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Show TheSalt LakeTribune OPINION PUBLIC FORUM, AA-2 WM READER ADVOCATE, AA-2 gfOTly, FEBRUARY18, 2001 MERUSSIAN VIEW, AA-3 OUR VIEW The Salt Lake Tribune’s Editorial Position Gun Rights and MentalIllness from possessing firearms. Among them are people who have been found not guilty ofa felony offense byreasonofin- sanity, people who have been found mentally incompetentto standtrial for a felony offense, people who have been ad- judicated to be mentally defective under the federal Brady law, or people who have been committed to a mental institution. House Bill 266 would allow judgesto restore gun rights to these folks. In order for that to happen, undertheversion of the bill passed by the House, the person seeking restoration of those rights would have to prove bya preponderance ofevidence that he or sheis no longer receiving treatment or medication for any mental illness or deficiency, is competent to have the right to own.a firearm and does not present a danger to public safety. The sponsorof this legislation, Rep. Matt Throckmorton of Springville, concedes thatthebill needs refining. He saysthatit will be amended in the Senate Rules Committee to limit eligibility to only those people who once were found by acourt to be mentally defective under the Bradylaw or who were committed to a mental institution. People who were foundnotguilty of a felony by reason of mental incompetence or insanity would notbe eligible. In addition, the standard of evidence would be strengthened from “preponderance”to “clear and convincing.” His real aim, Throckmortonsays,is to provide a wayfor nonviolent people who have never been charged with a crime but were committed to a mental institution to get their gun rights back once they are well. He argues that some people are committed to mental hospitals involuntarily only so that their health in- ~ surance will continue to pay for treatment. They pose nothreatto themselves or society, and it is unfair to sentence them toa lifetime deprived ofa constitutional right without the possibility of appeal to a court. No violent person with a chronic mental illness requiring continued treatment and medication would ever qualify to have his gun rights restored, Throckmorton claims, and no judge would ever grant such a petition. Unfortunately, the House version of the bill is not narrowly enough focused on nonviolent people to ensure that pub- President Bush’s First 30 Daysin Office Show He’s Serious About His Own Agenda lic safety could not be compromised. WASHINGTON — One month ofthe 48 in a presidential termis hardly the basis for judging performance, but there are clues in the Bush administration’sfirst four weeks that are worth noting — whether or not they are borne out by fu- DARE’s Rocky Road Many roundly criticized Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Andersonfor his temerity in dumping the popular DARE anti-drug program lastyear, but it turns out the mayorwas rightto do so. No less an authority than DARE officials themselves agree. Anderson last year decided that the city’s police departmentwould no longer participate in DARE — the acronym for Drug Abuse Resistance Education — because,he said, research showed the program simply was ineffectual. He was right and a plethora of independentresearch bears him ou’ In just the past few months, the National AcademyofSciences andthe surgeon general have issued reports questioning DARE’s effectiveness. Their conclusions merely joined the results of plenty ofearlier research, adding to what in jurisprudence would be called a preponderance of evidence, that DARE’s approach, however popular, does not work. DARE officials castigated the mayor. His decision, they claimed, was based on faulty research. He was opposed to the drug war (anyone with any sense would start thinking twice about throwing money at a problem after 30 years of failure andbillions tossed down the hole) or, horrorofhorrors, they asserted, he favored decriminalization of some drugs. Well, it turns out that DARE itself admits that Anderson was rightafter all. Officials recently acknowledged, according to a New York Times report, thatits favored approach during the program’s 18-year history of having police officers lecture elementary school-age young- sters about the evils of drugs has not worked. DARE officials and some researchers have quietly been working on a new curriculum for the past two years. Instead of lecturing youngsters, the new program is aimed atolder students and involves them questioning their own ideas about drug use. The new curriculum will be tested in six cities with some 50,000 students involved next fall. Whether this reform is effective, of course, remains to be seen. Whileall of Anderson'scritics should be eating crow, those among his most vituperative ought to carefully consider employees andkeep themif we don’t pay more than minimum wage,” says Vic BlantonofSalt Lake City. That is exactly the point of “living wage” opponents. The free market does the best job of deciding what a job is worth. Salt Lake City has found thatit must pay $6.25 an hourfor lawn cutters. Whenthe day arrives that the city can’t fill the positions at that wage,it will have to offer more. Many economists believe that wage mandates do more harmthan good.If Salt Lakepaid