Consitution bars Clinton nomination

A lot of people think the Constitution is a very old piece of paper hidden under glass at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The words represent a moment in time, but an evolving society has dictated that amendments and legislation be added to accommodate changing opinions and agendas. The latest evidence of this comes with the nomination of Sen. Hillary Clinton to serve in President-elect Obama’s cabinet as Secretary of State.

According to a clause in the Constitution (Article I Section 6), no lawmaker can be appointed to any civil position that was created or received a wage increase during the lawmaker’s time in office. The clause prohibits self-dealing legislation and is intended to protect the “separation of power” of various branches of government.

In January, President George W. Bush signed an executive order increasing the salaries for the Secretary of State and other Cabinet positions by $4,700. Clinton has been in the Senate since January 2001.

“We think it’s inadequate,” said Tom Fitton, president of Judicial Watch. “You can’t amend the Constitution through legislation like that...the Constitution doesn’t have any caveats. Maybe she has to renounce the salary increase, but I’m sure they’ll find a way around it.”

This is not the first time this issue has arisen. In 1973, President Nixon appointed William Saxbe to be attorney general after he voted to increase cabinet pay during his term. The resolution was for Nixon to petition Congress to allow Saxbe to take the previous attorney general salary.

When faced with a similar situation during his presidency, Ronald Reagan upheld the Constitution closer to home.

“Reagan took a look at this clause and decided against appointing Orrin Hatch, who was a senator and still is, to the Supreme Court,” Fitton said.

It’s disconcerting when the Constitution is overlooked so that individuals can get away with achieving their own self-interests. As evidenced by his nominating of Clinton to a high ranking cabinet position, Obama feels she is the best person for the job, despite the fact that she is the only first lady to have been subpoenaed to testify before a Federal grand jury, a result of her role in the Whitewater controversy. He’s definitely found a lawyer who can talk her way into and out of difficult circumstances.

The Constitution serves two basic purposes: first, to limit the Federal Government; second, to enumerate our basic Rights as individuals. It serves to protect our society and way of life. The Rights of individuals never change and the limitations on the Federal Government do not change without a Constitutional Amendment or Constitutional Convention. It’s an injustice that it is not happening that way today.

http://dailyutahchronicle.com/sports/consitution_bars_clinton_nomination

Altruistic restaurant bashed unfairly

Inexperience and not implementing proven business practices seems to be the main problem for the non-profit One World Cafe at 41 S. 300 East. The restaurant touts no menus and encourages customers to pay whatever they think the meal is worth.

But if you ask Rush Limbaugh, it is the liberal ideology behind One World Cafe that is causing the current struggle.

In October, employee paychecks bounced, a long-time manager was fired and the rest of the staff walked out in protest. Bringing the issue to national prominence through his “golden microphone,” Limbaugh singled out the restaurant as a symbol of what to expect of an Obama presidency.

“It’s not just mismanagement, these are a bunch of liberals,” Limbaugh said. “These are liberals playing games with the reality known as business. The owner finally figures out she’s not making a profit and blames it on the fact that she doesn’t have enough business experience and so forth. And these same kinds of people we’ve just put in charge of much of the federal government.”

Limbaugh is out of line. Restaurant founder Denise Cerreta and her chefs make entrées, soups, salads and desserts from organic meats and locally grown produce. They have been in business for five years and turned a 4 to 6 percent profit through 2007 according to the One World Web site.

The cafe even provides volunteer options for those who would prefer a “hand up” rather than a hand out. Rather than provide One World Cafe with free advertising while pushing his conservative agenda, it would be more effective to talk about the good things the restaurant is doing for the community.

One World Cafe governing board member Don Merrill said the basic idea of “helping people fill their stomachs and their spirits” will be maintained under the new management.

When the organization started, it operated without much structure. Later, demands for accountability and efficiency required the non-profit to become not less altruistic, but more professional as time went on.

“There is an arc to altruistic endeavors like this,” Merrill said. “It’s been difficult and painful, but people just felt it was moving away from meeting those new expectations.”

