State of the Sam

Alcohol Controversy Strikes Again with Utah Legislators

2010-01-26T13:27:00.000-08:00

Alcohol has been probably the most controversial issue, besides Prop 8, to ever come up in Utah. Utah is a very conservative state with a lot of influence from the LDS church which does believe in consuming alcohol or caffeinated beverages. Last year Utah passed a law that allowed bars and clubs to be made public (instead of private clubs with membership fees) with the installation of electronic devices to scan I.D.'s. What a milestone in Utah politics that bill was!! This year, however, changes made to the standing alcohol laws is not the alcohol controversy that is making news these days. On January 15, 2010 UT Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack was arrested on a charge of DUI. He was out with lobbysists the night he was arrested, and resigned from the senate the day after his arrest. Senate President Michael Waddoups is questioning lobbyists and demanding to know who else was with Sheldon Killpack the night of his arrest.

Many lawmakers in the state of Utah are Mormon, and their views, positions, votes, and bills they bring forth are often centered around their Morman values. You would be lying to yourself if you did not agree. A few years ago I was lobbying with the American Cancer Society in the state of Utah. I was told by one of their employees that Utah is the hardest place to get a bill passed, and if you can pass a bill in Utah, you can pass a bill anywhere. I have never forgotten that, and the more I think about it the more true it is. Utah isn't a bad state to live in. I enjoy it very much, but sometimes the politics can be a little funny and unconventional.

Mark Walker, hired on January 4, 2010 at the City of West Valley to be their Business Development Manager was in the car that Sheldon Killpack was driving. He worked 3 days for WVC and resigned the day after Killpack's arrest. Walker did nothing wrong. According to city policy he did nothing wrong. He did, however, receive a check for just of $5K for his three days of work because of city policies he received four weeks of pay. WVC requires employees to give a full two weeks notice, but it is up to the city if they want that employee to work those last two weeks.

"We really didn't want him to stick around for those two weeks," said City Manager Wayne Pyle.

It just amazes me the controversy that is behind alcohol in the state of Utah. Walker did nothing wrong, and yet because of the media attention he is out of his job. This entire situation seems to be turning into a moral debate, which in actuality nothing wrong has happened legally. Legally, everything has been handled. Killpack received a DUI, he resigned from his position because of his DUI, but it is wrong for so many others to be questioned or feel threatened with their jobs because of Utah Politics and some leaders moral views of alcohol.

Paul Rolly, a columnist for The Salt Lake Tribune, (who also happens to be one of my favorites) wrote a column titled "Booze and Backstabbing at the Capitol." In his column he quotes Senate President Waddoups saying,

"If we (legislators) want to go out with them (lobbyists) that's fine, but we want to know if we're associating with someone who might be breaking the law."

Rolly makes the valid point, that even if lobbyists were drinking with Killpack, as long as they were over 21 years of age, then they did nothing wrong. The only person charged with doing anything wrong is Killpack with his DUI. This had turned into quite the controversy in Salt Lake City. As Rolly puts it, there IS backstabbing going on at the capitol. If you are a lobbyist or UT legislator and you admit to drinking alcohol then you are tainted in the eyes of some LDS legislators. Is there really something wrong with drinking alochol? Killpack made a bad decision to drink and drive, but should those that drink alochol and drink responsibly be shunned and backstabbed because of their personal decision? Lobbyists said they are constantly getting asked if they drink alcohol, and if they answer that question "wrong" according to the values of the person asking then they are shunned and viewed as old trash. Is this how legislators should be behaving? Are you really a bad person whom no one wants to do business with if you have one drink a week or even one a month?

Click here to read Paul Rolly's Column

Click here to read the article on Mark Walker

It's Not the Years in Your Life, but the Life in Your Years

2010-01-26T08:42:00.000-08:00

During and interview with Diane Sawyer, President Obama said he would "rather be a really good one-term President, than a mediocre two-term President." I just LOVE hearing (well reading that) about my President.

Has President Obama delievered the hope I had hoped for after the election? Not exactly. Has he had any success with his healthcare bill? No, not that either. Is he doing the best he can? Yes, I would say so. I think President Obama is genuine in his care and concern for our country. Just like with any job, there are multiple ways to get things done. President Obama is handling the economic situation and the War on Terror the best to his knowledge. Is he doing it different than Sen. John McCain would have? Probably, and President Obama is handling things different than Ex-Presidents Clinton, Bush, Ford, Carter etc. would have, but we have to rely on faith that our President is handling things the best to his ability.

