Who pays to rescue skiers living/dying near the edge

Big story about back country skiers caught in avalanche, one dies. Rescue with helicopters and teams considered one of the most difficult ever by rescuers – high winds, snow blowing, unstable surface, helicopter unable to land, etc.

For rescue of these who like to live on the edge – back country skiing after big snows, with known avalanche risk – who pays the bill? Shouldn’t these folks be charged with the thousands it no doubt cost to rescue them? Most of us are too sensible, too old, or not rich enough to engage in such high risk adventures. Should we be paying their rescue bills when they go too near the edge?

Tsunami in Miami?

Strange how the once-in-ten-thousand-years quake/tsunami disaster in Japan and the nuclear reactor damage, has people ramping up the near-superstitious fears of nuclear reactors. Isn't this once-in-ten-thousand-years risk worth taking for an mply available energy source that would bring some freedom from Arab oil dependancy and eliminate a great deal of our coal burning pollution?

Amanda Dixon wants help to retain government benefits.

Amanda Dixon (3/18/11 - DesNews family section) advocates everyone telling her neighbor how adversely certain government cuts will affect her family. That, of course, is exactly why our Federal budget is out of control. Congressmen quail before the prospect of the angry constituents back home, who are hurt by budget cuts. If we cut the budget enough to come anywhere near balancing it then everyone’s bull will be gored one way or another.

If one reads on in the letters section, same paper, he will see Beth Evans expounding on our need for more self-reliance and less dependance on entitlements. But where is the congressman who will vote for such drastic cuts, knowing he risks being booted out next election? Perhaps Senator Hatch (a sponsor of the balanced budget bill) who is past retirement age anyway? Just try to get new Senator Lee (who is hot for budget cuts) to make a list of the Utah benefits from Federal programs that he would be willing to forego to make up Utah’s share. You will get no list, because he wants re-election more than he wants a balanced budget.

Why such a glaring lack of discipline in our classrooms?

A Wasatch High coach/teacher handled a sassy, rude student by pushing him up against the wall and telling him he wasn’t needed in the class. The student was apparently not injured in any way and personally made no complaint. But parents or someone got wind of the matter and now he’s been suspended and charged with a class A misdemeanor. Under current practices in Utah he will lose his job and be blacklisted and never hired again to teach. A man’s whole career down the drain because one student got what he deserved.

It is outrageous how far overboard our legislature, police, and prosecutors have gone on child abuse matters. In Idaho in the 1950s I had a coach who regularly required misbehaving students to “grab their ankles” while he whacked them with a big wooden paddle. He never injured anyone, had few discipline problems, no one made complaint; and he succeeded well as a teacher. Now in Utah he would jeopardize his whole career with such a practice.

We cannot go on with this ridiculous coddling of our students. Used to be when a student, parents and teacher were seen entering the principal’s office, you knew the student was in trouble. Now, you know the teacher is in trouble.

How you can make a difference in your cummunity

One very present and lively way in Sandy, Utah, is to join in with Sandy Pride Day this May 14th. Some 700 volunteers will pitch in to weed and plant, paint, clean-up, and improve public and private properties in Sandy. You can check out the many projects needing volunteers on that day on the City’s website at sandycity.gov and click on Sandy Pride Day 2011. The day’s work will include Several Eagle Scout projects; and volunteers will put in a lawn and sprinkler system for one resident whose health prevents him doing the work; and will do landscaping and shed replacement for other neighbors in need.

Exchange Club in your city wherever you are in the U.S. is a service club focused on patriotism, child safety and youth awards, and community service. The Sandy Exchange Club has sponsored Sandy Pride Day with the city each spring since 1984 and has been awarded the National Exchange Club’s Community Service of the year award. Make a difference with Exchange! I am glad to be chair of the Sandy Pride Committee for this year.

The Know-Nothings of 1856 are back again.

Utah’s new immigration bill (not yet signed by the governor) has stirred up a hornet’s nest of opposition, chiefly among what looks like a modern version of the Know-Nothings party of Lincoln’s day. They feared German and Irish Catholic immigrants, wanted repeal of all naturalization laws and the sending of back pauper immigrants. They allowed only protestant males of English descent as members, and gained their name by answering “I know nothing” when asked what their intentions were.

Joe Klein of Time Magazine and Huckabee, on Obama

Joe Klein’s “Huckabucking” column (Time Magazine) illustrates well that both he and Mr. Huckabee excel at distorting small truths into big misrepresentations. He pretends that President Obama’s worst lack of patriotism is that he said: “I believe in America’s exceptionalism just as Brits believe in Bitish exceptionalism”. In fact he has presumed previously to apologize for America to the Arab world in mea culpa terms, and his wife openly confessed she had never felt proud of her country until it elected him. He has declared America not a Christian nation, and the “church” he attended long-term in Chicago is far more into socio/political rallies than worship – including the infamous “God damn America” sermon. One wonders on reading Klein’s piece, when he first signed on as a political flack for Obama.

Snowy Spring escape to granda's cabin - a poem

GRANDPA'S CABIN

(A Weber Winter Day)

Some steps find frozen crust that bears the load.
Some sink to laboring in knee deep snow
and make us work for way along the road
to grandpa’s cabin – days of long ago.

He pondered well the tree-filled site he chose.
The river, bridge and grove his plan embraced.
With family camped in tents, the cabin rose.
He found here rest from city life fast paced.

We light the fireplace with failing flame.
The wood we brought too green, the woodpile wet.
Freezing, must we retreat the way we came?
With bark and twigs at last a fire is set.

O glorious, sylvan, sun-splashed afternoon!
E'en birds keep silence here, or else have flown.
High windowed seat surveys a world in tune.
The silent wood speaks peace but seldom known.

The river winks and ripples in its flow.
Nature awakens awe at God's display.
Waters, escaping bars of ice and snow,
on ceiling cast reflections through the day.

Is Grandpa here or can come here still,
to see his children’s children in our play?
To feel God's gifts bestowed through his good will,
and share the flashing sunlight's bright display?

“Government [Obama’s] isn’t the solution, it’s the problem.”

BARRING OIL EXPLORATION/DRILLING. This aggravates the oil-price impact on our economy when riots in Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, etc. threaten foreign oil supply. We’re told our oil reserves off-shore, in Alaska, and (potential) in shale could replace the Arab oil for years, but the EPA and other agencies bar the way. Further, the gulf oil spill resulted from government forcing off-shore drilling out to deep sea to “avoid environmental problems”.

PROFLIGATE SPENDING money we don’t have, bloating the national debt at record rates – which threatens our Treasury bonds rating, our economy, our currency.

MORAL DECADENCE: Will not defend marriage protection act in courts, will not support limiting use of taxpayers’ money for elective abortions.

COWARDLY AVOIDANCE OF IMMIGRATION REFORM. Obama completely refuses to take the lead in this, although willing to sue states (Arizona) that attempt to address it. Bush worked strenuously to get immigration reform, then was undercut by his own party’s ultra-conservatives’ crying “Amnesty!". At least he had the guts to try.

We'd wish for ice and snow... and death for some relief

FEBRUARY’S CONTRASTS

The February winds sweep through these hills.
Each bough of spruce gracefully genufluncts,
while leafless kin, the honey locust and the plum,
sway tree by tree to give the wind its way.

Few clumps of snow remain -- where once piled high
by shoveling, or being pushed from cars.
And yesterday’s warm sun, though premature,
reminded spring, and summer sun are on their way.

My ten-year-old delightedly declared her love
for spring, the summer warmth, and no more school.
How much her joy depends on contrasts, opposites.
Release from classroom discipline and cold’s harsh rule.

If God were to create the earth again by poll.
By wish for comfort, warmth, youth not so brief.
I think it would become so bland and boring here.
We’d wish for ice and snow and death, for some relief.

So everybody's got to go to college?

So now Mr. Shumway (Des News 3/1/11) opines that "By 2020 every graduate in Utah needs to obtain a post-high school credential." Citing that old bugaboo “global economy” he seems to think we won’t need plumbers, carpenters, mechanics, landscapers, pipe-fitters or auto salesmen any more. His ideal, as CEO of Cicero Group, matches those of other big business people: the ideal graduate to be aimed for is one trained for employment in high-growth industires [like Cicero Group].

Why can’t we get off this horse of imagining that everyone must go to college? New York and California undertook years ago to admit and fund college for every HS grad. They gave it up with the budget crunch years and the milserable graduation rates that followed.

My friend who attended CCNY at the time said many of his state-funded classmates enrolled to get away from home and enjoy the beer parties and could care less about studies. Every one of my siblings got a college degree – four doctorates, and every one of us had to work summers and part-time in the school year to make it. Mother said she watched kids whose parents [or state] funded their way and they had less appreciation for the privilege of attending and did less with their schooling. Let our college graduates earn their way and their admission; and let those with other bents pursue their ways too. One size does not fit all.