The Davis County Democrat Party will hold their Nominating Convention at the Centerville, Jr. High School located at 625 South Main Street, Centerville, Utah on Saturday, April 26. The Convention will convene at 11:00 AM.

The keynote speaker will be Mayor Ralph Becker of Salt Lake City.

The proceedings are open to all Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated citizens of Davis County.

The main purpose of this Convention is to nominate the candidates who will best represent the citizens of Davis County and to select delegates to attend the Utah State Democrat Convention.

If you have any questions or need further information please contact Kim Wixon, Davis Democrat Chairman, at or call Kim at 1-801-419-7941.

Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democrat Party
Phone 801-776-0668

Davis County Democrat Convention

April 22, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

The Davis County Democrat Party will hold their Nominating Convention at the Centerville Jr. High School located at 625 South Main Street, Centerville, Utah on Saturday April 26. The Convention will convene at 11:00 AM.

The keynote speaker will be Mayor Ralph Becker of Salt Lake City.

The proceedings are open to all Democrats, Republicans and Unaffiliated citizens of Davis County.

The main purpose of this Convention is to nominate the candidates who will best represent the citizens of Davis County and to select delegates to attend the Utah State Democrat Convention.

If you have any questions or need further information please contact Kim Wixon, Davis Democrat Chairman, at or call Kim at 1-801-419-7941.

Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democrat Party
Phone 801-776-0668

Utah! The World's Nuclear Dumping Ground

April 21, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

It is time for us to take concerted action against having 20,000 tons (that's not pounds) of low level radioactive waste from coming to Utah. Thousands of Utah citizens are put in jeopardy just so one company can make millions. I am forwarding a letter from HEAL Utah which will help you understand this issue. Please take the time to read it and then take action.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has already received over 900 comments overwhelmingly against Energy Solutions' proposal to import 20,000 tons of Italian nuclear waste. Yet, the NRC seems poised to approve EnergySolutions' request and ignore the public's will.

To send the message loud and clear that Utah and the U.S. should not be the dumping ground for the world's nuclear waste, HEAL Utah wants to collect an additional 1,000 comments by May 8th.

We need your help! Volunteer today to gather 25 signatures to keep Utah from becoming the world's nuclear dumping ground. HEAL Utah will give you the postcards and then you can ask your co-workers, friends and family, and that guy at the gym to join with you in saying "No Grazie" to Italian nuclear waste. To get your 25 postcards, call 801-355-5055 or e-mail Jessica@healutah.org.

By gathering comments, we want to influence not only the NRC but the Northwest Interstate Compact, which has the ability to regulate all low-level waste coming into Utah and can stop EnergySolutions' proposal in its tracks. The Compact is the only affected entity that has not weighed in yet on the proposal, but it will be making a decision about the Italian waste issue at their next meeting on May 8th.

Help HEAL Utah gather 1,000 public comments to protect Utah from becoming Energy Solutions' "solution" to the world's low-level nuclear waste. To reach our goal of 1,000 comments, we need your help! Whether you gather 5 signatures or 100, you can make a difference. Contact Jessica at 801-355-5055 or Jessica@healutah.org to receive your "No Grazie" postcards.

The NRC public comment period is officially open until June 10th, but we are looking for a surge in comments between now and May 8th to influence the Compact's decision. And don't forget the easiest signature to get is your own. If you haven't had a chance to sign the petition yet, visit our website at: LINK

EnergySolutions has ramped up its contributions to federal lawmakers and increased its lobbyist spending in order to promote its agenda. Over the last four years, Energy Solutions has given $400,000 in campaign contributions, 10 times greater than from the previous four years. In addition, they upped their lobbying spending to more than $1 million last year. EnergySolutions' growing influence in Washington will be tested this year as it tries to kill Rep. Matheson's bill that would ban the importation of low-level radioactive foreign waste.

To read more about EnergySolutions growing national political presence, visit: LINK

And don't forget to sign-up to gather 25 signatures against Italian nuclear waste!

Jessica Kendrick
Field Organizer
HEAL

Busy Week For Democrats

April 20, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

This comming week will be a busy time for Davis County Democrats. We have the regular planning meeting on this Thursday, April 24. It take place at the County Courthouse in Farmington starting at 7:00 PM. Go to the Commissioners Chambers room. We will be finalizing plans for the Democrat Party Convention comming up this Saturday. (more on that in a later e-mail) We need some people to step up and volunteer to help out. So be at the planning meeting and step up.

The second event is the "Sawbuck" dinner this Friday in Ogden. (more later)

The big event of the week will be the Davis County Democrat Party Convention at Centerville this Saturday, April 26.

Plan on attending one or more of these events. We want to build a stronger Democrat Party in Davis County and this is one way we can do it. I will send you the details in a later e-mail.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democrat Party

Democrat Party Platform Committee Meeting

April 16, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

Kim Wixon, Davis County Democrat Chairman, has asked me to send this message to you. Due to the urgency of this message if you wish to contact Kim he can be reached at his cell phone number which is 1-801-419-7941. His e-mail is .

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh

Bob,

Please send this out to the Dccwc. Sorry for the short notice but I only received this today. I am one of the two reps from Davis County on this committee. If anyone has any issues they would like brought up, let me know ASAP.

Thanks,

Kim Wixon
Chair DCD

From: Bill Keshlear [mailto:bkeshlear@utdemocrats.org]
Sent: Wednesday, April 16, 2008 2:09 PM
To: Bill Keshlear
Subject: Utah Democratic Party: Platform Committee

Dear Platform and Policy Standing Committee member,

A reminder that we hope to see you tomorrow night, April 17.

As 2008 promises to be a pivotal election year, I would encourage you to help us answer the question, “What does the Democratic Party of Utah stand for?”

Given the political, economic, and social changes – local, state, national, and international – of the past two years, does the platform we adopted in 2006 go too far or not far enough? Does it reflect our values? Is its emphasis where it should be?

According to current bylaws of the party:

The Platform and Policy Standing Committee of the Utah State Democratic Party shall be responsible for submitting the platform or resolutions reports to the State Convention; creating task forces to study issues for the Utah State Democratic Party; compiling research on issues for use by candidates for public elected office; and acting as advocates for issues endorsed by the State Central Committee.

We will meet at 5:30 p.m. at party headquarters, 455 S. 300 East, suite 301. Please bring your concerns (and those of others) related to our current platform and we’ll begin the conversation.

Best regards,
Wayne Holland
Chair, Utah Democratic Party

Tim Cosgrove
Chair, Platform and Policy Committee

Bill Keshlear
Communications Director

Do Republicans Really Eat Their Young

April 9, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

Don't forget the planning meeting Thursday, April 10 at the Davis County Courthouse, 28 East State Street in Farmington. The meeting is held in the Commissioners Chambers and starts at 7:00 PM.

For those of you who do not take the Salt Lake Tribune here are some excerpts from Paul Rolly's column of April 9.

"A national political action committee that has donated nearly a half million dollars to Utah's private school tuition-voucher effort has been hit with a $5.2 million fine in Ohio for illegally laundering money into political campaign funds. All Children Matter, which gave $444,000 to Utah's pro-voucher group Parents for Choice in Education between 2004 and 2006, also is being investigated in Wisconsin for alleged abuses of that state's election laws."

Now we know where all that money came from but what we didn't know was that it was illegally laundered money.

"All Children Matter gave Utah's Parents for Choice in Education $254,000 in the 2004 election year and $190,000 in 2006. The Utah pro-voucher group in turn has spent several hundred thousand dollars trying to elect pro-voucher legislative candidates."

Would they really try to get rid of the moderate Republican lawmakers to further the voucher cause? The answer is yes and they are still trying to do it in the Republican primary.

Under the heading, "Do Republicans eat their own Young" take a look at these two quotes from Rolly's column.

"Becky Edwards, who is challenging first-term incumbent and loyal voucher supporter Paul Neuenschwander for the Republican nomination in Bountiful's House District 20, was first accused by GOP leaders of being a closet Democrat. Then, the number of delegates in her voting precinct was reduced just before the caucuses. Now, even though she was elected as a county delegate, her name is not on the delegate list distributed to candidates and party officials. A lesser person might get paranoid. Edwards said Davis County Republican Chairman Ben Horsley told her there were several mistakes that are being corrected."

It's called "stacking the deck, Becky!

"Another Republican delegate to the Davis County Convention was called a week after the caucuses and informed she no longer was a delegate. Becky Bouvang, of Kaysville was told that the state party had miscalculated how many delegates her precinct should be allotted, but didn't get that information out to the precinct officers in time. The elected delegate with the lowest number of votes would be eliminated, but she had been in a three-way tie. So, county party leaders flipped a coin. Vice Chairman Wade Faraway says everything was done on the up and up and pursuant to party bylaws. It's just an unfortunate coincidence that Bouvang works for the Davis County Education Association, a group that many Republican leaders considered an archenemy during the voucher debate."

