If it Quacks like a Duck...

So the Woods Cross City Council has made yet another bad decision. Three members of the City Council, Don Moore, Rick Earnshaw, and Jon Hadlow, all voted to amend the general plan to allow Sinclair to add storage tanks to their facility. These storage tanks would hold jet fuel. This goes completely against what previous members of the City Council have tried to do. That is, move Woods Cross away from being a heavy industrial arm pit of the county. I'm shocked that they would make such a move, especially in an election year. In an article in the Davis County Clipper, Don Moore is quoted as saying, "it looks like we’re doing something wrong if we remove the whole paragraph.”
If you're making wording changes just so it doesn't look like you're doing something wrong, maybe you need to take a step back and see if you really should be making the changes at all.
Avoiding the appearance of evil only works if you are avoiding the evil as well.
Kudos to Tamy Dayley and Jennifer Decker for voting against this bad change.

One reason 10 digit dialing is a bad idea

So I just read an article in today's Deseret Morning News that talks about the possibility of implementing 10 digit dialing when the new area-code is implemented. I personally think this is a bad idea for many reasons, however, I will only discuss one of them this time.
Young children try to learn their phone number and address in Kindergarten. Most children can memorize a 7 digit number relatively quickly. They then learn their address. If that child were to become lost, they could easily tell someone their 7 digit phone number and that person could make an assumption that the child is local and easily call the child's parents. I don't think children will be able to memorize a 10 digit phone number as easily as a 7 digit one, and if the overlay plan is implemented, it could become a safety issue. Food for thought.

Discrimination alive and well in Utah

In a post today at Utah Policy Daily, LaVarr Webb repeats what he calls "Irish jokes." The problem with these jokes is that two of the three are about drinking. This makes me wonder if Mr. Webb has ever been to Ireland. Sure there might be Irish people who drink to excessive amounts, but, guess what Mr. Webb, there are Americans who drink to excessive amounts.
To repeat jokes (I'm assuming he is repeating them and didn't make them up on his own.) that give unfair treatment to a group of people on the basis of prejudice is the very definition of discrimination. I hope that is not reflective of the political party that Mr. Webb belongs to. I know the church he belongs to doesn't preach discrimination in any form.

Are they crazy?

This is the year when Woods Cross will elect three council members. So what on earth would make somebody want to run for City Council? As a city council member, here are some things you must be willing to endure.

1. Phone calls late at night from some citizen who is upset because... fill in the blank here with any/all of the following:
• Their garbage can didn't get emptied on time.
• They are opposed to the new swimming pool being built, or being open on Sundays.
• The air in their neighborhood stinks.
• The trains / airplanes are too loud.
• The school is cancelling the after-school program.
• The city increased their fees again.
  


2. Having people upset at you because you voted a certain way on an issue.
3. People you thought were friends say things that aren't true about you to other people.
4. Anonymous e-mails calling you very nasty names.
5. Anonymous phone calls from people calling you nasty names.

Notice I didn't mention phone calls from citizens telling you they think you are doing a great job? So why would anyone subject themselves to this torture? I think it comes down to a few reasons.
First, I think most people who do it don't realize the amount of hate that can exist in a small community, and how that hate can be turned against them.
Second, I think some people who run for a city council position firmly believe that they can do some good in their small community.
Third, I think there are more people than we like to believe who do it because they like the ego trip. In my opinion, these are the people who are the least qualified to run a city.
So how do you know what a candidate's motivation is? Talk to the candidate. Call them on the phone. Preferably not late at night.

No posts in February?

I was trying to see if I didn't post anything the whole month of February, if anyone would notice. I almost made it, someone posted a comment yesterday that blew it.
Since I last posted, I've spent two weeks in Edison, NJ, and one week in Atlanta, GA. With work, church, and family, who has time for politics? Aren't there better things to do with your free time? :-)