100 problems with HB148 - Education Vouchers

The answer to increased school choice is NOT voucher schools.
The answer is CHARTER SCHOOLS.

Remember - A voucher school which honors its stewardship of the public trust is known as a CHARTER SCHOOL!

100 Unintended Consequences of House Bill 148 – “Education Vouchers”
The answer – operate as a CHARTER SCHOOL.

1. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could grant enrollment preference to a student based on socioeconomic status.
2. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could expel a student if they do not achieve a certain minimum score on a standardized test.
3. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could reject a student if the student does not achieve a minimum score on a pre-assessment as determined or created by the school’s owners.
4. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could reject a student if they have a specific medical condition, such as ADHD or childhood depression.
5. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could reject a student based on their height, weight, or physical ability.
6. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could deny a student enrollment if the student has a learning disability.
7. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could remove a student the owners or an influential donor do not like.
8. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could expel a student to make room for another student whose parents make a large donation to the school.
9. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could grant enrollment preference to a student based on proximity to the school.
10. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could immediately expel a student with or without cause without specifying the reason and without due process of any kind.
11. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could require family-funded extracurricular activities or out-of-state school trips as a requirement for enrollment.
12. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could require that parents earn a minimum income, such as $100,000 per year, prior to accepting their children.
13. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could require that parents submit to a credit check and require parents to pay for it.
14. With your tax dollars, a voucher school which becomes dependent on voucher funds and then receives a reduction in funds due to legislative action in an economic downturn can require the difference to be paid for by the parents, placing a significant unforeseen burden on families with tight budgets.
15. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could auction or sell open seats to the highest bidder.
16. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could hire unlicensed or unqualified teachers.
17. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could require teachers to sign a loyalty oath, forbidding them from discussing school operations or face financial penalties and/or termination.
18. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could remove a teacher without notice and for absolutely no reason.
19. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could force teachers to sign non-compete agreements, banning them from teaching at another school in the area should they choose to leave.
20. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could teach students specific religious philosophies.
21. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could teach that members of other races or religions are inferior.
22. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could sell religious books, videos, or software directly to students at significant markup, with the inventory of such materials to be paid for by voucher funds.
23. With your tax dollars, voucher schools could require students to make denominational pledges of allegiance (e.g., “I pledge allegiance to the Christian flag”) and expel students who refuse.
24. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could expel a child for refusing to pray.
25. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could advocate specific ideologies such as socialism or communism.
26. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could leave your children unattended without supervision.
27. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could operate in a building that is unsafe in an earthquake.
28. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could hire convicted felons.
29. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could be operated by convicted felons.
30. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could allow teachers to keep alcoholic beverages on campus.
31. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could allow children to browse the web without an Internet filter.
32. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could deny parents the ability to conference with teachers or the principal.
33. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could hold every single board meeting closed to the public.
34. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could deny access to all visitors, including district and state officials as well as the parents themselves.
35. With your tax dollars, a voucher school’s parents could be banned from meeting the owners of the school or even knowing who the owners are.
36. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could mandate that all disputes be resolved with binding arbitration.
37. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could deny all GRAMA requests made by parents or state officials as they are not subject to Utah sunshine laws.
38. With your tax dollars, voucher schools will force legislators to appropriate additional money not covered by this bill to provide for oversight costs already being encountered in other voucher implementations such as Florida or Milwaukee.
39. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could change its mission or focus with absolutely no input or discussion from parents or teachers. If the parents don’t like it their only recourse is to “vote with their feet” and leave.
40. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could open next door to a traditional or public charter school without informing the school or sharing enrollment information of any kind.
41. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could open next door to a traditional or public charter school, starving it of students and forcing changes to boundaries or causing the school to close.
42. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could hold classes for significantly fewer days per year (60 days/year, for example) and still receive full voucher funding.
43. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could spend your money to defend itself against a lawsuit brought upon it by the state that provided the money in the first place.
44. With your tax dollars, voucher schools will grow, not shrink, the size of government as families with students currently in private schools inevitably lobby to obtain voucher funds.
45. With your tax dollars, voucher schools who become dependent on voucher funds will exercise enormous political pressure to maintain a steady stream of funds, even in times of economic downturn.
46. With your tax dollars, voucher schools place a significantly greater burden on small school districts whose economies of scale cannot match those of larger districts.
47. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could bribe parents by offering them a partial refund of their voucher as a “signing bonus.”
48. With your tax dollars, voucher schools will be able to issue an annual norm-referenced test that cannot be accurately compared to public school norm-referenced tests, thus making claims of voucher performance gains difficult or impossible to substantiate.
49. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could require a severely strict uniform and could demand that families purchase uniforms from specific suppliers, including the owners themselves, at any price.
50. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could use spanking to discipline children.
51. With your tax dollars, a voucher school with multiple campuses could require students to move from one campus to another, without regard to the burden on the families affected.
52. With your tax dollars, a voucher school is not required to teach civic and character education deemed essential by the legislature as “fundamental elements of the constitutional responsibility of public education.”
53. With your tax dollars, a political party could operate and maintain a voucher school.
54. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could endorse specific political candidates.
55. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could require that parents are members of a specific political party or contribute to a particular political action committee prior to enrolling their children.
56. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could allow political candidates to pass out literature paid for by the school on campus.
57. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could pay for and/or post political lawn signs on school property.
58. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could ask for donations for political candidates.
59. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could host a political rally for a political candidate during regular school hours.
60. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could donate to political action committees.
61. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could pay for robocalls or television ads for a political candidate.
62. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could hire lobbyists to advocate for specific legislation.
63. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could close without notice, leaving local districts to reabsorb the students without reimbursement.
64. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could be mismanaged, go bankrupt and close its doors with the state never getting the voucher funds back.
65. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could relocate, perhaps multiple times per year, without any input whatsoever from parents or staff.
66. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could operate for one year in a low-income area, obtain voucher funds, purchase curriculum materials, desks, and computers, then close its doors and relocate to an affluent area the next year with new students.
67. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could obtain scholarship payments, close the business without notice at the end of a quarter and liquidate the company with absolutely no legal recourse.
68. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could hold large fundraisers and then close their doors immediately after the fundraiser with absolutely no recourse or notice.
69. With your tax dollars, a voucher school that becomes dependent on voucher funds to subsidize their operation will go out of business if future regulations invalidate the school from receiving vouchers.
70. With your tax dollars, a voucher school in financial distress could cut back on the number of students attending the school, “laying off” large numbers of students and/or cutting staff and raising classroom size to make ends meet.
71. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could spend public money at the owner’s sole discretion with absolutely no transparency and without being subject to an audit.
72. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could charge students any fee it likes for lunch.
73. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could have vending machines full of pop and junk food, with all of the proceeds going to the owners.
74. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could require all supplies, books, and materials to be fees that fall outside of the normal tuition subsidized by the voucher.
75. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could raise its rates at any time for any reason and require the difference to be paid for by the parents or face expulsion.
76. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could charge more for voucher students than it would for students who do not have a voucher.
77. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could increase tuition until only those who could have afforded the school without the voucher could attend.
78. With your tax dollars, a voucher could be applied to a program in which the students meet at a facility and interact with a single teacher for only a few hours each week.
79. With your tax dollars, a voucher school’s owners could appeal to parents to donate to pay off the building (in the name of helping the kids), then close its doors and sell the building without notice and with no recourse.
80. With your tax dollars, a voucher school as a for-profit enterprise could retain significant revenue obtained by voucher funds to enrich themselves rather than directing the funds to the students.
81. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could enter into vendor relationships with friends or relatives for any amount and with absolutely no transparency to the public.
82. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could require a parent to sign up for a multiple-year contract in exchange for a tuition reduction, with significant early-exit penalties.
83. With your tax dollars, a voucher school’s owners could pay themselves or a relative, such as a son or daughter, far more for the same job than they would other employees, with absolutely no transparency to the public.
84. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could set classroom size to be as high as the owners could get away with.
85. With your tax dollars, a voucher school can ask teachers who already receive free enrollment for their children to redeem their vouchers anyway, thus creating an additional cost to the public.
86. With your tax dollars, a voucher school can ask teachers who already receive free enrollment for their children to redeem their vouchers and then give it back to them as a free perk on the public’s nickel.
87. With your tax dollars, a home-school network with as few as 41 students could rent a small location, meet there once/week, and obtain full voucher funding.
88. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could sell merchandise to children on campus.
89. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could invite vendors to sell merchandise on campus and retain a kickback in exchange.
90. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could force children to participate in fundraising activities during school time and on school property.
91. With your tax dollars, a voucher high school could invite selected private higher education institutions to recruit the high school students, receiving a kickback for each student enrolled.
92. With your tax dollars, a voucher network could hold a portion of the student’s voucher in an account to be paid back as a scholarship to the student only if they attend a higher education institution owned by the voucher network.
93. With your tax dollars, a voucher school could sell curriculum materials to students at a significant markup to enrich the owners.
94. With your tax dollars, a charter school could close and convert to a voucher school, expelling all students and re-admitting only those students the owners decide to retain.
95. With your tax dollars, a charter school in trouble with the state could close its doors and convert to a voucher school, leaving concerns and pending investigations completely unresolved.
96. With your tax dollars, a charter elementary school’s owners could expand its campus to include a for-profit middle school and grant enrollment preference to elementary students of the public charter.
97. With your tax dollars, voucher schools can place private schools that refuse the conditions of the voucher at an insurmountable economic and competitive disadvantage.
98. With your tax dollars, voucher schools will encourage homeschoolers and existing private school families to exercise significant political pressure to obtain voucher funds for themselves.
99. With your tax dollars, unqualified owners or opportunistic entrepreneurs can create situations demanding further regulation. These regulations may unwittingly invalidate above-board private schools from obtaining voucher funds, thus placing them at a significant economic disadvantage and possibly putting them out of business.
100. With your tax dollars, a voucher school’s owners will be faced every day with a continual dilemma – is the first priority of a for-profit enterprise that is given public funds to promote one’s self-interest or to further the public good?

