In The Tribune's Opinion Section on Sunday, state Department of Environmental Quality Director Dianne Nielson disputed an earlier column item I wrote that suggested there were discrepancies in the current administration's talk of alternative energy solutions and its actions.
She wrote: "Rolly incorrectly stated that Dr. Laura Nelson, the governor's energy adviser, promotes slashing tax incentives for the installation of solar panels in homes."
She appears to ignore Nelson's recommendation in her annual report in October that only the business credit be extended, citing Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s advocacy of a "flatter" income tax as the reason, as reported in a Tribune story Feb. 16.
Nielson also responded to my questioning of closing down state-run natural gas fueling stations to the public, saying the state doesn't want to compete with the growing number of privately owned natural-gas stations.
She omits the fact that the state's action means there are no natural-gas stations for the public on the east bench in Salt Lake County, nor in West Valley City, meaning people have to go so far to fuel their natural-gas vehicles, it almost defeats the purpose.
No ego here: To former Utah Rep. Jim Hansen, apparently, size does matter.
The Ogden Standard Examiner reported recently that the Farmington City Council, at the request of Hansen, approved a variance option in the city cemetery so Hansen, once he goes to his great reward, can have a bigger monument than anyone else.
The current rules restrict the height of monuments to 36 inches. But Hansen wants one 8 inches higher.
The article quoted Hansen saying he is the "only congressman to come out of Davis County or Farmington, for that matter."
But a posting on the Utah Amicus blog site notes that B.H. Roberts of Centerville was the first elected congressman from Davis County, although the House of Representatives refused to seat him because of his practice of polygamy. Roberts' gravestone in the Centerville cemetery is less than 36 inches.
What rhymes with Ward? The news this week that Utahn Brent Ward is heading a new Justice Department task force to fight obscenity prompted memories of another great porn fighter, the late Utah Sen. Reed Smoot. In fact, Smoot was memorialized in a 1931 poem by Ogden Nash that opened like this:
Senator Smoot (Republican, Ut.),
Is planning a ban on smut.
Oh rooti-ti-toot for Smoot of Ut.
And his reverend occiput.
Smite, Smoot, smite for Ut.,
Grit your molars and do your dut,
Gird up your l--ns,
Smite h-p and th-gh,
We'll all be Kansas
By and by.
prolly@
sltrib.com
