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Show Volume XXIV Issue X The Ogden Valley news Page 3 June 1, 2017 Guest Commentaries Letters to the Editor County Planning Office Explains Proposal to Change Ogden Valley Sign & Outdoor Lighting Ordinances Citizens Should Be Able to Be Confident That President is Working in Their Best Interest The Ogden Valley General Plan provides general recommendations regarding Weber County community themed The Ogden Planning Division signage. Valley Business Association (OVBA) took the initiative to help get the ball rolling. They submitted an application to amend the ordinance. Their initial request specified a few areas of the sign code with which there was general concern, but they’ve been clear with the County that their initial approach was just a point of beginning to start the dialogue, and they remain open to finding solutions that support the vision of the general plan. I understand that there is a general fear amongst some members of the public that this application is intended to roll back the progress the county has made regarding the proposed outdoor lighting ordinance—part of which contains amendments to the current sign code. This is an unfortunate misunderstanding. The OVBA’s application is not intended to impact the progress of the outdoor lighting ordinance. They are two different ordinance amendments, and the OVBA has been clear with the County that they support exploring solutions to help preserve and enhance the night sky. County staff and the OVBA have been coordinating efforts to explore the unintended consequences of the original request, and discover best practice alternatives that will support mutual gain for the businesses in the community and the community-at-large. To help facilitate exploring best practices, staff will be touring Jackson, Wyoming and Ketchum, Idaho for ideas related to resort-oriented community signage and hope that we can return with ideas that serve the needs of both the community and the business association. Charles Ewert, AICP Weber County, Principal Planner Founding Fathers Believed in the Preeminence of God and His Role in Shaping America I guess Mr. Thompson thinks I am neglecting to mention America’s faults. Well, yes, what he said about slavery, women, Native Americans, immigrants and our own internment camps are truly negative aspects of American history. In fact, I could bring up a couple hundred more “negatives,” but I like to dwell on her goodness. And he speaks the truth about these failures being caused by man, to be sure. This, however, does not in any way mean that our world/country is anthropocentric. He also states a truism—that there is an inherent good in man (the scriptures call this the light of Christ) and that goodness is what our Founding Fathers had in mind when they designed the Constitution. By what standard does Mr. Thompson say that anything (inherent or not) is good? America is great because she is good, and “if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great,” as noted by Alexis de Tocqueville. John Adams said, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Yes, there is good and evil in the world and I know America has committed horrific acts in the world, but, fortunately, when as a nation we get caught up in these acts, denigrating ourselves and condemning our institutions we, historically, snap out of it; I believe we are currently “snapping out of it,” attempting to right our wrongs. America’s goodness and doing good should be our nation’s indefatigable focus. Benjamin Franklin said, “As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters.” We must focus on the good and not the bad and keep at bay these would-be masters. Mr. Thompson, however, is dead wrong to state that goodness of men is not solely based on “… any god [lower case god?] or religion. I ask then, what is this “goodness of men” based on and from whence does it originate? And he is also dead wrong when he states that religion was purposely left out of our functioning government. The framework for the Constitution is the Declaration of Independence. It opens with an appeal to “… the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them.” This comes from God and is recognized so by our Founders; it does not emanate from those who govern. This Framework of the Declaration of Independence sets the tone for the writing of the Constitution by our Founders. The Declaration ends with, “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” Here it is clear that the Framers of the Declaration believed in the preeminence of God. Yes, God governs in the affairs of men. God, not religion, or rather, any particular religion, is active in the world now as He has been from the beginning of time. He is not on the sidelines merely observing. In many ways, the human authors of the Declaration made major foundational appeals to God and His creation. George Washington said, “While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian” (The Writings of Washington, pp. 342-3). In Jeremiah 17:9 we find the doctrine of Separation of Powers. In Isaiah 33:22 we find the doctrine of three separate branches of gov- ernment. In Ezra 7:24 we find the basis for not taxing churches. And I could go on and cite another 60 or so Constitutional principles that are Biblically founded. In a letter written by Thomas Jefferson, a supposed atheist (as claimed by the anti-religionists and history revisionists), to John Adams dated June 28, 1813, we read, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God.” How about the “secular” Supreme Court? “Our laws and our institutions must necessarily be based upon and embody the teachings of the Redeemer of mankind. It is impossible that it should be otherwise; and in this sense and to this extent our civilization and our institutions are emphatically Christian.” - United States Supreme Court, 1892. And, George Mason (a signer of the Constitution), one of the Founding Fathers who insisted on a Bill of Rights, stated regarding his decision, “The laws of nature are the laws of God, whose authority can be superseded by no power on earth.” Benjamin Franklin, a supposed deist (as claimed by the anti-religionists and history revisionists) at best and atheist at worst, asked for prayer to be given at the beginning of each session of the Constitutional Convention. He said, “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth - that God Governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without [His] aid?” With all the protections and rights vouchsafed by our Constitution come the responsibility and the necessity to act in a moral manner. Government, however, historically speaking, has a tendency to grow and become so big that it eventually becomes tyrannical and seeks to diminish and altogether abrogate mankind’s God-given rights. Such a tyranny encroaches on our liberties, a concept based on Biblical principles of free will, and a concept well understood by our Founders as the most important principle of the U.S. Constitution and our best defense against tyranny. I could continue about how our Founders, almost to a man, believed that God is involved in the affairs of man and that God governs. God, however does not interfere with our free. We are all human—weak, carnal, sensual and devilish and when we get a little authority, power and especially wealth and the accolades of man, we tend to inhale it and forget Biblical principles such as the Golden Rule—being kind, making peace, being humble, being meek and putting God above all and relying only on Him and not the arm of flesh. George Washington was a perfect example of this principle of reliance, stating COMMENTARY cont. on page 10 The partisan lens through which John Reynolds sees President Trump’s refusal to share tax information is troubling. In his Letter (What We Don’t Care About, May 1), Reynold claims Democrats are the only people who care about Trump’s taxes. This is utterly false and ignores the call issued by numerous rivals during the Republican primaries for Trump to release his taxes. Mitt Romney made the call to the Huffington Post and days later Ted Cruz did the same. Do the research and discover the many Republicans who care, or at least cared, about Trump’s taxes. Reynolds references “not caring crosses party lines” and then goes on to contradict his point by only giving examples of Democrats not scrutinizing themselves when they were in power. He offers no examples of Republicans doing the same now that they hold power. Unfortunately, this is how the game is played today, to the detriment of this great country. Reynolds exemplifies this new way of partisan allegiance. Anyone who takes off their party hat understands the importance for the President to release tax information and create distance from their business interest. Trump has done neither. All citizens want to have confidence that our President is working in the best interest of the country, not self-interest. Like Mitt Romney and so many other business people who become top government leaders, President Trump should release his taxes and put his assets in a blind trust. Then we will never need to question whether personal interests played into any of his decisions. Utah State Auditor John Dougall is an example of the leadership our state and country needs. As for us regular citizens, our country would be better off if we cared about the actions of elected officials regardless of party affiliation. Tim Brown, Liberty More Needs to Be Done to Protect Pineview Reservoir As an Ogden Valley resident who has been dents to seek and support steps by the County watching Pineview Reservoir fill up for the last and Forest Service to deal with this problem few weeks, and now, with warmer weather, I before it can be solved. like many others are looking forward to using Besides these on-shore issues, Pineview is the reservoir for its beaches, for paddling, and also challenged by being one of the most at-risk boating. bodies of water in the Unfortunately, with state for infestation by this anticipation of suminvasive spices (Quagga mer recreation comes the and Zebra muscles). reality that Pineview is If Pineview becomes heavily used, not well infested, the beaches policed on the water or will become unusable; on land, and the parkmost forms of recreation ing around the reservoir will be impacted; the often overflows onto the ecosystem will be greatroads and unimproved ly damaged as fish will areas creating very danno longer thrive and the gerous situations for smell from the algae will local drivers. Even with become terrible and perthe parking improvevasive. Even though it is ments implemented last every boater’s responyear near Quist Beach, sibility before launchthere is still a long way ing a boat to abide by to go to eliminate the Garbage at Middle Inlet free parking lot. The the decontamination parking hazards that trash pile shown was less than 50 feet from a requirements set by law, exist at many locations large dumpster that was directly in view. more needs to be done to all the way around the reservoir. save Pineview Reservoir from being destroyed Another problem that must be dealt with is by a muscle infestation. the trash that piles up every holiday weekend at I ask that the Forest Service, AL&L (the the free parking lots. It is obviously a crime to Pineview boat ramp operator), and Weber throw trash on the ground but in my opinion, County to jointly step up and take bold it is also a crime that the entities that control action(s) to help the Utah Department of Pineview continuously let this happen without Natural Resources better control boats comtaking action. The photo I include with this let- ing to Pineview so this great public resource ter was taken at the Middle Inlet free parking can remain viable for all forms of use into the lot and the trash pile shown was less than 50 future. feet from a large dumpster that was directly in view. I doubt if Valley residents are causing the Jeff Barber, trash problem but it is going to take Valley resi- Huntsville |
