Thursday, April 9, 1998
Thumbs up/Thumbs down
Restaurant cleanliness
Thumbs down to the Hawthorne City Council for recently
discarding a plan to adopt a Los Angeles City ordinance that would
require restaurants to post their health inspection scores in view
of customers.
The city council believed that because of the infrequent
inspections, a restaurant that was cited for uncleanliness, yet
cleaned up its act, would be forced to bear the scarlet letter for
no reason.
This entire issue can be solved if the inspection procedure was
modified to allow inspectors to make more frequent visits to each
restaurant.
More frequent inspections would keep eating establishments on
their toes. In addition, the restaurants should post the exact
problems they have experienced in full view of their customers.
The system has its flaws, but customers have a right to know
about the cleanliness of the facilities in which they and their
families choose to dine.
Computer elitism
Thumbs down to the University of Minnesota for considering a
requirement that all incoming students must own a computer. To
require all students to purchase yet another large item, along with
paying tuition, housing costs and food, seems elitist.
Many college students will arrive on campus already owning a
computer.
To deny students that simply cannot afford one is a bad
idea.
It would discourage students from applying if they knew they
would not be admitted based only on their economic status and
inability to purchase a computer. Furthermore, this is will place a
heavy burden on low-income households.
The university should be responsible for installing more
computer terminals in campus computer labs and make them accessible
to all students.
Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down represents a majority opinion of the Daily
Bruin Editorial Board. Please send comments and suggestions to
thumbs@media.ucla.edu.