Submitted by Craig Johnson

"Parents" for Choice money primarily not from parents

I see a few individuals but "Parents" for School Choice is not some grass roots group of concerned "parents" trying to get their kids out of public schools. The major donors are business and out-of-state interests. Patrick Byrne is the CEO of Overstock.com. So now we have big corporate interests determining the quality of education for everyone's kids.
All Children Matter, Inc. is an out-of-state interst group determining our local school policy.
Doug Holmes is a leader of the Voucher Pro-Choice special interest group. Energy Solutions buries nuclear waste in the desert west of Salt Lake County. Developers build real estate--maybe I don't get it because I didn't go to private grammar school, but why do these people want to take money out of our public school system? Hint: it is not about kids, it is about their philosophical opposition to a free quality public education for all of our children.

2006 contributions for the Voucher Pro-Choice group:

Holmes, Doug 321 Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
01/04/2006
$20000.0
Patrick Byrne700 Bitner Road Park City, UT 84098-
01/09/2006
$20000.0
Black, Robert 5 Hidden Court Park City, UT 84060
01/12/2006
$1000.0
Davis, Glen 2850 East 3300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84109
03/20/2006
$250.0
Sheranian, Lori PO Box 656 Springville, UT 84663
03/20/2006
$50.0
Warren, Kim PO Box 17819 Salt Lake City, UT 84117
03/21/2006
$5000.0
Anderson, Nedra 1791 N 1200 E North Logan, UT 84341
03/22/2006
$100.0
All Children Matter, Inc.201 Monroe Ave NW Ste 300 Grand Rapids, MI 49503
03/25/2006
$50000.0
Jenkins, James W1734 Spring Lane SLC, UT 84117
03/29/2006
$500.0
Tenney, Will 765 W 600 S Alpine, UT 84004
03/30/2006
$750.0
Knight, David 1495 Arlington Drive Salt Lake CIty, UT 84103
04/01/2006
$1000.0
Iverson, Dennis 40 E 200 N Washington, UT 84780
04/02/2006
$50.0
Holmes, Melba 1539 Shadow Valley Dr Ogden, UT 84403
04/25/2006
$50.0
Fillmore, Lincoln 2355 Karalee Way Sandy, UT 84092
04/27/2006
$100.0
Purinton, Jeanne 485 E 700 N Spanish Fork, UT 84660
05/02/2006
$50.0
Patrick Byrne700 Bitner Road Park City, UT 84098-
05/08/2006
$20000.0
All Children Matter, Inc.201 Monroe Ave NW Ste 300 Grand Rapids, MI 49503
06/05/2006
$50000.0
Harris, Neal 2108 N Summer Wood Dr Farmington, UT 84025
06/26/2006
$500.0
Baker, Joe 231 Rountree Dr Cedar City, UT 84720
07/13/2006
$50.0
Patrick Byrne700 Bitner Road Park City, UT 84098-
07/14/2006
$10000.0

Holmes, Erin 321 E Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
09/12/2006
$1500.0
Jenkins, James W1734 Spring Lane SLC, UT 84117
09/12/2006
$5000.0
TSS Investments252 W 540 N Orem, UT 84057
09/12/2006
$5000.0
McGuire Group LLC85 Eastbay Blvd Provo, UT 84606
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Construction by Design Corp.PO Box 118 Spanish Fork, UT 84660
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Barfuss, Andrew 673 Ridgewood Cir. Farmington, UT 84025
08/02/2006
$500.0
Laycock, Lloyd 1540 S Kanab Creek Dr Kanab, UT 84741
08/08/2006
$50.0
Erickson, Amy 2295 S Bountiful Blvd Bountiful, UT 84010
09/12/2006
$500.0
Zito, Anthony 12298 Graystone Ct Draper, UT 84020
09/12/2006
$750.0
Pankratz, Teena 11963 Draperville Ave Draper, UT 84020
09/12/2006
$50.0
L & S Auto Sales497 Market St Kaysville, UT 84037
09/12/2006
$500.0
Dynes, Adam M224 5th Avenue Apt B Salt Lake CIty, UT 84103
09/12/2006
$50.0
Casa Bella Development 2040 East 4800 South, Sute 202A Holladay, UT 84117
10/22/2006
$1500.0
Fuller, Brandon 6972 N Northfork Rd. Liberty, UT 84310
10/13/2006
$100.0
Eringo , Mike KobiaPO Box 11843 Salt Lake City, UT 84147
10/06/2006
$200.0
Moon, Gregory 419 Salvia Ct Bel Air, MD 21025
10/06/2006
$50.0
Aggregate ContributionsVarious Various, UT 84111
10/28/2006
$90.0
contributions received from 9/16 - 10/31/2006
Olde Millinery Investments LLCPO Box 276 Farmington, UT 84025
09/12/2006
$500.0
JD Clark Enterprises, Inc.2774 North 920 East North Logan, UT 84341
09/12/2006
$1000.0
Five Pillar Investments LLC863 S 1520 E Spanish Fork, UT 84660
09/12/2006
$5000.0

Davis, Glen 2850 East 3300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84109
03/20/2006
$250.0
Knight, David 1495 Arlington Drive Salt Lake CIty, UT 84103
04/01/2006
$1000.0
Poulton, Steve 2137 E. 3300 S. Salt Lake City, UT 84109
07/26/2006
$200.0
Bateman, Kyle 4001 N Sherwood Dr Provo, UT 84604
09/07/2006
$300.0
Koerber, Claud R599 E 1355 S Springville, UT 84663
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Joseph, Gabriel 188 W River Park Dr Provo, UT 84603
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Holbrook, Jonathan 378 Alice Mae Cir Farmington, UT 84025
09/12/2006
$300.0
Clements, Jordan W.6372 S Braxton Ct. Salt Lake City, UT 84121
09/12/2006
$1500.0
Toone, Rock 4780 S 2400 W Roy, UT 84067
09/12/2006
$100.0
Andersen, Steven 346 Oak Ln Farmington, UT 84025
09/12/2006
$500.0
McGarry, Tricia 2018 E Terrace Court Sandy, UT 84093
09/12/2006
$750.0
Franklin Squires Investments85 Eastbay Blvd Provo, UT 84606
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Sheranian, Lori PO Box 656 Springville, UT 84663
03/20/2006
$50.0
Holmes, Melba 1539 Shadow Valley Dr Ogden, UT 84403
04/25/2006
$50.0
Fillmore, Lincoln 2355 Karalee Way Sandy, UT 84092
04/27/2006
$100.0
Harris, Neal 2108 N Summer Wood Dr Farmington, UT 84025
06/26/2006
$500.0
Baker, Joe 231 Rountree Dr Cedar City, UT 84720
07/13/2006
$50.0
Knudsen Fillmore, Alexandra 2355 Karalee Way Sandy, UT 84092
09/08/2006
$900.0
Celaya, Katie 3449 E Appaloosa Way Eagle Mountain, UT 84043
09/12/2006
$50.0
Hill Erickson LLC85 East Bay Blvd, Ste 200 Provo, UT 84606
09/12/2006
$5000.0

Holmes, Doug 321 Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
01/04/2006
$20000.0
Patrick Byrne700 Bitner Road Park City, UT 84098-
07/14/2006
$10000.0
Holmes, Allison 416 N Seven Peaks Blvd. #317 Provo, UT 84606
09/16/2006
$100.0
All Children Matter, Inc.201 Monroe Ave NW Ste 300 Grand Rapids, MI 49503
09/18/2006
$50000.0
Halar Corp568 West 800 North Orem, UT 84057
09/20/2006
$500.0
Coleman, Aleisha 127 East 400 South Provo, UT 84060
10/13/2006
$100.0
Pankratz, Teena 11963 Draperville Ave Draper, UT 84020
10/13/2006
$50.0
Thomas V. Hatch Campaign FundPO Box 391 Panguitch, UT 84759
10/13/2006
$1000.0
Dickson, Dana 3643 Choke Cherry Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84109
10/20/2006
$50.0
Energy Solutions423 West 300 South Suite 200 SLC, UT 84101
10/20/2006
$1500.0
Holmes, Melba 1539 Shadow Valley Dr Ogden, UT 84403
10/20/2006
$100.0
Ahlstrom, Paul 7911 S. Davinci Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84121
09/22/2006
$5000.0
Haroldsen, Mark O.4505 Wasatch Blvd. Salt Lake City, UT 84124
10/06/2006
$1500.0
D+E Development, LLC321 E Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
10/26/2006
$10000.0
Stevens, Todd One South Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84111
10/06/2006
$300.0
Peterson , Joel 6033 South 2300 East Salt Lake City, UT 84121
10/06/2006
$5000.0
Potter, Steven 240 Old Kings Hwy S Darien, UT 06820
10/06/2006
$200.0
Madsen, Mark 333 E Main, PO Box 527 Lehi, UT 84043
09/16/2006
$500.0
Bailey, Donald PO Box 1221 Provo, UT 84603
09/16/2006
$50.0
Legends Land & Ranch, LLCPO Box 33759 Indialantic, FL 32903
09/16/2006
$1000.0

