Former Congressman Bill Orton 1948-2009

I only had a few interactions with Former Congressman Bill Orton.

One was at a Christmas party for the Utah Democratic Party staff members in 2007. Bill was sitting next to me, and my friend/coworker Alan was sitting across from him. Alan has only lived in Utah for a few years, and was fairly new to the political scene. In the middle of the meal, he looks at the Congressman and says "Who are you, what do you do?"

Congressman Orton thought it was funny.

At the Democratic National Convention in Denver, he was getting his sons involved with blogging. It was fun to see him interact with his sons.

When he ran for Governor in 2000, he became the first Democrat I voted for.

With news of his passing, I have yet another person in politics I wish I had gotten to know better.

-Bob

Deconstructing Wayne Holland's BS

Today's Tribune has an article about Jeff Bell's Challenge to Utah Democratic Chairman Wayne Holland. And, well, some things need to be challenged.

Democratic activist and former party spokesman Jeff Bell said Thursday he would challenge party Chairman Wayne Holland for the state party's top spot, arguing that Democrats haven't been aggressive enough in spreading their message.

"The party's sitting still and if something sits still too long, it goes stagnant," said Bell, who was the party's communications director from 2005 to 2007. "If you're not going to set the tone and start the conversation ... and if you spend all your time playing defense, you're not moving forward."

Holland said he wasn't surprised that Bell would run, but was disappointed that Bell distorted the party's emphasis on patience into a message of defeatism.

"I expect Jeff to do bizarre things," Holland said. "I was warned about that. I didn't have a problem with him running. Him not being truthful, that's a whole other matter."

Let me put this in a sports metaphor so that Wayne can understand it:

"The Jazz not going to win this year. Or next year. Or the year after that. However, we won most of our road games, and a few home games. Yeah, we lost some games that we should have won, but we will stick with Carlos Boozer and CJ Miles in our starting lineup, and Jerry Sloan as our coach, because it will work someday."

That's a strategy that I'm willing to endorse.....NOT!

(Yes, that was a joke from the 1990's. Deal with it.)

Since Holland was elected party chairman in 2005 and re-elected without opposition two years ago, Democrats have made some modest inroads in the Utah Legislature and in Salt Lake County and developed its county parties with the help of the national party. The party also launched the Common Values Project to reach out to Mormon voters.

We've had a net gain of 4 legislators and in the past four years in Utah, and one Salt Lake County Council position. Wayne may call that modest, but I call it small. And, that's with vouchers, ethics, Buttars, soccer stadiums, and Obama thrown in.

And their outreach to Mormon voters didn't work. I have talked to many people, especially people who live in the targeted districts, who have never heard of the Common Values Project. I would think that, given the amount of money spent on it, the program would be continuing. But, like most things coming out of party HQ, I haven't heard much.

Moreover, I know of two separate attempts last year to create a faith caucus. One was designed to be an interfaith group, and the other was going to be more LDS-centric. Both were rebuffed by party leadership.

And, if you want to know about religious discrimination during candidate recruitment, just ask.

Bell said "I think the world of Wayne. ... I respect the hell out of him," but the party has been stuck in the past and been slow to embrace new technologies to help spread its message. He said the party spent its money on newspaper ads instead of using targeted cable advertising and Internet technologies to reach voters.

Bell said he has the skills to help advance that message. He does Internet media work for various organizations, including the group The High Road for Human Rights, which is led by former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson.

"What they're doing is good but it's much less than needs to be done," he said.

Holland, however, said Bell was responsible for fashioning the party's message for two years and setting up the Democrat's online presence "and we went backward in the minds of a lot of people."

Holland said the party got numerous complaints about its Web site when Bell was running it and it is much better now.

We went backward? Yet this was the same web site that the party was using on election day 2008. In fact, it still listed a secretary and treasurer who had resigned and been replaced months earlier. This in spite of at least one web professional offering his services to build a new site for free last year. And, the prototype site was much better than the crap they got.

And, most of the web action we have seen from the Dems has come in the past 18 days, after they saw the momentum of the internet rolling against leadership.

Democrats will elect leaders June 20 during their organizing convention at Murray High School.

An Open Letter From JM (Jeff) Bell

I think it's fairly safe to say that this is the first time in the history of the Utah Democratic Party that a candidate for Chair has announced his candidacy on a blog.

