Perception is Reality

Centerville City Cottage Meeting

2009-10-08T20:50:00.002-06:00

Ok. So I finally bite the bullet and attend a cottage meeting for a candidate running for city council here in Centerville. Interestingly enough the hot topics had to do with transit and city zoning for development on the eastbench.

A South Davis Transit Study map, in conjunction with UTA and UDOT shows clearly that the proposed light trax line is to run up main street and then deadend at Parrish Lane, because Farmington opted out of running trax. Curiously enough I did see that this proposal was listed as the locally preferred alternative, funny I don't remember seeing any other proposals, this being the very first.

Centerville doesn't need a trax line, at the most a front runner station could be of use. Too many lines of transit in too close an area will destroy Centerville's sense of home and identity. Legacy, Front Runner, I-15, proposed Trax all within 4 miles of each other, talk about a bottleneck.

Likewise, I was able to obtain a copy of Centerville Cities Slope Anaysis dated 4/27/09 that clearly shows the eastbench of Centerville being slated for and sectioned out to be developed clear past the fire-break road. Talk about City Council trying to broaden its revenue base to the detriment of nature and turning it into the blight on the hill.

Again I don't recall seeing any of this information coming out in the Centerville City newsletter or any fliers to inform the citizens that this was being planned and discussed.

Two huge quality of life issues that won't come before an open house for the public until after the election in November. Could it be that the incumbents don't want the scrutiny of their decisions made known before the election?

Maybe it is time for new blood on the city council. Funny, I did hear that one of the city council members is also on the UTA board of trustees. That couldn't be because that would be a conflict of interest.

The 10th Amendment and State's Rights

2009-04-14T19:32:00.002-06:00

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people". 10th Amendment U.S. Constitution

This one sentence has been a subject of debate for many many years. The news conference held by Texas Governor Perry today was a stark reminder of what huge differences there are between the mammoth federal government and the rights of the individual states. With the recent "Tea Parties" being held throughout the nation and the overwhelming national debt from profligate spending it is no wonder that the individual states are balking and pushing back against the intrusion of the Feds into the very fabric of our State and local community. I would hope that Utah policy makers and elected officials would take notice of the example of Texas and stand up to the feds in a way that demonstrates limited government, accountability and responsibility.
There is a reason for the 10th amendment limiting and prohibiting the federal government. The founding fathers had a real fear of a strong centralized Government that controlled everything. They didn't want another King George. By reserving and protecting State's rights our founding fathers put in place a hedge and a counter balance to thwart the take over of the nation by a central government. Sadly, we have allowed the feds to encroach steadily into our most local and element affairs of our society. We will see more of it over the next 3 years and change. Our elected officials and electorate can't be asleep at the wheel or else we will wake up with the boat having been sunk with no life preservers.

How to Increase Voter Turnout in Utah

2009-03-10T17:46:00.003-06:00

LaVarr Webb with Exoro Group in his daily newsletter, Mar. 10th 2009, asks some good questions about what is it that is keeping voters from voting. Is it apathy, ignorance, issue complexity? Or is it a serious case of WIIFM, What's In It For Me, syndrome. People tend to pay attention to things that directly affect them. Part of the problem I think is that the potential voter doesn't see the connection between voting and a direct benefit. Politics to many is a confusing mess of constant spin and half truths. If recent polls about Congress are to be believed that their approval rating is in the toilet it is no wonder that there is little trust in elected officials to do what they say they will do. Campaign rhetoric is just that to many and they brush it off with a cynical frown and then fail to vote. Until politicians can garner the trust of the citizenry and do so with the motives of good governance this apathy for voting will continue to rise and eventually you will have the vast majority of citizens that neither vote nor care to be informed/involved in the political process.
One simple and effective way for incumbents and party officials to reach out is to do regular town hall meetings in their respective districts. If you don't connect with people on their own turf you will never make the connection necessary to motivate/educate them to vote. Grassroots efforts is going to be the most effect way to reach out to people to vote. If these meetings are done routinely, not just in an election year cycle, the potential voter has the opportunity to make a connection with their elected official. It becomes a personal experience and ALL politics are local. It would take some consistent effort on the incumbent and the party be it Republican or Democrat to make this effort work and it won't be easy.