Johnson, Hal 568 W 800 N Ste 203 Orem, UT 84057
09/16/2006
$500.0
Celaya, Chelsea 739 Sand Dollar Dr. Sandy, UT 84094
08/30/2006
$250.0
Knight, David 1495 Arlington Drive Salt Lake CIty, UT 84103
09/10/2006
$500.0
Media Forum, Inc8548 Mivu Circle Sandy, UT 84093
09/11/2006
$4500.0
Coleman, Aleisha 127 East 400 South Provo, UT 84060
09/12/2006
$50.0
Swain, Lew 1688 N canyon Circle Farmington, UT 84025
09/12/2006
$700.0
Fillmore, Lincoln 2355 Karalee Way Sandy, UT 84092
09/12/2006
$50.0
Capital Enterprises LLC415 W 3700 N Provo, UT 84604
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Black, Robert 5 Hidden Court Park City, UT 84060
01/12/2006
$1000.0
Warren, Kim PO Box 17819 Salt Lake City, UT 84117
03/21/2006
$5000.0
Iverson, Dennis 40 E 200 N Washington, UT 84780
04/02/2006
$50.0
Patrick Byrne700 Bitner Road Park City, UT 84098-
05/08/2006
$20000.0
Tenney, Will 765 W 600 S Alpine, UT 84004
03/30/2006
$750.0
Purinton, Jeanne 485 E 700 N Spanish Fork, UT 84660
05/02/2006
$50.0
Aggregate ContributionsVarious Various, UT 84111
12/31/2006
$25.0
aggregate contributions 10/29-12/31/2006
Doug Holmes321 E. Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
12/21/2006
$20000.0
Merrill, Teressa 4901 Whitsett Ave. #206 Valley Village, CA 91607
11/20/2006
$3800.0
Peterson, Elisa C6508 Hickory Lane Salt Lake City, UT 84121
12/13/2006
$716.42
Yes
phone bills
D+E Development, LLC321 E Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
11/20/2006
$20000.0
Yes
Peterson, Elisa C6508 Hickory Lane Salt Lake City, UT 84121
12/1

"Parents" for Choice money primarily not from parents

I see a few individuals but "Parents" for School Choice is not some grass roots group of concerned "parents" trying to get their kids out of public schools. The major donors are business and out-of-state interests. Patrick Byrne is the CEO of Overstock.com. So now we have big corporate interests determining the quality of education for everyone's kids.
All Children Matter, Inc. is an out-of-state interst group determining our local school policy.
Doug Holmes is a leader of the Voucher Pro-Choice special interest group. Energy Solutions buries nuclear waste in the desert west of Salt Lake County. Developers build real estate--maybe I don't get it becasue I didn't go to private school, but why do these people want to take money out of our public school system? Hint: it is not about kids, it is about their philosophical opposition to a free quality public education for all of our children.

2006 contributions for the Voucher Pro-Choice group:

Holmes, Doug 321 Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
01/04/2006
$20000.0
Patrick Byrne700 Bitner Road Park City, UT 84098-
01/09/2006
$20000.0
Black, Robert 5 Hidden Court Park City, UT 84060
01/12/2006
$1000.0
Davis, Glen 2850 East 3300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84109
03/20/2006
$250.0
Sheranian, Lori PO Box 656 Springville, UT 84663
03/20/2006
$50.0
Warren, Kim PO Box 17819 Salt Lake City, UT 84117
03/21/2006
$5000.0
Anderson, Nedra 1791 N 1200 E North Logan, UT 84341
03/22/2006
$100.0
All Children Matter, Inc.201 Monroe Ave NW Ste 300 Grand Rapids, MI 49503
03/25/2006
$50000.0
Jenkins, James W1734 Spring Lane SLC, UT 84117
03/29/2006
$500.0
Tenney, Will 765 W 600 S Alpine, UT 84004
03/30/2006
$750.0
Knight, David 1495 Arlington Drive Salt Lake CIty, UT 84103
04/01/2006
$1000.0
Iverson, Dennis 40 E 200 N Washington, UT 84780
04/02/2006
$50.0
Holmes, Melba 1539 Shadow Valley Dr Ogden, UT 84403
04/25/2006
$50.0
Fillmore, Lincoln 2355 Karalee Way Sandy, UT 84092
04/27/2006
$100.0
Purinton, Jeanne 485 E 700 N Spanish Fork, UT 84660
05/02/2006
$50.0
Patrick Byrne700 Bitner Road Park City, UT 84098-
05/08/2006
$20000.0
All Children Matter, Inc.201 Monroe Ave NW Ste 300 Grand Rapids, MI 49503
06/05/2006
$50000.0
Harris, Neal 2108 N Summer Wood Dr Farmington, UT 84025
06/26/2006
$500.0
Baker, Joe 231 Rountree Dr Cedar City, UT 84720
07/13/2006
$50.0
Patrick Byrne700 Bitner Road Park City, UT 84098-
07/14/2006
$10000.0

Holmes, Erin 321 E Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
09/12/2006
$1500.0
Jenkins, James W1734 Spring Lane SLC, UT 84117
09/12/2006
$5000.0
TSS Investments252 W 540 N Orem, UT 84057
09/12/2006
$5000.0
McGuire Group LLC85 Eastbay Blvd Provo, UT 84606
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Construction by Design Corp.PO Box 118 Spanish Fork, UT 84660
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Barfuss, Andrew 673 Ridgewood Cir. Farmington, UT 84025
08/02/2006
$500.0
Laycock, Lloyd 1540 S Kanab Creek Dr Kanab, UT 84741
08/08/2006
$50.0
Erickson, Amy 2295 S Bountiful Blvd Bountiful, UT 84010
09/12/2006
$500.0
Zito, Anthony 12298 Graystone Ct Draper, UT 84020
09/12/2006
$750.0
Pankratz, Teena 11963 Draperville Ave Draper, UT 84020
09/12/2006
$50.0
L & S Auto Sales497 Market St Kaysville, UT 84037
09/12/2006
$500.0
Dynes, Adam M224 5th Avenue Apt B Salt Lake CIty, UT 84103
09/12/2006
$50.0
Casa Bella Development 2040 East 4800 South, Sute 202A Holladay, UT 84117
10/22/2006
$1500.0
Fuller, Brandon 6972 N Northfork Rd. Liberty, UT 84310
10/13/2006
$100.0
Eringo , Mike KobiaPO Box 11843 Salt Lake City, UT 84147
10/06/2006
$200.0
Moon, Gregory 419 Salvia Ct Bel Air, MD 21025
10/06/2006
$50.0
Aggregate ContributionsVarious Various, UT 84111
10/28/2006
$90.0
contributions received from 9/16 - 10/31/2006
Olde Millinery Investments LLCPO Box 276 Farmington, UT 84025
09/12/2006
$500.0
JD Clark Enterprises, Inc.2774 North 920 East North Logan, UT 84341
09/12/2006
$1000.0
Five Pillar Investments LLC863 S 1520 E Spanish Fork, UT 84660
09/12/2006
$5000.0

Davis, Glen 2850 East 3300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84109
03/20/2006
$250.0
Knight, David 1495 Arlington Drive Salt Lake CIty, UT 84103
04/01/2006
$1000.0
Poulton, Steve 2137 E. 3300 S. Salt Lake City, UT 84109
07/26/2006
$200.0
Bateman, Kyle 4001 N Sherwood Dr Provo, UT 84604
09/07/2006
$300.0
Koerber, Claud R599 E 1355 S Springville, UT 84663
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Joseph, Gabriel 188 W River Park Dr Provo, UT 84603
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Holbrook, Jonathan 378 Alice Mae Cir Farmington, UT 84025
09/12/2006
$300.0
Clements, Jordan W.6372 S Braxton Ct. Salt Lake City, UT 84121
09/12/2006
$1500.0
Toone, Rock 4780 S 2400 W Roy, UT 84067
09/12/2006
$100.0
Andersen, Steven 346 Oak Ln Farmington, UT 84025
09/12/2006
$500.0
McGarry, Tricia 2018 E Terrace Court Sandy, UT 84093
09/12/2006
$750.0
Franklin Squires Investments85 Eastbay Blvd Provo, UT 84606
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Sheranian, Lori PO Box 656 Springville, UT 84663
03/20/2006
$50.0
Holmes, Melba 1539 Shadow Valley Dr Ogden, UT 84403
04/25/2006
$50.0
Fillmore, Lincoln 2355 Karalee Way Sandy, UT 84092
04/27/2006
$100.0
Harris, Neal 2108 N Summer Wood Dr Farmington, UT 84025
06/26/2006
$500.0
Baker, Joe 231 Rountree Dr Cedar City, UT 84720
07/13/2006
$50.0
Knudsen Fillmore, Alexandra 2355 Karalee Way Sandy, UT 84092
09/08/2006
$900.0
Celaya, Katie 3449 E Appaloosa Way Eagle Mountain, UT 84043
09/12/2006
$50.0
Hill Erickson LLC85 East Bay Blvd, Ste 200 Provo, UT 84606
09/12/2006
$5000.0

