Lifesavers
Have you heard of the Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment? They're the people who want you to be able to breathe in a state whose natural beauty is surpassed only by its polluted air. "Clean Air, Clean Energy and a Clean Future for Utah!" is UPHE's motto. To celebrate 10 years of activism, Dr. Arden Pope rolled out scientific studies last week about how pollution causes deaths—lots of deaths. Board president Dr. Brian Moench said, "You are all 'sensitive populations.'" Turns out they're really serious about saving us from death. No fault of the presentation, but I collapsed without a pulse. I awoke on the floor with a gaggle of doctors surrounding me. Dr. Nathan Buck had done chest compressions. You know it worked because it broke my ribs—and saved my life. "You're lucky in that I came within about five seconds of having to give you mouth to mouth," Moench said. "In case you want to know any more about being lucky, or how special you are, only about 10 percent of people who have a cardiac arrest survive if no one gives them CPR." The lesson here: Learn CPR now and donate to UPHE.
More Not Less
Shocking! Oh, the school fees that keep kids from participating in the fun stuff—like cheerleading. We are so glad the Office of the Legislative Auditor General is drawing attention to this terrible state of extracurricular affairs. But wait. We're talking school, aren't we? You know, the place where Utah says we do better with less than any state. Not. The website for Question 1 on the November ballot is downright frightening: Half of our kids aren't proficient in English, math and science; teacher salaries are the sixth lowest in the nation, and our class sizes are the third largest. And Gov. Gary Herbert is pleading with teachers to come back to Utah, according to the Associated Press. Yes, half of new teachers leave the profession in five years. If this disturbs you, then you should vote for Question 1 to add 10 cents to the gas tax. If not, you need to worry about the cost of cheerleading.
What Are Rules?
Not to give little Jason Chaffetz any more press, but really? "I'm kind of offended by the idea that somebody thinks they can renegotiate the rules of the Senate," he told Fox & Friends. Of course, he's talking about the Kavanaugh-Ford testimony. You know—how dare they try to renegotiate Senate rules. Chaffetz says he "thinks" it was Thomas Jefferson who made those rules for just such an instance. In fact, Jefferson's Manual of Parliamentary Practice, according to the U.S. Senate, was more about order and decorum—people not hissing and spitting at the speakers.
