| OCR Text |
Show Volume XIX Issue XII The Ogden Valley news Page 3 October 1, 2011 Letters to the Editor Shaken, Not Stirred Does congress need to be “shaken, not stirred?” The 2010 elections sent Tea Party supporters to congress in impressive numbers and stirred up Washington politics, so much so that the President and his fellow Democrats are blaming them for our nation’s economic woes. The question then is, was this a flash in the pan or a sign of things to come? Congressional approval is at an all time low and the administration isn’t doing much better. The “good old boy” network, seniority system, and lobbyist’s money are blamed by many voters for the lack of confidence in our elected representatives. The number of years a congressperson has accumulated in office is an important factor in determining committee assignments. A look at who has been in congress the longest reveals some interesting information. In the House of Representatives there are 14 members still serving with 36 years or more. John Dingell of Michigan leads with 55 years and counting. Senator Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, who died at age 92 in 2010, holds the all time record of 57 years. Both are Democrats. In the Senate, 18 of the 26 longest serving Senators are Democrats; they also account for eight of the top ten spots. Republican Senator Orrin Hatch is number 24 on that list with 34 years. Senator Hatch is 77 years old and will be up for re-election next year. His critics make an issue of his long tenure and age. Other notables with long service are Senator Inouye of Hawaii who has 48 years; and Ted Kennedy had 46 years. Senator Strom Thurmond of North Carolina, who had his 100th birthday while still in office, completed 47 years in congress. He died six months later; he had been a Democrat until 1964 when he switched to become Republican. With this kind of record, it’s no wonder that in 1997, when a Joint House Senate committee studied term limits, their response was, “we don’t need no stinking term limits” or words to that effect. Longevity doesn’t tell the whole story. Effectiveness is a critical factor and it all depends on how you define effective. All too often a major consideration has been the amount of “pork” delivered to constituents in the state or district, which has contributed to our current financial mess. Money spent or promises made primarily for the purpose of getting re-elected without considering the future costs and affordability also has contributed. If Senator Hatch is successful in his bid for a seventh term, he will serve 42 years, which won’t be even close to the record. It’s quite reasonable to believe that the good Senator considered several factors in deciding to seek re-election. Health and ability would have been high on the list as well as family considerations. He certainly would have considered whether or not he could serve the people of Utah without compromise. He would have asked if it is time to let a younger man or woman take up the burden of effective representation. If Hatch’s record in the first part of the 112th Congress is considered, it tends to support another term. So far this year he has sponsored 17 bills and co-sponsored another 53 covering a wide range of issues. Bills included are: a balanced budget amendment, protecting children from pornographers, protecting western lands, and right to work laws. Senator Hatch is a man of great stamina and quick wit. He is both dignified and genuinely caring and friendly. Observing him at town hall meetings or Republican gatherings and other functions you come away with respect for his wealth of knowledge and the ability to meet the people and inspire confidence. Still there is the question of “professional politician” that lingers for his detractors. They wonder if he is part of the problem or part of the solution relative to congress’ extremely low job approval. They and others wonder if congress needs to be “shaken, not stirred.” The current administration seems to be leading America to becoming more like the Europeans. Americans are warned by Vaclav Klaus, President of the Czech Republic, not to repeat the mistakes made in Europe, which have created a virtual “nanny state.” His country had suffered under Nazi Germany and Soviet Communism and he warns of giving too much power to a central government. Arguing in favor of the performance of congress is like arguing for approval of the Obama Administration’s position on the economy which is: “sure unemployment is high, so are taxes and the national debt and businesses are struggling but, we saved the economy from a total melt down.” The question is, “How do you prove it?” If we are honest, we would recognize that far too many of us have a cavalier attitude about our responsibility in a representative government. We should ask whether we are part of the solution or part of the problem. And, in the words of “007,” do we need to be shaken, not stirred? John Reynolds, North Ogden Ounce of Prevention Worth Pound of Cure By John Crabtree, johnc@cfra.org, Center for Rural Affairs We should turn our current sick care system into a true health care system. A new Center for Rural Affairs report entitled, Prevention and Public Health, examines how the Affordable Care Act seeks to place a greater emphasis on disease prevention and health by promoting strategies that will help create healthier people and healthier communities. Chronic diseases and conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are responsible for seven of ten American deaths each year and 75 percent of the