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Articles by Fred Ash
A public school student costs Utah $4,280 per year. Why should voucher recipients get $8,000?
Now that the Utah Legislature is in session, I like(?) to follow the funding for public education. What most caught my attention first this year was that each approved voucher student receives $8,000. In regular public education that would be called the WPU (Weighted Pupil Units). So I looked at the WPU information provided by the Legislative Fiscal Analyst, dated Jan. 17.
What wisdom lies behind Utah Inland Port Authority's long-term lease of two unused properties?
I recently read an article about how the proposed truck-to-train cargo transloading facility and a semi-truck parking lot in Salt Lake County have pretty much folded. The Utah Inland Port Authority, a kind of city/state organization established by our state Legislature several years ago, had approved the expenditure of $120,000 a month for 40 years for the lease of the two properties (41.6 acres) that were going to be used for the facility.
Why should a landowner give up water rights just because too many people have been lured into our Utah?
There have been a lot of comments about how the population growth of our state has affected us. My main concern is water. Utah has always been listed as a very desert state. With the increased population - a high proportion of which have come here because our Legislature has been giving financial incentives to bring new businesses into the state - a major concern of our Legislature is now focused on finding ways to make water more available for public use without draining our Great Salt Lake, etc.
Saratoga Hot Springs Resort seems to have vanished without a trace
Had a kind of not fun experience the other day, when my wife and I drove down to the north end of Utah Lake to see what was left of the old Saratoga Hot Springs Resort, which had been in operation there from 1884 to about 1995. We knew that the resort had been closed for years, but it had been a favorite place for my family from the '70s to the early '90s. It had been such a popular family fun place we expected to see some kind of memorabilia. But there was nothing.
Private financing of political campaigns is a flaw in our system
The other day, a lady was talking to me about how unhappy she was with the way our Legislature was handling an issue. I suggested that she contact her legislators and tell them her concern. She scoffed at that suggestion, saying, "Why would I do that? They never pay attention to what we say. Why don't they?" So I told her about what I feel is a flaw in our election system that our forefathers may not have, or may have, felt is a flaw.
Utah Legislature should focus on a few issues
Dear Legislators, Sorry I will not be able to meet with you personally before the Legislature session begins. I appreciate your willingness to serve in the Legislature, and I know that we will not always agree on issues. My concerns haven't changed much since last year. I hope as you make decisions, you will consider these concerns.
Opinion: Utah doesn’t need over a thousand bill requests again — this is what the legislature should focus on - NewsBreak
I will not be able to meet with Utah legislators personally before the Legislative session begins. I appreciate their willingness to serve in the legislature, and I know that we will not always agree on issues. My concerns haven’t changed much since last year. I hope as our legislators make decisions, they will consider these concerns.
Gov. Cox's thoughts on population growth show he doesn't seem to care about Utahns' quality of life
The other day I was listening to a radio interview with our Gov. Spencer Cox, when a lady called in and expressed concern about how the expanding population in Salt Lake Valley is negatively affecting the quality of life in the valley. She asked Gov. Cox what he is doing about the issue.
In light of ongoing complaints about the inland port, here's a reminder of how we got here
There are a lot of comments about the Utah Inland Port Authority, so to help others who haven't followed its history from its beginning, this is a brief summary. In 2016, the University of Utah submitted an assessment regarding a potential inland port in the Salt Lake City area. The report found the potential for strong economic benefits, including high-paying job opportunities, and rural economic development. That year Gov.
Opinion: You've heard about Utah's inland port
There are a lot of comments about the Utah Inland Port Authority, so to help others who haven't followed its history from its beginning, here's a brief summary to catch up. In 2016, the University of Utah submitted an assessment regarding a potential inland port in the Salt Lake City area. The report found the potential for strong economic benefits, including high-paying job opportunities and rural economic development. That year, Gov.
Utah Legislature should reduce the number of bills that can be presented during a session
As the legislative chair of the Utah Retired School Employees Association, I have the responsibility of following public education bills considered during our Legislature's session each year. I have had that responsibility too long, and hope that someone would step up to replace me, but that is not the purpose of this note. At the end of the session, after the governor has finished his role in the process, I do a brief summary of what happened, which summary is sent to all members of the URSEA.
When growth threatens to worsen our quality of life, what will be done about it?
Understand, as you read this, that I don't think all business developers are selfish. I know that many of them do a lot of good with the profits they have earned in their lives. But it is quite apparent that there are some business developers who are more concerned about their profits than the good of our communities. In the past, business developers have promised that bringing new businesses into our state will improve our quality of life. Have those promises been fulfilled?
