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Show Panguitch • Panguitch Lake • Hatch • Bryce • Tropic • Antimony • Henrieville • Cannonville • Escalante • Boulder • Duck Creek Thursday, May 7, 2009 • Issue # 214 President Obama’s first 100 days in office This week, the country’s political echo chamber is abuzz with discussions and evaluations of President Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office. While this is, of course, an arbitrary milestone with little meaning outside of the cable news shows, the past 100 days have provided us with some unique insight into this president and how he intends to govern. The president came into office facing unprecedented expectations after campaigning on a platform of big promises. Not the least of these was a promise move the country past the bitter partisan divides that have kept us polarized in recent years. Unfortunately, I don’t believe he’s delivered on that promise. Today, our government is as polarized as it has ever been. And, even under these conditions, this administration and the congressional Democrats have opted to push forward a far-left Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah agenda the likes of which has not been seen since the “New Deal” in the 1930s. Right out of the gate, the president eschewed what was a hard-fought, bipartisan compromise on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and pushed through Congress a decidedly more expansive and liberal approach to the program. Not surprisingly, the final vote was divided along partisan lines. Next, the administration brought to Congress a $790 billion “stimulus package” that basically read like a wish list of longtime Democratic policy priorities and had very little to do with actually stimulating the economy. Small businesses, which create 70 percent of the new jobs in this country, went virtually unnoticed in the “stimulus” bill, which focused more on expanding the federal government and providing “tax credits” for millions of Americans who don’t pay any taxes. The president had an op- Full Time Professional Real Estate Services Serving Escalante, Boulder, Brian Head & St. George www.trailsendre.com For Great Real Estate Service.... Come Visit Us at 10 W. Main St., Escalante or Call Leslie Venuti 435-668-0540 or Denise Olson 435-680-4663. We can show all properties in the area and assist you with all your buying or selling needs. ESCALANTE: ‘Reduced!’ - Updated 3 bdrm home with new paint, fixtures & appliances. Oversized garage with workshop area and shed. $136,900. 10+ acres in town w/ meter & 4 shares of irrigation water. Great price at $150,000 Two homes in Washington City. Both are newer w/open floor plan, 1/2 ac+ w lots of upgrades. Priced at $330,000 & $350,000 Now is a great time to buy with historically low interest rates and tax credits available. Cal for details. weather thursday Mostly Sunny high: 78 low: 44 friday Sunny high: 77 low: 46 saturday Sunny high: 78 low: 49 sunday Mostly Sunny high: 72 low: 40 monday PARTly CLOUDY high: 69 low: 38 tuesday PARTly CLOUDY high: 72 low: 41 wednesday Sunny high:73 low: 41 portunity to work with Republicans and include ideas that are proven to have immediate economic impacts – ideas such as reducing the highest corporate tax rates in the industrialized world to keep businesses in the U.S. or increasing the home-buyer tax credit. Instead, he chose to cut Republicans almost entirely out of the negotiations and then blame them for being too partisan when the votes came down divided. Unfortunately, at that point, he was just getting started. Next came the budget, weighing in at a whopping $3.6 trillion. In implementing this budget, the Obama administration will create more total debt than all previous administrations combined. It contains the largest tax increase in American history, roughly $1.5 trillion over 10 years. Given our nation’s economic troubles, I think this is simply unacceptable. t’s not only the size of the budget that is a problem, but also its priorities. Like the stimulus bill, the president’s budget reads like a policy manifesto for far-left Democrats. Even worse, the Democrats have announced plans to use the budget reconciliation process to pass unprecedented new policies, including an expansive government-run healthcare program. These are bills the Democrats couldn’t pass via regular order, even with their large majorities. So instead, they want to force them upon the American people with as little deliberation as possible. There are, of course, numerous other examples of the administration opting for a more partisan approach when more evenhanded measures would be more appropriate. Indeed, the list goes on and on. President Obama set a high standard for himself during the campaign when he promised to unite the country behind common ideals. Yet, with very few exceptions, the first 100 days of his administration have been marked by the president placing his liberal agenda ahead of his promises to bring people together. Given the size of the Democratic majority in Congress, the president is rarely ever required to compromise on his agenda. However, going forward, I hope that he makes a real effort to listen to and accept ideas from both sides of the aisle, particularly as he tries to address our nation’s biggest problems. This, after all, is what he promised to do. