Planet Utah

One Utah: The Boy Scouts Delicate Balancing Act

Sat, 25 May 2013 20:02:48 +0000

I was an enthusiastic Cub Scout but at best a indifferent Boy Scout. I lost interest in scouting after a campout that was a well-intentioned mismanaged fiasco from beginning to end.

BSA have been living in a difficult place for years. They clearly sees themselves as a mainstream organization, modernizing and responding to contemporary society while transmitting time honored values and experiences. They strive to achieve racial and ethnic diversity. The organization updates and adds to its list of possible merit badges to represent changing societal awareness and standards, as for example badges in environmental science, disabilities awareness and game design. At the same time, many of the most fervent supporters of scouting are religious conservatives who perceive the organization as a bulwark of traditional values defending against a rising tide of valueless modernity. The organization’s struggle exemplifies the struggle in American culture.

Facing pressure from the American mainstream, including losing corporate sponsors, the scouts had a difficult choice – become another right wing institution regarded by most Americans as a throwback to the 1950s, or adapt with the times. In voting to permit gay scouts but not gay scout leaders, the scouts are trying to make a pragmatic, incremental move to remain a mainstream organization in American life. The general reaction among gay folk seems to be mixed – yes, this is a step in the right direction but it continues to support prejudice against gay persons. John Aravosis at Americablog summed it up in the title of a post:”Boy Scouts lift ban on gay scouts, still consider us pedophiles when we hit 18″.

Michaelangelo Signorile is honest and harsh:

The ugliest lie about gay men is that we are likely to be predators and pedophiles, preying upon children. This twisted belief, backed by no facts but exploiting deep-seated myths and powerful fears about homosexuality, is still firmly embedded in our culture, as are lies about blacks, Jews and other groups demonized within our culture. It’s the lie that has kept many gay men from even interacting with teens and young children, fearful of being in the position of being wrongly accused of making sexual advances. It’s a lie that often inhibits organizing, depriving us of the intergenerational mentoring and self-esteem-building that is so important for any minority group that is discriminated against.

And it’s a lie that empowers bashers and draws blood on our streets.

The predator lie tells young boys, gay and straight, to be suspect and fearful of adult gay men. And the BSA, adopting a new policy allowing gay scouts but not gay scoutmasters, is now furthering the lie in more powerful way.

Yes, BSA’s policy is incoherent. It’s also another step in their delicate balancing act in being a mainstream organization with lots of right wing supporters.

The Scouts have been performing a delicate balancing act between those competing views of the organization for years now. Conservatives regarded the Dale lawsuit and decision as a sure sign that the scouts were on their side in the culture wars.

The announcement that the organization would revisit its membership rules concerning gay scouts came as a shock to religious conservatives. Thursday’s vote to permit openly gay scouts but not openly gay scout leaders was equally shocking. The good folks at Think Progress identified the ten right wing freakouts about the policy. My personal favorite is from John Stemberger who founded On My Honor – an organization dedicated to keep the gays out of the scouts:

This organization that has stood the test of time will probably be destroyed now that they have decided to admit openly gay boys as Scouts.[snip]

Most important, the new policy robs parents of Boy Scouts, like me, of the sole authority to raise issues of sex and sexuality with their kids.

Parents should have the exclusive right to raise issues about sex and sexuality with their children in their own time and in their own way, in the privacy of their homes, not brought up by other older boys around a campfire. Allowing open homosexuality injects a sensitive and highly charged political issue into the heart of the BSA, against the wishes of the vast majority of parents.

Stemberger’s statement exemplifies the attitude of so many of the Scouts conservative supporters, however, which has been one of the chief reasons the Scouts are in their delicate balancing act. What leaps out at me from Stemberger’s post is the statement that parents have “sole authority to raise issues of sex and sexuality with their kids.” Second of course is this phrase “in their own time and in their own way, in the privacy of their homes, not brought up by other older boys around a campfire.” Which of course makes me wonder what the hell kind of campfire talks Stemberger has had in his life.

Buried in Stemberger’s comments however are deep seated notions about gay people that are deeply bigoted – first that gay teens are going to talk about sex incessantly, connected to the oft repeated idea that gay men do nothing but think about sex, talk about sex and have sex. It’s the bland, bigoted “gay lifestyle” assumption that says being gay is about nothing but sex.

Stemberger’s claim of “sole authority” and “exclusive right” over children learning about sexuality exemplifies the toxic notion that children are nothing more than property of their parents who should have absolute power over them. This notion is expressed in so many ways in our culture it gets difficult to track – everything from demands that children not be exposed to any ideas with which parents disagree, to demands for laws requiring parental approval for teens accessing birth control, to opposition to comprehensive sexuality education. This attitude lies behind efforts to teach abstinence only education, to require parental approval for a vast array of classroom discussions. Stemberger would have children remain ignorant in the mistaken belief that means they are also innocent. Any decision other than one reaffirming the absolute ban on gay scouts and gay scout leaders would meet with disapproval by the scouts conservative members.

At the end of the day, the BSA’s decision really pleases no one, doesn’t solve the BSA’s problem and forces them to keep working on the difficult balancing act. Like Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, this compromise is nothing more than delaying action that will ultimately force the BSA to revisit the issue.

One Utah: Moyers & DeChristopher

Sat, 25 May 2013 04:55:46 +0000

I’ve been waiting to see the master interviewer sit down with Tim for a long time!

The wait is over:

One Utah: How Republicans Caused The Dysfunction That Created the Scandals About Which They’re Upset

Fri, 24 May 2013 13:20:56 +0000

At Washington Monthly there’s an interesting article arguing that the current scandals over the IRS and AP could have been avoided but Republican obstructionism created the bad policy that made the scandals possible:

Republicans are right to be outraged by scandals, but it would help if they were also outraged by the policy failures that produced the scandals. Democrats, meanwhile, have previously proposed policies that might have curtailed the IRS fiasco and the Justice Department’s overreach.

Democratic proposals to adjust policy to fix the problems were shot down by Republicans who have adopted a scorched earth approach to everything. So the solutions to the problems are already out there, but Republicans refuse to adopt them since that might make them look like being reasonable human beings.

Utah Senate: We’re # 1 (for Economic Outlook).

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:09:48 +0000

If Utah’s green jello and snow-capped mountains don’t impress you, maybe this will.

Today (and for the 6th consecutive year), the American Legislative Exchange Council announced that Utah ranks #1 in the nation for Economic Outlook.

What is that, exactly?

From ALEC: The Economic Outlook Ranking is a forecast based on a state’s current standing in 15 state policy variables. Each of these factors is influenced directly by state lawmakers through the legislative process.

Generally speaking, states that spend less—especially on income transfer programs, and states that tax less—particularly on productive activities such as working or investing—experience higher growth rates than states that tax and spend more.

The Economic Performance Ranking is a backward-looking measure based on a state’s performance on three important variables: State Gross Domestic Product, Absolute Domestic Migration, and Non-Farm Payroll Employment—all of which are highly influenced by state policy. This ranking details states’ individual performances over the past 10 years based on this economic data.

From the Press Release:

“Rich States, Poor States examines the latest trends in state economic growth. . . . The sixth edition focuses on the growing momentum in state capitals for fundamental pro-growth tax and pension reform. ”

[This is the good part.] “Utah’s economic policies have remained strong, and because of their firm commitment to economic growth and competitiveness, they’ve ranked first in all six editions of our report,” said Jonathan Williams, director of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Center for State Fiscal Reform and co-author of Rich States, Poor States: ALEC-Laffer State Economic State Competitiveness Index.

Also topping the list…

Are our friendly sister-states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Virginia, Arizona, Idaho, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi.

At the bottom of the list? Maine, Montana, Connecticut, Oregon, Rhode Island, Minnesota, California, Illinois, New York, and Vermont.

In the media:

Looking for more coverage/info? Check out these links:

The Salt Lake Tribune: Utah is tops for 2013 economic outlook, ALEC says

Utah Policy Daily: New Study Ranks Utah #1 for Business

Fox 13: Utah ranks #1 for economic outlook

One Utah: Did President Obama Just Apologize for the Drone Campaign?

Thu, 23 May 2013 20:41:44 +0000

Via Spencer Ackerman and HuffPo.

Here’s the take-away from President Obama’s speech today at the National Defense University at Fort McNair, in Washington DC.

The drone surge may finally be over. By some estimates, 98% of drone strike casualties were civilian noncombatants (50 for every one “suspected terrorist”). The Bureau of Investigative Journalism issued a report detailing how the CIA deliberately targeted rescuers who show up after an attack, and mourners at funerals as a part of a “double-tap” strategy eerily reminiscent of methods used by terrorist groups like Hamas.