Is Conservatism Dead?

2008-11-08T10:02:00.003-07:00

Just as Rome deteriorated and rotted from within the same holds true for our democratic republic. The shift in idealism from moderation to socialism is on the horizon and is heralded by the Obama circle. The hard shift to the left is concerning to conservatives. The republican party as currently constituted is a dead animal (Conservative In Name Only). A return to bedrock conservative values is needed to revive a disenchanted and despondent base. Fiscal responsibility (balanced budget amendment), limited government (states rights), right to life, tax reduction across the board, free market capitalism (700 billion bailout, are you kidding me!) and support of the armed forces is what will revive conservatism.
Case in point is Salt Lake County in Utah. Democrats now control the entire county government (mayor and council). Democrats knocked off the Speaker of the House (Greg Curtis) a seven term incumbent. Why? Because the politics of old are just that.. Old.... Republicans have lost the ability to connect with the base and the swing voters. Democrats rode the message of change to the finish line in this election. Now if they can't do anything to "change" then the door is left wide open for 2010 and 2012 for conservatives to regain seats and the presidency. Time will only tell. I won't hold my breath...

The Man Behind the Curtain

2008-10-14T20:53:00.003-06:00

In Wizard of Oz, if you recall, the voice tells Dorothy to "pay no attention" to the man behind the curtain. The more I look at and analyze the presidential race the more I am convinced that the man behind the curtain, Obama, has skillfully formulated a persona that doesn't really exist. A person should be judged on his or her associates when he spotlight isn't on them. That being said I am very concerned about who Obama really is. After all this time nobody really knows and that is appalling.
Is he the pal of Ayers, the terrorist? Is he a pal of the anti-American Wright? Did he promote Chicago style politics (even the dead can vote) by promoting and training ACORN members to go out and fraudulently and intentionally attempt to pass voter registration applications? I mean I can understand a few bad workers but thousands and thousands of, well, BS voter applications reeks of malice and intent. Obama campaign gave around $800,000 to a subsidiary of ACORN during this election process.
Questionable received donations from people that don't exist. Follow the money and it will lead you to the root of a person's ambition.
Is he going to redistribute wealth by taxing the "rich" to give to the "poor"? Why should the plumber get an increase from a small business being taxed at a higher level? So much for capitalism and the free market.
So who is the man behind the curtain? I still don't know but I can't take a chance on it being the person that I described above and neither can the country.

Obama Campaign attempts abusive use of Missouri Law Enforcement

2008-09-27T17:51:00.002-06:00

Missouri Governor Matt Blunt issued a press statement condemning Obama's campaign along with local prosecutors and sheriff for attempting to silence critics of the Obama campaign and threatened lawsuits.

“What Senator Obama and his helpers are doing is scandalous beyond words, the party that claims to be the party of Thomas Jefferson is abusing the justice system and offices of public trust to silence political criticism with threats of prosecution and criminal punishment".

Govneror Blunt then states: “Barack Obama needs to grow up. Leftist blogs and others in the press constantly say false things about me and my family. Usually, we ignore false and scurrilous accusations because the purveyors have no credibility. When necessary, we refute them. Enlisting Missouri law enforcement to intimidate people and kill free debate is reminiscent of the Sedition Acts - not a free society.”

The attitude from the Obama campaign reflects on its leader. For Obama to claim ignorance of the attempted abuse of power play in Missouri is less than ingenious or credible.

Wrangling Rangel: 38 years and counting....

2008-09-16T17:14:00.003-06:00

Rep Rangel might have wrangled his last. He is steeped in an ethics investigation that is pointed towards criminal conduct related to his owing $5,000 in back taxes. The Associated Press published by the Deseret News points out that Rep Rangel "plans to hire a "nationally renowned forensic accounting firm," to independently review his finances for the past 20 years, and issue a report on their findings directly to the House ethics committee that is scrutinizing" him. Why stop at the 20 year mark? Lets go back to the entire time that he has been a representative, the whole 38 years. Democrats have pounded republicans over ethics and corruption yet now that the shoe is wincingly on the other foot good old Rangel won't step down from his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee. I guess we will have to wait for the grand jury indictment and then he can "find" his money in the freezer....Ooops, that was another legislator.. I get so confused....