You should go read Jeff Bell's entire letter. Here is an excerpt:

After a great deal of prompting and peer pressure, and in spite of my deep respect for current Chair Holland, I am now a candidate for Chair of the Utah Democratic Party in 2009.

The constant call of “Democrats don’t win in Utah,” has been transformed from a GOP punch line into a Democratic Party mantra; it’s embarrassing and it needs to stop. The Democratic Party in Utah is hurting. We have consistently conceded the debate in the battle of ideas. It is time to evaluate our situation and make some momentous changes.

It is critical that we reverse direction and reclaim our narrative. For too many years, the message coming from Democratic leadership has been that we need to move to the right, compromise our values, and let the Republicans have their way. It was believed that this would help us win more elections. Sadly, it hasn’t. We played the game by Republican rules, operated at a self-imposed disadvantage and we’ve lost.

“Go along to get along,” is not a party platform, it is surrender.

I'm still composing my official endorsement letter, but let's just say I like this guy.
-Bob

ENDORSEMENT: Curtis Haring for SLCounty Democratic 2nd Vice Chair

When looking at who to vote for in any election, it is important to look at what the person in that office is responsible for. For instance, someone's tax plan and service helping orphans in Cambodia are irrelevant if they are running for Dog Catcher. Likewise, a plan to rid the streets of problem strays isn't really an issue for candidates for President.

So, let's look at what the 2nd Vice Chair of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party is supposed to do:

D. The County Second Vice Chair shall:
1. Act as the First Vice Chair, Secretary, or Treasurer in the absence of those
officers.
2. Occupy the position of First Vice Chair, the Secretary, or Treasurer in the event
of those officers= deaths, resignations, or other disqualifications, until a successor
is elected,
3. Serve as the chair of the Platform Standing Committee,
4. Assist the County Chair with the specific duties of that office.

So, other than being around in case someone dies, the 2nd Vice Chair serves as chair of the platform committee. Fortunately, the party constitution gives us details on what that job entails as well:

D. The Platform Committee shall:
1. Be composed of the Second Vice Chair as chair, at least fifteen (15) members
including: a designee of any Democratic Candidate for County Office, a member
from each caucus of delegates represented at the preceding County Organizing
Convention, each Legislative District Chair or Vice Chair (but not both), and up to
five (5) members of the Central Committee selected by the County Chair who can
provide expert knowledge of the issues addressed by this Standing Committee,
2. Submit the platform or resolutions reports to the County Nominating Convention,
3. Create task forces to study issues for the Party,
4. Compile research on issues for use by candidates for public elected office,
5. Act as advocates for issues endorsed by the Central Committee,
6. Meet with a quorum of ten (10) members it deems necessary preceding the
Nominating Convention.

Given the amount of quality research he did and posted to his blog during the Legislative session, voting for Curtis Haring should be a no-brainer.

However, let's move beyond that, and go to the big picture. Curtis isn't just a candidate with ideas. He has a plan. He has outlined seven areas where the party can, and will with his help, do better. They are:

Goals as Second Vice Chair
Targeting
The Democratic Message
Early Candidate Recruitment
Informal Meetings
The East/West Divide
Digital Dominance

It is because of this vision that I am proud to endorse Curtis Haring for 2nd Vice Chair of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party.

-Bob Aagard

This video almost got me kicked out of the library for swearing

Fred Rogers is my hero. I have only cried once when someone I had never met died, and it was Mr Rogers.

So, needless to say, I let a few words I try really hard to not say when I watched this piece of assininity from FOX News, courtesy of KVNU:



Library Security came over and talked to me. Apparently, G** D*** those F***ers all to H*** is not an appropriate phrase to utter at the Library. Who knew? Someone complained. Go Figure. :)

I'm better now.

Taxes and Health Care

The leading argument I hear from friends of mine about why Government health care is bad is that it will cost too much, or that it will raise taxes by double.

Dr Joe Jarvis presents us with some facts on this Tax Day:

1) We do not have a privately financed health care system in the US. 60% of the revenues funding health care in this country are from taxes.

2) With health care predicted to cost $2.4 trillion in the US this year, nearly $1.5 trillion in taxes will be paid for health care.