So if you were not outraged by my voucher letter the other day try this one on for size.
Bob Van Velkinburgh

Davis County Democrat Breakfast

April 8, 2008

Announcement

The Davis County Democrats will meet this Saturday April 12 for their monthly breakfast at Granny Annie's Restaurant,286 N. 400 W., Kaysville. Breakfast will be served at 8:30 AM.

All candidates running for public office are invited. Come and meet the candidates. All Democrats and the general public are invited.

Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis Democrat Party
801-776-0668

The Omnibus Bill

April 7, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

The Omnibus Bill
They called Senate Bill # 2 the omnibus bill and rightly so. It was a collection of twelve bills related to education. They should have called it "Utah Leadership do it to the People Again" bill. This bill was grossly unfair and represents arrogant public policy. It sets a precedent for future policymakers. All you have to do is bundle all the garbage bills together, put them in a vital appropiation package and say "one vote passes all."

There were some good bills in this $2.5 billion package and there were some stinkers. The point is that the citizens have the right to expect each bill to be debated and to stand or fall on its own merits. Several of the bills had already been voted down in the House.

Senator Howard Stephenson, sponsor of SB # 2, is quoted as saying,… "it was the best way to pass many education reforms in a coordinated way as the end of the session approached." Senator, I see no educational reforms in this Omnibus Bill unless you consider giving taxpayer's money to help fund charter schools and funding software programs to home schooled students. Where are the "many" educational reforms, Senator?

Governor Huntsman Jr. should never have signed this bill but instead should have vetoed it. Then he could have called a special session and told the Legislative body to debate the twelve bills one at a time.

Utahans, where is your public rage? Where are the letters? Let these lawmakers know your feelings!

Robert Van Velkinburgh

Richard Watson runs for Senate Dist. # 23

April 1, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

After six successful years of guiding the Davis County Democrat Party, Chairman Richard Watson is steping aside to run for a legislative office. Watson is the only Democrat vieing for the open Senate seat in District # 23 vacated by Republican Dan Eastman.

Richard Watson has been politically active at the Democratic State level while at the same time building the county party. "I see a lot of growth in the county and state Democrat party," Watson said.

Assuming the office of Chairperson will be Kim Wixson former Vice-Chair. Wixon is the Director of Employee Support for the Utah Department of Health.

Stepping into the office of Vice-Chair is Kelvin Davis who is an employee of the United States Postal Service.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democrat Party

Nuclear Power Generation and Nuclear Waste in Utah

March 31, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

You might be interested in attending some of these panel discussions concerning nuclear power generation and nuclear waste storage in Utah

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director Utah Concerns

This week, the stars will align to bring two national experts on nuclear power, weapons, and waste to the Salt Lake area and three opportunities for you to hear them speak. Dr. Arjun Makhijani, president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, and Christopher Paine, nuclear program director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, will both be in town speaking at the following events.

April 1st: Nuclear power debate and waste panel
It was supposed to be the debate of the century: Rep. Aaron Tilton (R-Springville), Viagra salesman by day¹, nuclear powerbroker by moonlight, and Dr. Arjun Makhijani, national nuclear expert and president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, together in one room debating the future of nuclear power in Utah.

That is, until we heard today that Rep. Tilton decided to back out, three days before the scheduled event. He did not provide a reason, nor a replacement.

But Utah Valley State College has lined up a suitable replacement for Rep. Tilton the debate will go on as planned.

Utah Valley State College Environmental Ethics Conference on Public Health and the Environment
What: Nuclear Power Production in Utah
Who: Dr. Arjun Makhijani, President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, and a nuclear proponent TBA
Where: Utah Valley State College, Losee Center, Room 243 (LC 243)
When: Tuesday, April 1st, 1:00-2:15 pm

Afterwards, stay for a panel discussion on nuclear waste:
What: Nuclear Waste Storage in the Great Basin
Who: Judy Treichel, Executive Director, Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force, Steve Frishman, Geologist, Nevada State Agency for Nuclear Projects, John Urgo, Outreach Director, HEAL Utah
Where: UVSC, LC 243
When: Tuesday, April 1st, 2:30-3:45 pm

There are also many other worthwhile talks scheduled as part of this conference.
Click here for a complete list: LINK.

The nearest visitor parking is Lot L (campus map: LINK).

"Meet the would-be N-power king," Salt Lake Tribune, November 4, 2007.

April 2nd: Nuclear power and weapons panel
What: Nuclear Power's Role in Decarbonization and Disarmament: Asset or Obstacle
Who: Christopher Paine, nuclear program director of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Dr. Arjun Makhijani, Dr. Robert Reynolds, sociologist at Weber State University, and Dr. Kent Udell, chair of the University of Utah Mechanical Engineering Department
Where: University of Utah, Room 1110 of LNCO (SE of Olpin Union and East of Orson Spencer Hall, with parking in the lot East of Olpin Union)
When: Wednesday, April 2nd, 2:30-4:00 pm

The discussion will focus on the role of nuclear power in addressing climate change and the intersections between nuclear power and nuclear weapons. Panelists will discuss the problems of uranium mining and milling, nuclear proliferation, the health impacts of radiation, radioactive waste disposal, and the risk of nuclear materials falling into the wrong hands.

Presented by the Nuclear Research Interest Group, the Tanner Humanities Center of the University of Utah, and Utah Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (UCAN).

April 3rd: The U.S. nuclear weapons complex
What: "Raise your voice," an event presented by the Utah Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons
Who: Christopher Paine, NRDC; Mary Dickson, playwright, downwinder, and activist; Pete Ashdown, founder and owner of Xmission; and Tony Guzman, steering committee member of Think Outside the Bomb
Where: Sprague Library, 2131 South 1100 East, SLC
When: Thursday, April 3rd, 6:30-8:30 pm

The panel will discuss the federal government's plan to revitalize the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, called "Complex Transformation," and provide an opportunity for you to submit a comment on the Complex Transformation Environmental Impact Statement (the public comment period ends April 10th).

For more information on this event, visit www.utahcan.org.

John Urgo
HEAL Utah, Outreach Director
68 S. Main St, Suite 400
SLC, UT 84101
(801) 355-5055

"Convention Conversations"

March 30, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

Kim Wixon, Davis Democrat Party Chairman, has asked me to pass along this information to you.

Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democrat Party

Please join Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) CEO Leah D. Daughtry and special guest Mayor Ralph Becker as they bring the "Convention Conversations" series to Salt Lake City. With Mayor Peter Corroon

The forum will mark the sixth in a series of community forums held throughout the Rocky Mountain West leading up to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Don't miss this opportunity to ask questions, share ideas and be a part of the Convention experience!

All are welcome.

Please RSVP to rsvp@demconvention.com or (801) 328-1212, ext. 205. To receive Convention information and updates in the months ahead, please visit www.demconvention.com and "Sign Up Now."

Friday April 4, 2008
11:00 a.m.
Memorial House
485 N Canyon Road Salt Lake City, UT 84103

Paid for by 2008 Democratic National Convention Committee, Inc.
www.demconvention.com
Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

Democrat Planning Meeting Thursday

March 11, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

Plan to attend the planning meeting this Thursday, March 13. It will be at the Davis County Courthouse, 28 East State in Farmington. Go to the Commissioners Chambers. Meeting starts at 7:00 PM.

District Chairpersons, Delegates and others should plan to attend as the caucus packets will be distributed. We have an opening for a District Chairperson and a candidate. So if you are interested, "come on down."

Bob Van Velkinburgh
Publicity Director
Davis County Democrat Party

Correction Dist # 16 Phone Number

March 11, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

Here is the correct phone number to contact Gary Baggs, host for District # 16. 801-547-1351.

Bob Van Velkinburgh

Bob we are meeting at Northridge High School in the library it upstairs you come in the office doors and across the opening and you see the stairs and we will be right there and mine home phone is 547-1351 thanks gary

Democrat Caucus Meeting

March 11, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

What's more important than voting on November 4th? ---Attending your political party caucus on March 25th!

Party Caucuses are not just for political junkies. The fact is, a party caucus is the place where an ordinary person's vote can make the most impact. You can help ensure candidates representing you and your values make it on the ballot in November.

Party Caucuses are held for the purpose of electing delegates to attend the County Conventions. The Davis Democrat Convention will be held April 26.

At the party caucus you will also elect a perminate Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, and Secretary. These officers will serve for two years.

