No! No! No! Don't care! No!

Party Lines: Do you think Christians are being deprived of freedom of speech?

We were actually asked, "LDS Apostle Dallin Oaks recently compared the current treatment of the Church as similar to what the Blacks endured during their struggle for civil rights, and was criticized by some for his use of the analogy.  How would you describe the current situation faced by the church?"

I'm not sure I answered the question, but the message is sound, and I want to acknowledge those who helped with this column, Todd Taylor, Patrice Arent, Karen Hale, Wayne Holland, and Sam Granato.

By Rob Miller - Democratic Party

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, member of the Quorum of the Twelve of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently made news by comparing the current treatment of church members who supported California’s Proposition 8 in the 2008 election as similar to what African-Americans endured during their struggle for civil rights.

Regardless of what one thinks about whether the analogy was apt, about the underlying issue of marriage rights, or Elder Oaks’ main thesis that freedom of religion is under attack, there was some wise counsel about how to be civil when debating matters of public concern.

Elder Oaks said that one should “speak with love, always showing patience, understanding and compassion toward adversaries.”

Elder Oaks counseled that one shouldn’t be deterred or coerced into silence by intimidation, but that an individual should insist on his or her constitutional right and duty to participate in elections and debates.

Elder Oaks said that should be accompanied by “a right to expect freedom from retaliation.”

Elder Oaks counseled that we should be wise in one's political participation, including the framing of arguments and positions in respectful ways.

And, finally, Elder Oaks counseled us to be careful never to support or act upon the idea that a person must subscribe to some particular set of religious beliefs in order to qualify for a public office.

To these points, most Americans who desire civil debate of public issues will most certainly agree.

This is not just a California problem. Many Democrats and progressive voters are hopeful that these particular remarks by Elder Oaks might be taken seriously in Utah.

Progressive candidates and their supporters have felt the sting of many instances of intimidation and retaliation from members of the majority party. There has been vandalism. There have been job losses. There has been denial of services. The Salt Lake Tribune has documented far too much of this over the years. And, just days after Elder Oaks’ speech, Sen. Orrin Hatch threatened violence on his constituents to “kick them in the teeth.” He had previously denigrated political opponents as “nutcakes.”

Elder Oaks spoke with courage about his point of view. I am going to follow his lead.

Unfortunately, there is disrespectful commentary nearly every day on KSL Radio. Sean Hannity’s program, which airs for three hours every weekday afternoon, does not show “patience, understanding and compassion toward adversaries.”

KSL Radio certainly has a right to air any programming it chooses. And, Sean Hannity certainly has a right to say whatever he wants to on his program.

However, it is my opinion that this program coming from this source undermines our community in just the ways Elder Oaks admonishes against. KSL Radio can do better and serve our community better if it were to produce more thoughtful, respectful, compassionate and understanding programming on public issues.

We can only hope that Elder Oaks’ remarks produce additional introspection and better action from all sides of every public debate.

The Davis County Clipper's Party Lines: Do you think Christians are being deprived of freedom of speech?

By Todd Weiler - Republican

Having just re-read the text of Elder Dallin H. Oaks’ remarks last week to the students at BYU Idaho, it struck me that a critic would have to stand upside down and shut one eye to see anything offensive in them.

Instead, the liberal media has misquoted and taken Oaks out of context. If you were to rely solely on media reports, you would believe that Oaks equated the 2008 persecution of California Mormons with the 1960s treatment of southern blacks.

But in an address exclusively about religious freedom, Oaks referred to gay marriage as an “alleged civil right” and used the backlash over Proposition 8 as one example of how people have been intimidated merely for exercising their right to vote, as follows: “[T]hese incidents of violence and intimidation are not so much anti-religious as anti-democratic. In their effect they are like the well-known and widely condemned voter-intimidation of blacks in the South that produced corrective federal civil-rights legislation.”

The analogy was limited to the fact that in both instances, anti-democratic voter intimidation methods were employed.

Oaks never suggested that “the vandalism of church facilities and harassment of church members by firings and boycotts of member businesses and by retaliation against donors violence” was on par with the violence and intimidation that was directed at blacks in the South.