In the months and years ahead, drone strikes once conducted by the CIA will become more of a U.S. military responsibility. The rules for launching the strikes will become stricter — there must be a “near certainty” that no civilians will be killed, for instance — and they’ll become less frequent. “To say a military tactic is legal, or even effective,” Obama said… “is not to say it is wise or moral in every instance.”

Yet neither Obama nor senior administration officials ruled out the most controversial aspect of Obama’s counterterrorism measures: so-called signature strikes, in which the CIA does not know the identities of the people it targets, but infers terrorist affiliation based on their observed patterns of behavior.

President Obama says he’s sorry.

Of the civilians who have died in the strikes, Obama said: “For me, and those in my chain of command, these deaths will haunt us as long as we live, just as we are haunted by the civilian casualties that have occurred through conventional fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Of course, the other guys kill civilians too.

“Let us remember that the terrorists we are after target civilians, and the death toll from their acts of terrorism against Muslims dwarfs any estimate of civilian casualties from drone strikes,” he added.

We’re going to try again to close Guantanamo. But detention without charges and military commissions will continue.

“Today, I once again call on Congress to lift the restrictions on detainee transfers from Gitmo. I have asked the Department of Defense to designate a site in the United States where we can hold military commissions,” he said. “I am appointing a new, senior envoy at the State Department and Defense Department whose sole responsibility will be to achieve the transfer of detainees to third countries.”

Maybe it’s time to re-think the war on terror thing. This part of the speech was surprising, because only a week ago Michael Sheehan, the assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, told Congress that the war on terror would last another 10 to 20 years.

While Obama would not declare an end to the war on terrorism, Obama offered to work with Congress to constrain some of his own authorities for waging it, reflecting what he and aides described as a discomfort with permanent executive war powers. He said he was “open” to working with Congress to establish some additional mechanism to oversee the proper targeting of terrorists, such as a court modeled on the secretive one that oversees the surveillance of suspected foreign agents. He also expressed a preference to constrain “and ultimately repeal” the broad latitude of warmaking powers granted in the 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF), the legislative wellspring of the war. “This is the moment to ask ourselves hard questions,” Obama said.

President Obama’s credibility isn’t good. Obama was interrupted by Code Pink founder Medea Benjamin three times. After she was removed from the room by security, he acknowledged her opposition to his policies ought to be taken seriously.

“The voice of that woman is worth paying attention to,” Obama said. “Obviously, I do not agree with much of what she said. And obviously, she wasn’t listening to me in much of what I said. But, these are tough issues. And the suggestion that we can gloss over them is wrong.”

More info:

Holder: We’ve Droned 4 Americans, 3 by Accident. Oops.

Obama Swears Drone Surge Is Done

Obama Drones, Guantanamo Policy Laid Out In Major National Security Speech (VIDEO)

UPDATE: Hearts & Minds & La La La I Can’t Hear You

UPDATE: Anwar Al-Awlaki Finally Gets A (Show) Trial

UPDATE: Obama Speech Interrupted: “Medea Benjamin Gets in News Conferences Using ‘CodePink Magic’”

Benjamin shouted, as she was escorted out of the news conference:

“Can you tell the Muslim people that their lives are as precious as our lives?Can you take the drones out of the hands of the CIA? Can you stop the signature strikes that are killing people on the basis of suspicious activities? Will you apologize to the thousands of Muslims that you have killed? Will you compensate the innocent family victims? That will make us safer.”

UPDATE: GOP Senator: Obama Speech ‘Will Be Viewed By Terrorists As A Victory’

Obama’s major speech outlining the Administration’s counter-terrorism policy on Thursday marked a win for al-Qaeda, according to Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA).

UPDATE: Marcy Wheeler: Has Obama Presented a New Plan to Fight Terror or More of the Same?

One Utah: Congressman Uses Out-of-Context Bible Quote to Justify Screwing Poor People

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:35:39 +0000

Sometimes I think Republicans have their own special GOP edition of The Bible. Via Think Progress:

The House Agriculture Committee convened earlier this week to discuss whether or not to cut as much as $4.1 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps).

As House members discussed slashing the budget for the Farm Bill, which funds SNAP, Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-TN) took issue with some Democrats who cited Jesus Christ’s call to care for “the least of these” when describing the government’s need to assist the hungry. Instead, Fincher explained that his support for the proposed cuts by quoting a very different Bible verse – 2 Thessalonians 3:10: “For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.”

But while the use of 2 Thessalonians is a convenient tool for those who want to justify ignoring the poor, Fincher’s lukewarm Biblical argument doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. As many religious bloggers have already pointed out, the author of 2 Thessalonians was actually referring to ancient Christians who had stopped working in anticipation of Jesus’ Second Coming. The verse is concerned with correcting a theological misunderstanding (i.e., don’t just wait around for Jesus, live an active faith), not passing judgement on the poor.

Worse still, Fincher’s use of the Bible to defend the slashing of food stamps isn’t just bad theology, it’s also bad policy.

Undergirding Fincher’s sloppy exegesis is an old conservative fiction that people who rely on food stamps are lazy parasites who mooch off the government and refuse to work. In reality, most of the country’s 47 million food stamp recipients are children or the elderly, and many are employed. A 2012 report from the USDA found that 45 percent of SNAP recipients were under 18 years of age, nearly 9 percent were age 60 or older, and more than 40 percent lived in households with earnings.

Fincher’s misguided Bible-thumping ignores the plight of America’s 8.9 million “working poor.” This massive group includes the thousands of participants from the recent fast food and retail workers strikes, people who, despite working full-time 40 hours a week for booming industries, often only make around $7.25 an hour, or $15,000 a year. That’s far below the federal poverty threshold of $23,550 for a family of four and leaves many working families with no choice but to apply for food stamps just to feed their loved ones. The strikers, who are consistently backed by droves of religious leaders, are clearly willing to work, yet lawmakers like Fincher (who made his millions with the help of government farm subsidies) stand poised to deny them access to the food they need by decimating funding for SNAP.

More info: Congressman Who Gets Millions In Farm Subsidies Denounces Food Stamps As Stealing ‘Other People’s Money’

One Utah: Health Care Costs Continue to Skyrocket

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:00:05 +0000

Think Progress (emphasis added):

According to a new report from consulting firm Milliman Inc., the average family with health insurance now pays more than $9,000 in payroll deductions and out-of-pocket bills, which is more than they typically spend on groceries and gas for an entire year.

The firm estimates that a typical family of four with an employer-sponsored health plan will end up incurring about $22,030 for all of their medical costs in 2013. That represents a 6.3 percent increase from last year, when the typical family racked up $20,728.

…Since 2003, workers in every single state have had to increase their contributions to their family health plans by nearly 75 percent. At the same time, workers’ wages have stagnated. As struggling Americans aren’t able to afford the treatment they need, they’re putting off doctor’s visits and skipping out on their medication.

Too bad the so-called Affordable Care Act took the place of actual health care reform. We needed an expansion of Medicare, and all we got was the right-wing individual private insurance mandate without any cost controls (such as a public option).

UPDATE: How California Is Debunking The GOP’s Obamacare Talking Points

Opening bids from insurers in California and Oregon exchanges promise to lower rates. Could be good news. Enrollment in the exchanges is still five months away.

Utah Senate: Today’s #UtEd Task Force meeting in a nutshell

Wed, 22 May 2013 22:55:58 +0000

Today the Education Task Force met at length to discuss Utah’s educational landscape, including:

An Education Data Overview: Demographic, achievement, outcome, and fiscal data for students in Utah’s public K-12 and higher education systems.

The Utah Data Alliance: Members of the state agencies that comprise the Utah Data Alliance (UDA), which include the Utah State Office of Education, Utah System of Higher Education, Utah College of Applied Technology, Department of Workforce Services, Utah Education Network, and the Utah Education Policy Center at the University of Utah, presented information to the task force on the Statewide Longitudinal Data System and activities of the UDA.

66% by 2020: The task force heard from representatives of Prosperity 2020, a business-led organization that is spearheading an initiative to promote 66% of the state’s adult population having some postsecondary training, certification, or degree by 2020. The task force also heard from education leaders who are working to implement an increase in post-secondary education attainment.

Perspectives on Student Achievement: Education stakeholders shared with the task force their perspectives on the foundational principles or elements of student achievement and how to design an education system that best promotes these elements. *Not all stakeholders were able to present due to time constraints. They’ll be moved to the next meeting.

Want to catch up on what you missed? This link contains the notice, agenda, materials, and audio recordings from today’s meeting.

[Update:] Utah Moms Care offers their summary of the meeting HERE.

