Outside of Vernal is an attraction that closely resembles Jurassic Park. Who knows, maybe it’s a place Michael Crichton went for inspiration for his best-selling book. For years, visitors have come face-to-face with scale models of dinosaurs in Vernal and could also see and touch fossils at Dinosaur National Monument.
A tram operator would carry passengers along the dusty desert of the Utah-Colorado border to reach the visitor center, where they could learn about creatures that once inhabited the region. Sadly, because of a lack of funding, the visitor center has been closed and access to the dinosaur bones has been unavailable for the past three years.
Portions of the visitor center were literally cracking and falling apart, making it unsafe for people to experience all that was once available. Now, with the aid of federal stimulus money, the Quarry Visitor Center will get a $13 million dollar face-lift to demolish and replace condemned sections of the building. Because it was originally built 50 years ago on bentonite shale clay, warping and shifting have caused the building to be in constant movement, making it wobbly and unsafe.
The National Park Service plans to fix the problem in a way that not only creates a safe environment to visit the facility, but that will also preserve the impressive 150-foot fossil wall where you can see dinosaur bones poking out from the rock surface. It is hoped that the repairs and remodeling will be completed by late spring 2011.
Landmarks of this size and scope should be preserved and maintained for visitors. Although Dinosaur National Monument won’t initially create large revenues, there will be a positive turn in entrance fee revenue, as well as an increase in the hotel and dining industries of eastern Utah and western Colorado that have likewise suffered. According to Mary Risser, Dinosaur National Monument’s superintendent, entrance fees decreased from $300,000 a year to $100,000 because the visitor center has been closed.
Indirectly, the reopening of the visitor center will again inspire the imaginations of young people who come to visit. Also, university students will benefit as they can return to a place that sponsors paleontology research and in-field digs. Dinosaur National Park is a restoration initiative that is long overdue.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/dino-park-restoration-overdue-1.1736279
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Shooting a pigeon shouldn’t make you a jailbird
It’s time to face the facts—some birds are pests. It’s especially unnerving when our kamikaze state bird swoops down to steal a muffin from your hand or looks eerily at you with his dinosaur-like eyes. After Easter weekend, it’s a safe bet that U engineering student David Schutt now detests pigeons.
A few weeks ago, a city building inspector dropped by Schutt’s home, insisting the residents get rid of the birds that had been leaving ugly messes around the property. Taking matters into his own hands, Schutt grabbed his BB gun to resolve the problem. Unfortunately, his neighbors saw the gun, heard the shots and contacted police. Five Salt Lake City police officers responded and he was arrested for animal cruelty and firing a weapon inside city limits.
It doesn’t make sense that the city would leave this kind of problem up to a resident to resolve on his own. The people renting didn’t invite the birds—and since they now own the problem, they should be allowed to implement whichever creative solution they deem best. It’s ridiculous that the city would expect tenants to solve the problem on their own, and then slap them for trying.
If the city wants a resident to take action, then it needs to provide information on how it should be done. Not to mention, the firepower of a BB gun falls far below that of just about any other gun the law is concerned with, so it’s unreasonable that shooting a BB gun within city limits should qualify for the same punishment—a misdemeanor.
“There was more than one shot,” said Dennis McGowan, public information officer for the Salt Lake City Police Department. “Even if it’s a BB gun or bow and arrow, you can’t use it within city limits, even if it’s on private property. Logic dictates you don’t shoot birds to get rid of them.”
After a nine-hour visit to the county jail, Schutt’s detention officers realized it was a relatively harmless violation and let him go. The city prosecutors office says it will make a decision early next week on whether to follow through on the misdemeanor charges or dismiss them.
“I wasn’t trying to kill them, I was just trying to scatter them away,” Schutt said. “It was a pretty stupid idea, broad daylight with a BB gun, but I figured guns are legal in Utah and it’s nothing nobody’s seen a million times.”
For all of you pigeon lovers, as far as animal rights are concerned, legislation in Utah was passed last year to allow prosecutors to charge individuals with a felony if they torture their cats and dogs. Pigeons were not ever mentioned in the legislation. If Schutt is prosecuted, there truly is no hope for anyone who wants to rid himself of unwelcome marmots. Be careful, setting a mouse trap or stepping on an ant could mean a prison sentence.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/shooting-a-pigeon-shouldn-t-make-you-a-jailbird-1.1734387
A few weeks ago, a city building inspector dropped by Schutt’s home, insisting the residents get rid of the birds that had been leaving ugly messes around the property. Taking matters into his own hands, Schutt grabbed his BB gun to resolve the problem. Unfortunately, his neighbors saw the gun, heard the shots and contacted police. Five Salt Lake City police officers responded and he was arrested for animal cruelty and firing a weapon inside city limits.
It doesn’t make sense that the city would leave this kind of problem up to a resident to resolve on his own. The people renting didn’t invite the birds—and since they now own the problem, they should be allowed to implement whichever creative solution they deem best. It’s ridiculous that the city would expect tenants to solve the problem on their own, and then slap them for trying.
If the city wants a resident to take action, then it needs to provide information on how it should be done. Not to mention, the firepower of a BB gun falls far below that of just about any other gun the law is concerned with, so it’s unreasonable that shooting a BB gun within city limits should qualify for the same punishment—a misdemeanor.
“There was more than one shot,” said Dennis McGowan, public information officer for the Salt Lake City Police Department. “Even if it’s a BB gun or bow and arrow, you can’t use it within city limits, even if it’s on private property. Logic dictates you don’t shoot birds to get rid of them.”
After a nine-hour visit to the county jail, Schutt’s detention officers realized it was a relatively harmless violation and let him go. The city prosecutors office says it will make a decision early next week on whether to follow through on the misdemeanor charges or dismiss them.
“I wasn’t trying to kill them, I was just trying to scatter them away,” Schutt said. “It was a pretty stupid idea, broad daylight with a BB gun, but I figured guns are legal in Utah and it’s nothing nobody’s seen a million times.”
For all of you pigeon lovers, as far as animal rights are concerned, legislation in Utah was passed last year to allow prosecutors to charge individuals with a felony if they torture their cats and dogs. Pigeons were not ever mentioned in the legislation. If Schutt is prosecuted, there truly is no hope for anyone who wants to rid himself of unwelcome marmots. Be careful, setting a mouse trap or stepping on an ant could mean a prison sentence.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/shooting-a-pigeon-shouldn-t-make-you-a-jailbird-1.1734387
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Graffiti on TRAX can’t be tolerated
The state government is using federal stimulus money to expand Utah’s transportation highways and the Utah Transit Authority TRAX lines. Many U students depend on TRAX each day to attend classes and other events on campus. Unfortunately, the main TRAX line has fallen victim to tagging, primarily between 1300 South and 7200 South.
A new white fence along the Hamlet Homes residential development at 3900 South, businesses and even the street artist Statue of Liberty mural closer to downtown, have been hit with ugly black spray paint. Frankly, I’m inclined to get a bucket of white paint and a roller to blot out the ugly tagging, but I know I’d get busted for vandalizing private property.
After an initial series of calls to UTA and then South Salt Lake City’s graffiti hot line, I was told nothing could be done. Although the tags are on UTA’s side of the property line, it is not their property, so they can’t do anything about the spray paint. In addition, the city said that they couldn’t do anything because UTA wouldn’t let them on the train line to clean up the marks. With this kind of progress, it looks like a graffiti-saturated future.
In Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point he outlines how ideas catch on and how change can occur. One of his examples shows how the crime rate in New York was at extremely high levels. The chief of police approached the problem by first removing the graffiti from the city’s rail and subway lines. This initial effort caused a dramatic reduction in crime because it showed the taggers that they would no longer be tolerated.
Although Salt Lake City definitely doesn’t pop up on any “worst cities to live in” lists, it definitely isn’t acceptable for private spaces in public sight to be covered with graffiti.
“Usually, whoever’s property it’s on, it’s their responsibility,” said UTA spokesperson Carrie Bohnsack-Ware. “Property owners need to coordinate with us because we don’t want anyone to get hit by a train.”
UTA has taken the information to the Salt Lake City Police Department. Supposedly, all of the graffiti along the TRAX line will be cleaned up in the coming weeks—so cross your fingers.
It’s lame that TRAX patrons must continue seeing vandalism during their travels, but at least UTA and the city’s “catch-22” appears to be cleared up and the graffiti will soon go away. Let’s hope the city can better discourage this kind of vandalism in the future.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/graffiti-on-trax-can-t-be-tolerated-1.1729941
A new white fence along the Hamlet Homes residential development at 3900 South, businesses and even the street artist Statue of Liberty mural closer to downtown, have been hit with ugly black spray paint. Frankly, I’m inclined to get a bucket of white paint and a roller to blot out the ugly tagging, but I know I’d get busted for vandalizing private property.
After an initial series of calls to UTA and then South Salt Lake City’s graffiti hot line, I was told nothing could be done. Although the tags are on UTA’s side of the property line, it is not their property, so they can’t do anything about the spray paint. In addition, the city said that they couldn’t do anything because UTA wouldn’t let them on the train line to clean up the marks. With this kind of progress, it looks like a graffiti-saturated future.
In Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point he outlines how ideas catch on and how change can occur. One of his examples shows how the crime rate in New York was at extremely high levels. The chief of police approached the problem by first removing the graffiti from the city’s rail and subway lines. This initial effort caused a dramatic reduction in crime because it showed the taggers that they would no longer be tolerated.
Although Salt Lake City definitely doesn’t pop up on any “worst cities to live in” lists, it definitely isn’t acceptable for private spaces in public sight to be covered with graffiti.
“Usually, whoever’s property it’s on, it’s their responsibility,” said UTA spokesperson Carrie Bohnsack-Ware. “Property owners need to coordinate with us because we don’t want anyone to get hit by a train.”
UTA has taken the information to the Salt Lake City Police Department. Supposedly, all of the graffiti along the TRAX line will be cleaned up in the coming weeks—so cross your fingers.
It’s lame that TRAX patrons must continue seeing vandalism during their travels, but at least UTA and the city’s “catch-22” appears to be cleared up and the graffiti will soon go away. Let’s hope the city can better discourage this kind of vandalism in the future.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/graffiti-on-trax-can-t-be-tolerated-1.1729941
Monday, April 20, 2009
Living through Columbine was a learning experience
Much has been said about today’s 10-year anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colo. Gun control extremists are using the date to stage rallies, entertainment companies are debunking myths about video games that allegedly are to blame for extraordinary violence and Columbine survivors will mark the day in a profound way.
I was in my trigonometry class at Columbine on April 20, 1999. I was just a junior, and my varsity basketball team had just completed our first winning season in 12 years. I was excited for the prospects of my senior year. That morning, shots rang out and I escaped from the school with my classmates at the prompting of a strobe-lighted fire alarm. At the end of the day, 25 people lay wounded in hospital beds and 15 others were dead, including my basketball coach.
By no means was it easy to recover from Columbine. The barrage of media attention, celebrity visits, classmate suicides, therapy focus groups and sad glances from strangers made the world seem so foreign and cold. The assumption that “this kind of stuff doesn’t happen to kids” was no longer true.
Gerda Weissmann-Klein, a Holocaust survivor, came to our school shortly after the shootings to share her experiences. Hearing about how her brother was killed during the war and her parents were sent to Auschwitz invited us to relate to her words. Hearing that she was able to recover and create a happy life for herself, despite the horrible atrocity committed by the Nazis, gave us hope. Knowing someone had made it through a much more difficult time than Columbine helped us know that we could make it through, too.
Now, 10 years later, I look back at Columbine as a day of learning and a day when exceptional individuals rose to the occasion to help their neighbors and comfort their friends. Columbine clearly demonstrates that you can be happy despite the crap that happens in life. We choose how to feel and how to react to different situations. In fact, many of my high school friends have looked forward to the anniversary as a day to celebrate life and friendship. Some are even throwing parties to recognize how far they have come—with time, they no longer feel captive to the anxiety and fear that shattered their innocent view of the world. They are picking up the pieces and making a new reality.
At some point during your life, you will have a Columbine moment—a moment when your view of the world changes forever. Although these times are never easy, you can fully count on the guarantee that someone has been through something worse. It will be a time when you’ll learn life-changing lessons that will make you better and you’ll emerge a stronger person. You will be more empathetic and patient, more compassionate and loving, and more full of hope and joy. No matter what happens to us during life’s journey, it all turns out right in the end. It truly will be OK.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/living-through-columbine-was-a-learning-experience-1.1723488
I was in my trigonometry class at Columbine on April 20, 1999. I was just a junior, and my varsity basketball team had just completed our first winning season in 12 years. I was excited for the prospects of my senior year. That morning, shots rang out and I escaped from the school with my classmates at the prompting of a strobe-lighted fire alarm. At the end of the day, 25 people lay wounded in hospital beds and 15 others were dead, including my basketball coach.
By no means was it easy to recover from Columbine. The barrage of media attention, celebrity visits, classmate suicides, therapy focus groups and sad glances from strangers made the world seem so foreign and cold. The assumption that “this kind of stuff doesn’t happen to kids” was no longer true.
Gerda Weissmann-Klein, a Holocaust survivor, came to our school shortly after the shootings to share her experiences. Hearing about how her brother was killed during the war and her parents were sent to Auschwitz invited us to relate to her words. Hearing that she was able to recover and create a happy life for herself, despite the horrible atrocity committed by the Nazis, gave us hope. Knowing someone had made it through a much more difficult time than Columbine helped us know that we could make it through, too.
Now, 10 years later, I look back at Columbine as a day of learning and a day when exceptional individuals rose to the occasion to help their neighbors and comfort their friends. Columbine clearly demonstrates that you can be happy despite the crap that happens in life. We choose how to feel and how to react to different situations. In fact, many of my high school friends have looked forward to the anniversary as a day to celebrate life and friendship. Some are even throwing parties to recognize how far they have come—with time, they no longer feel captive to the anxiety and fear that shattered their innocent view of the world. They are picking up the pieces and making a new reality.
