This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

Gov. Herbert has allocated state funding to keep the national parks open. As much as I want the parks, and the entire government, open, I wish the governor had asked all six members of our federal delegation to figure out how to fund them so that the state could address its own responsibilities. Example: a lack of funding for services for Utahns with intellectual disabilities has led to $8/hour private-market wages for Utahns providing those services, which has created a turnover rate of over 80 percent for those employees. Utah also has an unfunded waiting list for Utahns with intellectual disabilities. The federal delegation needs to help end the federal shutdown, and Utah should focus on its already underfunded responsibilities.

Charlie Luke

Salt Lake City