Always Watching
You have to wonder if all these good parents actually know their kids. Certainly, they have no faith in them. Enter the micromanaging Utah Legislature, which is keeping us on our toes with its on-again/off-again bill to enslave teachers and take away any discretion in the classroom. Never mind that teachers have studied their craft and have earned certificates and degrees to show that. Rep. Jordan Teuscher, an attorney, knows better because he's so danged smart and was elected to make decisions for us. Yeah, yeah, the Legislature is supposed to "oversee" education. Teuscher says he's just trying to "alleviate" one of the stresses teachers have by providing more transparency to parents. But parents need only go to the schools and talk to the teachers or—better yet—talk to their kids. They don't need to act like Big Brother in the classroom.
Watch-dogging
He has alternately referred to himself on Twitter as "Unfortunate Division Creator," "Vexatious Requestor," "Marauding Journalist" and just plain "Bryan Schott." It all depends on which public figure has decided to deflect from themselves and make the news about the messenger. Schott, now of The Salt Lake Tribune, has become the favorite whipping boy of anyone who'd rather not take questions, who point one finger at Schott and not realize that the others all point back. The latest happened when Congressman Burgess Owens snapped at him for working at "the racist Trib." Suffice it to say that Owens was hoping to spread a lie that he wasn't "invited" to the Democratic caucus meeting he spurned. Schott is also being blamed for highlighting public documents about security measures at the governor's Fairview home. Schott calls the strategy "shockingly opaque," in that the governor tends to comment once something goes public and then only through social media. Why? Because politicians want to control the narrative. Instead, they've given Schott a bigger platform, and highlighted the importance of journalism.
Think Bigger
The Salt Lake Tribune let everyone know that housing is an issue—duh. One in four respondents to a recent poll think growth is a problem affecting affordability, access and health. The Trib even opined about it. "Smart urbanization, rather than ever-more-sprawling suburbanization, can fill in parts of our cities with multi-unit housing that is attractive to families—families who will repopulate Salt Lake City schools, spreading the load and making use of existing buildings." It's all good that the focus is on building more affordable housing and increasing access to public transit, but give us a break. The air is toxic and the water is scarce. Our state government needs to require green building, provide hospice to the dying fossil fuel industry and preserve the threatened natural wonders that Utah is famous for. Maybe government should start with exercising its iron hand over the development of the Utah Inland Port.