Below is a partial list of caucus locations in Davis County.

District #11
Location: South Weber Elementary School
Address:1285 E Lester, South Weber
Host: Steve Gaskill
Phone: 801-479-5279

District #13
Location: Syracuse Jr. High
Address: 1450 S 200 W, Syracuse
Host Theresa Sheffield
Phone: Cell 801-499-3292

District # 14
Location: Clearfield Library
Address: 562 S 1000 E, Clearfield
Host: Carla Daniel
Phone: 801-776-0585

District #15
Location: Layton Library
Address: 155 N Wasatch Dr., Layton
Host: Shawn Cooper
Phone: 801-497-9786

District # 16
Location: Northridge High School
Address: 2430 N 400 W, Layton
Host: Gary Baggs
Phone: 801-546-2822

District #17
Location: Monte Vista Training Room
Address: 97 S 200 E, Farmington
Host: Alan Naumann
Phone: 801-577-3691

District # 18
Location: Centerville Jr. High
Address: 625 Main, Centerville
Host: George Mortimer
Phone: 801-451-2983

District # 19
Location: Bountiful Elementary
Address: 1620 S 50 W, Bountiful
Host: Dr. Ray Ward
Phone: 801-440-8765

District # 20
Location: South Davis Jr. High
Address: 298 W 2600 S, Bountiful
Host: Brett Garner
Phone: 801-573-4759

Davis County Democrat Monthly Breakfast

March 6, 2008

Dear Democrats,

Mark on your calendar Saturday, March 8. That's when we will meet for our monthly breakfast at Granny Annie's in Kaysville, located at 286 N 400 W Breakfast will be served starting at 8:30 AM.

Roz McGee from District 28 in Salt Lake City will be there to tell us all about this year's legislative session. It should be interesting. Bring your questions and concerns. Roz is retiring after six years of service in the house. We wish her well.

The general public is invited. Bring a friend.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democrats
dccwc@aol.com

Energy Solutions Inc. and Nuclear Power Plants

March 6, 2008

Dear Utah Concerns Member,

I just received this e-mail from John Urgo of HEAL Utah which I think is worthy of your attention.

Bob Van Velkinburgh

Most of the time, we find the Deseret Morning News to be fairly balanced in its reporting on nuclear and toxic waste issues. Yesterday, however, the paper turned its front page and editorial space over to free advertising for the nuclear industry in a way that not only betrayed its bias, but insulted its readership.

On the front page above the fold was a story with the headline, “Utahns back nuclear power,” about a new Dan Jones poll showing 57% of Utahns in favor nuclear power as part of Utah’s energy mix--something the paper called a “strong majority.”

But is this really front page news or just nuclear boosterism?

What the paper fails to mention, or deliberately omits, is this is the third Dan Jones poll on nuclear power conducted for the Deseret News, and results have varied widely. From a high of 63% of Utahns favoring nuclear power last July, support then plummeted to 38% in November after it was revealed that Representatives Aaron Tilton and Mike Noel, chairs of the legislative committee that oversees Utah’s energy policy, were working behind the scenes to build Utah’s first nuclear reactors in Green River.

The paper also fails to mention that Dan Jones polls have found 92% of Utahns support increased government incentives and investment in solar power, 90% support the same for wind power, 80% support geothermal power, and 94% support energy efficiency and conservation. That’s a strong majority, but apparently overwhelming support for clean energy is no longer newsworthy.

If this kind of agenda-biased journalism bothers you, here are three things you can do:

1. Write a letter to the editor. Make clear that as a reader, you expect balanced reporting and point out that support for renewable energy dwarfs support for nuclear power, a fact the paper chose to omit. Email your letter to: letters@desnews.com.
2. Post a comment on the article: LINK
3. Email Rep. Aaron Tilton. Rep. Tilton sees this poll as a boost for his plans, but as taxpayers and ratepayers we need to make sure he does not construe a poll as the public’s willingness to subsidize his endeavors. You can email Rep. Tilton at: atilton@utah.gov. (As much as you may disagree with Rep. Tilton’s nuclear ambitions, please be respectful and courteous in your email!)

Unfortunately, the pro-nuclear free press didn’t stop on the front page of the Deseret News yesterday, but continued to the editorial page.

The paper’s opinion piece eventually arrived at its point of opposing EnergySolutions’ import of Italian nuclear waste, but it got there by insulting its readers first: “Few things cause Americans to act more irrationally than the words ‘nuclear’ or ‘radioactive.’”

In other words, if you don’t like Utah being used as the world’s nuclear garbage dump, you lack reason.

The piece attempts to bolster this point by stating that Utahns drive on roads “next to tankers containing material that poses a far greater risk” than EnergySolutions. That’s like saying because you’re more likely to die from heart disease than lung cancer, you should watch your cholesterol but keep smoking.

While we can’t say for certain why the Deseret News has given over so much of its content to the nuclear industry in recent months, editor Joe Cannon’s ties to the industry have been quite strong in the past.

Between 2005 and 2006, Mr. Cannon was paid $150,000 by EnergySolutions to lobby in Washington, DC(1). And five years ago, he and EnergySolutions CEO Steve Creamer plotted an effort to hijack the Goshutes' nuclear storage proposal with "Plan B," which would have had the state build and operate a high-level nuclear storage site near Canyonlands National Park(2).

We don’t mean to suggest that Mr. Cannon has carried his past positions into his current job as editor. But we do think the nuclear industry has plenty of money to buy its own ad space, and doesn’t need the help, unwittingly or not, of one of Utah’s largest newspapers.

1. For Joe Cannon’s federal lobbyist disclosure form, click here: LINK
2. Fahys, Judy and Dan Harrie. 2003 ‘Plan B’ Aims to outbid Goshutes’ N-waste site-Legislators see little hope to stop toxic materials, want to ‘deal with reality;’ Lawmakers push alternative to Goshutes’ Site. Salt Lake Tribune, February 6.

John Urgo
HEAL Utah, Outreach Director
68 S. Main St, Suite 400
SLC, UT 84101
(801) 355-5055

Planning Meeting Tonight

February 28, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

Don't forget our planning meeting tonight Thursday Feb. 28. The meeting will be held at the Davis County Courthouse in the Commissioner's Chambers starting at 7:00 PM. All Democrats and the general public are invited. The Courthouse is located at 28 East State Street, Farmington.

Have you seen the new look on our web site? Check it out. Click on CWC and get the latest news. www.daviscountydemocrats.org

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democrat Party
dccwc@aol.com

Constitution Essay Contest Winners

Feb. 27, 2008

Three Davis Junior High School students will receive awards at the regularly scheduled Davis County School Board meeting, Tuesday, March 18. The board meets starting at 5:30 PM in the auditorium at 45 East State Street in Farmington.

This is the third annual Constitutional Essay Contest sponsored by the Davis County Democrat Party. The purpose of this contest is to make students aware of the importance and relevance our Constitution has in today's society. This year's subject was "Which of the Constitutional Amendments is Most Important? What Makes You Believe This?"

The three winners were as follows:

1st Place Winner
Madeleine Hanks
Bountiful Jr. High
$500 United States Savings Bond plus $100 cash
Parents:	Troy and Becky
Favorite Subjects:	Science and Art
Talents:	Vocalist
Hobbies:	Working with horses, acting, singing, drawing
Past Awards:	Semi-finalist in school art contest
Teacher:	Mr. Whitlock

 

2nd Place Winner
Max Dearden
Bountiful Jr. High
$200 United States Savings Bond plus $100 cash
Parents:	Douglas and Sandra
Favorite Subject:	Guitar
Talents:	Making video movies
Hobbies:	Snowboarding

 

3rd Place Winner
Lynette Randall
North Layton Jr. High
$100 United States Savings Bond plus $100 cash
Parents:	Jason and Ann
Talents:	Writing, Art, Basketball
Hobbies:	Basketball, Rock Climbing
Goals:	Pediatrician
Past Awards:	First place in photography contest and First place in "Reflections" contest

The Davis County Democrat Party congratulates these winners and thanks all the students who participated.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democrat Party
dccwc@aol.com
Phone 776-0668

To The World--Bring Your Nuclear Waste to Utah

February 25, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

I am sending along this e-mail from John Urgo of HEAL (Healthy Environment Allance). We should all be aware that we do not want Utah to be the world's dumping ground for nuclear waste. Just so Energy Solutions can make lots of money. Please read about this issue and then take action.

Bob Van Velkinburgh

Recently, the Governor of Wyoming joined the growing roster of elected leaders from around the country who have spoken out against EnergySolutions’ plan to import Italian nuclear waste into the United States.