Instead, Oaks used the civil rights analogy to emphasize that society has already judged that people should not be punished simply because they chose to participate in a democracy. “These incidents were expressions of outrage against those who disagreed with the gay-rights position and had prevailed in a public contest,” Oaks said.

Oaks suggested that people can learn to disagree without meanness and contention. He maintained that differences should be civilized and consistent with constitutional principles.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Obama-loving, liberal-leaning Keith Olbermann on MSNBC. Olbermann single-handedly proved Oaks’ point when he nominated Oaks for a bronze medal in the “worst people in the world” award. Olbermann suggested that because Mormons were on the wrong side of integration and polygamy, Oaks should “shut the hell up” on subjects like gay marriage.

But Oaks said it best: “[W]e must not be deterred or coerced into silence by the kinds of intimidation I have described. We must insist on our constitutional right and duty to exercise our religion, to vote our consciences on public issues and to participate in elections and debates in the public square and the halls of justice. These are the rights of all citizens and they are also the rights of religious leaders.”

Oaks is right on.

When churches or their members speak out on public issues, they have a right to expect freedom from retaliation. People who seek one public policy or another are not violating the constitutional mandate to separate church and state. Faith and religious principles promote good morals in a democracy, which improves the democracy.

God is Love

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

BREAKING from Sam Granato for United States Senate, "Senator Bennett: A Day Late and A Dollar Short"

Sen. Bennett: A Day Late and A Dollar Short

A Time to Every Purpose: Planning & Implementation

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – Legislation sponsored by United States Senators Robert Bennett (R-UT) and David Vitter (R-LA) would require the Census Bureau to amend questionnaires for the 2010 census to include a question to determine legal status and citizenship.

According to Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Chair of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, the Bennett-Vitter Amendment would be a “financial challenge that borders on… a nightmare.”

“Anyone who has been involved in a construction project can tell you that the budget is blown when changes, additions, and deletions are made to the plans once the actual building process is underway. This business principle is apparently lost on Senator Bennett. I had thought better of his business skills,” said Sam Granato, candidate for the U.S. Senate.

The Census is a highly coordinated process which has over 700,000 staffers and costs $14 billion. The amendment would waste hundreds of millions of dollars because the Census Bureau has already printed materials, trained workers, and coordinated the nationwide canvass. The Bureau would not have time to test whether the question would be answered truthfully or whether it might cause people to refuse to participate in the counting process leading to a less accurate census and more reliance on statistical samples for future public appropriations.

“We cannot afford to place the efforts made already on the scrap heap for the political convenience of career politicians. Senator Bennett, there is a time to every purpose. There is a time for planning and a time for implementation. The time for planning for the 2010 census is over. The time for implementation has begun. I will be happy to put your idea on the table for 2020 at the appropriate time.” Granato added, “If the Republican Congress and President Bush had addressed immigration reform in a timely and responsible manner earlier this decade, this census issue would be mute. Lack of respect for the taxpayer’s money and the inappropriate and untimely use of polarizing issues is why Utah needs fresh leadership in Washington.”

Kids

Found on facebook: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus Trailer HD (Heath's Last Film)

"This is the trailer for the upcoming film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, in HD ... Heath Ledgers last film.

With some of the most well known stars in the film industry, this cast will blow you away."

-buffy5295

Davis and Weber County Democrats love Mayor Peter Corroon!

This last Saturday Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon addressed the Davis and Weber County Democratic Breakfast Club at Granny Annie's Restaurant in Kaysville.  One thing that was certain was the Davis and Weber Democrats who attended were unanimous in their support for Mayor Corroon, and the possibility that Peter may run as our candidate for governor in 2010.

Utah State Democratic Chair Wayne Holland and United States Senate Candidate Sam Granato were also in attendance to show their support.

The Davis and Weber Democratic Breakfast Club meets every second Saturday of the month at 8:30 a.m.

Next month's speaker will be Senate Minority Leader Patricia Jones.  The breakfast will be held in Ogden at the Golden Corral Restaurant located at 988 Washington Blvd.

