Real Americans

 I have been absent for several weeks, some of you know why; for those who don't, here it is. My wife of 46 years had a lung transplant on July 24, 2023. The month leading up to the transplant was filled day in and day out, with doctor appointment, lab runs, etc.,etc., ad nauseum. We received the call on July 22nd that they had a "clean" donor (matched all the criteria and had no issues of concern), so we rushed to University of Utah hospital and 2 days later, bingo! a new lung is in and working. Kathleen has been in the hospital since then, and in ICU for now 30 days. There are some issues with chyle leakage (from the lymphatic system) that have created a stumbling block, but the doctors are throwing all modern medicine has to offer and then some more, to solve the problem. It is my belief they are doing everything and then some more to get Kathleen well enough to come home, without the need of O2 tanks, concentrators, and compressors for her to live. If you want to know more, go here: https://helphopelive.org/campaign/22301/ for almost daily updates, you can subscribe to the page and you will get an email when I post an update. Oh, yes, you can also post the page to your social media and make donations to help with the bills and medicines not covered by the insurance company. 

But back to the reason for today's post. Given that I have had many hours in hospital rooms while she slept, or in waiting rooms while she underwent surgery or follow up "procedures", I spent time looking at the American political issues facing us today. I have some observations, which I am glad to share with you. 

The 2020 election  is over, The President of the United States of America is Joe Biden,  the election was not stolen. Get over it. 

The Biden administration is not going to issue sudden, mandatory emergency masking requirements this fall. And the so-called Senator from Utah, you know, the low life impersonating a human being, Mike "short sale, short thought process" Lee should be ashamed of himself for promoting this garbage on his X account. In fact, he should just be ashamed of himself period.  

Now to the one statement I heard over and over in my research: Real Americans. Wow, who are they, what do they think, and who gets to decide who is a Real American and who isn't (you know, the bad guys). 

I know about 500 people in my short list, so I thought hard about each and every one of them. To a person, they are all American citizens, by birth or naturalization. 

Some of them drive great big oversized diesel guzzling pickup trucks (oh, wait, that's me!), one drives a Chevrolet Bolt (total electric) and there are some Tesla's in there. And Toyota's, Fords, Hondas, Hyundai's, you get the picture. 

My list includes a school bus driver, a retired teacher, an Army vet that survived Chosin Reservoir in Korea, and countless Viet-war vets. It includes cashiers at the grocery store, unions workers at UPS, freight truck drivers, fast-food employees, even an insurance agent (family joke there), bankers, farmers, cattlemen, and salespeople of one type or another. 

Given that America has, thankfully, welcomed peoples from many other countries over the years, I cannot begin to count the number of different nationalities (backgrounds) that I know. 

Some fly American flags on their pickups, wear MAGA hats, and vote Republican. Some are liberal Obama/Biden loving tree-hugging environmentalists concerned about global warming. 

I have, as you probably do, friends that are straight, gay, bi, questioning, on and on. 

In other words, my short list is a lot like yours. All of us know someone that thinks different than we do, that has a diverse world-view and a disparate political opinion. 

Yet, here's my bottom line. We are all "Real Americans." Each and every one of us has a claim to that title, and it cannot be taken away from us. 

So let's stop dividing America and Unite her. We are, after all,

The United States Of America.

The United States Of America

Thank you for reading, as always, pass this page on to your friends and anyone who likes an individual thought. 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Comments are always welcome, see the white box below. 

 

I Am

 I am a citizen of The United States of America, and I am proud to say that; I am proud of this country-our country, yours and mine. It was, and continues to be, literally an experiment in self-government that had never been tried before; it has been a very successful experiment, and our form of a constitutional representative democracy or some moderate variant thereof, has been successfully duplicated many times since 1776. 

The direction of this great and wonderful country, over the long arc of time, has been and continues to be toward, in the words of Jefferson, "a more perfect union."  We have never been perfect, nor do you or I know we ever will be; and the events of the past 10 years remind us of the work that remains yet unfinished. 

Huge swaths of our country lack access to quality health care, education, and employment. An explosive and violent drug epidemic is killing children and adults without prejudice. We incarcerate at a rate far above the norm for a first-world economy, yet corruption and treason run unfettered through our governmental offices. At its inception, social media was advertised as a way to build community; isolation, hate, fear,  bigotry and racism have become its suburbs. 

Yet I retain an unashamed optimism about our future, short and long term. Ours is not a static social construct, rather it expands and contracts as necessity requires. We have the ability, given to us by the foresight of the founders of this great nation, to change the direction and tenor of our country, of our political landscape. It is within our ability to control our government, to control our social discourse, to tone down the racism, bigotry and hate. All that is required to improve what is right, and correct what is wrong, is for you and I to say "no more." We can amplify our voices by voting for the candidate, not the party, by helping with voter registration, by standing up for democracy. Each of us can and should demonstrate with action and word, that bigotry, racism, and hatred are not acceptable virtues of a civilized society. 

Do not misunderstand me, I am not advocating physical violence, riots, or insurrection! I am advocating citizenship, an active participation in the affairs of our society. The most important action you can take is to VOTE. if you want to make more of an obvious impact, speak out, speak up; let your congressman know how you feel, put letters in the local paper, etc. Don't waste time arguing with the uninformed. 

Why do I remain optimistic about America? Because I truly believe in America, and in Americans. I believe the vast majority of us are good, kind, and generous. I believe we all want a good, prosperous future, and I believe we want all Americans to have the same opportunity as we ourselves have. 

I invite you to share in my optimism, and also to leave comments and opinions about this article.

Thanks for reading! 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

One of Those Days

 Amidst a country struggling with religious, political, and moral strife, it is difficult to find a subject that exalts and promotes some of  the normal, everyday events; something that takes us away from our screens, our often sour and bitter rants and disagreements. 

