This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Are you an advocate for clean air and public health? For serious improvements in public education? Do you and your family enjoy exploring public lands in Utah — lands owned and valued by all citizens of the United States? Are you holding out hope that this will be the year that Utah's majority party listens to voters instead of donators?
Sorry, but this year (and every year, for as long as we're governed by one-party rule) will only bring more of the same — development and decreasing air quality in the valleys, steady progress toward public school privatization/profitization and unbridled fossil fuel extraction.
Utah's minority party has introduced bills that make a good start toward better education and air quality.
In contrast, the majority party is working on a bill to move the state prison for the sake of more development at a cost to taxpayers of $500 million. Another bill will charge ratepayers with building a nuclear power plant no one wants. The quest for development and road construction comes first, while public schools, health and lands continue to suffer.
We can change this, but not until we elect candidates who care more for Utahns than for dollars.
Dan Mayhew
Salt Lake City