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Show www.dailyutahchronicle.cor ► 5 OPINION Tuesday, April 5, 2011 Voting on autopilot hurt citizens' rights or decades, many Utahns have voted on autopilot. The consequence has harmed the interest of the general public and Republican voters. The 2011 legislative session was a slap in the face to voters of every political identification. The attitude of the Utah Legislature to the public was: go away, and stay there. Leave us and our lobbyist friends alone to rule over you. Your input is not desired, not needed, and frankly, it deeply offends us. Let us recall a sample of the middle fingers to the public that the Utah Legislature gave this session: F House Bill 477 This bill, passed and signed into law but then repealed, would have restricted and closed off access to public records under the Government Records Access and Management Act. This blotted out government transparency so much that the Society of Professional Journalists awarded Gov. Gary Herbert a "Black Hole" Award. An organic, citizen-based movement rose up for a citizen referendum to repeal the bill and tackle the logistical infeasibility in collecting 97,000 signatures across Utah, by hand, in 4o days. Despite its near impossibility, the Utah public was so galvanized and angry that citizens directly voting and overturning H.B. 477 became a possibility. This event would be a political disaster whose full impact the Utah Republican Party did not want to feel. The Utah Legislature backpedaled, recalled and repealed it before it could be toppled by the populist wave. Senate Bill 165 This bill banned e-signatures for citizen referendums and raised the signature total required from 65,000 to 97,00o. People can use oak ...EVERY 50 OFTEN You soin nwictig.7 STEWART THORPE Wrrik -N ESE °I ►Ys aro Gierliti Its pa Opinion Writer •01.1 kr Yo 1. e-signatures to vote electronically and also to pay their taxes electronically. However, the Utah Legislature no doubt sees e-signatures as empowering citizen referendums to overturn bills. This, of course, had to be prevented. House Bill 399 This bill forces citizens to have a substantial bond to challenge permits given by the government that have an environmental impact being questioned. This bill protects industries and their paid-for politicians from citizens fighting against reckless decisions concerning the public's environmental health and lands. H.B. 399 stinks to high heaven of politicians' cronyism pandering to lobbyists at the expense of the public's interests. It is an assault to citizens' ability to access the courts, and consequently directly undermined the civil rights of the public to file litigation—unless you are rich, of course. I could go on with more examples, but I won't. The theme and picture from all of this is already clear—and noxiously ugly. I've referred to the political principles of the Utah Republican Party before as "Big Brother Republicanism." In light of this session, a better term fits—feudalistic Republicanism. The term captures the Utah Republican Party's disdain for public oversight, input, checks and balances of and to its government. It captures the spirit of expanding the power of the government and rich (Male) Mormon Republicans WI L LUS BRANHAM/The Daily Utah Chronic! lobbyists (the noble families) and shrinks the power of the public (the serfs). It also captures the feudalistic spirit of contempt and condescension that the Utah Republican Party has for the voting public. How has the Utah Republican Party become so callous and pompous? Simple—it can because many Utahns seem to automatically vote for a person if they are a Republican, and let's be frank, if the person is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Republicans know that they have near immunity to do what they want, and that the same public they've backstabbed will vote for them and re-elect them again. Senate Bill 165 banned e-signatures for citizen referendums and raised the signature total required from 65,000 to 97,000. Now, I understand that members of the LDS Church presume that other members won't do anything that will trespass what they feel is right. The truth is, just because a person is a conservative and claims to share the same religious values you hold, it doesn't mean that they will hold your political interests at heart. If you are like me and were deeply infuriated and insulted by Awareness key for mental health Utahns need education about how statistics apply to them s part of Brain Awareness Week, doctorate and post-doctorate research fellows Christopher German and Gregory Hadlock wore blue jeans and sported nascent beards—looking more like LOREN prancing, heart-throb hard-rockers than knowledgeLAMBERT numbed intellectuals—and delivered tag-team lectures about the form, function and maladies of our brains. When I took my place at the front of the Salt Lake Writer Main Library conference room and turned around to assess the audience, I expected to see it filled with 18- to 2o-something-year-old honeys with "I love more than 44,954 will have a major depressive and or you" written on their eyelids a la "Raiders of the Lost anxiety disorder. Ark," and though there were a few, squirming in rapt Now, just as German and Hadlock were quick to attention and obviously enthralled by German and point out that they were not clinicians and could not Hadlock's virility and brilliance, the two youthful give diagnoses nor dispense mental-health counpostgraduates had attracted a diverse audience. seling, I must more swiftly acknowledge that you BAW, which should not apply has come to the these statistics Wasatch Front at home. I am