Today is one of those days. The idea began in the Spokane Central Methodist Episcopal Church in the early 1900's, when Sonora Smart Dodd listened to a sermon on the values of Mother's Day. Sonora was the oldest of 6 children, her mother had died during the birth of her sixth child when Sonora was 16 years old. Like any person would, she assisted her father, a civil war veteran, in the raising of her five brothers; and she was in awe of the wonderful job her father had done raising the family. She approached the Spokane Ministerial Alliance about having a day dedicated to fathers, and on June 19, 1910, Spokane WA celebrated the first Father's Day. President Lyndon Johnson signed a Presidential Proclamation in 1966 declaring the third Sunday in June Father's Day, and President Richard Nixon established a permanent national observance on the third Sunday in June as Father's Day in 1972.   

As I said, today is one of those days. I thank God for our son, who is quietly exhibiting all of the characteristics of a good, no, make that great, father. His three children are shown the love, care, and strength of good parenting each and every day. Mike and his wife are raising their children in an atmosphere of education, love, and happiness. He takes the time to explain the whys and hows of the world to them, while showing by example the manner in which good people live in harmony with others. When difficulties arise, as they do in all families, rather than sit around moaning and blaming some "other" or some outside force, he responds with great mental acuity and finds solutions to the problems. He is not afraid to admit when he is wrong, even to his children, and he is willing to do what it takes to set everything aright. He, and his wife, expect and assist their children to achieve goals, to be well-educated and compassionate. He encourages his children to explore their talents, and has not missed any extracurricular activities as the children progress through school. 

As you might surmise from the preceding paragraph, I am very proud of our son. Please join me in "raising a glass" to good Fathers everywhere! 

Thank you for reading; please share this page with anyone in your circle who might enjoy it. Please leave any comments or thoughts in the space below. 

Happy Father's Day! 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

On the Virtue of Knowledge and Trust

When I need my vehicle repaired, I am in the habit of taking it to Performance Place, an automotive mechanical repair company located in South Jordan, UT. Having mechanics that are ASE certified, with a shop that has been in the business of mechanical repairs to vehicles for 35+ years, is very important to me. I have a great deal of TRUST in their knowledge of automobile mechanical repair. 

Our family physician for 28 years, whom we TRUST with our health care, is well skilled in the arts and science of medicine. He has a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Utah, and Doctorate from the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. 

And I could go on. The point, however, is this: When I want a service, or a decision, or advice, I go to people whom I TRUST in their field of expertise. I certainly wouldn't go to Performance Place for my broken leg, nor would I ask our family physician to replace the injectors on my diesel. The automotive mechanic, and the physician, builds his/her clientele based on education, experience, and recommendations from satisfied customers. 

When Utah legislators write bills like HB374, the "Sensitive Materials In Schools" act, they adopt materials from ALEC and several conservative groups within Utah, such as Utah Parents United. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) consists of conservative state legislators and private sector representatives that draft and share model legislation for distribution to state governments, including Utah. Utah Parents United is a conservative group that works to drive legislation based on it's self-defined religious, sexual, and political "values." 

Neither of these group even pretends to have members who are certified, college-educated, degreed education specialists. None of the members of the Utah Administrative Rules Committee hold degrees in education. State Representatives Brammer and Strong accompanied by State Senators Anderegg and Bramble deemed it their right, privilege and duty to publicly abuse the Davis School District and its superintendent, Dan Linford for supposedly  'embarrassing the State on national and international levels' for removing the Holy Bible, King James version, from elementary and junior high schools following a parent challenge based on HB374. Here are some of the comments made in the 90 minute abuse of the district and its superintendent. 

You should be ashamed- from Rep Brammer.

This is offensive-Sen. Bramble.

Accepting the religion of atheism and hedonism-Rep Mark Strong.

Challenging the Bible's place in the district libraries is reprehensible-Sen Jake Anderegg.

In actuality (the world most of us live in), the "shame" and "offense" belong to the legislators for even proposing and passing the bill, and on Governor Cox for signing the bill. Putting the Bible to the same test as all other materials that are proposed to be banned is not accepting the religion of atheism, and I am unaware of any religion of hedonism. Perhaps Rep Strong could assist us with that religion? If you are going to ban or restrict access to  books because of sex, violence, genocide and racism, then the challenge to the Bible is well founded. 

Utah is being embarrassed on the national and international levels again, not because of the banning itself, but because a small ignorant, intolerant but vocal group wants their version of  morality, virtue, and religion imposed upon all who live in the State, and our state legislature is all to willing to comply.  

I leave you with this thought from the late 1700s. 

"Nothing is more dangerous than ignorance and intolerance armed with power" -Voltaire 

Thanks for reading, please share this with your friends and leave your comments below! 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Four Cretins from Utah

Four bigoted, small-minded, self-righteous, fearful, hate-filled so-called people who sadly have been elected to "legislate" in the State of Utah have used power they think they have to violate the 1st amendment to the U.S. Constitution while demonstrating their adherence to a supposed religious doctrine that is antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ, that we "love one another."

Here's the background on this shameful behavior. Utah Transit Authority-UTA to those of us who know and love it-sells advertising on the buses and on TRAX. This being 2023 and all, the ads generally consist of vehicle "wraps" that decorate the entire vehicle, front, both sides, and rear. I'm sure you have seen them if you notice the transit vehicles at all. R & R Advertising and Lamar Advertising donated space on one vehicle, a bus, to display PRIDE advertising, consisting of PRIDE colors and three picture/word sections: Work with PRIDE, Ride with PRIDE, and Move with PRIDE. The bus so wrapped has been in service for over a year in the Salt Lake Valley; UTA tweeted that it would be showcased in the Utah PRIDE Parade on Sunday, June 4th.

The four Utah cretins: Utah House Majority Leader Mike Schultz (R-Hooper), Utah House Representatives Candice Pierucci (R-Herriman), Rep. Kay J. Christofferson (R-Lehi), and Rep.Colin Jack (R-St. George) sent emails, using their Utah State emails, to UTA politely demanding the bus be pulled from service and more importantly, pulled from the PRIDE parade.

