Greetings from Salt lake City, Utah.
We're taking a quick diversion from the Vancouver Airport to Prince George by way of Arizona. This trip is in search of sun and a bit more insight into U.S. politics as the country gears up for the 2012 Presidential election.
Salt Lake City is the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints. There are two common names used in reference to the Church" members are called Mormons and LDS is used as a nominative abbreviation.
Currently, Mormons make up about 60 per cent of the Utah population.
The LDS church and its influence in Utah is probably the closest one could get to a theocracy in North America, yet it offers a remarkable insight of how the good intentions of one faith can lead to responsible government for all.
This is not to whitewash some of the problems the LDS church has faced in the past and the more current hangovers of its troubled splinter groups. But on balance, the Mormons in Utah have achieved some remarkable outcomes.
There's not much more I can say about the Mormon faith, but I lived in Salt Lake City for a time in the mid-60s and even at that young age came away impressed with the church's underlying commitment to making the state a better place to live. As a matter of doctrine, the church has a focus on music as an important element of worship; an emphasis on the strength of the family; encouragement of the work ethic; and a strong interest in orderly, effective
government.
If you're wondering how this ties into politics and the U.S. election, bear with me: from a policy perspective it does.
Utah is Republican, solidly Republican. But before you conjure up images of a syntax-mangling George Bush or the current crop of Republican nominees attempting to repeal most of the 20th century, let me tell you about the outcomes in Utah, a U.S. state managed by fiscal conservatives who have the heart and the intellect to see the whole picture.
For example, Utah has a government-run health-care safety net. This is a program operated by the State Department of Health and provides health care to the state's underserved and uninsured residents. Its stated goal is to make Utah citizens the healthiest people in the country.
Utah has an emphasis on education and ranks 11th in the country for residents with a university degree. Because of its focus on education Utah has been able to attract investment in the high-tech industries and ranks fifth in the country for economic growth in the knowledge industry. The U.S. magazine Newsweek notes that Utah has been able to continue its employment growth in the high-tech industries in spite of the current U.S. recession.
Unemployment in Utah is 5.6 per cent. Nationally it's 8.3.
Contrast all of the above to the current Republican nomination debate and there is a huge difference of opinion and outcome.
Mitt Romney - a Mormon - but also the former Governor of Massachusetts, who brought government-funded health care to the state, is back-peddling as hard as he can on the benefits of the state Medicare program he introduced. Rick Santorum - a lawyer with a degree from a prestigious university - says post-secondary education is an elitist way of indoctrinating young people to the sinful ways of liberalism. Both candidates are claiming their narrow views are the true way of conservatism. To date, they've made no comment on burning witches at the stake, but that could be next.
In the meantime 50 million American citizens are without medical insurance.
The U.S. national debt is 15 trillion, the national unemployment rate is 8.3 per cent and the dumb and dumber crowd are calling for a return to 19th century education levels and social programs.
In the large context the Republican nomination contest is a journey into despair. It's like an overview of Deliverance.
There's a lesson to be learned from Utah - and in the U.S. - and for the extremists in Canada, be they on the far left or far right. First, a country, or a state, or a province is only as good as the majority of its citizens. For any jurisdiction to prosper it must be healthy, well-educated, endowed with a work ethic and prepared to look after its less fortunate. Second, you cannot make a poor person wealthy by making a wealthy person poor.
In the end, good governance is all about balance and investing in people. The record shows Utah has it; so far, so does Canada.
A dead Coyote
Prince George City Council was wise to stop the application for a cabaret at Third Ave and Vancouver St.
This location borders on a residential neighbourhood and any operation that would dump 400 revellers into the street at 2 a.m. was found to be unacceptable.
I spent the first 14 years of my working life playing music in bars - some good, some bad - and I can tell you closing time is never a pretty sight.
City Council's last call on Coyote'a cabaret was good one.
