But can she spell xenophobia? Utahns worry that their public schools are not preparing students to compete in a global economy. Yet when the Legislature considers providing a mere $300,000 to help seven schools finance their International Baccalaureate programs, the bill fails in a Senate committee because, according to Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, "I'm opposed to the anti-American philosophy that's somehow woven into all the [IB] classes as they promote the U.N. agenda." How's that, Sen. Dayton? By requiring a rigorous curriculum of math, science, foreign languages, writing and reading? And what, pray tell, is "the U.N. agenda"? Maybe Dayton is uncomfortable because the IB program was developed in that hotbed of anti-Americanism, Switzerland. You know, that neutral country at the heart of Europe with the secretive banking laws where every man is armed and serves in the army. Bunch of stooges for the New World Order, no doubt.

Arbitrary and capricious: Madame Dayton also insisted last week that Stephen Bloch, a staff attorney for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, be sworn before testifying before a Senate committee. She said he needed to be under oath because someone had raised concerns that his previous testimony before the House on HJR10 was inaccurate or false. HJR10 urges Congress to reject America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, which seeks to establish 9 million acres of wilderness in Utah. SUWA opposes the resolution. Oddly enough, Dayton did not ask that any of the three representatives of organizations that support the resolution be sworn. So much for equal treatment.

Local is best: Legislators are at it again. Now they are considering mandating that school districts write policies to outlaw and punish bullying and hazing. We'd be surprised if districts don't already have such policies, but if some don't, it's probably because they haven't had a compelling reason for them. Bullying and hazing are reprehensible. But let's leave districts to take appropriate action.