"Honestly, this is the last thing I want to deal with right now" Schultz said in the text. "IT seriously would be better if you made the change on your own. Let me know what you guys come up with."

It seriously would be better if the House Majority Speaker reviewed the 1st amendment to the U.S. Constitution before he made such a fool of himself. That amendment says, and I seriously quote here, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

So, using their governmental office title and email address while demanding a bus be pulled because they didn't like the advertising to me sounds like a violation of the 1st amendment to the U.S. Constitution. (For anyone who doesn't know where to find the 1st amendment, it is the one that precedes the 2nd amendment, you know, the gun rights etc.)

I am sure these 4 mouth-breathing lowlife bottom feeders are more than happy they interfered with the PRIDE parade and showed the Utah LGBTQ+ community who is really in charge in Utah. 

One can only hope the citizens of Hooper, Herriman, Lehi, and St. George will replace these 4 in the next election cycle.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you will grace this page with your comments and opinions. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Utah Makes International Headlines-Again!

 Well, Utah, our holier than God himself arrogance has done it again. I mean, it is very important to show the nation, and in this case the world, just how righteous and right-wing pandering a state can be when it really, really tries hard! This effort was so massive that even "average, right thinking" citizens got involved! How much more grass roots and hypocrisy-laden can it be! We are so much better at it than anybody else. No other state comes close to us in right-wingerery, I think we even outdid Florida, and that is saying a lot.

I am referring, of course, to the Davis county school board book banning controversy. A "lot of good, God-fearing, Bible loving" people are up in arms because someone wants the Holy Bible King James Version banned from schools due to the amount of racial discrimination, violence, child abuse, sex, adultery, homosexuality, etc, it contains. One could say the Bible is the worlds greatest porn book ever written, if one believes it is the greatest book ever written.

The crux of this issue is historical, and the old adage "those who fail to learn from history are bound to repeat it" is on open display. I say it is historical for this reason; every attempt to ban books that are offensive to the group or person currently in favor, ends up banning books that are favored by many, if equal application of the ban is applied.

In short, one persons great historical novel is sinful in another's eyes. While a vocal minority voices disapproval of books containing content they think might be harmful, their same litmus test also provides ample grounds for the banning of books they themselves approve of.

Would it not be better to allow individual parents or guardians to review or discuss the books their children read with the children, rather than sit as judge and jury on what books are available to all children? When an individual adult, or group of adults, sets themselves up as "The Committee For Public Safety" relative to the books available in school libraries, the virtual beheadings have begun. Libraries, free and open libraries, exist to allow dispersal of thought and ideas, yes, even the thoughts and ideas of those we disagree with. As a youth, I read Marx, Lenin, and Hitler; they assisted me in developing a firm belief in democracy and basic free market economies. Reading those books, which my parents would not approve of, allowed me to grasp, examine, and discard ideas I found to be unproductive. Reading stories of children who came from homes that were not 1950's "Leave it to Beaver" perfect encouraged me to think I could also do well, even if my upbringing was not whitewashed perfection.

In fine, the Utah right-wing person or people that want books banned because the ideas make them uncomfortable, the same ones that are now furious about the Holy Bible King James version being banned are reaping the seeds they have sown.

I can only hope there are some adults in the room.

Thanks for reading, please pass my article along and as always, your comments are welcome and encouraged.

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Before you flame me: I do hold the Holy Bible in high degree. I also do not believe any books need to be banned.

An Unusual Post

 My wonderful readers,

I do not talk much about my personal life on these pages, namely because you might get bored! But there are times, and this is one, where I am going to make an exception and "open up," as they say. 

I have been married to Kathleen, my wonderful wife, for 46 years this December. To say she has the patience of Job would be an understatement, but she and I have worked hard through our marriage to always be there for one another, and to make marriage work; as you know, marriages do not just consist of wine and roses! We have, together, raised three children (one of which we lost to cancer when he was 16), and been there for our children's children-Meghan has two, and Mike has three; I can often be heard saying that grandchildren are the reward for having children. 

Five years ago, however, we were handed our greatest challenge yet: Kathleen was diagnosed with connective tissue disease related interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis in the context of lupus, and systemic sclerosis with anti-synthetase syndrome. In English, that means her lungs are failing, and the medications that are available will not stop the decline. Her only alternative at this point is a lung transplant, which is a very expensive operation, both in a personal sense (she will need 24/7 attention after she comes home for the hospital) and in a financial sense; the cost of the operation will exceed $1 million. Yes, we have insurance, and it is good insurance, but as you know, insurance does not cover all expenses. We have therefore created a fundraiser page for Kathleen's transplant, the link is https://helphopelive.org/campaign/22301. 

I would consider it a great personal favor if you would follow the link, contribute if you feel so motivated, and please share the page on your Facebook, Instagram, and other social media outlets. 

Thank you for reading, as always, your comments are welcome! 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Is It Worth It?

 Well, Utah, your state Legislature has done it again. Lead by Republican State Senator Dan McCay (a political leftover from Gary Herbert), we have again won at oneupmanship. Yep, we have something no one else in the United States of America has had since 2021, a brand spanking new State Flag! It's so great it is already part of a lawsuit. Not only do we have a new official state flag, we still are keeping our old "historical" flag, plus 2 other variants. The historical flag must be flown higher than the new flag, if both are displayed. Additionally, the historical flag must be displayed at all state agencies on official holidays, and every day above the Utah State Capitol.    

Now, I want you to know, in case you missed it on the news, that this new flag came with great deliberation and all pressing urgency. A study by KUTV 2 News found the legislature spent 3 hours debating the new flag in the 2023 legislative session. It has been a long time getting to the new flag, however; this process started in 2020.

Not on the news that night, but happening just the same, 289,000 residents of Utah didn't know where their next meal was coming from. 

The study mentioned above found the cost of the legislation creating the new state flag was $483,305.85 paid to local PR consulting firms. 

