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Show Viewpoints The A-19 Park Record. Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues, February 23-26, 2019 editorial It’s past time for straight-ticket voting to be stricken from ballot I guest editorial In fight against climate change, the ‘little things’ don’t add up DEAN CLARK Oakley Park City is arguably experiencing one of its most successful winter seasons. The snow has been great, the Sundance Film Festival was a big success and the world-class winter sporting events continue. Presidents Day crowds recently left town. Kudos have been appropriately given to all the hard-working employees and volunteers who make all this happen. Tax coffers should be looking pretty good right now. There is one key industry that continues to be overlooked. Let’s give a major nod to all of the fossil fuel providers. We could have never made it without you. Aviation fuel, gasoline, diesel fuel, propane, carbon-producing electricity, wood-burning stoves, to name a few. If any one of these providers had missed a step we would be clamoring, if not freezing. Park City would never be what it is today without these commodities. Many will say we just need to do the “little things” to affect climate change. It sure makes one feel good, but it isn’t working. Recycling: Investors Business Daily, June 1, 2018: “It has become an article of faith in the U.S. that recycling is a The Park Record Staff PUBLISHER ....................... Andy Bernhard Editor ................................... Bubba Brown Staff Writers ......................Jay Hamburger Scott Iwasaki Angelique McNaughton Ben Ramsey Carolyn Webber Alder Contributing ............................. Tom Clyde Writers Jay Meehan Teri Orr Amy Roberts Tom Kelly Joe Lair Copy Editor ............................ James Hoyt Engagement Editor..Christopher Samuels Photographer .........................Tanzi Propst Circulation Manager ............. Lacy Brundy Accounting Manager ......... Jennifer Snow ADVERTISING Advertising Director ........... Valerie Spung Advertising Sales ................... Jodi Hecker Erin Donnelly Lindsay Lane Sharon Bush Production Director ..................Ben Olson Production ........................Chelsea Babbitt good thing. But evidence is piling up that recycling is a waste of time and money, and a bit of a fraud.” Has anyone every seriously looked at what our waste provider does with all the recycled trash? Are they even capable of recycling what they receive? Would our money be spent better elsewhere? Our overconsumption is the source of our waste and recycling is not the answer. Carpooling: We now have a new remote parking site. Always looks empty to me when I drive by. Electric Vehicles: Our power providers want to partner with us to create more alternative energy sources. Is it a fair question to ask if they are keeping their commitment to increase alternative energy sources? Or are we increasing consumption to the point that they cannot keep up with demand? Can we ask what percent of our electricity consumption comes from renewable sources? Put the percent of renewable energy I use on my bill every month. If alternate energy was a predictable source of power, in the foreseeable future, why did we increase production of coal in our own state? I have had hybrid/electric vehicles since 2004. Never have I used a remote charging station. Please, Mr. Mayor don’t bother. Repurposing: We give awards to businesses who are doing what Salvation Army, Goodwill, Deseret Industries have successfully done for 80 years. Haven’t seen these folks in town. Food consumption: The Guardian, April 18, 2018: “Americans waste 150,000 tons of food each day — equal to a pound per person per day. Research shows people with healthy diets rich in fruit and vegetables are the most wasteful...” The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates food waste in the United States to be about 30 to 40 percent of the food supply produced. Water consumption: Water has always been an issue in our area. Water shares date back 150 years or more. Sometimes shares are worth more than the land they are attached to. A couple of bad snow years and we will be importing water as well. Instead of measuring occupancy rates, business profits, taxes collected and snowfall, let’s measure the carbon footprint left by the lifestyle we so love. California has lost billions on their train to nowhere, Albuquerque’s electric buses lost $133 million. Are the environmental projects in Park City going to be any more successful? At least let us not be wasteful with all the revenue Sundance has given our city. Oh I forget we didn’t have to buy the buses. Right? For the record n last fall’s election, 6,688 Summit County residents did something they won’t be able to do in Utah again if a bill in the state Legislature is signed into law: check the box on their ballot for a straight-party ticket. While the straight-ticket option is popular — the number of people who used it in Summit County represents just under a third of everyone who cast a ballot — it runs counter to how our electoral process should work. It’s about time lawmakers eliminate it. The responsibility of making informed selections is something residents should take seriously when they vote. Our civic duty extends beyond pulling the lever for a single political party and requires us to familiarize ourselves with candidates and their platforms and weigh them on their individual merits. And that’s never been easier, as the rise of mail-in balloting has allowed residents to research races as they fill out their ballots from home. Certainly, there’s nothing wrong with ultimately voting only for candidates from one party. But the fact Utah currently allows voters to take a thoughtless shortcut to that outcome is problematic. That’s why straight-party voting is already banned in more than 40 states. The practice is particularly dubious with regard to down-ballot races. While county-level seats, for instance, are decided by partisan elections, many of the issues local elected officials grapple with don’t have clear party-line divisions. It’s up to voters to see through political affiliation to determine which candidates will best serve the community. Even in today’s hyper-partisan culture, basing such judgements solely on the letter that appears next to a candidate’s name is a senseless approach. Fortunately, there is hope for those eager to see the straight-ticket