3) Since the total amount of all taxes paid this year for all levels of government will be less than $4 trillion, health care costs account for more than 1/3 of all taxes collected.

4) Adding the tax burden together with the premium costs, the percentage of household income devoted to health care is 37% ($14,500) for families with annual income of $25,000, 26% ($17,400) for families with annual income of $50,000, and 22% ($20,750) for families with annual income of $75,000. These estimates do not include out of pocket costs or medical expense portions of automobile insurance and workers compensation insurance.

5) Americans pay more per capita taxes for health care than do the citizens of any other nation.

6) In addition to highest in the world health care taxes, Americans are the only citizens in the first world who are routinely bankrupted by significant out of pocket costs for illness and injury care.

Happy Tax Day. May your payment today stimulate you to seek better and more efficient public policies for health care financing. May you be less afraid of change and more aware of the frightening waste in our current health care financing business model.

Utah Democratic Party’s Response to “Tea Party”

It's a one-two punch with an uppercut at the end:

As a party with a record of fiscal responsibility, Democrats understand the anxiety people are feeling over ballooning deficits. In January 2001 when Bill Clinton left office, it was projected that by now our national debt would be paid off. Instead, Republicans decided to cut taxes for those with top annual incomes and now we are facing record debt

The premise of these corporately funded, Fox News and right-wing radio orchestrated “Tea Parties” is that conservatives now can be trusted to spend our money wisely. They propose we put off needed investments in infrastructure, education, energy and healthcare during the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. The decreased spending will magically revive a declining economy instead of driving up unemployment rates and thereby driving down consumer spending, and digging a deeper hole in revenue.

“Tea Party” participants complain a great deal about taxes. As of April 1st nearly one million Utahns began receiving a tax cut that will total more than $500 million. This tax cut took effect immediately in the form of less income tax withheld from workers’ paychecks. The only member of Utah’s congressional delegation to vote for Obama’s tax cut was Congressman Jim Matheson. Congressmen Bishop and Chaffetz, both speakers at today’s “Tea Party”, voted against this tax cut for struggling Utah middle class families.

According to Utah Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Holland, Bishop and Chaffetz’s vote against a tax cut for working Utah families was a real slap in the face. “Over the past eight years the average working family has seen their income decline by about $2,000 and their healthcare costs mushroom. Meanwhile the wealthiest one percent of Americans saw their income literally explode and their taxes cut.” Chairman Holland concludes, “Utah deserves representation that will stand up for working families when they need it most. By voting against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Bishop and Chaffetz both failed us.”

Republicans in the Utah legislature dutifully voted against any proposal that involved increasing anything with the word “tax” in it including: gas taxes, cigarette taxes, centrally assessed property taxes that hit big business, income taxes, or severance taxes. Instead, they decided to increase the cost of nearly everything else: vehicle registration fees, business fees, court fees, college tuition, public employee health insurance co-pays and premiums, public school student fees, and even marriage license fees.

Utah Democrats have been a consistent voice against the ballooning of the national debt during the Bush years. It’s these past Bush and Republican policies - and not the Recovery and Reinvestment Act - that is to blame for the current economic and fiscal crisis. Some of the Bush policy supporters speaking at the downtown SaltLake “Tea Party” should be the focus of participant’s rage.

Tea Baggers' irony

As I'm sure you've heard, the GOP is going to do what they do best today: solve the mote in Democrats' eye by complaining about it (but not actually DOING something), all the while ignoring the beam in their own eye. They have called today TEA BAG day to protest how much taxes have gone up (really? really. Someone forgot to tell them who's been running the show the past 8 years...), and are having tea bag parties all over the country, including here in Utah.

Nobody informed Jason Chaffetz, Rob Bishop, or Mark Shurtleff (all of whom are attending the SLC tea bagging at the Federal Building) how gay a term that is. Chris Buttars knows it's a form of sexual activity practiced by gay people, and is getting a good laugh at it.

I might add that my Utah tax liability is 462.5% that of my federal tax liability. That's because of a huge tax increase at the hands of the GOP legislature, but that's for another post.

There is some irony about today's events (aside from all the gay talk), from Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog:

I wonder how many tea baggers will be protesting against "socialism" while gathering at publicly financed parks and outside publicly financed buildings -- you know, socialist facilities that wouldn't exist without taxes and wealth redistribution. In Georgia, for example, almost every single tea bag event is taking place at a county courthouse, at a park, at a town square, at a city hall and so forth.

