OCR Text |
Show 2jh Magna TlmeaWest Vally News, Thursday, March 2, 2000 EditoIiloyerament A Session of aimosf SallLake Takes lead Senator Mtilie Peterson says. is one of most partisan sessions that I have ever seen in my time at the legislature. Her complaint conies from the fact that Democratic Bills for the most part have been left in the wings in while Republican bills seem to be the main focus. One of the major lobbiest on the hill who left a successful career in the house as a Republican, said that he felt there was a lack of management and focus in this years session. His assertation can be backed up by the fact that the President of the Senate Lane Beatie could not even pursuade his colleges into supporting two of his gun related issue bills. The big issues so far have not been met such as various hand gun legislation to better protect schools and churches from the harm of hand guns on their property. Education did get a 7.4 percent increase and teachers received a salary hike but communication between educators and the legislature seemed to be lacking. Many teachers wanted the legislature to solve die long-tereducation problems in Utah other than low salaries such as overcrowded classrooms and diminished teach- against This resources. Representative Brent Goodfellow looked at the situation pragmatically saying, We got the best deal we could for public education a 7.4 increase in public education fundingand a 5.5 increase in the WPU (weighted pupil unit) considering the fact that the legislature did not want to bond or have tax increase. Goodfellow added that Higher Education and Public Employees only received a 4.0 ing Racial i Profiling 1 Things look a little cloudy up on Capitol increase in funding this year. Goodfellow who has been in the legislature for a number of years has been more successful than some of his Democratic associates in getting his bills passed. Three of his most important bills HB 60, HB 46 and HB 26 are either passed oi in the final stages. Senator Ron Allen's Bill to fund investigation and prosecution of abuses in the polygamist community received a moral victory getting an approval vote in the Senate of 25 to one but because of the tight resources this year it may not receive funding. Carl Duckworths bill to fund Salt Lake Community College Classes at Webster School may suffer the same fate because of the lack of money. The requests for funding this year according to Legislative sources were in excess of $500 mdlion with funding available for only about $50 million. Some dangerous bill always seem to arise during every session. One bill that has passed the House would mandate that only abstanance can be taught in sex education classes in schools. This head in the sand bill could very Hill. well pass the Senate and it will equal the regressive thinking in the trial against the theory of evolution. Another bill would make it much harder for people to put initiatives on the ballot. Thanks to Representative Melvin Brown the bill would require signatures from a significant number of people in every county in Utah. At this time it only requires signatures from people in 20 counties. Thanks to Mel Brown the people may have even less of a voice in the Utah Political Scene. A number of bills have also pa .sed the House which would reduce the Adoption Pool and seemed to indicate that Division of Family Services wants to get out of the adoption area of its work. The agency has had a troubled history of doing a number of things the wrong way such as die recently rescaled practice of substanciated claims against people without any notification to the accused. law-abidi- j support Republican candidate Nancy Workman. And just this week Commissioner Mary Callaghan dropped out slating that she had a compelling offer in the Private Sector. Most likely it had nothing to do with the fact that Workman had beat Callaghan significantly in the Sandy Republican Straw Poll to 78. by a vote of Now only two announced contenders are in the race Democrat 1 1 Salt Lake County Republican Mayor Candidate Nancy Workman shakes hands with her Democratic rival Karen Crompton. My the best man or should we say woman win. MAGNA TIMES USPS 325-53- 0 Second class postage paid at Magna, Utah 84044 8980 West 2700 South Magna, Utah 84044 J. HOWARD STAHLE Publisher BONNIE STAHLE Advertising Manager Office Manager DANNY JOHNSON Lead Computer Technician KEITH LOBDELL Editor Staff Writer Layout editor GARY R. BLODGETT Editor ALAN BLAiN Staff Writer KENT GOBLE Sports Writer S. DEAN LEDBETTER Staff Writer DALE SIMONS Sports Columnist H. RACHELLE GRAHAM Assistant editor Copyright Magne TlmeaWeet Valley News O. Alt rights reserved. Repro&jcSon, reuse, or transmittal of matter herein Is prohibited without prior written permission by the publisher or editor. The Magna Times and West Valley News are published each Thursday Subscription SIS par year $21 per year out of state Postmaster: Send change of address to: Magna Times 8080 W. 2700 So. Magna. UT 84044 (SOI) 250-66uor FAX 801 250-688- 5 fe Thtkhgna Timas a honlM mwtptptr Member of ffw Ufeft Press Asaoaradoa H Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and Police Chief Matt Connole are starting a program to address the issue of Racial Profiling that has become an issue nationally. They chose to lead