Comments about ‘In our opinion: A good idling order’

I think that this is a great idea. But cities and towns should tell motorists not to idle, only after the various citiez and towns have timed their lights. Timing the light is the big lown hanging fruit in terms of air quality and fuel efficiency. Turning off idling vehicles is nice, but it won't have the same impact as timing lights.

The stupid timing of the traffic lights in this valley is the problem, not cars idling at the airport.

Normal, everyday citizens generally do not let their cars sit idling for a long time. Why? Because, idling burns gas which is very expensive so it is money out of your pocket even if you couldn't care less about pollution.

This ordinance seemed to be necessary in order to get state workers from letting their state cars sit idling for hours. Why? Because the gas being wasted was not paid for by the driver. It is paid for by the taxpayer. Another example of government waste because those doing the wasting don't have to pay for their mistakes.

This is a silly, superficial idea that will make little difference. But I don't have a huge problem with it, as long as the state legislature continues to have the wisdom to stay out of it for PRIVATE CITIZENS. This is not something that should be mandated for the rest of us by force of law.

Re: ". . . government understands the value of cleaning its own house first."

No, it doesn't.

First off, this order will have NO effect -- absolutely none -- on Utah air quality. And everyone knows it.

Secondly, this merely shows that Utah government has decided to adopt the liberal federal policy of symbolically pandering to deranged enviromental activists, who shrilly demand adoption of annoying and expensive procedures that chip away at quality of life, even if -- especially if, it often seems -- doing so produces no actual benefit to the environment.

Tree huggers' real issue is control. Were this 1930s Germany, they'd be the jack-booted bully boys whose quest for control got so quickly and tragically out of hand.

If Utah government really understood the value of cleaning its own house, it would do so by adopting a policy of ignoring the tiny gaggle of clucking extremists, and concentrating more on what real people want.

Round-abouts, not lights at intersections!

I would hardly think this one small step qualifies Herbert as leading out on enviro issues. Sure, it's a start - going for low-hanging fruit (and small fruit at that). Herbert needs to step up and demonstrate a willingness to go beyond the minimum federal standards. Instead, he fights those minimum standards and Utah's air stays polluted.