Socialism huzzah!

-Bob

P.S. I wonder if, in Utah, they are going to be tea bagging herbally. I don't even want to know what that means.....

Utah Man Makes Snow Angels at Masters

I sure hope he had fun:

AUGUSTA, Ga -- It wasn't only players spending time in the bunkers for the final round of play of the 2009 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National, but also a patron.

Richmond County deputies say a Utah man was arrested for allegedly jumping into a sand filled bunker and making snow angels during play this afternoon.

Investigator say 34-year-old Steven Davis, of Salt Lake City, is charged with disorderly conduct. He lwas later released out on a $285 cash bond.

Deputies at the course tell News 12 the incident was kept off of television. (WRDW, Augusta GA)

U.S. vs Canadian healthcare

From LA Times (hat tip: Democracy for Utah):

Britain and Canada control costs in a very specific fashion: The government sets a budget for how much will be spent on healthcare that year, and the system figures out how to spend that much and no more. One of the ways the British and Canadians save money is to punt elective surgeries to a lower priority level. A 2001 survey by the policy journal "Health Affairs" found that 38% of Britons and 27% of Canadians reported waiting four months or more for elective surgery. Among Americans, that number was only 5%. Score one of us!

Well, sort of. American healthcare controls costs in another way. Rather than deciding as a society how much will be spent in the coming year and then figuring out how best to spend it, we abdicate collective responsibility and let individuals fend for themselves. So although Britain and Canada have decided that no one will go without, even if some must occasionally wait, the U.S. has decided that most of those who can't afford care simply won't get it. [...]

In light of the "Health Affairs" data, smugness about our speedy access to care seems a bit peculiar. If someone can't afford care, we record their waiting time as zero. You don't wait for what you can't have. But a more accurate accounting would record that wait as infinite, or it would record when the patient eventually ends up in the emergency room because the original ailment went untreated. Research like this raises a simple question: Would you rather wait four months for a surgery or be unable to get it altogether?

Sad News on Bees' Opening Day

MLB.com:

Angels rookie right-hander Nick Adenhart died early Thursday morning after a hit-and-run car accident in Fullerton, Calif.

The Angels said that Adenhart, 22, died as a result of his injuries after undergoing surgery at University of California-Irvine Medical Center. No other members of the Angels organization were involved, the club said.

"The Angels family has suffered a tremendous loss today," Angels general manager Tony Reagins said in a statement issued by the club. "We are deeply saddened and shocked by this tragic loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Nick's family, friends' loved ones and fans."

A man and a woman who were with Adenhart were killed and another person was seriously injured in the accident, which involved three vehicles. Authorities were blaming the accident on a motorist who ran a red light with his van and then fled the scene on foot. He was later found and taken into custody.

Adenhart was one of four occupants in a silver Mitsubishi. Fullerton Police reported the Mitsubishi proceeded through an intersection, when a van ran a red light and broadsided the vehicle. The Mitsubishi slammed into a light pole.

Adenhart made his season debut against Oakland on Wednesday night, shutting out the A's for six innings in a game the Angels eventually lost, 6-4.

A 14th-round Draft choice in 2004, Adenhart made his Major League debut on May 1 last season and made three starts, winning one of them.

Adenhart is survived by his father Jim and mother Janet. His family released the following statement:

"Nick's family expresses sincere gratitude for all the help the Angels have provided. He lived his dream and was blessed to be part of an organization comprised of such warm, caring, and compassionate people. The Angels were his extended family. Thanks to all of Nick's loyal supporters and fans throughout his career. He will always be in everyone's hearts forever."

Adenhart played the last few years here in Utah as a member of the Salt Lake Bees. The Bees' home opener is scheduled for tonight at Spring Mobile Ballpark at 6:30 PM.

-Bob

You Need Some Salty on Saturday

Mélange

A concert of New Music at its freshest: SC3 brings you an evening of electronic and mixed media compositions. It will be a true mélange of modern art: from a musical re-imagination of Return to Oz to the dulcet love duets of frogs in Frogbot.

