JuniperWest

Are All Pro-Voucher Arguments this.....well, bad?

2007-10-25T07:45:00.000-06:00

First of all, two disclaimers:

1 - I do not claim to be an expert on this voucher thing. I only know what I read and what my Dad tells me.
2 - I do not have children, and if I did I would definitely consider sending them to a private school...but I would not use vouchers, I would make the sacrifice, apply for the scholarships, and in other ways pay for my own choice.

That being said, I read the Op-Ed linked to above, and I think common sense can refute most of the arguments laid out in it. So, here we go:

First of all, the title Like to make your own choices? Vote for vouchers, makes me wonder at what point we weren't able to make our own choices for our childrens' education? Can you not home school your child, send them to charter schools, or even send them to private schools now? Indeed you can...vouchers are not suddenly going to give you choices: you already had them. Don't have the money to send your child to a private school? Apply for scholarships, work with the private schools to get better rates on tuition...there are options. Vouchers aren't really going to help with that much of the cost in the end anyway. According to the pro-voucher website UtahVouchers.com you can get between $500 and $3,000 per year...which hardly makes a dent in some private school tuition bills.

Next, "It's bad for public schools," they say. Why? Supposedly, because it will bankrupt them. But I say if the financial part of this bill could make it past the Utah Legislature, then I figure I don't need a degree in accounting to realize the money part will work out.
Common sense here is as simple as knowing that the Utah Legislature does not always know best. Most of them don't have degrees in accounting either, and they operate based on politics, not common sense. Anyone can see that by taking a look at what is accomplished in each legislative session in Utah.

Utah has a lot of kids. In fact, about one fourth of our population is school-aged children. And we all know we don't spend a lot of money per pupil. Generally, that's bad. So if a private school thinks they can do better, with even less money, then go for it. Isn't this a free-market economy?
First of all....we don't spend a lot of money per pupil. So why not give more funding to PUBLIC schools? Seems the obvious answer. Secondly, the idea of the free-market economy is not that it should run based on government dollars but private dollars. Also, the school system should never be run like the economy. If it was, the least privileged and most oppressed citizens would be left behind.

Private schools and charter schools work on the idea of providing a sound general education with perks -- maybe religious, maybe a focus on science or language, generally smaller class sizes. If you want to choose that for your child, I am willing to pay some tax dollars so it can happen.
Personally, I am willing to pay some tax dollars so that every child can get a quality education that isn't influenced by religious ideologies or by schools over which the government has no oversight. If we were to better fund our public education system, we could have smaller class sizes and improve instruction in science and language. I don't want my tax dollars to contribute to the religion you teach your child. Pay for that yourself.

"Your child could be taught by a teacher without certification, or even a college degree," they warn. Guess what? A good estimate in Utah is that your child will spend an entire educational year being taught by substitute teachers before they graduate from high school. Most substitutes do not have a certification, and technically they do not even need a college degree.
In talking with a teacher friend of mine yesterday in casual conversation, she stated that she wished substitute teachers didn't need to have a degree. That indicates to me that, in fact, substitute teachers are required to have degrees in most school districts. Also, one year (if in fact that is a reliable estimate of the number of days your child's public school teachers will not show up for class) of unqualified teaching is far better than 12.

"Average Utahns can't afford the difference in tuition," the ads intone. So what if tuition was $4,000 and you, according to the income guidelines, got $2,000 toward a private school you liked for your child. Is $2,000 a year too much to pay for your peace of mind? That comes down to $222 extra a month -- less than a car payment for many people.
Honestly, $4,000 a year isn't too much to ask for peace of mind, is it? If you can't afford $335 a month, apply for scholarships or loans. People do it all the time.

We also need to realize this has, quietly, becomes a national battle. It is sort of pitting the teachers' associations (anti-voucher) against the pro-voucher people. Many other states are looking to Utah to see what will happen. Does the teacher's union have enough power to dictate your choices to you? I hope not. Besides, if the unhappy parents decided to take their children and leave the public schools, the teachers should be even happier.
The teacher's union has never dictated my choices, the choices of my parents, or your choices. We do not live in a country where we are helpless about everything from what we eat and wear to where we live and where our children go to school. This author loves to play the helpless card, but I'm sure she simultaneously believes in the American Dream...the idea that if you really want something, you pull yourself up by your bootstraps and go get it. No government handouts required.

That's perhaps the most perplexing part of this whole argument. Most of the people arguing for vouchers call themselves conservatives. Traditionally, conservatives have been against government handouts. So perhaps, on this issue, I come out on the conservative side. I believe that if you want to make the choice to send your child to a private school, that's your prerogative. That doesn't mean I should have to pay for it. It's a free market, you have choices, and I say go out and make them. More power to you. Meanwhile, without children of my own, I'm happy to have my tax dollars go to a school system that, while sometimes broken and less than stellar, still serves ALL children, regardless of who their parents are or what they believe. That's the true American dream.

Conserve Water and Taxpayer Money

2007-06-01T10:15:00.000-06:00

I've been saying it for a long time, but it's nice to finally have an "official" opinion on water problems in Southern Utah. Read more by clicking the title above.

An Honorable Distinction?

2007-05-23T10:04:00.000-06:00

Davis County has recently received the honorable distinction of being the county that is ranked first in the entire United States for homes with 4 bedrooms or more.

Of course, to those of us who have witnessed the explosive growth and encroachment of Davis County suburbs, this comes as no surprise. Huge McMansions are crammed together on what was once open farmland, coming closer and closer to the important wetlands of the Great Salt Lake.

Sure, Utah families are some of the largest in the nation, but according to the article "In much of the country, the growth in big houses is fueled by suburban homebuyers seeking luxury, rather than big families needing space." I wonder if this is true in Utah? I have only one personal example:

My sister and her husband are currently on home #3 in Davis County with four or more bedrooms. They have made a habit of building large homes, staying a few years, selling, and building an even larger home somewhere else. This for their family of 4. Certainly they do not have a need for 4 plus bedrooms. I wonder how many other families are following the same path?

The McMansion trend is destructive not only environmentally but in terms of building communities. They are thrown up haphazardly with little thought for infrastructure, they encourage isolation by their design, and they suck up energy and water in a West that is struggling for both.

More reasons to do away with Vouchers!

2007-04-11T09:33:00.000-06:00

Post 100----Thoughts on Extremism

2007-04-09T17:30:00.000-06:00

In recent weeks, I have noticed two protests from opposite ends of the political spectrum that make me feel exceptionally moderate, and I've been meaning to address:

1) From the extreme liberal end:

Loch Wade, a resident of the small town of Boulder, Utah, insisted recently that The Nature Conservancy return a donation from the controversial EnergySolutions Foundation.

Conspiracy-theories aside, there is no logical reason that The Nature Conservancy, or any other non-profit, should be censoring donors according to what they believe, do, or practice. Consider the slippery slope down which this censoring would lead...soon, non-profits would not be able to accept donations from any corporations, or even individuals with political persuasions that are opposed to the "purists"...no Republicans allowed!

We cannot let our own "pure" beliefs about something stop important work from being done. I have seen this countless times from extremists, but one example comes to mind: I used to be a subscriber to Mother Earth News, the bible of hippy enviros everywhere. One issue had a particularly maddening letter to the editor, in which the writer blasted the magazine for using a celebrity to discuss environmental issues, claiming that this celebrity was not doing it "for the right reasons." What is this elitist "you can't help because you aren't doing it for the right reasons" view going to do to actually solve the problems we are faced with? We cannot judge the person or company that wants to help, or we will never do the important work that needs to be done.

2) From the extreme Conservative end:

The Bountiful PTA wrote a letter condemning the national PTA magazine for running an ad purchased by PFLAG that advertises a scholarship they offer. They claimed that running such an ad means the national PTA is supportive of alternative lifestyles and went further to say something about these alternative lifestyles not being based in science.

First of all, PFLAG is "Parents, Friends, and Family of Gays and Lesbians"...read: not gays and lesbians, but people who know and love them. These are straight people! Secondly, they are advertising a scholarship, not an alternative lifestyle. The truth is that there are kids out there, even in Bountiful, that are "gasp" GAY! and could use not only a scholarship, but compassion. The Bountiful PTA seems to be sadly lacking in the latter.

Furthermore, why this sudden obsession with science? It seems these people are fair-weather friends of science...only when they think it's useful will they use it, but their use of it in this case is ludicrous, false, and....well, not based in ACTUAL science. Last I recall, science was being thrown out the window in favor of "intelligent" design.

And finally, the same argument applies here as with the EnergySolutions/Nature Conservancy example...why should the national PTA turn away groups that are willing to purchase advertising space in a magazine that is an important part of an important organization trying to accomplish important things? Particularly if said ad is focused on helping our children, of all backgrounds and persuasions, continue their educations and grow as citizens?

On another note, HURRAY for Post #100!

Refreshing

2007-03-27T07:41:00.000-06:00

Do you think anyone will get fired over this?

I heart Carolyn Tanner Irish

2007-03-14T07:44:00.000-06:00

Our family has a Christmas tradition of visiting "other" churches on Christmas Eve to observe their traditions and worship styles. It has been a very enriching experience over the years, and quite eye-opening when I was a young Mormon girl being taught that my church was the only true church.
I am not religious anymore, but the tradition still stands. This past Christmas, I wanted to be sure and visit a church that leaned more toward acceptance, inclusion, and even blessing of gays and lesbians. I attend the Unitarian Church occasionally during the year, and they certainly are inclusive, but sometimes I truly crave the words and hymns of the devout: the people who are not afraid to say Jesus in their hymns. So we (myself, my Father, and my youngest sister) went to the Episcopal Church this year. It was quite beautiful: the hymns were fast-paced and exhilirating (not like the slow LDS hymns of my youth). The sermon, given by the Right Reverend Carolyn Tanner Irish, was thoughtful, inspiring, and uplifting.
But I am still not religious. This weekend, I visited my sister in San Diego. She has labeled herself agnostic for several years now. I didn't know how to feel about this, because I don't know how I feel myself. But this weekend she told me that she believes there must be a God, though not the God of our youth or the one we were told to believe in. There are too many things in her life, she says, that are good and happen for no other reason. I was glad to hear it: of anyone I know, she is the one that most needs a center to ground all her amazing energy and drive.
But what of me and my center? I have been watching the laboring of the Episcopal Church in regard to Gays and Lesbians, hoping that I might find a place where I can go to investigate my Christianity while being fully accepted and loved for who I am. I was disappointed with the national church's leaning away from full inclusion of GLBT people.
But Rev. Irish has been a bastian of tolerance in a state where little is to be found. She and other open-minded supporters have proved to be little islands to which my sanity can cling when I think I have chosen to live in a state where who I am is not only not okay, but downright wrong. It is especially relieving to see this fair-mindedness after the dark days of the Utah Legislature.
Thank you, Reverend....and God Bless You.

Being Green in the West

2007-03-03T19:35:00.001-07:00

There is a house on 1300 East in Salt Lake City that has a powerful draw for me. It has large expanses of green lawn, both in front and stretching back behind it to what looks like beautiful green gardens and shrubbery. It feels like home, even as I drive by and catch just a tiny glimpse of it.

But as an environmentalist in the West, being drawn to that beautiful green place, even coveting it for my own, is truly a dichotomy. After all, as Patty Limerick said at this week’s Stegner Symposium, the environmental movement in the west should not so much be called green, as brown.

There are many colors that make up the palette of Mother Nature in the West. Green has a minor role, and is usually quite pale and pastel. Much more prominent are tones of red, gold, brown, gray, and blue. The colors of the spectacular vistas of the west have little room for green.

Water is such an intrinsic part of who we are, and perhaps we must surround ourselves with its byproducts, namely lush green lawns and bushes, and even water features such as ponds and fountains, so that we can feel secure in an otherwise hostile and waterless environment.

We evolved in the lush green jungles of the world, thrived and grew as a civilization in the green expanses of Africa, Europe, and Asia. We staked our places on the banks of lakes, rivers and oceans and the lush green countrysides bountifully watered by the skies. Only much more recently have we begun to find our places in the desert, where storms are sporadic, brief, and powerful, and evaporation extreme.

It would seem that living in such a hostile environment would breed an appreciation for water…even a religious fervor for it. But somehow, we in the west have managed to ignore the precarious nature of what little water we have.

With so many environmental issues pressing on our minds, it is hard to prioritize where our focus should lie. But if I learned anything at the Stegner Symposium these past few days, it is that every issue in the West, and indeed worldwide, that we can imagine either affects or is affected by water. Climate change will affect water. Power production is affected by water. What we do each day in our showers and with our lawns affects our neighbors both upstream and down. It is not an issue that can easily be overlooked…indeed, it is a life and death issue in the arid West.

I was also privileged to hear a speech from Pat Mulroy, the controversial head of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which has proposed various water projects and has many people up in arms around the west. The conservation methods that have been undertaken both in Las Vegas and other major cities in the West, such as Phoenix, are inspiring. But it is not enough for just a few cities, or even just for the major urban centers, to conserve water. It is essential that all people in the west rid their minds of the idea that water is abundant and theirs for the taking, and begin conserving everywhere from the banks of the Colorado to the edges of the Great Basin, to the small towns of backcountry Wyoming. We must take a larger view of the water supply in the west, no matter where we live or how many people surround us.

We must change our hearts and minds when it comes to green. In a land of so many colors, we must let go of our ancestral affinity to the color that is most harmful in the West. We must embrace brown, gold, gray, red, orange, and blue.

We must change the message of environmentalism in the West. Through our water conservation actions, through the rethinking of water systems in the west, through innovative ideas and approaches to water use and conservation, we must fight together for the browning of the west, and the embracing of a new life in the desert.

2007-03-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

Taking Action for Education

2007-03-02T20:47:00.000-07:00

As I posted during the legislative session, there are more than a few reasons that vouchers are not the answer to helping the public education system help our schools. Although some dirty back room deals got the vouchers bill passed in the Utah Legislature by one vote, and various conservative groups across the nation are hailing it as a landmark, the idea is fundamentally flawed, and the politics behind it are untrue to the people of this state, a majority of whom do not support it in polls.

I have just returned from a UEA function I attended with my father. It is inspiring that despite huge odds, the people who know and love education are not willing to give up in the face of the adversity that is Utah. In fact, they have started a petition to gather at least 92,000 signatures from across the state, that would put this issue to Utah voters. It may be a close call...but every fight worth fighting usually is. Read about it in both the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune.

The group that is running this petition drive, called Utahn's for Public Schools, also has a website that will be up at www.utahnsforpublicschools.org.

This is democracy at its best. When the legislature does not represent the majority of the people, but blindly ignores their opinions and even votes (Curtis is a fantastic example...after nearly losing his last election he not only ignored what the people were trying to tell him but turned around to slap them in the face on voucher legislation), the only choice is for a groundswell of people to take it back to them and make them hear what the people have to say.

They may not have the dollars of Parents for Choice, but they do have the passion and the people, and a firm belief that public education is the greatest achievement and strongest foundation of a representative democracy.

E.O. Wilson: The Rock Star of Conservation

2007-02-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from the keynote lecture in the Nature of Life series sponsored by the Utah Museum of Natural History and The Nature Conservancy. The speaker was Dr. E.O. Wilson, the world-reknowned entemologist, scientist and conservationist that has taken on the taboo task of merging science and religion in the pursuit of a common goal: the preservation of biodiversity around the world.

His lecture was insightful, sprinkled with humor, and surprisingly optimistic. He spoke with certainty not only of the ability for these two seemingly diametrically-opposed forces to join together for the good of the environment, but of our ability to surmount the mind-boggling problems of global warming, loss of biodiversity, and the destruction of our planet.

His most resounding message was just that...his optimism. He firmly stated that no matter the challenge, we are not incapable of halting the destruction or indeed, of reversing some of the damage, if we act quickly and with resolve. He continued by saying that no nation on Earth is more poised and able than ours to take on these challenges.

But first, he said, we must create a cohesive force among the different religious and scientific factions. Dr. Wilson has stepped out from the crowd of scientists and environmentalists: the ones that are crying wolf but refusing to cross the chasm to reach out to the very people who need to be reached the most.

