Tag Archives: politics

Tax Cuts in Utah – an Election Year Tactic?

Posted on June 22, 2006 | Leave a comment

Of course it is!

Today’s Desert News reports on Utah legislators pushing for a special session to give taxpayers a $70 million cut in personal income taxes.

Putting the obvious reasons for this for this push aside, however, while there does need to be examination of our current income tax structure, what is the rush to push tax reform through in special sessions?

I wish our legislators would spend more time looking at ways to increase services to our citizens first and then examine our tax structure to find ways that all people would benefit.

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Dividing and Conquering….Lessons in Community Building?

Posted on June 21, 2006 | 1 comment

This week I have posted on “Life on the Divide” and The Caravan to Cuba.
Both posts have to do with building barriers – literally and figuratively.

In my career, I spend a fair amount of time working with young people to bridge the gap in places where there are obvious divides – culturally, religiously, socio-economically, generationally, intellecutally. It is so rewarding to see students come together from a variety of backgrounds and work on common things. Most of all, it is sheer joy to witness these students be accepting of each other regardless of who they are, how they dress and talk, what they look like, and what is their background.

In the adult world, I cannot say the same. What happens between youth and adult-hood? What happens when our elected officials get into office and get “power”? Look around. We are illegally occupying a country, talking of invading other countries, training terrorists to go back to their home countries and terrorize their citizens, building walls, and forbidding our own citizens to provide aid to citizens of other countries who are in need.

Is this “building community”?
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Posted on June 21, 2006 | Leave a comment

Voters for Peace has issued a call for people to Sign the Iraq Pledge:


“I will not vote for or support any candidate for Congress or President who does not make a speedy end to the war in Iraq, and preventing any future war of aggression, a public position in his or her campaign.”

VotersForPeace is trying to get 2 million voters to sign its Peace Pledge in time for the 2006 elections. The Pledge is a statement of support for peace candidates: “who publicly oppose wars of aggression.”

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Caravan to Cuba

Posted on June 21, 2006 | Leave a comment

The Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba will be in Salt Lake this Saturday. The Desert Greens Green Party Candidates have endorsed the event. I have a quote in the press release that was issued today. The Green Party of the United States published our press release on its home page under “local news”.

Yesterday I was interviewed by the Deseret News as participant with People for Peace and Justice of Utah. There will be an article in Saturday’s religion section of the D-News about Saturday’s event. HOpefully the press will come to the press conference at 5pm on Saturday to interview the caravanistas.

I am a strong advocate of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I do not believe that our government, or any government for that matter, has the right to forbid its citizens from contributing aid to those in need in other countries, let alone forbid its citizens from free travel across borders.

Pastors for Peace and hundreds of volunteers from the US and 7 other countries are slated to cross the US border into Mexico on July 2nd challenging US restrictions on travel and aid to Cuba. This is the 17th annual Caravan. The Caravan will be stopping in Salt Lake City on Saturday, July 24th. People for Peace and Justice of Utah has organized a free public event at Free Speech Zone (2144 South Highland Drive) beginning at 5pm for the Press and 7pm for the public.

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“Life on the Divide” – The Wall

Posted on June 19, 2006 | Leave a comment

Today’s Salt Lake Tribune has an article and photo gallery called Life on the Divide.

One employee in a store on the border stated that folks are calling the border fence as the new “Berlin Wall” and that many see the scenario now as more dangerous than pre-border fence days.

Daniel Beltran, a 30-year-old Mexican truck driver who lives in San Luis Río Colorado, crosses the border legally for work each week. He said he can’t believe the U.S. government is spending millions of dollars on the border when it can use the
“They should be helping the people,” Beltran said in Spanish. “The wall doesn’t help anyone.”

My point exactly.

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The Bogus Take Back America Event

Posted on June 19, 2006 | Leave a comment

The San Francisco Indy Media has reposted an article from Information Clearing House on the Take Back America Event.

The author gives his perspective with a delightful sarcastic twist on how the likes of Hillary Clinton and John Kerry are touted as “progressives”, which we all know is way further than the truth.

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Global Warming Rally

Posted on June 17, 2006 | Leave a comment

The Sierra Club in Utah sponsored a Global Warming Rally today in Salt Lake City. Jen’s Green Journal has photos of the event. It sounds like the rally was well attended. I was told by friend that about 100 people attended.

When I first found out about it a few weeks ago I called the outreach director to try to coordinate with the Desert Greens Green Party of Utah in the event. The Green Party’s platform addresses this issue and we have lots of literature we distribute on global warming. The Desert Greens also has several members and candidates who could have provided talks on the issue with clarity and expertise.

As much as I pleaded, though, I was told that because the Sierra Club is a 501 (c)(3) they would not allow political parties to participate in any fashion. Yet I found it interesting that featured speakers were politicians and that they have politicians featured on their website in various of their projects, which doesn’t make sense to me given what I was told. I think it is unfortunate that environmental organizations like the Sierra Club will not partner with groups that have platforms that address issues like global warming.

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A Really Inconvenient Truth

Posted on June 17, 2006 | Leave a comment

Guerilla News Network has a piece by Stephen Marshall called Some Inconvenient Truths About Al Gore. Marshall describes Gore Vidal’s perspective about Al Gore’s emergence into the public arena with his recent film on global warming and what his real motives might be.

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Posted on June 16, 2006 | Leave a comment

I am speaking at the West Jordan Senior Center today and at the Draper Senior Center next Friday as part of a series of Open Houses sponsored by the Salt Lake County Division of Aging Services. Candidates were invited to attend and take advantage of the opportunity to provide a 3-minute or less speech and talk with senior citizens.

I developed a personal statement on aging issues at my campaign website.

Here is what I will say today:
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Medicaid

Posted on June 13, 2006 | Leave a comment

The first meeting of the Medicaid Interim Committee of the Utah Legislature is Wednesday, June 14, 8 a.m., in Room W135 in the House building. The Medicaid funding for indigent dental care, was not approved in the recent special session.
Read background materials

Here is the proposed agenda:

8:00      1.     Committee Business

•Call to order

8:05      2.     Medicaid Program Overview (Tab A)

                                •    Background Materials

                                      –    Briefing paper: “Understanding Medicaid: A Policymaker’s Introduction”

                                      –    Slide presentation: “Making Your Way Through the Medicaid Maze: A Policymaker’s Introduction”

                                •    Staff Presentation

                                      –    Mr. Mark Andrews, Policy Analyst

9:053.Medicaid Programs and Funding (Tab B)

                                •    Background Materials

–“Ten-year Appropriations History – Health”

                                      –    “Medicaid Enrollment and Spending Trends”

                                      –    “State Medicaid Fact Sheets”

                                      –    2006 Appropriations Summaries: Health and Human Services, and Commerce and Revenue

                                      –    “A New Medicaid”

                                •    Staff Presentation

                                      –    Mr. Bill Greer, Analyst

 

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