The Program:

Out of the Shadows | Gary Gerber (Film and Electric Guitar)
iPhone Sextet No. 1 | Crystal Young-Otterstrom
What is Music? | M Ryan Taylor (Video, Spoken Word, Electro-Acoustics)
Return to OZ (condensed) | Eliza Wren (Film and Live Music)
Remembrance | John Newman (Fluglehorn & Electro-Acoustics)
Experience the Trees | Rebeca Dawn (Dancers, Actors, Vocalists, CD and/or Piano)

4.11.09 (Saturday) | 7pm | Rose Room @ the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center | 801.355.ARTS (2787) | saltycricket.org | Tickets: $10

Jason Chaffetz Part of gNOp Goon Squad

Jason "Carpetbagger" Chaffetz is part of a gNOp group attempting to "win" an argument by changing the subject and asking asinine questions.



Really, he should stay in his closet and dream of his glory days kicking field goals, or maybe doing something productive.

-Bob

The Glenn Beck Apocalypse

I watched this at the same time as I had Glenn on the TV, and they were really unfair in this video. IRL Glenn isn't as rational as the cartoon Glenn......



-Bob

18,500 newspapers recalled due to small spelling mistake

Making a spelling mistake can be embarrassing:

[A local newspaper] took the extraordinary step Monday of re-calling all its 18,500 copies from newsstands around campus and the community to reprint the entire 14-page issue due to a typographical error on the front page.

And, sometimes, it can be funny:

A spelling error appeared in a photo caption in which the word “apostle” was rendered as “apostate.” In referring to activities at the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last weekend, the caption read in part, “Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostates and other general authorities raise their hands in a sustaining vote. . . .”

But sometimes, the humor can't write itself.

The paper in question was The Daily UNiverse, student paper at BYU.

Once the mistake was noticed, all available copies of the newspaper were removed from the racks and replaced with a sign directing students to view the paper online, said Brad Rawlins, chair of the Department of Communications.

“We are reprinting the paper and we will have the corrected version back on the racks by mid-afternoon,” Rawlins said. “This shows the deep concern we have on the matter. We don’t think this error is glib or cute or humorous. We understand people will take offense to the error. We ourselves are offended as a department for this error. We have a deep regret that it appeared in today’s paper.”

Daryl Gibson, director of NewsNet IT, said this is the first time the paper has been pulled because of a news error in his more than 30 years of working at BYU.

The misspelling was an unintentional error, said Rich Evans, editorial manager for The Daily Universe.

And, of course, there were some who thought it was a conspiracy:

Hillary Miller, a media arts major from Arcadia, Calif., was concerned about the situation. “I hope someone isn’t just fooling around,” she said. “It would be sad if someone was trying to do harm to our church.”

Regardless of how this situation happened, Miller said it is upsetting.

According to a formal statement by the Department of Communications, there was no malicious intent.

The Gays have invaded the BYU newspaper! Is nothing safe? ;)

-Bob

(story can be found here.)

Pedicabs return to Salt Lake City

When I was in Denver covering last year's Democratic Convention, I saw an abundance of bicycle taxis in downtown. I'm sure not all of them were local, but it was pretty cool to see. I didn't take advantage of them because they were expensive.

I remembered that there had been some here in Salt Lake a few years ago, but I had not seen them for a while.

So, I was excited to read this from the City Weekly blog:

You may recall how Wasatch Pedicab Co., which opened in February 2005, was forced off the road due to insurance issues. Pedicabs in other communities face hostility from taxi cab drivers and horse & buggy drivers. In New York City, pedicabs became so successful at navigating around the city's frequent gridlock that opponents tried to put a cap on the number allowed in certain parts of town.

So it remains to be seen whether or not pedicabs will be embraced by downtown Salt Lake's spotty and fickle crowds. Pedicab service could provide a great option for those needing to traverse the "wide stance" of our city's entertainment options, i.e., dinner at The Gateway followed by a show at the Capitol Theatre followed by after-theater toddies at the Bayou. That itinerary alone would stymie the "inner valet" in most of us.

Rides on Stick Dog Pedicabs are free; its eight drivers work exclusively for tips (for which people in New York compensate at about $1/block ... though we all know SLC's blocks run long). Stick Dog makes its "real" money off advertising posted on the brightly painted bikes.