At some point during your life, you will have a Columbine moment—a moment when your view of the world changes forever. Although these times are never easy, you can fully count on the guarantee that someone has been through something worse. It will be a time when you’ll learn life-changing lessons that will make you better and you’ll emerge a stronger person. You will be more empathetic and patient, more compassionate and loving, and more full of hope and joy. No matter what happens to us during life’s journey, it all turns out right in the end. It truly will be OK.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/living-through-columbine-was-a-learning-experience-1.1723488
Friday, April 17, 2009
Legislator squabbles over immigration bill
It is definitely a rare occurrence when the chief of police won’t enforce the law, but that’s what happened last week when Salt Lake Police Chief Chris Burbank publicly refused to uphold Senate Bill 81. The state’s immigration reform legislation S.B. 81 calls for cross-deputizing officers as federal immigration agents to better police people who are here illegally.
Burbank said the law, effective July 1, would put Salt Lake City police officers in the position of violating human rights by engaging in racial profiling in order to enforce S.B. 81. This is a stance he has taken since the inception of the legislation more than a year ago.
Kudos to Chief Burbank. Clearly, the Salt Lake Police Department should not be burdened with responsibilities belonging to a different agency that is better trained and equipped for the job. It would be a violation of human rights should citizens with Latino heritage be targeted as illegal immigrants during routine traffic stops.
The sad part of this story is the way Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, House sponsor for S.B. 81, is behaving. He has threatened to withhold $4 million in jail reimbursement funds from the state because of Burbank’s stance. Rather than making vengeful threats, Noel would do better to seek a compromise and solution to the issue. Unfortunately, he instead is taking an arrogant stance of power and blowing a lot of smoke, as it is now out of his hands.
Although this is a very complicated issue, it is disturbing that a state legislator is wielding his authority and making threats without giving more attention to a viable complaint by the police. Although it’s hard to say whether Noel’s threat to withhold $4 million is legal or not because of existing precedence, it is unethical at the very least.
“This (withholding funds) would have to be pursuant to a valid law, not just the statements of a legislator. Of course, any legislator can make threats that if the funds are not spent according to his or her wishes, he/she will introduce a bill that would either prevent the agency from spending additional funds or further direct the agency on how to spend such funds,” said Alexander Skibine, a law professor at the U. “Still, this bill would have to become law, which means it would have to be passed by the House and the Senate and signed by the governor.”
Noel would be best served to start listening and try to find a different solution. Immigration reform and monitoring is definitely a tricky issue, so it is absolutely critical to have all parties involved. It appears that Noel is too busy pushing for his own agenda to be part of a constructive dialogue.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/legislator-squabbles-over-immigration-bill-1.1720659
Burbank said the law, effective July 1, would put Salt Lake City police officers in the position of violating human rights by engaging in racial profiling in order to enforce S.B. 81. This is a stance he has taken since the inception of the legislation more than a year ago.
Kudos to Chief Burbank. Clearly, the Salt Lake Police Department should not be burdened with responsibilities belonging to a different agency that is better trained and equipped for the job. It would be a violation of human rights should citizens with Latino heritage be targeted as illegal immigrants during routine traffic stops.
The sad part of this story is the way Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, House sponsor for S.B. 81, is behaving. He has threatened to withhold $4 million in jail reimbursement funds from the state because of Burbank’s stance. Rather than making vengeful threats, Noel would do better to seek a compromise and solution to the issue. Unfortunately, he instead is taking an arrogant stance of power and blowing a lot of smoke, as it is now out of his hands.
Although this is a very complicated issue, it is disturbing that a state legislator is wielding his authority and making threats without giving more attention to a viable complaint by the police. Although it’s hard to say whether Noel’s threat to withhold $4 million is legal or not because of existing precedence, it is unethical at the very least.
“This (withholding funds) would have to be pursuant to a valid law, not just the statements of a legislator. Of course, any legislator can make threats that if the funds are not spent according to his or her wishes, he/she will introduce a bill that would either prevent the agency from spending additional funds or further direct the agency on how to spend such funds,” said Alexander Skibine, a law professor at the U. “Still, this bill would have to become law, which means it would have to be passed by the House and the Senate and signed by the governor.”
Noel would be best served to start listening and try to find a different solution. Immigration reform and monitoring is definitely a tricky issue, so it is absolutely critical to have all parties involved. It appears that Noel is too busy pushing for his own agenda to be part of a constructive dialogue.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/legislator-squabbles-over-immigration-bill-1.1720659
Monday, April 13, 2009
U.S. needs tighter belt, not higher taxes
Although demonstrators probably won’t dump tea into the Great Salt Lake, several tea party events are planned across the valley for Wednesday—tax day—to protest wasteful government spending and taxation. More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the tea party at the Federal Building—even Rep. Jason Chaffetz plans to make an appearance.