every March an expert. It is people will experience _ -since 1997, is only after years mental cfEorder duririg their lifetime. part of a "worldof study and wide campaign listening to Rush I organized by Limbaugh, Sean or more of them will have access to a gun. the Society for Hannity and Neuroscience more recently and the Dana Glenn Beck Alliance for Brain Initiatives to elevate public awarethat I have mastered the ability to apply statistical ness about the benefits of brain research," according information in a manner that it is highly entertainto the Brain Institute's website. Hadlock hopes that ing and sensational while still retaining a semblance those attending the lectures will come away with a of truthiness. Nevertheless, I, for one, am convinced clearer understanding of the brain and its function that not only do we need brain research to repair and have a greater degree of compassion for those severed spines like that of the late Christopher afflicted with brain disorders and addictions. Reeves, but to better understand, more quickly idenWho could deny the relevance of their message tify and then treat, if not prevent, mental disorders. regarding the need for brain research? Although Therefore, be it resolved that more of you, espephysical conditioning can reduce the risk of mentalcially you 18- to 2o-something-year-old honeys with health conditions, more than 26 U football players that "I love you" written on your eyelids, should atwill experience some mental-health issue during tend German and Hadlock's lecture tonight at 7 p.m. the 2011-2012 school year, Hadlock said. German said at the Salt Lake Main Library, where they will discuss if these same football players, who have increased the bedeviling topic of our brains and addiction. You mental-health risks because of brain trauma, live to will then be able to learn, metaphorically speaking, age 65, more than 13 of them will have Alzheimer's. what percentage of our football team, of Virgin's Then by age 85, almost half will have this same neupopulation and of all the Utah concealed-weaponrodegenerative disease that will shrink their brains permit holders could have an addiction. We might into a Swiss cheese-like conglomeration that sadly then be able to better understand and then more leaves them a mere shadow of their former selves. quickly treat them when, if ever, because of addicFurthermore, applying Hadlock's statistics of Virtion, they have a psychotic break with reality. gin's population of 500, where everyone is required Makes you wonder why we are not even more by city ordinance not to have health insurance but messed up than we are, but that's the reason we have to own a firearm, 232 or 46.4 percent of its citizens the Utah Legislature-26 percent of which could will experience a mental disorder sometime in their have a mental-health issue this year, and depending lifetime. Then, of the 277,495 gun owners in Utah on their age, 13 percent to 85 percent of which could with concealed-weapons permits, unless adjudihave Alzheimer's now or in the future. It explains a cated as incompetent, about 2,775 of them will have lot, doesn't it? schizophrenia, 7,215 will have a bipolar disorder and letters@chronicle.utah.edu A Opinion - Mill On ' a R the Utah Legislature's conduct this session, whatever political identification and voting history you had before, realize that its conduct is partially a product of automatically voting. So, next time, please, don't vote on automatic. Remember what they did this session, and think of it when you cast your next vote. letters@chronicle.utah.edu q A On "Revolutionary students start crucial dialogue" (Logan Froerer, April 4, 2011) Opinion Albert K. posted 4.4.11 @ 1:41 p.m. There is one of these columns every year. Society just isn't working! We need change! We need to rise up and tear down the oppressors! We need to unite against our common enemy! We need radical changes across the board at the U. And then come the buzzwords "revolution" "equal voice" etc. etc. Fortunately, most of these people grow up and actually look to make a difference in society, rather than protesting with a cute little sign. Jeff posted 4.4.11 @ 11:08 p.m screw democracy. A representative republic is the only way to make sure everyone has an equal voice. Remember, in a democracy of three, the two wolves will vote to have the sheep for dinner. Also, capitalism isn't supposed to "work" for anyone. Capitalism means nothing more than the private ownership and control of property. You come to this country with an opportunity to make what you have in to something more, or if you have nothing, to make something. You don't have a guarantee to go to college and retire at fifty. There's no constitutional right to have your ass paid for from diapers to diapers. Beware of self proclaimed marxists with machetes. ColoradoRob posted 4.4.11 @ 11:38 p.m. I'm all for "self-proclaimed Marxists, Leninists, Maoists, anarchists and others" getting together at college in a room, exhaling cigarette smoke through their noses, saying sarcastic things about the LDS church, and just basically thinking they're cool. It's sort of like sticking your tongue on a freezing flagpole or feeling up your mom - sometimes you just have to experience your own dumbness firsthand in order to move on to more mature pursuits. On "Value isn't increasing with tuition" (Jon Bullen, March 31, 2011) Opinion N Pete posted 3.31.11 @ 10:26 a.m. I agree with many of the statements in this article. How- .dailyutahchronicle. co ever, what does "Michele Bachmann for president" have to do with the price of tuition? I think somebody has their political views on display111111111 |