Considering that Hispanics in this effort in the area so that accounted for less than 10 percent facts could be gathered on the of the total population, the percentextent of racial profiling locally. ages of Hispanic involvement in Some other agencies around the serious crimes in Salt Lake City is nation have already started similar alarming. In 1997, 40 percent of programs including the Michigan the Homicides involved Hispanic Slate Police, the California Arrests, 43 percent of the Rapes, Highway Patrol, the Washington 36.7 percent of the Aggravated Slate Patrol, the Florida State Assaults, 42.3 percent of the Auto Patrol and the City Police in San Thefts, 40 percent of the Arsons, 37 Diego, San Jose, Stamford percent of Stolen Property, 37.6 Connecticut, Richmond Virgina of the Weapons Violations, percent and Alameda County Califonia. 47.8 percent of Sex Offenses, 30.4 The officers will fill out detailed percent of Family Offenses, and forms from their observations. 29.7 percent of DUIs (Driving They will not ask a persons race Under the Influence). The percentbut rely on their own observations ages in Drug Violations are much of race. The form will give the type with Hispanic arrest at 46.9 higher of citation, the race, age and gender Arrests for Sale or percent. of the accused, whether a search Manufacture of Cocaine for occured, the legal basis for the Hispanics is 93.3 percent and for search, what if any contraband. Marijuana is 63.6 percent The mayor has been a real shakAccording to Salt Lake City staer at city hall trying to make Salt tistics, 28.6 percent of all arrests Lake City Government one that involved Hispanics. Salt Lake involves all races and creeds. The Citys statistics do not look good practice of Racial Profiling has for Hispanics in the victim percentbrought many abuses into the busieither. In 1997, 35 percent to ages ness of around the 40 percent of all the Homicides nation. Many innocent people have involved Hispanic suspects but been subjected to arrest, harsh 57.9 percent of the victims were treatment and public humilation also Hispanic. In Salt Lake Citys just because they fit a general racial Homicide statistics from 1987 to profile. But there is some cause for 1998 Hispanic victims were often a those officers out in the field to much higher percentage to look at race when going after a susHispanic suspects in Homicides. pect. Although the largest number Unfortunately these figures show of crimes are still committed by the good things that many Hispanic Caucasians there has been a larger citizens do in Utah or porpqrtional crime rate especially the figures on Hispanics that have amoung Hispanics. Last year in a been wrongly accused because of study of crime in Salt Lake City Racial Profiling. two areas stood but; increases in Juvenile crime figures are also the number of crimes that alarming. During 1997 there were Hispanics are involved in and the 41 homicides statewide by adults large percentage of serious crimes and 12 by juveniles. Juveniles that juvenile offenders are involved almost matched adult statistics in a in. Former Salt Lake City Police number of other categories also Chief Rubin Ortega was criticized including: Aggravated Assault, for comments he made on the rise Burglary, Larceny, Motor Vehicle in Hispanic related crime but statisThefi, Weapons Violations, Sex tics backed up his position. Offenses, Marijuana, and One major factor in the rise of Disorderly Conduct Juveniles Hispanic crime is the influx of illealmost double adults in the gal aliens into the area from Vandalism category. Mexico. Out of die total illegals We have some serious major that come to Utah, only a part of crime problems in Salt Lake City, these are criminal; most illegals are West Valley and other cities in Salt just looking for a job and a better Lake Valley even with better law life. According to Sait Lake County enforcement work and increased Sheriffs Captain Paul forces. Salt Lake City is doing its Cunningham, who supervises all part to help make the law enforcecounty jail facilities, in 1998 out of ment process a more just setting for a total bookings of about 30,000 all, no matter who they are or what there were 1,901 foreign bom they are. Now it is up to the leaders inmates. The majority of these in the various segments of our were from Mexico and were in for community nto look at how crime drug related crimes. In 1997, in the area is impacted by members 26,009 bookings 1 .695 were forof their community and help police eign bom inmates. Wayne make a safer community all. Kirkpatrick of the Immigration and pro-acti- Can a women run things better? The Salt LakV bounty Mayors race has had contenders dropping like flies before even the first shots were fired. Leading contender Brent Overson backed out of the race and threw his to Naturalization Service said, The INS in Utah detained and deported 1,200 illegal aliens in 1998 out of which about 85 percent were involved with aggravated felonies. According to population estimates from the U.S. Bureau of the Census in 1997, out of a total population of 839,896 in Salt Lake County, the Hispanic population is 67,554 or less than 10 percent. According to Planning Analyst Dave Doepner of the Salt Lake City Police, records of arrest in 1997, out of a total of 19,415 arrests, 