Check out the blogs for candidates in various districts around Utah:
Christian Burridge http://burridgeforcongress.blogspot.com/
Pete Ashdown http://peteashdown.org/journal/
and for good measure, Orrin Hatch's blog http://www.orrin2006.com/blog.htm (hasn't been written in for a while, but interesting reading nonetheless).
5.23.2006
5.18.2006
Benefits = Marriage?
Hurray for the 3rd District Court, for ruling that Salt Lake City's plan to provide health benefits to domestic partners does not constitute marriage and therefore is not in conflict with Amendment 3.
It seemed obvious to me that providing equal benefits to all employees is simply fair and just. But some consider it a slippery slope. They think all sorts of things will lead to gay marriage: allowing Gay Straight Alliances or creating legal partnerships, or even allowing stores to sell Cosmopolitan magazine without a little screen to block it's racy cover. Utah politicians have not always been the most logical. It's obvious that gay marriage is a political hot button, a wedge issue that they use to bolster their arguments for things like tax cuts or road-widening or building a huge fence along the border or some other completely unrelated thing.
I tip my hat to the founders of this country that created the judicial branch (or "Activist Judges") that are the last, and sometimes only, line of defense for minorities and others who's rights are substandard to the majority. The majority is not always right.
It seemed obvious to me that providing equal benefits to all employees is simply fair and just. But some consider it a slippery slope. They think all sorts of things will lead to gay marriage: allowing Gay Straight Alliances or creating legal partnerships, or even allowing stores to sell Cosmopolitan magazine without a little screen to block it's racy cover. Utah politicians have not always been the most logical. It's obvious that gay marriage is a political hot button, a wedge issue that they use to bolster their arguments for things like tax cuts or road-widening or building a huge fence along the border or some other completely unrelated thing.
I tip my hat to the founders of this country that created the judicial branch (or "Activist Judges") that are the last, and sometimes only, line of defense for minorities and others who's rights are substandard to the majority. The majority is not always right.
5.17.2006
NOTHING DIVINE ABOUT IT
I blog today in protest. Protest not only of the hypocrisy of our country, and the blatant disregard for the health and welfare of downwinders, but also a protest against another accost on my beloved West Desert. It seems that it will never end.
Mr. Bush: how dare you tell countries around the world that they cannot develop nuclear capabilities, whether they be for power or weapons, then turn around and start testing again? Yes, I know Divine Strake is not a nuclear test, but in essence it is everything a nuclear test would be. It is big enough to mimic one. It will throw radioactive dust into the air that has sat dormant since the last bomb was dropped.
Which brings me to the downwinders: people have suffered the consequences of this country's actions in very painful ways. Cancer, loss of friends and family, and an inhibited chance to live the American Dream. Perhaps you aren't at fault for this, but you are at fault for insulting them again, rather than helping them in their recovery efforts.
The West Desert is not a wasteland. For some reason the powers that be seem to think they can dump, pump and blast the desert until it becomes one. I will not stand by while this happens.
Mr. Bush, I protest.
So do Dee Taylor, SLCSpin, The Utah Amicus, The World, According To Me, Utah Democrats, Liar Paradox, Jen's Green Journal, Obiter Dicta by Steve, One Utah, Part of the Plan, and Progressive Utah.
Mr. Bush: how dare you tell countries around the world that they cannot develop nuclear capabilities, whether they be for power or weapons, then turn around and start testing again? Yes, I know Divine Strake is not a nuclear test, but in essence it is everything a nuclear test would be. It is big enough to mimic one. It will throw radioactive dust into the air that has sat dormant since the last bomb was dropped.
Which brings me to the downwinders: people have suffered the consequences of this country's actions in very painful ways. Cancer, loss of friends and family, and an inhibited chance to live the American Dream. Perhaps you aren't at fault for this, but you are at fault for insulting them again, rather than helping them in their recovery efforts.
The West Desert is not a wasteland. For some reason the powers that be seem to think they can dump, pump and blast the desert until it becomes one. I will not stand by while this happens.
Mr. Bush, I protest.
So do Dee Taylor, SLCSpin, The Utah Amicus, The World, According To Me, Utah Democrats, Liar Paradox, Jen's Green Journal, Obiter Dicta by Steve, One Utah, Part of the Plan, and Progressive Utah.
