Category Archives: Uncategorized

Envirocare and Stephenson: Conflict of Interest????

I thought something was fishy.

Sen. Howard Stephenson (R-Draper), who introduced the bill (S.B. 70) that would change state law to make it easier for Envirocare to double the size of its radioactive waste dump, is under fire by a lawyers group that has called for an ethics investigation on Stephenson.

The group, Trial-lawyers Representing Utah’s Environment (TRUE), would need 3 state senators to write letters requesting the inquiry before the Senate Ethics Committee could initiate an investigation.

According to the Salt Lake Tribuen article, Stephenson is president and registered lobbyist of the Utah Taxpayers Association, a group of which Envirocare is a member.
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Yesterday’s Utah Legislative Report Summary

Articles in published in today’s Utah newspapers about the Yesterday’s Utah Legislature news:

Salt Lake Tribune
Evolution bill debate revolves around religion–Preliminary OK: Utah skeptics of Darwin’s theory won on an initial vote (includes links to other sources on this topic)
Groundwater management plan advances
Cross memorials for cops supported in resolution
Bill would restore beer tax money
Post-retirement medical: A similar bill hit state workers
Dirty campaigning–PACs may have to put names behind slurs
Legislature: Helping dentists–Sponsor worries bill is at risk to be pulled
Other legislative action
Senate OKs smoking ban–But whether it will clear the House is uncertain
Lawmakers hustle to alter diploma law–Bill would give the documents to seniors who fail exit exams

Deseret News
Senate gives initial OK to ‘origins’ bill
Legislature may seek repeal of No Child–Lawmakers to debate bill asking Congress to act
House bill defends UHP crosses–Lawmaker says they are ‘symbol of death, not a religious symbol’
Legislator seeking to give accident victims more help–Measure would raise state’s liability cap on personal injuries
Lawmakers may also feel sting of health-benefits cut
Ban on smoking in bars moves to House for vote
Measure would widen DNA-sample mandates
Measure would widen DNA-sample mandates
Language problems stall a property-tax resolution
Biskupski to hone, bring trafficking bill back later
Rehab programs may get $5 million boost with bill

Today in history

January 21

1661
The Quaker (Friends) Peace Testimony was presented to King Charles II of England.
The testimony begins: “We utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fightings with outward weapons, for any end or under any pretence whatsoever. And this is our testimony to the whole world…”

1938
Emma Tenayuca leads San Antonio pecan shellers on the largest labor walk-out held to date.

1961
Spanish, Portuguese & South American activists hijack Portuguese liner “Santa Maria” to protest the Franco & Salazar dictatorships.

1976
The Continental Walk for Disarmament & Social Justice began in Ukiah, California, headed for Washington, D.C.
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CODEPINK: Sign our Call for Peace

I received this letter today from Medea Benjamin. Please consider signing this call to action:

Dear local Green Party coordinator,

As Green Party members who hold non-violence and feminism as core values, we’d greatly appreciate it if you would sign and help us circulate this women-initiated Urgent Call for Peace in Iraq. We hope to gather over 100,000 signatures on the Call by March 8, International Women’s Day, when we will deliver them to U.S. embassies/consulates/federal offices all over the world.

You can help by signing the Call today at http://www.womensaynotowar.org/ , spreading the word to your friends, downloading a banner to put on your website (http://www.womensaynotowar.org/article.php?id=698) and joining us in action on March 8. If you want more information about the campaign, email info@womensaynotowar.org.

With thanks,
Medea Benjamin
Green Party candidate for California Senate, 2000
CODEPINK: Women for Peace
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Anti-Bullying Resolution in Senate

My colleague Carla Kelly, Director of the Human Rights Education Office in Salt Lake (who also teaches with me) sent out this letter today:

Dear Friends,

Utah Senator Patrice Arent-D has authored an anti-bullying resolution, which will be introduced in this session!

It is critical that we show our support for this resolution immediately, because the Senate committee hearing could be scheduled any day.

Click here to REGISTER YOUR SUPPORT http://www.mybully.org//?p=8#respond or go to http://www.mybully.org or simply e-mail me your statement of support.

Please also pass this e-mail on to friends of kids!

To the surprise of many, bullying is a serious problem in many Utah schools, and this is an opportunity to address it head on.

Our kids deserve the right to a safe school environment. It is our job to protect the rights of our kids.
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Toll Roads

There is talk on The Hill of building a road in the western part of the Salt Lake Valley so that folks could bypass part of the I-15 corridor from I-80. This road would be a toll road.

I am against this, just as I am against the building of the Legacy Highway. We do not “need” more roads. When I drive at night, I cannot see the lines on our freeways – how sad! Where is the road maintenance money spent?

