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Show Keep church out of power debate The debate over who should control the California Pacific National system in Iron County has been a heated one. In their efforts to win support of local citizens (and the media too, we might add), proponents of both a minicipal-and minicipal-and Utah Power and Light owned system have used varying tactics. In the past several months, door-to-door and telephone campaigning, advertisements ad-vertisements and debate of the issue in newspaper columns have all been tried. All have contributed to an open, effective exchange of issues, and should be encouraged to continue. Apparently, another tactic has been used which is not positive, and which, quite frankly, worries us. That tactic involves trying to link the LDS Church with UP&L, and thus attempting to win over support of the. largely-LDS population in this area. Trying to take advantage of the considerable influence of the LDS Church is not new. One prominent Republican member has repeatedly, when soliciting campaign contributions for GOP candidiates, either direectly or indirectly alluded to the LDS Church, inferring support. The church has repeatedly disavowed the action, and repeated their stance of neutrality in political issues. This issue is no different. We're certain the church does not condone having itself associated with UP&L in attempts to back a position, or the utilization of church facilities or meetings for expression of explicit or subtle opinion. The church has stated, as it has when asked about many other issues, that it has no stand on the proposed sale. 1 Because some of its directors are active members of the LDS Church, or the LDS Church owns considerable stock in UP&L, is no reason to support the firm in its attempt to purchase the system. The only criteria that should be used, and thus debated, is the relative public interest of ownership by the two organizations. We encourge those who have used the LDS Church as a tool in persuading local residents to support UP&L, or those tempted to do so, to stick to the basic issue here. And that issue is: "Will a UP&L-ownpd electrical system serve the public interest more than a Federation-owned electrical system?" The LDS Church doesn't have anything to do with that. |