nation’s health spending. Rural residents experience these diseases and conditions or the circumstances that lead to them in generally greater numbers. Unhealthy lifestyles, lack of access to healthy food, and less physical activity contribute to these statistics. However, many behaviors lead to these chronic conditions and to poor health— behaviors such as tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity, and alcohol abuse. Unfortunately, rural residents have greater rates of engaging in these behaviors. According to the Center’s report, a ten percent increase in public health spending will help control health care costs and reduce mortality rates for infant deaths, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer by as much as seven percent. Given the rural disparities in the current health care system, rural America’s farmers, ranchers, main street businesses, and small town residents have much to gain from emphasizing health and prevention. Other findings of the report can be found at <http://files.cfra.org/pdf/prevention-andpublic-health.pdf > TALES FROM HUNTSVILLE, EDEN, LIBERTY AND BEYOND A GREAT HALLOwEEN GIFT! ONLY $10.00! Huge thumbs-up from TruTV’s Haunting Evidence Star, PATRICK BURNS! Our sincere thanks to the following splendid establishments for carrying our book: Dottie Beck’s*Valley Market*Mad Moose*Chic Style*Alpine Pizza Free Spirit Holistic Mountain Spa*Eden Coffee & Cocoa Company Snowberry Inn*Valley House Inn*Huntsville Barbeque Company Alaskan Inn*Planet Rainbow*Grounds for Coffee*Hastings Book Store Union Station*Crowley Gallery & Café*Wisebird Bookery*Queen Bee BOOK SIGNINGS OCT 1 & 2: Planet Rainbow: 11 a.m.- 5 p.m. OCT 7: Crowley Gallery: 6-9 p.m. ~ OCT 8: Queen Bee: 1-3 p.m. OCT 15: Dottie Beck’s: 1-3 p.m. ~ OCT 22: Hastings: 1-5 p.m. OCT 28: Free Spirit Holistic Mountain Spa: 6-9 p.m. OCT 29: Wisebird Bookery: 11-5 p.m. Government in Utah Often Fails to Face Their Responsibilities Sadly, the caveat emptor (buyer beware) phrase is all too common in Utah from every level of government. The people in Harrisville, as do most Utah residents, look for some protection when dealing with a single provider service such as utilities where you cannot go to another provider. If the implication is that Weber County would provide a better safety net for homeowners, it is a fantasy hope. There are 124 property owners in Ogden Valley that are involved with a poorly run sewer company where the body politic for oversight is the Weber County Commissioners for sewer operations and the State Public Service Commission (PSC) has oversight for billing and water regulations. Several of the Lakeview Town Home homeowners have been flooded out with raw sewage over the years and yet the Weber County Commission has failed to take any definitive action to protect them from these repeated flooding fiascos. The latest in March of this year resulted in several town homes being flooded with raw sewage again. The Weber County Commissioners have set up a special service district that has met and discussed these problems with the sewer company since the 1990s without demanding that the sewer company owner resolve the problems. In fact, this Weber County oversight district board failed to meet at all for over 4½ years, 2006 through 2010. The moral of this story is, government, at almost any level in Utah, spends more time trying to get out of their responsibilities than is does stepping up to them. Larry Zini, Huntsville Forest Service Should Work With, Not Against, Huntsville Residents The summer is almost over, as is the recreational period at Pineview, and the reservoir is peaceful once again. But left behind, as the water recedes, are the plastic bottles, packaging, styrofoam pieces, life jacket parts, diapers, old clothes, and large logs, many dried weeds, sticks, and dead branches. Our Forest Service claims they don’t have the money or personnel to clean up the shorelines of this beautiful reservoir, which provides water for Ogden. So, for many years, Huntsville residents have cleaned up, burned (with appropriate burn permits), and packed out each spring the huge mess left behind Not cleaned up. each fall, including noxious weeds. Many have tried to maintain a fire-safe and clean shoreline all summer long. This year, our Forest Service representatives have fined residents of Huntsville for trying to keep our shoreline fire safe, and cleaned up with the admonition that we are “not to touch” anything on Forest Service Property (as U.S. citizens—that means our property!). I think our Forest Service Shoreline cleaned up. should work with, and appreciate, all the help they have received from Huntsville residents. Removing logs and debris not only keeps the fire danger down, but it is also a safety issue—the removal of logs and debris from the reservoir helps keep boaters, skiers, and swimmers safe. As a resident of Huntsville, I ask for help in convincing our Forest Service that we should all work together, be good neighbors with each other, and maintain Pineview Reservoir as the beautiful, scenic place that it is for clean water and recreational use. Nancy Marty, Huntsville PUBLIC NOTICE OF HUNTSVILLE TOWN’S NOMINATING CONVENTION RESULTS Public notice is hereby given that the results of the Huntsville Town’s Nominating Conventions are as follows: For the two, 4-year Council Member Positions: Laurie Allen and Max Ferre were both nominated to fill the two open positions; no other names were presented for consideration at the conventions. Dated this 1st day of October, 2011 Gail Ahlstrom, Clerk/Recorder |