Think about that pile of Utah taxpayer money for a minute or two. Let the number settle in your head. Four Hundred eighty-three thousand, three hundred five dollars and eighty-five cents. Senator McCay, when asked about the attention payed to this issue when Utah has so many pressing issues, replied thusly: "It's always difficult when you look at a branding exercise, or anything else, and you're trying to figure out, is it worth it. In the long term, you have to know that it is. In the short term, there is going to be some pain to change." 

Think about 289,000 Utahans without food.  According to the Utah Food Bank, $483,305.85 would have purchased 2,174,876 meals for hungry Utah residents. 

I ask you, Senator McCay, is it worth it? 

Thank you for reading, please let me know your thoughts by commenting below. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman 

The Covenant School Mass Shooting Event

 The Covenant School, in Nashville Tennessee, now takes it place in a long line of sorrow. The United States of America witnessed its 129th mass shooting on Monday, March 27, 2023, with three adults and three children gunned down, and then the shooter killed by Nashville police. (A mass shooting is defined by the FBI as an incident in which four or more individuals are murdered by firearms involving one or more shooters.)

Where is the public outrage?

Covenant School, a private K-6 institution, instructs about 200 students. Now three students are dead. The shooter, who apparently planned the attack with some degree of accuracy, was armed with an assault-style rifle, an assault-style pistol, and a handgun, according to police on the scene.

Why does this keep occurring?

A friend of the shooter has told police she received a text about 1 hour before the event, in which the shooter explained she was going to die by suicide today, and it would be in the news. The friend called Nashville police to report the incident. It has not been made public yet how the police responded to that information.

The President and other government officials have, as usual offered "thoughts and prayers."

Three 9-year old children and three middle-aged adults are dead. Shot by a person who may have had some mental instability, armed with assault-style weapons and "a massive amount" of ammunition.

Jim Jordan wants to investigate Hunter Biden's laptop.

There are no simple one and done solutions to the gun violence issue in the United States of America. It is inconceivable to me in a country with the ability to divide the atom, put a man on the moon, and lead the world's democratic nations, we cannot even begin to have a logical, solution-oriented discussion on this subject.

In stark contrast to the Uvalde shooting last May, the police were on the scene and killed the shooter within 14 minutes of the first active shooter phone call. Truly, a remarkably fast and effective response; they deserve congratulations for a job well done, in a very difficult situation.

What is so difficult to understand? The American public is tired of mass shooting events.

The typical, reliable, non-effective non-responses will be forthcoming. Thoughts and prayers will come from every politician's lips, and empty promises of action. Some will proclaim it is a mental health issue, others will proclaim it a gun control issue, and nothing-absolutely nothing-will be done. Congress, in a fashion we are well schooled in, will not upset its donors or vocal minorities.

It's of paramount importance to defend America against woke ideologies.

As I said earlier, there is no one and done on this issue. There are definite, concrete steps forward that will begin to reduce the mass shootings in this country; they sadly will require two items Congress currently doesn't have.

Leadership and testicles.

It "only" took 15 ballots and 4 days to elect Kevin McCarthy Speaker of the House. According to Speaker McCarthy, this shows that republicans know how to govern. WHAT?

You all know I have opinions, some of which you might not agree with, but I encourage and look forward to that polite dissent. So here is my laundry list of items for Congress to enact.

The Second Amendment states, and I quote; "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Nothing I propose here is designed to interfere with the Second Amendment, nor do I propose to interfere with that document.

All of these should be introduced as single line bills, that is, the only issue on the bill is (this one). In this manner, a Congressman's constituents will be able to judge where he or she sits on each issue.

Just prior to the voting on each bill, the Congressman or woman will state for the record the total amount of money he or his campaigns have accepted from any gun lobby, weapons manufacturer, sporting groups, or any pro-gun organization, for the entire time he/she has been in politics.

The first item on Congress' to-do list is to mandate health insurance companies to provide, at the same rate as physical health, mental health checkups and treatment.

The next item would be to enact national red flag laws; this would alleviate a person not eligible to own a gun in one state from purchasing one in another state.

Next, institute universal background checks, including gun shows and individual sales, to refuse the sale of firearms to those not qualified to possess them.

Congress shall mandate all weapons manufactured after the enactment of this bill shall have biometric trigger locks installed at the time of manufacture.

Trigger locks shall be required on all pre-owned firearms sold by any person or firm.

Repeal the "Firearm Owner's Protection Act" of 1986; then institute a mandated national registry of firearms sold by any source from this date forward.

Liability insurance shall be mandated for all firearms owned.

Renew the assault weapons ban, and place a ban on high-capacity magazines.

Well, there you have it, my partial solutions to the gun violence issue in this country. I am not supportive of confiscation of firearms (except under lawful mandate of the court); nor am I anti-gun-ownership. I enjoy target shooting, have enjoyed hunting, and see not reason for others not to enjoy the same. I am also realistic enough to understand the probability of any of the above happening is slim to none. But, what the heck, I thought I'd put it out there anyway.

Thanks for reading, I am looking forward to your responses. To leave a comment, just click the word "comment" in the space below.

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Woke

 It does not require a Master's degree in American History, nor demand an extraordinary amount of time, to learn about slavery in the United States of America from 1619 until 1863; that is to say, there were slaveowners in America during those years, and the treatment of the slaves was certainly less than honorable. It is a period of time that does not shine brightly upon the American consciousness; the redeeming value of this painful episode of American history is our national repudiation of slavery, albeit at an horrific cost.

The imagined superiority of one race of human beings over another has proven time and again to be costly in lives, productivity and morality. Countless numbers of wars have been fought and lost, legislation born of ignorance has been enacted and eventually overturned, all to "prove" racial superiority; these efforts and countless others have failed because there is no superior race. In this bigotry and discrimination, America is not a virgin, and while she is trying to become better, she still has much work to do. Discrimination, subtle and overt, has been and still is a part and parcel of American life. Great strides have been made in reducing discrimination, but there is still much work to be done, both by individuals and governments. I say individuals as each person must come to grips with his/her own position on discrimination, and work to positively change themselves and society from the inside; I say government as we require just laws to correct unjust behavior and immoral circumstances.