Nobody is forcing any kind of ideology here. As always, we are presented with opposing liberal and conservative ideas. A restaurant needs to operate on solid business practices in order to make money, otherwise it’ll go out of business and no one can eat there. As long as the restaurant makes money, it doesn’t matter what kind of ideology it subscribes to.

It sounds like One World Cafe is making changes to return to profitability, but it will take time to see if those changes will work. Capitalism only requires voluntary agreement by buyer and seller. If you think altruism is antithetical to capitalism, you’ve been drinking the Limbaugh Kool-Aid.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/altruistic_restaurant_bashed_unfairly

Diversity requires respect

Diversity is a crucial ingredient in a free and progressive society.

The U has several diversity offices that enrich educational experiences, enable individuals to progress without barriers and encourage everyone to participate in the effort.

Every day we are fighting a war of diverse ideas, and America is losing. With monumental challenges to overcome in our economy, the environment, national security, energy, health care, crime and equality, we tend to fight rather than look for solutions and compromise. Some march in protest while others sit in frustration.

It seems as though diversity is a double-edged sword—we want to be tolerant of different ideas, yet not at the expense of our own self-interests. In this battle, some voices are louder than others.

In New York after California’s gay marriage ban passed, protesters in lower Manhattan stood behind barricades, holding signs. “Love and Unity not hate,” one read. “All we need is love,” said another.

In Los Angeles, thousands of demonstrators were met by counter-demonstrators. “There is nothing civil about a man marrying another man,” one protester said. “You lost. It is not a civil rights issue. It is an issue with morality.”

It is challenging enough to achieve a diverse society when both sides of a controversial issue have valid arguments and facts to support their side. However, it becomes even harder when blind, aggressive arguments enter into the equation. Until we can sort out a compromise in deciding how to move forward with the issues facing our nation, we must maintain peaceful objectivity.

As part of the “McCarthey Family Lecture Series: In Praise of Independent Journalism,” CNN anchor Anderson Cooper addressed a crowd of more than 300 at Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s School in Salt Lake City on Saturday. He discussed the importance of objectivity and finding your own voice amid a war of ideas.

“You can’t allow your own fear and insecurity to alter what you see,” Cooper said. “It’s very easy to demonize those with a different opinion from your own, but it’s harder to walk in their shoes. Strangers reaching out to strangers is what makes the difference.”

There are no clear answers as to how to facilitate and encourage diversity, but the process is certain. Rather than get lost in the heat of emotion and angry words, we must foster an attitude of understanding and desire to listen to new ideas.

“We have to look directly into the things that scare us the most,” Cooper said. “In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we can easily forget the lives other people are living every day.”

It’s important to form opinions and have a backbone in defending them. However, when diverse ideas are presented, rather than decidedly disregarding them, it’s more important to listen while creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding—even if there is no solution and the outcome is to respectfully agree to disagree.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.915542

Prop. 8 blame game no use

Once seen as a black-and-white issue, the definition of marriage has become gray. In last week’s election, Arizona, California and Florida voted to change their constitutions to define marriage as a heterosexuals-only institution. The marriage amendment passed in Florida 62.1 percent to 37.9 percent. It was a much tighter margin in California, with the amendment passing by less than 4 percent.

Because we live in a democracy, the citizens of our country are extended the right to vote for the passage of laws intended to benefit society. Although the majority of voters decided to maintain the traditional definition of marriage, the opposing side is protesting the decision.

Supporters of same-sex marriage focused their protest and anger on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by staging marches at the Los Angeles Temple and at Temple Square in Salt Lake City. A close look at polling numbers will quickly show that their efforts were misguided.

Black turnout—spurred by Barack Obama’s historic campaign for president—was unusually large, with black Americans making up roughly 10 percent of the total electorate. Polls show that black voters are more likely to attend church than white voters and less likely to be comfortable with equality for gays and lesbians. According to CNN, black Americans voted against marriage equality by a wide margin: 69 percent to 31 percent.

“I was born black. I can’t change that,” said California resident Bilson Davis, 57, who voted for Proposition 8. “They weren’t born gay—they chose it.”