It may be a lonely place, for the time being, but E.O. Wilson stands with resolve and undying optimism that his work will lead to the changes necessary. He refuses to give in to extremist stubbornness that characterizes so many of his colleagues, but instead cavorts with the "enemies" of science in the hope that together, their love of The Creation, no matter their beliefs on how it came to be, will motivate the saving of it.

He called this the "Century of the Environment", and perhaps the most important time for us to focus on the planet and how we have affected it over the years. We can work together to save the places we love most. The places that are not only our most amazing and diverse places, but the most necessary to our survival as a human race. We cannot do it alone, but must embrace those of different backgrounds and beliefs to create the changes necessary. Dr. Wilson has begun this work, and it is my hope that the scientists and Evangelicals he continues to meet with will follow his lead.

Check out the other lectures in the series here.

New Tourism Tagline for Utah!

2007-02-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Why Today is a Good Day

2007-02-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

Here's why today is a good day (despite being a mostly bad day):

1- Tomorrow, there will be no legislature to roll my eyes at.

2- Tonight, a great event to see E.O. Wilson live at Kingsbury Hall.

3- Today, giving blood at 1:00 like I promised I would.

4- Currently, it is not snowing, but the snow is still white!

5- My Alma Mater, UVSC, has been given the go-ahead to become Utah Valley University.

6- I do not have class tonight!

What makes today a good day for you?

More Reasons not to visit Kanab

2007-02-27T08:28:00.000-07:00

It seems that one developer in Kanab will capitalize on anything, including ancient Anasazi ruins located on a site he plans to develop into 700-800 homes...but he'll preserve 20 acres of open space for an active archealogical dig among the new homes. Does anyone else feel slightly uncomfortable about this?

Ah, to be Ignorant

2007-02-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

Schreiner has a great post on Republicans, Bush, and Utah lagging behind on the biggest issue of our time...climate change.

Talk like a Liberal, Walk like a Conservative

2007-02-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

The article I have linked to above is from November 30, 2006. I just stumbled across it last week while completing an old list of To-Do's from my boss, one of which was to find this article for him.

I was stunned to read it and thought it deserved a revival here. I wanted you to know how it shook me to the core of my liberalism. No, I am not and never will be a born-again conservative, but I have been forced to consider a few things.

Am I a young idealist? Yes. I dream of a world where the poor and the rich are not quite so far apart, where the environment and the economy can live in harmony, where all humans have all the basic rights afforded to those that were lucky enough to be born into privilege. I am a liberal and have been since I was born. I believe in government's role to help the people, not just govern them. But what am I if I am not willing to do more than just talk about what I believe in?

I do not want to be the brand of liberal that Arthur C. Brooks has discovered most of us are. I don't want to just talk the talk...I want to walk the walk.

Brooks says there are three main areas where liberals really lag behind conservatives: money donated, time donated, and blood donated.

Here's how I plan to address those three areas in my own life:

I believe in gay rights, but rather than sit back and just blog about it, I plan on giving (through workplace giving) $500 to Gay Rights groups this year. I also plan to volunteer...a lot. I serve on the board of a local lesbian group called Swerve, and just this past weekend put in 8-10 hours of volunteer time. I plan on volunteering at Pride this year as well.

I believe in preserving the environment. Besides working at an environmental non-profit every day, I plan to give $200 to groups like The Nature Conservancy and Grist.

I believe in Public radio, so I plan on donating $80.00 to KCPW this year and volunteering for the fund drives.

There are so many other things I believe in, but I want to put my money, time, and blood where my mouth is. So, though I am deathly afraid of needles, I plan on giving blood at least three times this year.

I do not want to be the classic hippy liberal, the one that goes about my own business...live and let live. Perhaps this is the biggest difference between conservatives and liberals. Conservatives have a sense of duty to their country, their churches, and their peers. They live by a code of etiquette. I want to do that also. I want to have an ideal, a voice, a duty, and a code by which I live and address my fellow human beings.

I want to talk like a liberal, walk like a conservative.

Fighting for the Square

2007-02-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

It's personal. I wasn't there, I don't know anyone who was, but that doesn't mean I am not personally affected by the killing spree at Trolley Square. I drive by every morning on my way to work. I visit the Old Spaghetti factory with my wife almost monthly. I frequent Tabula Rasa if only just to look around because I love the feeling of that store.

And this morning, I'm going back. Tabula Rasa is open, and I plan on picking up a few Thank You cards. Tomorrow, my wife and I were planning on going to the Old Spaghetti Factory for a little Valentine's dinner...and our plans remain unchanged.

Because we can't let fear get the best of us. Sure, it's frightening to go on living life. Sometimes it even feels a little disrespectful. But President Bush, shortly after 9/11, was right on one thing: we can't let fear stop us from doing the things we've always done...or else the terrorist/murderer has won.

That's why I have to go back. There's no other way for me to make it right in my own heart and mind. It is my own personal healing process. I have to fight for Trolley Square, so it can feel normal again...so the legacy of the place can outlive the legacy of the killer.

Amaechi Mania

2007-02-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

The sad thing is, I'd never heard of the guy before he came out.

But props to him for standing up and being out in the homophobic world of professional sports -- both men's and women's sports.

And then there's his assertion that Salt Lake City is the best gay community east of San Francisco! HURRAH! If that's not taking it to the man, I don't know what is.

Get Out to See It

2007-02-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Last night after class I stumbled back to my car, but to get there I had to walk through the Jewett Center on the campus of Westminster College. I was amazed at what I saw there.

In the lobby and areas surrounding the Emma Eccles Jones Conservatory, there are hundreds of t-shirts in a rainbow of colors, making up a display known across the country as The Clothesline Project.

This stunning display has t-shirts in colors that stand for different kinds of domestic violence: White represents women who died because of violence;
Yellow or beige represents battered or assaulted women;
Red, pink, and orange are for survivors of rape and sexual assault;
Blue and green t-shirts represent survivors of incest and sexual abuse;
Purple or lavender represents women attacked because of their sexual orientation;
Black is for women attacked for political reasons.

I walked around, tears streaming down my face, as I read what survivors had written on their t-shirts: stories of loss, despair, hopelessness....but also, stories of strength, of moving on, of overcoming. It is powerful.

This display is part of a larger event including Westminster's production of "The Vagina Monologues," which I'll be attending this Thursday or Friday proudly wearing my Vagina Warrior t-shirt. Get your information here and get out to see it!

The Gay Agenda Hoax

2007-02-05T18:02:00.000-07:00

Troy Williams has penned a fantastic article in the Salt Lake Tribune about the "Gay Agenda", the radical likes of Gayle Ruzick and Chris Buttars, and a few humble kernels of truth that many people should understand.

That's right Gayle, the "Gay Agenda" includes such immoral pursuits as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those of us that you would term "gay activists", such as myself and Mr. Williams, really just want to spend the rest of our lives with someone we love and have what every human being rightfully deserves. So we fight.

But we are not some huge force bent on overtaking the planet, "recruiting" heterosexuals to the "homosexual lifestyle". If anything, I take a look at my GLBT community and wonder why some of them just don't seem to care. Sometimes they seem nascent, too caught up in life to fight for their own rights. Then, I realized...it's because they're too busy living their lives, building partnerships, buying homes, raising children, coming out (often painfully) to friends, family, and strangers every single day to devote any time to seducing the youth of the nation.

I would venture to say we're much more normal than Gayle.

The War on Schools

2007-01-31T07:30:00.000-07:00

It is obvious from the slate of bills before the Utah Legislature that there's an agenda here...and it's distinctly anti-school and conversely, anti-school children.

We begin with the voucher bill, or the spin title "School Choice". This elitist bill would take money from the worst-funded (even during a huge surplus) public schools in the nation and give it to parents to send their kids to private schools. Here's why it doesn't make any sense:

1 - The upper limit is $3,500 per year. At last count, the tuition for Waterford School in Sandy was $15,000 a year. The rich can pay that with or without tax credits, but why not throw another bone their way? They claim these credits will benefit people with all incomes, but what poor family can come up with $11,500 more to pay for private tuition?

2 - Private Schools would receive public money without having to answer to the public. Private schools can hire whomever they please, as long as they meet standards set by the board of the private school. They can teach whatever they want, or not teach whatever they want. There are not testing standards or attendance standards.
While I agree that parents should be able to have a say in what their child learns in school, if they want to send their kid to a place where there is more focus on religious tenets than math and science, public dollars should not subsidize that.

Learn more here.

Next comes the bill taking away in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants. This hateful bill would take away the chance for children who are already here, many of them citizens, to become more productive members of society. But why do that when we can trample them down and create a secondary class of citizens?

Finally comes the partisan school board race. As if the majority party does not control enough of the state, they want to make school board elections less about kids and more about making sure they have the right people to support their anti-education agenda. In addition, they would make the superintendent an elected position, rather than one determined by the elected school board according to qualifications. Would this also be a partisan election? One would hope that a persons education, experience, and devotion to education would outweigh the letter that follows their name on the ballot.

What will?

2007-01-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

"It won’t stop us."
VICE PRESIDENT DICK CHENEY, on CNN, discussing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s approval of a resolution opposing President Bush’s plan to send more troops to Iraq.

Non-biased reporting at it's best

2007-01-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Just thought it was interesting to note a few headlines in today's major papers:

On School Vouchers:

Democrats signal concern over school voucher legislation Salt Lake Tribune, January 23, 2007

House Demos attack tuition voucher bill Deseret Morning News, January 23, 2007

ATTACK!!! Wow...that's pretty strong wording!

On Bennett's assertion that the new Democratic Congress could hurt funding for Utah:

Salt Lake Tribune is silent

Demo takeover could hurt Utah, Bennett says Deseret Morning News, January 23, 2007

But two headlines and counting where Demos attack, hurt, and takeover!

I was just noticing. :)

Also, hat tip to the demise of the UPD Blogwatch!

Waiting for the "Chris Dodd Watch"

2007-01-12T08:16:00.000-07:00

We have another Utah connection to the 2008 presidential election, but don't expect the "Chris Dodd Watch" to show up in Utah Policy Daily anytime soon.

Despite the fact that neither Mitt nor Chris are from Utah, they both have their share of Utah connections. Mitt is Mormon (automatic in, unless you're Harry Reid) and went to school here, but Chris did a much more daring thing: he married a Mormon. Not just any Mormon, but a politically active Utah Valley Republican, Jackie Clegg.

Now, I consider that just as much of a connection to Utah as good ol' Mitt, but I don't expect radio and television stations to start calling Chris Dodd "Utah's own" anytime soon. Nor do I expect Utah Policy Daily to give Chris Dodd any equal time in the right-hand column.

Do you?

Flip-Flopping

2006-12-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

It appears not even Governor Mitt Romney is above the political winds.

Just like any other politician, he says what he has to say to get elected. In 1994, he was telling Log Cabin Republicans he'd be a better champion of gay rights than Ted Kennedy.

Then, throughout his Governorship he's been a vocal foe of gay rights.

A flip-flop if I've ever seen one.

Yet another reason to boycott the MAN

2006-11-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, we've all heard about it, all rolled our eyes at the obvious blunder it is, all reaffirmed our commitment to boycott Larry Miller...but one more comment can't hurt can it?

This comment, though, is less about Miller (who I have no respect for and even less dollars for anyway) and more about EnergySolutions. This was not just a stupid move on Miller's part. It was an obvious PR gaffe on the part of EnergySolutions.

I mean, look at the direction they were heading in. Positive commercials portraying them as harmless, even as environmental stewards of the non-nuclear type. Never using the "N" word in any commercials. Giving EnergySolutions Foundation dollars to environmental organizations. Repairing their reputation in the tried and true way: quietly.

By splashing their name all over downtown Salt Lake City, they have brought up the bad blood and set themselves back further than they were before they started the positive spin stuff. What was the big idea anyway? And has the person that came up with it been fired yet?

I mean, while I think stadium sponsorship is tacky, I can see the usefulness of companies such as Delta Airlines doing it. They have these big advertisements splashed all over every network and targeting every fan.

But what Jazz fan is heading into the Melta Center thinking "God, I have all this nuclear waste lying in precarious piles around my kids' swingset and no idea where to put it. I mean, it's building up in my back yard and my dog is growing a third eye. I just need to get rid of it, but how?" Suddenly, said fan looks up and like light from heaven the EnergySolutions banner is flapping in the wind. Problem solved and EnergySolutions gets another customer, right? You can see why this advertising/marketing move makes absolutely no sense on their part.

Duh.

Compulsory Giving Shouldn't Count!

2006-11-20T15:38:00.001-07:00

I know too many people who think that because they've paid their tithing they're not required to give anything else to anyone else...so they buy their big houses and oversized SUV's instead and rejoice in being the 3rd highest state of givers in the nation. The difference is that New York and DC give because they WANT to, not because they HAVE to.

Back from Canada

2006-11-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Canada, where I married my partner, so I haven't been able to blog on the recent election. I heard from Canada that the Democrats are back in control, which actually made me want to come back to the U.S. rather than find a job and settle somewhere in British Columbia. My faith and pride in America is somewhat restored!
Of course, Utah was no surprise, as everyone stayed right where they were. But one issue has been overlooked, and that is the passing of Prop 2 in Salt Lake County. One blogger gives some good reasons why this should be something that is statewide, and paints a picture of life without open space.
Kudos to voters in Salt Lake County for voting for foresight.

I called it

2006-10-27T08:54:00.000-06:00

Predictable Republicans, struggling for breath in an overwhelming anti-Republican tide, bring in the old trusty back-burner issue...Gay Marriage. "Those damn activist judges in New Jersey want to legalize marriage for those nasty dirty HOMOSEXUALS" they scream at the top of their lungs to Americans who suddenly forget the important issues like the war in Iraq and raising the minimum wage out of the fear of something they don't know.

"They just might keep me my job on Capitol Hill, where I will fight to eradicate gay marriage, then gay people, and finally anyone who doesn't believe in God! Because that's what America's about!!!!"

And the ignorant masses agree, condemn the entire third branch of government, and vote for the schmucks yet again. Does anyone else feel like we are regressing, yet again?

New Jersey Backlash?

2006-10-25T16:49:00.000-06:00

I think it's quite possible that New Jersey's decision on same-sex marriage may keep the control of Congress in Republican's hands...people that weren't going to vote might do so now out of knee-jerk anti-gay sentiment. It will be interesting to see.
I wonder if they'll stop harrassing "activist judges" if they end up staying in Congress? Or maybe they'll send thank you gifts?

VOTE FOR PETE ASHDOWN!!!

2006-10-25T08:10:00.000-06:00

Thanks to That One Guy for tipping me off to this:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 24, 2006
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:Brett GarnerOffice: (801) 983-7383Cell: (801) 573-4759

****PRESS RELEASE****
Ashdown Pledges to Stop Nevada Water Grab

SALT LAKE CITY, UT--After visiting Callao, Utah last night, Democratic US Senate candidate Pete Ashdown pledged to stand up against the attempts by the Southern Nevada Water Authority to pump water from the Snake Valley aquifer. Ashdown agreed with residents the SNWA's plan amounts to a "water grab" and that "Las Vegas needs to learn to conserve."

The visit to Callao bookended Ashdown's travels throughout Utah during his 21 month campaign for the US Senate. Ashdown has visited places in Utah not visited by a major party candidate for statewide office in decades, such as: Manila, Bicknell, Tridell, Beaver, East Carbon, Green River, among others. Ashdown noted that in many of these places longtime residents cannot recall his opponent ever visiting the area.

The Callao town hall meeting was organized by Callao residents Cecil and Annette Garland, a rancher and school teacher, respectively. The Garlands, who led the fight against the MX missile project in the 1980s, have asked for help to stop what they call "an impending hydrological disaster" if the pumping starts. "We don't have any water to spare, and to take the water we have would kill this valley."

While the residents also asked questions about the Iraq war, energy independence, ethics in government, immigration, and other issues, the "make or break issue" was the water grab. Ashdown affirmed: "I think the [US Geological Survey] study needs go forward, but it will probably confirm the obvious." Ashdown also stated that this is an example of his conservative philosophy of government: "We need to conserve the Callao way of life; keeping the aquifer full conserves water and conserves the way of life." In the question it was noted that Hatch has not come out against the SNWA plan, "Even with Orrin Hatch's seniority, he's not really working for the people of Utah. He's working for media interests in California, for oil interests out of state, for pharmaceuticals of which there are none in Utah. We need somebody there that is from Utah, working with Utah, dealing with Utah, and I know I can do that."

