Friday, July 19, 2019

Highland Resolution On Protecting All Human Life

A culture obsessed with technology will come to value personal convenience above almost all else, and ours does. That has consequences we will explore. Among those consequences, however, is impatience with anything that interferes with personal convenience. Religion, morality, and law do that … .” Bork, Robert H., Slouching Towards Gomorrah, HarperCollins, 1996, pp 8-9

As Judge Bork observed, over 20 years ago, we have a culture the puts a high value on convenience. Life is not always convenient. My wife and I volunteer at the Utah State Developmental Center (USDC). Each week we have the opportunity to work with youth and adults who come their to serve those who are less physically and mentally able. Is this convenient? No. The community at large spends about 19,000 hours a year in service at the USDC. Is that convenient? No. However, as I watch the youth (and adults) who come and serve I can see eyes being opened and hearts changed. Youth and adults are more accepting of those that are different and less likely to bully others as a result of spending time with residents of the USDC. They have a renewed appreciation for their blessings and are motivated by the resident’s efforts to progress and the kindness they show each other. I cannot find a way to put a true value on that service or the influence for good that the residents have on all of us.

Thursday, July 11, 2019

2019 Highland City Survey

2019 Survey Staff

First of all I want to thank those who took the time to complete the 2019 survey, especially those that took the time to add comments. We had 1,106 respondents, 22 more than last year. 700 respondents provided a total of 1,370 comments on. I enjoyed reading them and replied to over 1,000. I literally laughed out loud for several minutes after reading one.  I will buy a Roxberry Smoothie for the first person who identifies it – city staff and elected officials are ineligible (mayor@highlandicity.org).

The top four issues in terms of comments were:

Monday, July 1, 2019

Evaluating City Council Candidates

Scales of Justice

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” -- John Quincy Adams

In Highland there are three open city council seats this year. The nine candidates that are vying for your vote are asking for the privilege to spend ten or more hours a week for four years making decisions that affect us now and years into the future.

The issues they deal with will range from approving changes in user fees for parks to budgetary expenses totaling $18M, from zoning changes to park amenities, and from road maintenance to how to deal with legal issues.

Let me offer a few thoughts on what principles can be applied in selecting candidates for city council: