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Show Volume XXV Issue XVIII The Ogden Valley news Page 3 October 15, 2019 Letters to the Editor Ukrainian Hoodwinks & Shenanigans: Stop voting Republican or Democrat! Folks, don’t be hoodwinked by current political shenanigans in Ukraine—the slippery slope of corruption. As many of you know, I am a former senior U.S. State Dept. employee and a former U.S. Army Colonel—now quietly masquerading as the proprietor of The Mad Moose Café in Eden, Utah. Well, as quietly as good conscious permits me, that is. I have worked for years in U.S. Embassies around the world, commanded units north and south of the equator, and have worked intimately with foreign ministries on security assistance matters in the former Soviet Union as part of my role as a senior officer in European Command’s Policy, Plans and Strategy Directorate. So, though I know I am not the sharpest tack in the box, I have a little insight into what unethical and inappropriate behavior looks like. Specifically, I am referring to recent scandals that are undermining and plaguing our government at the highest levels of leadership. Of course, I am talking about President Trump and former V.P Joe Biden’s dealings with Ukraine. I know, “Oh no,” you may be thinking, “not another extremist, politically-charged view…. Here we go again, another five minutes of my life stolen.” Right? And, maybe you are right. But, maybe, just maybe, this piece has some fiber of merit to it. Maybe the crazy Colonel who runs the Mad Moose Cafe has something intelligent or, at least, thought provoking to share…. Or, at least, deserves a listening ear from you, and maybe a swift kick in the butt down at The Mad Moose to help set my moral compass straight. Well, either way, I hope you come tell me where I am off base if you feel I am out of line. Honestly, I could use a good vector check…. I begin by posing some questions. Have you had enough of it yet? When does the time come to turn your backs on both the Republican and Democratic Parties—including those middle and junior level candidates who identify with either party and blindly follow, excuse, and enable the machines that are producing the leaders we’re being fed? Are you entitled to better? Do you deserve better? Do you want better? Or, are you happy with them? Folks, we do not have to drill any deeper than the most fundamental facts on the current Ukraine scandal to see the disease and rot that infects and corrupts both parties at the most senior levels. Former VP Joe Biden has leveraged his position to install his son Hunter into a $50,000 per month (per month!) job on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. President Trump has “gone-around” established and transparent American diplomatic institutions (U.S. State Dept.) and used a private party (Rudy Giuliani), not the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine (ongoingly vacant) to “discretely” negotiate with foreign agents in Europe to shape a political agenda and narrative that would enhance his political fortunes among American voters as we approach the 2020 presidential election season. Let’s be honest with ourselves; these facts are not in dispute. I like to imagine that I am not completely alone or out of touch with reality, and I feel I still have some remnant of what American values are in the oaths of offices associated with key leadership positions. And, I don’t accept the excuse of “That’s Politics.” I know corruption and unethical behavior when I see it. As the saying goes, “if it looks like a fish, smells like a fish, and tastes like a fish, IT’S A FISH! In this case, both party’s senior leadership has demonstrated a glaring example of how they have lost their ethical and moral compasses—assuming they ever had one. Do we as American’s deserve better? I think yes! And I think you don’t have to accept business as usual. Consider your options the next time you go to the ballot box. Ask yourself whether a vote for a democrat or republican is a vote to enable the machines that you so often express disgust with. And consider saying no. Consider voting for candidates who are focused on “doing the right thing” and not affiliated with the Democratic or Republican parties—if you care about fixing D.C. Consider saying “no” to any Republican or Democratic candidate and opt for individuals who will “do the right thing” for America. Folks, I hope you come to “The Mad Moose” and tell me where I am wrong, and why. Tell me if my attitude that two wrongs don’t make a right is old fashioned or outdated. Tell me why we have the very best leadership we can hope for and why we do not deserve better. And in the meantime, I will be thankful that, for the moment, I still live in America where we have not descended so far down the corruption slide that I can have this 1st Amendment moment with you, not yet worry about receiving a knock on the door in the night, and ultimately find that my loved one’s filing of a missing person’s report has faded into obscurity and forever forgotten… not yet. Is it too much to ask of our elected representatives to do the right thing? In the meantime, “China Shows off Military Might at 70th Anniversary Parade” (https://www. bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-49891769). China and our adversaries are loving how we are wasting our time and resources while they are focused on strengthening their political, economic, and military presence on the global