According to an analysis of the most recent reports from the California secretary of state, opponents of Proposition 8 raised $43.6 million, compared with just $29.8 million for those who oppose gay marriage. The Los Angeles Times reported that LDS Church members donated nearly $20 million dollars to support the amendment. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that California has a population of 36.5 million people. LDS Church members total 770,000, which represents only 2 percent of California’s population.

Supporters of gay marriage will inevitably exercise their right and appeal the decision of the general election. It is a healthy democracy when citizens exercise their freedoms, but it is inappropriate for supporters of gay marriage to unjustly target and falsely accuse the LDS Church or any other group of wrongdoing just because the decision didn’t go their way. There should be no blame assigned for why the amendment did or did not pass. Instead, it’d be more productive for both sides of the issue to engage in a mutually respectful dialogue to determine appropriate solutions and compromises to settle the issue rather than fight with crass words and heated emotions.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.906433

Campus bike lanes a waste of funds

White lines are being painted all over campus sidewalks. They first appeared late last month and are intended to prevent accidents between bicyclists and pedestrians. During the weekend, bicyclist stencils were painted alongside the bike routes to educate pedestrians and bikers on how to use this new striping system.

Jake Green from Commuter Services said he is aware of two bicyclist-pedestrian accidents that have taken place this semester.

Former U student Josh Jones said he was once ticketed by a campus police officer for riding his bike too fast. Although difficult to enforce, a campus police watchdog system seems like it’d be better than lines painted on a sidewalk to promote safety.

The new sidewalk striping program is a pointless initiative. The lack of planning and research that took place before the lines were painted is dumbfounding.

Green said an ad hoc study was conducted in which avid bicyclists stood next to a sidewalk near the Student Services Building to count the number of bikes that passed during a two-and-a-half-hour period. Forgoing the use of speedometers, they counted nearly 40 bikes that passed along Union Drive. Apparently this information was enough to justify paying a contractor $3,500 to paint the lines on campus sidewalks.

Green said the initiative is in the beginning stages and Commuter Services is relying primarily on students to assist with the program’s rollout. For example, the U Bikes Public Comment Forum is a Google group where U employees, students and concerned people can discuss the biking environment at the U and make suggestions of where more white lines should be painted. But considering the money being spent, the project should be managed by an entity that does real research before implanting unproven solutions.

Many students are confused by the bike lanes and can’t see the point.

“If someone cannot control their bike because they do not know which side of the pavement to ride on, then they have serious issues and might need to think before even bringing a bike on campus,” said Brett Sorensen, a junior in communication.

The bike routes proceed from the Heritage Center to the Marriott Library and the Student Services Building. The lanes will extend to the Warnock Engineering Building as soon as water piping construction in the area finishes.

Regardless, the bike lanes are unnecessary and a reckless use of funds. The $3,500 spent to paint these lines on the sidewalk could have been better used in almost any other capacity.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/campus_bike_lanes_a_waste_of_funds

Kindle not worth Granite's money

The Granite School District recently blew $52,773 on a product that is supposed to replace books. The district purchased 147 Amazon Kindles at $359 apiece in an effort to cut down on paper costs and the space and energy needed to store books. The Kindle is an electronic reader that allows the user to download content and read on a high-resolution screen.

The Kindle is touted as the answer to literacy problems facing the district. However, the inherent flaw in the district’s logic is its assumption that students will read more books because they are presented in a new format.

Sure, there are perks that come with the Kindle that potentially could be implemented at the U, specifically to reduce textbook fees for students. With textbooks running $100 or more, Kindle titles cost an average of $10 and can easily be shared among several users.

It is disconcerting that the district invested in a technology that is unproven in the marketplace, not to mention that the product can only be utilized by 0.002 percent of its student body, as the district’s Web site reports servicing 68,075 students. Unlike Apple’s iPod, the Kindle does not have a touch screen, intuitive scroll wheel, or clear transitions between chapters and pages. It’s also an expensive product to replace if it gets damaged, stolen or becomes obsolete.

In May, Los Angeles hosted Book Expo America, a trade show for networking and selling within the publishing industry. Industry experts were abuzz debating how technology would change the book market since content could be presented in a paperless format and downloaded to portable reading devices.