So many senators, representatives, or anyone in an elected position are so focused on becoming re-elected, that they forget the importance of the job they were elected to do. I have met with a few senators and representatives, and some of them have been quite frank with their concern of getting re-elected, not necessarily the concern of the people they were elected to serve. Representative Rob Bishop (R-UT) said in an interview I was present for that he is in Washington because he deserves some time to relax after the years and work he put in before being elected. Rep. Bishop is NOT my representative. He is not a bad guy, but he is not someone who I would ever elect or support after meeting him and talking to him in person. He is not serving his constitutents to the best of his ability, he is only in Washington, or so it seems, for a paycheck.

President Obama is not the least bit concerned with re-election. Instead of focusing his time and energy on the campaign, he is putting forth his best effort to serve the people who elected him and put forth a good term in office. I praise President Obama for making the statement about prefering one good term instead of two mediocre terms. Despite what hasn't been accomplished that we all hoped for, at least we know our President is tackling our nation's problems full-time.

Don't forget to watch the State of the Union Address this week!

To read the article, click here.

Local UT Senator at it Again

2010-01-22T08:22:00.000-08:00

I know it's been a LONG time since I have posted anything. With healthcare reform, Sara Palin quitting her job as governor, John Edwards Scandal, Ted Kennedy's passing, Massachussets electing a Republican to fill its empty senate seat, Michael Steele, the list goes on, there was so much to blog about, and I didn't, but I'm back!

January is the time that the part-time Utah legislators come together to mostly waste taxpayer money on hotels and food, destroy what little educational budget is left in Utah, and make a few headlines. Chris Buttars, senator for West Jordan, UT, is at it again. I personally cannot stand the man, and I'm shocked that his constituents re-elect him. Everytime his name is in the news, its ALWAYS for something absurd.

Reading the local news this morning I came across the headline 12th Grade Would Go Away Under Utah Senator's Plan. Natrually this caught my eye and I had to read more. Chris Buttars has designed a plan to cut state spending by $250 million a year by eliminating 12th grade in public schools. His reasoning is that "Almost all the industrial world uses 11 grades...most kids either got one foot in AP classes or running around in PE" (http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=9420123).

I applaud Buttars for thinking of ways to reform the budget and cut spending, but any type of cuts to education is wrong. Utah already has the lowest spending per pupil in the nation, how can cutting that budget even more be a good thing? Eliminating 12th grade is not the option. The kids who elect to take AP classes are bettering themselves for the future. Earning college credit, saving money on cost of tuition and eliminating 12th grade would stop this. Sure, there might be kids with no intentions of going to college, and just play around their senior year of high school, but these kids are not ready at 16 and 17 years old to have a high school diploma and work fulltime.

In these economic hard times we need to plan for a solution that is not right now, but plan for our future. Eliminated 12th grade would save money now, but how would the state of Utah fare in the long run compared with the rest of the nation? Do we really need to install islands down 1300 East because there is extra money? Does Gallivan Plaza really need to be remodeled right now? Taking away from education will hurt and destroy everyone in the long run. Those in school right now are the ones who will be working to pay for Social Security to the ones who want to take away education funding. What will this leave for our future?

To view the article by Marc Giauque click here.

Supreme Court Justices

2009-05-01T14:37:00.000-07:00

Today Justice David Souter announced his retirement from the Supreme Court. I believe Justice Souter did an excellent job serving our country and I value him for waiting until he knew Justice Ruther Bader Ginsburg's decision on retiring or staying, as well as Justice John Paul Stevens. Justice Souter served for 18 years and served our country well. I wish him best of luck and happy years with his family.

Who will President Obama pick to fill the vacancy? A woman? The first Hispanic justice? A big decision awaits Obama, but I do not think this will be his only Supreme Court appointment.

I believe our justices serve our country unexplainably well. They are very-well educated individuals and sharp minded. However, I do strongly believe that there needs to be a term limit on justices. They do serve our country and they do a fine job. However, with the oldest justice being 89 years old (Justice John Paul Stevens) I do think he we need some fresh, young blood in the Supreme Court. In his 69 years, Justice Stevens has seen a lot, and in his 18 years of serving the on the Supreme Court, he has had a lot of impact on our American law system. In order to keep the justice system a country by the people, there needs to be more variety on the Supreme Court. A limit of maybe 12 years sounds appropriate, enough to see at least 2 presidents, maybe even 3. As from previous posts, you could see that I am in full support of term limits. No, a justice is not elected by the people, but appointed by our president. I firmly believe that in order to truly be a country of the people, that we need to switch up our representatives to make sure they are truly representing our nation and what America believes in.

