This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, named after the nation's first Catholic president who had to fend off religious bigotry during his 1960 presidential campaign, has been awarded to a former congressman who questioned Mitt Romney's Mormonism when the latter ran for the White House.
The award, presented by the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, went to former South Carolina Republican Rep. Bob Inglis, who lost his congressional seat in 2010 to a tea-party candidate largely because he came out as a believer in climate change.
The foundation said that Inglis was recognized for the political courage he showed in reversing his position on climate change.
In October 2007, before South Carolina's 2008 Republican presidential primary, Inglis said publicly that Romney "cannot equate Mormonism with Christianity. You cannot say, 'I am a Christian just like you.' If he [Romney] does that, every Baptist preacher in the South is going to have to go to the pulpit on Sunday and explain the difference."
The award is named after Kennedy's Pulitzer Prize-winning book, "Profiles in Courage," about brave decisions made by past leaders.
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More irony • It wasn't lost on a few passers-by Wednesday evening that on tax day — when returns are due and everyone is reminded how much they must pay and wonder about government waste — the sprinklers at the Salt Lake City IRS office at 50 S. 200 East were watering the snow.
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Where's the fire? • Mark Graham was breakfasting with his wife at Tammie's Family Diner, 2530 W. 4700 South, last Friday when he noticed a Unified Fire Authority truck, Taylorsville L-118, idling in the parking lot.
Inside, they noticed about eight firefighters eating. The large diesel firetruck was left idling outside for about an hour.
Graham had two concerns: The unnecessary cost to taxpayers for an hour's worth of diesel fuel wasting away, and the emissions spewed into the atmosphere.
Fire Authority Chief Michael Jensen, who also is a Salt Lake County Council member, looked into the matter.
He said the firefighters had received a call in the middle of their meal and then returned. Their truck had a turbo problem, so the crew left the engine running during short stops.
Even so, Jensen said he told the company commander that the incident was unacceptable and noted that the matter has been addressed.
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Wolves and whales and bears, oh my • After I relayed in Monday's column Tom Alleman's request for $300,000 for his efforts to keep polar bears out of the foothills near Price — since a well-connected lobbying group received $500,000 from the Legislature to keep nonexistent wolves away from Utah — one commenter offered to ensure no sharks invade West Jordan for $500,000. For another half million, he would keep whales out of Lake Powell.
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Black Friday revisited? • Larry H. Miller Chevrolet in Murray is staging a unique sale Saturday. One used car will be on sale for $5. Others will have "unheard of prices," according to the ad, and several will be priced for under $500.
Here's the catch: The gates at the lot, 5500 S. State St., will open at 9 a.m. Then, at 10 a.m., prices will be posted on the cars. Potential buyers who are already sitting behind the wheel of a car will be offered the car at that posted price.
It might be interesting to see how many people are tussling to get behind the wheels of the various cars before the magic hour.
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Supply and demand • A retired Salt Lake Tribune staffer was at an appointment at a clinic at University Hospital recently when he noticed large stacks of the Deseret News — about 50 of them — and no Tribunes in sight.
He asked a woman at the front desk about the discrepancy. She said the hospital distributes Tribunes to its inpatients when the papers arrive. Any leftovers are brought to the front desk for perusal by the general public.
The reason for so many Deseret News copies in the lobby, she said, is that patients don't want them.