Forty years ago, my daddy warned me "nothing, nothing is ever as good as it seems." He was singing Micron's theme song.
I don't know who are the bigger fools, Micron officials for miscalculating everything from their positioning in the industry to their own management capability or the people of Lehi who were so anxious to invite Micron into their homes and gardens they put on blinders to all the what ifs and wherefores associated with such a venture or the Utah County Commissioners and Alpine School District for approving tax incentives for Micron or the government of Utah, which failed to adequately check into the background and personalities of this high-tech company and put far too much dependence on Micron's ultimate contribution to the state coffers.The ultimate question is whose greed was greater? Did we not learn anything from the likes of Adnan Koshoggi. He promised Utahns a fair chunk of the world and sweet-talked everyone in the state, including a prominent bank and LDS Hospital. All the while he was buying planes and yachts and living a life diametrically opposed to the values and history taught in most Utah homes.
And now Micron is going to finish the exterior of their buildings and reassess their future. While they're at it, maybe they can cover the buildings with climbing vines, carry away their junk, level the land and return it to some semblance of what it was before they terrorized the landscape of previously pristine property. Let's see if the people of Lehi and the government of Utah have the courage to get in Micron's face and demand closure. And maybe while they're at it, the state can set up some guidelines as to how to render judgment's on such matters in the future.
Utah County must now suffer the rebounding effect of Micron's blunder. Property values, proposed employment, planned business ventures or expansions - not to mention the community psyche - have all been affected. As the sole consolation prize, Micron has offered the people already hired positions in Boise.
Utah has always been known for having a tough edge. It's time to use it and not be mesmerized by strangers bearing gifts.
Gene Minshall
Salt Lake City