It’s fascinating to consider that the book industry could also fall victim to what happened to the music industry in the late ’90s with the development of popular Internet sites that made it easy for listeners (particularly college students) to download popular music for free. Of course, Apple came to the rescue by developing iTunes, giving listeners a legal and affordable platform to purchase songs while music publishers still received compensation. The music industry changed because the Internet hit sales in the traditional music distribution model hard and profits for record companies and artists plummeted.

Perhaps the publishing industry will soon face a similar scenario because of emerging technologies and consumer preferences. There is a lot of potential for the developing format, but we seem to be at a crossroads in terms of aligning the technology with consumer behavior.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.851466

Many issues in election will affect young voters

Election Day is fewer than two weeks away and Utah is one of several early-voting states. Students and citizens across the state can begin casting their ballots in the presidential race as well as making their opinions count in state and civic propositions and selection of representatives.

A February Rock the Vote poll found that more than half of young adults ages 18 to 29 said the top issue of concern is the economy and job creation, followed closely by health care and education costs.

Today’s young adults are having a hard time making ends meet in a difficult economy. There are 44 million 18-to 29-year-olds eligible to vote in the United States, one-fifth of the electorate. Today’s 18- to 29-year-olds are part of the Millennial Generation, the biggest generation since the baby boomers, according to CompleteCampaigns.com.

Debt and living from paycheck to paycheck is a fact of life for today’s young adults. During the past decade, college, health insurance and housing costs have soared. About two-thirds of college students graduate with debt, with the average graduate owing $20,000.

The Sacred Heart University Polling Institute found that the primary concerns of 18- to 30-year-olds vary. When asked whether they agreed with certain statements, 82 percent reported they are concerned with college affordability, 68 percent said global warming is a real and growing threat, and 65 percent said the U.S. government should provide universal health care.

“Young voters are a potential powerhouse in the 2008 elections,” said Kat Barr, research director for Rock the Vote. “This poll is yet another indicator that candidates who want to win in 2008 must court this large and increasingly active group of voters.”

To make voting easier for students this year, the Associated Students of the University of Utah Government Relations Board has coordinated early voting at the U with booths set up in the Union. As it’s a presidential election year, students are encouraged to vote now more than ever. Programs and policies that are passed in this election will impact life on a day-to-day basis.

A lot of people say the vote of an individual person doesn’t count and won’t make any difference in the election. But, as they say in basketball, you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take. If you don’t vote at all, your vote really is worth nothing.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.842515

Keep cell phones out of class

There are few things in this world more annoying than sitting in a classroom about 20 minutes into a test when someone’s cell phone goes off. As if the late night of studying and gallons of Dr Pepper aren’t already making you edgy, the silence of concentration, now broken by a pitchy ring tone, can definitely affect not only how well you do on the test, but in extreme terms, whether or not you pass the class.

The U’s cell phone policy is left to the discretion of professors. Most teachers will permit phones in class, but insist that they must be turned off during a lecture.

The State Board of Education in Utah is beginning to crack down even harder on the problem.

Itracks, an online data collection company, polled 1,000 teens across North America in August and found that 38 percent of teens surveyed text message with friends during school hours. Thirty percent of students said they have played games on their phones while at school.

Educators fear students use their cell phones inappropriately, swapping pictures, passing notes, even cheating on tests. The State Board of Education wants to prevent these things by requiring every district in the state to create a cell phone policy by next spring. Although this initiative only applies to K-12 schools across the state, the U would be better off taking a hard stand against cell phones in the classroom.

Unless students are able to control their compulsive texting habits, cell phones should be checked at the classroom door. Professors should tell students at the beginning of the term that if a phone goes off in class, some consequence will follow and then enforce those consequences.

Of course there are emergency situations in which a cell phone is a necessary tool for help and protection, but they are a disruption in classrooms all across the U. It’s time for students across campus to hang up their phones and put their full effort into getting an education instead of entertaining themselves with an electronic gadget.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.778323

National crisis has local effect

The financial crisis facing our country is said to be the worst economic situation since the Great Depression. Primarily rooted in bad debt owned by the mortgage industry, increasing fuel and food prices aren’t helping the situation.