So what say you, Salt Lakers, can you literally get behind this new nonpolluting venture? My biggest qualm, personally, comes from the guilt I feel at watching someone work so hard to move me around. But maybe with a few drinks under my belt, I could overcome it.

To summon a driver at Stick Dog Pedicabs, call them on their cell phones at 801-637-7036 or 435-631-9068. Owner Bret Cali can be reached at 512-554-5677.

The Danger of Drinking Coffee

Meet the new LDS Apostle -- Elder Neil Linden Andersen

From Grampa Bill's G. A. Pages

Elder Neil L. Andersen was born 9 August 1951 and reared in Pocatello, Idaho, Elder Andersen served a mission to France and married Kathy Sue Williams on 20 March 1975 in the Salt Lake Temple. The couple have four children and nine grandchildren. He graduated from Brigham Young University and earned a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University. He and Kathy then moved to Tampa, Florida, her hometown, where he worked as an advertising executive and later as a vice president of Morton Plant Health System. In addition to his service as mission president, he has served as a stake president, as a counselor in a stake presidency, and as a high councilor.

In 1980 Elder Andersen, Andersen, then serving as mission president of the France Bordeaux Mission, Kathy, and their four children were watching videotapes of general conference. They were impressed by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve’s address that suggested members read the preface of the new hymnbook and then counseled members not to neglect the hymns, recalled Elder Andersen, three years later as a newly called member of the First Quorum of the Seventy.

Elder Andersen took the counsel to heart, as did his family. “We instituted an almost daily program to learn the hymns,” he said. “We have realized in great abundance the promises outlined in the preface written by the First Presidency.”

“We don’t realize the enormous blessings available to us unless we actively pursue a course that follows the teachings of the prophets and Apostles,” observes Elder Andersen. “Our family has seen it work over and over again.”

“Some of our happiest memories are of serving a mission,” notes Elder Andersen. “It is while serving others that the Lord increases and builds our capacities. On so many occasions, as I have felt inadequate in the calling before me, I have felt the Lord’s generosity in lifting and strengthening me. It is that knowledge that sustains me now as I contemplate this new and humbling opportunity.”

Elder Andersen Spoke at the last General Conference in October 2008. Read his talk here.

Gay Community to Serve at LDS Cannery

From Facebook:

Time:
12:00pm - 3:00pm
Location:
Cafe Marmalade / Utah Pride Center
Street:
361 N 300 W
City/Town:
Salt Lake City, UT

View Google Map
Google
MapQuest
Microsoft
Yahoo
Phone:
8014273397
Email:
prideinyourcommunity@live.com
Description
In our community's continued effort to find a common ground with our neighbours, PRIDE In Your Community is announcing that our April event will be volunteering at the LDS Cannery in Murray.

WE CAN ONLY TAKE 15-20 PEOPLE, NO MORE OR LESS. So please reserve your spot ONLY if serious about attending.

We will be re-labeling cans for this next year, so no heavy lifting. And I've been told that we will have the opportunity to discuss ourselves and what we believe in. Can you say OPPORTUNITY???

As usual, we will meet at Cafe Marmalade then will carpool to the cannery in Murray. Love to you all, and we look forward to seeing you there!!

My Favorite Jazz Dancer....

66,000+ hits.

I make a cameo at the end, if you're paying attention....



(H/T: Jazzspin.com)

The Hippies at LDSHQ: Gore Meets With Monson, Ballard, Cook

Had this been a few days ago, I would have thought it was an April Fools' joke.

However, it's no joke:

Al Gore met Thursday with LDS Church leaders in Salt Lake City.

The Nobel Peace Prize winner and former U.S. vice president requested the dinner time meeting to discuss climate change and its solutions, sources said.

Gore had a brief courtesy visit with President Thomas S. Monson before talking with other church leaders.

Gore did not make a public appearance or speak with reporters.

Church spokesman Scott Trotter called it "a cordial meeting" attended by Elder M. Russell Ballard, Elder Quentin L. Cook and other members of the church's Public Affairs Committee.

Gore "gave a 30-minute presentation and expressed his concerns about CO2 emissions, which was followed by several minutes of questions and answers," said Trotter.

