Well Worth the Price of Admission
A few comments in response to Babs De Lay's "Last Notes of Summer" on the Twilight Concert Series [Urban Living, Aug. 27, City Weekly]: De Lay makes a good point that this season had a lower turnout, but let's be real: Tens of thousands of people enjoyed top-quality concerts in downtown Salt Lake City this summer for $10 per show.
There is no other venue in Salt Lake City that programs the caliber of artist or quality of production for a similar price. It is a shame that kids showed up at the gates unaware of the price change, but that info was amply provided on the Salt Lake Arts Council's social-media feeds and website. You couldn't see any of these shows or any previous Twilight act for this ticket price.
I think the point is to get out, enjoy downtown and hear new music. If you haven't heard of the band, that's all the more reason to check it out. You won't lose on a $10 ticket price.
Most people who went to the Death Cab for Cutie show would have paid more than it costs to buy season tickets to the Twilight series. Buy the season ticket, see the bands you know, and check out some new stuff while you are at it.
I went to most of the shows and had a blast every time. I'm excited to see what they program for next year.
Leah Jaramillo
Salt Lake City
Note: Leah Jaramillo is married to Jesse Schaefer, who manages the Salt Lake Arts Council's performing arts program.
Bipartisan Solutions
As the presidential races have already started, let us get down to work and get something done. Whether conservative or liberal, here are some ways of achieving our common goals.
Energy: The left argues that burning fuel affects the weather and worse. Libertarians and conservatives argue it is taxation, legislation and regulation with more federal government intrusion. Solution: Take the greenhouse effect and other effects off the table, and work on what is left: fuel pollutes.
For example, coal is an ore, and as such, is not 100 percent pure, so obviously, coal plants produce a variety of by-products. Solution: The 30 percent tax credit is working; commercial and residential energy customers are going steadily to solar. This tax credit is fair, as it is not abused and is working better than the horrendous government largesse under President Obama. The credit should be extended beyond the end of 2016. And relying more on solar and other renewable sources means Americans are more self-sufficient and less at the mercy of the whims of unfriendly governments.
Abortion: The problem is caused, in part, by men who do not have the experience of being pregnant. I ask any young male to consider the ultimate: What it's like to have the operation and then to have a child.
Totalitarianism: We must stand up to fascism and communism. This includes accepting no campaign monies from the Koch brothers or from nations such as North Korea. Even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood up to the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. I oppose U.S.-fought wars over fuel and other resources.
Public monies (going to groups such as enviros): Rather than the typical battles on Capitol Hill, I propose straightforward donations. We can pair up those who want to donate with those who want public funding.
Helping the poor: I support training and an education for a career instead of a minimum-wage job.
How we spend our money: I have realized that every penny I spend on material, from a pair of socks to a ream of paper to a camera, can be donated to the poor in my estate; whereas, every penny on services is only enjoyed by myself or anyone in my household. So dining out cannot be given to the poor.
Daniel Barker
Lakeland, Fla.