Whitewashing history, as former President Donald Trump and Gov Ron DeSantis of Florida, both Republicans, (and other loud, obnoxious, ignorant politicians) seems want to do, does not erase history, nor does it change reality or facts. Declaring your love of freedom, democracy, the Constitution, and the American way of life while demonizing a subset of the population because you won't learn about them does not make you a better person, it shows you to be a bigot and a hypocrite. Calling someone "woke" simply means they are aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issue; and by lowering yourself to kindergarten name-calling behavior, you are admitting you are not as aware as you should be and have no desire to change.

When citizens of The United States of America support, defend, and embolden politicians of this ilk, they are denying the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag they memorized in school, and in my opinion should be ashamed of themselves.

Thank you for reading, your thoughts and opinions are always welcome; just click the word "Comments" in the white box below.

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Utah's State Crustacean, the Brine Shrimp

Well, it had to happen eventually. After all, what State could operate without the proper actions taken?

Our 2023 legislature has done the right thing at last. A massive problem has been identified, discussed and now corrected, hopefully in time to ward off approaching danger.  

Utah finally has its very own state crustacean. I mean, how did we make it through all this time since statehood without the Brine Shrimp as our state crustacean, really? How many really important things has Utah missed out on by not having a state crustacean in the last 127 years?  It is comforting to know our elected legislators have come to our rescue and taken care of this very important piece of business. You know we can trust them with anything now, because they have taken the time and energy to alleviate this deficiency in our standings among the other 49 states.

So, our gallant legislators are off to solve another of Utah's problems, with the same can-do attitude and attention to detail deployed on the State Crustacean issue. I'm so glad they are looking out for our best interests. These guys (and gals, ok) can do no wrong! I have visions of state representative Judy Weeks Rohner (R-West Valley City) and state senator John D Johnson (R-Ogden) suited up in armor, riding their war horses into the heat of the west desert looking to slay any problem foolhardy enough to enter Utah's dominion. 

When you go knighting around, as our legislature does, looking for injustices and issues needing solving, why the problems just leap up at you like a rattlesnake! 

The very first problem our legislators stumbled upon that needed a solution is the sales tax on food. (Ok, we really had to get the high school transgender thing taken care of first, but stay with the story here, please). After all, Senator Johnson has a PhD in Economics; he used his great expensive education, training and skills to conclude that the sales tax on food was a regressive tax that really hurt lower income people. So he and Representative Rohner put forth a bill to eliminate the state sales tax on food! Now, this would be a pretty popular move on the Utah Legislators part, as everybody buys food at one point or another. This issue could stand on its on merits and everybody that buys food would applaud the courageous actions by our legislators. It's a win-win-win! 

Never ones to let a good deal go unpunished, the Utah Legislators looked around for another problem to slay and lo and behold, right in front of them, right in our state constitution in fact, there it was: the Holy Grail for the Utah Legislature. The very brave and talented state senator, Daniel McCay (R-Salt Lake County) proposed a Senate Joint Resolution that would allow the legislators to breath a great sigh of relief.  

You see, by the Constitution of the great State of Utah, all of the monies collected as income tax revenue have to be spent on K-12 and higher education, and children and individuals with a disability. Our legislators have been bothered by this little detail for many, many years; and although many efforts to change this part of the state  constitution have been put forward, none have succeeded yet.    

Now they had found just to weapon to make those holdout voters agree with the enlightened legislators and take that pesky rule off the books. If they tied the elimination of the sales tax on food to a constitutional amendment that would remove the lock on income taxes going to schools, think of the great things they could accomplish with all that money! And who wouldn't want to eliminate the sales tax on food? Why, can you even imagine how that sounds-"I want to pay sales tax on food so our students can continue to be educated with state tax funds." That's not a campaign slogan I want to paint on my horse and buggy. 

So, this win will be a biggie for the legislature. By tying the elimination of the food sales tax to doing away with that pesky line in the state constitution that controls the use of state income taxes, they will have managed to further reduce the money they send to public schools, and make themselves look like nice people for doing away with the food sales tax. Now they will have more money to use as offsets for tax cuts to rich donors, and pet projects like a gondola. 

If we the voters vote against the constitutional amendment, we will continue to have a regressive tax on food that targets the lower income population. If we vote yes on the amendment, we will have given the legislature permission to starve public education. Either way, it will feel like we are on the wrong end of a jousting lance.

We, the taxpayers, get the shaft no matter what. Why do we keep insisting on electing Republicans? 

Thanks for reading; as always, your comments are welcome and appreciated. Just click on the word "comments" in the white box below. 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

 

Mike Lee & Social Security

This will, in all probability, be my shortest post on record. Mike Lee, a.k.a. "shortsell Lee" Utah's "Senior Senator" (by virtue of the sad fact he is still in office) vowed in 2010, when he was running for the U.S. Senate 

"to phase out Social Security, pull it up by it's roots, and get rid of it." 

Why, in the name of all that is fair and just, honest and unselfish, virtuous and moral, did the citizens of Utah elect him? 

And why is he still in office? 

I know, being a Republican in Utah is a great advantage, but really, people.

Thanks for reading, your comments are always welcome and appreciated. Just click the word "comments" in the white box below. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman

Education, and Some Thoughts Thereon

Before I begin this article: I am not an educator, nor are my spouse or our children. I do have nuclear family that works, and has worked, in many aspects of education, for which I am grateful. 

Education, more specifically public education, is in the news almost daily. Loud voices shouting to be heard in a public square trying to be the dominate role in spending public money and educating the vast majority of America's youth. I've some thoughts I'd like to share with you; I hope this provokes thought on your part, and discussion between you, your families, neighbors, school boards, and politicians. And please, don't leave your children out of the discussion! 