I think the idea of toll roads might be a good one – for existing roads. This would potentially decrease the amount of automobile drivers on our roads and drive up the demand for mass transportation. There are lots of possibilities.

Here is what we need:
– Better road maintenance of existing infrastructure
– Increased funding for increased mass transportation
– Long range goals for mass transportation, including high speed rail lines
– incentives for people who use mass transportation
– fee based parking lots at all rail stations

It puzzles me as to why our legislators continue to advocate funding for more roads. This only creates more development and more opportunities for more cars to be on the road. Our state is regressing in the area of environmental sustainability with regards to transportation.

No more roads!

Google

Several folks with Live Journal blogs (Syndicalist and Jen’s Green Journal)have posted the article about Google being subject to search by the Feds.
I posted an article in early January on Google and theTen things Google has found to be true from Google’s corporate page.

We must support businesses like this that aren’t afraid to stand up to Goliath. Google is a model of sound and reponsible business practices with the planet’s interests at heart. I don’t know what is so threateing and scary about that, but kudos to Google for not buckling under this pressure.

Radical Cheerleaders featured on local blog

Ethan of SLC Spin has a post about Pom Poms Not Bomb Bombs (of which I am a member), by request, that has generated some comments. A lot of the comments made it apparent to me that folks don’t know about radical cheerleading as a movement, so I made these comments to his post:

I am wondering if any of your readers have gone to our website, Pom Poms Not Bomb Bombs?
We are a group of very diverse individuals who decided to get our peace and justice messages out through cheerleading. We have been
featured in Salt Lake’s CATALYST, have an appearance in the movie “This Divided State”, and recently had our photo published in the Chicago Tribune.

Radical Cheerleading is an international movement, is fun and entertaining!

We appear in the St. Patrick’s Day and Pride Day Parades (our favorite parade chant is “To the Left! To the Left! Not to the righ, To the Left!”) and at all the rallies in town.

Here is a post about radical cheerleading that might possibly interest some of your readers.
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Yesterday’s Utah Legislative Report Summary

Articles in published in today’s Utah newspapers about the Yesterday’s Utah Legislature news:

Salt Lake Tribune
Bill makes it easier on government
Police chiefs oppose bill on guns in cars
Funding for water projects flows–Senate bill focuses on Powell pipeline; House measure on Bear River
Legislators would be able to overturn a veto on Envirocare–Legistature 2006: Bill would weaken guv’s power to block N-waste
Bill protecting tribal use of peyote passes committee, heads to House vote
Challenge steep for minimum wage bill
From $5.15 to $7: There is support for the measure, but probably not enough

Bills to boost parents’ rights in DCFS cases
West side balks at plan for toll road
Why us? Officials say it won’t be built otherwise.

Voting Changes Get Support
$100M tax cut favored, dropping food tax is not–GOP Caucus feels removing tax on groceries too much of a loss
Measure lowering dollar limit on gifts off to Senate
Legislature: Today’s agenda highlights
Proposal for state officer faces early opposition
Panel backs tougher penalty for marijuana DUI
GOP calls torture bill a political jab
Bill would protect doctors who want to show sympathy
‘Natural family’ stand stirs Kanab
AG is pressed on polygamy–Hearing on ‘lost boys’ bill becomes a critique of state’s effort to stop abuse

Deseret News
Senate GOP takes stand: Trim taxes by $100M
HB101 to boost reporting of gifts to lawmakers
Senate backs curbs on smoking: Measure would ban lighting up in private clubs and taverns
Ure wants to ink tougher tattoo penalties: Measure would increase fine for parlors giving tattoos or piercings to minors
Polygamy ‘lost boys’ may gain liberation: House gets bill that allows minors to seek emancipation
Resolution condemning torture likely will not get hearing
Audit focuses on trust lands
Legislators want to recognize positive teen influences
Panel supports rental application fees: Critics say measure could hurt low-income people
Measure to ease tuition for non-Utahns
Reagan Hill AFB? Plan is a salute to late president
Lawmaker seeks override on a veto of Envirocare
Measure paves the way for state energy chief
Marriage-license bill advances out of panel

Today in history

January 20

1920

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was founded to protect the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and it’s amendments. It protects, among other things our First Amendment rights-freedom of speech, association and assembly, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion supported by the strict separation of church and state.

  • Your right to equal protection under the law – equal treatment regardless of race, sex, religion or national origin.
  • Your right to due process – fair treatment by the government whenever the loss of your liberty or property is at stake.
  • Your right to privacy – freedom from unwarranted government intrusion into your personal and private affairs.
    ACLU today
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