[Update 2:] The Deseret News’ coverage focuses on per-pupil spending and discussion on barriers to education outside the classroom.

[Update 3:] The SL Trib’s Lisa Schencker covers spending, task force goals, and single-parent homes.

AND thanks to the Twitterverse, you can catch up this way too. (Note: Opinions expressed are tweeter’s own. Well, most of them, anyway.)

Waiting for #utleg Ed Task Force to begin; should be fun day watching legislators usurp USBE constitutional authority #utpol #uted

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Legislative education task force begins first meeting, members incl. House Speaker Lockhart, Sen. Pres Lockhart #uted #utpol #utleg — Lisa Schencker (@lschencker) May 22, 2013

Sen Pres Niederhauser: task force not competitive venture w/current efforts like Gov’s Ed Comm #utleg #uted #utpol — Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Sen Pres Niederhauser: don’t want to hear abt self-interest in discussion b/c we may need to break down some silos #uted #utleg #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Spkr Lockhart: “I also believe we have a 19th century govenance model for a 21st century school system that’s not working.” #uted #utpol

— Lisa Schencker (@lschencker) May 22, 2013

Spkr Lockhart says task force will look at governance of pubilc ed, how to better leverage technology in schools #uted #utpol #utleg — Lisa Schencker (@lschencker) May 22, 2013

Spkr Lockhart: Pres & I don’t have agenda for end so not trying to move #uted task force to pre-determined end #utleg #utpol — Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Both Sen Pres & Spkr talked abt governance of #uted & how it may need to be changed; warning-danger ahead! #utleg #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

#utleg Ed Task Force reviewing Indicators of Utah Student Achievement data 1.usa.gov/11bcwJN #utpol #uted

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

And the Twitterstream goes silent as the Ed Task Force drills down into tests & #uted outcome data. bit.ly/16Oup9O — Ric Cantrell (@RicCantrell) May 22, 2013

@senhoward griping abt NAEP & CRT scores; forgot policy analyst’s careful description of diff in defs on proficiency #uted #utleg #utpol — Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

@senhoward also complaining abt K-3 Reading $$; need to spend diff way; let me guess-technology? #utleg #uted #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Despite spending $30 million per year for 10+ years trying to increase reading performance, the results are stagnant.#uted #utleg #utpol

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Indicators of Utah Student Achievement presentation from #utleg Task Force: 1.usa.gov/10lcgwz #uted #utpol

— Utah Moms Care (@UtahMomsCare) May 22, 2013

RT @lschencker: Spkr Lockhart says task force will look at governance of pubilc ed, how to better leverage technology in schools #uted…

— PCEtweets (@PCEtweets) May 22, 2013

@jenseelighd23 & @senjones want qualitative data on #uted plus quantitative that task force receiving today #utleg #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

@avosmond wants #utleg Ed Task Force to look at research on early intervention for at-risk kids to see how much it helps #utpol #uted

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Rep. Moss says task force should hear from teachers, perfect opportunity with summer break coming up #uted #utpol #utleg

— Lisa Schencker (@lschencker) May 22, 2013

Sen. Osmond suggests task force look at value of early childhood education #uted #utpol #utleg

— Lisa Schencker (@lschencker) May 22, 2013

#Utah has 41 school districts and 87 charter schools.#uted #utleg #utpol

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Ed Task Force now hearing presentation on how schools are funded. Probably good information for an Ed Task Force to know. #UtEd #UtPol

— Benjamin Wood (@BjaminWood) May 22, 2013

How #Utah funds its public schools:le.utah.gov/lrgc/briefings…#uted #utpol #utleg

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

#Utah Constitution, Art. 8, § 5: “All revenue from…a tax on income shall be used to support the systems of public education ….” #uted #utpol

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Presentation on #uted funding should be old news to these veteran legislators on Task Force; it is to me ;) #utleg #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

More review; #utleg Fiscal Analyst context on #uted funding 1.usa.gov/1a6YAGg #utpol @goptodd

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Utah Code 53A-17a-102: All children are entitled to reasonably equal educational opportunities regardless of place of residence #uted #utleg

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Utah lowest in US of single parent households; close to top in ed attainment #utleg #utpol #uted

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Overview of Utah scores on a number of school tests le.utah.gov/interim/2013/p… #uted #utpol #utleg

— Lisa Schencker (@lschencker) May 22, 2013

Overview of where Utah ranks nationally when it comes to all sorts of education-related factors le.utah.gov/interim/2013/p… #Uted #utpol

— Lisa Schencker (@lschencker) May 22, 2013

Would cost $365 million for Utah to move out of last place on per pupil funding #uted #utpol #utleg

— Lisa Schencker (@lschencker) May 22, 2013

Would need $365 mill to move us to next ranked state, Idaho, in per pupil spending; $2.6 billion to reach US avg #uted #utpol #utleg

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Would cost $365M for #Utah to move up from last place in per-pupil spending, $8.1B to move to first place. #UtEd #UtPol

— Benjamin Wood (@BjaminWood) May 22, 2013

#Utah would have to increase its state income tax rate from 5% to 9.8% to match the national average in per pupil spending. #uted #utleg

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

In per pupil spending, #Utah is $648 behind Idaho, $4647 behind the national average, and $14,458 behind Washington D.C. #utpol #utleg #uted

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally comparable assessment of what students know in subject areas #uted

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Legislative analysts: Utah has highest teacher/student ratio, but link to academic performance is statistically insignificant. #UtEd #UtPol

— Benjamin Wood (@BjaminWood) May 22, 2013

#utleg staff says data shows that spending per student is NOT related to student achievement #utpol #utleg #uted

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Want a whole lotta graphs comparing #UtEd to other states? This is the presentation for you!!! le.utah.gov/interim/2013/p… #UtPol

— Benjamin Wood (@BjaminWood) May 22, 2013

Household income and single parent households influence student achievement a LOT more than being foreign born or per pupil spending.#uted

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Every % increase in percentage of adults w/Bachelor degree represents 0.2867 increase in NAEP scores #uted #utleg #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

#utleg Ed task force, LFA analysis: most influence on K-12 test scores could be achieved by more college educated parents #utpol #uted

— Utah Foundation (@UtahFoundation) May 22, 2013

Analysts say, based on statistical trends, it would cost $1B to move Utah up two states in NAEP rankings #UtEd #UtPol

— Benjamin Wood (@BjaminWood) May 22, 2013

Despite what you hear from USOE, #Utah is the 15th worst state in the nation in graduation rates.#utpol #uted #utleg

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

#Utah‘s SAT scores are the 17th highest in the United States.#utpol #uted #utpol

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Only 6% of Utah students take it RT @goptodd: #Utah‘s SAT scores are the 17th highest in the United States.#utpol #uted #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

One of the greatest factors in Ed achievement of students is their parent’s Ed attainment. #uted #utpol #utleg

— Utah Moms Care (@UtahMomsCare) May 22, 2013

#Utah‘s 2011 ACT scores rank right in the middle — 25th of all states nationally.In 2012, we were 16th worst!#utpol #uted #utpol

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Analysts say data shows that #Utah is doing more (re: achievement) with less $ because it has the lowest % of single parent households #uted

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

LFA Jon Ball says Utah gets away with low spending on #uted because of social factors that compensate. Those factors are changing. #utpol

— Utah Foundation (@UtahFoundation) May 22, 2013

Sen. Jones “We need to be very careful about labeling homes with a single parent as failures” #UtEd #UtPol

— Benjamin Wood (@BjaminWood) May 22, 2013

#Utah also gets away with doing more for less ($) due to the high number of parents with college degrees.#utpol #uted #utpol

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Less than 5% of the students in #uted are foreign born — so let’s put an end to that debate.FL = 14%; NY = 18%; CA = 24%#utpol #uted

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

#utleg Ed Task Force now moving to presentation on Utah Higher Education 1.usa.gov/10lk6WV #uted #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

It is the economy? Enrollment in Utah’s Applied Tech Colleges has dropped from 56K in 2003 to 39K now.#utpol #uted #utpol

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

From 2003 to 2004, ATC’s enrollment declined from 56K to 35K — in a single year.Now at 39K#utpol #uted #utpol

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Utah is near the top in the nation at the nuimber of college degrees produced fore $100K in revenues or expenditures.#utpol #uted #utpol

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

@senatorsteveu says we have wrong assumption that longer we are out of math courses, better we are at it #utleg #uted #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

#Utah has the 10th highest college graduation rate in the U.S. #utpol #uted #utpol

— Todd Weiler (@gopTODD) May 22, 2013

Ed Task Force adjourning until 1 pm #utleg #utpol #uted

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Leg Ed Task force is meeting for the first time hopefully good things will come from it. #uted #utpol #p2020 twitter.com/KoryHoldaway/s…