stage. Folks, why are you empowering parties and leadership that distracts us from the real threats we face? Demand effective leadership! COL Mike Seguin (US Army, Ret.) Owner of The Mad Moose Café P.S. Is that sound I hear Theodore Roosevelt rolling over in his grave? Utah Legislature Special Session Report approved appropriations for the John By Rep. Stephen Waldrip On Monday, September 16, the Utah legislature met for a special session to discuss changes to the medical cannabis program, among other topics. Every bill addressed in the special session passed in both the House and Senate, and I voted “yes” on each one. The bills voted on in the special session are as follows: 1. Medical Cannabis Amendments: The amendments repealed the requirements regarding a state central fill pharmacy (and utilizing County Health Departments as dispensaries), and allows for 14 private single-purpose medical marijuana dispensaries throughout the state. Additionally, there is a provision in the amended bill that allows for more dispensaries throughout the state if there is a need. (SB 1002) 2. Election Code Date Changes: This bill effectively changes the primary election to June 30, for the year 2020 only, and changes related dates accordingly. (SB 1001) 3. Beer Transition Period Amendments: This bill will allow retailers to store “newlyclassified beer,” meaning 4.0 beer, up to a week prior to the November 1, 2020 date when they can sell to the public. This was necessary to avoid logistical preference to large retailers at the expense of smaller retailers if they had to receive product on the same day it was to be first sold. (HB 1002) 4. Joint Resolution Approving Swallow Settlement: The legislature reluctantly NO PARKING cont. from page 1 vehicles entering the highway from Radford Hills were often blocked from view of oncoming traffic and had to inch out into the roadway to see if it were safe to merge onto the highway. Commissioner Gage Froerer and Weber County Economic Development Director Holin Wilbanks convened a working group, including representatives from UDOT, the Forest Service, Weber County Engineering and Roads, Weber County Sheriff’s Office and local legislative Representatives. This working group determined that the west side of Highway 158, across from the Port Ramp and extending some distance in each direction, needed to be posted as a “No Parking Any Time” tow-away area. Signs and bases were quickly ordered, and House District 8 Representative Steve Waldrip worked with UDOT to have electronic signs posted warning drivers of dangerous congestion over the Labor Day weekend when conditions were most dangerous and while the signs were still being produced. The Weber County Sheriff’s Office kept an eye out for cars parked illegally in the roadway and for other dangerous situations and the busy weekend passed without any reported incidents. Swallow settlement as a result of a Utah District Court decision requiring the state to reimburse his legal fees. To not have done so would have resulted in additional costs to the taxpayer with little prospect of success in additional litigation in the courts. (HJR 101) 5. Tax Incentive Oversight Amendments: Modified language in the independent certified public accountant review provisions of the severance tax credit for well recompletion or workover and the motion picture income tax credit so that CPAs were not held liable for assertions made by companies beyond the scope of the CPA’s reasonable review. This change allows CPAs to help audit these tax credits appropriately and provide those reports to the state. (HB 1003) 6. Supplemental Appropriations Adjustments: $1 million was appropriated for the 2020 Census, primarily for assistance in promoting and funding “hard to track” census districts. The census has a significant impact on everything from the number of Congressional seats a state has to federal appropriations that are based on population, education, and many other areas; thus, $1.5 million was appropriated for the aforementioned Swallow settlement. I held my nose and voted yes, since the alternative was increased legal fees. (HB 1001) Thanks to each of you—my bosses—for the privilege of representing you in the state legislature. I hope to continue to take your voices with me to Capitol Hill, and fight for your interests and for the future of our great Valley and State. Please feel free to reach out to me at swaldrip@ le.utah.gov or via phone or text at 801-389-9329, or follow me on Facebook @electstevewaldrip. In mid September the bases were installed and the “no parking” signs followed shortly thereafter, resolving this very dangerous situation. A huge shout out to all who were involved in expediting this solution, including Lisa Wilson, Region 1 Director for UDOT; Huntsville’s maintenance crew and the Region One Sign crew, Weber County Engineering and Roads Departments, Weber County Sheriff’s Office, Ranger Shaun Harwood and the Forest Service, and Weber County Commissioner Gage Froerer and Holin Wilbanks, whose initiative got the parties together to create a workable solution. Inspirational Thought “If you radically alter your thoughts, you will be astonished at how rapidly the material conditions of your life will be transformed. Your thoughts dictate your circumstances because thoughts govern habit and habits dictate circumstances. All actions, both spontaneous (unpremeditated) and premediated are the product of our thoughts.” - Grant Von Harrison |