5.15.2006
Democracy in Action
My partner and I attended the Democratic State Convention on Saturday, along with my Dad. It was a lot of fun, and surprisingly, my usually un-political partner was just as excited as I was.
I did notice that the emotions didn't really seem as sustained as they should be. I mean, people clapped and whistled and yelled and occasionally gave a standing ovation, but I thought things would be a lot more energetic, considering the opportunity Democrats have to actually make their voices heard in Utah.
We have a Republican president with a 29% approval rating, and Republican-led Congress with rates barely better. We're standing on a precipice here when even Utah has had a 14 point swing in approval for Bush, and Democrats should be seizing this opportunity. I hope that by November the lack of energy I saw will pick up and Democrats will do just that.
A few notes on some candidates I saw that made me wish I was in the right part of the state to vote for them. Chris Burridge, for instance. He was by far the most energetic of the US House candidates, and in addition he happens to be a former missionary companion to a guy from my home town. A Mormon Democrat in action! Congrats and good luck to him, especially with the news that Chris Cannon has a long fight ahead of him! Jacob garnered a bigger percentage of votes at the convention, which may well mean that in the primaries Cannon will find himself out of a job! All of this bodes well for Burridge, a young guy with a fantastic family and a bright future.
Pete Ashdown was great too! I loved his sense of humor, his tech-savvy presentation, and of course his wit and insights. Luckily, I can vote for him and will come November.
Christine Johnson, a candidate for the State Legislator, was also a wonderful and passionate voice for district 25. She will face off against Josh Ewing in District 25. Josh was great too. We heard them in the Stonewall caucus meeting. I support either candidate, though if I was in 25 I would probably vote for Christine. Not just because I'm biased (she is a lesbian after all), but because she knew what she was talking about, she was extremely passionate and intelligent, and I feel that she could get things done. It would also be great to bolster up the female minority on the hill.
Overall it was a great time and I'll be there again next round. Looking forward to the elections and more excited phone calls from my partner about Cannon's misfortunes. :)
I did notice that the emotions didn't really seem as sustained as they should be. I mean, people clapped and whistled and yelled and occasionally gave a standing ovation, but I thought things would be a lot more energetic, considering the opportunity Democrats have to actually make their voices heard in Utah.
We have a Republican president with a 29% approval rating, and Republican-led Congress with rates barely better. We're standing on a precipice here when even Utah has had a 14 point swing in approval for Bush, and Democrats should be seizing this opportunity. I hope that by November the lack of energy I saw will pick up and Democrats will do just that.
A few notes on some candidates I saw that made me wish I was in the right part of the state to vote for them. Chris Burridge, for instance. He was by far the most energetic of the US House candidates, and in addition he happens to be a former missionary companion to a guy from my home town. A Mormon Democrat in action! Congrats and good luck to him, especially with the news that Chris Cannon has a long fight ahead of him! Jacob garnered a bigger percentage of votes at the convention, which may well mean that in the primaries Cannon will find himself out of a job! All of this bodes well for Burridge, a young guy with a fantastic family and a bright future.
Pete Ashdown was great too! I loved his sense of humor, his tech-savvy presentation, and of course his wit and insights. Luckily, I can vote for him and will come November.
Christine Johnson, a candidate for the State Legislator, was also a wonderful and passionate voice for district 25. She will face off against Josh Ewing in District 25. Josh was great too. We heard them in the Stonewall caucus meeting. I support either candidate, though if I was in 25 I would probably vote for Christine. Not just because I'm biased (she is a lesbian after all), but because she knew what she was talking about, she was extremely passionate and intelligent, and I feel that she could get things done. It would also be great to bolster up the female minority on the hill.
Overall it was a great time and I'll be there again next round. Looking forward to the elections and more excited phone calls from my partner about Cannon's misfortunes. :)
5.12.2006
Refusal to be ethical
It seems to me that Utah Legislators have something to hide.
Legislators have continued to deny and shut down any attempts at ethics reform that would require them to report any gifts from lobbyists and refrain from voting when there is a conflict of interest.