Ashdown noted how he will bring up this and other rural issue in the future debates with Senator Hatch, including tonight's on Salt Lake City's Downtown, broadcast live on KUTV.

Way to go Cecil and Annette!

Pete is an incredible candidate who knows Utah, and has actually visited the backwoods parts of it that most residents haven't, let alone Hatch. Visiting these people and listening to their concerns and needs shows some true dedication to the state...something we haven't seen in our Senator's for a long time!

2006-10-17T12:28:00.000-06:00

Now who can deny that?

Playing the Gay Card

2006-10-12T08:53:00.000-06:00

Orrin Hatch says that the Republican leadership didn't take action against Republican Mark Foley because they were afraid of being labeled anti-gay.

But Senator...you already have been labeled anti-gay. You and the majority of your party have been blatently anti-gay around election season for several years now. It gets you votes! So that can't be the reason Hastert and others kept Foley's reprehensible behavior under wraps. What's the real reason?

Further, being gay has nothing to do with this.

Foley crossed a line. He was writing sexually explicit e-mails to children.

Whether they were boys (gay) or girls (straight) doesn't matter. The fact is, they were children.

Supposed fear of being labeled anti-gay (a label you and Hastert would be proud to have in any other situation) is not a valid excuse for looking the other way.

Downtown Alive!

2006-10-04T08:05:00.000-06:00

Despite my initial distaste at having the church taking over downtown, I am excited for this renovation!
I blogged about downtowns around the west clear back in April in response to the Chamber of Commerce deciding to come up with a vision for downtown that would include the church's redevelopment as well as incorporating the Gateway and other blocks in between. I didn't get any responses on what other people think would make our downtown much more memorable, aside from the stereotypical Temple Square.
This is a start.
In addition to the boring big-box downtown malls being renovated, we're looking at hundreds of new housing units, increased office space, and a new downtown grocer...Harmon's.
My only fear is that downtown will become as inaccessible as the Main Street Plaza. That, and I hope that City Creek Center doesn't fill up with more of what's in ZCMI Center..."art" galleries full of blond-haired, blue-eyed renditions of Jesus and other Mormon art. I suppose a few of those would be okay, but I'm really hoping for a Victoria's Secret. What do you think the chances are?

What I've Been Up To

2006-09-20T12:00:00.000-06:00

I got a comment from Jenni saying she missed my writing, so of course, being highly flattered, I thought I'd drop a line on what I've been up to, what I've been thinking, etc.

I'm a daily subscriber to LaVarr Webb's Utah Policy Daily, and I'm not so into the new feature: Utah's Top Issues. I just hope that other readers subscribe to it for the same reason I do...the right column and the Blogwatch (which has been a yawn lately). I usually ignore everything else in the left column. I don't need the spin...I just need the news. I don't need Utah Policy Daily to tell me which topics are most important in Utah...I can figure that out for myself.

Speaking of blogging lately...though I haven't had much time to blog or to browse blogs, I haven't noticed much outrage, much passion, or much of anything worth noting. It seems that lots of people are obsessing over numbers, tax plans, and the like when they should be crying out against the Washington County Lands Bill and the Southern Nevada Water Authority pumping plan.

As for the Washington County Lands Bill (which is still pretty hot judging from the press it's been receiving NATIONWIDE including in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times), I haven't had enough time to express my feelings on this, but I'll just say that the resistance to it from both enviro's and the Bush Administration (polar opposites) is telling...there's something just not right about encouraging more thoughtless growth in our southern-most city. What that city needs is to step back and take a look at the bigger picture: will there be enough water to support growth? Will selling off wilderness really be selling off the very thing that is drawing people there in the first place? I think so. I lived there for a year or so, and the growth is what finally drove me away. That and the traffic. Most other people stay, though, because of the beautiful landscape and mild weather...take away the landscape and all you've got left is three weeks of 100 plus weather. Not exactly enticing.

And to the Southern Nevada Water Authority pumping plan (which isn't emerging, UPD...it's been there for a while and you're just starting to notice) I have similar thoughts. It is ridiculous to think that Las Vegas will stop at anything to get water. They have suggested that they'll keep an eye on things and if the water levels drop too much, putting farmers, ranchers and endangered species at risk for losing their livelihoods, that they'll stop pumping or reduce pumping. But after putting millions of dollars into a pipeline, I think that it will take a much bigger problem than dying fish to stop them. I say build that desalinization plant...or maybe drain the Bellagio's lake!

Excuses and Expressions

2006-08-31T08:18:00.000-06:00

I wanted to attend every rally and scream at President Bush and his cronies until I was hoarse. I was going to go down on my lunch. I was going to go to the Rock Against Rumsfeld Concert. I was even contemplating changing parties long enough to get a ticket to see him de-plane on the tarmac at the National Guard base.

But life interfered. I had homework to do on lunch. I had class after work. My Master's degree interfered. Does that mean my priorities are out of whack?

I mean, is my Master's degree really all that important if somewhere in the world an innocent civilian is being killed in the name of "democracy"? Should I be worrying about homework when our world is careening towards climate catastrophe? Should I be reading academic nonsense whan my partner's mother is dying and President Bush's veto of stem cell research is precipitating her demise (even though she still loves Bush with all her heart)? Should I be cutting construction paper for my latest homework assignment when the right I have to be with my partner for the rest of my life is so uncertain?

The answer is unclear. I have these deeply held beliefs and opinions and these deep need and want to express them.

We had a discussion in class the other day about Plato's Cave and my professor made a comment about how sometimes we have to focus on something besides the things we know to be true, because sometimes they're so overwhelming, and you realize that they're so nearly unsolvable, that if you dwell on them you spiral out of control. You get deeply depressed. You feel helpless.

This is how I felt when I watched President Bush's speech to his sheep when he got off the plane last night. I thought about the shadow's he was casting on the wall in front of these people in their cave, and how they wholeheartedly refused to accept anything else but these shadowy representations of reality that this administration works overtime to create. I thought about how many of these people would always believe every word the President speaks, regardless of how many times he misrepresents the truth. And I thought about butting my head against the cave wall trying to change someone's mind.

And I went to do homework. Because this is something I can have control over. I can control my own future and destiny, and I can get a Master's degree, and love my partner, and work hard to get the things I want and need, and live a happy life.

And luckily, I can have this avenue to protest and express my opinions. So, in light of that, here is my protest sign that I would have taken if life had not gotten in the way:

God Bless President Bush.....
For Vetoing My Mom's Right to Live
For Sending my Brother to Iraq
For Lying to Me
For Being Able to Sleep at Night.

If we wanted bland, we'd move to the Sandy

2006-08-24T08:12:00.000-06:00

Okay, maybe Sugarhouse could be considered a suburb, depending on who you are. But, as Salt Lake County has expanded out to the edges of the valley, some neighborhoods were forgotten by most.

But now that these places, like Sugarhouse, have character and attract people that may have some money to spend, big box stores and developers are looking back at those once-forgotten areas with big appetites.

Have they stopped to think that if they tear down the eclectic collection of shops and replaced it with God knows what, that the crowd that keeps those sidewalks full might go elsewhere?

I know I would. I would follow Rocky Mountain Grill, the Free Speech Zone, Sugarhouse Coffee (though it would have to change it's name) and 10,000 Villages wherever they went and forget about Sugarhouse.

What's the next neighborhood these locals will bring out of the dust only to get ushered along by big developers with deep pockets and shallow ideas?

Vote of No Confidence

2006-08-16T12:20:00.000-06:00

Chris Buttars is quite a card. It makes you wish that the Senate could pass a law wherein they subvert voters by casting votes of no confidence on each other and kicking each other out of the Senate. Would Buttars survive a vote like that? I wonder.

Love/Hate?

2006-08-08T08:22:00.000-06:00

I've noticed among the many posts about Rocky since his announcement that he wouldn't run, that folks either love the guy, or hate his guts.
Between supporting a Republican, spending more time on the road than in his city, implementing pro-gay and pro-environment policies, Rocky has got people on both sides of the aisle that have no love left for him. Democrats call him a traitor, Ethan at slcspin can't stop talking about Rocky leaving town for this or that, and "moral values" people like Gayle Ruzicka have already RSVP'ed his spot in hell for his liberal pro-gay policies.
Then, you've got folks that can't say enough good things about him. Some are even saying he deserves a halo for everything he's done.
Can I remain ambiguous? Rocky is a little extreme for me on some things, but on others.... he rocks my world!

Back to School Shopping!

2006-08-04T08:21:00.000-06:00

The very best thing about getting a $36,000 Masters Degree: I get to go Back to School Shopping again!

Supplies: I honestly think that a fresh, clean notebook is worth any dollar amount of tuition. It has been one of my favorite things since I could write. If I got a notebook every year for my birthday, it would be my very favorite present (this is not to suggest to those of you who I have explicitly requested give me money for new clothes for my birthday that a notebook will adequately replace said dollars. My clothes are falling off people! For this year, at least, I can buy my own notebooks. After this year, feel free to take up the practice). And it has long been one of my biggest school-shopping dilemmas: should I get a two-subject notebook or two separate notebooks and a binder?

On to clothes. I have set aside $100 for some new clothes, which is hardly adequate considering that I basically need an entirely new wardrobe now that I've lost nearly 30 pounds. But I suppose it will have to do for now, unless people get the hint for my birthday (one month and 20 days folks!). However, at my second job our department won a contest and I get a $50 gift card to spend in the store on clothes, bringing my total to $150! Hurray! Maybe I can get some new shoes too!

And then to books: only $234 for my first semester...but that's only for two classes and that's at the used price. I'm beginning to remember the weight of books in a backpack...which gives me a strange sense of exhiliration.

And finally, technology: Is it bad that I'm seriously looking into an Apple laptop just so I can get the free Nano iPod that goes with it (or a hefty discount on a bigger iPod)? Then I was thinking about it, and I've got a few older laptops at home, so I don't really need a new one...why not just save that $1200 or so dollars and just buy the iPod? Or maybe a new Palm. I'm really going to have some organizational issues, with tracking both jobs, classes, assignments, and social stuff I'm bound to miss something without a hefty planner and/or Palm. But then, I already have a Palm...which leads me back to the question: why not just save the $200 or so for the Palm I'd really like, and just get an iPod (Do you see a pattern here?)?

I keep having this dream that it's somewhere around midterm and I realize I haven't attended a single class. I've had it now off and on for six months or so. Eery.

I recently had a conversation with my best friend about expectations. I have another friend, we'll call her Angie, that moves from job to job, gets into less-than-mature relationships with girls that also can't hold jobs, and when she found she was four credits short of getting her high school diploma in her third semester, dropped out rather than buck up and finish it over the summer. And I'm having a hard time with the gap between us.

What makes a person like me do what it takes to get that diploma, that degree, and that job that I can stick with for the rest of my life? Why did I feel the need to push myself to finish that Associates degree by the end of the summer after high school, while another friend (only six credits short) did not? Why do I feel the need to get a Master's degree, own a home, and pay off my debts, while Angie seems to have goals which she implies will always remain only goals? What makes us so different?

Expectations make us different: I cannot remember a time when I didn't know that college was the next step. I have always had the encouragement to not only finish what I start, but to do well at what I do.

Sometimes I wonder why that is lacking in Angie's life. Her mom held a job for 30 years and recently retired with a full benefit. She is a good example, but maybe not a good encourager.

I may not have always had the best examples, but I've known what an honest, hard-working person is like, and I've always known that's what I have to be. And most importantly, I've always had that love and encouragement that never ceases to remind me that I am capable of anything.

Thanks Dad.

Things on My Mind

2006-08-01T09:48:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling really sorry for this guy. I wonder if people in the UK are really this peeved about what kind of car you drive. Maybe this car would be better, or would that send off an even more distinctive "prick" vibe despite its green qualities?

I'm feeling even more sorry for this guy. But then, that's a pretty normal, everyday thing.

I'm feeling oddly like this woman. Only a few weeks ago I got a call from the SL County sheriff saying some guy had my license in his house...luckily, it had my address from six moves ago. (Maybe not six, but certainly it wasn't current).

I'm feeling like actually supporting a Republican for Mayor of Salt Lake City. What's wrong with me? Well, he says he'll keep up with many of Rocky's most liberal policies, and let's face it: Rocky would never endorse a Republican if he wasn't up to snuff. Plus, he's from Delta...small town boy in the big city is bound to bring some good perspective.

I'm looking forward to October when this group will be in town. And we thought all gay men were just accessories (I mean that in the most loving way possible, boys)!

I'm wondering why I moved to South Salt Lake again? (Just kidding, Dad...I've never been to one of these places...I promise! Would I go without you? Come on!).

I'm feeling even better about boycotting Starbucks. Sorry Sarahbellum, but my coffee spot is WAY better than yours! They even have "Mom's Special Recipe" banana bread that really gets me going...and I am not a fan of bananas. Unfortunately, they don't have a website yet, but check out RAW BEAN, on 600 South and West Temple. Apparently, if you visit more than once the owner will recognize you and smile. I wonder if, by the third time, he'll know me by name? Oh, and they gave me the banana bread free just for knowing it was Mom's Special recipe...keep that in mind.

I'm feeling like I live in Portland...it's dumping rain outside my window! In August in Utah! What the hell is going on? I think I better save this before the power goes out and make sure my car isn't getting washed away in the flash flood!

Quick Update

2006-07-31T12:25:00.000-06:00

Hello Blogosphere.

Haven't been much for blogging lately, but that's due to several lame (and some not so lame) excuses...many of which I often dig up to explain to various friends and family why I haven't written them a letter/e-mail/postcard for two years.

But it hasn't been two years since I've written in my blog...so what's to complain about?

It's not that there's a shortage of news or worthy subjects to discuss. Not like I wouldn't love to go on and on about Orrin Hatch's priorities, Rocky's resignation, the Washington County Lands Bill, the Southern Nevada Water authority and questionable Senatorial practices by a certain Mormon Democrat, the Middle East crisis (aka WW3), or softer subjects like the Farmer's Market(which I haven't been to in three weeks!) and the beauty of the city in the summer.

It's more like a shortage of time. All I can think about lately is my two jobs, graduate school looming in the fall (Westminster College is about to suck more money out of me than I am currently worth), my house, my girlfriend and our upcoming wedding, money(the perennial issue), my lack of fitting clothes (due to a recently lost 25 pounds!), back pain due to non-fitting bras (I know you wanted to know), and trying to keep up with my most important friends (you know who you are). Particularly one who finally made out with the girl she's been dating for more than a year!

Anyway, it's been a busy summer. I started writing another book last night...I often start and stop on these things. We'll see if I ever get one finished...or published. The first seems somehow less likely than the second! Ha! In between all that I try to do a load of laundry and weed the yard. Being an adult is pretty lame sometimes. About as lame as my excuses.

Matheson Disappoints

2006-07-18T19:13:00.000-06:00

The Federal Marriage Amendment failed in the House today, and thank God for the 60+ fair-minded representatives that voted it down.
I was shocked to find that Jim Matheson was not one of them. Below, the letter I wrote to him this evening:

Dear Representative Matheson:

I have long been your supporter and found you to be fair-minded. However, your recent vote in favor of the Federal Marriage Amendment has left me disappointed and wondering if my vote was misplaced.

To me, this entire argument is about religious beliefs in what constitutes a holy union. And each person has the right to believe what they will. However, the founding fathers called for separation of church and state when this country was created.

I do not ask that any church recognize marriage in any of it's forms, be it gay or straight. I ask only that our country offer to each and every one of it's citizens the right to choose who they will spend the rest of their lives with, who should make medical decisions for them, who should help raise their children, who they should purchase homes with, who should inherit their property, and who they should file taxes with.

Fair-minded people everywhere should recognize the fundamental rights that are being withheld from the GLBT minority simply because someone's individual beliefs tell them God would not bless such a union. But that isn't what this minority is asking for. They are simply asking that the country they love recognize their rights as consenting adults. This is beyond unfair. This is morally wrong.

Representative Matheson, I would love to hear your thoughts and justification for your vote before elections in November, so I may determine whether you truly deserve that support I have given for so long.

I only hope he has good reason...because I'm not sure who else I could, in good conscience, vote for. He has long been a source of pride for me, but this recent vote has shaken my convictions in him. I'll let you all know if and when he replies, and what he says.