Holmes, Doug 321 Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
01/04/2006
$20000.0
Patrick Byrne700 Bitner Road Park City, UT 84098-
07/14/2006
$10000.0
Holmes, Allison 416 N Seven Peaks Blvd. #317 Provo, UT 84606
09/16/2006
$100.0
All Children Matter, Inc.201 Monroe Ave NW Ste 300 Grand Rapids, MI 49503
09/18/2006
$50000.0
Halar Corp568 West 800 North Orem, UT 84057
09/20/2006
$500.0
Coleman, Aleisha 127 East 400 South Provo, UT 84060
10/13/2006
$100.0
Pankratz, Teena 11963 Draperville Ave Draper, UT 84020
10/13/2006
$50.0
Thomas V. Hatch Campaign FundPO Box 391 Panguitch, UT 84759
10/13/2006
$1000.0
Dickson, Dana 3643 Choke Cherry Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84109
10/20/2006
$50.0
Energy Solutions423 West 300 South Suite 200 SLC, UT 84101
10/20/2006
$1500.0
Holmes, Melba 1539 Shadow Valley Dr Ogden, UT 84403
10/20/2006
$100.0
Ahlstrom, Paul 7911 S. Davinci Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84121
09/22/2006
$5000.0
Haroldsen, Mark O.4505 Wasatch Blvd. Salt Lake City, UT 84124
10/06/2006
$1500.0
D+E Development, LLC321 E Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
10/26/2006
$10000.0
Stevens, Todd One South Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84111
10/06/2006
$300.0
Peterson , Joel 6033 South 2300 East Salt Lake City, UT 84121
10/06/2006
$5000.0
Potter, Steven 240 Old Kings Hwy S Darien, UT 06820
10/06/2006
$200.0
Madsen, Mark 333 E Main, PO Box 527 Lehi, UT 84043
09/16/2006
$500.0
Bailey, Donald PO Box 1221 Provo, UT 84603
09/16/2006
$50.0
Legends Land & Ranch, LLCPO Box 33759 Indialantic, FL 32903
09/16/2006
$1000.0

Johnson, Hal 568 W 800 N Ste 203 Orem, UT 84057
09/16/2006
$500.0
Celaya, Chelsea 739 Sand Dollar Dr. Sandy, UT 84094
08/30/2006
$250.0
Knight, David 1495 Arlington Drive Salt Lake CIty, UT 84103
09/10/2006
$500.0
Media Forum, Inc8548 Mivu Circle Sandy, UT 84093
09/11/2006
$4500.0
Coleman, Aleisha 127 East 400 South Provo, UT 84060
09/12/2006
$50.0
Swain, Lew 1688 N canyon Circle Farmington, UT 84025
09/12/2006
$700.0
Fillmore, Lincoln 2355 Karalee Way Sandy, UT 84092
09/12/2006
$50.0
Capital Enterprises LLC415 W 3700 N Provo, UT 84604
09/12/2006
$5000.0
Black, Robert 5 Hidden Court Park City, UT 84060
01/12/2006
$1000.0
Warren, Kim PO Box 17819 Salt Lake City, UT 84117
03/21/2006
$5000.0
Iverson, Dennis 40 E 200 N Washington, UT 84780
04/02/2006
$50.0
Patrick Byrne700 Bitner Road Park City, UT 84098-
05/08/2006
$20000.0
Tenney, Will 765 W 600 S Alpine, UT 84004
03/30/2006
$750.0
Purinton, Jeanne 485 E 700 N Spanish Fork, UT 84660
05/02/2006
$50.0
Aggregate ContributionsVarious Various, UT 84111
12/31/2006
$25.0
aggregate contributions 10/29-12/31/2006
Doug Holmes321 E. Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
12/21/2006
$20000.0
Merrill, Teressa 4901 Whitsett Ave. #206 Valley Village, CA 91607
11/20/2006
$3800.0
Peterson, Elisa C6508 Hickory Lane Salt Lake City, UT 84121
12/13/2006
$716.42
Yes
phone bills
D+E Development, LLC321 E Oak Lane Farmington, UT 84025
11/20/2006
$20000.0
Yes
Peterson, Elisa C6508 Hickory Lane Salt Lake City, UT 84121
12/1

Vouchers: What I sent to "my" State Representative, Howard Stephanson

As a former Public School, Community College and University Administrator(Advisor/Director and Dean of Admissions & Student Services, Vice President of Instruction and Student Services and Interim President and State Community College Business Education Specialist), I must warn you that the State of Utah should face legal liability for any further leanings and actions of improper involvement of the Church of JC/LDS in gerrymandering public education and public school funds for vouchers and other elitist strategies.

I have visited numerous public and private colleges, high schools and elementary schools in Oregon and Idaho. I moved to Riverton, Utah to retire and get active in public affairs. I have seen firsthand, in multiple schools and classrooms these voucher-infused and/or "Alternative Schools" the racism, class-ism, protected status of Mormons with Seminaries on school grounds and their attempts, many successful, to have fewer disabled students, fewer, (often if any) Hispanic and Black students, catering almost exclusively to white, rich students from homes with two or more vehicles for transporting and/or high or double incomes. Why in the heck do you think these Utah students "of color" continue to do poorly on the Utah State tests of accomplishment?

The public schools must be the only recipients of tax dollars as they are in a steep decline; with many very good committed teachers who leave due to No Child Left Behind as do many students (up to 1/3rd) like in Texas where Bush was governor), who are "counseled out" of public high schools to raise school test scores.

The founding fathers (and mothers) of our country, (no, not Utah) determined that Public Education was necessary and for the public good (as determined by our Protestant predecessors who wanted to be free of brain-washing, enabled to think individually and act for their own and the public good, (not for the private over-arching tyranny of church/government coffers and intertwinings of Europe). They thought it was very, very necessary that there be "a free and appropriate public education" to clear and teach minds and focus thought and actions for the success of the then relatively new concept of democratic government.

The public high schools now cater to the rich white students (in Utah bent on overpopulation and biosphere pollution), by offering more and more Advanced Placement courses (which they can turn into college credits by 3 different cheap methods) and "Leadership" courses (often with 20 or fewer students so they get lower student/teacher ratios and more "college counseling" (note: that term is not "post-secondary" counseling emphasizing community colleges and Vocational-Technical training institutes for the majority!!!).

These vouchers are part of a movement to counter rising college and university tuition fees to get basic college general education courses (up to 2 years) taken by predominantly white, (especially in Utah), rich, college educated school board members own kids (who often get "selected") and who take advantage of the systems they knowingly set up! Remember too that it is much to a college/universities budget advantage to bring in the richest high achieving students from both inside and outside the US - so our public school attendees are competing with elitist, often private and/or religious educated aliens/foreigners for limited spots for college and university education opportunities!

These college students are not only from the U.S., Mexico and Canada; this is the education and employment coveted by Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, England, Germany (euro$ anyone) and many others from around the world.

Later, as graduates, these former alien students go home, or stay in the U.S. to compete with our citizens for jobs and our corporations and who later lower the value of the American dollar against foreign currencies and "adapt" or steal our technologies.

They financially seduce our best-of-the-best graduates to go abroad for employment and often to teach, or administer sweat shop corporations and child telemarketers in countries that don't share our humanistic values, benefits, etc.

It is time to say NO to these sneaky vouchers and elitist education tactics and reinvest in our public education schools, teachers and counselors.

We must redirect and strategically utilize and conserve our public school, college and university funds holistically. These efforts could save the breaking backbone of our country: the middle working class. If we don't, our future will be written off as the Roman Empire, the Greek Empire, the Caliphates of the old Arab world.

We are, and will continue, to decline from within and abroad due to our current catastrophic investments (1.5 trillion $ to date) in subjugationist holy wars of "nation-building" as advised by Karl Rove, Stephen Hadley, Gen. Michael Hayden, Orrin Hatch, etc. Will they stay on if Mitt Romney is elected? Hope not.

How do you think it will bode for our Senior Citizens, Social Security and Medicare, since they are already under attack by the imbecilic and corrupt Bush Administration?

Illegal immigrants are a huge cost to our public education system, tying up billions of dollars in time, classrooms, teachers, counselors, etc. let alone costing other huge sums in roads & repairs, diminishing U.S. gas availability which raises prices, contributes to pollution and they comprise very disproportionately large percentages of prison/jail populations, drive up housing costs, drive down wages. Yes some do contribute minimal taxes.

Senior Citizens are now competing for the scarcer and scarcer public dollars as our nation grows weaker and weaker due to war costs nationally, elitist "vouchers", overcrowded schools and other reverse Robin Hood education strategies locally.

The "Greatest Generation" (who went through the Great Depression and fought WW2 & Korea) and their oft selfish baby-boomer offspring now retiring, and their more often selfish grandchildren might well be forced to take it out on the public schools at the ballot box in their own economic survival self-interests at the local level. That is cutting off our nose to spite our face now and in the very near future.