The press and general public is invited!

Above Photo - (Top Row) Theresa A. Sheffield, Weber Vice Chair LaFray Kelley, Jamie Nagle, Mayor Peter Corroon, Rep. Neil Hansen, U.S. Senate Candidate Sam Granato, Weber Chair Steve Olsen, (Bottom Row) Rob Miller and State Democratic Chair Wayne Holland. 

GO PETER!

The rumor is...

Utah State Democratic Party Chair, Wayne Holland, and United States Senate candidate, Sam Granato, are coming to tomorrow's breakfast at Grannie Annie's Restaurant (286 N 400 West in Kaysville) in support of Salt Lake County Mayor, and potential gubernatorial candidate, Peter Corroon, who will be addressing us tomorrow.


The breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m., you are invited!


Photo from the Utah Freedom Memorial website.

A CALL TO ACTION: President Obama on winning the Nobel Peace Prize

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!

On winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Some thoughts on water by Sam Granato, candidate for United States Senate

WATER - A MAJOR ISSUE FOR THE 21st CENTURY

The biggest issue in Utah for the next thirty or forty years is likely to be water. Water laws are obsolete. We use too much water to grow alfalfa. Water systems are old and broken. We waste almost as much water as we use. Discussions about water should include the following concepts:

First, we should stop saying we live in a desert. We do not live in a desert. Most Utahns live in high mountain valleys that happen to be near deserts. The state may receive only five inches of annual rainfall in its desert areas, but we receive as much as fifty inches of water in the mountains -- more than New Orleans, for example. Even in Salt Lake City, our annual rainfall exceeds that of San Diego.

Second, our problem is not a lack of water, but a lack of political will needed to gather, store, and distribute water. Our political leaders should be telling us not about conserving water but about plans to improve water systems. Visionaries brought us the Central Water Project and other developments. We need the same kind of vision with regard to new plans for capturing, storing, and distributing water. Giant reservoirs may no longer be acceptable, but that doesn't mean we can't improve existing reservoirs, develop new capture/storage methods, and greatly improve distribution systems.

Third, we waste millions and millions of gallons of water that could easily be used for farm irrigation, golf courses, and non-culinary purposes. Treated wastewater can can be made as safe as we want it to be for relatively little cost. with a little investment, treated wastewater can be used as a secondary water system for large-scale watering. Already, some areas of the state use a second water distribution system for watering lawns and so on; i.e., Davis County. Political leaders should be promoting ways to use water two or three times instead of just once.

Fourth, water conservation is a good thing, but over the long term, trees, bushes, and green grass are even better. Every tree we lose for lack of water, every bush we eliminate, and every green blade of grass we sacrifice increases pollution and contributes to global warming. Only green leaves can produce the oxygen we must have to survive. And only green leaves can filter the dirty air we generate and turn harmful carbon dioxide into beneficial molecules. The end result of so-called "xeriscaping" may may be lower water consumption but higher air pollution. The more people you have, the more trees you need.

Fifth, when government increases water rates thinking it will reduce water consumption, the negative side effects outweigh the benefits. Higher water rates punish the poor and reward the rich. If you earn $50,000 a year even the highest rates affect only a small portion of your budget. But if you earn $30,000 a year, landscape watering becomes one of those luxuries you can do without. That means the living environment for the poor deteriorates, while the living environment for the rich improves. Deteriorating landscapes in low-income communities help add to social unrest and crime.

Sam Granato approves this message

We're Number 37!

A Paul Hipp Sing-A-Long!

Hat tip, Wayne Holland

Don Gale: I'm obsolete, but life's too short for 'social networking'

"Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett want to be my Facebook friends. I'm flattered, but I would prefer they be my senators … and do something about the nation's problems besides voting "no." If Bennett wants to be my friend, he should have lunch with me. I'll buy. We'll go to Granato's."

Read Don Gale's, I'm obsolete, but life's too short for 'social networking' at deseretnews.com.