A free, public education is an idea that was new and untried when this country was founded. The balance of the civilized world saw no need for the masses to know any more than was necessary for their daily lives and employments or servitudes. It took a long time, and a great deal of protesting, fighting, court action, governmental decrees and just plain old fashioned hard work for our educational system to reach the point it is at today. Now, don't stop reading at this point. Take a deep breath and continue with me. In no small part, America's experiment with an educated populace has lead to some of the greatest changes in education worldwide; it is now the norm for children to go to public schools in most developed, and many developing,  countries. (We could pause here to pat ourselves on the back for leading the world in this regard, but, we have other items on the agenda.)

It has become a revolting national pastime to fault public schools, and the teachers therein, for all of societies evils and ills; to accuse them with charges of malfeasance and dereliction of duty, improper education, grooming, etc., ad nauseam. Politicians, pundits,  TV personalities, podcasters, and commentators who should in fact have a better grip on reality jump on these perceived iniquities to rack up click points, ratings, and cash, spreading these and other perverse embellished fabrications to forward their own political, financial or social agendas.

Regarding the above, I can hear my Grandmother (who was, by the way, a teacher herself) saying "They are lying to you, Robert. Just lying to you."

It is abhorrent, to any rational mind, for school board meetings to be destroyed by a dullard with a microphone proclaiming without evidence or fact that K-12 educators are teaching Critical Race Theory. The idea, spread by nefarious individuals with an axe to grind and no wood that need splitting, that the educators of our youth are grooming them to some perceived homosexual agenda is disgusting beyond words. (I wrote about litter boxes in classrooms in a previous article.) Demanding that certain books be removed from classrooms on the basis of a sentence, paragraph, or character taken out of context displays not a high moral stance or great intellectual prowess; instead ignorance, fear of new or strange ideas, and lack of cognitive reasoning skills are showcased for the world to see. Clamoring for history, both world and American, to be taught as it was in 1950, is to ignore reality and places our youth at a great disadvantage relative to interaction with the peoples of other countries in our shared world. To declare that The United States of America is and always has been perfect in every detail, and that education should develop around that thought, is to deny the very first sentence in the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States:". . . in Order to form a more perfect Union. . . ".

At times, the people screaming the loudest at school board meetings about these perceived faults do not even have students in the schools controlled by that particular school board. They are simply following some item of interest from social media. (In Utah, our legislature just tried banning children under the age of 13 from using social media. Perhaps we should ban the parents from the same.) The inability of the protestors to show proof of the nonsensical claims they make evidently does not embarrass them in the least; it seems to be a badge of honor to say, "just do the research and you will find I'm right." Reality finds in most cases they are not right. It doesn't appear they have an agenda to correct the imagined faults (other than to fire teachers and school board members), they are just interested in causing confusion and disruption. Some, however, do have an agenda; they want education, and in fact the country, turned back to what they grew up with in the 1950's or early 60's. 

Our country, and the world around us, is changing at lightning speed. The internet, cell phones, satellite technology, even the pandemic cause structural and interpersonal changes unprecedented in our history. The factual changes in the demographics of our country, the increase of business and employment opportunities around the world, and the immediacy of today's news reporting, has laid open what is to some an unthinkable and unbearable reality; we are a more diverse nation than previously understood, and we are not a perfect nation by any standard of civilization. Education, more exactly public education is one tool we have as a country to help us keep up with the changes, innovations and discoveries rapidly affecting our lives. Rather than destroy the educational system that is addressing and teaching about these innovations, changes, discoveries and actualities, rather than strip educators of the tools and resources they need to prepare our youth to enter college, adulthood, employment and the challenges they will face in the near future, we need to enhance our children's educational opportunities, and support our public schools, the teachers, staff, and administrators therein, and push back against those who would, out of fear and ignorance, deprive our youth of the same opportunities we had growing up and being educated in public schools. Our parents, and the leaders of this country in the past, tried to provide us with the best education possible at the time. It is our responsibility to do the same for the youth of today; it is our duty to give all of our youth every opportunity possible to enjoy the Great American Dream.  

And before I leave you, dear reader, here are some FACTs for you to digest. Regardless of all the talk about how our schools are failing, how our children are not getting the same education we ourselves received, the facts tell a different story. 

The average SAT scores for high school students in 1972 were: Math, 509; Critical reading, 530. The average SAT scores for 2021 (the last year available) were: Math, 528; Critical reading, 533. The lowest average score for Math was 492, in 1981; for Critical reading 494 in 2016. The highest average scores for both were in 2021. 

I do have a response I use when someone tells me about the CRT education, the Great White Replacement Theory, the grooming of our children, etc. I simply and quietly ask for the source material they are sharing.  

Thank you for reading, I do appreciate your taking the time to hear me out, particularly on this divisive and challenging subject. I also appreciate any comments you would like to leave, just click on the word "comments" in the white box below. 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Edit: The SAT scores shown above are national averages, I have added the word average where appropriate. Thank  you PJA 02/05/2023 RMH

          

     

HB 215- The Utah Legislature's Hand Empties Your Wallet Program.

 It's all over but the crying, and the lawsuits. Governor Spencer "the Spineless" Cox has signed HB215 into law. Now we go to the courts, and Utah will spend an uncountable amount of money trying to defend a bill that never should have been written. 

It's a monetary tragedy write large on the backs of Utah taxpayers. A "law" that sends twice as much money to a private religious school as to a public school, with little to no regard as to the qualifications of the private school. In this piece of legislation, and yes I have read it, if there are less than 150 paid employees in the private school, there is no requirement for teaching credentials or for passing a background check. 

My grandchildren's public school receives $4,038.00 for each and every child enrolled. Move the children to a local charter or private school, or "Qualified Provider" and that entity will receive $8,000.00 per student enrolled. Why? Because the legislature can do it and they can't be held accountable.  

So, does $8,000.00 pay for a years education at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City? Nope. Here, from the school's web page, is the tuition and fee structure. 

