to wire cash to a location in British Columbia. Usually, the scammer says he's been in an accident or been arrested for DUI and needs help, but he doesn't want you to tell his parents. Three women in their 70s and 80s already have filed complaints about this scheme in Utah. We hope that doesn't mean many others have given money but are too embarrassed to say so.