More from TaxProf Blog here.

Utah's Matheson is figuring it out...

2008-09-16T16:44:00.004-06:00

Salt Lake Tribune
It is refreshing to see that Rep Matheson is listening to his constituents by inserting language into an energy bill related to Utah's oil shale development and commercialization. He recognizes that local control is needed to make this enterprise work and by opening up the private processes will release some key innovation and technology advancements to make oil shale extracting cost effective and safe. Props to Rep Matheson for inserting the language into the bill even though he is taking some heat from other democrats and environmentalists who would rather we never develop these resources.
The Deseret News has a link to this as well.

Lehman Bros. and Obama: Follow the Money...

2008-09-15T17:37:00.003-06:00

Now that Lehman Bros is in the tank it is almost predictable how the "candidates" will spin the blame. Just like anything else in life, especially in politics and crime, you need to follow the money. It leaves a proverbial bread crumb trail back to the "candy" house wherein lies the witch to devour the unsuspecting. Lehman Bros pursued unsound and unsafe investments and it isn't the taxpayers responsibility to bail out the ones that got caught holding the bag full of rotten meat. They either knew or should have known that the investments were not sound. The individual investor who believed in Lehman Bros is the one that I feel bad for. Reputation is all you have in this game and once you've blown it good by to your company and credibility.

"Since 1989, Lehman Brothers's employees and political action committee have given $9.2 million to federal candidates, parties and political action committees, with 54 percent of that going to Democrats. In the current Congress, 271 lawmakers have collected nearly $3 million since 1989, with 72 percent going to Democrats. Democratic presidential candidates and senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama top the list of all-time recipients for the company, collecting $410,000 and $395,600 respectively. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., a member of both the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, hauled in $181,450, while Sen. Chris Dodd, chair of the Senate banking committee, has collected $165,800. The top recipient of PAC money from Lehman Brothers has been Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over banking and the securities industry. Castle has collected $38,500 from Lehman's PAC since 1993."

House of Representatives up for Grab

2008-09-12T11:45:00.004-06:00

Gallup/USA Today Poll shows that the race for control of the House of Representatives has closed to within striking distance for Republicans. Why? Well for one the Palin frenzy has created an exicitement that conservatives haven't had at all since the election cycle started. Can it last? I don't know but it has drawn out the fence sitters to focus more on the election. Bad news for Obama and Pelosi if the frenzy continues. The poll stated that among likely voters the Republicans held a 5% edge on Democrats. Pelosi's legacy as Speaker will forever be tarnished if Democrats lose control of the House and don't gain the Presidency...

Curtis and Seegmiller Too Close to Call

2008-09-11T17:17:00.004-06:00

The last time these two squared off in an election Rep Curtis won by 20 votes. Curtis has expressed that this will be his last run for office for a while. It seems that he is eyeing some different options come 2012; the Governor's office or a potential federal House of Representative seat.
Rep Curtis might be seeing the writing on the wall stemming from the last election, that voters in his district are shifting their votes as political demographics change. This race will be one to watch. If Curtis squeaks by and is re elected he most likely will be the House Speaker again. However, Seegmiller has a very good chance to take out the incumbent and it shouldn't be too big of a surprise if he does. Seegmiller should have some momentum from the last race and if he has done his ground work, should have a broad base built to topple Curtis.
One exception: With an energized federal election, especially with Palin driving some interest this could hugely hurt Seegmiller if people vote along party lines. If the republican base gets out in large numbers for the federal election then Seegmiller's chances really start to diminish. If the numbers are marginal to low then Seegmiller has a good chance at knocking off the House Speaker.