Great Op-Ed

2006-07-14T06:33:00.000-06:00

The following is an Editorial that appeared in the LA Times and addresses two of my most beloved topics: the environment and gay sex!

If only gay sex caused global warming

Why we're more scared of gay marriage and terrorism than a much deadlier threat.

By Daniel Gilbert,
Daniel Gilbert is a professor of psychology at Harvard University and the author of "Stumbling on Happiness," published in May by Knopf.

July 2, 2006

NO ONE seems to care about the upcoming attack on the World Trade Center site. Why? Because it won't involve villains with box cutters. Instead, it will involve melting ice sheets that swell the oceans and turn that particular block of lower Manhattan into an aquarium. The odds of this happening in the next few decades are better than the odds that a disgruntled Saudi will sneak onto an airplane and detonate a shoe bomb. And yet our government will spend billions of dollars this year to prevent global terrorism and … well, essentially nothing to prevent global warming.

Why are we less worried about the more likely disaster? Because the human brain evolved to respond to threats that have four features — features that terrorism has and that global warming lacks.

First, global warming lacks a mustache. No, really. We are social mammals whose brains are highly specialized for thinking about others. Understanding what others are up to — what they know and want, what they are doing and planning — has been so crucial to the survival of our species that our brains have developed an obsession with all things human. We think about people and their intentions; talk about them; look for and remember them. That's why we worry more about anthrax (with an annual death toll of roughly zero) than influenza (with an annual death toll of a quarter-million to a half-million people). Influenza is a natural accident, anthrax is an intentional action, and the smallest action captures our attention in a way that the largest accident doesn't. If two airplanes had been hit by lightning and crashed into a New York skyscraper, few of us would be able to name the date on which it happened.Global warming isn't trying to kill us, and that's a shame. If climate change had been visited on us by a brutal dictator or an evil empire, the war on warming would be this nation's top priority.

The second reason why global warming doesn't put our brains on orange alert is that it doesn't violate our moral sensibilities. It doesn't cause our blood to boil (at least not figuratively) because it doesn't force us to entertain thoughts that we find indecent, impious or repulsive. When people feel insulted or disgusted, they generally do something about it, such as whacking each other over the head, or voting. Moral emotions are the brain's call to action. Although all human societies have moral rules about food and sex, none has a moral rule about atmospheric chemistry. And so we are outraged about every breach of protocol except Kyoto. Yes, global warming is bad, but it doesn't make us feel nauseated or angry or disgraced, and thus we don't feel compelled to rail against it as we do against other momentous threats to our species, such as flag burning. The fact is that if climate change were caused by gay sex, or by the practice of eating kittens, millions of protesters would be massing in the streets.

The third reason why global warming doesn't trigger our concern is that we see it as a threat to our futures — not our afternoons. Like all animals, people are quick to respond to clear and present danger, which is why it takes us just a few milliseconds to duck when a wayward baseball comes speeding toward our eyes. The brain is a beautifully engineered get-out-of-the-way machine that constantly scans the environment for things out of whose way it should right now get. That's what brains did for several hundred million years — and then, just a few million years ago, the mammalian brain learned a new trick: to predict the timing and location of dangers before they actually happened. Our ability to duck that which is not yet coming is one of the brain's most stunning innovations, and we wouldn't have dental floss or 401(k) plans without it. But this innovation is in the early stages of development. The application that allows us to respond to visible baseballs is ancient and reliable, but the add-on utility that allows us to respond to threats that loom in an unseen future is still in beta testing. We haven't quite gotten the knack of treating the future like the present it will soon become because we've only been practicing for a few million years. If global warming took out an eye every now and then, OSHA would regulate it into nonexistence.

There is a fourth reason why we just can't seem to get worked up about global warming. The human brain is exquisitely sensitive to changes in light, sound, temperature, pressure, size, weight and just about everything else. But if the rate of change is slow enough, the change will go undetected. If the low hum of a refrigerator were to increase in pitch over the course of several weeks, the appliance could be singing soprano by the end of the month and no one would be the wiser. Because we barely notice changes that happen gradually, we accept gradual changes that we would reject if they happened abruptly. The density of Los Angeles traffic has increased dramatically in the last few decades, and citizens have tolerated it with only the obligatory grumbling. Had that change happened on a single day last summer, Angelenos would have shut down the city, called in the National Guard and lynched every politician they could get their hands on.

Environmentalists despair that global warming is happening so fast. In fact, it isn't happening fast enough. If President Bush could jump in a time machine and experience a single day in 2056, he'd return to the present shocked and awed, prepared to do anything it took to solve the problem.. The human brain is a remarkable device that was designed to rise to special occasions. We are the progeny of people who hunted and gathered, whose lives were brief and whose greatest threat was a man with a stick. When terrorists attack, we respond with crushing force and firm resolve, just as our ancestors would have. Global warming is a deadly threat precisely because it fails to trip the brain's alarm, leaving us soundly asleep in a burning bed.

It remains to be seen whether we can learn to rise to new occasions.

The Las Vegas Water Grab

2006-07-11T12:36:00.000-06:00

There has been some buzz about Las Vegas and some possible underhanded dealings that have pushed a nice relaxed timeline into a WTF. (That would be "what the fu**?" for you folks who don't know).

Read, for instance here from a candidate who wishes he could do more. Read also articles here, here, and here that lay out rumors involving Harry Reid and ties to the Washington County bill Senator Bennett is working on.

What I'm wondering is why there isn't more buzz? This is potentially an underhanded deal with political pressure from both sides pushing something that is obviously going to affect the people, places, and species in the area far beyond what they're letting on. Citizens on both sides of the border, and even in California, should be questioning their leaders on this.

Is it because the Snake Valley, and many of the other affected valleys, is home to only a few people that don't hold enough political clout? Is it because these valleys are dusty and sparse anyway? Or is it because a few populated areas just cannot find other ways to quench their thirst?

I'm tired of living in a world where conservation is never the first solution, but the last resort.

Why haven't desert cities like Las Vegas and St. George introduced some common-sense measures like xeriscaping, low-flow faucets, restrictions on daytime watering, and other conservation initiatives that simply make sense given their location? Do these people honestly believe they can keep living like they do with no consequences? Why should good people in Utah and Nevada have to lose their livelihoods so a housing development in Vegas can sustain expansive green lawns and pools?

I read a work of fiction titled "The Tamarisk Hunter" by Paolo Bacigalupi in the last issue of High Country News about a west that doesn't seem so far off: A place where no one can tap into the water because the bigger, better, richer people downstream hold all the rights and have no sign of conscience. Where the states surrounding the Colorado Plateau have been abandoned and turned to ghost towns in a huge drought, while the Colorado flows on to places like Vegas and California.

It's already happening, albeit on a much smaller scale. These folks in the toughest and roughest terrains in Utah and Nevada will be left out to dry, their livelihoods, and indeed the livelihoods of many generations before them, will be nothing but dust, while the folks with the money and the right political connections forge ahead without even a glance in their directions.

I love the Basin, as I have written before. It holds a very special place in my heart, and I hope beyond hope that something can be done. But I am just one. It will take more than myself, Kim Christison, and a few speculating newspaper articles to catch the attention of the powers-that-be. I am calling on all fair-minded people to write letters-to-the-editors of papers in Utah and Nevada, letters to Harry Reid, Bob Bennett, and Jim Matheson. Letters to the Southern Nevada Water Authority, particularly to Harry Reid's son that sits on the board. Posts on blogs. Links to posts. Whatever you can do to draw attention and let them know that this will not go down quietly.

An Inconvenient Truth

2006-07-01T19:41:00.000-06:00

I saw An Inconvenient Truth today. I just left the theater, wishing I hadn't drove my car the six or so blocks from my house. This movie had me sitting there with tears streaming down my face, or laughing, or nodding profusely, or shaking my head back and forth in disbelief all in the course of about two hours.

EVERYONE SHOULD SEE IT.

But specifically, the haters should see it. And by that I mean the disbelievers like our Republican Congressional delegates in Utah and the vast majority of their constituents. My neighbors. My family. My long time friends. They should see it most of all people, but you should see it too. Even if you already know global warming is a fact. You should see it to reinforce your good habits, or help you create new ones, or to discover a new angle for convincing your mom, your neighbor, or your boss to implement some environmentally friendly policies into their lives.

You should see it to know where you shouldn't live if things don't change. Utah seems to be pretty safe from the rising seas...but what other horrors await us if we don't make a change?

Check it out at www.climatecrisis.net, calculate your carbon imprint, and read through the list of simple things you can do to reduce your impact now. Tonight, when I got home, I unpacked three boxes from our move and labeled them "Paper/Cardboard," "Plastic," and "Aluminum." Recycling is just one thing I can do. And next, I'm going out to the shed to pump up the tires on the new bike my partner bought me about a month ago that I have yet to ride.

My goal is to stop preaching something I don't live. Sure, I work for an environmental organization, and in my capacity I can order post-consumer recycled paper and plastic products, and be sure that most of our aluminum and plastic gets recycled. But I don't lead the exemplary life I know is necessary. Not only necessary, but rewarding. In many ways.

Also, check out:

www.newdream.org
www.stopglobalwarming.org
http://www.utahpower.net/Article/Article22009.html to purchase renewable energy for $1.95 a month

and let me know what other great websites you stumble on!

Supporting Local Farmers!

2006-06-28T08:26:00.000-06:00

My partner and I, back in May, decided on a whim to purchase a community-supported agriculture share from Borski Farms. We weren't sure if roughly $175 was going to be money well-spent, but our green ambitions outweighed our penny-pinching ways, so we signed up (well, actually I made the plunge, yet she still gets the benefits!).

I think it may well be worth it! This week, we got three items: fresh garlic, English peas (I'm looking forward to some steamed with butter, and I might whip up a chicken salad!), and cherries.

Spotlight on the Cherries: OMG, these cherries are so absolutely delicious I can't stop eating them...and we all know what happens when there are cherries involved. But can I just say that everything, including the $175, is worth these cherries. They are perfectly red, a wonderful combination of perfectly balanced sweet and sour, and best of all, they are organic and were produced less than 30 miles from our home!
And so...it is my suggestion to you that when the next season comes around, you seriously consider a CSA share as well. There are about four listed on the Utah's Own website, plus links to other locally owned and operated businesses you should frequent. Trust me, folks, the cherries alone are worth it!

In the Basin

2006-06-23T08:07:00.000-06:00

Two weekends ago, my partner and I took a trip out to Great Basin National Park...the country's least visited park on the nation's "Loneliest Highway."

It was spectacular. Not in terms of scenery or breathtaking vistas, though it has those too, but more in terms of solitude.

We camped in the Baker Creek campground, which had about 15 of the 40-some sites filled both nights we stayed. No one camped within earshot of our conversations.

We hiked up to the gnarled bristlecone pines and got a good glimpse of thousands of years of history. From there, we could see the basin stretched out in front of us, a barren landscape of brown and green, dotted with an occasional steadfast ranch.

We ate in the town of Baker, at a place owned and operated by some San Francisco natives that make fresh ravioli every day. The town is home to about 337 people, at least one of which is gay, as evidenced by the rainbow sticker in the window of his cafe and shop. Another gay-friendly shop-owner was located across the dusty Main Street, and she flew a rainbow flag in honor of equality, and her son.

It's a laid-back, lazy kind of place, with a wholesome feeling about it. My partner and I, for a few minutes, thought "hey, we could live here." She could work for the Park Service, I could work from home, or work at one of the cafe's or galleries, or work for the Park Service.

I imagined a life where I had to make my own music because the only radio stations that come in out there are Country and Gospel. I imagined lazy days on the front porch, writing or painting. I imagined close friendships with people who knew us and accepted us for what we are.

Then, I realized we already have these things. We have close friendships with good people, both gay and straight, who accept us and love us and would do anything to help us should we need it. I have the ability to write or paint or be lazy on my own front porch (which I own!). I can make my own music even if I can tune in to any kind of music I would ever want to listen to.

I realized how much I love the west. The fact that I can live in a metropolitan area with good food, good music, Farmer's Markets and Arts Festivals, with streets and streets of people that would love and accept us if only they knew us. And the fact that, should we tire of the city, we can escape only a few hours away to the Basin, or to the Arch or the Canyon, or to the geysers of Yellowstone.

We live in a spectacular place, surrounding by spectacular vista's and breathtaking views, and beautiful solitude.

An Acceptance?

2006-06-22T17:10:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine and I talked the other day. She is LDS and I used to be, and she asked if I hold any grudges against the church.
I talk big. Yeah, there are a lot of things I don't like, and even if I weren't a lesbian, I probably wouldn't go back. But deep down, there are no grudges against the church or what it teaches. There is an abhorrence for the people, for the most part, and how they interpret those teachings. Even sometimes for the leadership and specifically their stance on gay marriage.
Then she said that her wish for my partner and I was that we would meet an open, loving, and accepting LDS couple that would befriend us and blast those walls of stereotype we have created for all people LDS.
LDS Couple, oh LDS Couple, wherefore art thou, LDS Couple?

Orrin's To-Do List

2006-06-22T08:45:00.000-06:00

While less important things like lack of health care, educational funding, and of course the impending oil crisis, City Weekly has the scoop on Orrin Hatch's to-do list...very important things that must be taken care of NOW!

The Ostracizing Begins

2006-06-14T17:26:00.000-06:00

Click here to read about the beginning of the fall out over gay marriage.

Mitt proves me right

2006-06-12T08:33:00.000-06:00

I recently posted concerning Mitt Romney and his inability to separate his politics from his religious beliefs.

He proved that he may very well be in the pocket of church authorities when he recently wrote to Senators encouraging them to vote yes on the Federal Marriage Amendment right in time with letters from Church authorities.

But the church won't run the country if Mitt is elected? Maybe not officially, but its policies are intircately woven into his policies...so read up here and decide for yourself if you're willing to have Mormon dogma on Pennsylvania Avenue.

Political Ploys run Amok

2006-06-09T08:29:00.000-06:00

It's election season. You can smell it in the air. And even if I didn't have a calendar to tell me we're only 4 months and 28 days from the 7th of November, I could tell you it's election season, and here's why:

Orrin Hatch has brought up the perennial flag-burning amendment. AGAIN. I think deep down in his heart, he knows it's an assault on free-speech and freedom as a whole, but it gets his conservative Utah base fired up, so he keeps pushing it...at the opportune times before elections.

Gay marriage is at the forefront. We haven't heard much about it since 2004, but it somehow got Bush his second term, so other Republicans are looking at it as a way to divert attention from failings in Iraq, Katrina, sub-par health care, the huge national debt, and deep-rooted corruption, so they bring it up again, trying to throw right-wing Christians into a frenzy, while fair-minded people everywhere roll their eyes as the real issues get pushed aside.

Politicians have already started kissing babies! Figuratively speaking. "We have to pass the Federal Marriage Amendment because it's about children!" "We have to repeal the estate (or cleverly worded "death") tax for children!" "We have to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for our children!" Funny that in the off-years, more school and child-geared programs get funding cuts. Or in Utah, more poor children don't have dental care in favor of a parking complex. But we should definitely give millionaire children a break! Particularly Bob Bennett's. That's right folks, it's all about children when using that frame of reference will get you elected. Otherwise, forget them! Let them make their own way!

Wedge issues, wedge issues, everywhere! In a word: Immigration. Everybody has a "hard-line" stance, but few have real solutions. As it has been with other favorite wedges: abortion, health care, Social Security, gay marriage. Politicians love to tell you they stand with you on your side of the issue, without really telling you what they're going to do about it. And usually, they end up doing the opposite of what they promised.

That's right, it's election season, and trying to see through the spin to what folks really stand for gets tiring...I suppose that's why people vote right down the Republican or Democratic ticket. It's hard to really see who a person is when they're running for office.

Amazing

2006-06-02T17:08:00.000-06:00

That One Guy has posted an amazing argument that clearly and succintly exposes the anti-SSM argument as fallicy. Everyone should read it and pass it on.

Surprise, Surprise

2006-06-01T08:03:00.000-06:00

Apparently Utah isn't doing so well when it comes to reproductive and gay rights. Big surprise?

But then, it depends on which side of the argument you're on. A ranking of 43 out of 50 is dismal to those of us who believe in the rights an individual should have to choose who they marry and when they have children.