People making only minimum wage can budget all they want, but if prices continue to rise there is no way they can survive without acquiring debt.

According to the Wells Fargo consumer price index, the cost of groceries increased 4.9 percent from July to August along the Wasatch Front, compared with only .7 percent nationally. The index also reports that gas prices in Utah were the third highest in the nation in mid-August, prompting Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. to order the state to monitor the situation and make sure Utah consumers weren’t being gouged. During the past six months, food prices have jumped 10.2 percent locally, driven mostly by a 11.2 percent hike in Utah fuel costs during that period.

While the government works on a solution for fluctuating prices, there are independent voices offering opinions on the economy’s ups and downs.

Ron Paul said that in the housing market, builders who have overbuilt and have too many houses to sell seek to recoup as much of their money as possible, even if it means lowering prices drastically. Doing so brings the economy back into balance, equalizing supply and demand. This economic adjustment means that there are some winners—in this case, those who can again find affordable housing without the need for creative mortgage products, and some losers—builders and other sectors connected to real estate suffer setbacks.

The government doesn’t like this, however, and undertakes measures to keep prices artificially inflated. The bailout of Fannie and Freddie, the purchase of AIG and the Treasury’s failed multi-hundred billion dollar plan all have one thing in common: They seek to prevent the liquidation of bad debt and worthless assets at market prices, and instead try to prop up those markets and keep those assets trading at prices far in excess of what any buyer would be willing to pay. This throws the economy out of balance.

A Forbes.com article by Matt Woolsey published Sept. 23 supports the notion that a multi-billion dollar bailout proposal can be given back to the people. The nation’s bridges need $180 billion in repairs, rail infrastructure needs $185 billion in maintenance, or $150 billion would provide every American with private health insurance.

As for AIG and every other company that operates on bad debt, we should liquidate them. Sell off their good parts and let the private sector bargain hunters cut them up and clean them up. By using trillions of dollars of taxpayer money to purchase illusory short-term security, the federal government is actually ensuring even greater instability in the financial system in the long term. This definitely won’t help gas and grocery prices in Utah or anywhere else in the nation stabilize anytime soon.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/1.758041

Celebrity fixation a sad commentary

America has a love-hate relationship with celebrities. We’re quick to buy the magazines and tune in to the entertainment news channel with an unquenchable fascination with the lives of the rich and famous, but we’re just as fast to criticize and alienate famous people, invade their privacy or go to great lengths to idolize them.

Most people know that in Vegas, your chance of seeing an Elvis impersonator is pretty good. Little Legends, a stage show near Planet Hollywood, features little people who dress up like Elvis, Cher, Michael Jackson and Britney Spears.

Not even Utah is immune to the celebrity craze. Earlier this month, Gary Coleman and his wife were bowling in Payson. A fan started snapping pictures of the “Diff’rent Strokes” star after being asked not to. The day ended in a personal injury lawsuit against Coleman when he allegedly hit the fan with his truck. This is the stuff that sells millions of magazines while simultaneously destroys reputations.

Even Murray High School’s David Archuleta is getting in on the action. Our homegrown “American Idol” runner-up is now the main draw and star of a corn field in Lehi. His torso has been designed and cut into Thanksgiving Point’s corn maze for the 2008 season.

“Though we considered featuring Barack Obama and John McCain in our maze design this year, we chose to honor a Utahn who did our state proud and gathered more than 40 million votes while competing in the finale of American Idol,” said Brett Herbst, Archuleta’s corn maze creator. “That’s actually more votes than either presidential candidate received in the primary election, and we felt like David’s accomplishment was something we wanted to honor in the best and biggest way we could.”

Corn maze coordinators said curious maze-goers will spend an average of one hour trying to run around David’s head (while possibly looking for a shortcut through his nose or eyeball), as they look for the 12-acre labyrinth’s exit.