Please see beyond your own self-interest philosophy and State Republican Party dogma and vote against vouchers!

Have a bigger vision of the intersections of opportunity for investment in our public school children and the impact on our nation. Focus on the future of public education for legitimate citizens not illegal’s and / or their anchor-babies; then there will be funds to return our public schools to greatness in the classroom and counseling offices for all, not just on the football and soccer fields and basketball courts.

The price of civilization is taxation for equal, not elitist, education. Vote NO on vouchers.

Scott Shaw, Riverton, UT

Bad Sport: When financing gets tough Checketts wants to take his soccer ball and go home

Checketts showed his real loyalty to our community yesterday when he revealed that he wants to uproot his soccer team and send it elsewhere. His behavior strengthens Mayor Corroon's position that Checkett's proposal is a bad investment for the county tax payer. If the county were to accept Checkett's rosy numbers and invest millions of public money so that some could profiteer personally from the project and Checketts were to hit another rough spot in the future the county could own land and infrastructure under a soccer specific stadium with no direct revenue to pay for it. Checketts behavior and statements about moving the team or selling out of state just bolsters the argument of the instability of his venture even more. His lack of deep pockets should not be blamed on the Mayor for making a good loan underwriting decision. There are others more solvent to make soccer a long term reality in Utah--like the Geneva developers in Utah County. If there is blame to be assessed if this venture fails it should be at Checkett's solvency not the underwriting decision of the debt review committee and the Mayor.

Over the years Larry Miller used public/private partnerships, but Larry Miller is more savvy in public relations and when things looked rough for the Jazz, Larry expressed his loyalty to our community and stated he was willing to do whatever it took to keep the Jazz in Utah. My sister even went and bought a car from Larry to help keep the Jazz in Utah. I also believe Larry was sincere. Checketts on the other hand is losing more and more creditability everyday. It seems as if he has hired Dell Schantz to run the PR campaign on his financing of his project. I would be more sympathetic to Checketts if I believed he was invested in our community as much as he wants us to invest in his venture. Checketts should persuade the public that he has a dedication and loyalty to our community if he wants to be in a joint venture with his proposed partners: us the taxpayer.

Peter Corroon on the other hand has increased his creditability with the public and reveals that he is looking out for the the citizens and not special interests. He is a statesman. It takes a lot of courage to stand up to special interests, the Speaker of the House and do what is right instead of what may be flashy.

I hope Checketts can get more stable financing and keep REAL here in Utah, but if he leaves it is his own fault.

DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVES FOR ETHICS LEGISLATION & GOOD GOVERNMENT

Media Advisory

Who: Minority Leader Ralph Becker (D-SLC), Democratic Assistant Whip Carol Spackman Moss (D-Holladay)and Rep. Roz McGee (D-SLC)

What: PRESS CONFERENCE ON DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVES FOR ETHICS LEGISLATION & GOOD GOVERNMENT
Where: West Building Lobby of the State Capitol Complex
When: Wednesday, January 31, 2007 at 9:30 AM

Salt Lake City - This year more than previous years with the Governor seriously pushing ethics reform and public sentiment also clamoring for it, realistic reform seems a possibility. Democratic legislators will present a slate of proposed reform legislation to address Utah laws regarding ethics and good government. Rep. Ralph Becker will discuss HB178 (Lobbyist Gift Ban); Rep. Carol Spackman Moss will present her positions on HB248 (Revolving Door Limitations) and Rep. Roz McGee will highlight HB373, her bill to create an Independent, Bipartisan Redistricting Commission.

Other ethics-related bills include:

• HB290: Personal Use of Campaign Funds - Rep. Ralph Becker
• HB248: Revolving Door Limitations for Public Officials to Become Lobbyists - Rep. Carol Spackman Moss

To obtain a copy of bills pertaining to ethics and good government, visit the Utah State Legislature Website at www.le.utah.gov.

Are Private School Vouchers Good or Bad for Utah?

In 1975, a famous and now retired columnist, Jimmy Breslin, coined the phrase, “smoke and mirrors”, once used by carnie people as slang for magic acts. The term now describes someone who intentionally deceives the public. Undoubtedly, the slang for magic acts applies today to the proponents of private school vouchers. Activists, such as Parents For Choice, are campaigning on a few perceived benefits of a voucher program. But, PFC has neglected to inform us about the problems vouchers have created in other states.

For example, voucher proponents constantly use the “successes” of the Milwaukee voucher program. Unfortunately, those success stories have created some major problems. A few years ago, the vouchers provided tens of millions of dollars to private schools in the Milwaukee area. Since then, the public schools have constantly faced large budget deficits. According to a 2001 Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal report, 237 school districts in Wisconsin lost $2.7 million in state aid and property taxes were raised to help pay for the voucher program. Similar conditions of public school budget deficits have also occurred in pro-voucher areas such as Florida and Cleveland, Ohio. California proposed vouchers a few years ago, but a study group analysis warned that vouchers would be aimed at more affluent families, not disadvantaged families.

Consequently, voucher programs lead to a two-tier system of education where student stratification increases and communities become divided with segregated schools.

In other words, voucher activists promote their cause by exploiting low-income families with false promises. In addition, as in the case with the Milwaukee voucher program, many voucher kids were in private schools before “choice”.

Voucher activists also claim that the free market should let schools “compete”. But any private school that accepts vouchers will be more inclined to be profit driven. Voucher schools therefore, will be more inclined to have revenue drives, cost-cutting budgets and possible creative accounting schemes ahead of educating our children.

Add to the problems of accountability for those private schools that participate in the voucher program. HB 148, the current voucher bill in the Utah Legislature, gives loose requirements in teacher certification, student testing, or curriculum content. In addition, there is no reference about complying with open meetings and open records laws. Also, vouchers do not address financial accountability and an audit will not be conducted on the voucher program until after the 2013-2014 school year.

It is unfortunate that PFC has been using “smoke and mirrors” with their real purpose of only helping a few by convincing Utahns to pay taxpayer money for vouchers. What’s more, a few Republican Legislators are using strong-arm tactics and backroom deals to assure passage of HB148. In the 2006 election year, PFC spent over half a million dollars in campaign contributions and promotions. Imagine how that money could have helped the very children they claim to be helping. As a whole, vouchers will not work and low-income families will always have a difficult time in being equal in education when competing with families who have far more resources.



Richard Watson,

Chair, Davis County Democratic Party

For TW

It's clear that 'haze' is to blame for many health woes

by Brian Moench 01/20/2007

Twenty-three years ago I built my home on a lot with a wonderful view of Mt. Olympus. Whenever I leave Salt Lake and come back to see the Wasatch Mountains after a long absence I am awestruck by the spectacularly beautiful backdrop they give our city.

Lately I've been getting that feeling without having to leave the valley. It seems the thick, suffocating, dangerous smog (euphemistically called haze by local weathermen and lawmakers) is regularly obliterating my view, making opportunities to see our mountains increasingly rare.

But the issue of air pollution is much more than aesthetics. The air in Salt Lake is dangerous at least 13 percent of the time. "Dangerous" means people with heart and lung disease, the immunosuppressed, children and the elderly will experience an increased incidence of respiratory infections, asthma, bronchitis, heart attacks and congestive heart failure.

It means that healthy adults will experience a low-grade inflammatory response in their circulatory systems that over many years will accelerate atherosclerosis and affect every organ in their bodies. It means that more people will get cancer of every variety, especially in the lungs.

It means that people, even trained athletes, should not exercise outdoors. It means that on average the life expectancy of every resident in the valley (including the politicians who ignore this problem) will be shortened by at least three years, the same amount as if they had smoked a quarter of a pack of cigarettes a day.

I doubt that most Salt Lake residents want to be forced into a smoking habit, but that's exactly what's happening to everyone, even infants and children. The impact on children is frequently the most tragic.

As an anesthesiologist it is my job to put patients to sleep and provide necessary life support while other doctors perform surgery or other delicate medical procedures. Recently I provided this care for three children while they received radiation treatment for brain cancer.
The oldest was only 4 years old. Witnessing the grieving of these families was emotionally overwhelming.

Eighty percent of cancer is environmentally caused. We usually don't know the exact cause of infantile brain cancer but the incidence has tripled since 1975. Childhood leukemia has shown a similar increase.

Likely sources for the triggering agent of the malignancies in these three children would include exhaust fumes. Children that live in urban smog have an increased incidence of brain and other types of cancer.

Historically, the federal government has assumed that children and adults face the same level of risk for a given level of chemical exposure. Just recently, however, the federal government has acknowledged that children are more susceptible to carcinogens than are adults.

Chemicals that cause genetic mutations can be up to 65 times more potent in their effects on children than on adults. New risk assessment methods conclude that children accumulate 50 percent of their lifetime cancer risk by the age of 2.

Children's unique vulnerabilities are related to several factors. Compared to adults they have a greater exposure on a per-weight basis, they are less able to detoxify and excrete chemicals, their immature organ and immune systems are more susceptible to damage, their more rapid cellular divisions may accelerate cancer growth and their higher metabolic rate means they consume more air, food and water and all accompanying contaminants.
When the effects of air pollution are added up, public health officials estimate that every year 70,000 people in this country die premature deaths from air pollution. At the very least I know that the air pollution in Salt Lake will cost me three years of my life and that means many fewer delightful encounters with my grandchildren.