Letter: Learning about the Tulsa race massacre is shocking and important
(Joshua Rashaad McFadden | The New York Times) Jars of soil at a soil collection ceremony held by the Tulsa Community Remembrance Coalition and the Equal Justice Initiative to honor the remaining unknown victims of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, on the 100th anniversary, in Tulsa, Okla., on Monday, May 31, 2021. By Fred Ash | The Public Forum | June 15, 2021, 12:00 p.m. I was so shocked at the recent TV and newspaper media stories about the 1921 Tulsa, Okla., race massacre.
Letter: Should the Legislature limit the number of bills proposed in each session?
Ch. 2 News has expressed major concern lately about the way Utah legislators so often vote for or against bills that they have not even read, and that this year there are more than 1,000 bills being presented. One of the first things I noticed when I began my service as the legislative chair of the Utah Retired School Employees Association about 10 years ago was how much time it takes to study a bill. And at the end of the session I was amazed at how many bills had been debated.
Letter: Time to limit number of bills in presented per session so they can be properly considered
FILE - In this Aug. 20, 2020 file photo the Utah House of Representatives convenes for a special session of the Legislature at the Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. Legislative efforts to restrict access to booking photos are growing as major police departments are imposing policies against releasing them and news organizations reconsider their approach to covering criminal justice. Delaware. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer,File) By Fred Ash | The Public Forum | Feb.
Letter: Instead of an $80 million tax cut, increase education funding
(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) Students of Escalante Elementary in Salt Lake City head back to class, January, 25, 2021. Salt Lake City School District reopened all of the district's elementary schools to in-person learning on Monday. It is the first time students in kindergarten through sixth grade are back in the classroom for a full day of school since they first closed for the pandemic in March 2020. By Fred Ash | The Pubic Forum | Feb. 1, 2021, 1:00 p.m. I don’t understand.
Letter: Don’t cut taxes. Redirect them to fund public education
I don’t understand. I have actively followed public education funding in Utah for many years, but especially since the mid 1990s. Utah has almost always been at or near the bottom of the nation in per-pupil funding — but that is understandable, as we have always had about the highest number of children per household in the nation. But until the mid ’90s, we were almost always ranked in the top 10 states in the percent of personal income being used to fund public ed.
Letter: Unfortunately, the people who cause mischief have clout
FILE - In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo rioters try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) By Fred Ash | The Public Forum | Jan. 23, 2021, 1:00 p.m. I read a short letter the other day in which the writer kept using the term Democrat/communist when he was referring to a Democrat.
Letter: McAdams lost because of gerrymandering
Ever since Ben McAdams conceded defeat in the 4th District House of Representatives race, I have been hearing people ask what he did wrong, what he should have done that he didn’t, etc., to win the election. He might have done some things wrong. No one is perfect, especially in an election. I didn’t like the negative sparring that the national organizations added to the conversations, but both parties played that game.
Letter: No guarantee, no Amendment G
Amendment G opens the door to spend income tax (education fund) revenue for valuable social services other than public and higher education. The income tax has not been producing sufficient funding for public ed for many years, and instead of increasing taxes for other valuable state-funded services, our Legislature in 1996 promoted and got passed the state amendment allowing higher ed to share the education fund, which is costing public ed hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
Guest opinion: Why bipartisan cooperation headlines this year’s ballot
As the election gets close, we are reading about, watching and listening to candidates for many political positions. In today’s world, it is hard to determine what is true and what is not, regardless of which candidates are sharing the information. What strikes me as especially important in this election is that voters take the time to get to really know how the candidates will work with others once elected.
Letter: Voting for president is more complicated than parties
I recently read a letter in the Deseret News (“Letter: This year’s presidential election is between democracy and socialism,” June 23) where the writer ended his piece with, “This election is not between Democrats and Republicans, it is between democracy and socialism. Ask this question: What is more important, your country or your party? If socialism prevails, what is next, communism?” Politics in America is not that simple, and it has never been.
Letter: Listen to what Hughes doesn’t say
As the primary election gets closer, I hope voters take the time to not only listen to what the candidates say, but to also consider what the candidates don’t say. A prime example is one of our Utah candidates for governor, Greg Hughes. One of his major stated “strong” points is how he was one of the original supporters of President Trump, how he listened to the people of Utah when he gave that support, and how if he is elected governor he will listen to the people of Utah as he makes decisions.
Letter: Trump doesn’t understand what he doesn’t understand
(Evan Vucci | AP) President Donald Trump speaks during an event to honor World Nurses Day, in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, May 6, 2020, in Washington. First of all, understand that I am not being sarcastic. The topic is the way our president so often lies in so many ways, and then gets so mad at anyone who gets upset at his lies, or who has the nerve to think that he has lied in the first place.