Utah Law Enforcement Memorial

2008-09-06T18:02:00.003-06:00

Utah's Law Enforcement Memorial was dedicated today. The event was held at the memorial's site on Capitol Hill just west of the Capitol and north of the Vietnam Memorial. The event was attended by thousands of people with and without direct connection to law enforcement. Governor Hunstman made some heart felt remarks about the dedication and sacrifice that those officers displayed and the steadfastness of the families left behind. It was a very moving moment with President Boyd K. Packer dedicating the memorial to the memory of those that have served and given all to those that will yet have to pay the price. Robert Kirby did a roll call by calling out the individual agencies that those fallen worked for and representatives of those fallen walked out onto the hill next to the memorial once the roll call was done Robert Kirby made mention that the number of the fallen was a price that volunteers paid so that society could be free from tyranny and violence. It was a moving memorial filled with the feeling of family and of common purpose. Truly there exist a thin blue line that holds the baser elements of society at bay with the noble ideal that honor and valor still ring true in a republic such as ours. I feel humbled and honored to count myself among their ranks, truly they are my brothers and sisters.

McCain Palin Vs Obama Biden

2008-09-05T21:03:00.003-06:00

Since both conventions have convened voters have a good idea of who the candidates really are. Personally I am not a huge McCain fan. I did enjoy his speech and it helped bridge some of the gaps in my knowledge of him. Palin was impressive to me and really resonated with middle America. I really enjoyed the contrasting views that Sarah and Barack both have regarding abortion and an unplanned pregnancy. Sarah publicly welcomes the little grand baby with all of the strings attached, realizing that every soul is a gift from God. Barack on the other hand expressed that he didn't want his girls to saddled with a "mistake" assuming that the life of a baby is worthless unless wanted. It was refreshing to see Palin as someone that I can connect with. Someone who knows explicitly what it is like to be in the middle of America.
McCain's account of Hanoi Hilton and the effects that that had on his life and the changing of who he was to who he is was an eye opener for me. I have no doubt about his toughness and his love for this country. I didn't appreciate the way that McCain treated Romney in the primaries but I also realize that politics is a nasty brutish business not for the faint of heart. I hope that the momentum the republicans have gained from the convention carries over into the next couple of months. I am very interested to see the debates between Biden and Palin and McCain and Obama. Conservatism isn't dead as long as there are people willing to throw their names in the arena to be counted worthy of public trust and confidence. The next couple of months will be very interesting to watch and evaluate.

The China we have always known...

2008-03-24T17:43:00.002-06:00

The recent uproar in Tibet has brought to light a laundry list of things wrong with China's communist government. With the Olympic games just around the corner the last thing that China wanted was a hard look at their human rights problems, environmental problems and economic turmoil. The lack of news coming out of China regarding the issues in Tibet and other provinces is reminiscent of Cold War USSR and North Korea. As the news starts to trickle out a very disturbing picture is coming to light. Again this should not surprise us because this is the modus operandi of communist China. This is taken directly from the play book of Mao and refined over the years by the party. The Tian An Men square massacre is a very good source of information on how China is responding and in what force to the current situation. China believes that if the media is controlled and information is given out with a party spin then the populace will accept it as truth. A liberal school of thought of the recent past was that if we used economic sanctions on China that they would loosen their grip on human rights issues and seek Most Favored Nation status. This has not been the case. The literal translation for China means "Middle Kingdom"; the idea being that they are one step below "Heaven" and that all other nations are below them in the pecking order. So it is no surprise to me that China, although embarrassed over the demonstrations, cares little what the world really thinks because they are the "Middle Kingdom" and they see the olympics as a symbolic visit by all the world to the emperor seeking homage and kow towing to the communist party.