Congressmen from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Texas have led the charge at the national level. And even the South Carolina State Legislature may pass a resolution soon opposing EnergySolutions’ plan.

Yet, Utah’s elected leaders continue to remain embarrassingly silent

It’s time to break that silence. Please take a minute to call Gov. Huntsman at (801) 538-1000 and urge him to do everything in his power to stop EnergySolutions' importation of Italian nuclear waste and to voice his concerns about the proposal to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Click here for a sample message you can use and to let us know you called: LINK

Then, if you haven’t submitted your comments to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission yet, click here: LINK

Like Obi-Wan Kenobi, Governor Huntsman may be our only hope for keeping foreign nuclear waste from being dumped in Utah.

An agreement called the "Northwest Interstate Compact" gives Utah the right to specifically approve nuclear waste disposal arrangements before the waste can come to our state. That means Gov. Huntsman can say Utah is not open to Italy’s nuclear waste.

Gov. Huntsman is uncertain he has this power, and he has been reluctant to try to use it because he believes a deal he struck with EnergySolutions last year to try to limit the size of the dump prevents him from doing so.

But the force is with him. And even if he believes he is powerless to stop the Italian waste, or that his deal with EnergySolutions prevents him from doing so, Gov. Huntsman needs to stand up with those in Utah and around the nation concerned about the U.S. becoming the world’s nuclear waste dump. And, he has a responsibility to voice his concerns to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Please take a minute to call Gov. Huntsman at (801) 538-1000 and urge him to join with the citizens of his state to voice his concerns about EnergySolutions’ plan. And, ask him to do everything in his power to stop it: LINK

During his monthly news conference last week, Gov. Huntsman made clear he understands the national significance of this issue; that is, filling up our country’s already constrained nuclear dumps with the world’s nuclear garbage is bad policy for our state and our nation. Now he needs to take the next step and make those concerns clear to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Thank you to everyone who came to last week’s press conference at Caputo’s: LINK

Caputo’s, Lugano’s, and Cannella’s have all volunteered to post “No, Grazie to Italian Nuclear Waste” comment cards in their restaurants so tell your friends to sign one as they dine out!

John Urgo
HEAL Utah, Outreach Director
68 S. Main St, Suite 400
SLC, UT 84101
(801) 355-5055

Bill # 20 Amendments to Cities and Towns

Feb. 20, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

Can you give us a little help here in Syracuse? The House is ready to debate a bill that would let five and seven member councils change your city government. We have been through all this in Syracuse last year. It is costly. It is time consuming and it is difficult to get a referendum to take back your city government after your city council has changed it without you having a thing to say about the change.

Read the e-mail below which I plan to send to every lawmaker in the House of Representatives. Then take action. But hurry because time is short. Write a letter to the editor, phone or email your representative and tell them you don't want to be left out of the legislative process. If you want to know more about this bill phone me at 776-0668.

Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com

February 21, 2008
Utah House of Representatives
Dear Representative,

I am writing you concerning SB # 20 which is about Municipal Government Amendments. This bill should be voted down for the following reasons.

It allows five or seven member city councils to change the city government by a unanimous vote. The people have no recourse other than a referendum action. We went through this in Syracuse last year. Believe me; it is not hard to get five council members to think the same way, particularly when the struggle for political power is involved.

It allows the council, if a unanimous vote is not achievable, to change the city government if they allow the Mayor to vote. Last year we had a four to one vote for change. If this bill had been in effect we would have lost by four to two. There would still not be any input by the citizens.

The only way the citizens would have any input would be if the council takes its plan to the voters for approval or rejection, and the chances for that happening are slim to none.

Senator Scott Jenkins' remark that "I don't know that you can take every single move to a vote of the people," shows his lack of understanding of our Representative form of government. I bet you could count on the fingers of one hand the times that the Referendum process has been used by the people to change city ordinances in the past five years.

So please, please, please vote against this bill #20 which makes it easy to change our city governments by those who would grasp power.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
2081 West Craig Lane
Syracuse, Utah 84075
dccwc@aol.com

Attend Hearing on SB173 Clean Energy

Feb. 13, 2008

It is now offical. There will be a committee hearing on Senator Scott McCoy's clean energy bill # 173. The details are printed below. It is my hope many of you can find time to go. If you do go find John Urgo, Outreacher Director or Jessica Kendrick, Field Organizer and tell them you are from the Concerned Writers Club so we can get some crredit for supporting their group, the Healthy Environment Alliance (HEAL).

Thanks,

Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com

This Friday, the legislation that could finally deliver clean energy to Utah will be debated by its first Senate Committee.

But even though an overwhelming majority of Utahns (92%) support increased government incentives and investment in renewable energy, the “Real McCoy” Renewable Energy Provisions of 2008 could have a hard time passing out of committee.

We need your support on Friday to show our legislators that Utah needs clean energy now. Help us pack the committee room to support Sen. McCoy’s Renewable Energy Provisions (SB 173) and urge our legislators to do the same by passing it out of committee.

What: Senate Workforce Services Committee Hearing
When: Friday, February 15th, 8:00AM-10:00AM
Where: Room 15, West Building, State Capitol Complex

(Look for a HEAL Utah staff member outside the committee room to pick up an “I support the Real McCoy” sticker to wear during the hearing.)

Renewable Energy Provisions (SB 173) is the bill Utah needs to finally develop the clean energy we have in our state. The bill moves us from the 3% where we are now to 25% of our electricity coming from renewable energy sources—like wind, solar, and geothermal—by 2025. 26 states have already passed similar standards, including our neighbors in Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Utah can expect to lose out on the clean energy jobs and investment flowing into other western states until we create a market to drive the development of these resources here at home. The “Real McCoy” Renewable Energy Act creates that market and declares Utah open for business for the small energy developers and entrepreneurs working to bring clean energy resources online now.

Rocky Mountain Power and some of the other large energy providers in our state continue to lobby against the clean energy targets in Sen. McCoy’s bill, but we need to show them that simply maintaining the status quo won’t work for our air, our health, or our state any longer.

We need your presence Friday to keep Utah’s energy policy moving in the right direction. Please join us!

For more information, click here: LINK
For a fact sheet, click here: LINK

John Urgo
HEAL Utah, Outreach Director
68 S. Main St, Suite 400
SLC, UT 84101
(801) 355-5055

SB #173 Clean Energy Sources

February 13, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

Senator Scott McCoy (D-Salt Lake City) is sponsoring SB #173 which would mandate 25% of all electricity sold in Utah would have to come from clean non-polluting sources. This would have to be done by the year 2025. So far 26 other states have set similar standards. Clean energy means electricity produced by wind turbines, solar panels, thermal energy and other non polluting sources. These sources do not produce carbon dioxide gas which is known to cause global warming. The goal is achievable. Utah ranks second in the number of sunshine days per year. We have wind too. Check out the Capitol building. (Just kidding.)

Unfortunately Rocky Mountain Power, Utah's largest utility, doesn't like Senator McCoy's plan. They are supporting an alternate bill sponsored by Senator Curt Bramble (R-Provo) which would give utilities every advantage while we, the people, get shafted.

Senator Bramble's plan would be a voluntary one. I have yet to see an industry wide voluntary plan that has ever worked. Rocky Mountain Power would be allowed to comply or not depending on their whim. Also it would allow dirty coal generation if the carbon dioxide was sequestered. Carbon dioxide sequestration is the pumping of the gas underground and letting it fill the spaces in porous sandstone layers. This method is in the experimental stages. No one knows whether or not it will work and we don't know how expensive it will be. Nuclear power has the huge problem of disposal of highly radioactive fuel rods which will remain radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years. These two sources produce roughly 50% of our electricity. They are old fashioned ways of producing electricity. We must invest in clean renewable sources.

Senator Bramble's bill would reduce the goals of clean energy because of the carbon sequestration and nuclear generation.

A bad feature of Bramble's bill is that it would turn over the development of wind and solar energy to large corporations making it illegal for small-scale renewable energy developers from entering the market.

We need to start investing and developing sources of energy that will not harm our planet and will provide jobs for Utahans.

Won't you please write or call your Senator and Representative and urge them to pass Scott McCoy's SB #173.

I understand public hearings are scheduled for this Friday Feb. 15. Better check it out.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com

UFOG Action Alert

February 10, 2008

Action Alert

Dear CWC Member,

I am passing aalong this message at the request of Kim Wixon, Davis County Democrats. Kim is our representative who sits on the board of the Utah Foundation for Open Government (UFOG). Joel Campbell, who wrote this message is an assistant professor at Brigham Young University. I think Mr. Campbell's main point is that the public and journalists should not have to wait two weeks to read the minutes of any meeting as the minutes will not change in that time frame. But events go forward and by the end of fourteen days it may be too late to take action on what was accomplished at such a meeting.

