For 12-27-92 
Boycott Baseball? Ok, Fine -- But You Go First 
It Doesn't Seem So Long Ago That Kirby Puckett Created A Fuss By Becoming The 
First Baseball Player To Collect A $3 Million Salary.

What About 
Those Raises?

Monday, December 21, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





lead editorial for saturday dec. 19 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Kanjorski must open up about Earth Conservancy &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; An open letter to Congressman Paul Kanjorski &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Dear Congressman: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 We suspect you're surprised by the opposition surfacing among Luzerne
County officials against your Earth Conservancy project. We're surprised, too:
A research center set up to solve environmental problems? The chance to
reclaim huge tracts of coal-scarred lands? And the strong possiblity of
thousands of jobs? The proposal is almost too good to be true. We expected
local officials to run, not walk, for your bandwagon, and for the region to
endorse your project as a united front. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 After all, Earth Conservancy seems tailor-made to do the one thing Luzerne
County sorely needs: diversify the local economy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But we guessed wrong. Many local officials are deeply skeptical of your
idea. Some are downright hostile. That's why we're writing this letter: to
suggest three concrete proposals with which you might turn that opposition
around. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 We sense the root of the trouble lies in a word mentioned above: seems.
Earth Conservancy seems to be good for the region. But no one knows for sure.
No one, in fact, even has enough information with which to make an educated
guess. We have only your word. You're asking us (and the people of Luzerne
County) to accept your predictions on faith. And considering the stakes
(15,000 acres of land and $20 million in tax dollars, for starters) and the
atmosphere (of bone-deep suspicion of elected officials by the public), that's
probably asking too much. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Here are our thoughts. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 1. Open your meetings. It's not enough to suggest, as Wilkes University
President Christopher Breiseth did, that Earth Conservancy's board deserves
the privacy accorded a university board of trustees. Earth Conservancy is not
a university. It is an organization financed (in large part) by tax dollars
that could forever change the future of this county. Fifteen thousand acres,
after all, equals a plot of real estate five miles on a side. That's an awful
lot of land to entrust to a dozen "suits" sitting around a table. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Opening your meetings would remind people of the high caliber of your board
members; remove the cloak of mystery that currently surrounds the board; and
get more facts about the conservancy out in the open. We think that would go a
long way toward assuaging people's fears. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 2. Give elected officials more power. Your "citizens advisory board"
doesn't cut it. County commissioners and borough officals want a say on this
project -- and they deserve it, since they're the people charged with
representing "the little guy's" interests. Your current board seems top-heavy
with corporate and university bigwigs; a little diversity might go a long way. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 3. Show us your experts. Right now we have only your word that Earth
Conservancy can be a success. But no prudent investor would gamble $20 million
on such assurances. Where are the people lining up to say, "Yes, Earth
Conservancy is a great idea" -- the scientists, the captains of industry, the
military generals? Your own enthusiasm for the project is enticing. But it's
not enough. People around here want to hear other experts give their support. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 These are just suggestions, Congressman. But we urge you to think about
them. After all, the current strategy clearly isn't working as planned. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Science

Lead Editorial For Saturday Dec. 19 1992 
Kanjorski Must Open Up 
About Earth Conservancy 
An Open Letter To Congressman Paul Kanjorski 
Dear Congressman: 
We Suspect You're Surprised By The Opposition Surfacing Among Luzerne County 
Officials Against Your Earth Conservancy Project. We're Surprised, Too: A