Utah's Own China Town

2008-03-22T16:07:00.004-06:00

Sat. Mar. 22nd 2008
Deseret News is reporting that a Hong Kong based company is building a "Chinatown" in South Salt Lake. The $20 million redevelopment is going to consist of condos, retail stores, restaurants etc. This is a huge benefit for Mayor Bob Gray and the city council because the funding is all from private enterprise and isn't going to cost South Salt Lake.
South Salt Lake needs a good draw to its city. This is a good start to revitalizing a town that needs a positive direction to go and needs to get away from the alcohol based businesses that dominate this town to some degree, especially the night life. The proposed site is on 3390 South and State and one glaring problem is that immediately to the south is the establishment "Southern Exposure", a strip club, that has less than a stellar image. It is hard to imagine that two such businesses can coexist right next to each other. It will be interesting to see how the Mayor and City Council deal with this problem.
This might also be a good time for the Mayor to now look at other areas where private investors are willing to come in and expand on what is happening. A non public funding of $20 million is a good start. I would encourage the City council and Mayor to not let the momentum go but look with a wider vision to how the City could be and not necessarily where it is right now.

Energy Solutions: Nuclear Waste in Utah...

2008-02-29T18:09:00.002-07:00

Energy Solutions push to store "low level" nuclear waste from Italy has pushed some real emotional and logical buttons. Energy Solutions would have us believe that the response to criticism is that the U.S. and Utah are supposed to provide "technical solutions" to these worldwide problems. Almost as if we have an obligation to provide a solution. Since when is storing nuclear waste (including low level radiation) a technical response to another nation's waste? This is about the almighty $ pure and simple. Utah's reputation is one that Energy Solutions is willing to sell and the real question should be; Will the citizens and the legislature of this State allow a private company to start down the slippery slope of nuclear waste storage? I could see the need for a local storage facility if we used nuclear power and had a nuclear plant in Utah. We don't therefore Utah should not become the dumping ground for this type of waste.

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Romney Vs. Matheson

2008-02-25T11:03:00.003-07:00

The Tribune and the Deseret News are both reporting that Josh Romney son of Mitt Romney is considering running against incumbent Rep. Jim Matheson for the congressional seat. This story is interesting for two reasons.
1. Mitt was hugely successful in the primary. He won 90% of the vote statewide for the republican nomination. Does the name recognition spill over into a race against a popular Matheson? What was the turnout in Salt Lake County for republicans vs democrats?
2. Has Matheson become insulated against being beaten by a republican in Salt Lake County? Maybe so but Matheson has never faced a contender with name recognition equal to his own. (Cook doesn't count) That doesn't necessarily mean that Josh would win or would even make it a contest but from the start that race would be one worth watching. It would also give Matheson and the democratic party a jolt to know that there is a serious contender from the republicans for that seat.

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Chris Cannon and Illegal Immigration

2008-02-21T09:09:00.002-07:00

Salt Lake Tribune article quotes Rep. Chris Cannon (R) Utah as stating that the States shouldn't be so involved in illegal immigration law and that it was a "federal problem". What Rep. Cannon is slow to realize is that the States are fed up with the Feds. The lack of any workable solution to deal with illegal immigration is a huge frustation to many border states as well as "sanctuary states"; Utah being one of them. The one constant you hear among conservatives is that the border needs to be secured first and foremost; then the other issues of how to identify and what to do with those illegals that are here can be hashed out. The border is what needs to be secured first. Without which no other solution would be viable or workable in the long term. Cannon is correct in his push for a federal solution. Sadly the feds have a record of incompetence and a non-functioning bureacracy; hence the reason for the States becoming involved with a patchwork of laws, not consistent one with another, that only tends to further muddy the murking waters. Time is running out for an incompetent congress to act and get the border secured. If the front and back door are open then anyone can come in; and that is exactly what we have, an open door policy.

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Romney Campaign Fallout and Future for LDS Candidates

2008-02-13T09:39:00.006-07:00

The one truly telling result of Mitt Romney's campaign is that anti-mormon bigotry and animus is still alive and well in the United States. Numerous publications, The Politico, Wall Street Journal, Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune, National Review and on and on have hit the nail on the head of one of the reasons, not all, for the Romney campaign failure. The hate and venom by a good portion of so called evangelical christians paved the way for the vote to be split and for McCain to slide in as the nominee. Huckabee as of today is still theoretically in the race but is largely seen as an annoyance. Is an LDS candidate going to have to fight this battel every time they attempt to run for the highest office in the land? Or are we at the same point that blacks were 20 years ago in trying to break into the national political scene. Barack has done very well to this point in his campaign for the democratic nomination. Could he have done so well without the efforts over the past 20 years by other black leaders in the national community? Probably not. That fact alone should give anyone of the LDS faith a reason to hope for the future and its possibilities. The Romney campaign definitely put the LDS faith in the national spotlight and that is a good thing. It is true that LDS doctrine was bantered about by people and organizations for political purposes. So what! Any honest seeker for truth will find what they are looking for. I am comfortable with that.

