Utah’s ABC Channel 4’s bravery in confronting the government on Divine Strake

Posted on February 8, 2007 | Leave a comment

BE SURE TO WATCH THIS STUNNING VIDEO and account of delivery of email comments that overloaded the government’s computers so channel 4 decided to deliver them. Watch and listen to the resistance they confronted and the statement by channel 4.
Channel 4, KUDOS!!

Re: Divine Strake

THIS IS PERHAPS THE GUTSIEST, MOST DARING, BRAVE THING ANYONE IN THE MEDIA HAS EVER DONE FOR DIVINE STRAKE.

Go to http://www.abc4.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoID=59263

or http://www.abc4.com and click on the video for the story ‘ ABC 4 hand delivers viewers comments to the Department of Energy in Las Vegas ‘ that includes a moving commentary from Terry Wood, a 40-year veteran journalist.

PLEASE
PLEASE
PLEASE

PASS THIS ALONG. SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. STOPDIVINESTRAKE.COM IS GETTING HUNDREDS OF HITS PER HOUR FROM SALT LAKE CITIZENS WHO ARE REACTING TO THIS AMAZING PIECE OF JOURNALISM. VIEW THE NEWS SEGMENT IN ENTIRETY AND PASS ALONG WIDELY.

**CANCEL** THE DIVINE STRAKE! STOP WEAPONS TESTING ON WESTERN SHOSHONE LAND! END NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION!

The video may not work best with Firefox; if so, try Internet explorer.

Andrew at StopDivineStrake.com
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Utah Legislators continue to “show women their place”

Posted on February 7, 2007 | Leave a comment

It’s bad enough that the men of our legislature are making decisions regarding women’s reproductive choices for women of our state. Now they are continuing to “put women in their place” by preventing them from other health care needs.

A House Committee killed a bill for healthcare that would potentially prevent a fatal form of cancer in women.

HB358 would have given the Utah Department of Health $1 million to educate females about cervical cancer and immunize girls and young women against it with the new Gardasil vaccine. Bill sponsor Rep. Karen Morgan, D-Cottonwood Heights, said she thought the bill would pass out of the House Health and Human Services Committee.
“Many people are afraid of something new,” she said. “I think these are individuals who are against immunization altogether. But this is the first vaccine to protect against cancer.”

Upon reading the article, it is clear that conservative lobbyists in this state have had influence over the death of this bill because heaven forbid we provide any kind of education on health care to young girls and teenagers.

They might learn something and that would be (gasp!)unthinkable.

So women of Utah remember your place.

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Energy Pollutions Bill Passes

Posted on February 7, 2007 | Leave a comment

Sadly, the Utah Senate has passed SB155, which will take away legislative oversight of nuclear waste coming into our state. This gives Energy Pollutions Solutions one more step towards total autonomy over this issue.

Speaking for EnergySolutions and its operations plans, Sen. Darin Peterson, R-Nephi, said, “Every time they have tried to change, they have been opposed by one group or another, and they have never lost one of those challenges. Never.”
      There should be a point where the company can go forward without as much hassle, according to Peterson. EnergySolutions is performing a service, said Peterson, sponsor of SB155. “They have proven themselves to be good partners.”

Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, said he was not speaking to impugn the corporate reputation of Energy Solutions. “What I’m trying to do here is to think about the public policy behind what is a significantly important material to many of the people of the state of Utah,” McCoy said. Many do not want to leave decisions about the material “in the hands of a group of bureaucrats.”  “I think the Legislature should keep some skin in this game,” said McCoy. He said officials charged with oversight “absolutely have a role in the process,” and they are the experts. “What I have a problem with is absenting ourselves and the governor and the county from a role in that process.”

There is a lot of confusion, according to the article, over the language of the law and of this bill.  But one thing is clear to me:  There are a number of Utah legislators who do not care to listen to their constituents and care only about money and not people.  This bill is a prime example of that.

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Rupert Murcoch: “We tried to shape the agenda on Iraq.”

Posted on February 6, 2007 | Leave a comment

Surprised?

Murdoch Confesses To Propaganda On Iraq

Rupert Murdoch in Davos

Murdoch was asked if News Corp. had managed to shape the agenda on the war in Iraq. His answer?

“No, I don’t think so. We tried.” Asked by Rose for further comment, he said: “We basically supported the Bush policy in the Middle East…but we have been very critical of his execution.”

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Do As I Say – Not As I Do

Posted on February 5, 2007 | Leave a comment

Some representatives in the Utah Legislature are up to their old tricks by imposing inequitable laws.

In today’s Salt Lake Tribune:
Cell phones, tanning booths, video games – they all pose potential threats to children, according to Utah lawmakers.
But ATVs and hunting rifles are apparently OK for even the youngest children to use, if parents say so.
Once again, the 2007 Utah Legislature is zigzagging its way around parental rights, the best interests of children and government policy. With some bills, they have decided parents really do know best.
Isn’t that typical of governments all over? Dictate what’s in the best interests of people and their children without conulting them.

Yup. It’s in our best interests to listen.

NOT!

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Surprise, surprise: Now we are “anti-troops”

Posted on February 5, 2007 | Leave a comment

In the article in today’s Deseret News, Anti-war vote called an anti-troops vote,
Sen. John McCain sought to weaken support for a resolution opposing President Bush’s Iraq war strategy Sunday, saying proponents are intellectually dishonest.

