What is the face of drug addiction? Is it the homeless man at the park, the teenager down the street or the odd uncle at the family gathering? Is it the wife, the husband or the child? Would you know it if you saw it? It is all these things and more; addiction has many faces and many reaches. Jenny, a young, pretty, LDS mom of three, lives in a small close-knit … [Read more...]
Civil Asset Forfeiture
Did you know that your private property can be seized and kept by police, even though you have not been charged with a crime? You may be totally innocent of any wrongdoing, but police and state prosecutors can still grab your home, vehicles, bank account and any cash you may have available-everything you own. Worse, you may never be able to get that property returned. In … [Read more...]
Suicide in Utah
Is reducing suicide as easy as passing HB23? Utah ranks among the highest in the nation in suicide rates. The most common attributor to suicide is depression, and according to a study for “Mental Health America,” Utah ranks as the most depressed state in the nation. Part of the nation’s “suicide belt,” Utah’s suicide trends among children and teenagers are even more alar … [Read more...]
Inversion Intervention: Big Utah Polluters Need Big Legislation
Dr. Brian Moench of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment says, “We should think of the air we breathe along the Wasatch Front as if we are passengers on an airplane. The mountains block circulation and the pollution doesn’t escape and we are stuck in an inversion.” A few years ago, people were allowed to smoke on planes in a closed environment forcing everyone on the pla … [Read more...]
Generation Y Me?
The “Greatest Generation” is now in its late 80s. Their kids, the Baby Boomers, are slowly retiring. If our current trajectory of spending and debt continues, according to economists and congressional members such as Paul Ryan and Rand Paul, by the time the Boomers pass the baton of retirement to the Millennials, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will be bankrupt. The Eco … [Read more...]
Two Disabled Utahns, Two Stories of Ability
1) Daniel Eckhardt Shoppers at the Smith’s Food and Drug on 455 South 500 East often pick the longest checkout line rather than the shortest. The reason? Daniel Eckhardt. He’s a bagger, a hard worker, and always happy—and excited—to be at work. His smile is contagious and people go out of their way to wait in his line. Daniel has Down syndrome, but it doesn’t define him. A g … [Read more...]
Air Pollution in Utah
Why It's Red and Who Produces the Toxic Air We Breathe The nasty brown air you and I are breathing gets a lot of press. Most stories are similarly written or produced: people talk about health issues; UTA crows about public transit benefits; and a Kennecott or oil refinery spokesperson describe their companies’ efforts to clean up facilities. Blah, blah blah. As much as we a … [Read more...]