— Kory Holdaway (@KoryHoldaway) May 22, 2013

Currently 43% of Utah adults hold postsecondary degree or certificate; 7 yrs to get to 66% #uted #utleg #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Utah ranks 17th in SAT scores and 15th worst in graduation rates. #cognitivedissonance #uted #utleg #utpol

— David Miller (@davidmiller) May 22, 2013

Comm of Higher Ed Buhler says bachelor’s degree will get Utahns $18,000/yr higher salary than HS grad #uted #utleg #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

@jenseelighd23 challenges unspoken assumption that degrees are only to get jobs & make $$ #utleg #uted #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

UCAT now presenting to #utleg Ed Task Force; know what it stands for? Utah College of Applied Technology. #uted #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

UCAT has 152 Employer Advisory Committees that design certificate curriculum to ensure it meets workforce needs #utleg #uted #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Utah buys 2 college degrees per $100,000 of state funds expended on higher ed #utleg #uted #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Utah Data Alliance now to report on student longitudinal data system; several of these slideshows not on website #utleg #uted #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

@senhoward praises Utah Data Alliance as “light bulb to illuminate” #uted decisions; calls agency data people “geniuses” #utleg #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Supt. Menlove refs “Promises to Keep” 1.usa.gov/xsqlLU doc by USBE on their mission #uted #utleg #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

Sen. Reid asks to know 4 or 5 things, irrespective of cost, classrooms need for success. Teachers, form an orderly line. #UtEd #UtPol

— Benjamin Wood (@BjaminWood) May 22, 2013

#uted: “A vision and a long-range plan…” The genesis of the Education Task Force. bit.ly/185jQ2n @bjaminwood #utleg

— Utah Senate (@utahsenate) May 22, 2013

#utleg Ed Task Force on last agenda item; no time for all presenters so Sen. Niederhauser will move some to next mtg #uted #utpol

— Sue Carey (@swcarey) May 22, 2013

@goptodd based on #utdem you’d think that #uted is the worst anywhere. Facts are a stubborn thing.

— Jeff Thomas (@jeffwthomas) May 22, 2013

Happy Thursday, y’all!

One Utah: Alex Jones: Oklahoma Tornado Was An Inside Job

Wed, 22 May 2013 16:39:13 +0000

Via Media Matters.

Conspiracy talk show host Alex Jones is best known for promoting the theory that the 9/11 attacks were really a “false flag” operation by the U.S. government. He said the same thing about the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre and the recent Boston bombings. Now he is making the claim that the Oklahoma tornado was a secret government plot.

Jones, a longtime proponent of the idea that the U.S. government can manipulate and even produce weather systems like tornadoes and hurricanes, went on to say that if people saw helicopters or small aircraft in the area, then “you better bet your bottom dollar they did this.”

“But, who knows if they did?” he asked. “You know, that’s the thing. We don’t know.”

Jones is being increasingly treated as a serious voice within the right-wing GOP. Republicans in the House, including Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), actually held a hearing last month to discuss Jones’ theory that that President Obama is trying to buy up all the bullets in the country.

UPDATE: Maddow: Will ‘weather weapon’ talk finally drive GOP away from Alex Jones? In an audio clip, Jones suggests the government is causing tornadoes to convince Americans about climate change:

“Tornadoes are way down. Of course, they lie that they’re way up to get carbon taxes, but I don’t know if this was a weather weapon or not. They can, with the right weather conditions, they can create and steer groups of tornadoes.”

Utah Senate: Sen. Stuart Reid: Why moderates lost the caucus vote

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:24:01 +0000

By Stuart Reid

Utah State Senator, District 18

Originally published in the Deseret News.

Recently, many moderates have been wringing their hands over how conservative the Utah Republican Party has become. Their failed efforts last Saturday to persuade the delegates at the Republican convention to reform the party election process enhanced their frustration. Some are now threatening to initiate a petition drive requiring a public vote to mandate primaries, hoping to open up the political process to more moderates.

Even with a public mandated primary, the conservative base will dominate politics in Utah until the Democratic Party reforms itself and provides a legitimate alternative for the politically moderate. No forced reform will endure against a large, motivated, Republican base willing to fight and fight hard for its political principles and tactics.

Because the Democratic Party has been unwilling to reform itself reflecting the majority values in Utah, moderates have no alternative but the Republican Party. In its present form, it is socially unacceptable for most Utah moderates to be associated with the Democratic Party. The moderates may feel constrained into an association with the Republican Party they are not fully compatible with, yet the Democrats give them no better alternative.

Until the Democrats become competitive in the marketplace of politics, Utah will remain conservative, even “right wing” conservative. This is the real source of the moderates’ frustration. Their lack of political influence in Utah will last at least the next 30 years unless it’s the Utah Democrats that initiate reforms.

If moderates want to secure a political place for them in each party, they should not look to the Republican base to compromise but they should look to the Democrats to become competitive. Political competition inevitably balances parties, providing a more inviting environment for moderates.

Recent attempts to influence the Republican Party to compromise and change is the result of moderates’ failed attempts for 30 years to get the Democrats to do the very same thing. Perhaps moderates could be more persuasive with the Republicans if there was a viable Democratic Party in Utah. Absent a viable alternative, conservative Republicans know they have nothing to fear.

The Republican base recognizes that no change is necessary for it to dominate the political landscape and win elections in Utah. The base knows it only needs a few of the moderates to win elections and with the present condition of the Democratic Party, it easily obtains the few and many more in most political contests.

In other words, absent political competition, the Republican base has no motivation to compromise its principles or change its tactics, particularly when it believes it has for a generation successfully safeguarded Utah from becoming like every other state that has succumbed to a national, liberal agenda. It believes it has advanced fiscal soundness, moral standards and liberties against national influences constantly trying to change Utah’s way of life. Furthermore, it has grown while at the same time Utah Democrats reflected the national trends in their politics, causing a dramatic reduction in their membership and officeholders.

The real truth is conservative dominance has made moderates uneasy both because of public policy and their inability to be elected through the Republican Party process. Because the Republican Party has not voluntarily responded to moderate policies and candidates, they are trying to compel the party system to change. The Republican base demonstrated its confidence at last Saturday’s convention that any attempts to manufacture a non-competitive solution designed to pacify the moderates against its valued principles and successful tactics will fail.

Photo by Scott Jarvie.

One Utah: CNN’s Crowley Adopts False Right-Wing Claim That Obama Didn’t Call Benghazi A Terrorist Attack

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:29:56 +0000

Via Media Matters.

What a shame. It was Candy Crowley who courageously committed an act of journalism in the middle of a presidential debate, daring to fact-check inveterate liar Willard (“Mitt”) Romney in real time. I suppose her standing at CNN has suffered, because truth-telling just isn’t appreciated among the DC media. On CNN right-wing talking points are better than facts, so Crowley is going with the talking points.

The hyper-partisan right-wing Benghazi witch-hunt has produced no new information after NINE congressional hearings, two full-scale investigations, and an SNL parody. Senator John McCain tried to get a select committee established just to re-hash Benghazi. If I were the Senate Majority Leader I would instead assemble a committee to thoroughly investigate the Bush administration’s record on terrorism, starting with the 9/11 attacks and the anthrax letters, and charged with examining the 31 other terrorist attacks on Bush’s watch, including 7 attacks on U.S. embassies and consulates.

More info:

Fox And Issa Claim There’s A Difference Between An “Act Of Terror” And A Terrorist Attack

One Utah: ermagahd! benghazi . . . that’s in Cuba, right?

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:19:53 +0000

Two things are amusing the hell out of me this morning – of those who think Benghazi is a major scandal, 39% don’t know where it is.

And second, turns our the giant email disclosure that Republicans were sure was going to bring down Barack Obama was edited by Republicans before being released to ABC News . . . the real emails are far less exciting, an interagency debate about how to accurately discuss what happened while not revealing certain confidential details that might hinder the investigation.

One Utah: The Nostalgia Trap

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:43:38 +0000

I’ve written about the ways in which many conservatives seem to yearn for yesteryear. This morning, historian Stephanie Coontz offered a fascinating and compelling article in the NY Times on the dangers of nostalgia:

In society at large, however, nostalgia can distort our understanding of the world in dangerous ways, making us needlessly negative about our current situation.[snip]

Happy memories also need to be put in context. I have interviewed many white people who have fond memories of their lives in the 1950s and early 1960s. The ones who never cross-examined those memories to get at the complexities were the ones most hostile to the civil rights and the women’s movements, which they saw as destroying the harmonious world they remembered.

Read the whole thing, it’s worth it.