But, Gayle Ruzicka is thrilled. Well, also a little disappointed that Utah wasn't rated dead last. That's LAST Gayle, not first.

It baffles me that people are fighting so hard to restrict the rights and freedoms each American should enjoy. It baffles me that they're fighting to restrict sex education so they can leave a legacy of ignorance, unwanted pregnancies and disease. It baffles me that they think a sixteen-year-old girl should get her father's permission to abort a child that may very well be his own.

But then, when has Utah not baffled me?

Ban Mormon Marriage!

2006-05-31T08:54:00.000-06:00

Maybe we should start a blogswarm.

Stenar, on his Bloglet, makes some very good points. Read more. There are many forms of "non-traditional" marriage out there.

Let's apply the "slippery-slope" argument the other way. Suppose they ban gay marriage, then Mormon marriage, then outdoor weddings, then JOP weddings, and soon you can only get married by a white male Baptist preacher in a church in Louisiana. Hey folks, once you start restricting freedom and start taking away rights, what stops you from taking away more and more and justifying it in the name of God?

Soon you won't be able to get child tax credits unless you have the church-mandated seven kids, and any divorced family...wait, I take that back. Divorce isn't the real threat to marriage and family...gays are. Right. Sorry about that.

Maybe the Sutherland Institute will have it's way and no one will have a real family unless the wife stays home, barefoot and pregnant with the latest addition to the quiver, and the husband works hard to provide for the roost. I'm sure the extreme right wing is thinking this would be a good thing. But why should this group of people define the morals and values for the rest of the country.

Middle Americans need to stand up and say that an attack on anyone's rights is an attack on their own. After all, who's to say it won't be them next?

Live Where you Work

2006-05-30T12:53:00.000-06:00

In Plato's Cave, the newbie Tribune blog, writer George Pyle posted on Utah, suburbs, highways, and living sustainably. I wanted to give a hat tip to a good and obvious idea that many Utahns tend to overlook. Live where you work.
Unfortunately, in our recent home purchase, the logistics of that were a little harder to work out. You see, I work downtown, but my partner works in the Fort Union area. So, we could live close to one or the other but be many miles from one or the other at the same time.
So, we compromised. We found a home in the middle, slightly closer to downtown and on a bus route. So, since my partner drives a scooter, we use less gas because I can catch the bus or, if I could ever get up on time, ride my bike to work...a mere 30 blocks from home.
And in the future, maybe when my partner gets into the police force, we can move closer to downtown. I am not afraid of living in a neighborhood where life doesn't stop at 6 pm.

Hiatus

2006-05-26T08:27:00.000-06:00

Hello folks. I haven't been able to blog much lately because my second job, upcoming housewarming party, and novel-writing aspirations have sucked up all of my time. I apologize for the slowing of entries for those of you who may return looking for them (all one or two of you...or maybe none).
I did want to make an announcement! My partner and I, after three and a half years of our relationship and over a year and a half since we got engaged, have finally set a date for a commitment ceremony and send-off reception here in Utah and a real marriage in Canada! Here's to September 22 and 26th, 2007!
I already bought a dress...I suppose thinking and dreaming about the wedding has taken up even more of my time than any of the above mentioned things.
By the way, my partner is amazing...she has painted, fixed and cleaned our house until I love it more than I ever thought I would.
Oh, and apartments suck. Ours charged us $938 for cleaning and carpet. Warning: DO NOT LIVE IN BIG APARTMENT COMPLEXES.
Case in point-before moving to this particular complex, we lived in a six story building in downtown SLC. We broke our lease because we lived on the sixth floor, my partner's knee went out, and the elevator kept dying. And the landlord gave us every penny of our deposit back. Big apartment complexes just don't care...they're like Walmart or other big faceless companies...they just want your money. Trust me folks, the pool and fitness room are NOT worth it. You probably won't use them that much anyway.
Anyway, I plan on continuing my little hiatus at least through this weekend, after which I think I might come out to LaVarr Webb. He doesn't think that being an anonymous blogger is acceptable. Or at least that anonymous bloggers shouldn't be taken as seriously as those that post their names front and center. I think I'll spend the weekend pondering this move, and I'll let you know sometime next week.

A few good men

2006-05-23T17:38:00.000-06:00

Check out the blogs for candidates in various districts around Utah:

Christian Burridge http://burridgeforcongress.blogspot.com/

Pete Ashdown http://peteashdown.org/journal/

and for good measure, Orrin Hatch's blog http://www.orrin2006.com/blog.htm (hasn't been written in for a while, but interesting reading nonetheless).

Benefits = Marriage?

2006-05-18T07:55:00.000-06:00

Hurray for the 3rd District Court, for ruling that Salt Lake City's plan to provide health benefits to domestic partners does not constitute marriage and therefore is not in conflict with Amendment 3.

It seemed obvious to me that providing equal benefits to all employees is simply fair and just. But some consider it a slippery slope. They think all sorts of things will lead to gay marriage: allowing Gay Straight Alliances or creating legal partnerships, or even allowing stores to sell Cosmopolitan magazine without a little screen to block it's racy cover. Utah politicians have not always been the most logical. It's obvious that gay marriage is a political hot button, a wedge issue that they use to bolster their arguments for things like tax cuts or road-widening or building a huge fence along the border or some other completely unrelated thing.

I tip my hat to the founders of this country that created the judicial branch (or "Activist Judges") that are the last, and sometimes only, line of defense for minorities and others who's rights are substandard to the majority. The majority is not always right.

NOTHING DIVINE ABOUT IT

2006-05-17T08:15:00.000-06:00

I blog today in protest. Protest not only of the hypocrisy of our country, and the blatant disregard for the health and welfare of downwinders, but also a protest against another accost on my beloved West Desert. It seems that it will never end.

Mr. Bush: how dare you tell countries around the world that they cannot develop nuclear capabilities, whether they be for power or weapons, then turn around and start testing again? Yes, I know Divine Strake is not a nuclear test, but in essence it is everything a nuclear test would be. It is big enough to mimic one. It will throw radioactive dust into the air that has sat dormant since the last bomb was dropped.

Which brings me to the downwinders: people have suffered the consequences of this country's actions in very painful ways. Cancer, loss of friends and family, and an inhibited chance to live the American Dream. Perhaps you aren't at fault for this, but you are at fault for insulting them again, rather than helping them in their recovery efforts.

The West Desert is not a wasteland. For some reason the powers that be seem to think they can dump, pump and blast the desert until it becomes one. I will not stand by while this happens.

Mr. Bush, I protest.

So do Dee Taylor, SLCSpin, The Utah Amicus, The World, According To Me, Utah Democrats, Liar Paradox, Jen's Green Journal, Obiter Dicta by Steve, One Utah, Part of the Plan, and Progressive Utah.

Democracy in Action

2006-05-15T08:07:00.000-06:00

My partner and I attended the Democratic State Convention on Saturday, along with my Dad. It was a lot of fun, and surprisingly, my usually un-political partner was just as excited as I was.
I did notice that the emotions didn't really seem as sustained as they should be. I mean, people clapped and whistled and yelled and occasionally gave a standing ovation, but I thought things would be a lot more energetic, considering the opportunity Democrats have to actually make their voices heard in Utah.
We have a Republican president with a 29% approval rating, and Republican-led Congress with rates barely better. We're standing on a precipice here when even Utah has had a 14 point swing in approval for Bush, and Democrats should be seizing this opportunity. I hope that by November the lack of energy I saw will pick up and Democrats will do just that.
A few notes on some candidates I saw that made me wish I was in the right part of the state to vote for them. Chris Burridge, for instance. He was by far the most energetic of the US House candidates, and in addition he happens to be a former missionary companion to a guy from my home town. A Mormon Democrat in action! Congrats and good luck to him, especially with the news that Chris Cannon has a long fight ahead of him! Jacob garnered a bigger percentage of votes at the convention, which may well mean that in the primaries Cannon will find himself out of a job! All of this bodes well for Burridge, a young guy with a fantastic family and a bright future.
Pete Ashdown was great too! I loved his sense of humor, his tech-savvy presentation, and of course his wit and insights. Luckily, I can vote for him and will come November.
Christine Johnson, a candidate for the State Legislator, was also a wonderful and passionate voice for district 25. She will face off against Josh Ewing in District 25. Josh was great too. We heard them in the Stonewall caucus meeting. I support either candidate, though if I was in 25 I would probably vote for Christine. Not just because I'm biased (she is a lesbian after all), but because she knew what she was talking about, she was extremely passionate and intelligent, and I feel that she could get things done. It would also be great to bolster up the female minority on the hill.
Overall it was a great time and I'll be there again next round. Looking forward to the elections and more excited phone calls from my partner about Cannon's misfortunes. :)

Refusal to be ethical

2006-05-12T08:44:00.000-06:00

It seems to me that Utah Legislators have something to hide.

Legislators have continued to deny and shut down any attempts at ethics reform that would require them to report any gifts from lobbyists and refrain from voting when there is a conflict of interest.

Our lawmakers should know that their time in office isn't about them...it's about their duty to serve the public as elected officials. They should be accountable to us above anyone else. Their opposition to these simple ethical rules tells me that something is seriously wrong, and makes me really want to know who these guys are having lunch with. I want to know who is influencing their votes. It certainly isn't me or you.

Another Republican from Utah in Congress....

2006-05-12T08:35:00.000-06:00

A bi-partisan committee is pushing a bill that would give Washington, D.C. a long awaited representative in Congress.

It would also give Utah another seat.

Hurray. Another Republican from Utah goes to Washington.

A view from the Inside

2006-05-11T08:39:00.000-06:00

Mitt Romney is thinking of running for president, but has one slight problem: he's a Mormon. Many wouldn't consider this a problem at all: about 5,599,177 Mormons nationwide would surely vote for him. Unless of course I am considered one of those Mormons...in which case 5,599,176 will vote for him. Which is, of course, not enough to get him into office.
So, to try and get past what some would call a major stigma, Romney plans a Kennedy-esque speech to try and reassure the American people that politicians are guided by the Constitution before the Bible...or Book of Mormon.
Problem is, I've seen the inside of the church. I've lived in a state that 1,720,434 Mormons call home. And I know that nothing guides their life more than the church. Not necessarily the Book of Mormon (as evidenced by the overwhelming number of Mormons that are still Republicans despite views in direct opposition to said Book), but by the church.
And the influence the church has over its members is overwhelming. The use of guilt and reward is such that anyone who would vote incorrectly, or stand up to something the majority of members believe in, would soon have a visit from an authority, a phone call, or a cold shoulder from the entire congregation on Sunday.
The Mormon church, unlike the Catholic church, is not just a set of beliefs. It is a lifestyle. It is a culture. For someone to say they will put the interests of the Constitution above and beyond the interests of Mormonism is hypocrisy. After all, is it in the interests of the Constitution to write in an amendment that would discriminate against at least 12.6% of American households? NO. But if Mitt Romney were to veto such a measure, that would be in direct conflict with his beliefs, and he would never do it.
So, for those of you who have not seen the inside, let me tell you now...Mitt Romney will not be able to separate his Mormonism from his politics. If you're comfortable with that, than by all means, vote for him. Or, find out more about the church here and then determine if you're comfortable with that ideology and dogma sitting on Pennsylvania Avenue. Otherwise, trust your gut and vote for the other guy.

The Washington County debacle

2006-05-08T12:42:00.000-06:00

I lived in Washington County for one long year. In that time the county probably upped it's population by 10%, and it's developed land by as much if not more. It's a hot spot, which goes without saying.
Which is why it's so important that two major developments regarding development have occurred. First, Senator Bob Bennett and Representative Jim Matheson have introduced a bill, which can be reviewed here, that would help direct growth through the sale of some less biologically important public lands to fund conservation and stewardship of other more biologically important public lands. At least, that's what it says now. And when you think of it like that, it's a good idea. Regardless of this logic, several groups have come out vehemently opposed to any sale of wilderness areas, including SUWA, the Utah Chapter Sierra Club, and the Wilderness Society.
Everyone knows, of course, that bills will change. Over the course of the bill different interests will push for different changes. Some will be accommodated and others will not.
I hope that the interests that are accommadated are more environmental than developmental.
Everyone knows also that development in Washington County is inevitable. It will happen whether it is properly planned for or not. Which is why I hope that the Lands Bill introduced by Bennett and Matheson can be a positive force for quality growth.
In the meantime, however, the second development has occurred. Washington County commissioners, and representatives from the Nature Conservancy, the Oquirrh Institute, and Envision Utah signed a memorandum of understanding in April that would, in effect "manage Washington County's explosive rate of growth."
"The incredible growth in this area, combined with the outstanding natural features and unique landscape, make it absolutely essential that a blueprint for future growth and development be established that will protect the lifestyle unique to southwestern Utah," Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. wrote in a letter of endorsement that Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert signed on his behalf during the Utah League of Cities and Towns' mid-year meeting in St. George in April.
I hope the bill really creates a framework for positive and sustainable growth in the county, but in the meantime I applaud Washington County, the Nature Conservancy, the Oquirrh Institute, and Envision Utah for taking the lead in creating that framework themselves, rather than reacting negatively and stubbornly to the bill created by Bennett and Matheson. It shows true leadership to do something more than just react.

KUER vs. KCPW

2006-05-08T08:22:00.000-06:00

A while ago I posted on City Weekly's Best of Utah edition. An anonymous comment let me know the beauty of local NPR station KCPW. I have been a regular listener of KUER, which is more due to the fact that I could get it in my little hometown on the edge of the Basin.
Well, I've been listening in to KCPW, Anonymous, and I hear you. I love that I can tune into news at 10:30 at night, rather than jazz. I have nothing against jazz...but sometimes you just want more news. And BBC news at that...which is much less ethnocentric than American news.
There are a few things that bother me. KCPW seems to have a lot more "commercials" or "endorsements" than KUER...but I do like that the owners of the individual little businesses do these themselves. It's interesting to hear the voices that support local radio.
That's the other thing...KCPW just feels so much more local. You know they're just in a little studio down the street...where KUER is in this big building up on a hill that you have to have a security badge to get into. I've never tried to get into KCPW, but it seems to me that it would be a lot easier and homier. They've got MUCH better local news coverage, to boot. KUER just throws some things in the breaks between All Things Considered and other news programs.
Anyway, I wanted to give a shout out to Anonymous for tipping me in to such a great local resource!

Why do less than 50% of college students in Utah actually get degrees?

2006-05-03T17:26:00.000-06:00

It's quite simple really...because they're not in in for a B.S. They're in it for an M.R.S.

A huge chunk of Utah higher education students are Mormon. And a huge chunk of those are female. They are told to go to college, where they will meet their eternal soul mate. Believe me, I've been there. I was lucky to have parents that told me the point of continuing your education was to...continue your education.

Become an e2 Citizen

2006-05-03T12:26:00.000-06:00

Even if you don't live in Salt Lake City, there are some great ideas for decreasing your carbon footprint here. Myself and my partner have signed up to change a few things in our lives, including:

- Use public transportation or carpool at least two times a week.
- Keep vehicles tuned up and the tires properly inflated to increase fuel economy up to 7%
- Turn off the car while waiting. Don't idle more than two minutes.

- Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact flourescent bulbs that are 70% more efficient and last longer.
- When at home, turn the thermostat down 3 degrees in winter and up 3 degrees in summer; when not home turn heat or air conditioner off whenever possible.
- Use a swamp cooler or ceiling fans in the summer rather than central air conditioning.
- Turn off lights and electrical appliances when not in use.
- Wash clothes in cold water, saving 50% of the energy consumed by a washing machine.
- In the summer months, run your dishwasher while you are away; in winter months, run it while you are at home.
- Purchase at least one block of renewable wind energy.

- Use a curbside recycling bin.
- Make the effort to recycle glass.
- Purchase recycled products whenever possible.
- Stop junk mail by adding your name to a do-not-mail list. Learn More at New Dream.
- Take reusable items to a local charitable organization or thrift shop.

- Water less frequently and only during the coolest time of the day, usually between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.
- Use a water-efficient drip irrigation system for trees, shrubs and flowers.
- Turn the faucet off while washing hands, brushing teeth, and shaving.
- Only run the clothes washer and dishwasher when full.