Sincery,
Bob Van Velkinburgh

We need to tell all friends of open government about this: HB166, which would have required that public meeting minutes be available within 14 days, has now been substituted with language that requires the minutes to be public within 14 days. However, until the public body approves them they would be a "protected draft" under GRAMA. Initially the bill was a good thing, but the new language it makes it worse than the status quo in many areas. I am aware of many areas where the minutes are available soon after the meeting. As a journalist and citizen these are valuable resources. With this change, public officials would have an official excuse to withhold minutes. If only minutes are taken and no recording is made, the public might have to wait at least 14 days before they could find out what happened. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Mel Brown.

Read the entire bill at: LINK

This was passed out of committee and heads to the House floor. We need to call or e-mail our representatives.

Thanks, Joel

--
Joel Campbell
Assistant Professor - print journalism
Department of Communications
BRMB 360
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84062
--
Michael J. Fox
Executive Director
Utah Press Association
1521 East 3900 South, Suite 100
Salt Lake City, Utah 84124
801-308-0268 Fax 801-308-0269
michaeljfox@utahpress.com

Veterans Fund Raiser

February 7, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

Gary Baggs, one of our hardworking CWC members, has asked me to pass this message along to you. Gary has checked this out and it is true Utah Veterans will receive half the proceeds from this meat sale.

Bob Van Velkinburgh

Associate Food Stores and Macey's will be selling frozen meats out of the back of a trailer for the veterans at different Macey Locations. They will be selling stuff like 20 lbs of boneless/skinless chicken for like $20.00. There will be a variety of meats at good prices ..... Half the proceeds go to the vets.

Veterans Day Trailer Schedule Soldier fund raiser.

• Macey's West Jordan Sale February 8th & 9th.
  Trailer dropped off February 7th 4:30 p.m. picked up February 10th
   
• Macey's Spanish Fork Sale February 15th &16th.
  Trailer dropped off February 14th 4:30 p.m. picked up February 17th.
   
• Macey's Providence Sale February 22nd & 23rd.
  Trailer dropped off February 21st 4:30 p.m. picked up February 24th.
   
• Macey's Ogden Sale February 29th & March 1st.
  Trailer dropped off February 28th 4:30 p.m. picked up March 2nd.
   
• Macey's Sandy Sale March 7th & 8th.
  Trailer dropped off March 6th 4:30 p.m. picked up March 9th.
   
• Macey's Orem Sale March 14th & 15th.
  Trailer dropped off March 13th 4:30 p.m. picked up March 16th.
   
• Macey's Provo Sale March 21st & 22nd.
  Trailer dropped off March 20th 4:30 p.m. picked up March 23rd.
   
• Macey's Pleasant Grove Sale March 28th & 29th.
  Trailer dropped off March 27th 4:30 p.m. picked up March 30th.
   
• Macey's Tooele Sale April 4th & 5th.
  Trailer dropped off April 3rd 4:30 p.m. picked up April 6th.
   
• Macey's Clearfield Sale April 11th & 12th.
  Trailer dropped off April 10th 4:30 p.m. picked up April 13th.

Attack of Michelle Obama

Feb. 5, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

Here is a e-mail from one of our CWC members which I am forwarding for your information.

Bob Van Velkinburgh

Subject: Deseret News - Racist attack on Michelle Obama, 5 Feb 2008

Many of us are disturbed this morning, due to the Deseret News' failed attempt at political humor. I don't know if this has been forwarded to you or not, but their OTHER "humor editorial" was a failed screed on Political Correct voting.

Notice how the "satire" on Mitt Romney is very gentle, and Michelle Obama is compared to a Utah Jazz player (and they obviously do NOT mean Kirilenko).

They are also SEVERELY limiting the comments that can be made to the article.

It took me four tries to get through to a posted comment.

Here's the URL.

It MAY disappear, so I've also copy/pasted the entire thing below.

LINK

Kris B
Layton,

A referendum is submitting a law, proposed or already in effect, to a direct vote of the people, either locally or statewide. It provides a direct check on lawmakers when they pass a law the citizens think is contrary to the public good. The referendum is a part of our state Constitution and to do away with it would require amending our Constitution. Not likely. However you can make it ineffective. By shortening the time allowed to file a referendum you can make it impossible to fill all the requirements necessary to put it on the ballot.

Senate bill #54 is a step in that direction, because it shortens the time required from June 1 to April 15. This cuts down the time to file the referendum petition by approximately 48 days.

If you have ever participated in a referendum action you should know this is no small task. You have to write the petition in the proper language. You have to raise lots of money particulary if it is a state wide action. You have to inform the public of what the action is all about. Finally you have to have an organization of volunteers who will knock on doors and ask for signatures. It is quite an undertaking and requires lots of time. Senator Goodfellow's bill should extend the time deadline by 60 to 90 days from June 1 not shorten it to April 15.

I have written to Senator Goodfellow asking him what his rational is for this bill but he has not answered my e-mails.

Perhaps if you would write or phone him he would see there is interest in his bill by the public and let us know what he has in mind. Below is his e-mail address and phone number.

E-mail ...	bgoodfellow@utahsenate.org
Home phone ...	801-968-0626
Cell ...	801-556-4871

Senator Goodfellow is the Minority Caucus Manager

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com

"If you were in, you're out," will be my mantra as I cast my next ballot. It is my hope that other voters take up the same mantra for the next and subsequent elections until all who were in the Utah Legislature last year and in 2001 are out.

If you were a member of that duly elected body that pushed for school vouchers despite the fact that it was legislation the majority of the us, the people, did not want - you're in my cross hairs.

In his Dec. 23 column, Paul Rolly said, "The Utah Education Association and the state Democratic Party are formulating their target lists of Republican legislators . . . ," but I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat. My wrath is bipartisan. I want you all out. Innocent lawmakers may fall victim to my anger. I don't care. If you were there and didn't or couldn't stop it, you were ineffectual. You need to be gone.

A democracy has no greater power than that of its people. It's time for the people of Utah - Republican, Democrat, independent - to get righteously angry. We must get civically angry now and maintain our anger right on through Election Day. The power-hungry and the ineffectual have been misrepresenting their constituents for too long, and they count on our short memories to get re-elected. They need to be gone and we need to remember.

"If you were in, you're out" must also extend to members of the 2001 Utah Legislature, the elected body that took it upon itself to redistrict our state to better serve its own political purposes.

Again I refer to Paul Rolly's column of Dec. 23 as my source. If you considered it politically clever to split Moab in half in order to cripple the traditionally Democratic stronghold - you need to be out. If you were part of a process that found it morally acceptable to reassign a Sandy community to a Draper district so you could eliminate a Democratic colleague - you're reprehensible and you should be out.

If you were there and allowed "one of the most blatant power grabs by one party in history" to unfold - you're weak and ineffectual and you need to be out. Stan Lockhart, chairman of the Utah Republican Party, told us in his rebuttal to Paul Rolly (Dec. 30, Salt Lake Tribune) that Republican legislators are "pure public servants" that "represent the morals and ideals of Utahns."

I disagree. Self-servitude and gerrymandering (which is exactly what it was) are repulsive to the morals and values of the majority of Utahns, be they Republican or Democrat. If protecting Utah's future requires unethical practices by those we elect to represent us, then the ends do not justify the means. If you think noble ends come by sleazy means, and if you are an elected servant of the people - then you need to be voted out.

The grapes of wrath are temporarily stored in the Utah State Legislature. It's time for we, the people, to trample them out before the entire vintage is soured. It's time for us to elect replacements who fully realize they serve the people., and if they don't - they're out.

---

* SHERELYNN GRAY is a high school teacher at the Utah State Prison. She has been teaching in Utah for 32 years and at the prison for five years. She lives in Murray.

Michelle Obamba visits SLC

February 2, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

I just received this e-mail from Kim Wixon and am passing it along for your consideration.

Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democratic Party
dccwc@aol.com

I just signed up to attend a free event with Michelle Obama in Salt Lake City on Monday, February 4th. Please forward this to all the Davis County Democrats.

You can RSVP here: LINK

I thought you might want to come. Here are the details:

Stand for Change Rally with Michelle Obama

Salt Palace Convention Center
100 South West Temple
(Please use the Salt Palace entrance at 300 West)
Meeting Room 255
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Monday, February 4th, 2008
Doors open: 11:00 a.m.
Program begins: 11:45 a.m.