Utah Senate: Shelter From The Storm: Utah’s Opportunity

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:52:57 +0000

By Howard Stephenson

Utah State Senator, District 11

Yesterday, Maryland’s Governor Martin O’Malley signed SB281. The bill severely limits the Constitutionally-protected rights of American citizens in the State of Maryland.

The new law adds 45 guns to a list of banned weapons. It bans all “assault weapons” from being possessed or brought into the State of Maryland, and limits all magazine capacities to 10-rounds– among other things.

As a result, Beretta USA issued the following statement on their blog:

“The. . . law that passed is not acceptable, even with the improvements we were able to obtain. . . .The question now facing the Beretta Holding companies in Maryland is this: What effect will the passage of this law–and the efforts of Maryland government officials to support its passage–have on our willingness to remain in this State?

. . . Prior to introduction of this legislation the three Beretta Holding companies located in Maryland were experiencing growth in revenues and jobs and had begun expansion plans in factory and other operations. The idea now of investing additional funds in Maryland and thus rewarding a Government that has insulted our customers and our products is offensive to us so we will take steps to evaluate such investments in other States.”

[Here's a link to the full statement.]

In Maryland, Beretta has paid more than 31 million dollars in taxes. They currently employ more than 400 people. According to a guns.com exclusive from yesterday, Beretta has significant plans for growth and investment.

In light of Beretta’s statements and yesterday’s events, I opened a bill file.

My initial proposal will be to reduce obstacles and offer incentives to gun manufacturers located in the Beehive State. This might include eliminating sales taxes on machinery, equipment and replacement parts which are used in the manufacture of guns.

This is an exciting opportunity for Utah, and tomorrow’s Republican State Convention provides an additional exciting opportunity to open up a discussion about bringing Beretta and other gun manufacturers to our state.

At tomorrow’s convention I’ll have a co-sponsor list with me. I’m anxious to continue this discussion, and I hope that the other state legislators in attendance will find me and sign on to this opportunity for Utah.

When you see your State Representative or Senator tomorrow, send them my way.

Please contribute to this conversation. I can be reached here, or by leaving a comment below.

The Constitution shall never be construed to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.

– Samuel Adams

[Update:] Beretta is being courted by a few of our cooler sister-states, but none with as good an economic climate as Utah. So far, they’re keeping tight-lipped about where they are headed.

[Update 2:] Publius Online provides a few more details.

Utah Senate: Should Our AG Be Appointed?

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:42:23 +0000

By Todd Weiler

Utah State Senator, District 23

Unlike any other elected official, an attorney general decides who get prosecuted criminally and put in jail. Or who doesn’t. Although many people believe that the state’s attorney general represents “we the people”, the Utah Constitution makes it clear that he is the legal advisor to the governor and other state officials.

Utah Const. Art. VII, Sect. 16. Utah Code Ann. § 67-5-1, provides that the attorney general has an “attorney-client relationship” with the state and shall “prosecute or defend all causes to which the state or any officer, board, or commission of the state in an official capacity is a party, and take charge, as attorney, of all civil legal matters in which the state is interested”.

If you think the attorney general represents you as a citizen and voter, then I challenge you to call his office an ask for legal advice. They won’t give it to you, and will explain that they can’t. You are not their “client” — but the governor is. For this reason, I believe it makes sense for the governor to appoint his attorney general. This change would allow Utah to have the best attorney — not just the best politician — to become the state’s chief law enforcement officer. Some other advantages of this change include:

•More oversight by the appointing person or entity

•Can be removed more easily if a problem arises

•Less likely to be a policymaker

•Stronger, more united executive branch

•Can also serve as counsel to the governor

•Less likely to take politically motivated action

•Less likely to respond to the whims of the majority

•May get a more qualified attorney

•Less likely to be compromised by campaign contributors

Although the U.S. attorney general is selected by the president and confirmed by the Senate, state attorneys general come to office in various other ways. The Attorney General is popularly elected in 43 states and Guam, and is appointed by the governor in five states (Alaska, Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Wyoming) and in the jurisdictions of American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. In Maine, the Attorney General is selected by secret ballot of the legislature and in Tennessee by its state supreme court.

Forty-six states presently provide a four-year term for the Attorney General. Maine and Vermont have a two-year term. Tennessee sets the term at eight years and in Alaska the Attorney General serves at the pleasure of the governor. Among states where the Attorney General is elected to four-year terms, 16 states limit the Attorney General to two such terms. All the others may succeed themselves an unlimited number of times.

In 2011, appointed Hawaii AG David M. Louie told the state’s House Judiciary committee that he didn’t believe that having the AG elected would improve the quality of legal advice. He testified: “In fact, I’m concerned about politicization. Rather than concentrating on what is the right answer, there would be an element of political calculation.” In other states, attorneys general worry about how their actions will be perceived by the voting public, he said. In Hawaii, the attorney general can focus on the law.

Some governors and attorneys general disagree with one another over whether to challenge federal laws, such as the Affordable Care Act. Governor Leavitt and AG Jan Graham had some very heated and very public disputes. This dispute eventually led to the creation of the Governor’s General Counsel, which expanded government.

There are at least three reasons to change to appointment of attorneys general where they are elected.

First, elections politicize the role of attorneys general. An elected attorney general may have an incentive to pursue certain kinds of popular or high-profile cases that would enhance his or her standing with the electorate or major campaign contributors in the next run for the same office or in a subsequent run for higher office (frequently governor). And sometimes the incentive may be to sue unpopular defendants principally for popular or campaign contributor acclaim.

There’s an old joke about the National Association of Attorneys General—their registered name is supposedly the National Association of Aspiring Governors. While fears about the politicization of the office are legitimate to some degree, a bigger problem is creating a sort of congressional effect — that is, a constant, costly campaign. From the moment an elected attorney general takes office, many effectively set up two shops: one to do the job and the other to get elected again or prepare to run for higher office. In 2010, 25% of the elected attorney generals in the U.S. were running for Governor, and Utah’s attorney general at the time was running for the U.S. Senate. Recent campaigns for attorney general in other states ran into the millions of dollars. For example, the 2010 election in Georgia cost more than $3.6 million combined.

Bill Clinton was Arkansas’ AG before becoming governor. Arkansas’ current governor, Mike Beebe, also previously served as AG. In Virginia, three of the last seven governors have been AGs. Arizona and Missouri also had two AGs succeed to the governorship.

Second, the process of campaigning for election may provide inducements to do the wrong thing. For example, there is an unfortunate potential relationship — or appearance of a relationship — between fund-raising for an attorney general’s election campaign and patronage for campaign contributors. An attorney general may have the power to refer profitable cases to attorneys; and those attorneys may have an incentive to contribute to the campaign in order to improve their chances. The attorney general also may have limited incentives to regulate or sue those who contributed to his or her campaign or at least that may be the perception.

Third, voters may not be equipped to keep informed of the attorney general’s performance and hold the person accountable. One can imagine few campaigns in which relevant performance information — on competence, management skill, legal ability and impartial administration of justice — comes to public knowledge. The problem is perhaps greater when the candidate is not an incumbent. Elections are also susceptible to false and misleading campaign advertisements (which are largely unregulated), a problem often spotlighted in judicial elections as well. With an appointment process, a greater pool of qualified candidates may also emerge.

The terms of appointments of state attorneys general follow various models, including serving at the pleasure of the governor (as in the federal government) or serving for a fixed term (as in New Jersey). Providing the attorney general’s office with a fixed term in an appointment system, such as in New Jersey, provides the office-holder independence from the governor without substituting dependency on voters and campaign contributors. One feature that the states may borrow from judicial appointment models is the use of a nominating commission. In the best judicial appointment systems, governors (or mayors) select judges from a limited group of nominees who are screened and proposed by a commission in order to add an assurance of candidate quality and to limit executive discretion, including by avoiding purely patronage and unqualified appointments. This is also adaptable to attorney general selection.

Also posted on Senator Weiler’s blogsite: SenateDist23.blogspot.com.

One Utah: America’s Christians and Their Persecution Complex

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:15:18 +0000

The argument goes something like this:

“Gay pride” necessitates anti-Christian hate. It must. “Gay marriage” and other “sexual orientation”-based laws do violence to freedom and truth. They are the hammer with which the postmodern left intends to bludgeon bloody religious liberty and the Judeo-Christian sexual ethic.[snip]

Still, know this: If you are a Christian in today’s America, you too will almost certainly find yourself with a similar decision to make. When man’s law violates God’s law, you will have to choose which to obey. Choosing God can mean persecution.

With Delaware’s vote to allow same sex marriage, the rocket scientists at American Family News have this to report:

Nicole Theis, president of Delaware Family Policy Council, says there is no protection in the bill for people of faith.