There has been a call issued for the coming weeks to do sit-ins in representative offices. I am sure there will be lots to report on with that action.

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School Vouchers Blogswarm-NO to H.B. 148

Posted on February 1, 2007 | Leave a comment
School Voucher Blogswarm

No on HB 148, No to Vouchers: An Unproven Risky Scheme-Davis Didjeridu
No on 148, No to Vouchers: Accountability-Davis Didjeridu
No on HB 148, No to Vouchers: Constitutional Issues-Davis Didjeridu
No on HB 148, No to Vouchers: Unrealistic Finances-Davis Didjeridu
No on HB 148, No to Vouchers: The Wholesale Purchase of the Legislation by Purchase of the Legislators-Davis Didjeridu
No on HB 148, No to Vouchers: Conclusion-Davis Didjeridu

No to Utah School Vouchers Blogswarm-Ober Dicta by Steve
Blogswarm: No on school vouchers-Jen’s Green Journal
Vouchers are being fast tracked

Vouchers and simple economics

Higher education grant programs as a justification for vouchers
The truth about vouchers

On January 30th I posted my piece, School Vouchers-A Bad Idea. Today I offer this related post as part of a blog swarm on the topic which is being decided on in the Utah Legislature this year.
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Shame on Utah

Posted on February 1, 2007 | 1 comment

As I listened to a presentation by Planned Parenthood of Utah yesterday on the timeline of sex education in our country, I couldn’t help but think how backwards we have been going since the late 1800’s when sex education first started being publicly developed. Although I knew about the “trigger law” that Utah was debating in the Legislature, little did I know that while I was seeing this presentation HB 235 was introduced by Rep. Paul Ray, R-Clearfield, I learned later in the day, in which Utah targets Roe v. Wade.

Margaret Sanger must be turning in her grave.

The legislators who want this bill to pass continue to lie to the public as well. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, Utah’s Senate Majority Leader,is quoted as saying that
“Planned Parenthood has made it clear that they will do all they can to continue killing babies … that’s what abortions do,” he said. “That’s one where it’s kind of black and white. There’s not a lot of negotiating if you take the life of a child.”

In Utah, Planned Parenthood does not perform abortions. PP educates women on their choices and their right to choose abortion.

I like how Karrie Galloway, executive director of Planned Parenthood of Utah, puts it:
“We are so focused on the abortion issue that we don’t look at how to prevent abortion, we only want to ban it and it hasn’t addressed the needs of the people of Utah.”

Welcome to the state of Utah – and our country – and a resurgence of the dark ages. Instead of fixing and preventing things, we do things like create bans and restrictions which are just bandaids to deeper problems that won’t go away.

Shame on Utah. A women’s body is sacred. A woman has the right to choose for herself what to do with her body. Once again, men are taking the moral high ground to decide for women what they can decide for themselves. You can believe what you want, but you don’t have the right to tell me what I can do with my body or anything that has to do with it.

Here is a challenge to Utah Women:
We need to introduce a bill whereby all men who have fathered two or more children must have vasectomies! And if they wouldn’t do this willingly, they would face forced castration. Population control at its best.

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POWER OUT FOR 5mins on Feb 1st!

Posted on January 31, 2007 | Leave a comment

The 1st of February 2007: 

 

 http://www.lalliance.fr

Participate in the biggest mobilization of Citizens Against Global Warming! 

The Alliance for the Planet [a group of environmental associations] is calling on all citizens to create 5 minutes of electrical rest for the planet.

People all over the world should turn off their lights and electrical appliances on Thursday, the 1st of February, 2007, between:

11:55am Mountain Time

1:55pm and 2:00pm in New York

18:55 for London

19:55 for Paris, Bruxelles, and Italy

1:55pm in Ottawa

11:55am Mountain Time

10.55am on the Pacific Coast of North America

This is not just about saving 5 minutes worth of electricity; this is about getting the attention of the media, politicians, and ourselves.  

Five minutes of electrical down time for the planet: this does not take long, and costs nothing, and will show all political leaders that global warming is an issue that needs to come first and foremost in political debate.

Why February 1st? This is the day when the new UN report on global climate change will come out in Paris. 

This event affects us all, involves us all, and provides an occasion to show how important an issue global warming is to us. If we all participate, this action can have real media and political weight.

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Childhood Illness: Cures, Education and the Environment

Posted on January 30, 2007 | Leave a comment

In my professional life I get to work with children who have been identified with disabilities in an educational setting. In fact, I oversee the department in my school that is responsible for educating these children.

In discussions I’ve had with professionals, it has come to my awareness that as more children are diagnosed with illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and a whole host of other conditions, new treatments are always being researched and developed. And with that R&D, comes successess in treating childhood illnesses and conditions.

There’s good news and bad news.

The good news is that children can be treated and cured and be able to continue living. And parents can be spared the pain of losing a child in death to illnesses. The bad news is twofold:

  • Parents are often faced with a lifetime of caring for children who will always need care.
  • The treatments used to save children often affect their neurological functioning, causing them to have to receive special education services. I have been told to expect to see more and more of these children come through our schools.

    So how does the environment play into this?

    What causes cancer? What causes asthmatic conditions?

    We have been on “red alert” status here in Salt Lake Valley – for quite some time. And it is expected to continue for the next little while.

    Think about it.

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