Davis Democrat Breakfast Meeting

February 2, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

Announcement

The Davis Democrats will meet Saturday February 9, at Granny Annie's Family Restaurant located at 286 N 400 W, Kaysville for their monthly breakfast. Breakfast is served at 8:30 AM. The general public is invited. Special guest speaker.

Check out our web site. We have got it up and going now. Click on the CWC at the top of the site. You will find some new stuff and information there. In case you don't know the Democrat web-site it is < daviscountydemocrats.org >

Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democrats
dccwc@aol.com

Michelle Obamba Visit to Salt Lake

January 31, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

I just received the following e-mail from Kim Wixon, Vice Chair of the Democrat Party in Davis County.

Dear CWC friends,

I think I was confused or confused Bob, Michelle Obama will be in Salt Lake on Monday, not Friday.

Sorry for the problem.

As soon as I hear when and where, I’ll let everyone know.

Kim Wixon
419-7941
Vice Chair Davis County Democratic Party

Barack Obama News conference

January 31, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

Kim Wixson has asked me to inform you of a Barack Obama press conference to be held tomorrow, February 1 at the Obama Hdqs. The location is1747 South 900 West in Salt Lake City. The news conference takes place at 10:00 AM. Michell Obama will be conducting the press conference. The general public is invited and especially those from Davis County.

Thanks,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democratic Party
dccwc@aol.com

Referendum Bill #54

January 25, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

Senator Brent Goodfellow is the sole sponser of S.B. #54 which will, among other things, shorten the time limit for gathering signatures on a referendum action.

A referendum is submitting a law, proposed or already in effect, to a direct vote of the people, either locally or statewide. It provides a direct check on lawmakers when they pass a law the citizens think is contrary to the public good. The referendum is a part of our state Constitution and to do away with it would require amending our Constitution. Not likely. However you can make it ineffective. By shortening the time allowed to file a referendum you can make it impossible to fill all the requirements necessary to put it on the ballot.

Senate bill #54 is a step in that direction, because it shortens the time required from June 1 to April 15. This cuts down the time to file the referendum petition by approximately 48 days.

If you have ever participated in a referendum action you should know this is no small task. You have to write the petition in the proper language. You have to raise lots of money particulary if it is a state wide action. You have to inform the public of what the action is all about. Finally you have to have an organization of volunteers who will knock on doors and ask for signatures. It is quite an undertaking and requires lots of time. Senator Goodfellow's bill should extend the time deadline by 60 to 90 days from June 1 not shorten it to April 15.

I have written to Senator Goodfellow asking him what his rational is for this bill but he has not answered my e-mails.

Perhaps if you would write or phone him he would see there is interest in his bill by the public and let us know what he has in mind. Below is his e-mail address and phone number.

E-mail ...	bgoodfellow@utahsenate.org
Home phone ...	801-968-0626
Cell ...	801-556-4871

Senator Goodfellow is the Minority Caucus Manager

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com

Democrat Planning Meeting

January 21, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

Richard Watson has asked me to remind you of the Democrat planning meeting Thursday Jan 24, to be held at the Davis County Courthouse, 28 East State St. in Farmington. Come to the Commissioner's Chambers. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM.

We will be planning for the Cacus meetings to be held in March. In addition we will discuss candidate recruitment for Davis County.

Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democratic Party

A Real "Firebrand"

January 16, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

If you didn't see this article in this Sunday's, Jan 13, Tribune here is a copy. It was written by Sherelynn Gray who teaches at the Utah State Prison. I do not know Sherelynn personally but I would like to make her acquaintance. She sounds like my kind of person. I wish we could get more Republicans to read this and act on it.

Bob Van Velkinburgh

Voters' mantra for 2008: Throw the bums out - all of them
Sherelynn Gray
Article Last Updated: 01/12/2008 03:30:07 PM MST

"If you were in, you're out," will be my mantra as I cast my next ballot. It is my hope that other voters take up the same mantra for the next and subsequent elections until all who were in the Utah Legislature last year and in 2001 are out.

If you were a member of that duly elected body that pushed for school vouchers despite the fact that it was legislation the majority of the us, the people, did not want - you're in my cross hairs.

In his Dec. 23 column, Paul Rolly said, "The Utah Education Association and the state Democratic Party are formulating their target lists of Republican legislators . . . ," but I don't care if you're a Republican or Democrat. My wrath is bipartisan. I want you all out. Innocent lawmakers may fall victim to my anger. I don't care. If you were there and didn't or couldn't stop it, you were ineffectual. You need to be gone.

A democracy has no greater power than that of its people. It's time for the people of Utah - Republican, Democrat, independent - to get righteously angry. We must get civically angry now and maintain our anger right on through Election Day. The power-hungry and the ineffectual have been misrepresenting their constituents for too long, and they count on our short memories to get re-elected. They need to be gone and we need to remember.

"If you were in, you're out" must also extend to members of the 2001 Utah Legislature, the elected body that took it upon itself to redistrict our state to better serve its own political purposes.

Again I refer to Paul Rolly's column of Dec. 23 as my source. If you considered it politically clever to split Moab in half in order to cripple the traditionally Democratic stronghold - you need to be out. If you were part of a process that found it morally acceptable to reassign a Sandy community to a Draper district so you could eliminate a Democratic colleague - you're reprehensible and you should be out.

If you were there and allowed "one of the most blatant power grabs by one party in history" to unfold - you're weak and ineffectual and you need to be out. Stan Lockhart, chairman of the Utah Republican Party, told us in his rebuttal to Paul Rolly (Dec. 30, Salt Lake Tribune) that Republican legislators are "pure public servants" that "represent the morals and ideals of Utahns."

I disagree. Self-servitude and gerrymandering (which is exactly what it was) are repulsive to the morals and values of the majority of Utahns, be they Republican or Democrat. If protecting Utah's future requires unethical practices by those we elect to represent us, then the ends do not justify the means. If you think noble ends come by sleazy means, and if you are an elected servant of the people - then you need to be voted out.

The grapes of wrath are temporarily stored in the Utah State Legislature. It's time for we, the people, to trample them out before the entire vintage is soured. It's time for us to elect replacements who fully realize they serve the people., and if they don't - they're out.

---

* SHERELYNN GRAY is a high school teacher at the Utah State Prison. She has been teaching in Utah for 32 years and at the prison for five years. She lives in Murray.

Nuclear Power Costs

January 14, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

Here are some interesting points to remember about nuclear power generation. Please read and then send a message to your lawmaker and ask about nuclear power generation. I am sending this letter to every member of the House and Senate.

Thanks.
Bob Van Velkinburgh

THE ECONOMIC COSTS OF BUILDING AND OPERATING NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

In the early 1950's the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, Lewis Strauss predicted that one day nuclear produced electricity would be "to cheap to meter". Over fifty years have gone by and we are still waiting for that day to come. As a matter of fact nuclear power in the United States has become too expensive to afford.

Susan Sargent writing in the Portland (Main) Press Herald says, "The nuclear industry has received, over the years, 60 percent of all federal energy research and development dollars. Yet customers of nuclear utilities still pay far higher prices than their conventionally supplied counterparts."

A study by the Energy Information Agency reveals the average bill from a nuclear utility was more than two dollars per kilowatt/hour higher and nearly $17 per month more than conventional utility electricity.

"One of the primary problems with nuclear power," Susan contends, "is its inability to perform without Federal and State subsidies. According to the Congressional Research Service, the nuclear industry has received more than $60 billion in taxpayer research and development subsidies."

At present there are 103 nuclear power plants in the United States. Notice I did not say they are all operating. Due to safety concerns many are shut down for maintenance and other reasons. It is not unusual for a nuclear power plant to be off line for three to six months. One can understand that this would add to the operating costs. There are about 400 nuclear power plants scattered around the world which produce about 17 percent of the world's electricity needs. Nuclear plants in the U. S. produce about 15 percent. In 1969 the first nuclear plant came on line in the United States. Since the expected life of a nuclear plant is estimated to be forty years we can expect to start retiring and dismantling our nuclear plants from 2009 and beyond. This process is very expensive and must be charged to capitol investment.

Let's look at some of the costs to subsidize this single energy source. Secretary of Energy, Samuel Bodman, requested $24.3 billion in discretionary funding for fiscal year 2008. This is like giving the fox the key to the chicken house. Additionally the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) wants $9.38 billion in FY 2008. That's to guard the chicken house so nobody will bother the fox.

In a study by the U. S. National Academy of Sciences the extra cost of dealing with just the spent fuel that has already accumulated was estimated to be not less than $50 billion and could easily exceed $100 billion. Add these costs to the production of nuclear produced electricity and you can see it is no bargain.