Tuition, $13,950.00; Registration Fee $600.00; Enrollment Fee $100.00 the first year, $75.00 each year thereafter; Graduation Fee $150.00. Do the math, for a first-year student, the total is $14,650.00, the senior year, $14,775.00. All athletic fees, AP classes, busing, etc., are add-ons. Uniforms are not included. In total fairness to Judge Memorial, on the website it explains that scholarships and financial aid are available. So, will  the Utah Fits All Scholarship Program move a large number of new students to Judge Memorial? Probably not, there is still a big gap between the tuition/fees and the money provided by the program, a gap of $6,650.00. I don't think, for most families, the $8,000 from the UFASP will make the difference. What it does mean is the families of students already attending Judge Memorial, and every other private/charter/qualified provider educational provider have just been given an $8,000.00 gift from the Utah state taxpayers-that is, from you and I. 

What do the students have to do to receive this gift? Simply apply. The "qualifications" for this scholarship are basically non-existent. If you are a student in the great state of Utah, you qualify. The majority of  other states that offer vouchers tie the voucher to income limits; and/or limit the amount of the voucher to the amount of the Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU) for that year. Utah, in its constant effort to be special, is the only state I could find that does not take either  of those factors into account. Many of  voucher programs in other states are tax credit programs, as opposed Utah's payment program.

Utah now joins 16 states and the District of Columbia in providing school choice vouchers; although some, like Utah, call them  scholarships, The name doesn't matter, it's all the same shell game. Take taxpayer education money and give it to private schools. 

The Utah Fits All Scholarship Program? It should be called The Utah Legislature's Hand Empties Your Wallet Program. 

I'm pretty sure some lawsuits will be filed, if I find out about them, I will post an article. 

Thanks for reading, your comments are always welcome. Just click on the word "comment" in the white box below. 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Source: Education Commission of the States.

Senator Wayne Harper's Response

 In my last post "Your Public Education money at Work-For Private Business" I ended by stating I had emailed State Senator Wayne Harper a copy of the post, and would post his response. Here, verbatim, is his response; it is posted with his permission: 

Yes Bob, I do read all my emails, not my intern nor a machine.  I appreciate your email and your concerns.  Feelings are intense from all positions on this bill.  The substitute bill that passed the House did make significant improvements, especially in accountability, testing, auditing and qualifications.  Likewise, for anyone whose child receives a scholarship, the local property taxes stay with the local school and school district as does about 20% of the WPU allocation for the student.  The other 80% is portable.  The 2022 bill failed because it had flaws. I continue to listen to each call and read each email to acquire more information and positions.

I thank Senator Harper for responding, and for is permission to post his response. 

My best efforts, and your, notwithstanding, this unacceptable  bill has now passed the Senate and is headed to Governor Cox's desk for signature. 

Please join me in calling/emailing the Governor to oppose this bill, the phone number is 801-538-1000; to send a comment to the Governor, go here: https://cs.utah.gov/s/submit. I could not find a valid publicemail address for Governor Cox. 

Thank you for reading, please comment by clicking the word "comment" in the white box below. 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

Your Public Education Money at Work-For Private Education

This blog belongs to me, but I promised myself (and my wife) that I would not stoop to foul language, etc., because my grandchildren might read one or more of these posts.  But right now, I would really like to dispose of that ban. 

But I will not do that. 

It's just that the Utah so-called Legislature has only been in session for 4 whole days and already I am so mad I can not type properly. Might need to check my blood pressure. 

Utah voters, citizens like you and I, rejected school vouchers in 2007 by forcing the issue to a referendum on the ballot. The voucher bill in 2022 failed to pass the state house of representatives as the governor had threatened to veto it. But Big Republican Government and its financial supporters like big business and private schooling wants vouchers, so Candace Pierucci (R-Riverton) is trying again. Oh, wait a minute, this is not a voucher bill; it is a pay raise for teachers! (With a "scholarship" fund for charter, home school, or private education.)  That's right, a pay raise for teachers! The initial proposal is for a $6,000.00 raise for teachers, a raise that is well past due and still not enough, in my humble opinion. BUT, the raise is tied to final approval and signature from the governor to allow an "Utah Fits All Scholarship" payment of $8,000 to parents for use as payment of private school tuition fees, or other uses, such as home schooling.

Eight Thousand Dollars! $8,000.00 per student in scholarship funds from public tax money going to send children to private schools. Should the student need to go back to public school for any reason, the $8,000.00 does not follow the student to the public school, but goes back to the scholarship fund; and, as the student was initially enrolled in private schools, there is no weighted pupil unit for his education at the public school. 

To understand one part of the multitude of mistakes in HB 215, here's a quick brief on the Weighted Pupil Unit in Utah education. WPU is the amount of money each public school is allowed for each student. Currently in our great state, that WPU is $4175.00. That is all the Utah State Tax Money that is provided to public schools by the Utah legislature.

One more time: The State of Utah, a state that prides itself on family values, etc., etc., only provides $4175.00 per year to educate each and every child. BUT state representative Pierucci, a Republican from Herriman, wants the state to send $8,000 of YOUR TAX MONEY to any charter school or private school, or private educational service provider, so little John Smith or Sally Young do not have to go to public schools. 

As of today, Jan 22, 2023, this bill has passed the house and is on its way to the State Senate, where passage is deemed very likely. 

Rep. Pierucci is playing a high stakes game of chicken here, and the teachers and education in Utah will lose no matter what. In 2022, Utah Governor Spencer Cox stated "When teachers are making $60,000 a year to start, I will fully support vouchers. I'm all in on vouchers. But we have a long way to go before we get there." (February 2022 PBS monthly press conference.) Currently, the starting wage for teachers in Utah is $45,000 annually. So, Pierucci is betting the Governor will not veto this bill as it does raise teacher salaries about $6,000 per year. If the bill fails to pass the state senate, or if Governor Cox vetoes the bill, the teacher raise will only be $3,000. Sadly, Governor Cox is not known for his steadfast approach to government, so he might just sign away some of your tax dollars.

