Category: good government

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A 2026 To-Do List

I think the most prescient topics to address in 2026 all deal with digging ourselves out of the mire of the first year of a Trump administration, defending ourselves from another 3 years, and ensuring that our political processes are intact for a fair 2028 federal election cycle.

There is a quote: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice” – by 19th century abolitionist and Unitarian minister Theodore Parker. I’m not the religious sort but I pray this is true, because I’m concerned that it isn’t.

The Trump Administration

There are just so many bad things here, and it’s not just a Trump sighting in the Whitehouse. The long game of the conservative right is in view, and they act like there is nothing we can do about. 2026 must be our reckoning through mid-term elections. 2028 is far enough away that it will not matter if we do not win seats this year.

The absolute ugliness of 2025 is remarkable. Internally we are divided. What made America great – our diversity, our people, our freedom – is dead. Externally our (then) friends are our (now) enemies, and our (then) enemies puppet our leader by taking advantage of his hubris.

We have some of the most inept, deceitful and profiteering people at the helm of critical government structures, and we’re watching them tear apart those institutions. We literally have Trump tearing down the Whitehouse while he tears down our economy, while he tears down our people, while he sends AI videos of himself pouring shit on US citizens.

There are WAY TOO MANY egregious violations by this administration but we can start by naming a few things:

  • Health and Human Services, Medicare and Medicaid
  • Education programs and funding
  • Immigration policy
  • US AID
  • Labor, Equal Opportunity
  • FCC, Public Media funding, and license allocations
  • EPA
  • National Park Service, BLM
  • Federal Reserve, Dept of Treasury

I haven’t even mentioned the US as a good neighbor, or the US as a representative of global democracy. The ability of the Trump administration to turn the US on its heel to become an antagonist in global government is profound and of long-lasting negative consequence.

We are no longer a nation that can be trusted. Trump doesn’t care. His cohort are all thugs and monsters and sycophants. Americans need to be sick of his shit and shamed that it got this far.

The Impact of AI to Intellectual Identity, Environment, and Economy

The emergent threat of artificial intelligence cannot be overstated.

There is an AI-hype bubble designed to siphon money, land, water, power, and data (all things we should be incredibly reticent to give away), with the express intent of stealing intellectual property, surveilling citizens, and controlling narratives. AI has a unique capacity to algorithmically produce bias at scale. There are no regulations governing AI in the US, and even though the European Union has produced its EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence it does nothing to control what takes place in technology to the west of the Atlantic.

AI is being used to build rhetoric, create dissension through rage and misinformation, spew AI-generated deepfakes, and most importantly keep you engaged. AI is the “Soma” that Aldous Huxley describes in Brave New World; a drug to escape reality, ensure constant happiness (or constant rage), a means of self-validation, and effectively act as a tool for social control.

Regulations for Block-Chain and Crypto

Crypto is highly susceptible to fraud and abuse, and it’s appropriate to protect consumers with financial regulation in digital currency and digital payment platforms like Venmo, Paypal and Stripe. Entities that offer accounts with financial balances, linked institutions, transfer capability, debit or credit card type instruments or allow any form of account management in fiat OR cryptocurrency platforms should be regulated and insured in the same way that banks and credit unions are currently insured. Because crypto value is purely speculative, create floors and limits that will protect investors from

Controlling Rabid Reaganomics

Trickle-down economics is a fantasy, and one that built on the lie that deregulation and lower taxes for the wealthy would result in investment and economic growth. Reality shows that the wealthy simply consolidate their wealth and move to control the levers of power (policy, media, and monopolization).

The odd thing we keep hearing is how government would be more effective if it were run like a business; but the purpose of government is to better the lives of its citizens while the purpose of business is to seek profits for its owners. These entities are diametrically opposite of one another, and there is no business model that would administer both. You can be fiscally responsible and a humanitarian, or you can run a business. It’s an either/or situation.

In short, there is no philanthropy in capitalism.

Re-Balancing Ethics and Power

There is a willful disregard by elected officials to not fend our republic from oligarchy. Holding officials accountable to their actions, enforcing or calling-to-reign the authorities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, and supporting the independent authority of organizations empowered with investigative, health and regulatory commissions is a minimum requirement of any office holder. We are sorely lacking in both backbone and integrity for this to happen, and the obvious response should be to vote them out. We need candidates who will compete in races, that will stand up for what it right (not what is convenient, or what is profitable to them personally) and represent the Constitution of the United States they took an oath to defend. That document is going on 239 years in the making – here’s the reminder that “freedom isn’t free”.