It’s a sad truth that America is more inclined to vote for entertainment on a television show than to vote in a presidential election. Sure, we need entertainment to occasionally distract us from the difficult issues of the day, but as in the case of the corn maze, people go to bizarre lengths to idolize celebrities and be entertained.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/celebrity_fixation_a_sad_commentary

U, USU rivalry about the money

For the past 116 years Utah State has touted its football games with the U as being one of the state’s premier rivalry games. After the Utes’ 58-10 blowout last week, the “rivalry” claim is erroneous as the Aggies were handed their 11th straight loss, with an average margin of 25 points spanning those games. It’s obvious that on the field USU is not up to par with the U, yet it continues plugging the rivalry claim because of the money that a lot of hype can bring.

USU spokesman Zach Fisher couldn’t confirm how much money the Aggies made Saturday, but he opposed the idea that the game was pitched as a rivalry in an effort to make more money. He instead referred to the fact these teams have been playing each other since 1892.

“Of course we want it to be a rivalry again,” Aggies running back Curtis Marsh Jr. said. “I think all we have to do is beat them once. If we can do that, at least once, everything will come back.”

That won’t happen. It’s not a rivalry when the total score for the Utes’ last three trips to Logan is 154-16. According to The Utah Statesman, even USU head coach Brent Guy said it was about the money. He would not name a starter for Saturday’s game because, “people will buy a ticket and come see their starters. We will announce the starter as soon as we get the football. So you better get a ticket and come see.”

The Aggies hosted the Utes in the brand-new 25,000-seat Romney Stadium, but only 19,061 fans showed up in person for the game. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that USU paid the U $50,000 to play (Michigan paid the U $800,000). This expense was most likely offset by the higher admission price, as USU charges $15 to 20 more per ticket for games against the U.

It’s sad that USU claims it stands rival to the U in an attempt to fill empty seats and the U goes along with it.

An NCAA study released last spring revealed that only 16 of the 119 programs in the bowl subdivision (formerly Division I) turned a net profit over the 2004-2006 period. The study noted that while total revenues rose by 25.5 percent during that span, expenses increased 23 percent.

Despite a 3-0 record and BCS ranking, U athletics director Chris Hill told The Salt Lake Tribune the Utes expect to gross a profit of only $868,598.87 this season. While a BCS ranking allows teams to play in lucrative bowl games and grants national television exposure, it doesn’t ensure a team’s long-term profitability. According to a 2005 CNNMoney.com article, the Fiesta Bowl paid $30.5 million to Utah and opponent University of Pittsburgh. The teams split the money with the other schools in their conferences, leaving the Utes with a net profit of around $2 million.

For 2010, the Utes have elected to let USU keep its $50,000 as they’ll skip the trip to Logan and instead play Notre Dame. It’s just as well. It’s not like we’re missing out on the rivalry element or excitement. It’s about time the U looked out for its own interests.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/u%252C_usu_rivalry_about_the_money

Credit a trap for students

Credit cards—they’re easy to get, they’re fun to use, and they can get you into a whole mess of trouble if you’re not careful. More than 1.5 million college-age students in the United States are expected to drop out of college in 2008 because of money issues, says Bill Pratt, author of Extra Credit: The 7 Things Every College Student Needs to Know About Credit, Debt & Cash. He says academic failure comes in a distant second, representing 6 percent of all students.

According to the Consumer Credit Counseling Services, the average student leaves college with a credit card debt of between $8,000 and $10,000 (student loans not included). Credit-card debt hit more than $600 billion this year—almost half of that amount is owed by college-age students or new graduates.

Especially near the Union, you’ll see credit card marketers pitching low interest rates, free water bottles, candy and T-shirts to any student who signs up for a credit card. Although college tabling marketers get a lot of attention, only 18 percent of student credit cards are issued this way. The largest percentage of student cards (35 percent) is opened through direct mail.

Some people blame the industry for making it too easy for students to obtain credit cards. However, rather than assign blame, college students need to be informed, read the fine print and take responsibility for their decisions.

It isn’t the credit card company’s fault you decided life wasn’t complete until you overspent your budget on a PlayStation 3 and “Rock Band” game set. It’s an issue of education and self-restraint—the ability to delay gratification and wanting in exchange for things that are more important.