“Our immediate concern is that good people in this state will suffer discrimination simply because they believe marriage is between one man and one woman and that children deserve a mom and a dad,” Theis tells American Family News. “There’s minimal protection in this law, and we believe that passing legislation like this will trigger lawsuits and other forms of government retaliation.”

More dramatic though no more convincing is the video from Reach America, in which a group of grim faced teens inform viewers about all sorts of things that aren’t true – i.e. that the Supreme Court declared the bible unconstitutional and that prayer in school is outlawed and that the US was founded as a Christian nation. In the video, the students, obviously well meaning though wildly misinformed, simultaneously pose as victims, martyrs and bold warriors who will lead the world.

The story also goes like this:

If You Support “Gay Marriage,” You Also Support…

An immediate increase in incidents where Christians or conservatives are threatened or sued for expressing any disagreement with homosexuality or “gay marriage” in the workplace, in schools, in the press, or eventually, in churches. [snip]

Churches silencing themselves on the sin of homosexuality, then the opposite: being encouraged to sell their congregations, including youth, on the idea.

Resisters who continue to speak out will eventually be prosecuted, perhaps serve jail terms.

Anti-gay folk are actively constructing a narrative in which the things they have long wanted to do to gay people is about to be done to them. It’s more complex than simple projection although there’s a healthy dose of that. What we see are anti-gay activists assuming that their hostility is entirely reciprocated.

Anti-gay activists have constructed a way of understanding the world in which Christian does not and cannot equal gay. Part of this dynamic is an old one in which conservative Christians have publicly used the term “Christian” in such a way and with such determination that all other types of Christians are excluded from the definition. Thus moderate and liberal Christians are excluded from the debate. Listening to the public discussion about marriage equality, you’d get the idea that sex is the only things addressed by Christian theology. Having latched onto the idea that gay and Christian are eternal enemies, and already embedded in a Manichean worldview, these activists see public opinion turning against them and fear that means they are about to become a hated minority.

Alvin McEwan at Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters caught an article on CNN that explores the rapidly emerging belief among conservative Christians that they are a hated minority:

“In the current culture, it takes more courage for someone like Chris Broussard to speak out than for someone like Jason Collins to come out,” says Sprigg, a former pastor. “The media will hail someone who comes out of the closet as gay, but someone who simply expresses their personal religious views about homosexual conduct is attacked.”

The Southern Poverty Law Center sees it differently:

A group becomes a hate group when it attacks and maligns an entire class of people for their “immutable characteristics,” Potok says. The Family Research Council spreads known falsehoods about gays and lesbians, he says, such as the contention that gay men are predisposed to abuse children.

“That’s a lie,” Potok says. “These guys are engaging in straight-up defamation of a very large group of people. There are not many things much worse than you can say in America about somebody than they are a child molester.”

Potok scoffed at Spriggs’ claim that the council and other evangelical anti-gay groups are victims of intolerance.

“That’s whining on the part of people who spend their days and nights attacking gay people and then some people criticize them and they don’t like it,” he says. “That’s pathetic. It reminds me of slave owners complaining that people are saying ugly things about them.”

Alvin McEwan documented many of things that Potok refers to and compiled them into a relatively short document “How They See Us“; McEwan quotes anti-gay activists demonstrating the defamatory things they say about glbt persons.

At the same time they’re saying hateful things about gay people anti-gay activists are feverishly spreading stories about their own supposed persecution – most of which turn out on inspection to be something entirely different. As for example, a recent case in which conservative Christians told one another stories about a high school athlete who was disqualified because he prayed upon winning – turns out he was disqualified for unsportsmanlike behavior towards a ref. Nevertheless, this story will be traded around in the conservative internet as “proof” of Christian persecution.

I want to take a turn from the usual approach – of debunking the stories or mocking the wingnuts – and instead offer a different approach.

Conservative Christians experience the cultural changes taking place in the US as a cultural unraveling.

The metaphor of nation as a family is helpful.

Consider the experience in many families in which an adult child has a sexual relationship with an unmarried partner. For religious families, the revelation that their beloved child is sexually active is devastating. I think about the experience of a friend of mine. In her twenties, she’d been living on her own and paying her own bills for years. She and her boyfriend moved in together. Her mother was horrified, shocked and before refusing to talk to her for months, said to her, “This is a side of you I never imagined existed. I’m so disappointed.”

Think about the coming out experiences of many gay persons in conservative families. Families react with shock and dismay. Suddenly they’re seeing their loved on with completely new eyes. Huge numbers of glbt youth find themselves homeless after their families kick them out. For these families, a a sexual minority child is shocking.

In both cases, the parents blame themselves, believing they’ve done something wrong in their child-rearing. Aside from the most conservative gay hating parents, I think very few of them see kicking their child out of the home as a good option. These parents see it as the only viable option for dealing with a child who they interpret as being willfully disobedient and disrespectful. From the outside, such behaviors appear cruel, even shockingly so; from the inside they are desperate measures used in the hope of bringing the child around – for lack of a better term it’s a kind of mega-time out, a form of discipline, under taken regretfully by parents who have run out of options.

In these examples, parents have struggled to raise their children right, to instill in them correct values and behaviors. They’ve probably immersed themselves in the conservative Christian subculture which insists being gay is all about behavior and the result of a choice or bad parenting of some form or another. As part of that Christian subculture, they’ve also learned that mainstream culture is sex-mad, refuses to believe in morals or personal responsibility and actively encourages all sorts of immoral behavior. Religiously conservative parents will do their best to innoculate their children against that culture and will interpret behaviors most Americans regard as normal (i.e. couples living together before marriage) as signs of deliberate disobedience – “acting out” – which must be corrected.

Conservative Christians add a second layer of understanding to these events – people aren’t gay because that’s how they’re born, they’re gay because of sinister, spiritual and supernatural influence, people from “nice, Christian” families have premarital sex because of the malign influence of evil. It’s a way of understanding the world that interprets cultural changes, foreign affairs and domestic politics in religious and spiritual terms. Suddenly, a Mormon family in Alabama asking the local school to end its practice of starting every school day with prayer led by a local Baptist minister is part of a cabal of devil influenced people waging war on Christianity. When conservative Christians trade stories about a “War on Christmas” as evidenced by the White House sending out cards that read “Happy Holidays” or school children singing a Holiday Concert rather than a Christmas Concert.

If you believe you are waging a spiritual war against evil, that the enemy is cunning and subtle, that every word and deed is measured against an eternal and unchanging standard, words and deeds take on truly incredible significance. If you’re in a war for good on the side of God and someone wants to remove the 50 year old plaque with the Ten Commandments from your high school, that’s a big freaking deal. In the same way, if you believe that God has issued a set of eternal rules that outlaw homosexuality in general, then permitting gay marriage, encouraging gay-straight alliances in schools, and genrally not oppressing gay people, then greater cultural openness toward sexual minorities and legal acceptance of gay marriage take on cosmic importance. Look again at the video from the teens at Reach America. They interpret everything - from swearing school hallways, to sex education, to Supreme Court decisions – as part of a broader battle between “Christians” and the world. Everything becomes grist for the mill – everything is part of a coordinated attack on Christianity. The reliably insane Michele Bachmann recently argued:

Bachmann urged attendees to keep up the fight against gay marriage, abortion and “Islamic jihad,” claiming that God supported those campaigns. She then took a line from the Bible’s book of Ephesians to suggest that these battles are supernatural struggles against the forces of evil.

“Because we need to recognize the desperate situation of our condition, not only in the natural but also in the supernatural,” she said. “Because as the scripture was read from the pulpit at Margaret Thatcher’s funeral, we fight not against this world, we fight against the powers and principalities and ‘Prince of the Air’; that’s where we need to focus as well, is on spiritual warfare…”

Bachmann’s isn’t some fringe view – it’s held by millions of evangelical and fundamentalist Christians who see the world through the lens of prophecy and highly selective readings of the book of Revelation.

It’s a small step from believing you are involved in a cosmic battle to believing your earthly opponents are in league with the devil, to believing you are a member of an embattled and oppressed minority.

Utah Senate: Our Caucus System: Improve, Don’t Replace

Thu, 16 May 2013 21:18:04 +0000

By Aaron Osmond

Utah State Senator, District 10

We need to empower more Republicans to help choose who represents our party on Election Day. Utah’s Caucus system is a good system that provides an open door to all political candidates, even those who aren’t well-funded or famous. I don’t believe these two sentences are mutually exclusive. We can have both.