Letter: Where is the education budget going?
I read in the paper that Gov. Herbert is proposing $4.9 billion for public education this session and that it is the largest increase during his almost 12 years in office. I hope he holds to that when the Legislature tries to cut it back as it has done every year. The article also mentioned how much public education funding has increased over the last decade. Last year a legislator bragged that public ed spending had increased during that same approximate time about $200 million a year.
Letter: Before reducing income tax, do an evaluation
Before the income tax change in 1996 while Utah was ranked at the bottom in the nation in per pupil funding, at least we were ranked in the top 10 states in effort to fund public education (amount of money spent for public ed per $1000 of income), and now Utah is ranked about 34th in effort to fund public education, even though Utah now ranks about 12th in median household income in the U.S. Much of this “tax revision” is based on the “surplus” that was in the Education Fund this year.
Letter: Do these things before raising taxes
Regarding the revision of the state’s tax system, please, legislators, before you reduce the income tax any more, before you raise sales taxes, do a few things. First, update the amount of money a family can deduct for living expenses and dependents. The income tax was never supposed to tax the most basic costs of living.
Letter: ‘Cut income tax’ is just ‘follow the money’
Regarding the revision of the state’s tax system. Please, legislators, before you reduce the income tax any more, before you raise sales taxes, do a few things. First, update the amount of money a family can deduct for living expenses and dependents. The income tax was never supposed to tax the most basic costs of living.
Letter: I don’t want to be seen as a Utah Republican
Occasionally, I and one of my sons enjoy(?) a political conversation. And it is not uncommon for me to have to remind him that I am not a Democrat, that I am registered unaffiliated. To which he usually replies, “But others perceive you to be a Democrat” (possibly the result of the political signs in my front yard, usually for Democrats running for office). How do I want others to perceive me? Good question. But a better question would be, how do I not want others to perceive me?
Letter: 3 problematic bills
In the last couple of years, our state legislature has passed several bills which I believe have been very much opposed by a majority of our citizens, and have caused a much greater distrust than normal of our state politicians. The three bills that stand out the most to me are the failure to fully expand Medicaid, relocating the prison and establishing the Inland Port.
Letter: Kudos to those who disrupted the inland port meeting
(Leah Hogsten | Tribune file photo) Ethan Petersen with Civil Riot, a SLC-based civil resistance collective, and other opponents of the proposed inland port are escorted out of the Utah Inland Port Authority Board meeting by Utah Highway Patrol officers at the Capitol, June 5, 2019. The Inland Port Authority Board had to cancel its meeting last month after a group of protesters took over the meeting. Petersen was arrested.
Letter: For education’s sake, don’t cut the income tax rate
When our legislators meet in special session later this summer to consider changes in Utah taxes, I hope they don’t cut the income tax rate. Utah adopted the income tax in 1931 to be a stable major funding source for public education. To my knowledge Utah has never had an excess of income tax revenue to support public schools beyond the bare minimum.
Letter: Don't cut the income tax
I wondered how Rusty Cannon’s April 29 myview article, “Utah should cut its income tax rate,” would read. Like him, I question the need for a major tax overhaul, given that we had such a revenue surplus last year.
Letter: Real LDS values would help in the Legislature
Several weeks ago, there was a piece in The Tribune about the majority of seats in the Utah Legislature being held by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The article insinuated that much of what our LDS legislators do is based on their religious faith, or that they are powerfully influenced by LDS authorities to vote certain ways. I considered sending in a response then, but decided not to. Then on Feb.
Commentary: Issues for the Legislature to consider in 2019
The Utah Legislature goes into special session Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) Dear Legislator, As I said last year, I appreciate you for being willing to serve as a legislator. I understand the amount of time you have to give to do your job effectively, how much pressure you experience from special interests, how much personal time and privacy you have to give up. So I wish you good luck as you enter this session.
Letter: Not perfect, but good enough for now
I have been quite critical of the legislature's actions over the years. But in the case of Proposition 2, I feel it was definitely in the right. During a regular session, once a bill is determined to be worth considering, it is sent to the Legislature for further consideration and final approval. Seldom is a bill passed without modifications.
Letter: Legislature did the right thing with Prop 2
I am getting tired of the complaints about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ involvement in the Prop 2 initiative and the Legislature’s modifying the approved initiative. In the first place, had the church not gotten involved in the negotiations, and been willing to work with others to make the initiative more acceptable instead of working hard to make the initiative fail, it is very likely that medical marijuana would not now be legal in Utah.
