I am incensed about the continuing controversy over the Utah Transit Authority's John Pingree. Zack Van Eyck's article on May 1 says Pingree likely will not survive the lynch mob, a k a half of the UTA board. I'm sure this 19-year transit veteran will survive.
It will be the residents of the Salt Lake Valley who will suffer if Randy Horiuchi, Dan Berman, Sam Taylor and other self-serving individuals get their way. I still don't understand why these individuals want to fire Pingree. In most businesses, personal reasons do not constitute grounds for dismissal.Besides, how can you replace Pingree, a man who has guided UTA to national prominence? Because of his sound guidance, the American Public Transit Association has twice named UTA the best transit company in the nation, most recently in 1996. UTA has also received the highest safety award for the transit industry twice in the last six years. And, the national search committee for the Orlando transit authority has identified Pingree as one of the three top general managers in the U.S. It just doesn't make sense to oust him, but then again, Horiuchi has made a career out of not making sense.
I beg the UTA board members to have the courage to break the strings from their puppet masters and do what is right for Utah. If Merrill Cook can admit he was wrong by opposing light rail, you can vote in favor of Pingree and prevent this injustice.
Katherine S. Creer
Salt Lake City