9,744 arrest were white, 5,544 were Hispanic, 2,285 were Native American, and 1,475 were black. Karen Crompton and Republican Nancy Workman. Both women are intelligent, have a solid business background and actually want to improve Salt Lake County Government. Both women would make an excellent mayor but this seems to be too good to be true in Utah Politics where we are faced more often w ith voting for die lesser of two evils. Crompton faces no opposition in her bid for the Democratic nomination but there has been some talk of others entering the Republican Race against Workman. Most of this talk is generated by a few who still cant come to grips with the fact that a woman might be running the county. The other possible runs against Workman may be more theoretical than practical. Sheriff Aaron Kennard the most popular politician in die County stands to loose some of that popularity if he enters a tough race for County Mayor and he does have the chance to become the President of the National Association of Sheriffs if he remains in his current job. Commissioner Brent Overson would suffer a great credibility the problem if he were to race after giving Workman his strong endorcement Other Republican possibles are less known than Workman and would have to face the growing support that Workman has achieved just be being constant in her campaign for County Mayor. Workman has worked hard for two terms modernizing the Recorders office and making it more customer friendly. Crompton has worked hard as a Community Council Member and activist in Hmigralion Canyon in that areas township effort She has gadiered an expertise in planning from her community work. Currently she has had the tough job of finding electable candidates for the Democratic Party. If things remain s and we end up w ith a Crompton-Workma- n race for Salt Lake County Mayor, it should he an unusual race. The important issues will be discussed and the campaigns will focus in on their visions of where Salt Lake County should go in the future and how it is going to get there. Both women also have the abilities to deal with a strong council and from the names of the possible candidates for the council it will be just that. Former Commissioners Randy Horiuchi and Jim Bradley, former Salt Lake City Commissioner Steve Harmsen. and Dave Nicponski of Alliant Tech just to name a few. Teachers Strike Standing Alone Against the State Even though Granite School District responded to a possible teacher strike in a forceful but sympathetic letter to its teachers. Granite teachers were the only teachers in the state that felt it was important to send a message to the legislature by a one-da- y planned protest strike. It was pre announced and planned at a time that would have the least impact on students. Teachers kept within the request of Granite Districts not to have a wildcat strike and to give notice of their actions. Many teachers spent the day doing some kind of public service or in gathering food cans for the food bank. This was not like some labor stikes which resulted in violence or bad blood between the parties involved. It was peaceful and polite and most likely did not get the message to the state legislators. Some parents supported the protest strike by Granite teachers others condemned it The teachers were not striking over saleries but over supplies and resources. Our class sizes are too large for the amount of teachers employed so many children do not get the attention needed for a good education. Any teachers worth their salt hurt over this issue. Many teachers, take money out of their own pockets to help with classroom supplies and this has been going on for yfears. We are soon looking to a day when books will be at premium and classes will be too large for anyone to teach or even just keep order. The Legislature should not condemn the teachers strike but leant the lesson that without bonding and advanced financial planning education will be the privilege of only a precious few who can afford it. Vote Friday March 10 The March 10 Great Western Primary is going to be an important election. It is on a Friday so many may not be thinking politics but rather skiing. Take some minute and vote before you head out of town. If you are a Non affiliated voters you can choose to vote in any one primary without declaring a party affiliation. Most voters fit in this category since it has only been an option on the voter registration form since 1994 and even then you were not required to declare a party affiliation. If you wish to become unaffiliated or are not sure what your status is call the Elections office at This year every vote may count in the primaries. Last election Senator Ron Allen won his seat by only a 44 vote margin. It is your right and duty to vote and if you want to complain about the government first try to change it with your vote. 468-342- 7. as-i- Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson sets stage on Racial Profiling for the rest of Salt Lake County and its cities. Qhjjq -p ,- Opim Please send us your opinions on the issues that impact our :il & s u a loiter to tho VJrite er community. Signed letters to the editor that focus on these Granite District rlorf letters to; EDIT MAGNA 7! i pl'OII & fS B W t, VuU u m r f ? r r t f - 01! ii I I r- - I 'f A t'-- .1 s |