Published: Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009 12:03 a.m. MDT  

From USDP Blog: OSE OpEd - Snake Valley: Secret talks, quick deals and a sucker's bet

At some point during the past four years the Huntsman administration eagerly entered into secret negotiations with Nevada to create a pact to divide 132,000 acre-feet of water each year in the Snake Valley before the Southern Nevada Water Authority can stake its claim on 50,000 to 60,000 acre-feet for Las Vegas.

Governor Herbert seems determined to sign a Snake Valley Compact as soon as possible without regard for public input, reliable information about the amount of available water, or the consequences of over-allocating our resources.

The proposed deal is worse than gambling our inheritance away in Vegas before we can receive it, it is like writing a check at the Mirage casino without ever taking our chances at the table.

There is no potential prize for Utah. Utah water would leave for Nevada while we keep our fingers crossed each year for sufficient rain and snow to replace what we send across the border.

No Utah communities could benefit from this bet. The Utah Medical Association warns that the wages of this sin may be death. Ranchers and farmers, wildlife and plants, and downwinders along the Wasatch Front could end up paying the ultimate price when the water is gone.

A signing ceremony may be immanent. There has been a seeming rush. Last week the Snake Valley Research Advisory Council was summoned to a meeting in Baker, Nevada with little notice to the public or council members.

The process seems inverted. The draft admits to insufficient information to determine with precision the available groundwater supply saying research will be done during the next decade of planning for a 300-mile pipeline. Doesn't it make more sense to do the research first then agree on what to do with the water?
Additionally, the recession has hit Las Vegas hard. So hard that water demand has dropped and construction on what is referred to as a "third straw" to draw all the water Nevada is entitled to out of Lake Mead was recently suspended (Las Vegas Sun, Sept. 13, 2009).

It is impossible to make the case for rushing the Snake Valley Compact when southern Nevada water districts are postponing opportunities to withdraw water they already have at their disposal from Lake Mead.
Las Vegas clearly can live without Snake Valley water for a few years while we conduct the research needed to determine with more certainty what water resources exist on both the Utah and Nevada side of the border and how much can be safely pumped out for use in Las Vegas or elsewhere.

But there is more to consider. Utah will likely wake up one day to find Las Vegas has been taking water at an unsustainable rate. Vegetation in the valley has died ending farming and ranching. The National Wildlife Refuge at Fish Springs is drying up. Dust storms blow into the Wasatch Front from the West Desert containing mercury, carcinogens from 900 nuclear tests, and fungus spores that create potentially lethal infections.

Scientists with the Utah Geological Survey say a drop in the water table of more than 100 feet are likely to result leading to dust storms if there is pumping on the magnitude envisioned by the pact. The Utah Medical Association has warned that adverse health impacts may be widespread.

There is little indication the governor is taking these concerns seriously. The proposed deal promises only that "appropriate action" would be taken should the water drawdown prove harmful.

Would they really put a halt to the project after such massive investments? How quickly can we really expect ground water supplies to recover, if at all, in a place like Utah's fragile West Desert? How many more decades of fighting for compensation for downwinder victims will we have to endure?

This pact only pays lip service if there is harm, not real penalties in real dollars.

One last thing to consider as we gamble away our future water, covetous eyes are all around us. Southern Utah has talked about a pipeline from Lake Powell; legislator Mike Noel and his former colleague Aaron Tilton want vast amounts of Green River water for a nuclear power plant; Denver wants a pipeline from Flaming Gorge.

Cumulatively these projects, if all implemented, would consume hundreds of thousands of acre-feet. Can Utah afford to gamble away our water, and possibly our lives, with Nevada?

This guest commentary was provided by Utah Democratic Party Chair Wayne Holland and published by the Ogden Standard Examiner on October 3, 2009.

Voter Registration Deadline Today

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Well?

Sam and Snake Valley...

Protect our water, protect our people. 

What's your flavor?

Photos from the "New" Utah Republican Party website...

“This year is going to be defined by Republicans and conservatives by what we oppose.”

-Karl Rove 

Looks like the Utah Republican Party agrees with Karl based on the above photos they have flashing on the front page of their new website. 


Wow! This is something to be proud of.