Open Source of Controversy
Given that everyone uses Wikipedia—even when warned of its limitations—it's good to see that the Wiki wonks are hard at work on integrity. First, according to tech-news website Ars Technica, Wikipedia has temporarily blocked most members and staff of the U.S. House of Representatives from editing anonymously because those bad boys have been saying things about Donald Rumsfeld being an alien reptile, and that Choco Tacos are a favorite in House vending machines. Now we have Anthony Willey, a BYU grad and Wikipedia administrator, taking on religious editing. He got started because the post about Mormons focused on polygamy. Duh. All religions are fair game, and account for the top 100 "altered topics," according to Religious News Service. One Newsweek commenter suggested that Wikipedia is leftist drivel and people should turn to Conservapedia.
Think Again
Seems the governor can't please either of Utah's leading dailies when it comes to education. Columnists in both The Salt Lake Tribune and the Deseret News took on Gov. Gary Herbert for his lack of testosterone on the issue of the Common Core. Paul Rolly "expressed concern" that Herbert is becoming a tool of Gayle Ruzicka and the like, while John Florez pointed out, again, that Common Core is not a socialist program "foisted upon us by the federal government." Florez also noted that Herbert has backed Common Core before. But now, as elections loom, things are different.
Ain't No Sunshine
Solar energy in Utah is a hot topic, and Rocky Mountain Power is here to light the fire. RMP wants to add a solar fee to users' bills to pay for using the grid. It's a fairness thing, they say, since RMP still has to maintain and operate the grid. OK, we get that, but there's something odd about the idea of penalizing solar users. RMP studied a neighborhood served by the Northeast Substation, according to The Salt Lake Tribune, and figured that if everyone installed panels, solar would still reduce peak demand only by 7 percent. So much in the state focuses on coal generation—an area where there are plenty of financial incentives. RMP likes wind and natural gas—can you say "fracking"?