Both Republicans and Democrats are responsible for the nation’s debt, pork-barrel spending and bailouts. This isn’t an issue of partisanship, it’s an issue of what is right for America, for both the short- and long-term. Many citizens who elect local officials to represent them feel powerless as their representatives pursue personal agendas instead of the will of the people. The Salt Lake Tea Party will unite like-minded individuals who want to effect real change and restore our free-market system.
“My brother and I have spent 14 years of (our lives) at a socialist factory in Poland and I don’t want my children growing up in a socialist society,” said Utah Tea Party organizer David Kirkham. “Bribery and corruption are pervasive throughout the entire culture. Socialism disintegrates the moral values of society and that’s the direction we’re currently moving.”
The original 1773 Boston Tea Party helped spark the American Revolution. Colonists were upset about being taxed by the British government without representation so they dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. The Boston Tea Party has become an iconic event referenced today in political protests.
There are principles, such as accountability and freedom, that our founding fathers agreed on. If we don’t have economic freedom because our government digs us into debt, our political freedom will very shortly follow. Money makes the world go round, but personal choice and accountability will effect change too.
Earlier this year, President Barack Obama outlined a $3.5 trillion spending plan featuring ambitious goals to expand health care coverage for the uninsured, provide more money for college loans and address global warming. Recent bailouts for the banking and auto industries have everyone asking for a handout as the United States sinks further into debt.
A Mesa, Ariz. radio station staged a spending protest recently by asking listeners to bring signs telling Obama what they wanted from the savior-based economy. Everything from “I need a beachfront condo! Mr. President,” to “Henrietta got a house, all I want’s a swimming pool,” to “Give me Pelosi’s plane.” Today’s uncertain economy leaves everyone with questions and no guarantees. We used to work hard for our stuff and put money into our 401ks for retirement. But 401ks have lost much of their value so people are turning to the government for handouts.
The bottom line is that wasteful spending will send us deeper into the red. If the government would just let free enterprise work, then by Adam Smith’s invisible hand, the economy will sort itself out. There will be winners and losers, but for now, America needs to go through this belt-tightening to purge through bad credit and bad decisions. The outcome will be a stronger America, one that will produce long-lasting sustainable economic value.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/u-s-needs-tighter-belt-not-higher-taxes-1.1711695
Both Republicans and Democrats are responsible for the nation’s debt, pork-barrel spending and bailouts. This isn’t an issue of partisanship, it’s an issue of what is right for America, for both the short- and long-term. Many citizens who elect local officials to represent them feel powerless as their representatives pursue personal agendas instead of the will of the people. The Salt Lake Tea Party will unite like-minded individuals who want to effect real change and restore our free-market system.
“My brother and I have spent 14 years of (our lives) at a socialist factory in Poland and I don’t want my children growing up in a socialist society,” said Utah Tea Party organizer David Kirkham. “Bribery and corruption are pervasive throughout the entire culture. Socialism disintegrates the moral values of society and that’s the direction we’re currently moving.”
The original 1773 Boston Tea Party helped spark the American Revolution. Colonists were upset about being taxed by the British government without representation so they dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. The Boston Tea Party has become an iconic event referenced today in political protests.
There are principles, such as accountability and freedom, that our founding fathers agreed on. If we don’t have economic freedom because our government digs us into debt, our political freedom will very shortly follow. Money makes the world go round, but personal choice and accountability will effect change too.
Earlier this year, President Barack Obama outlined a $3.5 trillion spending plan featuring ambitious goals to expand health care coverage for the uninsured, provide more money for college loans and address global warming. Recent bailouts for the banking and auto industries have everyone asking for a handout as the United States sinks further into debt.
A Mesa, Ariz. radio station staged a spending protest recently by asking listeners to bring signs telling Obama what they wanted from the savior-based economy. Everything from “I need a beachfront condo! Mr. President,” to “Henrietta got a house, all I want’s a swimming pool,” to “Give me Pelosi’s plane.” Today’s uncertain economy leaves everyone with questions and no guarantees. We used to work hard for our stuff and put money into our 401ks for retirement. But 401ks have lost much of their value so people are turning to the government for handouts.
The bottom line is that wasteful spending will send us deeper into the red. If the government would just let free enterprise work, then by Adam Smith’s invisible hand, the economy will sort itself out. There will be winners and losers, but for now, America needs to go through this belt-tightening to purge through bad credit and bad decisions. The outcome will be a stronger America, one that will produce long-lasting sustainable economic value.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/u-s-needs-tighter-belt-not-higher-taxes-1.1711695
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Stem cell perks outweigh potential drawbacks
There are a lot of people in the world who are scared by the possibilities of stem cell research.
One specific argument is that if stem cell research is permitted to continue, it will lead to human cloning, which can lead to a new definition of personal identity. This culture of fear was further magnified in 2001 with former President George W. Bush’s executive order that limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Fortunately, President Barack Obama reversed Bush’s executive order last month.