The sheer grift in politics has to be curbed at the same time.

  • This means ending Citizens United. End corporate money. End dark money. End PACs and PICs without traceable sources. Impose sever limits on corporate lobbyists.
  • This means governance and rules on financial instruments that currently have no regulation (and I’m primarily speaking of crypto, but includes membership in distributed autonomous organizations (DAO) that use block-chain to obfuscate its members).
  • This means ending trading and investments of elected officials, their families and entities during a candidacy, tenure and following exit from public office.
  • This means full divestiture of any conflicts of interest, whether noted or “found”.
  • This means imposed limits on any form of gift or exchange to a public official or their family members
  • and this means the authority to prosecute and convict individuals who are found in violation of any of these breaches of policy.

Campaign financing needs reform as well.

Cap campaign spending. Limit sources of contributions, and establish standard limits for campaign contributions. Allocate a public square to level the playing field for candidates within a campaign. Stop commercial ads on television, radio, streaming media, and social platforms.

Tax, Tax, Tax the Rich

We’re watching the ultra-wealthy influence our administration through bribes and flattery to gain controls in data, media, and investments.

Implement a flat tax for the ultra wealthy, simple as that. Instead of using their money for influence peddling, let them pay taxes.

Defend, Defend, Defend Voter Representation and Rights

There are fraudulent schemes across states and nationally to strip voter rights away through gerrymandering, constitutional changes at the state level, willful misinformation by conservative parties, and by sowing distrust in reliable voting systems, including vote-by-mail and the voter ID system. One of the greatest threats to our system is allowing one party to usurp the power of voters by articulating the boundaries of voter pools and strip voters of their constitutional rights to vote for their elected officials. We need to fight like hell to make sure that our inherent citizen rights are not lost to a group that would otherwise manipulate and control its constituency for its own advantage.

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Packing for Homelessness

Essentials

  • 30L backpack
  • Outdoor blanket (compressable)
  • Coat with Hood (insulated, wind-resistant, water-repelling)
  • Hoodie/Sweatshirt
  • Pants
  • Socks (wicking, wool-blend preferred), 2 pair
  • Underwear, 2 pair
  • Balaclava
  • Beanie/Knit Hat
  • Gloves
  • High absorbency towel/chamise

Food

Shelf-stable food items are ideal, but also think of gift cards for stores

  • Gift cards for stores and eateries (write the balance on the card)
  • Meat sticks/jerky, single packaged
  • easy open/ring-pull canned tuna, or foil pouches of tuna
  • Trail mix, single packaged (avoid melty foods like chocolate)
  • Roasted nuts, single packaged
  • Thermos, or water bottle (with clip)

Additional Items

Remember, this isn’t for you.

  • Feminine Hygeine Products
  • Towelettes/baby wipes
  • Toothbrush with travel case, toothpaste
  • Waterproof non-slip shoe covers
  • HotHands hand warmers
  • Can Opener
  • Ziploc plastic bags
  • Cigarettes and lighters

Electronics

  • Mobile phone (unlocked), or a mobile phone with service (trac phone, mint, etc)
  • Charging blocks and cables
  • Rechargeable power bank
  • Alkaline batteries for devices (AA, AAA)

Program Stuff – Pass Info Along

If you know the person and can help make sure that they have identification, a travel pass, and access to state benefits – this helps incredibly.

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A Winter Death Knell

What happened today could very well be a death knell for my son. The system does not care. The system is broken.

I received a call shortly after 5AM that my son has been arrested in south Salt Lake county for trespassing. My morning was talking with dispatch, one of the officers, and communicating to the rest of the family. My son has a mental illness and is homeless. When he was arrested they confiscated his backpack and sent it to the PD evidence room because he couldn’t bring it with him for booking at metro jail. I called the Metro Jail to try intervening and was on hold for more than an hour. In that time they completed processing him and “released him” (let him walk out) without a phone, without transportation, no money, and without his belongings. When I spoke to a person at the jail he had been released for more than 30 minutes. I spent the rest of the morning driving around looking for him, and couldn’t find him. I ended up buying a new backpack, warm clothing, a blanket and food so that I could give it to him if I found him. He will be outside tonight without his things. The PD office won’t open to the public until Monday so even if he was able to get down there again he wouldn’t be able to get his stuff.