[...]

last Saturday, church officials participated in the worldwide "Earth Hour" campaign to draw attention to climate change. The Salt Lake Temple's outside lights were darkened for an hour along with those in 88 countries and more than 4,000 cities.

"Prudent stewardship and wise use of resources are principles that church leaders have emphasized throughout the
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history of the church," Trotter said in announcing the LDS involvement. "The church encourages its members to join with their fellow citizens in supporting worthy programs that will make their communities better places to live and raise their families."

Press Release: Shaded Fuel Break in City Creek Canyon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 1, 2009
Contact: Florence Reynolds
801-483.6864

Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities to Create Shaded Fuel Break in City Creek Canyon

Community Open House April 6, 6 pm at SL Main Library

As part of a larger effort to increase public safety in City Creek Canyon , the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities will be creating a shaded fuel break along the canyon road.

Creation of the break will begin this spring and will continue throughout the summer. The shaded fuel break will be along the north and west side of the road, for the entire length of the paved road.

The primary purpose of this shaded fuel break is to improve both public and emergency responder safety in the event of a wildfire in City Creek Canyon .

A shaded fuel break uses undergrowth thinning and selective tree removal to eliminate dry, high burn potential debris. Mature trees are left in place while limbs lower than 15 feet from the ground and undergrowth are cleared. This thinning and removal is achieved by using chainsaws, chipping equipment and ‘other tools’. A shaded fuel break is not a clear cut.

This technique is commonly used among land management agencies to maintain safe ingress and egress from wild areas. Local examples of shaded fuel breaks include the Millcreek Canyon road corridor, Red Butte Natural Research Area, and various locations within Emigration Canyon .

Contracted by Salt Lake City , the Unified Fire Authority will be creating the shaded fuel break.

City Creek Canyon will not be closed during the creation of the fuel break; however the public can expect utility vehicles and noisy trimming machinery operating on the road that may require temporary restrictions to segments of the road for public safety.

The public is invited to attend an informative open house on April 6, 2009 at the Salt Lake City Main Library, 210 East 400 South, conference room B, from 6 – 9 PM.

More information about the shaded fuel break can be found online at www.slch2o.com/firesuppression.htm. Inquiries may be directed to Florence Reynolds, Water Quality Administrator, at (801) 483-6864 or florence.reynolds@slcgov.com.

END PRESS RELEASE…. BEGIN FURTHER MATERIALS

As the sole owners of the City Creek Canyon road, the Salt Lake Department of Public Utilities (SLCDPU) is undertaking the long term process of managing fuel loads and fires in the canyon.

SLCDPU is responsible for providing clean drinking water to the residents of the Salt Lake Valley and managing the watershed lands that deliver the water to the treatment plants.

Fire is a natural part of the Wasatch Mountain ecosystems yet decades of fire suppression have led to high fuel loads, increasing the chances for a catastrophic wild fire that could permanently alter the quality of water that City Creek Canyon delivers.

The need for a shaded fuel break along the canyon road was determined in 2007 after a fuel analysis of City Creek Canyon was conducted by U.S. Forest Service fire ecologists. The report’s greatest area of concern was the safety of the road for recreationist and Salt Lake City staff if there were to be a fire in the canyon. The current heavy fuel load along the road would make it impossible to use it as an emergency escape route. There is a distinct need for dead debris and brush to be removed from the road corridor in order to create a ‘safe area’ for people and emergency response personnel.

In 2008, during a site review, consensus among representatives from the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands , the Bureau of Land Management, as well as the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest was also that the creation of a shaded fuel break along the road corridor is the best management strategy for increasing the safety of the road.

A shaded fuel break requires a long term commitment. Trees and undergrowth will return after 1-2 years so SLCDPU will need to deploy maintenance crews in the future to maintain the fuel break by cutting back any re-growth.

Caffeine at BYU? It's the end of the world, I tell ya!

Valley 3 News: BYU Brings Caffeine to Campus from Jimmy Newell on Vimeo

Yeah. It's that time of year again.....

My Response to Craig Axford

As I said yesterday, Craig Axford and Rob Miller both gave great responses to my post outlining some of my beefs with the leadership of the Utah Democratic Party.

Here is my response to Craig's comment.

