* WINNER: Salt Lake City for being such a good place to live. A few days ago City & State Magazine, a publication for local government officials, ranked the Utah capital No. 1 among 195 cities in terms of economic strength. This ranking comes on the heels of a review by Places Rate Almanac, which ranked the Salt Lake City-Ogden metro area as the eighth best place to live in North America.
* WINNERS: Retailers. With a week left until Christmas, many stores across the country report that sales are meeting their expectations and consumers appear to be spending more on items for the home. Sales at shopping malls, for example, have increased 5.7 percent since Thanksgiving, compared with the similar period a year ago. This suggests that consumers are dedicated to strong if not extravagant buying.* WINNER: Philanthropist Walter Annenberg - for being so generous. In the largest single gift ever made to public education, he is providing $500 million over five years to schools around the country.
But the recipients will be losers if they don't deal more effectively with the school violence that Annenberg warns could ultimately destroy our way of life. A new survey shows that 23 percent of students and 11 percent of teachers have been victims of violence on or near school property.
LOSER: The global campaign for human freedom. A new annual survey shows that 531 million people who used to enjoy a measure of freedom and democratic rights are no longer free. Another 300 million people formerly ranked "free' are now living in countries that are only partly free.
LOSER: The Pentagon - for being forced by Congress to spend more money on projects that have little or nothing to do with national defense. Among these projects, according to a new survey by the Claude Pepper Memorial Foundation, are museums and sports jamborees. What's more, Congress goes behind closed doors to make most of the decisions on diverting military money to non-defense purposes.
- BEST HINT OF THE WEEK: The one aimed at holiday shoppers on the basis of a new survey by the Discovery Research Group in Salt Lake City. The survey shows that among men and women of all ages, the favorite Christmas gift of all is - are you ready for this? - cash. Next in line are travel, clothes, audio and video accessories, and books. So much for the old notion that a gift of cash lacks intimacy, creativity and good taste.