Opponents of stem cell research say that it compromises life. Although the exact moment of when an embryo actually becomes a human life is still up for debate, science should not be inhibited by ideologies. The bottom line is that research can save future generations from the disease and health problems facing us today.
“If we are going to discard those embryos and we know that there is potential research that could lead to curing debilitating disease, I think we should go ahead and pursue that research,” Obama said in a March 10 press conference. “Medical miracles do not happen simply by accident.”
History is full of cases where researchers, in the name of science, have done horrible things to humans. During World War II, Nazi scientists ran grotesque experiments on prisoners in the name of research. The classic psychological Stanford prison study was deemed unethical after subjects were emotionally traumatized. Although there are isolated cases of unethical medical research, the potential innovation and advancement in medical knowledge that will come from stem cell research should not be inhibited because of isolated research that has been conducted unethically by a small minority.
Researchers at the U are in the trial process to test the ability of using a patient’s own stem cells to treat cardiovascular and heart ailments. Heart failure affects nearly 5 million Americans each year, according to the American Heart Association. In many of these instances, a heart transplant has been the only option.
“This is the first trial of its kind in the United States, providing patients who have limited to no other options with a viable treatment,” said Amit Patel, a professor of surgery in the U’s medical school. “By using a patient’s own cells, we eliminate the concern of rejection and the need for potentially harmful immunosuppressive drugs. We hope these cells will help with new blood vessels and support the heart muscle in order to improve the heart’s function, thereby greatly improving the patient’s quality of life.”
Medical researchers at the U are also using stem cells to treat vascular disease to prevent leg amputations as well as other innovative research leading the nationwide effort.
With Obama’s stem cell executive order, we are moving in a better direction—one in which advancement and innovation can occur in science. New medical and scientific discoveries can be found that will improve our lives and hopefully relieve health ailments. New ideas can now be pursued and we no longer have to live in a climate of fear and distrust stemming from a broad stroke immobilization of stem cell research. The federal government’s new policy on stem cell research is a good thing and will lead to more life-saving medical technologies in the future.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/stem-cell-perks-outweigh-potential-drawbacks-1.1650804
One specific argument is that if stem cell research is permitted to continue, it will lead to human cloning, which can lead to a new definition of personal identity. This culture of fear was further magnified in 2001 with former President George W. Bush’s executive order that limited federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. Fortunately, President Barack Obama reversed Bush’s executive order last month.
Opponents of stem cell research say that it compromises life. Although the exact moment of when an embryo actually becomes a human life is still up for debate, science should not be inhibited by ideologies. The bottom line is that research can save future generations from the disease and health problems facing us today.
“If we are going to discard those embryos and we know that there is potential research that could lead to curing debilitating disease, I think we should go ahead and pursue that research,” Obama said in a March 10 press conference. “Medical miracles do not happen simply by accident.”
History is full of cases where researchers, in the name of science, have done horrible things to humans. During World War II, Nazi scientists ran grotesque experiments on prisoners in the name of research. The classic psychological Stanford prison study was deemed unethical after subjects were emotionally traumatized. Although there are isolated cases of unethical medical research, the potential innovation and advancement in medical knowledge that will come from stem cell research should not be inhibited because of isolated research that has been conducted unethically by a small minority.
Researchers at the U are in the trial process to test the ability of using a patient’s own stem cells to treat cardiovascular and heart ailments. Heart failure affects nearly 5 million Americans each year, according to the American Heart Association. In many of these instances, a heart transplant has been the only option.
“This is the first trial of its kind in the United States, providing patients who have limited to no other options with a viable treatment,” said Amit Patel, a professor of surgery in the U’s medical school. “By using a patient’s own cells, we eliminate the concern of rejection and the need for potentially harmful immunosuppressive drugs. We hope these cells will help with new blood vessels and support the heart muscle in order to improve the heart’s function, thereby greatly improving the patient’s quality of life.”
Medical researchers at the U are also using stem cells to treat vascular disease to prevent leg amputations as well as other innovative research leading the nationwide effort.
With Obama’s stem cell executive order, we are moving in a better direction—one in which advancement and innovation can occur in science. New medical and scientific discoveries can be found that will improve our lives and hopefully relieve health ailments. New ideas can now be pursued and we no longer have to live in a climate of fear and distrust stemming from a broad stroke immobilization of stem cell research. The federal government’s new policy on stem cell research is a good thing and will lead to more life-saving medical technologies in the future.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/stem-cell-perks-outweigh-potential-drawbacks-1.1650804
Monday, April 6, 2009
Volunteer work shouldn’t have monetary award
Most students have participated in some sort of service activity. Be it picking up trash on a hike, visiting residents in a retirement home or building a house for someone less fortunate, we gain a unique sense of satisfaction after our efforts. Rarely are these acts of service ever coupled with payment—we do it for no other reason than it being the right thing to do.
