Regarding the Supreme Court’s recent ruling concerning campaign finance that allows corporations to spend money in political campaigns, just like people can: Why don’t we just carry the radical ruling of this court to its logical conclusion and begin electing corporations directly to public office?

Robert DeBirk

Salt Lake City

Good on Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff for arguing that the pale version of national health care being pushed by sellout politicians is unconstitutional (”Shurtleff may sue to stop health reform,” Tribune , Dec. 29). Plainly, however, no such argument could be made with respect to a single-payer health care program, which differs on no constitutional ground from Social Security.

If the right-wing wackos are now trying to push us into the only reform which will deliver lower costs, better health outcomes and increased public satisfaction, I say, more power to them!

Darrell Prows

Murray

If Rep. Carl Wimmer, R-Herriman, were truly interested in reducing the number of abortions in Utah he would consider going after the other party involved, the men (”Proposed Utah law would further restrict abortions,” Tribune , Dec. 30). For a first offense, how about chemical castration for a year for the man found responsible for the unwanted pregnancy. For the second offense, two years. After three times, make him a gelding. We could store the offending organ in a display hall where fathers could take their sons and show them the results of bad behavior.

No one wants to deal with the man involved. Could there be a reason for this?

Douglas Reilly

Logan

So Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is against back-room deals to get laws passed (”Shurtleff may sue to stop health reform,” Tribune , Dec. 29). When is he going to sue the Utah Legislature to open all its meetings? The Republicans annually hold closed-door meetings to pressure, cajole and bribe all Republican legislators who do not go along with the basic plan.

If it is wrong on the federal level, then it is just as wrong on the state or local level.

Joe Bycroft

Cottonwood Heights

I have read how Utah is giving the eBay operation in Draper $2.1 million (”eBay accepts third state incentive,” Tribune , Dec. 4), even while the Legislature is working to cut the state budget because it does not have enough revenue to fund state operations. Time and time again, state departments are told to cut their annual budgets because money is tight, but somehow the state always comes up with millions of dollars for big businesses.

Sorry, we were asleep at the switch and didn’t learn that eBay had successfully conned Utah for the third time until this timely letter by Larry Wolfe, for which we are grateful. Corporate beggars (or con men, whatever you prefer) play state governments against each other and citizens of all states get beat up time and again. When will we put a stop to this charade?

Isn’t it great that socialism is alive and well in Utah?

Larry E. Wolfe

Kearns

Clearly, Sen. Bob Bennett has been in office for a very long time. Consider these contributions to his 2010 re-election campaign from corporate and individual special interests (selected from www.opensecrets.org):

oil and gas, $116,650;

waste management (nuclear), $51,900;

securities and investments, $233,850;

commercial banks, $130,725;

finance/credit companies, $61,900;

insurance, $182,700; (more…)

Sen. Orrin Hatch is in front of the camera, again. This time he’s criticizing one-party control of both houses of Congress and the White House (”Hatch on health care reform: ‘It is enough to make you barf,’” Tribune , Dec. 6). Where was his concern during the six years his party controlled both houses and the White House and President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney were running the bus into the ditch? Where was his concern when the Bush administration was shredding the Constitution in the name of national security?

Where was his concern when Bush couldn’t find the weapons of mass destruction, even as he searched the Oval Office for them in an attempt at humor. Why doesn’t Hatch express to those who lost family in Iraq how bad he feels now that the facts are irrefutable: Iraq was a war of choice, packaged and sold by individuals who (more…)

Gil Iker can hammer nails at my house. He hits ‘em right on the head.

Right-wing predators in the Utah Legislature are again on the prowl to restore the most regressive tax of all — the sales tax on food, which hits poor people hard but is little noticed by the rich.

A fairer, smarter way to replenish Utah’s recession-impacted bank balance is to increase our severance tax on extractive industries. The theory of severance taxes is that since a state’s mineral wealth is owned by all its citizens, mining companies should pay us for it. Especially since the wealth of metallic ores, oil, gas, coal, gravel and rock is irreplaceable.

Severance taxes are a small percentage of the selling price of the extracted minerals. Utah’s rate is low, and for coal, it’s free — we give coal away untaxed. In 2006, neighbor states Wyoming and New Mexico collected severance taxes of $683 million and $588 million; Utah collected $50 million. Is it a coincidence that our legislators can legally accept unlimited campaign contributions from corporations? Utahns desperately need an ethics law with teeth, but our legislators will never pass one.

We’re in a recession and Utah needs money to operate. The corporations turn a profit on what they sell. Poor people need to eat.

Gil Iker

Salt Lake City

Sen. Stephen Urquhart, R-St. George, says he doesn’t want to “find answers to the state’s problems in citizens’ wallets” (”Lawmaker lining up senators with no-tax pledge,” Tribune , Dec. 5). Of course, he’s saying that the budget shortfalls must be dealt with by slashing spending, but what spending? The programs that help those most in need, as always.

So, citizens will bear the brunt of budget shortfalls no matter what. The question is, which citizens? Well, if we don’t raise more money from those who have it, and we slash assistance to those who don’t, we shift the burden to the least fortunate among us. That hardly seems the right spirit at this time of year, let alone any other time.

It costs money to have the society we all seem to want, and there is enough money out there to make it all work. When times are tough, those who “have” need to pitch in (more…)

The article “Bennett holds up N-waste measure” ( Tribune , Dec. 4) contained several quotes by senators, but the most enlightening was by Sen. Orrin Hatch: “I would be against dangerous nuclear waste coming into Utah. I think anybody would…. But this is low-level stuff…. [It's] not dangerous for Utah.”