I am broken. I’m overwhelmed because I don’t know where he is and I’m worried about his safety. This is what it’s like to have a family member with a mental illness.

Timeline

Sunday, Dec 14

5:15 AM – Received call from Riverton Police (I was asleep) that my son was arrested at approximately 5:12AM on Sunday Dec 14, 2025. He was in a construction site, likely trying to stay warm. He has a warrant for arrest (I didn’t know he had a warrant, I’m guessing this is due to a failure to appear for his previous trespass in SLC).

10 AM: Salt Lake Valley Communications Center (Dispatch) took my information and will have an officer call

10:14 AM: Officer callback. My son was charged with interfering with police (borderline resisting arrest). He walked up to a car with an undercover officer at the construction site, and asked for a cigarette; he was initially confrontational when the undercover officer turned on his police lights, and was swearing at the officer. This is why they charged him with interference. He was handcuffed, and “easier to deal with” after that. Note that my son is typically cooperative in police interactions.

  • I’m surprised that he told them to call me. He typically doesn’t want me involved in things.
  • The backpack is in Riverton PD (office is closed for the weekend). We will need to call and schedule with technician to retrieve his property.
  • I am informed that the jail will typically discharge after processing (later in the day)

10:22 AM: Attempt to call the Salt Lake Metro Jail. My call is disconnected unexpectly while in queue (twice); will try again later.

10:29 AM: Attempt to call the Salt Lake Metro Jail. The hold time: 58 minutes. I wanted to ask:

  • Is it possible for a Clinical Mental Health Therapist to refer him to a mandatory hold for mental illness? He is a danger to self due to inability to care.
  • Otherwise, will he be held in jail for a court appearance, or released?

10:41 AM: (While on hold with the Metro Jail) Email to admin@rivertonpd.org with info sourced from rivertonutah.gov/police to request that we obtain my son’s backpack from Riverton PD. Email bounced (email not valid). I forwarded to admin@rivertonutah.gov, ask them to fix the bad information on their site.

11:30 AM: Agent for the Metro Jail picks up, takes information. My son was released on his own recognizance at 10:55 AM – literally while I was on the phone trying to reach the jail.

11:55 AM: I drive down to Salt Lake Metro jail. I don’t see my son anywhere. While in the parking lot, I call Riverton PD and it goes to voicemail. I leave a message that I need to get my son’s backpack.

12 PM to 3 PM: I’m driving east-west on 3300 South, and north-south on Redwood Road looking for where my son may be. I stop at a store to pick up another backpack, warm clothing, an outdoor blanket, towelettes, cigarettes and food. At the end I drive through a couple areas where I have seen him before, but am unable to find him.

3:30 PM: I prep the backpack so that I can hand it to him if I find him. He doesn’t need to unpack anything, it will be ready for him to take.

I check for activity on his debit card and his SNAP card to see if I can locate him based on transactions. There is no activity. I don’t know if he has his cards and ID with him after they took his backpack. He does not have a phone.

I’m second-guessing myself, but I buy a Tile Pro to place on his backpack. In the event that I give it to him I may be able to at least know where he is, for as long as he has the backpack. It’s not hidden. This wouldn’t help me find him today if he already had one, but I may be able to use it in the future to locate him.

9 PM: No update. I’m hoping to hear from him, that he will stop by the house. At this point I don’t know where to look to find him. He could be downtown. He could have tried to walk back to south Salt Lake county, or just got on Trax.

Monday, Dec 15

I have not yet heard from, or found my son.

8:19 AM: Contacted Riverton PD and was routed to voicemail for the Evidence Manager. An appointment is required to pick up the backpack. I made the request and am waiting for a call back.

11:44 AM: Called the Riverton PD Evidence Manager again, went to voicemail (again). I stated that whatever was in the backpack is probably stuff that my homeless son needs to survive on the streets. I’m still waiting for a call back.

12:51 PM: Got the call back. I’m heading over to pick up my son’s backpack.