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is this what a job has come to?

2009-03-31T08:16:00.000-07:00

The blackberry. It lets you receive emails all day and all night long. It controls your life. Everyone I know that has one is ALWAYS on it. Crackberry, that's a better word.

When did we come to the age where a cell phone controls our lives. It rings, no matter what you're doing or where you are you answer it. The text message goes off, you have to read it and respond. You get an email. Whatever the email is, it takes your full attention off everything else in the world until you read it through, even it was from an ex girlfriend or boyfriend telling you about their engagement. Your phone controls you.

What about your job? Does it control you? Are you sacraficing time from other things to work? When did a job become the most important thing? When did relationships begin to suffer due to a job? Why is it that in America, it's ok to work 10 hours a day and then, still through your phone, you stay connected to work. Your job calls and asks you to fix something or check something, and you drop everything you're doing to fix it. You have a blackberry for work purposes. It controls your life. It's 11 pm at night, the blackberry goes off and you are reading the email and working and doing whatever the email said. When did it become ok to basically always be at work?

Is this what corporate America has come to? All work, no play? The job market is bad. If a company is wanting to have someone available 24/7 then it would make sense to hire another person. Two people doing the same job. One does the first half of the day the other does the second half. In europe it is not like this. They get 6 weeks of vacation vs the 2 weeks in America. Work is not a 45+ work week, it's a 35-40 work week in Europe and people enjoy working. Is this what a job has come to? Marriage to your job? Connected at the hip to do its every need--no matter how late--until you retire?

And this explains a lot...

2009-03-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

I was reading CNN.com today and came across a very interesting commentary article by Paula Begala titled "Cheney says U.S. can torture but can't heal." In this article it talks about Cheney's views. Former VP Dick Cheney believes that during war, it is ok to ignore the First Amendment and treaties. Cheney also believes it is ok to go into American homes without a warrant (Fourth Amendment). He also believes that it is ok to arrest American citizens on American soil and hold him in prison without charges. He also believes the federal government has the right to listen to phone converstations without a court order. He believes it is ok to ignore treaties and committ torture.

This is scary. This man was second in line to run the country if George W. would have died. Cheney does not have typical American views. This more like communism to me. No wonder our country's economy failed. The people in charge were not worried about that. They were more concerned with abusing their power, believing they are above the law, and they got away with it.

In 1798 the Alien and Sedition bills act passed which were created to protect the United states from alien citizens and enemy powers from weakening the governement. I believe new laws, similar to these, need to passed. These new laws need to make it a crime to conspire against the Constitution, which is exactly what Cheney is doing. He has made public his opinion and voice about a few of the amendents, and in my opinion, he is showing an attempt to conspire against the constitution. I do not beileve we should have leaders, they they themselves, disagree with the constitution and believe treaties and laws do not apply to them.

I voted and welcomed for the change in the White House and I am glad we did it!

For more information visit: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/16/cheney.government/index.html?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail

Religion Ruling Politics

2009-03-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wow! I am shocked to say the least. Representative Craig Frank, R-American Fork, UT is proposing a caffeine tax, similar to the cigarette tax. Utah, as everyone knows, is a Mormon state. Mormons do not drink caffeine, at least they aren't supposed to. This proposal, right here, is an example of religion ruling politics. First there are the weird UT alcohol laws and now this? Utah is known for being a very conservative, red state. But now this? I believe this is a step too far. I am doubtul this proposal will ever pass legislation, but the thought one of our representatives is considering it makes me wonder.

I was once told by someone that if you can push legislation in UT and get it passed, you can do it anywhere. I totally believe this and think that UT politics is a joke sometimes. Instead of pushing the good of the state, UT legislators are trying to push their views and their values onto the state. If you ask me, this is how politics get corrupt. Legislators are not honestly doing their job, but putting trying to push and make their values turn into law. They are being ignorant to the fact of the pressing issues at hand, the economy, the fact that UT has the lowest funding in the entire nation for education. UT needs more funding for education. Why don't the legislators spend more time passing law for education instead of pushing their own values and morals onto the state.

