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Show Wednesday, May 30, 2007 HERALD DAILY A5 Editorials EDITORIAL BOARD Craig Dennis, President & Publisher Randy Wright, Executive Editor Donald W. Meyers, Editorial page editor IN OUR VIEW WE Unnecessary EXERCISED , FREIOTINMMTED SEE?! MY INRMlEPIIDlDIIlUflEM election reform P0UT1CM PR0CESS,G0T ACTIVELY PRESSURED fter shelling out mildemonstrate that thisls a problions of dollars to get lem, Utah should be allowed to use electronic voting ma- the system it has in place. chines in place, Utah It's hard to imagine someone demay have to take a manding a recount of an election step backward. years after the fact. Recounts are House Resolution 811, spondone shortly after the election, so sored by U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, it is hard to see what difference a would change the way eleclonger-lastinpaper would make. tronic voting is done. U.S. Rep. Besides, the durability of a reJim Matheson, has signed cord is as much a function of how on as a it is stored as the material it is While the bill has some good recorded on. Kept in the right conelements, such as requiring an inditions, the most delicate media dependent audit of election results can remain readable for centuries, instead of having local election while engravings in rock can disofficers recount the ballots, one appear if exposed to the elements. provision could cost Utah millions. Somehow we don't think local The bill would require that elec- election officers are storing the tronic voting machines generate a receipts on top of radiators or in long lasting paper record of votes direct sunlight, which would damto allow a manual recount. While age any written document. Utah already requires a paper We can understand Holt's desire to bolster public confidence trail, our machines use a thermalin the election process. Electronic ly burned printout, which will last three years but may not durable voting machines were imposed to enough to meet the standard envi- avoid the problems that marred sioned in Holt's bill. the 2000 presidential election. In Federal law currently requires Utah, sample audits are conducted that election records be kept for already, though the pcrecntagc- 22 months, so it would seem we of machines sampled needs to be meet the standard. Why the duraenlarged. But demanding a new paper bility needs to be extended further is a mystery. stock and printing process is not Utah County ClerkAuditor going to make an election more secure, only more expensive. Bryan Thompson said upgrading the machines would cost Utah Matheson said he will try to work with Holt to tailor the bill to County between $200,000 and $300,0000. And it's a safe bet that fit Utah's needs. That's nice, but would be another one of those unwe think the issue is not the dufunded mandates from the federal rability of paper but the vigor of post election audits. That's where government. That part of the bill should be the national effort at election re- A IllEGM IMMIGMS GfjUCM DON'T SPEMCOUK rnsmv. INVOLVED, CONGE 19 . g form should be focused. quashed. Unless someone can LETTERS School districts all the money they might need for pet projects. In the second 100 days, they appropriated several billion dollars to build-fence along our southern borSenator Howard Stephenson and And state school board member Mark Cluff ders, but didn't OK the as a bonus they have forgiven "not deserve praise and support for their county equalization proposal which The future generations of not may encourage more school districts citizens of the US of A are laughto split. The smaller districts movement is gaining momentum. ing their heads off in anticipation of Many are realizing that Utah's large what will be written about this Conschool districts among the largest in gress in future history books. I Leo J. Lee, need to be split so there the nation can be greater local control of schools. Springville But no one wants to see new districts struggle financially. Smaller districts will become a reality if they are proChildren need insurance vided means for adequate funding. for proper care I hope the state legislature will supTen years ago, the health and welport Stephenson's proposal which will enable cities to move forward with fare of our nation's children took a plans to split Utah's oversized school major leap forward with the enactment of the State Children's Health districts. For those like the Daily Herald editors, we should create another volunteer army in which they and their fellow conservative pundits and religious supporters can all go to Iraq and surge for as long as they want to. I doubt any of