its laborers $12 per hour, their thinking goes, the competition for the jobs would increase substantially. ‘The current lawn cutters would be displaced by more experienced workers, who would in turn displace those who nowfill lower-paying jobs, leaving the most vulnerable workers with no option atall. Low-income advocates counter that the workers at the bottom havenoreal option now, thatit is impossible to raise a family on the federal minimum wage of $5.15. That's true, but starting a family that you can't afford is incredibly PAST PUBLISHERS John W, Gallivan (1960-1983) Jerry O'Brien (1983-1994) This has been a confident beginning by George W. Bush andhis team. Theselfassurance has been demonstrated in several ways. Despite the late start caused by the long Florida recount, Bush assembled his Cabinet well ahead of Inauguration Day—anditisa strong one.It isa Cabinet of CEOs, made up mainly of men women who have run large enterprises in the public or private sector—orboth.It is an experienced Cabinet, with mostof its members having served in responsible positions in Washington and the others having comeoutof top positions in state and local government. Itis alsoa politically balanced Cabinet. ‘THE WASHINGTON POSTWAITERS GROUP Democrats would cut some slack for their former Republican col especially after his graciousness’ in accepting his defeat in the hyper-charged emotional climate following the death of his opponent, Gov. Mel Carnahan. But Bush underestimated the impact on Democratic senators (especiall, with national ambitions) ofthe ange: wid frustration of minority groups, who felt publicans. The exceptions — Interior Secretary Gale Norton and Attorney General John Ashcroft — were predictable. victimized by the election and by Ashcroft’s personal role in blocking the elevation of Judge Ronnie White to the federal bench. With 42 votes against him, Ashcroft will have less leeway as attorney general than a less controversial appoin- irresponsible, and governments should not encourage such mistakes by removing the financial hardship. The threat of wage controls has business leaders worried, and they have taken their case to state lawmakers. Unfortunately,the result of that lobbying, a bill that would prohibit local governments from mandating such wages, showsas little faith in Utah voters as low-incomeadvocates show in the free market. Wagecontrols are a bad idea, but the issue should be decided atthelocal level. Whethera city sets a living wage, and loses contractors or has to raise taxes to meet contractors’ higher prices, should be of no concern to the state. City residents whoelect liberal mayors and council members should expect liberal policies and the higher taxes that go along with them.If residents disagree with those policies, they can vote in different leaders who better reflect the community's philosophy in the next election. That's how the system works, and state lawmakers would be as unwise to interfere with it as Salt Lake City leaders would be to interfere with the free market by adoptinga living wage. PUBLISHER Dominic Welch EDITOR James B.Shelledy KEARNS-TRIBUNE CORPORATION, 143 8. MAIN ST. SALT LAKE CITY, #4111 municates that he likes poneinngeneral — andpoliticians in particular not going to personalize policy aage ments in ways that poison the atmosphere. All of that goes a long way toward establishing an environmentin which it is possible to get things done. Butit still leaves large questions unanswered. rollout of his majorpolicy proposals. In its done in Bush’s name is coming from Vice first test, the White House staff — a Ee ture d veterans and to Washington — prepared Bush well for presentation ofthe education reform, tax cut and military personnel proposals he had promised in the campaign. The heavy lifting on all these issues — especially the tax plan — lies ahead, but the professionalism of their introduction signaled to everyone that the administration is well-equipped for the pabtrs relations wars. President Dickee, Cheney clearly was i ling the Cabinet and managing the transition, and now he and political independence of Attorney General Janet Reno. Important Republican constituencies wanted those departments backin “friendly” hands, and Bush satisfied them with his choices. In Norton's case, he calculated correctly how far he could push the envelope withoutcreating a huge backlash.Despite the efforts ofenvironmental groups to derail her, 75 senators voted for confirmation. With Ashcroft, he may have miscalculated. Bush probably thought Senate print on the measures. ments went Well, and Bush followed up with an exceptionally eloquent inaugural address and a notably well-disciplined city off a horse that simply would not .Tun. sessions with members of Congress from both parties. The Democrats I haveiniterviewed say Bush has donethree things in these sessions that impress them. First, he has been direct and firm in asserting that he is uninhibited by the closeness ofthe election results and will put forward the policies he promoted in his campaign. Second, he immediately adds that he understands — and respects — the difference betweenhis responsibilities as president and theirs as legislators, and Nee ee Bush’s focus seems to be on thepolitics of advancinghis policy, not the policy itself. Some legislators have come away with the