Today is the last day of the UT legislative session, and proposals and bills are always a little wacky towards the end, but a caffeine tax? Serious? With the economy in the state it is in, I would like to think that the legislators would focus on these issues more than a caffeine tax.

More information can be found at http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11891484

Term Limits: When and Where they Need to be Placed

2009-03-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

UT's Attorney General has announced that he is considering running for Senate in 2010 against same-party member, Sen. Bob Bennet, R-UT. Bob Bennett has been serving in the US Senate since 1992, that is 17 years, way too many for anyone, in my opinion, to serve in the senate. When Bennett learned that Shurtleff is considering running against him the 2010 election, he called Shurtleff and asked him to serve as co-chairman of his re-election campaign. Bennett also said to Shurtleff that he cannot be him because he is "no Chris Cannon" (Chris cannon had been serving for 12 years and was beat but a same-party candidate, Chris Cannon, in the primaries).

Under the US Constitution, Senator serve for six-year terms and there is no term limit. Representatives serve two years and, they also, do not have term limits. Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the President of the United States, and there is no limit as to how long they are able to serve. However, according to the Twenty-Second Amendment, the President is elected to a four-year term and can only be elected to two consecutive terms. There is a flaw in the system that allows an individual to be elected to one term and serve four years, not get re-elected, but to run again in another four and get elected, and then re-elected. Complicated? Just a little bit.

It is in my opionion that members of the US Senate, House of Representatives, and Supreme Court Justices should have a term limit. Sure there have been some great members of congress or justices over time, such as Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-MA. All of the Kennedy's, I believe, have served my country well. However, most of the time there needs to be a limit on terms served. America needs to have new, fresh minds working together to preserve, or in this time of the economy, save the country. Had there not been a term limit for President, Bush might have ran again and, if by some dumb, terrible chance, was re-elected, our economy would be even more worse than it is right now.

My proposal is that Senators have a term limit of two terms (12 years), Representatives have a term limit to four terms (eight years), and Supreme Court justices, although they are not elected, have a limit to 12 years until the President must replace them. America is a country with the idea "for the people, by the people, and of the people" -Gettysbury Address by President Lincoln- and i order to preserve this idea we need to monitor the people that have been elected to represent and serve. Times change and so must the people that come to congress.

Information obtained from: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11836781

State of the Nation

2009-03-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

President Obama's speech on February 24, 2009 was inspring as usual. He began by addressing, no only congress, but the American people as well. The President layed out his plan for the next four years, and how he and his advisors are planning to change things. Change is what President Obama was elected in to office on, and Change is what he is bringing to America. He recognized the current state of the economy and explained that it did not happen over night. The economy is a problem that has been brewing over the last eight years, and finally in November, it snapped and our country has been falling deeper and deeper into a recession. Rough times are ahead, and it will only get worse before it gets better. President Obama is inspring, and he is the face our nation needs in these troubled times. Change is around the corner, and hope is needed for that change.

Buttars Blindsighted By Reality

2009-02-23T07:48:00.000-08:00

Senator Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, UT, once again has made a newsworthy comment. In a documentary film he referred to homosexuals as the greatest internal threat to America, compared them to radical Muslims, and said they had no morals. Senator Buttars is not the only one with newsworthy comments. Senator Howard Stephenson, R-Draper said on Red Meat Radio program, "Most of what Senator Buttars said, I agree with." Senator Dennis Stowell, R-Parowan also said on the same program, "I think the bulk of people in Utah agree with 90 percent of what he said." Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, said "we agree with many of the thngs he said...We stand four-square behind his right." As a voting citizen in the state of Utah, I would like to know personally what each and every member of the senate thinks and feels about Senator Buttars. If each and everyone of them agree with him, I cannot see myself voting for any of them again.

It is sad that Senator Buttars received re-election last year, after making a racist comment calling a black baby, an ugly baby. I am shocked that he can get re-elected. I am shocked that he can get re-elected by a large marginal vote and that he still receives support from his constituents.

Are residents of the state of Utah, mainly West Jordan, Draper, Taylorsville, and Parowan, really in agreeance with Senator Buttars? I am ashamed to say these men represent the state of Utah. Utah is a very red state. Utah legislators are heavily influenced by their own beliefs and not what is natural or best for the state of Utah, its economy, and its role in the nation. Can the Utah senate just ignore Senator Buttars comment? I do not think they should. Senate President Waddoups argues that it is Senator Buttars first amendment right, the freedom to speech. Does the First Amendment give Senator Buttars the freedom to express his opinions?

