Social Justice Issues: The Elderly

I spent my growing up years, through college, living around an environment of caring for the elderly. My grandparents were administrators of a county nursing home, with my grandmother working as head nurse. I would often accompany her an her “rounds” and from a very young age became inspired by the care and nurture displayed by my grandmother to women and men who resided in this home. My grandmparents had been working as administrators of homes for the poor for a time before I was even born.

My mother was also trained as a nurse and I ended up working my way through college and some beyond as a certified nurses assistant in a nursing home, often volunteering to work holidays so that other health care professionals could have the time off with their families.
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Green Party of Canada calls for accurate labeling on food products

The Green Party of Candida has issued a statement of position on the labeling of food products there.

In addition to the call to make sure consumers know exactly what they are eating, by virtue of detailed ingredients lists, the party also calls for the ban of all junk food in schools and raising taxes on it everywhere else.

Homelessness in Utah

Today’s Deseret News has published an article on homelessness in the town of Vernal, a small northeast Utah town of less than 10,000. The focus is on families who are forced out of their homes due to rising rents and heating costs.

Today in history

January 9

1789
Treaty with the Wyandot, Delaware, Ottowa, Potawatomi, & Sauk is the first in the new U.S. to recognize Native Americans as independent “nations.”
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Upcoming Legislative Session and Tax Issues

Today’s Salt Lake Tribune has published a Taxpayers Guide to the 2006 Legislative Session. Tax issues are expected to be a predominant theme during this session.

Included in the guide is information on issues such as:

  • Food tax – Lawmakers might consider refunds for low-income Utahns
  • Flat income tax – Having everyone pay the same proves not so simple
  • Tax breaks for business – Plans would encourage businesses that operate and employ in the state
  • The Deseret News this morning has published a poll which indicates that about half of Utahns would rather have their tax dollars spent on education than to receive a tax cut. This information comes one week before opening day of the Utah Legislative session, Monday, January 16th and in the face of a report that Utah is facing an accelerated economic growth period.
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    Today in history

    January 8

    1865
    In the battle of Dove Creek, near San Angleo, 370 Texas militiamen attacked what was assumed to be an encampment of 1400 Comanches but were peaceful Kickapoo, in one of the last battles in Texas between Anglos & Native Americans.

    1867
    Congress overrides the president’s veto of a bill granting all adult male citizens of the District of Columbia the right to vote, the first election law passed in America granting African-American men the right to vote.
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    Christmas Vacation photos

    I have posted photos of our Christmas Vaction 2005. We had a great time. It was good to have time off.

    GPUS Ecoaction Committee

    I and another Green Party of Utah member are priveleged to have been accepted for membership on the newly approved GPUS EcoAction Committee.
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    Green Party: Are the Democrats safe in 2006?

    Fellow Green and GPUS Alternate Delegate Tom Yagerfrom Virginia, the pleasure of whom we had meeting in Tulsa last summer, has given me permission to post his message to the GPUS National Committee from yesterday. There is a lot of internal struggle at the national level and Tom’s post was a pleasurable, encouraging and insightful message.

    The 2006 elections are the greatest opportunity that the Green Party has ever had in this country. In addition to the series of post-2004 capitulations on Bush’s legislative agenda, Nancy Pelosi handed the
    Greens a tremendous gift when she announced that the Democratic Party was not taking a position on Iraq. Any political party that refuses to take a position on the foremost issue that our country faces richly
    deserves to be defeated at the polls.
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    Outraged but not surprised: Utah Theater pulls Brokeback Mountain film

    Why am I not surprised? It’s another double standard. Graphic violence is o.k., love stories are not. Hmmmm…..

    A local wealthy automobile dealership owner, property owner,owner of the Utah’s professional basketball team, Utah Jazz, amd noted LDS church member has pulled the film Brokeback Mountain from his Megaplex 17 Cinema Complex at Jordan Commons in Sandy, Utah. Brokeback Mountain is about two gay cowboys who rekindle their love after years of being apart and being married to women.

    Larry Miller has not returned phone calls in response to the request that the Newspaper Agency Corp., which handles advertising, production and printing for both the Deseret News and the Salt Lake Tribune, to remove show times for the film from its ads, according to the Deseret News article.

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