Sen. Orrin Hatch wants to formalize service rendered in America and give it a dollar value. He envisions service-learning programs with a goal to keep young students engaged in school, which in turn will increase the likelihood of graduation because of their levels of involvement in academic programs. For adults, service provides opportunities to mentor and improve their communities. For nonprofit organizations, the federal government should be a partner that supports its community service efforts because of the far-reaching benefits to American citizens.
This past week, Hatch’s vision, in the form of the Serve America Act, was approved by Congress and will soon go to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it into law. Should Obama sign the legislation into law, the altruistic reasons for volunteer service will be compromised by enterprising individuals whose real incentive is gaining access to government grant money. The idea is well-meaning, but it would undermine the entire point of service.
“The passage of the Serve America Act is a significant milestone for our country,” Hatch said. “By increasing opportunities nationwide for Americans to serve and, thus, enabling private citizens to do more for their communities, personal and community responsibility will take the place of direct government aid. Volunteer service is a keystone of our country’s traditions, and it is becoming increasingly important in these troubled economic times that we help our neighbors.”
In reality, the federal government isn’t establishing a system in which nonprofits and volunteer service are completely self-sustainable ventures because the government will still be providing financial aid. Nearly $5.7 billion will be set aside in grant money to help nonprofit organizations such as AmeriCorps expand their community service programs. The educational award for AmeriCorps volunteers will increase to $5,300 from $4,725 last year if they serve at least a year. Committing a year of service to an organization that doesn’t offer much compensation isn’t a job, but it’s also not volunteering. This arrangement falls somewhere in between.
This grant money will surely provide assistance to organizations such as the Utah Foster Care Foundation or Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which help communities by providing mentors and open young eyes to new possibilities and opportunities, but the altruistic incentive is lost.
Given the alternative for government funding, spending on volunteer efforts is a lot wiser than bailing out behemoth companies that are crumbling and allocate their bailout dollars for golden parachutes given to the executives responsible for the financial disaster. The Serve America Act should not become a vehicle that feeds comparable greed instead of altruistic volunteer service.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/volunteer-work-shouldn-t-have-monetary-award-1.1644568
Sen. Orrin Hatch wants to formalize service rendered in America and give it a dollar value. He envisions service-learning programs with a goal to keep young students engaged in school, which in turn will increase the likelihood of graduation because of their levels of involvement in academic programs. For adults, service provides opportunities to mentor and improve their communities. For nonprofit organizations, the federal government should be a partner that supports its community service efforts because of the far-reaching benefits to American citizens.
This past week, Hatch’s vision, in the form of the Serve America Act, was approved by Congress and will soon go to President Barack Obama, who is expected to sign it into law. Should Obama sign the legislation into law, the altruistic reasons for volunteer service will be compromised by enterprising individuals whose real incentive is gaining access to government grant money. The idea is well-meaning, but it would undermine the entire point of service.
“The passage of the Serve America Act is a significant milestone for our country,” Hatch said. “By increasing opportunities nationwide for Americans to serve and, thus, enabling private citizens to do more for their communities, personal and community responsibility will take the place of direct government aid. Volunteer service is a keystone of our country’s traditions, and it is becoming increasingly important in these troubled economic times that we help our neighbors.”
In reality, the federal government isn’t establishing a system in which nonprofits and volunteer service are completely self-sustainable ventures because the government will still be providing financial aid. Nearly $5.7 billion will be set aside in grant money to help nonprofit organizations such as AmeriCorps expand their community service programs. The educational award for AmeriCorps volunteers will increase to $5,300 from $4,725 last year if they serve at least a year. Committing a year of service to an organization that doesn’t offer much compensation isn’t a job, but it’s also not volunteering. This arrangement falls somewhere in between.
This grant money will surely provide assistance to organizations such as the Utah Foster Care Foundation or Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, which help communities by providing mentors and open young eyes to new possibilities and opportunities, but the altruistic incentive is lost.
Given the alternative for government funding, spending on volunteer efforts is a lot wiser than bailing out behemoth companies that are crumbling and allocate their bailout dollars for golden parachutes given to the executives responsible for the financial disaster. The Serve America Act should not become a vehicle that feeds comparable greed instead of altruistic volunteer service.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/volunteer-work-shouldn-t-have-monetary-award-1.1644568
Friday, April 3, 2009
City should leave cab industry alone
The Salt Lake City Council is proposing to cut the number of taxicabs by 25 percent. The council argues that a driver’s income will increase (conveniently ignoring the fact that more than 58 drivers would be out of work) because there will be fewer down hours per cab.
In 2005, the City Council commissioned the Ground Transportation Study from Ray Mundy, a transportation studies professor at the University of Missouri. Mundy’s recommendation led to the City Council’s March 24 proposal to move from regulating taxicab companies through certificates of public convenience and necessity to a contract-based system. When interviewing cab drivers, Mundy found that many complained they weren’t making money.