Credit cards are convenient and a way to establish a good credit rating. Yet, for many it is far too tempting to charge for items that you don’t have the cash to cover. Don’t exceed your credit limit and make certain you have the money before you charge. At a rate of 18 percent interest, it will take 25 years of minimum payments to pay off a $8,000 loan, and will ultimately cost $24,000. Paying off credit debt as it comes due is your best investment.

Michael Panzer, a financial investing guru, highlights last summer’s subprime meltdown, which involved about $900 billion in now-suspect securitized debt, reckless lending and consumers who buckled under the weight of loans they couldn’t afford.

Today, the United States is looking at more than $915 billion in credit card debt (an uncannily similar figure) that, like the housing industry, could blow up on our nation’s leading financial institutions. This is how a recession happens.

If you can’t figure out how to budget your finances, take a class in money management or talk with a financial adviser at your bank. Debt you can’t afford doesn’t just hurt you, it hurts our economy as people live off borrowed money without doing anything to repay it or create wealth and value.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/credit_a_trap_for_students

Utah takes liquor laws for granted

In July, the Utah Alcoholic Beverage Commission instructed staff members to draft sample legislation that would abolish state-mandated membership fees for drinking establishments and remove the wall partitions in restaurants that separate the bar from dining areas. Currently, locals and tourists must pay club membership fees to have a drink, and since tourism is big business for Utah, the state hospitality commission is pushing for looser laws.

According to Alcohol Alert, a drunk-driving watchdog, Utah trails the nation’s alcohol-related fatality rate at .27, compared with .58 per hundred vehicle miles traveled. Although state laws seem stringent and odd to Utah tourists, overall they are keeping Utahns safer.

This new push for looser laws seems to fall within the same vein of last month’s media circus surrounding the Amethyst Initiative, which is supported by more than 100 university presidents seeking to reduce the legal drinking age from 21 to 18. Rather than fight the battle against underage drinking, these university presidents are giving ground because it’s become too difficult for them to police their students.

However, the battle is still worth fighting. The National Center for Statistics and Analysis estimates nearly 25,000 lives have been saved by minimum drinking age laws since 1975.

According to a 2004 report from the Committee on Developing a Strategy to Reduce and Prevent Underage Drinking, the cost of alcohol use by youth was $53 billion in 1996, including $19 billion from traffic crashes and $29 billion from violent crime. Although alcohol-related youth motor vehicle fatalities have decreased substantially over the past decade or so, youth are still overrepresented in alcohol-related fatal crashes compared with the older population.

Also, the same report says new research on adolescent brain development suggests that early heavy alcohol use may also have negative effects on the actual physical development of brain structure. Youth with alcohol use disorders also performed worse on memory tests than nondrinkers, further suggesting that alcohol was affecting brain function. Alcohol use during adolescence may have other negative effects, including decreased ability in planning and executive functioning, memory, spatial operations and attention.

Aside from the effect on students, should the drinking age be lowered? More concern should be given to what it is already doing to the general population. Utah should think twice about the benefits of the stringent liquor laws it enjoys before throwing them out.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/utah_takes_liquor_laws_for_granted

U needs to include Pledge of Allegiance in public gatherings

Every day at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. a simple ceremony is held in Mount Vernon, Va., at George Washington’s tomb. The service includes placement of a boxwood wreath alongside his sarcophagus and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to honor America’s first president. Written in 1892, well after Washington’s death in 1799, the pledge was officially recognized by Congress as America’s national motto in 1942.

The Pledge of Allegiance has repeatedly come under fire in public schools across the country because it contains the controversial words, “under God.” According to the General Counsel at the U, the university holds no official position as to whether the pledge can or should be recited in classrooms. The Utah State Board of Education requires that the pledge is recited each morning in public elementary schools. To remind students of our freedoms, the U should provide for the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance at university forums and official student gatherings.

The Pledge of Allegiance has been recited by generations of Americans, but why isn’t it good enough for us today? Beyond the political issues and controversy, the pledge represents patriotism and embodies the fabric of our society: justice, equality, courage, honor—the tools of a free society. It reminds and inspires us to defend the freedoms we enjoy every day.