On May 18th, GOP State Delegates will meet to represent all 540,000 Republicans in Utah. As one of those delegates, I will be voting to raise the threshold required for a candidate to gain an outright victory in convention from 60% to a 2/3 majority. This will drive more primary contests and greater participation, but still preserve a path to avoid a primary when delegates approach true consensus.

I will also support other proposals to formally and purposefully enable a more open, flexible caucus system to include every Republican who wants to be involved and engaged in the process. I feel this approach will better accommodate average, busy but patriotic, like-minded Republican voters.

Some party activists disagree, and I respect their right to do so. At the end of the day, we are all committed to the same values. Where we differ on this issue is quite simple: I want the Party to be more inclusive. I want to see more every-day Republicans involved in the process, not just the most active or opinionated.

Unfortunately, some Republicans feel that participation as a delegate is a privilege only available to those that are the most educated, most knowledgeable about political issues, and most actively engaged in the political process. In my view, this opinion is based on the same arguments used against universal suffrage, which were, fortunately, resolved by the 14th and 19th Amendments to the Constitution.

I believe that the Republican Party is stronger when we engage and develop a much broader group of members and potential leaders instead of rewarding only those who are the most willing to jump through hoops, have the most flexible schedules, or demonstrate the most activism.

I feel we need to foster a caucus environment where we consistently elect every-day Republicans from all socio-economic, educational, cultural, and religious backgrounds to be our delegates. We also need to expand access and involvement from a limited group of insiders to everyone who loves their country and state. As we do, our party will be stronger and more resilient, and our caucus system will work even more effectively. I also feel the principles in which we believe will be better realized and shared more persuasively.

The Founders of our state and nation intended our representatives to be selected by the voice of the people. To ensure we achieve that goal, I believe that Utah’s caucus system should be modified, but not replaced. By raising the primary threshold to a 2/3rd majority and by enabling more flexibility in our caucus process, we will enfranchise more Republicans to engage and strengthen our party.

Also published in the Deseret News.

Photo by Scott Jarvie.

One Utah: Chris Hayes Interviews Tim DeChristopher

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:13:49 +0000

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Chris Hayes is the first cable host to interview Tim DeChristopher. Rachel Maddow announced such an interview a couple of years ago, but then substituted some hack from EarthJustice who didn’t approve of civil disobedience.

My favorite part is when Tim explains that it’s already too late to avoid the tipping points that trigger drastic climate change, but that makes it even more urgent to reform our political system. The current corrupt regime won’t be able to cope with a planetary emergency.

One Utah: This “Obamite” Is Outraged About the AP Phone Records Scandal. Why Aren’t Republicans?

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:56:52 +0000

Finally the GOP has a scandal with legs; an elephant’s wet dream compared with Benghazi and the IRS hysteria. I know, I’m furious! Outraged!

In the process of investigating a leak that was responsible for an AP story in June 2012, on a thwarted Al Qaeda terror plot, the Department of Justice (DOJ) secretly obtained the phone records of AP journalists.

DOJ head AG, Eric Holder apparently recused himself from the FBI investigation “to avoid any potential appearance of a conflict of interest.” The investigation has been conducted under the direction of the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia and the supervision of the deputy attorney general, James M. Cole.

So why is the GOP/Roger Ailes not drooling? A casual observer might suppose the GOP is suddenly reluctant to remind us of their institutional hypocrisy. Obama, as Senator, supported a federal shield law and co-sponsored 2007 legislation that was eventually killed by a Republican filibuster.

No, there must be another reason. Since when have Republicans EVER shied away from hypocrisy? Perhaps they realize it’s perfectly legal thanks to the Great Adventures of Bush and Cheney.

“The explanation might be, in part, the angry cries from Republican members of Congress over the Associated Press reporting that appears to have triggered the Justice Department probe. In May 2012, the AP described how a double agent had infiltrated al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and neutralized a plot to bomb an airliner. Multiple Republicans insisted at the time that the leak might constitute a criminal case and demanded a tough FBI investigation.

Their anger was largely directed at the alleged leakers, unlike the cries of “treason” directed at the New York Times when the paper published sensitive information about Bush-era anti-terror surveillance. Even so, conservatives are now in the odd position of implicitly defending the media’s rights against the imperative of national security secrecy, a cause that didn’t interest them much when the FBI sought media phone records during the Bush years.” Source

It may well be that there is no one reason. Republicans have attacked Obama for virtually EVERYTHING he has done or thought about doing, whether real or imagined. Over the past 5 years, they’ve covered every position. There aren’t any positions left that don’t require doing a 180 on something they whined about in the past. Republicans have no clothes.

Did Obama know about the acquisition of the AP phone records? Probably not. But I don’t care. Now would be the time for him to fire some folks and pass a new shield law.

Real journalism from Democracy Now!

AP Monitoring Raises Fears of Government Overreach: How Far Will Obama Go to Crack Down on Leaks?

Chris Hedges: Monitoring of AP Phones a “Terrifying” Step in State Assault on Press Freedom

AP Reporter Appeared on Democracy Now! While Being Targeted By Justice Department Dragnet

Utah Senate: Interim Appointments, & Et cetera

Wed, 15 May 2013 23:47:57 +0000

Today, the Senate confirmed the following appointments made by Governor Herbert:

Dept. of Workforce Services

Jon Pierpont as Executive Director of the Department of Workforce Services.

Dept. of Corrections

Rollin Cook as Executive Director of the Department of Corrections. (Pictured above)

Securities Commission

David Russon and Gary Cornia as members of the Securities Commission, expiring May 12, 2017.

Erik Christiansen is reappointed as a member of the Securities Commission, expiring May 12, 2017.

Permanent Community Impact Fund Board

James Jae Potter as a member of the Permanent Community Impact Fund Board, expiring July 1, 2013, and to a term expiring July 1, 2017.

Labor Commission Appeals Board

Patricial Smith Drawe is reappointed as a member of the Labor Commission Appeals Board, expiring March 1, 2019.

Drinking Water Board

Paul Gailey Hansen, Heather Anne Jackson, Tage Ivan Flint, David King Stevens, Betty G. Naylor, Mark Howard Stevens, Brett Harvey Chynoweth, and Natasha R. Madsen are reappointed to the Drinking Water Board, with their terms expiring May 8, 2017.

Board of Business and Economic Development

Mel S. Lawitt and Peter Mouskondis are reappointed as members of the Board of Business and Economic Development, expiring March 15, 2017.

Here’s a copy of the official transmission, if you’re interested. And if your name is listed above, congratulations from the Utah Senate.

In other news – did you miss out on the Interim Day fun? You can always check out le.utah.gov for committee meeting agendas and audio archives. Tomorrow morning, there is a Health System Reform Task Force meeting and an Economic Development Task Force meeting. They’ll both stream live audio, and agendas are online.

Thanks for joining us!

One Utah: Senator Warren: Crooked Banks ‘Do Not Have Much Incentive to Follow the Law’

Wed, 15 May 2013 18:48:33 +0000

Via Raw Story:

In a letter (PDF) sent to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, Attorney General Eric Holder and SEC Chair Mary Jo White on Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) demanded to know why the government keeps accepting financial settlements from criminal bankers when they could instead be taken to trial, convicted and locked up.

Senator Warren wrote (emphasis added):

The consequence can be insufficient compensation to those who are harmed by illegal activity and inadequate deterrence of future violations. If large financial institutions can break the law and accumulate millions in profits and, if they get caught, settle by paying out of those profits, they do not have much incentive to follow the law.

UPDATE: Holder Says Leak Required “Very Aggressive Action”… Bank Crimes, Not So Much

One Utah: Rep. Chaffetz: Impeachment Is On The Table

Tue, 14 May 2013 21:40:45 +0000

When President Bush and VP Cheney publicly confessed to criminal acts, the Democrats let it pass. Probably they thought nobody would take impeachment seriously anymore after Republicans made a mockery of it during the Clinton administration. Then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi famously said impeachment was “off the table.”

Ah, but Republicans view impeachment differently. President Obama wasn’t even inaugurated before Republican politicians were calling for his impeachment. The right spawned a cottage industry of inventing Obama conspiracy theories. Some right-wingers are pretty sure Obama is the Anti-Christ described in the Book of Revelation.

So let’s not be surprised when Utah’s very own Rep. Jason Chaffetz joins in (emphasis added):

Rep. Jason Chaffetz says President Barack Obama’s handling of the government’s response to the Benghazi terrorist attack could be an impeachable offense and vows to continue digging at the “lies of highest magnitude” from the White House.

“It’s certainly a possibility,” the Utah Republican said Monday when asked about impeachment. “That’s not the goal but given the continued lies perpetrated by this administration, I don’t know where it’s going to go. … I’m not taking it off the table.

