Thoughts on Three of the Day's News Stories

  Some thoughts on some of the news of the day:

 President Biden, Keep Your Promise

  President Biden, when a candidate, promised to "end dark money groups," according to a Washington Post story that referenced information from a publication known as The Daily 202. As a candidate, Biden promised he would ensure that "any entity of any kind that spends more than $10,000 on federal elections . . . must publicly disclosed its donors."  

  Overturning the present dark money rules -- some of which were instituted during the Trump administration five months before the election -- might be a little more uncomfortable for President Biden than it was for candidate Biden, though. The new dark money allowance ended up benefiting Biden, as his campaign took in $145 million in dark money, compared to only $28.4 million for Donald Trump. (The Trump-era changes increased some nonprofits ability to campaign for a candidate while concealing their names.)

  Roll back the Trump-era errors. No, go further, President Biden. Do as you promised in the campaign. If anyone spends more than $10,000 on a federal election -- whether contributing directly to the campaign or operating as a PAC -- require them to reveal their identity. In fact, lower it to $5,000 or even $1,000, if you will. 

Rep. Owens Deserved a Setting-Straight, and got it

   Utah Rep. Burgess Owens deserved -- and received -- a setting straight after going on Fox News Monday and saying, "My city of Salt Lake City, they defunded (police) by $5 million and the murder rate went up 40 percent."

   The Salt Lake Tribune came back the next day, noting that while some funding was moved off the police department's ledger, the overall funding for police went up from $79.1 million to $82.2 million. Homicides did increase from 12 to 16 in a twelve month period, but in a city with a low homicide rate, just a difference of few can translate into a large percentage, in this case, 33 percent. (Where Owens got 40 percent is not clear.)

TaylorMED's Inexpensive MRIs Help Hold Down Medical Costs

   TaylorMED MRI in Lindon, Utah, is offering pricing that counters today's high medical costs. While an MRI typically might cost $2,611 nationwide, TaylorMED offers it for $399. So, TaylorMED, though operating outside of the insurance network and therefore requiring the payment all out-of-pocket, still sometimes is less expensive than the hospitals, since many insurance plans have high deductibles. 

   TaylorMED, created by Kevin Taylor, who trained at the Mayo Clinic, does not require a doctor's referral, and scheduling is possible within a day or two, if not on a walk-in basis. Once you have the MRI, you take it to your doctor for evaluation.

Let's Create Immediate Immigration (I.I.)

   I.I., we shall call it. It stands for Immediate Immigration. Come to the border, and within 72 hours you will receive a decision on whether you can stay. Background checking, contact with family and friends already in the U.S., receiving the COVID-19 vaccination, the court hearing a . . .

   All completed within 72 hours. The point is: Is there good reason this cannot be done? How long does it take to pick up a phone and call family members already here? Could background checking take longer? If you have to wait for police officials in Venezuela to say whether someone is MS-13, perhaps so. But, do the police in Venezuela even keep such records? Instead, call their local church. Call other community sources. Get the best read you can and go with it. I would not be surprised if this is more than what we currently do. Use those same sources -- churches and other community leaders -- to determine if the applicant's claims are correct: Is coming to America due to economic hardship, or need of a job, or because of threat to their lives. Those calls can be made quickly, and using these sources, those you are calling often will be able to verify the need.

   And, yes, if you need rewrite the laws to make it work, do so. I do not believe many of those coming in at our southern border come as refugees. Make it so they can. 

   Immediate Immigration: it is possible, it can work, and we should do it. 

      

Thoughts on Communism, Socialism, and Communal Ownership

    A few quick thoughts on the difference between communal living and the government owning and running all businesses. Without wanting to get lost in all the official definitions of communism, socialism, etc., here are some thoughts.

   If government owns and runs all the businesses -- even if it provides equal pay -- that is different than communal living. There is still an owner -- the government -- and the government is not the people. Under communal living, there is no one above the community, the people. As a general rule, government ownership of all things is not good. 

   Not all government-owned, government-ran businesses are bad, however. Such things as the Postal Service might be better to be government-owned, government-ran. Indeed, such things as prisons definitely should not be "privatized."

   Consider Joseph sold into Egypt, and how he -- as a government official -- saved food for seven years of plenty, then distributed it during the seven years of famine. Would we say that that was wrong, or unwise, or wicked?