them would go since most of them never served when they had a chance. But they sure are willing to send someone else's sons and daughters. Shame on them! I fgnacio M. Garcia, need money to split a -- yet-born MEDIA VOICES Ducking harder choices From the Philadelphia Inquirer, May 25, 2007 ing, such as the House passing a bill to stop oil companies from "price gouging." Never mind that a thorough investigation by the spring of 2006, gasoline the Federal Trade Commission were approaching $3 after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 gallon, and Democrats found no evidence that companies seeking to win back Congress blamed the Republicans in charge. manipulated prices. The market "The American people can no responded to a devastating storm and limited supply with higher longer afford the Republican rubber-stamp Congress and its failure prices. to stand up to Republican big oil Though oil companies may not and gas company cronies," House be gouging, they are certainly Democratic leader Rep. Nancy making enough to forego governof California said at the time. ment charity. The House did vote this year to roll back $14 billion She said Republicans had given in subsidies to oil companies, but the public "empty rhetoric rather couldn't agree with the Senate than join Democrats who are on a version that might get past working to lower gas prices." President Bush's veto pen. A year later, Democrats control The Senate is headed in a Congress, Pelosi is speaker, and gas smarter direction, trying to raise prices are at a record nationwide . avewtge-e- f $3.23 per gallon of regustandards for new vehicles. However, it needs to drop lar unleaded, up from $2.87 a year ago. Some analysts predict gasoline a loophole, inserted in committee, will hit $4 per gallon this summer in that allows the administration to ignore any target that wouldn't be many parts of the country. Should we presume that Demofor automakers. Senate Democrats' comprehencrats are now in cahoots with Big Oil? No. Democrats can't control sive energy proposal, waiting for debate upon completion of the prices now, just as Republicans weren't responsible for rising gas immigration bill, also mandates 36 billion gallons of ethanol and prices a year ago. someother renewable fuels World oil markets largely determine the cost of gasoline. thing the president supports. - 4ndustry experts also blame a proposals, however, contain shortage of refinery capacity for few safeguards for the conversion of forests or fallow acres to almost weekly increases in retail cornfields. Congress shouldn't prices since Jan. 29. jeopardize the land, air or water Maybe $4 gasoline will create to produce more energy. enough outrage to get Congress Amid this debate over the high to do what it hasn't: Take serious , cost of gas, Washington remains steps to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil. mystically silent about upgradhaven't been ing and investing in mass transit. Systems continue to nearly aggressive enough in encouraging higher fuel economy in scrounge for money, threaten fare new automobiles, even as sales of hikes, and plot service cutbacks to light trucks and SUVs reached 50 close their chronic deficits. And few politicians speak percent of the U.S. market. this unpleasant truth: Even if oil What Congress can do is set long-terprices fall, the U.S. government goals for reducing gasoshould keep pump prices right line consumption and encourage where they are (or even higher). diversification of fuel supplies. To date, the new Democratic majority It should levy a higher gas tax to has offered a strategy that is equal discourage consumption and to raise desperately needed revenue parts planning and posturing. to repair the nation's crumbling Democratic leaders have held highways and boost struggling hearings into alternative fuels, mass transit. climate change and hydrogen research; they promise a package of Any revenues left over perhaps could help close Social Security's bills by 'July 4 with incentives to In Pe-lo- "cost-effectiv- Bio-fue- ls Policy-make- promote alternatives. But they also are grandstand long-ter- ber them? DOONESBURY I l . KNOW THINK m I'M MS. Ftma,AteK..