Hoping for the next storm is not an exit strategy from our dangerous smog. To have lawmakers on Capitol Hill who understood this would truly be a breath of fresh air.
---
* BRIAN MOENCH is a physician at LDS Hospital and former instructor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School.

Bountiful City Contract with Coal Plant Will Produce Additional 7 Million Tons of Toxic Emissions

Truckee, CA, and Burley, Rupert and Haley, ID did Utah citizens a favor when they recently refused to sign a proposed contract to purchase power from UAMPS (Utah Association of Municipal Power Systems), through IPP (Intermountain Power Plant), a coal plant located near Delta, Utah. These cities came to understand the significant negative health effects that pollution can cause for their citizens and did not sign the contracts.

Bountiful City is currently considering signing a long-term contract with IPP similar to the contracts rejected by cities in California and Idaho. If Bountiful City signs the contract, a third coal-fired plant will be built in Delta, UT which would emit an additional 7 million tons of toxic emissions annually into the air. How will this affect the health of Utah’s citizens?

With the air quality along the Wasatch Front already too often at dangerous levels, Davis County for Better Health invites the public to attend a meeting to discuss these issues. Our two speakers will be Gerald H. Ross, M.D., an internationally known expert on environmental influences on human health, and Tim Wagner with the Utah Smart Energy Campaign, Utah Sierra Club.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a report in August 2006 entitled Environmental Pollution and Disease. This report states “Several outdoor air pollutants are associated with harmful health effects. These include the six “criteria” pollutants—particulate matter, ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and lead. . . . The burning of fossil fuels is the principal source of these pollutants. Air pollutants can be transported long distances, so they can potentially have effects distant from their source.”

Across the country renewable energy technologies are rapidly gaining momentum in many cities. Utilizing these sources would decrease technology prices and, by and large, emit zero toxins, leaving our air cleaner and healthier for all of us!

The public is invited and encouraged to join other concerned citizens at the Centerville branch of the Davis County Library (behind Home Depot on 2nd West) Thursday, February 1, 2007 from 7 to 8 p.m. to discuss these issues.

Submitted by Davis County for Better Health

Vouchers - Come One, Come All!!!

Tuesday, January 23, Utah House Republican leaders began a three-day flurry of arm-twisting of moderate Republican members. In some cases it has been mean spirited and may come back to haunt them.

Once again the issue is vouchers.

Rep. Steve Urquhart’s draft bill only began circulating Monday. Though little has changed from last year’s bills, we still must ask who’s reading the bill? It’s a complicated bill with a lot of ramifications. Will the vote reflect support of a new tax subsidized private school system or support of party leaders?

Lot’s of questions needed to be asked and answered.

First question: who gets a voucher? Which children and parents qualify? Next: Which schools and what constitutes a school? Following those questions we ask what motivations and what powers are driving this bill? There are more questions but back to the original question.

First, which parents and which teachers get vouchers? Our conclusion, only slightly over stated, would be any and all!!!

As we have read and reread the qualifying student criteria we find the bill requires only three things:

1. a parent or guardian (possibly from any place in the world.) who can claim Utah residency by August 1, 2007, and who
2. has a student who is age five by Sept. 1, 2007, but is under age 22 and has not graduated from high school and
3. who also meets any one (emphasis- JUST ONE) of the following criteria:

(1) has a child/ student who was not (emphasis NOT) a resident on January 1, 2007, OR
(2) is a parent or guardian who has low income, i.e. has a child/student who qualifies for free or reduced price school lunch, OR
(3) has a student who is now (January 1, 2007) a Utah public student, OR
(4) has a child born after September 1, 2001 (hence eligible for kindergarten this year).


Bottom line: if you have a school age child and have or can establish residency in Utah by August 1 you’ll be voucher eligible. And if “anyone “ can what are the implications.

Voucher: Implications and Speculations

Assume the bill passes. Here are three scenarios: (Please read with caution. It is not our desire to denigrate any group or category of people, but pointed questions need to be asked).

Scenario #1 An illegal immigrant family with children gets word of Utah’s new law and decide to come. They strongly prefer their religion’s schools. They will need to get here, establish residency (that is easy) and then apply by July 1, 2007. (Actually the bill does not include a definition of resident) Estimated cost range of 3 to 12 million.

Scenario # 2 Hildale Utah. FLDS parents are checking logistics and financial advantages of the bill. They presently move 300 plus students to Colorado City regularly. They may have to shift legal guardian or parental claims to qualify for the larger scholarship amounts, but certainly most would qualify for the “$3000 scholarships.” Colorado City folks may want to make some changes too. Note: The polygamous communities throughout Utah, both formal and informal, gave strong support to pro voucher candidates Nov. 7, 2007. Estimated cost: 3 million minimum and 36 million in five years.

Scenario # 3 Are vouchers right for home schooled students? Some are not interested because “government control inevitably comes.” Many are satisfied with where they are and where they are going. But surely, many are in the base support for vouchers. Some existing home school co-ops can tweak the current structure and others will be created to qualify their children for a voucher and their parent teachers for compensation. Estimated cost: 5 to 15 million.

Interesting to note: if Rep. Urguhart’s bill HB ---- is passed no other state or community will have a voucher program so broad in scope and in funding of private schools, while we remain last in funding our “common schools.”

Submitted by Parents for Public Education

The History of Public Education

by Jonathan W. Herbertson Ph.D.

This article first appeared on The Utah Amicus on March 01, 2006. I have decided to post it again for Rep. Steve Urquhart, Speaker Curtis and all of their Pro-choice friends.

In viewing education in a historical context, it must be noted that for millennia education was reserved for a very select group of individuals. In ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, literacy was confined to a tiny class of men known as scribes who served as secretaries and record keepers for their rulers. In some societies, such as Han China, the language was actually structured to thwart massive numbers of individuals from becoming literate. Even in the Greco-Roman world, where literacy was more wide spread than anywhere else in ancient times, only a small percentage of persons, primarily male, could read and write, while the masses languished in complete ignorance. Even with the rise of universities during the medieval period, and the revival of learning that coincided with the Renaissance, basic education never reached the common people. Even during the 18th century, when England was the most literate, progressive, and enlightened society in the world, the educational system, [consisting largely of the universities Oxford and Cambridge, and very elite private primary and secondary institutions such as Eaton and Harrow,] was closed to all but aristocratic males. Hence, for thousands of years, education was a closed door for the mass of humanity.

It is somewhat ironical and amazing to note that it was the former colony of Great Britain, the newly born United States, which became the first country in world history to attempt to extend basic education to the masses. Early in the nineteenth century, the people of the young American republic created the world's first free public school system by setting aside one section of each township to support the local school. Raising crops, harvesting timber, leasing, or even the sale ofthis land was used to raise funds to build a school house, purchase books, slates, chalk, and pay the salary of a teacher who could educate the local children at the public's expense. The rise of public primary schools was paralleled by that of free secondary institutions. The late nineteenth century witnessed a tremendous proliferation of public high schools from a mere 100 in 1860 to 6000 by 1900. These public schools, providing free, accessible education, humble though they were, succeeded in helping to build great intellects such as Abraham Lincoln, and transforming nineteenth century Americans into the most literate people on Earth. These achievements, and many others were among the fruits of free public education.

As the 1800s progressed, vast tracts of Federal government land were set aside to help the states fund public institutions of higher education. Between 1865 and 1900 over 70 of these "land grant" institutions were founded in this country including Utah State University. These "land grant" institutions formed the basis of our state university systems of today.

By 1900, free public primary and secondary education, and accessible and affordable higher education helped transform the United States into the world's leading scientific, technological, industrial, and economic power. This is a position which our nation enjoys in the contemporary world.

Today, unfortunately, public education is under assault on a number of levels. There is a movement afoot to redirect government funds away from public schools and channel them toward private institutions. While private schools are extremely admirable and worthy institutions, it must be remembered that for decades it has been the public schools and colleges that have educated most Americans. Utah's public schools would be particularly vulnerable to a loss of government funding. We already have the largest class size and lowest per pupil spending in the nation. Further, allotments of tax dollars spent on public education in the Beehive State have recently declined. We must reverse this startling trend on both a national and state level, and restore our public educational institutions to the status they deserve, or run the risk of reverting to the educational system characteristic of ancient and early modem times in which education was reserved for a tiny group of elite, while the vast mass of humanity languished in illiteracy and ignorance.

Jonathan W. Hebertson, Ph.D.

Uncle Don Miller on Pro- choice Vouchers

Rep. Urquhart is calling for poor familles to have a choice to send their children to private schools. He is urging us to focus on the voucher proposal math. OK, each student would receive a $3,000 voucher to use to go to a private school. However, it costs more than $5,000 to attend a Utah public school, so the student is already $2,000 shy of being able to go to a public school, and is also no longer eligible for a free or reduced lunch and in many cases free transportation. Remember the typical private school in Utah charges about $8,000. So the student is actually $5,000 shy of being able to afford a private school. Thus, we can safely conclude that the number of poor families who will opt to use these vouchers will be extremely small or almost nil.

On the other hand, if I earn over $100,000 it will be nice to have the state kick in $500 to help pay for a private school. Now that is what "school choice" is really all about.

