Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Force lawmakers to write a report

I just read through HB322 which would force High School students to write a report about a teen who was killed in a car accident before they could get their drivers license. I think it would be a good idea to force all lawmakers to write a ten page report about why so-called "message bills" are bad, before they are allowed to submit a bill.
Now I have had loved ones die in car accidents. I've even had a loved one who was a teenager die in a car accident. I still don't think that making a law that forces a student to write a report is a good idea. Scaring a child into the proper behavior is not a good way to encourage proper behavior. Maybe in Rep. Tilton's mind, scaring someone into acting the way they should is the right way to do it. I don't believe it is.
So who wants to put forth a bill for me that makes lawmakers write a report?

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Pictures are bad...

An article in the Salt Lake Tribune talks about putting listings for State Liquor Stores in the yellow pages of the phone book. It quotes Mary Ann Mantes, a member of the State Alcoholic Beverage Commission, who said new listings in White or Yellow Pages would not include display ads or any photographs or drawings of liquor bottles. She goes on to say: "People shouldn't be able to look at pictures, they should only be able to read." Now, I don't drink any alcoholic beverages, but, why on earth is it bad to look at a picture of a liquor bottle? Are we afraid that our children who can't read are going to look through the phone book and see a picture of a liquor bottle and all the sudden want to drink liquor?
No wonder Utah has such a bad reputation about our liquor laws.
I can understand that seeing pictures of naked women can make a person have bad thoughts, but, seeing a picture of a naked bottle has never made me want to drink liquor.