My only question is: If it isn’t dangerous, why would Italy go to such expense to get rid of it?

Tom Parrish

Sandy

Salt Lake Tribune Forum Letter

Due to their religious beliefs about the “sanctity” of marriage, many feel that same-sex marriage should not be allowed. That view elevates the establishment of marriage to one above the law, above the reach of the average lay person seeking such a union, and above any deviation from the holiness of this union.

By this logic of “sanctity,” the rules of marriage must be strictly enforced. Divorce and adultery absolutely offend the sanctity of marriage. The next step for those opposed to same-sex marriage is to propose legislation to abolish divorce and to require hard time for engaging (more…)

Updated: 11/06/2009 05:20:41 PM MST

Gov. Gary Herbert threw a bash where business interests “contributed” more than a million dollars to his campaign fund (”Gary’s glitzy gala: Herbert raises $1M in elaborate fundraiser,” Tribune , Oct. 31). Why? Is there any chance he might lose the election?

In politics, money is power. If some legislators balk at some bill a “contributor” wants passed, the governor can give them a few thousand dollars from his fund to help change (more…)

Tribune Public Forum Letter

Updated: 11/06/2009 05:21:07 PM MST

I am sad that voters in Maine repealed the state’s same-sex marriage law. Don’t they see that “equal” in the Constitution’s guarantee of “equal protection of the laws” means equal and not “only if I like it.” Sexual identity is almost as immutable as one’s sex or skin color, so why don’t people tolerate differences and treat gays as political equals, like they do for blacks and women?

Ay, there’s the rub — the treatment of blacks and women. Even after the Civil War (more…)

Public Forum Letter

Updated: 10/30/2009 07:10:50 PM MDT

We live in a state that prizes education. We even added driver education to keep our children safe. Yet, in one area we are steadfast in keeping our children ignorant, illiterate and under control: sex.

Here in Utah, we apparently think that our children’s friends who are as confused as they are, their parents who are almost as ignorant as they are, television, movies, the Web, newspapers, magazines and predators, plus Sen. Chris Buttars and the (more…)

“Those who seek to change the foundation of marriage should not be allowed to pretend that those who defend the ancient order are trampling on civil rights.” So said LDS Apostle Dallin H. Oaks in his defence of the involvement of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in political campaigns against gay marriage (”Transcript of Elder Dallin H. Oaks speech,” www.sltrib.com, Oct. 14).

Ummm … Has he read his own (more…)

Sandy

This letter of praise to the Tribune is spot-on. We also love the Tribune editorial page. It is always full of interesting observations from all sides of the spectrum. Our Watts Cookin’ Blog is full of articles from the Salt Lake Tribune because they are timely, informative, and crucial.

Everyone in Utah should subscribe to and read the Tribune, otherwise they are simply uninformed about what is going on around them.

The Tribune ’s Oct. 4 op-ed page was exceptional. First, Nicholas Kristof explained rationally why more troops are not the answer in Afghanistan, helping me change my position (”Sending more troops to Afghanistan a bad bet”).

Next, Ed Firmage Jr. takes on Sen. Orrin Hatch about global warming, explaining how the science the senator uses is fundamentally flawed and how Hatch is wrong (”Professor Hatch’s ‘Climate 101′ lacks science”). I hope Hatch sees this article; every Utah fifth-grader ought to read it. It’s simple and understandable.

Lastly, Karrie Galloway explains how some in the Legislature simply have no idea what Planned Parenthood does to help thousands of Utahns every year get the help and education they need (”Planned Parenthood given bad rap by legislators”). This is not some evil organization, as many of them believe; it plays a necessary and practical role in the lives of many Utah families. As a result, I’m joining PP and donating $100. I hope others do, too.

These are the types of articles that inform, educate and entertain. They are at the heart of the reason I subscribe to The Tribune . Please keep it coming.

Tom Love

Salt Lake City

Last year, Tim DeChristopher placed bids on oil leases in southern Utah that he didn’t intend to honor, and this year Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, illegally rode roughshod along with other disgruntled all-terrain-vehicle owners over public lands not open to those vehicles. DeChristopher acted to protect the environment (”Bogus bidder argues he had to act,” Tribune , Oct. 27), while Noel acted to destroy it. Yet the U.S. district attorney has chosen to prosecute DeChristopher while Rep. Noel continues to enjoy exemption from this consequence, including the retention of his seat in the Utah Legislature.

Clearly the case against DeChristopher is not about seeking justice; it’s about seeking revenge. Since Noel has known interests in the development of energy sources in Utah, including oil drilling, it is unconscionable that Noel might have escaped the consequence of his illegal act due to his political influence in our state. Unless he is likewise prosecuted, in the name of equal justice, the case against DeChristopher should be dropped.

Susan L. Loffler

So many people are arguing over political issues, but we are not getting the real facts. Information is skewed by special interest groups who have been buying off our Congress members.

You can write to Sen. Orrin Hatch all you want about how he should vote on health care reform. You will get a nice form letter, but no matter what you say he will vote against President Barack Obama’s plan. Why? Blue Cross and Blue Shield is one of his largest campaign donors. (check it out on www.opensecrets.org.) If you have the same goal as Blue Cross and Blue Shield you have nothing to fear, right? Except that his top campaign donors are almost all health companies, and those companies do not have your best interest at heart.

Then there is Sen. Bob Bennett. He voted for the bailout, despite overwhelming calls begging him not to. Why? He received $23,200 from Citigroup, $20,000 from JPMorgan Chase, and $15,500 from the American Bankers Association.

Let’s get big money out of lawmaking, and then we can discuss the issues on their true merits and vices — not who will get the most money out of it.

Michelle L. King

Logan