Don L. Miller
St. George, UT 84770

Interesting Expenitures by School Pro-choice Parents for Vouchers

Parents For Choice In Education PAC

Living Scriptures
10/04/2006
$7578.0
List purchase

Greg Curtis
10/05/2006
$931.57
postage

Curtis Bramble
09/29/2006
$1000.0
Campaign Contribution

Peter Knudson
09/29/2006
$1000.0
Campaign Contribution

Stephen Urquhart
09/09/2006
$1000.0
Campaign Contribution

Becky Lockhart
09/09/2006
$500.0
Campaign Contribution

Mark Jacobs
05/05/2006
$2000.0
Campaign Contribution

Jeff Alexander
09/09/2006
$1000.0
Campaign Contribution

John Valentine
05/05/2006
$2000.0
Campaign Contribution

Jess Clifford
04/11/2006
$2000.0
Campaign Contribution

Kenneth Sumsion
02/27/2006
$2000.0
Campaign Contribution

Jess Clifford
06/20/2006
$2000.0
Campaign Contribution

Greg Hughes
09/09/2006
$500.0
Campaign Contribution

Greg Curtis
09/09/2006
$2000.0
Campaign Contribution

Carl Wimmer
02/27/2006
$2000.0
Campaign Contribution

Mark Jacobs
03/01/2006
$2000.0
Campaign Contribution

Curtis Oda
03/08/2006
$1000.0
Campaign Contribution

Richard Moss
11/01/2006
$5933.49
postage

Richard Moss
11/03/2006
$7907.82
postage

Richard Moss
12/21/2006
$6000.0
printing

Richard Moss
11/02/2006
$5594.49
postage

Richard Moss
11/21/2006
$7907.82
postage

Rick Wheeler
10/23/2006
$1000.0
Campaign Contribution

Stephen Urquhart
09/22/2006
$2000.0
Campaign Contribution

Dan Eastman
09/29/2006
$1000.0
Campaign Contribution

Post 500: Thank you!

So much has happened in Utah and our world since I decided to take a break from The Utah Amicus.

Just days before the end of 2006 we lost the legendary "Godfather of Soul" James Brown and Former President Gerald R. Ford. Even with his personal struggles Brown had become an American icon, and Ford was the only president to have held the office of the presidency and vice-presidency without ever having been elected to either office.

The year's end also brought to an end the life of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Even with the knowledge that Hussein most certainly deserved this destiny, I was surprised by the sick feeling I felt my stomach when the "special report " aired stating that Hussein was dead.

When I first decided to take a break from blogging I had no idea how difficult it would be for me to get back on the horse. My slow return certainly wasn't due to any lack of material, or can I blame any technical difficulties. Quite frankly I just had so much on my plate and after awhile I wasn't quite sure where to start, or how. What I was sure of was that I missed blogging, and that it was time for The Utah Amicus to grow.

Although I'm not yet ready to explain all of the changes that will be coming to The Utah Amicus I am pleased to announce that Christian Burridge will be joining The Utah Amicus as a full-fledged partner. I felt that Christian did a great job with his own blog during his run for Utah's 3rd congressional District and I am excited to see what he has in store for us here.

I also want to again state that anyone can submit an article or story idea(s) to The Utah Amicus regardless of political or religious preference, legal residency, hair color, or shoe size. Simply put, "WE WANT YOU!"

Before I end this post I want to say THANK YOU for coming to visit, and especially to those of you who continue to do so on a regular basis. I do appreciate your support and your comments (even when they hurt).

With every best wish,

The Utah Amicus

Dedicated to Sarah.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Announces Presidential Campaign Exploratory Committee

January 21, 2007

Richardson has unparalleled experience and proven record of success as a Congressman, UN Ambassador, Energy Secretary, and Governor

SANTA FE, NM--New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson today announced the formation of a Presidential campaign exploratory committee, with the clear intention of seeking the Democratic nomination for President in 2008.

"I am taking this step because we have to repair the damage that's been done to our country over the last six years," said Richardson. "Our reputation in the world is diminished, our economy has languished, and civility and common decency in government has perished."

"The next president of the United States must get our troops out of Iraq without delay. Before I became Governor of New Mexico, I served as Ambassador to the United Nations and as Secretary of Energy. I know the Middle East well and it's clear that our presence in Iraq isn't helping any longer," said Richardson.

"Our next President must be able to bring a country together that is divided and partisan," said Richardson. "It is clear that Washington is broken and it's going to take a return to bipartisanship and simple respect for each other's views to get it fixed. Most public policy solutions these days are coming from Governors and state government. On issues like the environment, jobs, and health care, state governments are leading the way. And that's because we can't be partisan or we won't get our jobs done. That's a lesson I've learned as Governor and that's what I'll do as President."

When New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson speaks about embracing diversity, the American dream, and public service, he speaks from unparalleled experience. Born November 15, 1947 in Pasadena, California to an American father and Mexican mother, Governor Richardson grew up in Mexico City before moving to New England, where he attended high school and college. He has dedicated his life to public service, as a United States Congressman, Ambassador to the United Nations, Secretary of Energy, and now as Governor of New Mexico.

This past November, Richardson won re-election to his second term as Governor of New Mexico with a resounding 69% of the vote, the largest margin of victory in state history. He was supported by Democrats, Republicans and Independents, winning in both urban and rural counties. New Mexicans overwhelmingly endorsed Governor Richardson's aggressive efforts to improve education, cut taxes, build a high-wage economy, expand health care access, invest in renewable energy and make New Mexico safer.

Bill Richardson's fiscally responsible governing style has allowed New Mexico to tackle important priorities, while maintaining a balanced budget and the highest reserves in state history. He cut $230 million in bureaucratic waste, invested in new opportunities for New Mexico's children and returned more than $1 billion dollars in taxes to working families. His innovative policies have turned New Mexico's economy around, with 84,000 new jobs, rising personal income and a growing high tech sector that includes manufacturing, aviation, and renewable energy.

As Secretary of Energy to President Bill Clinton, Bill Richardson implemented tough efficiency standards to save energy. And as Governor, he has made New Mexico the Clean Energy State by requiring utility companies to produce energy through renewable resources and reduce carbon emissions.

Before becoming Governor, Bill Richardson served in Congress for 15 years and helped President Clinton pass the economic plan that created millions of jobs and led America to its first balanced budget in 30 years.

Appointed by President Clinton as the Ambassador to the United Nations, Bill Richardson worked with world leaders to build alliances and help prevent the development of nuclear weapons in North Korea. Bill Richardson has been nominated four times for the Nobel Peace Prize for negotiating the release of hostages, American servicemen and political prisoners in North Korea, Iraq, and Cuba. Governor Richardson recently negotiated a 60-day cease fire in war-torn Darfur following direct talks with rebel leaders and the President of Sudan.

As Chairman of the Democratic Governor's Association, Governor Richardson raised more than $28 million for gubernatorial candidates and helped elect the first Democratic majority of governors since 1994. Governor Richardson also served as Chair of the Western Governors Association, Border Governor's Conference and the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Bill Richardson has been married to his high school sweetheart, Barbara, for 33 years. Richardson received a BA from Tufts in 1970 and a MA from Tuft's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in 1971.

The Bill Richardson for President Exploratory Committee will be headquartered in New Mexico. Key staff will include:

Dave Contarino: Contarino ran Richardson's first campaign for Governor, served as his Chief of Staff for 3 years and most recently was the Chair of his re-election campaign.

Amanda Cooper: Cooper was Richardson's re-election Campaign Manager and Fundraising Director. Cooper oversaw raising $14 million for the Governor's re-election campaign and led the effort to raise $28 million for the DGA in Governor Richardson's two year term as Chair.

Pahl Shipley: Shipley was most recently the Communications Director and Chief Spokesperson in the Office of Governor Bill Richardson. Shipley is a 25-year award-winning veteran of television news and prior to working for Richardson, he served as the News Director at KOAT-TV in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Colleen Turrentine: Turrentine served as the national fundraising director for the Democratic Leadership Council. Before that, she worked for the 2004 Joe Lieberman presidential campaign.
Richardson's Senior Advisors will include:

Steve Murphy: Murphy is a founding partner of Murphy Putnam Media, a premiere Washington media consulting firm. Murphy was Dick Gephardt's National Campaign Manager in 2003-2004 and managed his Iowa caucus campaign in 1988.

Mike Stratton: Stratton has served in numerous senior roles in several Democratic Presidential Campaigns and has served as a long-time Senior Political Advisor to Richardson.

Mark Putnam: Putnam, a founding partner of Murphy Putnam media, has been a media consultant and campaign strategist for over two decades. He's written, directed, and produced over 1,000 commercials for campaigns in 46 states, including helping elect five Governors, six U.S. Senators, and dozens of members of the U.S. House.

Jeff Eller: Eller is the CEO of Public Strategies in Austin, and a veteran of the Clinton 1992 Campaign and the White House.

Jennifer Yocham Poersch: Yocham Poersch, a former deputy finance director for the 2004 Lieberman campaign, will work with Cooper on national fundraising. Poersch worked for the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, including a stint as senior adviser to committee chairwoman, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray of Washington Joe Velasquez: Velasquez is Richardson's advisor on Labor and Political Affairs. Velasquez was the Head of the Department of Community Service for the AFL-CIO. Additionally, he was a former member of the DNC staff and a Deputy Director of Political Affairs for President Bill Clinton.