Michele Boyd, Legislative Director, Public Citizen's Energy Program gives us some insights on the Bush budget. "(The) Bush Administration Budget Proposes to Squander More Than a Billion Dollars on Unsafe and Polluting Nuclear Power and Nuclear Waste Programs for FY 2008. ….the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to waste another $1.3 billion for nuclear power programs in pursuit of dangerous policies to revive the nuclear industry, restart nuclear waste reprocessing in the United States, and resuscitate the failing Yucca mountain nuclear waste repository project…"

Boyd lays out the following items of nuclear subsidies:

$4 billion in proposed loan guarantees for nuclear and coal plants for FY 2008… $802 million for nuclear power and research… $114 million for the Nuclear Power 2010 program, which pays the wealthy nuclear industry for half the cost of applying for new reactors and licensing new designs… $36.1 million for developing designs for the "next generation" of nuclear reactors. $405 million in FY 2008 for the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), a program to promote reprocessing the most polluting part of the nuclear cycle, plutonium. According to the National Academy of Sciences, a full-scale reprocessing of plutonium fuel program for the waste that we have today would cost at least $100 billion(1997 dollars)…"

These numbers absolutely boggle one's mind. I guess you know who will be picking up the tab for all these government handouts? That's right, the good old taxpayer. When you factor in the government subsidies you can see nuclear generated electricity is not cheap. It is time to let this old fashioned industry die a natural death and focus on clean and far less expensive energy sources that are renewable and sustainable. The technology is already developed. These sources are just waiting their turn.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com

I am indebted to Beth Wellington writing in the Law Library Resource Exchange, published February 12, 2007 for her research on this subject. For further details go to www.llrx.com/node/1784/print

Google these sites for more information.
Energy Justice Network
Pew Center on Global Climate Change
United Nations Environmental Program

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com

Davis County Democrats Breakfast

January 7, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

You don't want to miss this brealfast. It's coming down to the wire in February and we could have a decisive role in the outcome.

The Davis County Democrats will meet for their monthly breakfast this Saturday, January 12. Breakfast will be served starting at 8:30 at Granny Annie's Restaurant located at 286 N 400 W in Kaysville.

Guest speakers will include representatives from the Obama, Clinton, Edwards, and Richardson campaigns. The general public is invited.

Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democratic Party
dccwc@aol.com
Phone 1-801-776-0668

Davis County Democrats Breakfast

January 7, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

You don't want to miss this brealfast. It's coming down to the wire in February and we could have a decisive role in the outcome.

The Davis County Democrats will meet for their monthly breakfast this Saturday, January 12. Breakfast will be served starting at 8:30 at Granny Annie's Restaurant located at 286 N 400 W in Kaysville. Guest speakers will include representatives from the Obama, Clinton, Edwards, and Richardson campaigns. The general public is invited.

Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democratic Party
dccwc@aol.com
Phone 1-801-776-0668

The Science of Atomic Radioactivity

January 2, 2008

Dear CWC Member,

Remember that e-mail I recently sent to you regarding some changes in the Freedom of Information Act? Those changes would have strengthened the FIA, making it more transparent and setting up penalties for violations. There was some concerns whether President Bush would sign it. Well, guess what, he did sign it and it is now the law of the land.

I am in the process of writing three articles about building a nuclear plant in Utah. I plan to send a e-mail copy to each Utah lawmaker. Below is the first article. Please feel free to write me your comments about it, positive or negative.

Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com

THE SCIENCE OF ATOMIC RADIOACTIVITY

A few weeks ago I e-mailed every Utah Senator and House member asking them to respond to the question of whether or not we should build a nuclear power generating plant in Utah. The responses were few and varied. From those replies I could see that many lawmakers were undecided or they needed more information.

In the next few weeks I will send you several articles I have written which may help you understand more about radioactivity and the generating of electricity from nuclear fission. The information will be as accurate as I can make it and it will be truthful. I must tell you that I am not an advocate for the building of a nuclear plant in Utah, so feel free to disagree and take issue with me.

When we review a few things we learned in our high school physics and chemistry classes we see that as the atomic number of an element gets greater and the atomic mass increases the less stable the atoms of that element becomes. To achieve stability it releases particles and electromagnetic radiations. Among the radiations is infrared radiation. We know this as heat. With each "decay" the atom changes identity until it reaches a stable state. All we want, in order to generate electricity, is the heat. To get it we have to put up with all the other dangerous radioactive garbage. If you take a pure sample of Uranium-238 (238 is the total mass of the protons and neutrons measured in atomic mass units, (AMU), how long do you think it will take for half of that sample to achieve stability? The answer is 4.5 billion years. Then if you want to wait another 4.5 billion years ¾ of the original sample will have decayed. And so on. This process is known as the half-life of a radioactive element. There are 14 decays, all of them produce a radioactive element, that will take place in that 4.5 billion year time span until at last it is stable as lead (Pb). Not to worry, we don't want to use the U-238 in our fuel rods. We want U-235, an isotope of U-238 and its half-life is only 704 million years. To think that we can reprocess spent fuel rods and in 20 or 30 years the material will be harmless is just wishful thinking.

Is all this worth it? Nuclear power and coal fired generation are outdated, old fashioned technologies. Why spend billions of dollars trying to improve them when we should be researching new, clean, renewable and sustainable energy sources?

One last thing. It is said that nuclear power generation is carbon dioxide free and thus will not contribute to global warming. Don't you believe it. If you start with the mining of uranium ore it will require energy. If the energy is in the form of electricity the chances are it came from a coal fired plant and that means polluting the atmosphere. Then you have to bring it to the surface and grind it to dust. Energy involved here. Next you have to smelt it and process it to "yellow-cake." Lots of energy involved here. The yellow-cake must be processed to get the pure U-238. More energy. U-238 has the isotope U-235 which makes up 0.7 percent of the total and must be processed to separate it from U-238. Lots of energy involved here. Then there is processing the spent fuel rods and transporting them somewhere. We don't know where after 38 years of thinking about it. Notice that everywhere I mentioned the use of energy it means energy that is putting carbon dioxide and other toxic gases into the atmosphere. One might say that we could use wind or solar energy to accomplish all these operations. I say, why run it through an obsolete nuclear plant. Why not just put it on the electric grid and use it. "It's clear to me there is a lot of greenhouse gases attached to nuclear power generation. What do you think?

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh

Freedom of Information Act News Release

December 26, 2007

Dear CWC Member,

Kim Wixom, vice- chair for the Davis Democratic Party, has asked me to pass along a bit of good news for you. Kim is our representative who sits on the board of The Utah Foundation for Open Government. This is a news release concerning changes in the national Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) which set forth penalties for agencies not in compliance with the act. The announcements follows.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democratic Party
dccwc@aol.com

Dec. 19, 2007

COLUMBIA, MO.: The passage of important bipartisan reforms to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a victory for citizens seeking access to information about their government. The National Freedom of Information Coalition - comprised of representatives of 48 state and regional freedom of information groups - applauds work of all who worked to make these critical reforms a reality.

The NFOIC joined dozens of non-profits to spearhead the reform, and its member FOI coalitions played a vital role, working at the grass-roots level across the country to advocate for changes to the federal Freedom of Information Act.

"This is a victory for the American people, and a welcome example of bipartisan compromise that reconciled differences between the House and Senate bills," said Charles N. Davis, executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition and an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. "It's important for us all to remember whom the federal Freedom of Information Act, and indeed all open government laws, were created for."

If signed by President Bush, The new OPEN Government Act would:

• Penalize agencies, for the first time, if they missed the 20-day statutory deadline for responding to a FOIA request. The penalty for delays would be a waiver of the processing fee.
• Create an Ombudsman to assist FOIA requestors and provide an alternative to costly and lengthy litigation.
• Clarify that FOIA applies to government records held by outside private contractors;
• Establish a FOIA hotline service for all federal agencies and electronic tracking of all requests.
• Reestablish the right of requesters to recover legal fees if they file suit and "substantially prevail," without the case going to final court judgment.
• Improve the reporting requirements to create greater performance accountability.

"This bipartisan legislation is an early Christmas present for the citizenry, as it would greatly speed up the process that thousands of taxpaying Americans have invested in and use daily," Davis said.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA), Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA), Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO), Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) and Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX) led the effort to pass this legislation. Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) also played a key role in getting this legislation over the finish line.

NFOIC members contacted several key players in the reform movement and provided sign-on letters for coalition members to join. The national headquarters worked with an array of non-profit advocacy groups on the issue and wrote repeatedly to leaders in Congress, calling for change.

"The people spoke, and this time Congress listened," Davis said. "Freedom of information is an elemental component of a representative democracy, enabling citizens to serve as civic watchdogs."