Our lawmakers should know that their time in office isn't about them...it's about their duty to serve the public as elected officials. They should be accountable to us above anyone else. Their opposition to these simple ethical rules tells me that something is seriously wrong, and makes me really want to know who these guys are having lunch with. I want to know who is influencing their votes. It certainly isn't me or you.
Legislators have continued to deny and shut down any attempts at ethics reform that would require them to report any gifts from lobbyists and refrain from voting when there is a conflict of interest.
Our lawmakers should know that their time in office isn't about them...it's about their duty to serve the public as elected officials. They should be accountable to us above anyone else. Their opposition to these simple ethical rules tells me that something is seriously wrong, and makes me really want to know who these guys are having lunch with. I want to know who is influencing their votes. It certainly isn't me or you.
Another Republican from Utah in Congress....
A bi-partisan committee is pushing a bill that would give Washington, D.C. a long awaited representative in Congress.
It would also give Utah another seat.
Hurray. Another Republican from Utah goes to Washington.
It would also give Utah another seat.
Hurray. Another Republican from Utah goes to Washington.
5.11.2006
A view from the Inside
Mitt Romney is thinking of running for president, but has one slight problem: he's a Mormon. Many wouldn't consider this a problem at all: about 5,599,177 Mormons nationwide would surely vote for him. Unless of course I am considered one of those Mormons...in which case 5,599,176 will vote for him. Which is, of course, not enough to get him into office.
So, to try and get past what some would call a major stigma, Romney plans a Kennedy-esque speech to try and reassure the American people that politicians are guided by the Constitution before the Bible...or Book of Mormon.
Problem is, I've seen the inside of the church. I've lived in a state that 1,720,434 Mormons call home. And I know that nothing guides their life more than the church. Not necessarily the Book of Mormon (as evidenced by the overwhelming number of Mormons that are still Republicans despite views in direct opposition to said Book), but by the church.
And the influence the church has over its members is overwhelming. The use of guilt and reward is such that anyone who would vote incorrectly, or stand up to something the majority of members believe in, would soon have a visit from an authority, a phone call, or a cold shoulder from the entire congregation on Sunday.
The Mormon church, unlike the Catholic church, is not just a set of beliefs. It is a lifestyle. It is a culture. For someone to say they will put the interests of the Constitution above and beyond the interests of Mormonism is hypocrisy. After all, is it in the interests of the Constitution to write in an amendment that would discriminate against at least 12.6% of American households? NO. But if Mitt Romney were to veto such a measure, that would be in direct conflict with his beliefs, and he would never do it.
So, for those of you who have not seen the inside, let me tell you now...Mitt Romney will not be able to separate his Mormonism from his politics. If you're comfortable with that, than by all means, vote for him. Or, find out more about the church here and then determine if you're comfortable with that ideology and dogma sitting on Pennsylvania Avenue. Otherwise, trust your gut and vote for the other guy.
So, to try and get past what some would call a major stigma, Romney plans a Kennedy-esque speech to try and reassure the American people that politicians are guided by the Constitution before the Bible...or Book of Mormon.
Problem is, I've seen the inside of the church. I've lived in a state that 1,720,434 Mormons call home. And I know that nothing guides their life more than the church. Not necessarily the Book of Mormon (as evidenced by the overwhelming number of Mormons that are still Republicans despite views in direct opposition to said Book), but by the church.
And the influence the church has over its members is overwhelming. The use of guilt and reward is such that anyone who would vote incorrectly, or stand up to something the majority of members believe in, would soon have a visit from an authority, a phone call, or a cold shoulder from the entire congregation on Sunday.
The Mormon church, unlike the Catholic church, is not just a set of beliefs. It is a lifestyle. It is a culture. For someone to say they will put the interests of the Constitution above and beyond the interests of Mormonism is hypocrisy. After all, is it in the interests of the Constitution to write in an amendment that would discriminate against at least 12.6% of American households? NO. But if Mitt Romney were to veto such a measure, that would be in direct conflict with his beliefs, and he would never do it.
So, for those of you who have not seen the inside, let me tell you now...Mitt Romney will not be able to separate his Mormonism from his politics. If you're comfortable with that, than by all means, vote for him. Or, find out more about the church here and then determine if you're comfortable with that ideology and dogma sitting on Pennsylvania Avenue. Otherwise, trust your gut and vote for the other guy.
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