A San Francisco lawsuit from Michael Newdow attempted to ban the Pledge of Allegiance from being recited in public schools, claiming in a federal lawsuit that it is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment. Ultimately, the suit was overruled by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluding that the pledge is constitutional.
In a similar controversy earlier this month, more than 6 million people voted in an NBC online poll seeking to determine whether or not we should take the phrase “In God We Trust” off American money. Nearly 75 percent of respondents felt the motto has historical and patriotic significance and does nothing to establish a state religion. The remaining 25 percent said the words “In God We Trust” violate the principle of separation of church and state.

In June, researchers at the Pew Forum analyzed the religious practices of more than 35,000 U.S. adults and found that belief in God is something espoused by 92 percent of Americans. If all references of God were taken out of government today, it would still be in the hearts of the majority of U.S. citizens, no matter what religion they belong to. And for that reason, the references should remain, because they reflect a belief in a trustworthy God, which is held by the majority of those who live in this country. It’s something you aren’t allowed to believe in some other countries, at least not legally.

More than 225 years have passed since soldiers in Washington’s army gave their lives in the Revolutionary War. Was the battle for American independence and freedom fought in vain? It was if we neglect to defend the liberties they died for. Those early American heroes certainly didn’t give their lives so stray individual opinions could dictate the laws. The U should honor them by including the pledge more often in official forums and other gatherings.

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/u_needs_to_include_pledge_of_allegiance_in_public_gatherings

Students need to overcome economic intimidation

Many students in Utah are intimidated by the prospect of graduating into an economic recession, particularly when the media portrays economic conditions with a doomsday outlook.

In reality, the media is doing graduating students a tremendous disservice because economic conditions are really not that bad. Students should not allow themselves to be intimidated-there is significant opportunity in the job market.

The doomsday economic situation portrayed by the media has been blown out of proportion. There are no excuses for recent graduates not to get employment.

According to Utah Workforce Services, unemployment in Utah, at 3.2 percent, is trailing the national average at 5.5 percent. The highest unemployment rate Utah has seen in the last 25 years was 9.7 percent in 1983.

Sure, the economy might not be at its peak, but ask any economist and they'll tell you that the market ebbs and flows in a cyclical pattern. Unemployment certainly isn't high enough to justify the outlook of recent fear-mongering, and students certainly shouldn't be discouraged or intimidated by the media's projections.

According to the Job Outlook 2008 survey of college recruiters shows that employers plan to hire 16 percent more new college graduates in 2008 than they did in 2007.

Last year, the U awarded more than 7,000 degrees with some 28,000 students enrolled in classes. In terms of your time and dollar, getting a degree isn't cheap, but it's definitely worth the investment. For instance, an MBA from the David Eccles School of Business yields an average entry level salary of $60,000; the average cost for the degree is about $25,000.

Students who leave with a bachelor's degree in elementary education are looking at a starting salary of around $30,000. The average cost of the degree is $19,000, which accounts for 7.5 percent annual tuition increases.

The trick, of course, is positioning yourself so you can land employment when your schooling is complete.

The Career Services Center has moved away from job placement and passed that responsibility on to students. However, it still offers assistance by providing empowering tools and resources to help students find a job that fits well with their personality. The Career Services Web site, www.careers.utah.edu, is especially helpful in pointing out what to expect in terms of salary and job responsibilities. Graduates and freshmen alike will find the self-assessment tools valuable in determining the best major and career for them.

Many students struggle with landing a job because they lack confidence. They fear being rejected by a potential employer and stand behind the excuse of what the media says about the nation's sluggish economy.

Students, in the face of intimidation, should find employment and help contribute to the economy. In fact, by not contributing or spending, students only increase the odds of a serious economic downturn. They should graduate and find employment, especially when there's only a 3.2 percent chance of ending up unemployed. They should utilize the career center to can make employment goals.

The chances of silencing every economy doomsday prophet are low, but students and the workforce should not allow themselves to be intimidated.

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