impression that Bush wants an early congressional win, presumably on education reform, so much that he doesn't muchcare what's in thebill. That’s dangerousto hisinterests,if it takes root. There’s also a question in people’s minds about how muchof whatis being or. It turns outhis only gaffe with respect to DARE was havingthe guts to pull the the propriety of apologizing to the may- Bush himself has spent much of-his time this past month in get-acq ture developments. tee would have enjoyed. Nonetheless, the Cabinet The Salt LakeTribune UTAH'S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE1871 John F, Fitzpatrick (1924-1960) David BRODER Both Interior and Justice had been the focus of partisan warfare throughout the Clinton years. Much of the Republican West was at odds with Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt, and Republicans in Congress repeatedly questioned thejudgment Let the System Work One of the best arguments against a “living wage” comes from the personnel director of the Utah city that is most serious about setting one. “Wecan’t get -\-ee s% a4 The Utah House of Representatives has passed bill that would allow judges to restore gun rights to people who previously have been denied them because of severe mental illness. To be ne the bill placesthe public at risk. In fairness to thebill's sponsor, he saysthatit will be amended significantly before it is considered in the Senate. With those changes,the bill would make more sense, but lawmakers still should be skeptical. Utah law prohibits certain people appoint- has been given responsibility for direct- ing energy policy as well. Cheneyhas nopolitical agenda of his own,so histalents serve Bush’sinterests. But that does not obviate the impact of uncertainty over whoisreally calling the signals. Notwithstanding these question marks,thestart has been good. Some Dads Are Dogged by ‘Deadbeat’ Label As Alabama Looks to Collect Child Support Alabama child support collectors have let loose the dogs of war, and fathers’rights activists are crying havoc. KATHLEEN PARKER Specifically, the state has begun a controversial newspaper-ad campaign aimed at rounding upso-called “deadbeats” who fall behind in their child support payments. The first ad, which ran in some Alabama newspapers Sunday, is titled “Lost Dogs: Have You Seen Us?” and pictures 10 of the state's worst offenders as required by a bizarre newlaw passed last year. The “Ten Most Wanted”law, passed during the 2000 legislative session, requires the Alabama Department of HumanResourcesto list the names, photos and other identifying information of 10 delinquent child support obligors. To qualify, the offending parent must have ‘ated a history of failed’ support and a long-term lack of cooperation. Original drafts of the legislation addressed only “deadbeat dads,” but protests prompted lawmakers to change the wording to “deadbeat parents.” One woman is pictured among the 10 faces now posted on the DHR Web site (www.dhr.state.al.us/csed/ mostwanted.htm). Inclusion of a woman hasn't placated outraged father-activists, who are charging civil rights violations and considering class-action suits against the state and par papers. The figure of found,for instance, that more than haifof nonpaying, unmarried fathers earned less than $6,155 per year. Reliable fetes on child support payments are hard to come by. TheU.S. Census Bureau reports are based only on reporting by mothers and are much lower than whatfathers report in independent one woman among10, say the dads, only underscores the imbalance in childcustody awards. Women are awarded child support in 80 percent of divorces. Although Alabama fathers aren't con: doning the failure by others to pay child support, they object strenuously to the state’s assumptions about parents in arrears andto officials’ methodsof pursuit. Murderers, they say, are treated with more respect. Inarguably, states may play a useful role in helping custodial parents collect money from absent parents, but criminalizing “deadbeats”in sucha public way can't logically be considered fair or helpful. Contrary to myth, most deadbeats aren't exactly tethered to the Nasdaq. Except for the rare, headline-grabbing zillionaire who abandons his family for Temptation Island, most are poor to broke. A University of Wisconsin study surveys, The popular understanding that $34 billion is owed in back child support was based on estimates of what would be owed if all mothers were granted an award and if all fathers earned the median income. ‘That’sa lot of “ifs” andflies in the face ofreality. A 1995 U.S. Census BureauSta: tistical Brief, for instance, showed that during oneyear(1992), only 12 percent of custodial mothers due child support. got none. Of 56 percent who were awarded payment, 37 percentreceived all or some. Forty-four percent of women with children were awarded nothing, most. because they were either never-married or the fathers were poor, Clearly no one excuses men(or women) who abandon their children, but fathers rightly view such demonizing characterizations of “deadbeats” as part of a continuing trend to minimize the importance offathers to family life. Publishing pictures of parents and calling them “dogs”in sucha public forum does little to advance the cause of family values and ultimately hurts children mostofall \ |