- Buy locally grown produce and dairy whenever possible.
- Support local farmers by joining community-supported agriculture where you can purchase shares and receive fresh veggies every week.
- Reduce consumption of meat by one serving per week.

Pete Ashdown for Senate

2006-05-02T08:06:00.000-06:00

There have been plenty of other bloggers endorsing Ashdown rather than a Hatch re-run. See here, here , here and here.

Utah Amicus says: Everywhere I go I hear from both Republicans and Democrats that it is time for a change. Every time I attend an event where Pete speaks, I go away with a greater understanding that Pete is the man who should replace our current Senator, a man who has lost touch with the citizens of Utah.

Has Senator Hatch lost touch with Utahns? Emphatically, yes! Standing up against nuclear waste storage in Utah does not prove you truly care about what happens to us more than what happens to your major donors. For example, Senator Hatch believes:

- Warrantless wire-tapping is okay, as long as you are President Bush.
- Global warming is a farce created my Michael Crichton.
- Flag burning is a sin punishable by death...or something close to it.

On the other hand, check out Pete's blog. In it, he talks about important issues such as global warming with knowledge of the subject he gained from reading actual books and papers on it. He lists his opinions on several issues here. He talks about his reasons for his beliefs in a clear and concise manner that is becoming of a U.S. Senator. He also has a Wiki site, where he encourages voters to help influence his campaign!

His blog, his Wiki and his website in general show that Pete will be more frank and up front with his constituents and be far more responsive to and representative of the people that elected him. Hatch will continue to do what Hatch does...which is nothing that helps the people back home.

I urge you to vote for Pete Ashdown in November. It's time for a change in Washington.

The West's Hot Cities

2006-05-02T07:46:00.000-06:00

Congrats to the Hot Cities in Utah and elsewhere, as listed on Inc.com.

Hottest Small Cities (less than 150,000)

1. Yuma, AZ
2. St. George, UT
4. Coeur d'Alene, ID
5. Bellingham, WA
8. Idaho Falls, ID
9. Casper, WY
10. Bremerton-Silverdale, WA
13. Prescott, AZ
14. Bend, OR
15. El Centro, CA
16. Logan, UT
18. Greeley, CO

Hottest Midsize Cities (150,000-450,000)

5. Reno-Sparks, NV
9. Provo-Orem, UT
10. Bakersfield, CA
11. Boise, ID
13. Tucson, AZ
17. Tacoma, WA
18. Ogden-Clearfield, UT

Hottest Large Cities (450,000 or more)

1. Las Vegas, NV
5. San Bernardino-Riverside, CA
6. Phoenix, AZ
15. Salt Lake City, UT
17. Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, CA
19. Sacramento, CA
20. San Diego, CA

Kanab is at it again

2006-05-01T08:04:00.000-06:00

Though they have vehemently denied that the "Natural Family Resolution" is directed at any one group, Kanab politicians have recently taken up issue with a sticker local businesses have been posting on windows.
You see, this little sticker, which states boldly "Everyone Welcome Here," has a quintet of hand-holding rainbow people. Apparently our favorite councilman, Terril Honey, thinks that means they are gay, or, even worse, encouraging gay people to visit. According to the New York Times (THE NEW YORK TIMES PEOPLE....THIS IS GETTING A LITTLE OUT OF HAND!) he refuses to post it because he thinks it might offend some of his customers.

Mayor Lawson to the rescue! In order to bridge the sticker argument, he's decided to introduce a new sticker that is basically the same, but minus the rainbow people. The Chamber of Commerce is planning on putting out a new sticker in time for tourist season too.
So, everyone welcome here....except YOU PEOPLE!

Oppose Nuclear Waste in Utah 2

2006-04-28T12:25:00.000-06:00

Here's what I'd like to see more of in the West Desert.

Photo by Tom Nedreberg

Please remember to e-mail Pam Schuller at the BLM with your thoughts on why nuclear waste shouldn't be stored in Utah, or send her a letter at the following address:

Pam Schuller
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
Salt Lake Field Office
2370 South 2300 West
Salt Lake City, Utah 84119

For sample comments to put in your letter, click here.

And, check out other what other bloggers are saying!
SLCSpin
Part of the Plan
Utahania
Jen's Green Journal
The Utah Amicus
Reach Upward
Dee's Dotes
Obiter Dicta
Eric Hamilton's Reality Check
Running, but not out of breath
Utah Planners' Corner
Rural Blogging
Utah Conservative
The State of the Beehive
One Utah
Utah Democrats

Governor Huntsman

2006-04-28T08:49:00.000-06:00

Whether he believes the way I do or not, Governor Huntsman continues to pleasantly surprise me by coming down on my side of issues.

Not only did he veto the natural parent bill that passed the legislature this year as well as several other damaging bills, and come out against nuclear storage and Divine Strake, he's recently come out with a goal of increasing Utah's energy efficiency 20% by 2015.

He's my kind of Republican.

News to Me

2006-04-28T08:43:00.000-06:00

According to Grassroots, an uber-conservative organization that grades the legislature every year, Utah's lawmakers aren't conservative enough.

Do these people even live here?

Oppose Nuclear Waste in Utah

2006-04-27T12:06:00.000-06:00

I grew up on the edge of the Great Basin, overlooking the West Desert of Utah...a place not only of sagebrush and juniper trees, but home to seasonal bald eagles, deer, coyotes, antelope, rabbits and many other interesting and varied species. And beauty...beauty that has to be experienced to be truly appreciated. The muted colors of the soil, rocks and sparse plants rising to clear blue skies dotted with white clouds. And at night, the dazzling brilliance of the Milky Way, and the sounds of life all around you. And the sunsets, more golden and overwhelming than anywhere else I've ever seen a sunset.

The BLM has said that if they have enough public opposition, they will be able to bar nuclear waste from being dumped in Utah's west desert, a mere 45 miles from the Wasatch Front.

I for one, do not want it in my back yard, my home.

According to Gov. Huntsman: "Utah is not a dumping ground for the country and I will not allow this to happen on my watch. We must join together and say 'No Way' to nuclear waste."

I'm hoping anyone reading this will do as I have done and send comments to the BLM. The BLM is accepting public comment until May 8.

Letters may be addressed to:

Pam Schuller
US BLM
2370 S. 2300 W.
SLC, Utah 84119

Emails may be sent to Pam_Schuller@BLM.gov

Drop me a comment if you sent something in! Or, if you have the time, attend a special press conference on Friday at noon in the auditorium of the State Office Building just north of the Capitol. Show the powers that be how much you care about the place you call home.

Day of Silence Poem

2006-04-27T10:44:00.000-06:00

By Cameo Garrick, 17 West Jordan High School senior

I WILL NOT BE SILENT ANYMORE
The lies we spin
for our family, our friends
Our G.S.A.'s become "Drama Club"
Our thoughts and voices become dubbed
We get scared when people inquire about our lives
We don't know how to take that dive.
We don't know what they would think, or react
Would they be disgusted or just face that fact
We are not ashamed, but there is silence
about who we are and love, we
don't want to be an inconvenience
But I have come to a conclusion
I love who I am, and I have made my decision
I WILL NOT BE SILENCED ANYMORE!!!!!

Read more about the Day of Silence observation in Utah Wednesday by clicking on title, above.

Support Our Troops?

2006-04-27T08:50:00.000-06:00

I'd like to thank Senators Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett for taking money away from my brother that is currently fighting in Iraq so they can give more funding to keeping the American Dream away from fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters who want nothing more than to improve their lot the same way we do.
Is it fiscal responsibility to send our soldiers into hostile territory without proper body armor?
Is it fiscal responsibility to spend more and more on war while simultaneously cutting taxes?
Is it fiscal responsibility to tell a mother that blatant racism deserves the dollars that could have saved her son?

Some links on recent LDS Marriage amendment support

2006-04-26T17:57:00.000-06:00

Small Town Report uses the LDS church's own ideology to refute it's stance on gays and gay marriage.

Cindy Purvance gives us the top ten reasons to screw the Gays. Finally we understand!

Fear and Loathing in Salt Lake City discusses the slippery slope that gay marriage may lead to. And to think I could have married my set of horses! Maybe my best friend could marry her collection of Barbie dolls!

Sons of Perdition promotes the proxy gay marriages of several prominent LDS church leaders. As you may know, the LDS church performs proxy baptisms and marriages for deceased people all the time. Why not this?

The Ancient Pissing Contest

2006-04-26T17:14:00.000-06:00

Many people get up in arms when it is suggested that we may descend from apes. But I've learned something else: apparently, we descended from dogs.
Since the dawn of time humans have gone around fighting for scraps, gnawing at ancient bones, better known as grudges, and pissing on fire hydrants to mark their territory.
An e-mail has been circulating with a speech by former governor of Colorado, Dick Lamm. After checking to make sure it was true through several hoax sites, I found out that it is indeed. Read it below:

I HAVE A PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA RICHARD D. LAMM
I HAVE A SECRET PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA. IF YOU BELIEVE, AS MANY DO, THAT AMERICA IS TOO SMUG, TOO WHITE BREAD, TOO SELF-SATISFIED, TOO RICH, LETS DESTROY AMERICA. IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO DO. HISTORY SHOWS THAT NATIONS ARE MORE FRAGILE THAN THEIR CITIZENS THINK. NO NATION IN HISTORY HAS SURVIVED THE RAVAGES OF TIME. ARNOLD TOYNBEE OBSERVED THAT ALL GREAT CIVILIZATIONS RISE AND THEY ALL FALL, AND THAT "AN AUTOPSY OF HISTORY WOULD SHOW THAT ALL GREAT NATIONS COMMIT SUICIDE." HERE IS MY PLAN:
I. WE MUST FIRST MAKE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY. HISTORY SHOWS, IN MY OPINION, THAT NO NATION CAN SURVIVE THE TENSION, CONFLICT, AND ANTAGONISM OF TWO COMPETING LANGUAGES AND CULTURES. IT IS A BLESSING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE BILINGUAL; IT IS A CURSE FOR A SOCIETY TO BE BILINGUAL. ONE SCHOLAR, SEYMOUR MARTIN LIPSET, PUT IT THIS WAY:
THE HISTORIES OF BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT ASSIMILATE ARE HISTORIES OF TURMOIL, TENSION, AND TRAGEDY. CANADA, BELGIUM, MALAYSIA, LEBANON-ALL FACE CRISES OF NATIONAL EXISTENCE IN WHICH MINORITIES PRESS FOR AUTONOMY, IF NOT INDEPENDENCE. PAKISTAN AND CYPRUS HAVE DIVIDED. NIGERIA SUPPRESSED AN ETHNIC REBELLION. FRANCE FACES DIFFICULTIES WITH ITS BASQUES, BRETONS, AND CORSICANS.
II. I WOULD THEN INVENT "MULTICULTURALISM" AND ENCOURAGE IMMIGRANTS TO MAINTAIN THEIR OWN CULTURE. I WOULD MAKE IT AN ARTICLE OF BELIEF THAT ALL CULTURES ARE EQUAL: THAT THERE ARE NO CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THAT ARE IMPORTANT. I WOULD DECLARE IT AN ARTICLE OF FAITH THAT THE BLACK AND HISPANIC DROPOUT RATE IS ONLY DUE TO PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION BY THE MAJORITY. EVERY OTHER EXPLANATION IS OUT-OF-BOUNDS.
III. WE CAN MAKE THE UNITED STATES A "HISPANIC QUEBEC" WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT. THE KEY IS TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY RATHER THAN UNITY. AS BENJAMIN SCHWARZ SAID IN THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY RECENTLY: "...THE APPARENT SUCCESS OF OUR OWN MULTIETHNIC AND MULTICULTURAL EXPERIMENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED NOT BY TOLERANCE BUT BY HEGEMONY. WITHOUT THE DOMINANCE THAT ONCE DICTATED ETHNOCENTRICALLY, AND WHAT IT MEANT TO BE AN AMERICAN, WE ARE LEFT WITH ONLY TOLERANCE AND PLURALISM TO HOLD US TOGETHER." I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL IMMIGRANTS TO KEEP THEIR OWN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. I WOULD REPLACE THE MELTING POT METAPHOR WITH A SALAD BOWL METAPHOR. IT IS IMPORTANT TO INSURE THAT WE HAVE VARIOUS CULTURAL SUB-GROUPS LIVING IN AMERICA REINFORCING THEIR DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN AMERICANS, EMPHASIZING THEIR SIMILARITIES.
IV. HAVING DONE ALL THIS, I WOULD MAKE OUR FASTEST GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP THE LEAST EDUCATED - I WOULD ADD A SECOND UNDERCLASS, UNASSIMILATED, UNDEREDUCATED, AND ANTAGONISTIC TO OUR POPULATION. I WOULD HAVE THIS SECOND UNDERCLASS HAVE A 50% DROP OUT RATE FROM SCHOOL.
V. I WOULD THEN GET THE BIG FOUNDATIONS AND BIG BUSINESS TO GIVE THESE EFFORTS LOTS OF MONEY. I WOULD INVEST IN ETHNIC IDENTITY, AND I WOULD ESTABLISH THE CULT OF VICTIMOLOGY. I WOULD GET ALL MINORITIES TO THINK THEIR LACK OF SUCCESS WAS ALL THE FAULT OF THE MAJORITY - I WOULD START A GRIEVANCE INDUSTRY BLAMING ALL MINORITY FAILURE ON THE MAJORITY POPULATION.
VI. I WOULD ESTABLISH DUAL CITIZENSHIP AND PROMOTE DIVIDED LOYALTIES. I WOULD "CELEBRATE DIVERSITY." "DIVERSITY" IS A WONDERFULLY SEDUCTIVE WORD. IT STRESSES DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN COMMONALITIES. DIVERSE PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE MOSTLY ENGAGED IN HATING EACH OTHER-THAT IS, WHEN THEY ARE NOT KILLING EACH OTHER. A DIVERSE," PEACEFUL, OR STABLE SOCIETY IS AGAINST MOST HISTORICAL PRECEDENT. PEOPLE UNDERVALUE THE UNITY IT TAKES TO KEEP A NATION TOGETHER, AND WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MYOPIA. LOOK AT THE ANCIENT GREEKS. DORF'S WORLD HISTORY TELLS US: "THE GREEKS BELIEVED THAT THEY BELONGED TO THE SAME RACE; THEY POSSESSED A COMMON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE; AND THEY WORSHIPED THE SAME GODS. ALL GREECE TOOK PART IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN HONOR OF ZEUS AND ALL GREEKS VENERATED THE SHRINE OF APOLLO AT DELPHI. A COMMON ENEMY PERSIA THREATENED THEIR LIBERTY. YET, ALL OF THESE BONDS TOGETHER WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERCOME TWO FACTORS . . . (LOCAL PATRIOTISM AND GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS THAT NURTURED POLITICAL DIVISIONS . . .)" IF WE CAN PUT THE EMPHASIS ON THE "PLURIBUS," INSTEAD OF THE "UNUM," WE CAN BALKANIZE AMERICA AS SURELY AS KOSOVO.
VII. THEN I WOULD PLACE ALL THESE SUBJECTS OFF LIMITS - MAKE IT TABOO TO TALK ABOUT. I WOULD FIND A WORD SIMILAR TO "HERETIC" IN THE 16TH CENTURY - THAT STOPPED DISCUSSION AND PARALYZED THINKING. WORDS LIKE "RACIST", "XENOPHOBE" THAT HALTS ARGUMENT AND CONVERSATION. HAVING MADE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY, HAVING ESTABLISHED MULTICULTURALISM, HAVING THE LARGE FOUNDATIONS FUND THE DOCTRINE OF "VICTIMOLOGY", I WOULD NEXT MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS. I WOULD DEVELOP A MANTRA - "THAT BECAUSE IMMIGRATION HAS BEEN GOOD FOR AMERICA, IT MUST ALWAYS BE GOOD." I WOULD MAKE EVERY INDIVIDUAL IMMIGRANT SYMPATRIC AND IGNORE THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT.
VIII. LASTLY, I WOULD CENSOR VICTOR HANSON DAVIS'S BOOK MEXIFORNIA — THIS BOOK IS DANGEROUS — IT EXPOSES MY PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA. SO PLEASE, PLEASE — IF YOU FEEL THAT AMERICA DESERVES TO BE DESTROYED — PLEASE, PLEASE — DON'T BUY THIS BOOK! THIS GUY IS ON TO MY PLAN.
"THE SMART WAY TO KEEP PEOPLE PASSIVE AND OBEDIENT IS TO STRICTLY LIMIT THE SPECTRUM OF ACCEPTABLE OPINION, BUT ALLOW VERY LIVELY DEBATE WITHIN THAT SPECTRUM." — NOAM CHOMSKY, AMERICAN LINGUIST AND US MEDIA AND FOREIGN POLICY CRITIC.

