Should You Care?
April 12th, 2010
Why being apathetic is much better than being a partisan know-it-all
An Editorial by Richard Markosian
At Utah Stories, we believe that the less you adhere to your rock-solid partisan beliefs, the better off you are. Facts are the essence of good journalism; opinions are the essence of pundits and spin that fill the newspapers and the airwaves on both TV and the radio. No political party or expert has all the answers. The best way to reach conclusions is to hear from those who are in the trenches: those who provide jobs, and those who create our economy. That's why we listen to business owners. Small business owners who have fewer than 50 employees provide most of the jobs in this country. They have little time to talk, and they don't have time to lobby. They don't have time to keep tabs on what government agency, what Mayor, or which special interests threaten their very existence.
A lot is being said these days about freedom in America. The polarizing debates over health care have made many suggest we are losing our freedom to socialized health care, and that we have lost sight of the country and vision our Founding Fathers intended. The feverish debate over national issues sometimes drowns many of our local issues, which are just as important and relevant--maybe more so--to our daily lives.
While Utah supposedly has one of the most conservative state legislatures in the country, there are businesses right now that are being shut down due to government control. For example, try asking Gary Klc, the owner of Jeanie's Smoke Shop, what he thinks about government regulation. Jeanie's is closing because the State Legislature enacted a law that is essentially killing their business. "I realize we no longer live in a free country," says Gary.
If any state in the country should know and respect freedom, it should be Utah: a state born of religious persecution and people who sought the opportunity to raise their children in a place where their liberties are secure.
But little by little, in the name of so-called "safety" or "budget shortfalls," our freedom is slowly slipping away. Did you know that our allegedly freedom-friendly and conservative Utah State Legislature has just passed a bill that will put 45% of the burden of the entire budget shortfall onto 9% of the population: smokers, or those who consume tobacco products?
Is this freedom?
Now that the massive 30K page health care bill has been passed on Capitol Hill, we are slowly learning about its contents. One provision cites that all fast food restaurants will be required to put their ingredients and calorie contents on their menus.
Really? As if consumers are unaware that Whoppers and Big Macs are unhealthy. How soon until we are taxed for every calorie we eat? How soon until the concept of a carbon credit exchange is applied to calories? Will fat people soon be purchasing calorie credits from skinny people? Will smokers be required to purchase carbon credits from non-smokers? When and where will the control over our lives--in the supposed interest of public health and safety--end?
Is Utah following this trend? Is all this worth caring about? Can we even make a difference? Here's a simple suggestion: stop believing you have all the answers and listen to your friendly neighborhood local business owners. If you are a business owner, then pay attention to how your City Council and government are working to put you out of business. This sounds harsh, but it's true. Freedom in Utah is on the decline with every new law the government imposes on us.
Let's not forget that small businesses are the life blood of our society and culture. Even more importantly, let's not forget that one of the most terrifying things they can ever hear is this ominous phrase:
"We are from the government, and we are here to help."
