The Legislature seems hellbent on increasing the number of dumb people in Utah. (Well, to them, it’s probably just called “energizing the base.”) Since voters scuttled plans to segregate taxpayer-funded schools by income level through the use of vouchers, legislators may now do what they do best: lash out in petty revenge. This week, the House voted to repeal in-state tuition for undocumented college students. Apparently, immigrants trying to better themselves so they can be more productive to society are too much of a burden on taxpayers. (Undocumented college dropouts are sure to be less of a burdern.) To add insult to injury, Rep. Glenn Donnelson, R-North Ogden, waggishly noted that those immigrants are just wasting their time in college anyway since it’s illegal for them to get jobs when they graduate. Makes sense: More dumb people in Utah equals more votes for Donnelson. (BB)
Secret Police
Wouldn’t it be good to know if the police officer who arrests you is himself a liar, a thief or sexual harasser? Right now, you can find out. Records about police disciplined for bad behavior are public in Utah. But they might not be for long. A move is underway in Utah’s Legislature to make some police disciplinary records secret. The current system helps protect the public from bad cops, while protecting officers, whose discipline records are released only after alleged misdeeds have been proven to the satisfaction of chiefs. For now, at least, you can find the sorts of naughty behavior police don’t want you to know about by checking excerpts of recent discipline files on City Weekly’s Salt Blog. (TM)
Nuclear Standoff
The Utah Radiation Control Board has joined a chorus of critics in opposing a plan by EnergySolutions to ship tons of Italian radioactive waste to Utah. It’s the first sign in Utah of opposition to the plan. The Utah radiation board can’t stop the shipments by itself but plans to ask federal nuclear regulators to thoroughly examine where the United States will store its own nuclear leftovers before letting foreigners ship their nuclear power plant cast-offs to Tooele County. As things now stand, Europeans won’t let nuclear waste be buried in their countries and are looking to start a huge waste-exporting business. EnergySolutions, now the only available low-level nuclear storage site for 36 U.S. states, could become the dump for the developed world. (TM)
More by Ted McDonough
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Chaffetz's Constitution, Health Care Reform, Utah's Economy & Claire Geddes' Return
Congressman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, is cosponsoring legislation that would deny citizenship to children born in the United States to noncitizen parents, reversing long-standing law that everyone born in America is a citizen.
- Jul 15, 2009
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Stimulated
If you don´t like the federal stimulus yet, wait a few months.
- Jul 15, 2009
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Parting Shot
Liquor-license quotas may be the next to go.
- Jul 8, 2009
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