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, SNOW COLLEGE BUSINESS PROGRAMS RECEIVE ACCREDITATION Doug Dyreng, Chair of the Snow College Business Division, is pleased to announce that the Snow College Business Management, Business Technology, and Business Administration programs were recently awarded full accreditation by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). After receiving the 85-page Snow College accreditation application, and associated supporting documentation, the ACBSP accreditation team visited Snow College in Ephraim and Richfield to conduct an in-depth review and verification of the application. When the notification of accreditation was received, Dyreng released a campuswide statement saying, “This accreditation makes Snow College one of a select few two-year business programs in the country to be accredited, and is additional evidence that Snow College is one of the best two-year institutions in the nation!” ACBSP is the premier accrediting association Standards of Teaching Excellence for business schools and programs with a focus on teaching excellence, and is the only accrediting body to offer accreditation to associate degree institutions. In contrast to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business , which has a focus on research excellence, ACBSP is focused on what occurs in the classroom, while encouraging scholarly research. This is apparent in the standards and criteria for accreditation which, in part, encompasses faculty characteristics, organizational leadership and effectiveness, strategy development and deployment, curriculum design and delivery, student support processes, educational innovation, and articulation and transfer relationships. In the accreditation team’s executive summary of the review, it was written that “The Snow College business unit has a very dedicated, student-focused, high-quality faculty team….the students could not speak highly enough of the dedication, caring attitude, and expertise of the faculty.” In commenting on the entrepreneurial vision of the Business Management program, they stated, “The development of certificates of proficiency to serve students majoring outside the business area with some instruction in entrepreneurial skills is a wonderful and innovative venture…” With ACBSP accreditation, students can enroll in Snow College business programs knowing that the quality of business education received at Snow College is among the highest in the country. Those students transferring to four-year institutions can rest assured that transfer institutions will recognize that Snow College transfer credits are of the highest quality. Employers recognize the ACBSP accreditation as a stamp of approval that will help students gain employment. The accreditation process was also instrumental in identifying some areas which could be improved, and this important information is necessary in order maintain the excellence of Snow’s business programs. Wild Horse Advocates Set 1,000 Horse and Burro Adoption Goal The Bureau of Land Management, wild horse groups, and other animal advocates from across the nation are joining forces for a single cause – to encourage the American public to consider and act on the adoption of a wild horse or burro. A goal of 1,000 adoptions has been set for the first National Wild Horse Adoption Day, which will be held September 26, 2009. More than 36,000 wild horses and burros roam BLM-managed lands across the West. To ensure that the number of animals does not exceed the land’s capacity to support them, the BLM removes several thousand horses and burros from Western rangelands each year and works to place as many animals as possible into private care through public adoptions that are held throughout the United States. Since 1971, more than 220,000 wild horses and burros have been adopted. Horses between the ages of one and six years old are typically selected from the herds for adoption, but a horse of any age can fit into the right farm or ranch. For many mustang adopters, having the opportunity to work with horses or burros with an intriguing past and unconventional upbringing brings a special element to their relationship. Groups supporting National Wild Horse Adoption Day, in addition to the BLM, are Wild Horses 4 Ever, the American Horse Protection Association, the Mustang Heritage Foundation, and the Humane Society of the United States. The groups are working together to educate Americans about wild horse management issues while promoting the adoption of wild horses through adop- tion events, training programs, and motivational experiences. “Wild horses and burros are living symbols of the Western spirit,” said BLM Acting Director Mike Pool. “I encourage anyone with an interest to consider adopting one of these noble animals, which are known for their intelligence, sure-footedness, strength, and endurance.” The goal of 1,000 horses and burros adopted through the National Adoption Day program, besides creating opportunities for equine enthusiasts, will save money for taxpayers by moving animals from holding facilities into private care. State BLM offices, wild horse groups, rescue centers, and volunteers will be engaged in activities leading up to and on September 26 to promote awareness of the need to provide new homes for wild horses and burros. For more information on events or how to volunteer, go to nationalwildhorseadoptionday.org or contact Coordinating Director Angie Grizzell at 817-559-5650 or e-mail her at angie@nationalwildhorseadoptionday. org. At the BLM, please call Sally Spencer at 202-452-5196 or send her an e-mail (Sally_Spencer@ blm.gov). Judges take an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. To be qualified for judicial service, a nominee must believe there is such a thing, that the supreme law of the land is not simply in the eye of the judicial beholder. ~ Orrin Hatch THE GARFIELD COUNTY INSIDER is owned and operated by Snapshot Multimedia and is distributed weekly to all of Garfield County. Its purpose is to inform residents about local issues and events. Articles submitted from independent writers are not necessarily the opinion of Snapshot Multimedia. We sincerely hope you enjoy the paper and encourage input on ideas and/or suggestions for the paper. Thank you for your support. 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