- r t ? BUT TM JUST HAV- IN6 A 6O0P YEAR. THEM'S NO SUCH - thih6asafer- funding woes. Remem- - ' 0R2OLBS-0WWI6H- UfM6 PI56AS6 MY HEART STOMPWOH. OR HAVE- 0RMH5 Solution to postage hike Most of the proposed ways to res duce our mail stamp cost by contracting it out are very complex in first-clas- I Laurie Lisonbee, Insurance Program. This legislation, which passed with Salem strong bipartisan support, has proUtah home prices ridiculous vided a vital source of health care coverage to children whose parents work I will be but cannot afford or are not offered moving. I don't know where, just somewhere other than one health insurance. of the most ridiculous states based on On Sept. 30, the SCHIP program will expire. Congress must pass reaurapidly increasing home prices. There is nothing worth living in for thorizing legislation within the next under 200K that isn't sold by the time several months to ensure the program continues to thrive and that no child we go to see it. I swear someone forloses coverage. In Utah, SCHIP covgot for a few moments that they did not buy a "starter home" for hundreds ers an average of 47,000 children, yet of thousands of dollars before four more than 90,000 remain uninsured. Uninsured children are far less years ago. I get so tired of people telling me, likely to receive timely care for childhood illnesses, such as sore throats, "Well, you had better jump in now because it is just getting worse" as if earaches and asthma. As a result, they I am just sitting back on a pile of cash often end up in the emergency room waiting for prices to drop so I can get or hospital due to delays in seeking so much more for my dollar. treatment, and may not have access to If you need to find me in the future, visits and needed prescripI will be out in a field somewhere after tion medications. I Help ensure our children get the change careers to be a sheepherder in Carbon County since that seems to best start in life by urging Congress be one of the few places left in Utah to properly fund and renew SCHIP as where people have not heard the best soon as possible. Jeffrey C. Schmidt, MD, FAAP .way to become filthy rich is off of four walls and a leaky roof. President, American Academy of I Shaun Deveraux, Pediatrics Utah Chapter Pleasant Grove Pediatrician, Intermountain Sandy well-chil- d Definition of Well, here we go again, Congress is rewriting the dictionary. How did most of them get elected anyway? Somebody must have spelled wrong. Illegal doesn't mean "not within the law" anymore; it means or maybe it means eligible for amnesty. Must be, because our beloved elected ones told us that they are not giving the illegal immigrants amnesty. guest-worke- r, Rather, just make them wait for nine or so years, pay a big fine and boot them out with an invitation that spells RSVP or something when they come in again. As I recall, good ol' boygirl Congress in the first 100 days did pass exciting legislation giving any member WREJUST NO.m SAYIN6THAT T0MAYS.M& ITS JUST A.MAT-- - thing of the past. I Tom Demery, Orem Iraqi lives not inferior to Americans' I have just two simple questions. Why is one American soldier dying today worse than two Iraqi soldiers dying tomorrow? Is there something inherently inferior about Iraqi citizens, parents and children that makes their welfare less important than the welfare of the American soldiers sent to protect them? Springville How to comment 344-298- 5 Mail to P.O. Box 717, The real "shameful politics" are those being played out by the Bush administration and its supporters, mostly conservative journalists and religious Provo, UT 84603. I Letters must include the author's full name, address and daytime phone number. I We prefer shorter letters, 100 to 200 words. Letters may be edited for length. I Writers are encouraged to include their occupation and other personal information. I Because of the volume of letters, we cannot acknowledge supporters. They play the "scare" card, refusing to accept that their fantasy of restructuring the Middle East in their image has failed miserably and there is no dignified way out. No "surge" and no "staying the course" strategy is going to work. We created a violent mess in Iraq and it will now take the Iraqis much blood, sweat and tears to fix it if they can. That will only start when we the occupiers I Kevin Simonson, letters to dhIetterss!heraldextra.com Fax to Shameful politics unpublished letters. I Letters become the property of the Daily Herald. leave. MALLARD FILLMORE ter. first-clas- Sandy "illegal" rewritten m,m- nature. When you look at the horrendous amount of advertising which the mail person brings to our door, and which is immediately chucked into our garbage barrel, then the businesses who send out the tons of junk ads should pay exactly the same rate per ounce s as letters cost those of us who enjoy writing and receiving handwritten letters. The pleasure of getting a handwritten letter from a friend is almost a Clinic, Garry Trudeau TWsrwmweAR icouwezpemssep Provo Bruce Tinsley TEROF vm! flHic zertve - s i of utile ma? rnH6itew:v my fcr IVY tit? (7 -- t of -- tfifc |