If what the governor says is true, maybe we didn't really evolve yet. Maybe we still are dogs. But life teaches us that we should grow and become better with each passing generation. If we truly have evolved into humans, then we should be able to look past each other's differences and unite in the celebration of those differences.
It is not the ideas of multi-culturalism and tolerance that are bad. It is the people in the midst of all this that believe they are. People on both sides of the racial divide are guilty. A white man hates a Mexican woman because she cannot speak English, while the Mexican woman hates a black neighbor because he is big and scares her, and the black man hates a white man because he has had everything handed to him.
We all have our greivances. Every single one of us. But if we are ever to evolve into something more than dogs, we have to have a higher ideal in mind. We have to stop fighting for scraps. We have to stop gnawing at those ancient grudges and ripping open past wounds. We have to stop marking our territories. After all, the greatest capacity we have as humans is the ability to care for one another. If we cannot do that, we will most certainly fail.

Long Weekend Reprisal

2006-04-24T17:21:00.000-06:00

It's been another long weekend...and every weekend in the foreseeable future promises to be the same.
Friday night I worked my first night at a second job...a second job I got because, as I told a good friend today, I make enough to live as I am now, and I'm not okay with that. I have goals: marriage, kids, etc. So I get a second job and suddenly work nearly 60 hours a week.
Anyway, while the night went by quick, I'm still sore.
Saturday morning was the big move. It only took an hour to get the stuff out and twenty minutes to get it into the new house. Unfortunately, the move caused me to miss the Democratic County convention.
BUT SCOTT MCCOY GOT THROUGH!!! I'm glad he could do it without my partner and I, and I only hope we can help in some way in the future.
Anyway, met a lady my dad's friend keeps trying to set up with him. She was cool. Had a cool accent. I don't think he's ready. Maybe I should remind him.
Then had a barbecue at a friend's house and fell in love with a dog we probably can't have. We have a serious lack of good fencing on our property right now. And me with two jobs and my partner in retail with rotating shifts, it would probably be unfair to bring a dog in. Plus, I don't want the cat freaking out.
Sunday I mowed the lawn for the very first time. My lawn. It was a beautiful experience. Finished cleaning out the apartment and then went to work at Job 2. And I'll be back at it tonight.
But the good news is, Job 2 gave me the discount to get a pair of Ugg's for $6.80. I've wanted them as long as I can remember. It's pretty sweet.

Miller opens mind?

2006-04-21T12:38:00.000-06:00

Larry H. Miller met with students and faculty that opposed him speaking at the U yesterday. One thing that particularly grabbed my attention:
"In 2006, it's wrong that they have to live in that fear," he said about the stories he heard during the meeting.
But the only way that we can stop living in fear is if we are accepted and not marginalized.
I only hope that Miller truly feels remorse and has truly had a change of heart.
"Maybe their well-being trumps my beliefs, my rights to express myself."
Is this something he really believes?

Radio West visits Kanab

2006-04-20T16:57:00.000-06:00

Congrats again to Matt Livingston, the gutsy 17-year-old who took on his elected officials in Kanab over the "Natural Family Resolution." He's had a chance now to finally meet with the mayor face to face. I wonder if Lawson invited Matt's stake president to look on from the audience with a special "don't step out of line" look?

Senator Hatch buries head in sand...again

2006-04-20T08:49:00.000-06:00

Senator Hatch, when asked questions by reporters at the Salt Lake Tribune Wednesday about global warming, proceeded to promptly bury his head in the sand.
He then pulled his head back out and remarked that the sand was warmer than he last remembered it being.
Though muffled, reporters thought they heard Hatch say something about the scientific consensus on global warming being "science fiction."
He then went on to say he didn't think the Bush administration would doctor anything to their benefit, such as watering down reports of global warming to make the problem seem less pervasive.
"They've never done that before," he said, burying his head further in the sand when the reporter mentioned the doctored intelligence that got us into Iraq.
Though several scientists have gone on record as saying they had been censored by agencies and administration officials, Hatch spat sand when it was suggested they might be telling the truth while risking their jobs.
"Science fiction," he said.
Senator, please pull your head out of your ass...I mean, the sand, of course.

Earth Day Stuff

2006-04-19T17:15:00.000-06:00

Vanity Fair publishes first ever Green Edition. The Sierra Club comments here.

My thoughts: Vanity Fair, according to the Sierra Club, "has probably done more to stoke the engines of consumption and materialism in this country than most advertising agencies." And so, they conclude, it's almost hard to stomach a green edition. I remember a year or so ago I got a gift subscription to Mother Earth News. In the first issue I received, greens were blasting the magazine for putting a celebrity on it's cover and guffawing at celebrities building "green" homes the size of my home town. I had one thought for them: get off your high horse.
After all, if environmentalism and living green is reserved only for those that do it for the right reasons, as these greens seem to think it is, then a difference will never be made. It is only when it become popular and mainstream, even chic, that the green movement will start to make a difference globally.
And so it is that each time a magazine comes out promoting a green lifestyle, regardless of the kind of magazine it is or what it has promoted in the past (and probably future), I celebrate. Getting the word out to people who may not even have thought about it and making them think it's the only way to live is a good thing. People should live green for all reasons...not just the right ones.

Read "50 Ways to Save the Planet" from the latest Vanity Fair.

The Environment and Christians: They Can Co-Exist!

The National Council of Churches of Christ has an extensive website on it's Eco-Justice Programs which I have discovered on this fine Earth Day. I have always believed the Christian faith requires that we treat our surroundings with respect, but it seems that opinion falls on deaf ears. It's good to see I'm not the only one who thinks that way.
They even created a special sermon resource for Earth Day Sunday! And you can browse subjects back through Earth Day '99.
More of their issues include:
Biodiversity
Climate & Energy
Consumerism
Green Buildings
Land & Wilderness
Sustainability
Water

It's heartening, isn't it?

More Great Earth Day Sites to Browse

The Nature Conservancy: With "Messages of Hope" from celebrities like Tom Cruise and Jane Goodall
New American Dream: Learn about your impact in the Turn the Tide section and more ways to live the American Dream with less STUFF throughout the website.
Earthdaynetwork: Call it the Earth Day Home Page if you will. Get resources for hosting your own event and measure your ecological footprint. Also talks about Religious celebrations of Earth Day. Hallelujah!

Envirocare makes good

2006-04-19T08:01:00.000-06:00

Lest anyone forget, Energy Solutions is the same company as Envirocare...just with a new name and a new walk.

Trying to overcome all the bad press and bad choices of the former named company will take more than a spiffy new get-up. But Energy Solutions seems to grasp that a lot better than it's former personality.

Their recent contribution to Utah Lake State Park is very exciting. I have long been exasperated by Utah County's ability to almost completely ignore, and worse, abuse, the amazing resource they have in Utah Lake. Such a large, natural freshwater lake in such a dry western state is something that shouldn't be so overlooked...and should maybe even be capitalized on. Energy Solutions' donation of $103,000 will help renovate one section of space near Utah Lake that actually acknowledges that it's there. Hopefully, it will be only the beginning.

Utah Lake could have a nice waterfront district with shops and restaurants and more beach access. Of course, no one wants to swim in the lake because it's been so polluted by Geneva and other industrial enterprises along it's shores. Perhaps the next big project should be a redevelopment of the land where Geneva stands. A park and trail system that could be extended down the length of the shoreline, maybe a nice Gateway- or Shops at Riverside-style development. Maybe some housing. Something, anything, to make people notice the lake and it's beauty.

National Parks

2006-04-17T12:41:00.000-06:00

I recently posted concerning the raising of prices at Zion National Park.

Click on the link above to read more about costs of maintenance and price raising nation-wide.

Here are my thoughts:

I work for a non-profit environmental group that purchases land and preserves it. We have several preserves that are free and open to the public and have fine facilities and upkeep. We still have problems, but I think the Park Service should approach things a little more like a non-profit.
Perhaps they should develop a philanthropy department. Through this department donations from wealthy individuals and corporations could help with the costs of upkeep on our national parks. While we would never allow things like "Office Max Arch" or "Pepsi Presents: The Grand Canyon," there could be tasteful memorials with bricks or boards engraved with donors' names.
They should definitely develop a stronger volunteer base. There are hundreds and thousands of people out there that would love to rebuild a trail or spend a week patrolling the back country for nothing more than a National Parks pass and maybe a meal or two. If the Park Service could build a strong corp of volunteers with experience and love of our parks, they could accomplish much of the maintenance that has been waiting on the backburner for many years for a fraction of the cost. They could also free up full-time employees to work on bigger jobs.
While I'm sure the Park Service already has these things, perhaps stepping up volunteer and philanthropy programs could help get the much-need cash-flow into the parks without raising the costs to the point that many Americans will not be able to afford getting in.

Juniper Breezes

2006-04-14T13:48:00.000-06:00

John Bunker worked construction from the time he was fifteen. His dad was a subcontractor and helped finish I-15 through the Nephi area (one of the last stretches of interstate to be completed).
He worked the day his three-year old daughter came home with a cold. He worked late that day, and since there was so much traffic in Utah County, where he was working on I-15 himself, he didn't hear his phone ring.
But he soon found out his three-year old had died of the flu, and his six-year old son and wife were both infected. But he could not afford to miss work.
So he went back to the interstate the next day, and put all his pain into building that road.
Three guys called out sick that day.
The next afternoon, his wife passed. That evening, his son went too.
He had nothing else to do after the funerals on Saturday, so he went back to work on Monday. He wasn't the kind of guy to let his feelings show.
But on Monday, only three of the crew of twenty showed up for work. They didn't speak much, but went to work and finished nearly as much as the entire crew could have in that day. There was a lot less traffic.
By the end of the week, there was no traffic.
The flu killed all of John's family, friends, and coworkers. Soon, there was no one left but himself, and he didn't take the time to look for any other survivors.
He went back to work.
John was determined to build that road. He spent every daylight hour working the machines and expertly creating the perfect road: there were no cracks and no bumps. He worked for three months, carrying out the dusty old plans in the foreman's trailer, plotting out the road, even putting up barrels to direct traffic, should any come his way.
But none did. As it was, John would have been wasting his time to look for any survivors. He was the last man alive on earth.
It took him a year, but John finished that road. When he was done, and had nothing left but the sorrow of his losses, he packed a bag and walked on that road out to the horizon.
And so it was that the last accomplishment of man on earth was the building of a road.

A Vision for Downtown

2006-04-12T07:36:00.000-06:00

The Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce is thinking it might be about time to come up with a master plan to help direct the development of downtown Salt Lake City. With massive redevelopment being planned by the church in various areas, and other companies planning on building new skyscrapers, and no new plan since the 1960's, I would have to agree. There are some things that make some downtowns in the West particularly exciting places...so I wanted to offer my thoughts on what we could do here:

Seattle: While I know that we are not a port city with tons of water and lakes everywhere and fresh shipments of fish every hour on the hour, I would like to see something like Pike's Place market...a year-round farmer's market type place with lots of fresh local fare, crafts and goods. It could be set up similar to the Caputo's Market area...with little shops of all different flavors, bakeries and plenty of variety.

Tempe: With statues on every corner, theaters that host Broadway touring musicals, little boutiques, a tasty variety of restaurants and clubs that pulse late into the night, Salt Lake could learn a lesson or two from the art-friendly, pedestrian-oriented and youth-centered set-up of downtown Tempe, AZ, which is adjacent to Arizona State University. A thriving downtown should have a thriving night scene, and plenty of interesting things to see as you walk from a showing of Rent to your favorite cantina. And without attracting the area's youth, as Tempe does, downtown will always remain dull and drab.

Portland: My favorite thing about this city was the amazing amounts of restaurants with outdoor seating. From high-class cuisine to mid-street deli's, everyone had a table outside. With the great weather we enjoy in Utah from March to November, restaurants in downtown Salt Lake could take a clue from Portland and keep the streets alive from lunch through closing time by putting diners out where they can see and be seen. Plus, I'd love to see Sam Wellers books expand to be a Powell's rival.

Minneapolis: Okay, I know this isn't the West to those of us who live here, but this town is one of the most beautiful I have visited. It boasts over three miles of biking/walking/running trails. Of course, the river makes trails easier, but it might do downtown SLC good to better develop the trails in Memory Grove and City Creek (and the Jordan Parkway) and find a way to connect more with the natural world around us. Whether that is putting a bit more landscaping on our city streets or building a few more parks in the downtown area, or perhaps looking more into the hair-brained idea of bringing City Creek back up to the surface, I'm not sure. Or, look at the success of the Gateway (which reminds me a lot of Minneapolis' Nicollet Mall) Olympic Fountain. Incorporating the natural world through the use of trees, plants, flowers and water (preferrably in as natural a way as possible) is a sure-fire way to make your downtown more livable and attractive to visitors.

I'm open to comments from anyone on their favorite Western cities and what makes them so great...and of course, ideas on how SLC could incorporate those ideas in a meaningful way.

A Waste of Time

2006-04-11T08:29:00.000-06:00

I hope I am not right, but I feel that Soulforce's visit to BYU and other private colleges that discriminate against gays and lesbians is really a waste of time. I guess I cannot really speak for other private universities, but I know, being brought up LDS myself, what a homophobic and stubborn bunch of people the Mormon Church can be.
What bothers me most is the judgement that is passed freely by members of the church. One man who spoke at the rally at Kiwanis park yesterday is a practicing LDS man, who happens to be gay. He is currently attending BYU and is living the honor code. Read: he is a practicing Mormon, not a practicing homosexual. But he is also honest with himself in recognizing that he is gay, and that feels right, but also Mormon, and that feels right. But somehow, he still gets all this judgement from his peers and fellow members. Simply because, according to church rules, he cannot be with someone he may love. And he chooses to fight his urges, which makes him a far stronger person than any of them. Yet they would throw him out from among them. That isn't what the church is about.
So I applaud Soulforce for striking at the heart of discrimination, and hope that they may change some hearts and minds. But I cannot foresee BYU changing it's strict policies for anyone except football players anytime soon.

I am inspired

2006-04-10T07:51:00.000-06:00

So many people look at immigrants, illegal or not, as others. Outsiders. Never truly and fully American. But after this weekend, I see proof that they know more about what it means to be American than many people here that just happened to be born in the right place.
They marched to let the government know they are here, rather than apathetically staying home and watching another episode of Lost or Survivor.
They work hard every day, earning barely enough to scrape by, and say they have found the American dream, rather than job-hopping, or complaining about supervisors or work load at some white-collar job downtown where people are over-paid and over-compensated in comparison.
They start businesses at a faster rate than the mainstream and raise families in deeply-rooted religious and cultural traditions, rather than waiting for a handout from a homogenous society that seems not to value differences anymore.
Some things are quite obvious: we would collapse without them, and we are all immigrants here. Each of us has ancestry that comes from somewhere else, except perhaps the Native Americans. I am Norwegian, Swedish, and English. My partner is English, French, Native American and many others ancestries she doesn't even know of. One of my friends is third generation Mexican and Spanish. These are the differences that unite us. That is what makes America so great. We can look different, believe different, speak different, and hold different traditions, yet we can still live together working towards a common goal: freedom.
These immigrants that so many hate or want to send back to the countries that many of them have never even seen embody the American spirit far more than the rest of us. We should be embracing them and thanking them for keeping the American dream alive.
As one sign at the Utah Capitol said: "I dream of liberty and freedom for my family." If that is not the American dream, then what is?

Read more about the marches here, here, here, here, here, and here (far more coverage in the Tribune than the Deseret News...telling huh?). And read the opposing point of view here.

Breakdown of Bill in Congress.

Welcome to Zion?