City Council analyst Russell Weeks said they are in the process of determining whether to continue the current cab service regulation model, switch to a contract system or open the market to let anyone provide the service.
The bottom line is that government involvement will not improve the economy, and legislation in this case will not enhance the free enterprise system.
The cab industry in Salt Lake City is facing enough day-to-day problems without the City Council telling it how to manage the supply-chain model. According to a Ground Transportation Study for the city, many cab drivers work 14 to 16 hours a day, but make less than minimum wage because of the down time waiting for riders. The cab industry also faces stiffer competition with new shuttle services and courtesy vehicles offered by hotels and resorts, as well as the pending Utah Transit Authority TRAX line extending to the airport.
“Someone has told the city that if they reduce the cabs in the city, then the drivers will make more money, but that is not true,” said Don Barron, director of Yellow Cab. “It’s not a good deal for drivers who work as independent contractors or cab companies. The business that we would lose in the city and county will go to gypsy cab drivers who don’t pick up at one in the morning. Why throw away something that’s working?”
The city has given permits to three cab companies, totaling 268 cars, that serve the Wasatch front and resort destinations. The proposal would cut the number of cabs down to 210.
Barron adds that for his company, if 68 drivers had to be turned away, nearly 200 family members would be affected by that lost income. Yellow Cab turns away potential drivers every day because the city only allows them to operate 145 cabs. Yellow Cab pays roughly $1900 in insurance per cab each year. If those cabs can’t operate, Barron said he’d be losing money in a market where he knows there is demand.
The City Council is waiting for survey results before it’ll move forward with any final decisions, but rather than surveying community members, it needs to explain why it’s getting into the business of determining how many cabs are on the road, what a cab driver can make and why it is only targeting cab drivers and not shuttle drivers or bus drivers. With such unrestricted and asinine intervention, who is to say it won’t start dictating how many mechanics, hair stylists, waiters or receptionists are allowed to work in Salt Lake City? It seems as though someone in power prefers a socialist system.
It is entirely appropriate for the City Council to be involved in measures that ensure public safety and well-being, but definitely not in dictating what the cab industry is allowed to supply the market. That is something that market forces will dictate and companies will respond to.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/city-should-leave-cab-industry-alone-1.1641698
In 2005, the City Council commissioned the Ground Transportation Study from Ray Mundy, a transportation studies professor at the University of Missouri. Mundy’s recommendation led to the City Council’s March 24 proposal to move from regulating taxicab companies through certificates of public convenience and necessity to a contract-based system. When interviewing cab drivers, Mundy found that many complained they weren’t making money.
City Council analyst Russell Weeks said they are in the process of determining whether to continue the current cab service regulation model, switch to a contract system or open the market to let anyone provide the service.
The bottom line is that government involvement will not improve the economy, and legislation in this case will not enhance the free enterprise system.
The cab industry in Salt Lake City is facing enough day-to-day problems without the City Council telling it how to manage the supply-chain model. According to a Ground Transportation Study for the city, many cab drivers work 14 to 16 hours a day, but make less than minimum wage because of the down time waiting for riders. The cab industry also faces stiffer competition with new shuttle services and courtesy vehicles offered by hotels and resorts, as well as the pending Utah Transit Authority TRAX line extending to the airport.
“Someone has told the city that if they reduce the cabs in the city, then the drivers will make more money, but that is not true,” said Don Barron, director of Yellow Cab. “It’s not a good deal for drivers who work as independent contractors or cab companies. The business that we would lose in the city and county will go to gypsy cab drivers who don’t pick up at one in the morning. Why throw away something that’s working?”
The city has given permits to three cab companies, totaling 268 cars, that serve the Wasatch front and resort destinations. The proposal would cut the number of cabs down to 210.
Barron adds that for his company, if 68 drivers had to be turned away, nearly 200 family members would be affected by that lost income. Yellow Cab turns away potential drivers every day because the city only allows them to operate 145 cabs. Yellow Cab pays roughly $1900 in insurance per cab each year. If those cabs can’t operate, Barron said he’d be losing money in a market where he knows there is demand.
The City Council is waiting for survey results before it’ll move forward with any final decisions, but rather than surveying community members, it needs to explain why it’s getting into the business of determining how many cabs are on the road, what a cab driver can make and why it is only targeting cab drivers and not shuttle drivers or bus drivers. With such unrestricted and asinine intervention, who is to say it won’t start dictating how many mechanics, hair stylists, waiters or receptionists are allowed to work in Salt Lake City? It seems as though someone in power prefers a socialist system.
It is entirely appropriate for the City Council to be involved in measures that ensure public safety and well-being, but definitely not in dictating what the cab industry is allowed to supply the market. That is something that market forces will dictate and companies will respond to.
http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/opinion/city-should-leave-cab-industry-alone-1.1641698
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