-Editorial Bridge plan costly but needed expense lorget the* oiil adage about bridges over troubled water now. troubled bridges are getting us in hot water Hut I'.ugenians are taking steps to lix the prob lem l.ast week, the l.ane County Hoard of Commission ers unauiuinush approved a $0 million program to re place 'i t hritiges in the r ount\ over the next eight years. The plan, once completed liv 1l)'l(i. will mean that none of the county's -127 bridges will be rated in poor condition. The S1) million program was chosen over an alter nate proposal, u hu h would have cost Sti 7 million and replai ed only <(> bridges While some may argue that the less costly proposal would have allowed more money for other concerns in the county, in this i.ase the more costly plan is needed Lor one reason, the money to fund the plan is coin ing from federal timber receipts, which is in .1 surplus at the moment Since we have the money now. the board reasoned that we should use it now before the money runs out. which is likely Another reason for the more expensive plan is that we need these repairs Some 15 percent of the system's bridges now fall beneath the rating of OK or better That means this 15 percent .ire potentially unsafe to lie driving at mss, but people do it every day, unaware of the nsks they're taking That's a terrible thought Any one of us may be driving to and fro every day on a bridge that's func tionally obsolete It s almost enough to make you para noid about crossing am bridge. As the board has decided to spend the money for repairs, it should ensure the work done is of top quali t\ Some of the bridges that have to Im: fixed now are only 15 years old They should have lasted at least 30 to -4(1 years before needing repairs, according to nation al bridge experts The reasons for the fast decay of these bridges include the use of old, salvaged materials from older bridges II these structures had been built with quality in mind they would have lasted twice as long We could have used this SO million for other crucial problems in the county, such as the homeless situation. We should be careful not to make the same costly error this time by building the bridges with quality ma terials and paving close attention to detail. Hv doing a sloppy job tin- first time around, we’ve basically burned our bridges behind us. HOW CONVeNieNT, coM(?ac>ef JUST WH6N We NeftDeP iT, it pecane ^ oivaii_aPL&. A T (y&l f> v -^*u i Commission will bring better recognition This past week, wi1 km fixed <1 welcome hit id news trnm ,n rnss the highvvav Spring (iidil will u<‘• its iiu 11 hum,in rights i ommis siun We're glad fm Spring!icId t )ui twin ( itv has .ilvvavs gnltfii a had rap. oltcn placing thf sistfi tu Fugene I’artlv hei ause of thf I'niversitv. laigene has thf hfttfr pro grams hfttfi sen ii fs and hfttfr public nda t ions Hut mam l'ni\ersit\ studimts live in SpringfifId and thf formation ol thf ione mission v\ ill go a long wav toward estahlish ing fquahtv hftvvffii tin* two i itifs laigene already has a human lights com mission. i omposfd ot liv e dittfrimt sfi lions SpringlifId's commission will he composed ot a single hodv hut will perform similar l.isks lo Huge lie s The commission is designed to promote education,d and multi-cultural activities, and le,id the light against discrimination ()ne ol its roles will he to ait as a mediator in discrimination problems In realih. even i itv needs a human rights commission, and Springlield is no different The need lor such a commission in Springfield has been there for a long time, hut i it\ government has not supported one Mm ti of the congratulations tor the for mation ot the committee should go to Springfield Mayor Hill Morrisette lie formed the initial task lone, hue k in Man h. that investigated the need for the commis sion lie also served on the task ton e Morrisette and 1 i itv residents studied the human rights problems in Springfield and determined the need for .1 ( ommission Si\ months later, they produced a final re port detailing the strut lure ot the new com mittee Applications for the commission are now being accepted We urge am people who feel they are qualified to respond before the Dec B deadline The growing-up period will be the hardest for the commission it w ill need the best people lor the job. Letters Zealous I mil Kibe's lellel |( )l )l \uy 17) illustrates .1 st■ i unis contra tilt lion Kilif utlyntales private .ilitirliun |ysith puhlit funds no 11*ss) ,tl llir mother's free op I loll 1 lc proi rods yy illi t out ei n tin Hu- i‘nviri)nmt'iil peat r tlis tMsf reseun h issiit-s anti olh t'is as wtdl .mi ifiil loresls .mi ni.il rights unrt'Slrit tfd Iroe tItini ol protest anil t out ern lor I lit- homt'lt'ss Sut li zealous t om fin for so mam animals and people and plants should tin lude unhorn i hihlrt'ii Instead. tin- t hil«i is an ini onvi’ninnc i\ so it is ri* tint ft I to .i ’ 'tftus.' or " I is sue ' Hie y .i I lit* ol thf t liild is rnpl.it fd In a tlinual descrip turn ol Its stale ol development Somflhing should t h.mge I 11hfr yve should include the unhorn t hildren in our zeal ol preservation or dispense with tin- /f.d ultogfthfi and find something fist- to worry oviri ()r perhaps w f t ould 11m 1 good reason for what we value and hfllfve I'lie arguments over social and political issues lat h siillu lent philosophil al groundwork, factual observa lion, thoroughly supported as sumptions and t awfully devel oped riMMiiiing This ion is consistent, however It's much easier tu use empty llieturu ze.ilous presumption, .mil one siileil i aril .limes nl mn oppo nenls \ M Sauerwem Musii Misquoted I .1111 pleased In the i u\ erage vou nave the lorum about homeless women .mil i Inlilreii at the I In It ('enter (()l >i \uv I d However I was misquoted as s.ivinit the ills and i utility should not deal with the ohvi mis problems ot providing housing and should address the other tai tins involved in home lessness I am appalled at this error I began tin presentation with a live minute explanation ot win we must provide shelter for the homeless, and then explained that it was not the only service which was needed to success fully address the problem I emphasized that other needs mi luded putting an end to do mestic violence Marsha Kit/durt Vssoi cite professor. I’I’I’M Like news An inventory '>1 tin- \o\ _’ Patric k Perkins fouriialism Observant W ith one hand I applaud the long overdue inc reuse in park mg meler rates (in t diversity between lath .111(1 ltttll Willi the ntliei hand I must |iinnt out the IIH empt\ parking sp.ii es I i minted at ‘l .1 m on a normal Thursday morning I or years the five hour me leis near Mac (ourt have lieen live (cuts per hour Kverv space was tilled belore 8 .1 in During the da\ cars like mine often ( in led like buzzards. waiting lor the next a\ailahle spai e Now. since I don't want to spend S-l every day I take the tune to walk smell the roses .mil (omit the empty parking spates 1 presume that in light of (shadow of'’) the l'diversity's planned parking structure and its required funding, someone interpreted these underpriced meters as a souri e ot additional revenue Hravu' Hut who dec id ed 011 a rate so high that lew U ill |).l\ ' \n observant porker might have until cd that under tile old s\ stems tickets were timed .it just after t p in and rarely is sued alter that The l adversity should liar e i oiler ted lal mure than it did The new system i ertainh brings in more money hut the immediate parking problem is lar more severe Surely our able tai uIt\ in marketing, et onoiii k s. tin.iiu e and tier ision sr 1 cures could determine the de maud tor parking meters and maximize profits over the op propriate time period subjer t to the constraint of using every possible spar e Hut then, maybe they don't have the time because they 're still hunting for parking spaces of their oyy n. Brut e (ioolev Management _Letters Policy_ Letters to the editor must be limited to no more than 250 words, legible, signed and the identification of the writer must be verified when the letter is submit ted. The Emerald reserves the right to edit any letter for length or style.