The National Freedom of Information, headquartered at the University of Missouri, is funded through a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Established in 1950, the John S. and James L. Knight foundation makes national grants in journalism, education and arts and culture. Its fourth program, community initiatives, is concentrated in 26 communities where the Knight brothers published newspapers, but the foundation is wholly separate from and independent of those newspapers.

United States Energy Policy

December 16, 2007

Dear CWC member,

UNITED STATES ENERGY POLICY

There is no overall energy policy in the United States and to my knowledge there never has been! If you want to count gasoline rationing in WWII then maybe. By and large we have put our trust in the market. The free enterprise system has led us down a path of dependence on fossil fuels and now we see, not a light at the end of the tunnel, but a cul- de- sac.

We should start with a five year goal of reducing our dependence on fossil energy and focus on renewable and sustainable energy. After five years we should assess the progress made, revise the program and drop those ideas that are marginal. At this time we can add promising new approaches for achieving clean, abundant energy.

This energy policy should be adequately funded. A massive program of energy conservation should be initiated. Nonessential use of electricity should be severely cut back. Examples would be replacement of all incandescent lighting in homes and businesses and should be replaced by Light Emitting Diode (LED) and florescent lighting. A tax should be put on those businesses which use excessive lighted marketing signs. Mileage standards for autos and trucks should be mandated. Progress is being made in this direction but it is not enough nor fast enough! We have to get serious about energy production and usage!

One of the dumbest ideas fostered on the American citizentry was the making of ethanol fuel out of grains and corn. This idea comes from Cargill Inc. and Archer Daniels Midland, two of the largest seed and fertilizer producers in the world. I guess you can see where they are coming from. Ethanol processing distillation plants are popping up all over the grain belt. Not only has the demand pushed up the prices of pork, beef, and chicken hitting the consumer in the pocketbook, but when you compare the amount of energy needed to produce a gallon of ethanol you find it takes about 1.25 gallons of energy equivalent to produce 1 gallon of ethanol. That's a loser from the start. It's time to turn away from the old fashioned ideas of obtaining energy from fossil sources and concentrate on obtaining cheap, clean, nonpolluting, and sustainable sources of energy.

I know I have barely scratched the surface of this issue. This should be the subject of an intense debate not only during the 2008 campaign but into 2009 until we can get some sweeping and significant changes. I don't want to hear anything about the abortion issue, the morality of stem cell research, the homosexuality issues, the changing of the Constitution to define marriage, and prayer in the schools. While these subjects are important to some people, they have been around for some time now (many years in some cases) so let's put them on the back burner and work on something that is despertly important to us all.

This week the Senate passed their version of an energy bill and it will now go to committee for reconciliation. President Bush has said he will sign it. You have heard of watered down chicken soup haven't you? This bill is so weak that all they did was let the chicken walk through a bowl of warm water and then they called it chicken soup. There was only one good thing in it and that was increasing the Motor Vehicle Fuel Consumption Standards, but the U.S. auto companies were going to do that anyway because the foreign made cars were eating their lunch. The Democrats wanted to fund research on clean energy by taking away the subsidies given by the Bush administration to the fossil industries. The Republicans called that "raising taxes" and the Democrats had to pull it from the bill.

I haven't said all the things I would have liked but I am sure your eyeballs are getting crossed by now. Your comments are welcome.

Nuclear Survey Results

December 3, 2007

Dear Concerned Writers Club Member,

Don't forget breakfast this Saturday Dec. 8 at Granny Annies.

I recently sen a e-mail to every member of our Utah Senate and House of Representatives (104 e-mails in all). I asked them to tell me if they were or were not in favor of building a nuclear powered electrical generating plant in Utah. Below are the results of this survey.

Here are the results of the survey I recently sent you about building a nuclear power plant in Utah.

• Total legislators surveyed, 104
• Number responding, 15 (14.4%)
• Number Senators responses--- 8
• Number of Representative responses--- 7
• Total responses against building nuclear plant--- 1
• Total responses for building nuclear plant--- 6
• Total responses undecided about nuclear plant--- 8

House Vote

• Against---0
• For---2
• Undecided---5

Senate Vote

• Against--- 1
• For--- 4
• Undecided--- 3

Comment: I realize this sample is too small to draw any valid conclusions. I was disappointed more legislators did not respond. However it does offer me a couple of clues. One is that there is probably a lot of legislators who are misinformed and also many who need more information about nuclear energy. It is my hope this issue will not come up in the next legislative session. The public as well as their elected representatives need to be more knowledgeable about all the nuclear issues involved.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
2081 West Craig Lane
Syracuse, Utah 84075
dccwc@aol.com

P. S.
Perhaps you remember reading in the Salt Lake Tribune Oct 17 about how two of our House Representatives formed a company called Transitional Power Development, LLC. The purpose of this company was to control the water rights of the Green River so they could sell the water rights to a future nuclear power plant. The water rights would be sufficient to supply water to to 30,000 households a year. Representative Mike Noel and Representative Aaron Tilton both deny any conflict of interest. Maybe not but it's enough to gag a skunk. We need to be watching very carefully to see how this develops in the Legislative session. Maybe you should drop Mike and Aaron, the nuclear twins, a line and let them know how you feel about the fine job they are doing representing the people of Utah.

Hello Again

November 25, 2007

Dear Concerned Writers Club Member,

The November election is over and we can now start planning for the big one in 2008. I apologize for not being very active on this e-mail site but I was devoting a lot of time to the Syracuse political battle. And it must have paid off.

We took our city government back from the city council which had changed our city government without a vote of the citizens. We defeated two of the incumbent council members who had voted for the change. We restored the Mayor's CEO power. We backed and elected two of our candidates. We defeated a referendum that would have prevented the sale of alcohol beverages in restaurants.

As you know local city politics are not partisan driven so this was a case of Republicans, Democrats, and Unaffiliated citizens working together to let their elected representatives know where the real political power resides. In the People! It was a beautiful thing to behold and I am glad I was a part of it.

We must turn our sights on breathing life into the Davis County Democratic Party. Our next meeting will be the monthly breakfast at Granny Annie's Restaurant, 286 North 400 West in Kaysville, December 8 at 8:30. Mark that date on your calendar and come meet fellow democrats for a little socializing.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
Director of Publicity
Davis County Democrats
dccwc@aol

News release

October 29, 2007

ANNOUNCEMENT

The Davis County Democratic Party announces the third annual Constitution Essay Contest, open to all eighth grade students in the Davis School District. Application forms will be available after November 6, 2007 from the Social Studies teachers. The contest will close December 18, 2007 and awards will be presented at a place and date to be determined.

Prizes totaling $1000 in cash and United States savings bonds will be awarded. Winners last year were; Carson Steverson from Central Davis Jr. High, Kaylee White from Bountiful Jr. High, and Jessica Paget from Farmington Jr. High.

The subject of this year's essay is, WHICH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU AND WHY?

This topic was chosen because it emphasizes that the Constitution is a living, growing document that has relevance to all citizens.

For further information and details contact;
Beverly Dawson
Chairwoman
Constitution Essay Committee
E-mail jamesdawson77@msn.com
Phone 546-6428

The 50% Solution

August 10, 2007

Dear CWC Member,

It's open season on property taxes again. All over Utah citizens are receiving their estimated property tax notices. That grinding sound you hear is the teeth of the tax payers. That is why this article is so appropriate. Read about the 50% solution and then let me hear your comments and ideas on the subject.

Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com

THE 50% SOLUTION

Wouldn't it be great to have your property taxes for education reduced by 50%? There is a way to do this according to Chuck Schumer, Senator from New York. In his new book "Positively American" Schumer outlines a plan to do just that.

The first thing that has to be done is for a local school district to freeze property taxes that go to education. Due to inflation and preventing increased property taxes targeted for public education your property taxes could be reduced by 50% over the next ten years. Of course we all know that inflation increases property valuations and since your property is worth more you pay more taxes. By preventative increases Schumer means raising taxes due to increased enrollment as an example.

In this plan the difference between the freeze funds and what would be needed to provide an adequate education program would be made up by using federal dollars.

Where would this money come from? It would come from revising the Federal Tax Code so that the wealthy and big businesses pay their fair share. The Senator says "this is not class warfare but a rational update based on structural changes in the economy."

Real wealth is not based entirely on property values as it once was but today wealth is based on income both investment and earned income.

There are some serious inequities in taxing property for public schools. Many citizens do not have children or have children no longer attending public schools. There is that older couple who live up the street from you. They are retired. They have paid off their house mortgage and are living off a small pension and Social Security. Is it fair for them to pay school property taxes?

One big problem is that people will not tax themselves enough to adequately fund scho