Right now, this bill has not been acted upon in the Utah State Senate; so you still have an opportunity to let your state senator know how you feel about this important issue. To locate your senator, go to le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp. 

There are other issues in this bill that are also worth examination, but this is the major battleground. To read about the other impacts, go here: https://myuea.org/wp-content/uploads/HB215-Issue-Brief-FINAL.pdf

Thank you for reading; if this issue is as important to you as I hope it is, please let your state senator know how you feel. 

Your comments are always welcome, please click the word "comments'  in the white box below and write away! 

R. M. "Bob" Hartman

A follow up- I received a form e-mail from my State Senator, Wayne Harper, asking what I thought about this issue. I emailed him a copy of this article. I'll let you know if he responds. 

Dark Skies Over Heber

 The bucolic Heber Valley, home to approximately 30,000 residents, has a building code designed to protect it's clear, dark skies; that code is now under attack. While the citizens enjoy some of the best star-gazing views from their own back yards, and three state parks in the region are in the process of being accredited as "Dark Sky Parks," a force greater that the public is unleashing its attack dogs on the famous dark skies. 

No, it's not the deep state, it's not East coast elitist socialists, not some Hollywood moguls, gay liberals, communists, Antifa or anti-gun activists, its not even a big box retail shopping center.  

It is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (which doesn't want to be known as Mormon anymore). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is building a Temple in the Heber Valley, and they have asked the county to change the existing codes regarding upward pointing outdoor lighting; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has submitted a proposed new law that will allow the building to be lit with upward pointing bright lights to showcase the Temple and allow it to be seen for miles during the evening and early morning hours. 

This new Temple for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is being built east of the city boundary on a rise on the horizon, where it can be seen from the entire city and a large part of the Heber Valley. It will become a focal point in the skyline, and using uplights during the evening and early morning will give it great visual prominence in the Heber Valley, which from a business standpoint, is easy to understand. 

All of the other buildings, commercial or private, in the Heber Valley conform to the existing county building code, which is keeping with the rural atmosphere in this mountain valley. The residents seem to like it this way.

Sending the Wasatch County Council a proposed law changing the building codes to benefit The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, while destroying the dark skies of this pastoral community, illuminates the excessive hubris of the leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Kind of like "asking" (telling) the media only to refer to them as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in all references in print or video and not to use the easier to type and say nickname "Mormon". 

Thank you for reading! Your comments are always welcome, please click on the word "comments"  in the white box below and write away!

R.M. "Bob" Hartman    

Imports and Exports

The Keystone pipeline transports Canadian synthetic crude "Syncrude" and oil sands products known as "heavy crude" to American refineries in Houston and Port Arthur, Texas. Why there, one might ask. Well, in the 1990-2010 time frame, refineries were built to handle the least expensive raw material they could buy, which was heavy crude. Most of these heavy crude refineries were built in the Port Arthur-Houston area of Texas, to make use of the ocean ports, allowing shipments from Venezuela, Russia, and Canada; although Canada was at a cost disadvantage vs Venezuela. Bear in mind the "nationalization" of all oil exploration, production, refinement, and distribution by Venezuela was completed by 1976; it's US and European refineries were, and still are, under the name "Citgo." As Venezuelan production and exportation began to falter in the late 1980s, the refineries were looking for more heavy crude to produce; although it costs more to process, the construction of additional refineries to handle the light sweet crude produced by most American wells was considered prohibitively expensive at the time. Processes were developed that allowed the mixing of the two different crudes at one point in the refining process, which had the desired effect (at least to the oil companies) of increasing the use of both types, reducing overall cost of finished product, and avoiding the construction of new refineries. 

But now the search was on for more heavy crude. The oil sand products became "of interest," and Canada had the most developed and available oil sand products, and a reasonable prices.

Enter the Keystone Pipeline, by TC Energy and the Government of Alberta. Long story (or pipeline) short: it is a 2,972 mile pipeline consisting of 2,147 miles of 30" pipeline buried at least 4' deep, and the remaining 825 miles is 36" pipeline, again buried at least 4' deep. The pipeline construction began in 2008, and delivered its first oil to refineries in Patoka, Illinois in 2010, and to Cushing Oklahoma tank farms in 2011; it reached Port Arthur in 2014, and Houston in 2016. As constructed, it can deliver 590,000 barrels of oil per day to the refineries; as a point of comparison, the United States consumed 18,684,483 barrels of oil per day in 2021. (Incidentally, that is higher than any other nation on Earth. China is second, with 15,442,094.) 

The United States exported 11,324,000 barrels of oil per day in July 2022.

So, what was Keystone XL? Keystone XL was a replacement pipeline proposed by TC Energy and the Government of Alberta. It would have replaced the existing pipeline from Hardesty, Alberta to Steele City, Nebraska with a 36" pipeline, increasing total capacity to 700,000 barrels per day, a net increase of 110,000 barrels per day. In theory, American Light Sweet Crude from the Bakken formation would have been mixed in at Baker, Montana; however, the technology for this was not fully developed at the time. Due to  Native American activism, politics, and environmental activism, the Keystone XL pipeline was cancelled before construction was begun.

While doing research for this article, I came upon some interesting facts I'd like to share with you. These figures are from 2021, the last full-year figures available. 

Canada is still the United States largest foreign oil supplier, at 3,800,000 barrels per day. (51% of our crude oil imports.) Mexico and Russia tie at 8% each of our imports, Saudi Arabia is 5%, and Columbia is 2% of our total imports. Venezuela did not even make it to 1% in 2021.  It's interesting to me why OPEC, from whom we procure very little oil, has such an overstated effect on American energy prices. 

All data in this article was complied from the U.S. Energy Information Administration articles and bulletins. 

Thanks for reading, as always your comments are welcome! Just click the word "comments" in the white box below. 

R.M. "Bob" Hartman