Letter: Kavanaugh doth protest too much
The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was really interesting, a new experience for many of us. I am glad it was broadcast the way it was. After I had watched it for a while I began to think that maybe there should be an amendment to our Constitution requiring some kind of up-front screening for all prospective candidates for elected offices, that such a process might help prevent “immoral” people from becoming our elected representatives.
Letter: I hope Utah newspapers and letters to the editor survive
I have been sadly watching the size of the daily newspapers gradually shrinking. I know that most of that is the result of competition with the digital world, and a publisher has to figure out what to cut out in such a way that enough people are willing to pay the increased costs for the smaller papers, and that the paper still makes a profit, or at least breaks even.
Letter: What happened to all the letters?
I have been sadly watching the size of the daily newspapers gradually shrinking. I know that most of that is the result of competition with the digital world, and a publisher has to figure out what to cut out in such a way that enough people are willing to pay the increased costs for the smaller papers, and that the paper still makes a profit, or at least breaks even.
Letter: While we’re fixing Utah roads, I have one for the list
I am one of those people who love to camp in public lands, so I have not appreciated Rep. Mike Noel’s efforts to take public lands away from the public over the years, but I have to say I am glad he sponsored SB2004, which will provide funds for counties to maintain more existing roads in public lands.
Letter: Glad to see Rep. Noel helping public lands
I am one of those people who loves to camp in public lands, so I have not appreciated Rep. Mike Noel’s efforts to take public lands away from the public over the years, but I have to say I am glad he sponsored SB2004, which will provide funds for counties to maintain more existing roads in public lands. I hope that one of the roads on the list is the one we use in the edge of the Swell, north of Goblin Valley, which has much deteriorated in recent years. Fred Ash Sandy
Letter: We need to slow business growth so public education and infrastructure can catch up
The debate has begun what to put in the vacated Utah State Prison area. Our valley suffers from poor air quality. There is legitimate concern about quantity and quality of water. Our freeways and alternate roads are deadlocked several times a day, and often stopped because of accidents. Promises of increased revenue for schools and other tax-supported social services and law enforcement are not meeting expectations.
Commentary: Hatch should make Utah’s wilderness-study areas accessible to vehicles
I read in The Tribune the other day that Sen. Orrin Hatch and Rep. John Curtis are co-sponsoring the Emery County Public Land Management Act of 2018, which involves a lot of the San Rafael Swell. From what it said in the paper, it probably addresses a lot of issues that need to be addressed.
Letter: Higher taxes for having more kids is a flawed argument
Mike Ramirez, in his March 15 letter (“Simple, unpopular idea”) bemoaned the fact that he has to pay taxes to support other people’s children’s education. He says he is willing to pay his fair share, but he would tax people extra who have children. Unless he plans on filling our labor force with illegal immigrants, someone has to have children to maintain our work force. And as more couples are choosing to have fewer or no children, someone must be willing to have extra children.
Letter: Hoping Our Schools Now passes
Recently, I attended a meeting where the Our Schools Now initiative was presented with comments for and against it. Basically, the initiative would restore some of the education funding level that has shrunk since 1996, restricting the share higher ed would get from the initiative increase to 15 percent. As usual, those opposed to the initiative exaggerated the cost to the majority of taxpayers.
Holly Richardson: Campaign season is dead. Long live campaign season.
To those of you who ran but were not victorious last night, I feel your pain. Thank you for running. It’s hard to put your name out there. Sometimes it feels like holding up a target in front of your face and saying “OK, go ahead and hit me.” My husband and I went and listened to former Vice President Joe Biden speak on Monday night. One of the things he said really struck me. He said “Some people say all politics is local. It’s not true. All politics is personal.” Amen to that.
Letter: Mind the population - curb the growth
I often complain about the increased population in our valley, so I was pleased a couple of weeks ago when I glanced at an headline that said something like, “... concerned about the population growth ...” But when I unfolded the paper I was disappointed to read that the concern was about sage grouse population, not human population of our valley.
E.J. Dionne: Voters yearn for an end to the Trump era
Forget those repetitious tales about some piece of President Trump’s base still sticking with him. It’s now clear, from Virginia and New Jersey to Washington state, Georgia, New York, Connecticut and Maine, that the energy Trump has unleashed among those who loathe him has the potential to realign the country.
Leonard Pitts: Why are we OK with mass shootings?
When things like this happen, you see, it’s my job to have something to say. And I’ve got nothing. More accurately, I’ve got nothing left that I haven’t already said. And it’s a mark of how often this sort of thing happens, how routine it has become, that you probably don’t even remember Umpqua. Or Isla Vista. The need to have something is, as you doubtless know, occasioned by our latest atrocity: 26 people shot dead in a rural church near San Antonio.
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