option removed from the ballot. H.B. 259, sponsored by Rep. Patrice Arent, a Democrat from Millcreek, received a favorable recommendation from a House committee Wednesday and appears slated for a vote before the full chamber. And while Democrats have primarily led the push for similar legislation in recent years, the bill is unlikely to drastically boost one party’s electoral standing. And it’s far from a strictly partisan issue. Summit County Republican Party Chair Brantley Eason, for instance, is one prominent member of the GOP who supports the bill, saying he’s hopeful the measure would accomplish its intention of encouraging voters to become more informed. That’s a goal both parties can, and should, get behind. Even if it means Utahns will have to do a little more work to vote for their candidates in the next election. guest editorial By voting to replace Prop 3, Quinn rejected the collective intelligence of his constituents BILL GOODALL Interlaken In a recent edition of the Wasatch Wave, Rep. Tim Quinn, R-Heber, published a message to the voters of Utah House District 54. He explained, including visual aids, why he voted for S.B. 96, overriding the will of Utah voters regarding Medicaid expansion. He seems to have overlooked the fact that his constituents voted overwhelmingly for Proposition 3 with the intent of coming to the aid of many good people of Utah. He wrote of “principles of compassion and concern” while explaining that overriding the will of the voters is “what happens when people of different views work tirelessly together.” His visual aid cited creation of “programs to help people toward self-sufficiency.” He used nice, politically acceptable buzz words to justify his vote. Sen. Allen Christensen, R-Ogden, was a little more straightforward when he said, “(Prop 3) got passed without a thorough understanding of what it was.” (Salt Lake Tribune, Jan. 10 and Jan. 25) In other words, the people of Utah aren’t smart enough to look out for their own best interest. This hubris is a rejection of our collective intelligence. We have all read and heard about Prop 3 almost daily in whatever news channel we chose. There were plenty of articles both for and against it so we all had an opportunity to understand what we voted for. No one was forced to vote on any propositions. This was not a simple party line vote; we didn’t get to just choose R or D. Instead, each of us had to consider our personal values and vote according to our beliefs. For some of us, those beliefs include this simple Bible phrase: “Verily I say unto you, in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Rep. Quinn has certainly “done it” unto the least of our fellow Utahns. He chose to withhold medical care from some working and low-income folks who lack access to health care provided in many other U.S. states and in nations around the world. Also, Proposition 3, as written, could have gone into effect this April. S.B. 96, on the other hand, will require a waiver from the Department of Health and Human Services, which may delay start up — if it’s granted. It’s tough to wait for health care when you need it and it’s tough to be self-sufficient when you are in poor health. In addition to winning the overall vote statewide, Proposition 3 earned majority support in 17 out of 29 state Senate districts and 44 out of 75 state House districts, including our House District 54, which Mr. Quinn represents. It seems the people of Utah spoke with a pretty clear message — which Rep. Quinn chose to ignore. Please consider another set of facts: Rep. Quinn won the 2016 election by 162 votes in District 54, which includes Wasatch County and part of Summit County. The person he defeated would have voted for Prop 3. Quinn’s very small margin of victory was considerably less than the number of favorable votes in this area for Proposition 3. Prop 3 won by 387 votes in Wasatch County and 5,934 in Summit County. The next voting opportunity for this House district is in 2020. Let’s hope we can find a candidate who will hear our voices, trust our judgment, and vote accordingly. letters to the editor Solution looking for a problem Editor: Each year the citizens of Utah are treated to at least some legislative stupidity. This year, at least so far during this legislative session, I think it is H.B. 151, a proposal that would permit drivers to go through red lights, as reported in The Park Record on Feb. 20. Just think about the concept for a second. Then think about the up and down side. Upside ... impatient drivers might save themselves up to 30 seconds of precious time once in a great while. Any more upside? I can’t think of any. Downside ... there is a whole host. Who is to determine of the driver sat for the requisite 90 seconds? What happens when the impatient driver behind me gets mad that I did not bolt through the intersection at second 91? Does road rage ring a bell? How do we know the driver going through the red light will absolutely be sure nobody is coming through the green light? Who is the arbiter here? This seems to be a “solution looking for a problem.” The problem does not exist and thus this silliness of a bill should not exist either. And please, may I never be that person who is so impatient that the 30-second wait puts me in a tizzy. Good grief ... what next? Please let this session expire soon. Jim Arnold Park City Photos by Christopher Samuels Asked on Swede Alley Would you support the sale of full-strength beer at Utah grocery stores? Adam Worthington West Jordan “I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I’d be in favor of it, but I think the state having the higher-content beers in the liquor stores is kind of crazy and silly to me. I think Utah is very conservative on their liquor laws.” Michaela Smith Heber City “I’m down. I’m a fan of Park City brewers for sure, but I think they can pick it up and compete with (domestic beer chains).” Charles O’Brien Old Town “(I would support it) for the convenience of Park City’s clientele, as well as the convenience for me. It’s time to go ahead and be with the rest of the country.” Jenna Elise Heber City “I have mixed feelings. I say yes because I drink at home anyway and I don’t’ drive, but I also hate that they lowered the (legal driving limit) to 0.05, it feels like entrapment to me. I don’t think it’s coordinated, it’s just annoying.” See these photos and more by following The Park Record on Facebook.com/parkrecord and Instagram.com/parkrecord |