According to a 1998 situation regarding Matt Hale, head of the World Church of the Creator, which is a religious organization that believes the white race to be elite above all. Matt Hale, an alumni from the law school of Southern Illinois University, passed the bar exam, but because of his association and racial beliefs, the State Bar denied him a license. He was deemed "unfit" to practice law. Hale went to the Illinois Supreme Court to review his case, however, the Supreme Court refused to see his case. Next, Hale went to the United States Supreme Court and they refused to review the case as well.

An article titled "Bar Association Oversteps First Amendment Rights," by a student journalist, Jeremy Patrick, said "Does your copy of the Constitution say that there shall be no law abridging freedom of speech "unless the speech is insensitive?" Mine doesn't." This is the great thing about the Constitution of the United States of America, the law can be amended and can change. The cases that go to the courts can decide and change law. In this particular case, there is no case law about sensitive speech not being free. However, the Supreme Court voiced their views and opinions by remaining silent. They made the decision to not decide.

America is getting closer and closer to a time, when cases, such as Hale's, or comments like Senator Buttars are inapropriate. We cannot be blindsighted by this reality that times are changing. The cases of equality are arising for gay rights. We might have the freedom of speech, but as a lawyer, defending the Constitution or a legislator creating and deciding on laws, there needs to be some regulation on how you express yourself. If you are choosing to express strong, insensitive opinions about homosexuals, then you are not fit to be deciding on laws for a free and equal society. Just in Hale's situation, he was trying to get a license that requires one to defend and uphold the Constitution. How could he defend the Constitution when Hale had strong racial views and had devoted his life to racism? Keep your rights and freedom of speech, however, as a public figure, what you are able to do for the law and the Constitution does have restrictions as to how radical, racist, or insensitive one's comments may be.

Information obtained from http://www.globalpolitician.com/24140-race-law-courts-racism and http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11757628

new furniture?

2009-02-09T12:08:00.000-08:00

As it was recently announced in The Salt Lake Tribune last week, the Utah legislators got new furniture for their offices. The good news was they bought inmate-made furniture to help lower costs. The bad news was that the total bill for new furniture was $1 million. Desk chairs cost $600. This is absurd. Granted the furniture is nice and will "last a lifetime", these are still insane costs with the current economy.

Ikea could have provided nice furniture at a much more reasonable cost.

Legislators voted last session to approve the spending for their furniture. With new capital renovations, new-updated furniture is needed, but is $1 million the right amount to budget for this? Each office was estimated around $17,400.

I do not believe Utah legislators make the best use of their, already cut short, session. And I do not believe they make the best financial decisions. This year, as they have been trying to cut down the state budget and funds, they are choosing to cut education funds. Utah already has the lowest per pupil spending in the nation averaging $5,964. New York spends the highest amount at just over $14,00, more than two times what Utah spends. The average across the nation is $9,963. The report this information was obtained can be viewed at www.edweek.org/ew/toc/2009/01/08/index.html.

Utah needs to re-evaluate the people they are electing and the decisions they are making. Education should be a higher priority. It is sad that last year Utah ranked 49th in per pupil spending and this year they rank last. Budgetary cuts need to be examined carefully, specifically in furniture costs and education cuts.

Inauguration 2009

2009-01-21T13:18:00.001-08:00

January 20, 2009 was a very historical day. President Obama, VP Biden, and several cabinet members were sworn into office. An estimated 1.8 million people went to D.C. to see the inauguration (different sources say 1.5-2 million). The mass amount of people could be seen from space! The entire days events were marvelous. Obama's speech was phenomenal.

New Blog for a New President

2009-01-18T19:29:00.000-08:00

I decided to start this blog because I enjoy writing. I enjoy studying politcs and thought this was a great way to combine both into one. I am just weeks away from receiving my Bachelor's of Science in mass communication and my Bachelor's of Science in political science. I plan on taking my LSAT's within a year and applying for law school by 2010. I want to continue studying and writing about politics to be able to share my opinion.

This past year has been very exciting with the election, and now our new president is about to be sworn in. January 20, 2009 will be a historic, yet very memorable day for America. President-elect Obama is inheriting hard times with this nation and will have a lot on his shoulders. With the support of the American people we can hope that America will see change. Please feel free to comment any thoughts or feelings you might have about this upcoming, historical Inauguration Day.