Many of the bills being debated this session in the Utah Legislature pertains to moral issues, such as (examples taken from articles in today’s papers):
Bill may stop SLC health insurance plan: It would prohibit government funds for unmarried partners
Gay club legislation text now available
House shows support for trooper crosses
Pre-marriage counseling may result in discount
I find it ironic that folks who oppose lifestyles different than theirs (for whatever reason) and want to impose laws that prohibit services for people whose lifestyles are different, advocate an administration in our country that wages aggressive wars on people around the world, that runs a terrorist training camp at Fort Benning, Georgia and refuses to abide by treaties between peoples-domestic or international. By what morals are these people living in these instances?
One more time:
While my tax dollars are being spent on squabbles over homosexuality vs. heterosexuality instead of focusing on legislation on issues of respect for diversity (which, by the way, our state touts in many advertising mediums…..) and on bills like seatbelt laws….our schools need more funding to meet state and federal mandates, people are going hungry, cold and homeless, teenagers are committing suicide and suffering from substance abuse, families are suffering due to parents having to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, and our environment continues to be placed at further risk by proposing expansions for accepting more toxic waste into our state.
***Legislating personal moral issues has no place in the business of our legislators.***
And then there is legislation introduced and being discussed such as this:
Group wants to build luxury hotel at ’02 Games site: Foundation seeking legislation to pave way for the luxury facility
Why are legislators spending their limited time on issues like this? What basic human need for our citizens will building a luxury hotel serve? I mean, really.
I can’t find the article I saw last week on an interview with Governor Huntsman but I remember an item in that interview where he called legislators on lacking focus on human needs. I would echo that sentiment and call upon our elected representatives to focus on issues that affect all Utahns, not the select few who benefit from bills that do not serve the interests of the many.
My 2 cents.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 