Never mind that terrorist attacks on U.S. diplomats happened 13 times during the Bush administration, and killed 98 people. Congressman Chaffetz is on a mission to destroy the Obama administration, and Hillary Clinton too, if he can. He recently participated in the NINTH congressional hearing on the Benghazi assault, which has also been investigated by the FBI and a State Department Accountability Review Board chaired by Ambassador Thomas Pickering and Admiral Mike Mullen.

The irony here is that President Obama is actually guilty of impeachable offenses, which the Republicans can’t talk about because it all comes back to Bush and Cheney.

UPDATE: Jason Chaffetz Doubles Down On Possible Obama Impeachment: ‘I’m Not A Patient Person’

One Utah: Minnesota Legislature Passes Marriage Equality

Mon, 13 May 2013 22:09:28 +0000

SLC Spin: 風俗は人気店？それとも穴場？

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:51:49 +0000

風俗を利用する際にはいろいろな判断材料を集める男性も多いかと思われるのですが、大きな判断材料の一つとして、人気のお店にすべきか、それとも穴場にすべきかという点もあるのではないでしょうか。どちらを選ぶのも自由です。ですが人気の風俗店ともなるといきなり足を運んでもすぐに利用出来ないケースが多いです。やはり人気なだけあり、お客が多いと多少待たされたりしてしまうものです。場合によって数十分、あるいは小１時間待たされる、なんて事もあるかもしれません。ですが穴場であれば足を運べばすぐにでも利用する事が出来るのではないでしょうか。一方で人気の風俗店の場合安心感もあるでしょうね。穴場の風俗店の場合、料金表示が曖昧だったり、あるいは妙な雰囲気だったり、という事もあるやもしれません。ですが人気の風俗店の場合、多くの人から支持されているのですから安心感もあるでしょう。どちらを選ぶのも自由ですが、穴場だから悪いという訳ではありません。中には穴場と呼ばれている風俗でありながら人気風俗店に負けないくらい素晴らしいお店もありますので、そのような穴場の風俗を自分自身で開拓してみるのもそれはそれで面白いのではないでしょうか。

One Utah: On Chrysanthemums

Sun, 12 May 2013 01:26:21 +0000

A great friend of mine, who worked in the garden business once had to plant a full grown tree into a very rich woman’s garden. The woman was unsatisfied and told the gardeners that they would have to replant the full grown tree into a different postition.

It was as if she we’re re-arranging her living room.

My friend was not happy; Not because he would continue to be making money on-the-hour, but because he would have rather been planting Chrysanthemums.

True story.

One Utah: A Play On Words For The History Books

Sat, 11 May 2013 23:29:06 +0000

ShaleShockMedia.org

Stories like this give me hope. Whenever people can fight the oil guys with a funny joke we all come out ahead. Jokes about green jobs wouldn’t fly, and besides, if green energy got the kind of subsidies as big oil, we could train the oil workers to make future energy resources that would protect their children.

Let’s face it; even the – sort of – big oil guy’s children will benefit from clear air, water, and fire-free faucets.

Did somebody from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service division actually say:

“Any time anybody uses Smokey’s image for anything other than wildfire prevention,” said Helene Cleveland, fire prevention program manager for the Forest Service, “it confuses the public. What we’re trying to do is keep Smokey on message.” Cleveland added that the 1952 Smokey the Bear Act takes the character out of the public domain and “any change in that would have to go through Congress.”

Since I was BORN in 1952, I can’t remember the “Smokey the Bear Act”, but I’ll just bet you that Helene Cleveland got a little call from the now-oily “Ad Council” to make that statement, but, then again, we’re now living in the 21st century.

Also, since I was born in 1952, I can remember the great ad the “Ad Council” made which featured an American Indian shedding tears over what consumerism had already done to his land. That was before the ridiculous “this is your brain on drugs” ad came out.

What happened, “Ad Council”?

One Utah: A Play On Words For The History Books

Sat, 11 May 2013 23:07:03 +0000

ShaleShockMedia.org

Stories like this give me hope. whenever people can fight the oil guys with a funny joke we all come out ahead. Jokes about green jobs wouldn’t fly, and besides, if green energy got the kind of subsidies as big oil, we could train the oil workers to make future energy resources that would protect their children.

Let’s face it; even the – sort of – big oil guy’s children will benefit from clear air, water, and fire-free faucets.

Did somebody from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service division actually say:

“Any time anybody uses Smokey’s image for anything other than wildfire prevention,” said Helene Cleveland, fire prevention program manager for the Forest Service, “it confuses the public. What we’re trying to do is keep Smokey on message.” Cleveland added that the 1952 Smokey the Bear Act takes the character out of the public domain and “any change in that would have to go through Congress.”

Since I was born in 1952, I can remember the great ad the “Ad Council” made which featured an American Indian shedding tears over what consumerism had already done to his land. That was before the ridiculous “this is your brain on drugs” ad came out.

What happened, “Ad Council”?

One Utah: When you think of marriage, do you think of “immediate gratification”?

Sat, 11 May 2013 13:41:52 +0000

Probably not. I mean, marriage is about a long term commitment (for most people).

Julie Burt an opponent of marriage equality had this to say in response to the Minnesota house passing marriage equality legislation:

“I feel sorry for our world. But the world has turned,” Burt said. “The world has turned to a place that wants immediate gratification. And it breaks my heart. Breaks my heart for my children and my grandchildren.”

One Utah: Barbara Boxer to GOP: ‘Get Out of The Fringe Lane’ on Climate Change

Fri, 10 May 2013 01:27:11 +0000

The Republican members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee boycotted today’s hearing on Gina McCarthy, President Obama‘s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Lacking the votes to defeat approval of McCarthy’s nomination, they decided to deprive the committee of a quorum. Apparently Republicans are worried that the EPA might enforce the Clean Air Act, thus helping to reduce the effects of climate change.

Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) was not happy.

“Their opposition, even to allowing us to vote, shows how outside the mainstream they are, it shows how obstructionist they are,” the senator continued. “It shows how their pledge to do better with women voters is false. How could you have a more qualified woman than Gina McCarthy? This is outrageous.”

“They’re fringe, they’re out of the mainstream,” she reiterated — and trying to impose their “pro-pollution stance” on the Obama administration. Boxer further noted that they’d be examining their parliamentary options, which would include potentially changing committee rules.

To the opposition, Boxer offered some advice: Take a page out of the mainstream Republicans’ playbook and “get out of the fringe lane.”

McCarthy has already answered over 1,000 written questions from GOP committee members, more than any other Obama nominee.

This is how the tail wags the dog in the U.S. Senate. Nice work, GOP

UPDATE: An instrument near the summit of Mauna Loa in Hawaii has recorded a long-awaited climate milestone: the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere there has exceeded 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in 55 years of measurement—and probably more than 3 million years of Earth history.

350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments consider to be the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.

One Utah: Medicare Cost-Shift Theory Debunked

Wed, 08 May 2013 14:00:28 +0000

Via Jon Walker on FDL (emphasis added):

A new study in Health Affairs appears to disprove the commonly cited myth that public insurance programs “cost-shift” onto private insurance.

…In reality, the study found lower Medicare payment rates actually reduce what private insurance companies pay.

…This study reinforces that the real issue at play is market power, not cost shifting. Compared to other countries with single-payer or all-payer systems, providers in the United States have more power to demand higher prices.

Something to think about before attempting to voucher-ize Medicare.

More info:

How Much do Hospitals Cost Shift? A Review of the Evidence (PDF)

A Review of the Evidence on Hospital Cost-Shifting (PDF)

Chapin White’s abstract:

Contrary To Cost-Shift Theory, Lower Medicare Hospital Payment Rates For Inpatient Care Lead To Lower Private Payment Rates

Many policy makers believe that when Medicare constrains its payment rates for hospital inpatient care, private insurers end up paying higher rates as a result. I tested this “cost-shifting” theory using a unique new data set that combines MarketScan private claims data with Medicare hospital cost reports. Contrary to the theory, I found that hospital markets with relatively slow growth in Medicare inpatient hospital payment rates also had relatively slow growth in private hospital payment rates during 1995–2009. Using regression analyses, I found that a 10 percent reduction in Medicare payment rates led to an estimated reduction in private payment rates of 3 percent or 8 percent, depending on the statistical model used. These payment rate spillovers may reflect an effort by hospitals to rein in their operating costs in the face of lower Medicare payment rates. Alternatively, hospitals facing cuts in Medicare payment rates may also cut the payment rates they seek from private payers to attract more privately insured patients. My findings indicate that repealing cuts in Medicare payment rates would not slow the growth in spending on hospital care by private insurers and would in fact be likely to accelerate the growth in private insurers’ costs and premiums.

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