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Sealed Police files... Good idea?

2008-02-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

Deseret News is reporting about SB260 sponsored by Senator Buttars regarding police records on misconduct and disciplinary. "SB260 would make private all formal charges and disciplinary actions against a peace officer. The only way the public could see them is if the officer agrees." Now I am a little biased in this since I am a police officer full time. I agree in part to this bill. I think the files created by departments on their officers should be very tightly restricted as to who can see it and for what reasons. I don't agree that the officer chooses who will or won't be allowed that access. Each department should have in place criteria for releasing any said information for specific and limited purposes. This information should only be released by court order and very limited in scope. Just as every other citizen is affored privacy concerning driving history and criminal history from public purview; police officers should be given the same courtesy. It is no secret that defesne lawyers are seeking every advantage for their client and they should but it shouldn't come at the cost of violating the same civil rights that the general public holds dear and would accept nothing less. All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty and the same holds true for officers. These defense lawyers would have you believe that all cops are criminals and have something to hide. Not true... Granted we have our share of less than worthy officers just as the public has a certain percentage of scum. However that doesn't mean that the public has any more right to our personnel files as we do to theirs. We have to have a specific and limited reasons to check criminal history and driving records. To do otherwise would be a violation of state and federal law....

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Utah Legislature; Look for the final product

2008-02-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

I have been very vocal about certain issues regarding immigration over the past few days/posts. It is good to have a sincere interest in what is going on up here at the Utah Capitol. It is good to be aware of the day to day issues that are going on. It is fun to watch and see the House and Senate vote on and pass resolutions on various subjects regarding the federal government (North American Union for example). It is interesting to see the power struggle between the House and Senate and the Governors office (I mean who does the House think they are to tell the Governor not to enter into agreements with other states?). There are bills and issues that really push the emotional buttons of people. The one thing that I have to remind myself, something my father in-law told me about, is that the final product is what matters most. That is what the legislative session is going to be judged on and not the messy, but entertaining/frustrating process of getting there. Besides if you don't like what was made into law then by all means vote the bums out next time. Sadly, for most people the session is the only time they think to contact their legislator and have no relationship built to effectively communicate on issues that matter to them. If you want to have any influence then do you groundwork early and often before the session is even close to starting. If not, when the time comes to be heard, you won't be and it will be your fault.

Super Tuesday, Too Late for Romney?

2008-02-01T11:22:00.000-07:00

Is the McCain express on a roll that nobody can stop? The media would have you believe yes but the reality is that the states on super tuesday could swing and shift momentum back in favor of Romney so fast that the MSM would take weeks to figure out what happened and why. I find it interesting that radio talk show hosts Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity have come out in support of Romney with caveat that McCain is not what he seems to be and that on many of the core values and issues that Republicans hold to McCain is not one of us.
Romney has been labeled as a flip flopper by the media yet the truest of all panderers and flip floppers is McCain. (Amnesty, taxes, judges, political party affiliation, campaign finance, oil exploration, keating 5 etc.) He was even going to flop out of the Republican party and join the Kerry ticket back in 04 lest we forget. Talk about a fair weather Republican.
McCain has touted his national security as the basis for his credentials for the office of president. Yeah so what! Just because someone has served in the military doesn't make them the automatic choice for commander in chief. There is so much more to being the President than just commander in chief. If the economy isn't up to snuff then how do you fund a robust military to project power globally? If your economy is weak then the nation is weak.
Romney seems to me to be the one that can surround himself with honorable men and women that will cut spending, reduce taxes, fight the war on terrror looking forward and let the soldiers fight the battles as they need to be fought and not look back at Vietnam as the "experience" we need to go forward, promote growth in the economy and instil trust back into the office of President.
It isn't too late to derail the disaster of McCain. Any honest Republican knows that McCain is not one of us and probably never has been. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and looks like a duck then it probably is.