2006-04-09T13:00:00.000-06:00

Zion National Park is proposing yet another rate increase for access to the park. It is already the most expensive park to visit in the state. And while most will pay it, including myself, I have to ask: what happens to people who can't? Are they not welcome in our National Parks anymore? These are public lands, not private entities, and while I understand that it takes a lot of money to run a park and keep things in the park maintained, I worry that National Parks will become a place that only the elite can visit. In reality, it is the poorest and most beleaguered among us that would benefit most from contact with the natural world.

The Best of Utah Recap

2006-04-07T19:19:00.000-06:00

Hello, and sorry it's been so long since my last post. It turns out the new house is sucking all my free time away. I should have known. However, I wanted to give my thoughts on City Weekly's Best of Utah list:

Best Fortuitous Phone Number: 587-7827 Call it now, folks, to hear from LDS-STAR, aka, Walter Larabee. He's an excommunicated drag-queen. This might be a good number to give that obnoxious returned missionary that keeps bothering you, girl!

Best Smoke Free Mountain Music: Spur Bar & Grill in Park City. You should probably check this one out because soon (though not soon enough) all clubs and bars will be smoke free. I can hardly wait for the day! My clothes from last weekend are still smoking in the corner!

Best Break Up Spot: Temple Square. I wonder if this would work for lesbians?

Best Intersection: Van Winkle and 900 East. After over a year of blowing through here at 55 mph or more, I would have to agree. However, it's much better if you're heading southeast through this intersection. You almost feel like you've left the city when you see the eyes of raccoons in your headlights. However, I think it would be better if they could make this intersection more pedestrian friendly. I almost died there once getting off the bus and trying to cross the street!

Best People-Watching: Main Street TRAX stations: while I agree that it's amazing the variety and type of people you can see here, suddenly put on an equal level, I would have to put in for the DMV. After all, not everyone has to ride TRAX. But at some point, everyone has to stand in line for a Driver's license or to register a car. People here range from downright gross, to drunk to well-dressed folks who refuse to sit in the chair. Interesting times.

Best Burritos: Cafe Rio: I continue to be in awe that the shredded chicken salad is overlooked. I can get five or six of these a month and never tire of the creamy tomatillo dressing, tortilla strips, guacamole, lime and all things put together that create this little slice of heaven!

Best Chinese Takeout: Sampan: Even better in the restaurant, these folks probably know my partner and I by name by now. I also put in a vote for it to move up in the Best Chinese category!

Best Mexican: Red Iguana: Which is almost a given! I wish they'd open another one so we wouldn't have to wait so long, but I guess that's the old Utah logic that's often applied to roads. If we build more, wider, bigger roads, the traffic will flow better. I think building more Red Iguana's would only make things worse. Case in point: Cafe Rio.

Best Pizza: The Pie Pizzeria: We just discovered the Pie this year, and WOW! To think we have been wasting our time on Pizza Hut and Dominos when this has been right down the road. I really love the graffiti-covered walls too! Also, special mention goes to Wild Mushroom pizza, which is quick and tasty, with some REALLY good subs!

Best Sushi: Happy Sumo: Hurray for Happy Sumo's fantastic rolls and addicting Mt. Fuji chocolate cake. I went to Ichiban the other day, often relayed to me as the best sushi in town, and realized it was nothing next to my beloved Sumo. And you know it has to be good to have a chain in Provo that's actually successful!

Best Thai: Thai Siam: Perhaps City Weekly has not yet heard of Thai Siam knock-off (though it makes them really upset to be referred to like that) Sawadee. Located on South Temple (so much closer to downtown workers who want a good cheap lunch), their lunch special is only $5.95 and includes a salad, two entrees, a spring roll and rice. And the atmosphere is much calmer...no waiters and waitresses dipping behind a big picture of Thailand to get your drinks here!

Best Brine Shrimp Website: wildlife.utah.gov/gsl : Hurray for our namesake, the Great Salt Lake! Best Place to View Brine Shrimp: The Nature Conservancy's Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve.

Best Place to Dispose of Your American Flag: Colonial Flag & Gift: I wonder if they would give me 10% off the purchase of a Canadian flag if I brought in my old American?

Best Creep Catchphrase: "A full quiver of children.": ah Southern Utah, your wealth of amusing politicians is neverending!

Best Dedicated Publisher: Greta DeJong, Catalyst: When I first moved to Salt Lake I picked up a copy of Catalyst and knew I could stay in Utah, as long as it was close to a place where this free magazine is easily accessible.

Best Name Return: Salt Lake Bees: if only they weren't owned by Larry Miller, I could enjoy! As it is I'll be second-rating it with the Ogden Raptors or driving long distances to see the Dodgers or Rockies. Worth the extra money to not support The Man.

Best Persistent Media Misnomer: Chris Buttars: a man with "morals": City Weekly hit this right on the head. That's like saying Larry Miller is moral by pulling Brokeback, while showing things like Basic Instinct 2 (Rated R for strong sexuality, nudity, violence, language and some drug content), V for Vendetta (far more liberal (read: immoral) than Brokeback), Lucky Number Slevin (Rated R for strong violence, sexuality and language), She's the Man (about a girl dressing as a boy...a little to transsexual for comfort, wouldn't you say? Plus contains some sexual content), and Slither (Rated R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some drug content and sexuality/nudity). Family values all around!

Best Pregnant Pauses: Radio West's Doug Fabrizio: I only mention this here because I fall into the category of NPR nerd. And I WAS amazed at how young, vibrant and good looking Diane Rehm is! But, to Doug, I say congrats on a successful show! Just get to the point already!

Best Talk Radio Station: KUER 90.1: And I couldn't agree more! I'll admit I find it hard to tear myself away from the familiar format of KUER to try out other local NPR stations. Why mess with a good thing?

Best Activist: Scott McCoy: and with the 3rd runner up being Jackie Biskupski, it appears Utah is giving a shout out to the gay community! Repeal of amendment 3 up and coming? Probably not in my lifetime, but you've got to make progress somehow.

Best Bastions of Tolerance: Utah High Schools: From the mouths of babes...the voting of a lesbian couple as cutest couple just shows that the old dinosaurs in the Legislature and nationwide will always eventually be replaced by younger and more tolerant generations of people who see things in society their parents didn't see, and understand better what it is to be a good human being.

Best Defender of Incestuous Fathers: Sen. Darin Peters, R-Nephi: It makes one wonder what happens behind the closed doors of the homes of some Utah legislators. This is common sense human rights: a person has the right to be defended from those who would hurt them.

Best Evidence Utah is Progressing: iProvo?: My vote is in for City Weekly's naming of two gay legislators to the Best Activist category and the acceptance and tolerance of Utah high schools among the others mentioned. Also, to the Best Political Cause.

Best Evidence Utah is Regressing: DeeDee Corradini: And of course Chris Buttar's would be mentioned. But should be more prominently mentioned. Intelligent design should have also been included. After all, that's Dark Ages thinking right there.

Best Political Cause: Gay Rights: It feels good to have a series of hate-filled bills killed on the floor or by the governor's pen. I have gained more respect for Hunstman in this session than his entire career previous.

Best Tax Dollars in Action: Education: If only, if only we could squeeze a little more. It's amazing that with a huge surplus, lawmakers couldn't give a little more to our real future: children.

Best Way to Get Redneck Yahoos out of Utah: The Utah Minuteman Project: And a close runner up would be the NASCAR races in Vegas! I have some good friends that are fans of NASCAR, but putting them aside, I've discovered this to be a rather scary group of narrow-minded gits. I hear the leaded gasoline has a lot to do with it.

The longest weekend of my life

2006-04-03T08:14:00.000-06:00

It's been a long weekend.

It all started one chilly Friday night when my partner and I met six of her coworkers at a hot local sushi joint. I was determined to only have two rolls, some edamame and a beer, but one flamboyantly gay boy decided he would not leave until he had all of us thoroughly drunk and had surpassed his previous bill of $170. He managed to finish it off at $200 this time. And I had a very nice buzz after some Kirin beer, blueberry and pomegranate martinis, mojitos, sake bombs (I should have known better...I hate sake), and some things I didn't even know the name of.

Then Saturday came. At 11:00 we got the keys to our new house, and we wasted no time getting started. We picked up our new washer and dryer (easily the best thing about owning a home for me!), bought some paint and had one room painted by 7:30 that night. Then we went home, got ready, and went out with some friends to a local lesbian bar. We had to dance all night because there wasn't anywhere left to sit, and after a Corona, a Fuzzy Pussy (I think it was sour apple puckers) shot, a shot of Jagermeister, and two shots of something called a Blow Job (I'm not even sure what exactly was in it, but it was sure tasty), I was dancing with abandon. I guess I'm a lightweight. I should be...my partner and I, as I have mentioned before, are not partiers. I don't think we've had more than one drink a night in six months or more. And we don't drink every night...maybe once a week.

Sunday morning we got up and went back over to the house, where we finished with the second coat on the hallway, painted the office twice and put the first coat on the master bedroom. In between all this we made several trips to Home Depot, stopped for lunch, grabbed pizza for dinner, attempted to hook up the washer and dryer with my Dad (who knew the dryer didn't come with a cord to hook it up?), and my partner (very proud of her lesbianness) managed to fix our first leaky faucet. It was a busy day. Probably four hours of painting and the sore muscles to prove it. The walls are all textured, so you have to push extra hard to get paint into all the hills and valleys. My shoulders are killing me, since apparently I have become the designated maven of the ceilings.

But progress has been made. We have managed to cover up three rooms of yellow paint that I have grown to loathe with a passion. I think that color is too reminiscent of the water in the toilet after you've been drinking all night. Believe me, after this weekend, I would know! But those dark north-facing rooms are now light and shiny...and I'm a light person. The light in a place has an interesting effect on my mood, so it was important to make the place brighter. And to make it our own. Which I think, in only a day and half, we've done remarkably well.

Fearing Fear Itself

2006-04-02T12:04:00.000-06:00

In a fantastic op-ed peice printed Saturday in the Salt Lake Tribune, Pat Shea made some interesting points about the use of fear, since 9/11 in particular, to promote political agendas.
He also related a story about his grandfather and a herd of sheep. When he shot his gun into the air the sheep started and ran away from the sound of the gun, around the pasture, and finally stopped in the same place they were when the shot was first fired.
I would venture to say that since the shot was fired on 9/11, the Bush administration has run us around in circles, but we are not in the same place we were. Neither have we gone forward. We have taken a step back.
One need only look at the national debt, the anti-Christian government of "liberated" Afghanistan, or the precipice on which Iraq hangs, waiting to stumble into civil war. Has anything we have done since September 11th moved our country forward? Are we better off now than we were on things such as the environment, Social Security, education or even faith-based initiatives? Has our country grown together, or been wedged further apart? Have we stopped terrorism, or created more?
And what is terrorism but actions taken to instill fear in the hearts of the people? So, are we fighting it? Or are we becoming what we should be fighting?

To the Lady Utes

2006-03-31T09:37:00.000-07:00

Congratulations are in order for a fantastic season. The Lady Utes made it to the final eight and lost by only ten points in overtime. I've only been to one game, but I was impressed with the level of basketball those girls play. I'll be looking into season tickets next year. Click on the title, above, to learn more about these girls!

Could the West actually matter on a National Scale?

2006-03-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

If Governor Huntsman's plan works, the western states may soon have a much bigger say in what happens nationally.

And since the West is the fastest growing region of the country, it makes sense that the issues we have out here (water, land) should have a bigger sway on candidates than they currently do.

If the West is given the chance to be heard through primary elections similar to those in Iowa, which have long determined which candidates make it to November, we might actually see some visits from these candidates. They might actually take the time to hear about the things that we care about, and maybe, just maybe, we can get some of the issues that have divided the west for so long, such as federal lands and water rights, heard on the national stage.

As a homeowner in America

2006-03-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

Hello all, and happy house-signing day to you!

Well, at least to me and my partner. Today we signed the papers to close on our very first home, and suddenly, we have become landowners!

In early America this would have almost given us the right to vote. At least, if one of us had been a man. And I think there was a certain amount of land you had to own. Maybe .11 acres wouldn't have qualified us.

But I'm really excited to start planning the yard....finding water-wise native plants and building raised vegetable gardens so we can grow our own food. Well, at least a little of it. I'm excited about the inside of the house too, but for some reason, the yard is what really gets my motor running.

But I'm nervous too. I'm nervous that our neighborhood won't accept us, as a lesbian couple. And in my life I have wanted what most Americans want: a house, a family, a strong marriage, neighborhood block parties and friendships with neighbors that will help shovel snow, watch children, and rally together on issues that affect our neighborhood.

Why, just because of who I love, shouldn't I have these things too?

I am not stereotypical. And there are a lot of gays and lesbians that are like me. We don't sleep around. We don't do drugs or spend every night partying. We don't want to live the rest of our lives in a condo downtown with a view of the Gateway. Sure, there are some who do, but there are others, like me, that have saved themselves for the right one, found the right one, and have the dreams that any couple would have. But because she's a she, my dreams should be different. Or so some people think.

Well, today is the first step in proving that we can be stable life-partners, and be happy, just as we are.

Happy House-Signing Day!

Water in Washington County

2006-03-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot happening in Washington County lately.

I lived there for a year, and got out as quickly as I could. I couldn't take anymore clogged roads, burgeoning growth, or disappearing open space. And it isn't a place that's very welcoming to young people. There aren't any hang-outs for young adults that aren't LDS: no dance clubs, and only two bars. It's a town that, if you move in after high school, is a very hard place to find people like yourself.

But more than any of that, the main reason I left is the gluttonous lifestyle of the people that live there. Beyond the developments called things like Foremasters Ridge (a foremaster being basically a slave driver), which places monstrous houses above the rest of the town so we could all be reminded of our place, there are the expansive lawns, pools, and gardens that have no place in such a parched landscape.

And the leaders down there are scrambling to plan for more growth. As the fifth fastest growing county in the nation, Washington County also has the distinction of consuming the most water per capita in the nation. This in a place that recieves an average of 11.2 inches of rain a year. They want to pipe in water from Lake Powell, build more evaporation-prone reservoirs and make water cheaper to buy.

What they should be doing is taking a cue from developments like Kayenta, that, while still have pools, require the vast portion of each lot to remain natural landscape, thus using very little water. Phoenix, AZ has also been wise, as in the following policy:

"It is hereby declared that, because of the conditions prevailing in the City of Phoenix, the general welfare requires that the water resources available to the City be put to the maximum beneficial use to the extent to which they are capable, and that the waste or unreasonable use, or unreasonable method of use of water be prevented, and the conservation of such water is to be extended with a view to the reasonable and beneficial use thereof in the interests of the people of the City of Phoenix and for the public welfare. (Ord. No G-3335, § 1)"

I'm calling on the cities of Washington County to implement conservation instead of further waste. Give residents the incentives to xeriscape at least portions of their yards, or give tax breaks to those who do. Implement restrictions on when residents can water, since watering in the middle of a 110 degree day is extremely wasteful. Require new construction to use low-flow technology on faucets, toilets, and irrigation. Xeriscape city and county buildings and facilities. Treat each year as if it were a drought year, and then development can happen with less worries.

Conservation is a conservative value too.

Read more about Phoenix's Water Conservation Plan here.

This is not just a Southern Utah problem. All of Utah needs to jump on the conservation bandwagon. Read more here.

More about planning in Washington County here.

'Everyone welcome here'

2006-03-27T17:26:00.000-07:00

Kanab is a small town with 'big' morals. Their recent Proclamation to the World on the proper family structure is even more telling about the kind of people that live there than Draper's recent refusal to church-owned D.I. In a word: snobs. Or possibly: bigots.
But amid all this, there are people that are accepting, if only because they're afraid Arthur Frommer's call for a boycott might drain their businesses of much-needed dollars. These people have joined together and created a band-aid...er, I mean, sticker...to nurse the wounds their self-righteous city council and mayor have created. Above a linking of rainbow colored people and Kanab's signature red-rocks the sticker states: Everyone Welcome Here.
These modestly priced stickers, one can hope, will soon be dotting the businesses and cars of the good people of Kanab. While councilman Terril Honey has already said he won't be placing a sticker in the window of his grocery store, Honey's Jubilee, I expect the rest of the council and the Mayor won't have one either.
The Mayor may need to take some drastic measures against the boosters. Maybe the Stake President should be called in. Or maybe he should go straight to the Mormon Mafia. Either way, something must be done!