    

Don't Cancel Looney Tunes and don't Put Warning Label on Them, but . . .

    I would cancel one more thing: Looney Tunes. Okay, maybe I wouldn't cancel them, but how about putting a warning label on them? Guess I wouldn't do that, either. But, I do believe many of the Looney Tunes and other cartoons are a poor influence on us.

   Oh, boy, sighs the audience. 

    But, I will hold to my view. Somehow, laughing at people (okay, animals) getting hurt and hurting each other doesn't sit well with me. I love humor, but you can have humor without laughing at the pain of others. This does have an influence on us. We are influenced by what we learn to laugh at.  

Biomass of Carp in Utah Lake Down from 90 Percent to 10 Percent

    Commercial fishing the carp out of Utah Lake has had a tremendous impact. The lake -- the largest freshwater lake in America, once the lifeline of Ute Native Americans, and an area early explorers touted as one of the most inhabitable places in the West.

   In 2009, it was estimated carp made up 90 percent of the biomass of the lake. Now, that estimate is down to 10 percent. Biomass means the weight of the fish.

    

Carp Devastating the Largest Freshwater Lake West of the Mississippi

   We will tell you a story of the carp, and of how it devastated Utah Lake -- the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. Once, the area was considered one of the most desirous and habitable places in all the west --  due to Utah Lake. It is said Jim Bridger recommended the lake area to the LDS pioneers. But, he warned, the Utes were protective of their fishery, so he suggested the LDS work their way in, as opposed to just moving there. So, the LDS held themselves northward, settling in the Great Salt Lake Valley.

   The settlers, though, made it south to fish. Then came the winter of 1847-48, bringing hunger to the settlers. When better weather came, a plague of crickets set in. Thanks to God, seagulls came and ate the crickets. But, not before the crops were reduced. Fishing in the lake increased. And, as years went by, many of the species in the lake were drastically reduced. About 1882, carp were introduced. Now, if you know carp, it scavenges the bottom of the lake, destroying the vegetation and stirring up mud -- making it difficult for many of the natural species of the lake to survive. 

  Human waste, Factory waste from Geneva Steel, there were other contributors the downfall of what was once one of the greatest of lakes. But, the carp . . .

   In 2009, it was said carp accounted for 90 percent of life in the lake. Officials set to reduce the carp, trying to fish it out of the lake. Part of the concern was to save the June Sucker, found no other place in the world and is endangered. The carp is the greatest threat to the June Sucker. 

    

   
    

   

  

Stop Making Industry off the Prisoners and Those on Probation

   Listening to a past prisoner, listening to someone drowning in the probation program, I wonder if we need more judges.

   He speaks of public attorneys handling so many cases, they cannot give justice to them. He speaks of judges whose calendars are so full, they are overloaded. I suggest, then we should hire more judges. He doesn't respond to the suggestion. As we continue to talk, I twice more suggest maybe we need more judges. Each time, he doesn't answer. 

   Finally, I say that I have noticed he doesn't seem to think more judges are the answer. No, not more judges, that would just add to the industry, he says. "It's big business."

   An industry, is what he sees it as. "The system is designed to help the people running the system," he says. He speaks of the prices they charge inmates, for everything from phone calls to ramen noodles. Everything is jacked up. Everyone is making a profit off the inmates. The prisoners are fair game.

  They charge you for everything so much that you can't afford all their fines. You are caught in the system. If you get a ticket for no insurance, they fine you.  "You aren't helping me," he says of them. "If I had $400 for the fine, I would have gotten the insurance."

   No, their point isn't to help the prisoners, it's to live off them.  As he said, "The system is designed to help the people running the system."

   "I think the whole system should be charged with the RICO Act," he says. I laugh. "No, I'm serious," he says, and I ask him what the RICO Act is. He tells me it's the racketeering act. Those guilty of racketeering are to be tossed in jail under the RICO Act. 

   "The system isn't designed to help the people in the system," he says. "The system is designed to help the people running the system."

   So, what's the answer to the judges being overworked? Wipe all the dragged-out cases off the books. Quit dragging people thru the system. Instead of keeping them on probation for every little thing, help them find a quicker way to the end of the tunnel. Stop making industry off the inmates and those on probation. If you get rid of all the unnecessary industrializing, the judges won't have so many cases, and you won't need to hire more.