Vote Romney...

In-State Tuition for Illegals in Utah

2008-01-31T08:50:00.000-07:00

According to the Tribune the repealing of this law would "benefit nobody". Wrong! By repealing this law it would take a loophole away from a group of people that by definition and status are not citizens of the state let alone a citizen of the United States. For example, a legal resident from Idaho can't get the same benefit if they were to come to Utah soley for school yet they are citizens of the United States but not a resident of Utah.

The Tribune further argues that "The point is, these children didn't choose to immigrate to Utah, and they should not be punished for what their parents did. The cost of allowing them to pursue a college education is minuscule in terms of state dollars. But the cost in human and economic terms of denying them a chance to succeed is enormous - the continuation of a degrading cycle of poverty that is a drain on state coffers. The 280 students who paid in-state tuition to attend state colleges in the 2006-2007 school year were among the brightest and most determined of immigrant children".
So in order for them to go to school they need the in-state rate to do otherwise would "deny thema a chance to succeed". There would be no other way for them to pay for that education. Wrong again. If it was something that they truly wanted to do they would find the way to pay for the tuition. The Tribune then doles out the emotion and talks about the 280 students and how they were among the brightest and most determined of immigrant children and that they shouldn't be punished for decisions that their parents made. I guess how can you call it punishment for them to pay a full and fair tuition based on their citizen status that all non Utah residents and US citizens would have to pay as well. The fact that they went to high school here and have friends here isn't really an argument to allow them the in-state tuition. Repeal the law and close the loophole allowing non US citizens an in-state privilege.

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Oxbow and Illegal Immigrants... You've got to be kidding!

2008-01-30T16:43:00.000-07:00

So the State is looking at purchasing Oxbow (mothballed minimum security facility) to be used for housing Illegals that commit crimes here in Utah. Well that would be all of them by definition. Anyway the State is totally unprepared to make that kind of investment. Not only the initial purchase but the upkeep and staffing that would be required to run the facility. The Department of Corrections can't even staff their needs at the prison what makes the legislature think that they can purchase and then staff this facility? The Feds aren't going to shell out the money to house these violators even though it is the Feds problem. Where is that money going to come from? You guessed it the publics own pocketbook. I know why Sheriff Winder is against it because it is another piece of his kingdom being whittled away. I know why Salt Lake County Council members want to get rid of it because it is a fiscal drain to them. The bottom line is that the State shouldn't be trying to do the Federal Government's job. If the Feds were willing to fund said facility then by all means lets work it out (wont' happen). However, for the State to go it alone on this illegal immigration deal is foolish. It will be a waste of taxpayer dollars with no way to offset the costs for housing illegal aliens for local/State crimes. The State of Utah doesn't enforce federal law and it shouldn't attempt to duplicate those laws on a State/local level. We all want some comprehensive reform on illegal immigration but until the border is secured then all we are doing is plugging holes in the proverbial illegal immigration dyke with our fingers.

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Illegal Immigration and ICE

2008-01-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Tribune article quotes SLC Police Chief Burbank as being opposed to the law sponsored by Rep Glenn Donnelson (R) North Ogden. Chief Burbank is 100% correct. The law as sponsored provides no more manpower or money to fund this extra enforcement. More importantly the last sentence of the article says it all: "ICE pays for the four-to-six week training, and ICE agents must supervise the officers when using their immigration authority".

This is the major hang up. Why on earth would state or local police agencies relinquish command of their officers to the federal government to work illegal immigration? This would never happen and the public would and should be alarmed by this. Immigration is solely a function of the federal government. The prosecution and exportation of said criminals is also the feds problem. As each state tries to patchwork together laws to deal with illegal immigration (because the feds can't or won't) you'll end up with 51 different laws that will only continue to muddy the already murky waters of illegal immigration enforcement. The states should demand that the federal government get its act together and formulate a consistent and clear plan of action and then implement it.

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