Bob,
First, I don't know whether to be hurt or flattered you left me out of the list of possible Utah Democratic staffers posting anonymously on your blog. Hopefully it goes without saying since I am using my name here (Craig) it wasn't me. Also, I am speaking purely for myself here - and not the state party.

Oops, I forgot about you. However, you were pretty far down the list of people I suspected of writing it.

That said, it is very easy to criticize the state party for this that and the other thing. And much of the criticism is valid. We could do a better job at internet outreach, we could put on more trainings for candidates and others, and we could put out more press releases on a variety of issues - though it seems no matter how many we put out someone will inevitably say we should have focused on something else.

So why don't we? Well there are three paid staffers in this office. One works exclusively on events and fundraising, the other on conventions, blogging, updating the website to the extent time allows, and now a Facebook page - which one assumes is what Bob is referring to when he says we discovered the internet about a month ago. Oh, and then there is the writing of press releases - which are often ignored by the media. Don't assume just because you don't read something in the paper we have been completely silent on an issue.

However, one of the glorious things about the internet (blog, Facebook, Web Site, etc) is that you can get your message out. Post press releases on the blog. If a newspaper misquotes you, get it on the blog. You no longer have to rely on the "media" to control how silent you are.

Add to that the tasks on our third staff person's desk including, but by no means limited to, monthly FEC reports and all the bookkeeping that goes with it, dealing with payroll, and several hours of conference calls a week with other state party leaders, the DNC, etc. and hopefully you get the picture.

I don't envy Todd's job in any way.

Also, I could have sworn that one of the big selling points when Chairman Holland was running for the position was that the union would still pay him so that he could be at the party full time. (essentially, the union was keeping him on retainer.) Am I wrong in this?

We would very much like to update much of the software we use in this office including new internet tools and better graphic design software. Indeed, give me an hour and I will create a whole list of things I would buy for this office if the resources were available. They aren't.

I understand. However, most of the web tools are free. Also, I know of several people who have offered their time and talents to help build these things, only to be rebuffed by people in the office.

All this criticism amounts to nothing if people aren't willing to put a few dollars where their mouths are and get a lot of other people to join them.

I don't mind constructive criticism. Really I don't. But I do mind it when the criticism is couched in the assumption those of us working at the state party could do it, we just don't feel like it. We are doing all we can with the resources currently at our disposal. And please identify the red states with bucket loads of money doing wonderful things on the internet we could do here if only we had the inclination.

If you would like to donate - go to http://www.actblue.com/page/utdems. We would love the help.

Actually, most of the things I brought up could be done for free, and with not too much more time thrown in. Heck, you can set it up in blogger to automatically post your press release when you email it out. 30 minutes of work one time, and you're done.

-Bob

P.S. I do appreciate throwing in the ask for funds at the end. It's someting that doesn't happen enough.

OpEd: Too Many LDS are shunning Democrats

From the DesNews:

Every year at election time, the LDS Church sends out an official letter stating that the LDS Church does not support any particular political party. Recently, a letter noted that both parties contained elements in their platforms that were consistent with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I am sad to report that message has been ignored.

Since the last election, Utah Mormons who are Democrats have faced increasingly vicious verbal attacks in their wards and in their neighborhoods. Those of us who were openly involved in the campaign have been called "socialists" and "terrorists." Our Christianity and patriotism have been questioned by ward members. We have been snubbed and sneered at. We have been forced to listen to political diatribes against the president of the United States in our auxiliary meetings and testimony meetings. Racial jokes are being told in church foyers.

These attacks are especially hurtful since they come from people who have been our friends for many years. These are people we brought meals to when they were sick, whose children we drove to school, and whom we served with on ward committees and in school PTAs. We sat down together at potluck dinners and ice cream socials together.

Now we are being shunned. Some of us have even stopped going to church. We don't feel like we should have to defend our political beliefs every time we step through the church doors. We don't want to argue with ward members who spout lines from Rush Limbaugh in our church classrooms. Our bishops are trying to calm things down but they aren't having much luck.

There are tough times ahead. We need to come together. During the Great Depression, it was the LDS Church that set an example for the rest of the country, creating a generous and great-hearted welfare system that served as a model for the rest of the nation. Perhaps this time we could be the first in the nation to find a way to mend our political divisions. The entire country needs guidance.

Dynette Reynolds of Ogden is an adjunct teacher of history at Weber State University.