Calvin Humphrey: Humphrey has worked with Richardson for many years as his Foreign Policy Advisor, traveling to Iraq and most recently, Sudan on hostage rescue and other missions. Humphrey served as the Democratic Staff Director, Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. House of Representatives and previously was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of International Affairs.

Andre Pineda: Pineda is the Founder and President of Pineda Consulting, a California-based, Latino-owned firm specializing in political polling and strategic communications. Pineda has over 15 years of experience working for some of the biggest names in the political consulting business - Peter Hart, Geoff Garin, Fred Yang, Rich Schlackman, and Stan Greenberg.

Suzanne Cole Nowers: Nowers is the CEO of Nexus Direct, a top direct marketing firm, who worked for Richardson's re-election and whose clients include the DSCC to coordinate our direct mail fundraising.

To view Governor Bill Richardson's video statement in both English and Spanish please go to: www.richardsonforpresident.com

Utah Democrats Respond to the Governor's State of the State Address

It's really good!

Orrin Hatch: "Just say NO!" to ethics reform

I wonder which reform issue(s) Orrin had a problem with?

• Bar lawmakers from accepting gifts and travel and lodging paid for by lobbyists.
• Extend from one to two years the time a former member must wait before he can engage in lobbying activities.
• Deny pensions to lawmakers convicted of serious crimes.
• Require more reporting by lobbyists on their activities.
• Require public disclosure of those home-state projects.
• Require senators hitching rides on private jets to pay full charter rates rather than the current practice of paying the far cheaper equivalent of a first class ticket.
• Require reporting by lobbyists who obtain small donations from clients and then "bundle" them into larger contributions to politicians.
• Prevent spouses of sitting members from lobbying the Senate.

Read KSL's Senate passes Democrat's Ethics Bill.

A Letter to the NNSA from Utah Democratic Chair, Wayne Holland Jr.

January 9, 2007

NNSA/NSO
Divine Strake EA Comments
PO Box 98518
Las Vegas, NV 89193-8518

To Whom It May Concern:

The Utah State Democratic Committee (hereafter referred to as the USDC or Utah Democratic Party) appreciates this opportunity to comment on the Draft 2006 Revised Environmental Assessment for the Large-Scale, Open-Air Explosive Detonation Divine Strake at the Nevada Test Site (hereafter Divine Strake Draft EA). We ask our comments be incorporated into the public record and that the USDC be added to your mailing list to receive all additional documents released for public comment or review regarding Divine Strake.

The USDC has several concerns with regard to the proposed action as outlined within the Divine Strake Draft EA and the unwillingness of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to fully include the public, particularly those living downwind from the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in the process. We echo the concerns of Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson and Utah Governor Jon Huntsman with regard to the failure of the NNSA to take public comment at any of the three open houses scheduled on this subject.

The USDC urges the NNSA to reconsider its decision to hold open house style meetings and hold public hearings that will enable the people of Utah and Nevada to share their concerns with your agency. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires government agencies to “involve environmental agencies, applicants, and the public, to the extent practicable, in preparing assessments required by § 1508.9(a)(1).” (40 CFR §1501.4). Given the NNSA is planning to hold open houses in three locations in Utah and Nevada anyway, it cannot reasonably be argued it is impractical for the NNSA to allow public comment at that time.

During the era of both above ground and underground nuclear testing, it was the policy of the federal government that prevailing winds should always be blowing toward Utah prior to any test. Based on the information provided within the Draft EA’s description of the proposed operating plan for Divine Strake, nothing has changed. The Draft EA states “required meteorological conditions for detonation” include “winds less than 25 miles per hour blowing from the southwest (240 degrees) through southeast (120 degrees).” (Draft EA, page 2-11). This takes fall out from the explosion over south, southeast or east central Nevada and on into southwestern or west central Utah.

Utahns and citizens throughout the Western states have long rejected federal government intrusion without first providing an opportunity for public involvement in the decisions impacting their communities. In 1996 the designation of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument was designated without the benefit of public involvement prior to the decision. That said, at least the actual and potential environmental consequences of that decision were benign. In this case, the Bush administration is taking for granted continued strong support for the Republican Party regardless of potential consequences to the health and well being of Utahns through a reckless interpretation of public comment requirements within NEPA and a shoddy environmental analysis. The current administration’s lack of regard for the concerns of Utahns and other westerners living downwind should be seen as a red flag to all Utah voters and westerners in general.

While both the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument designation, Divine Strake, and recent consideration of renewed nuclear testing in Nevada all provide obvious examples of why a political environment in Utah that does not allow one party to write off the state and another to take it for granted is not in our state’s interest, the apparent unwillingness on the NNSA’s part to provide a reasonable opportunity for Utahns to express their concerns through a sincere public hearing process is an especially cynical and transparent attempt to take advantage of Utah’s current loyalty to one party.

The NNSA further demonstrates its contempt for the public in this case by proposing only two alternatives, the “No Action Alternative” required by NEPA and the proposed action. The Divine Strake Draft EA completely dismisses a range of intermediate options from review, including the use of fewer explosives. The use of “technological variations and experiment parameters” is dismissed without even mentioning the possible use of computer modeling which has been increasingly relied upon by the NNSA since the underground nuclear testing moratorium put in place by President H.W. Bush in 1992.

The NEPA requires all federal agencies to “Study, develop, and describe appropriate alternatives to recommended courses of action in any proposal which involves unresolved conflicts concerning alternative uses of available resources as provided by section 102(2)(E) of the Act.” (40 CFR, § 1501.2(c)) The regulation’s use of the word “alternatives” as opposed to “alternative” clearly signals Congress’ intent all viable alternatives be duly analyzed and the choice of actions not be limited simply to what an agency wants to do vs. doing nothing. In this case the NNSA analyzed only one action alternative and failed completely to mention computer modeling or why it would be an insufficient substitute for the proposed action in dismissing “technological variations” which may have provided the data sought by the agency.

The NEPA and associated implementing regulations require an agency to describe the “purpose and need” for any proposed action subject to NEPA review. While the Divine Strake Draft EA does describe the purpose and need for the action, the proposed action (Divine Strake open-air detonation) does not meet the stated purpose and need. The intent of the Divine Strake proposal, as described within the Draft EA, is to assist with the development of weapons that can effectively damage or destroy hardened deeply buried targets or HDBTs, “including both tactical and strategic adversarial targets.” (Page 1-7, Divine Strake Draft EA).

Unfortunately, the inability of conventional weapons to reach such targets is well documented. In an article published in the November 2003 issue of Physic Today , Robert W. Nelson reports the Department of Defense already has at its disposal “tens of thousands of conventional earth-penetrating weapons capable of destroying hardened targets like an underground bunker buried within 10 meters of the surface.” Unfortunately, when you get much deeper than that the laws of physics begin to interfere with the ability of any non-nuclear device to destroy the target.

According to Nelson’s article, “taking into account realistic materials strengths, 10-20 m is a rough ceiling on how deeply into dry rock a warhead can penetrate and still maintain its integrity.” In short, there is no “need” to detonate 700 some odd tons of explosives beneath radioactive earth at the NTS to determine whether a truly hardened and deeply buried target can be destroyed by either conventional or nuclear means. It cannot, at least not without significant radioactive fallout and collateral damage. The NNSA need not waste taxpayer money on such an experiment, especially given potential consequences for those Americans living downwind, to determine the absence of feasibility in this case.

Finally, the Divine Strake Draft EA makes clear significant levels of radioactive contamination do in fact exist within the near vicinity of the proposed Divine Strake detonation site. Soil sample number DSA07 revealed Plutonium 239 was detectable at a level of 11.1 picocuries per gram and sample number DSA20 was estimated at 4.5 picocuries of Plutonium 239 per gram. At least three additional samples came in at above 2.38 picocuries per gram of soil. (Draft EA, Site Characterization Report, table 3.1.2) According to at least one report published to describe radioactive contamination and cleanup at the Brookhaven National Laboratory “the most protective estimates for exposure, has established that plutonium levels in the environment above 2.44 picocuries per gram could require further analysis.” (www.bnl.gov/erd/Peconic?Docs?Peconic.pdf)

Given these high levels of a man-made radioactive isotopes, well above the EPA standard in at least two samples, the USDC has little confidence airborne radioactive particles will not be spread at levels significantly above those considered safe to either the workers at the NTS or people living downwind.

The USDC calls upon the NNSA to adopt the no action alternative in this case due to the failure to provide the public with all “practicable” means of providing input, the failure to meet the stated “purpose and need” as described within the Divine Strake Draft EA, and the failure to adequately explore all reasonable alternatives to the proposed action. In addition, we believe the presence of at least two soil samples within the project area with elevated levels of plutonium above what the EPA considers safe render conclusions regarding the safety of both workers and downwind residents questionable at best.

The USDC looks forward to your response to our concerns regarding the Draft Divine Strake EA. Thank you again for this opportunity to comment.

Sincerely,

Wayne Holland
Chair, Utah State Democratic Committee
455 South 300 East, Ste 301
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801)328-1212