1:16 PM: The back pack has been retrieved. It had his social security card and his SNAP card. Now all that’s left is to find my son.

Thursday, Dec 18

9:54 AM: Call from Mountain America Credit Union, it’s my son. He wants to know if anything came in the mail for him because he’s trying to get a replacement debit card. I head down to his location, and we are unable to get a new card issued because he doesn’t have any valid ID with him. I have multiple expired IDs with his picture with me. I have my letter of Guardianship. They will not issue a replacement debit without a valid ID.

My son agrees to go with me to the DMV so that we can get a new ID issued for him. We get the ID, then to my bank so I can pull some money out for him, then return to his Credit Union so that we can (finally) get the replacement debit card issued. While there I deposit funds to his account so there is some money for him. I am also able to return his SNAP card and his Social Security Card, which were both in the backpack at the Riverton PD. I don’t know what happened to his original state ID or his debit cards.

He accepts the new backpack, but doesn’t want the jacket or the blanket I brought – he says it’s too much to carry around with him. He asks me to drop him off at the library because that’s where he wants to go. We finish up by just after 12PM and I let him go.

Saturday, Dec 20

1 AM: My son rings the front doorbell in the middle of the night. He wants to know if I can take him down to the police department to resolve his tickets. I tell him that the offices are closed, and we need to go down during the week when they are open. I encourage him to come back in a couple of days, or to call me where I can meet him so we can work things out. He does not have his backpack but at the hour I don’t notice, and only realize after he is gone.

10:30AM: I call the Huntsman Mental Health Institute to qualify when a mandatory commitment can be decided through their crisis intervention team. The person states that there is no condition other than “immediate harm to self or others” that might qualify. A wellness check can always be requested, but my son’s location would need to be known. Gabe’s vulnerability is his inability to care for himself, and his avoidance of shelters. He is currently sleeping outdoors on the ground and has no coat, and no blanket.

Monday, Dec 22

I confirm with the Riverton PD that their case went to Herriman Justice Court, and will not be adjudicated by Riverton. I contact Herriman Justice Court and confirm there are two case numbers pending disposition for Gabriel. I will travel down to Herriman Justice Court Clerk’s office to see what I can find out, but am hoping to bring Gabriel with me.

Gabriel does not come by during the week

Saturday, Dec 27

6:50 PM: It’s my son’s birthday. He stops by to ask if it’s his birthday, and laughs when I confirm that it is. I Invite him into the house, and he opens a card sent from his grandmother. There is money in the card, which he takes, but he doesn’t bother to read the card. I ask him if he’s going to read it and he says he can’t read. I offer to read it to him but he says no.

I give him a couple of packs of cigarettes, which he takes. He goes out to the front step to smoke. I call his grandmother and make some food in the microwave. He comes back in and sits down to eat. He partially converses with his grandparents on the phone. He is laughing, he has some ticks/clicks, and he has a cough.

I ask him about shelters and he says he just wants to sleep in the house tonight. I tell him he can’t stay here (past violence). He asks if I knew he was tased by South Jordan police. I ask him if he was talking about the time he walked up to a car to ask for a cigarette, and he confirms (it was the Riverton undercover PD, not South Jordan). I tell him we can go down to the courts during the week but he has to check in during the day when the courts are open. I ask him about his backpack. He says it was stolen. I ask him if he still has his ID and debit card, and he says those were stolen.

Update: I have submitted a GRAMA request for bodycam and vehicle footage from Riverton PD

Because I asked about shelters he thinks I’m getting angry. He doesn’t finish the food that I made and says he wants to take the soda. He is leaving. On his way out he says his name is ‘Rose’ now.

I had placed a Tile on the backpack before I gave it to him, so I look up the Tile and find it pinging where it appears to have been located for the past week and a half. I drive down to the location, and find the Tile on the ground. There is no backpack.

This is why more than CIT training is needed

  • The arresting officer very likely knew my son would be without anything when he took the backpack.
  • The metro jail did no assessment – at all – for his condition. He should have been referred to mental health services, but wasn’t.
  • When he was released, they literally told him to leave the building, with nothing. In December.
  • He was released on his own recognizance, with the understanding that he would show up for court later. He has no means of communicating (no phone, no email). He likely doesn’t know where to look for court records that will show when a hearing is scheduled. He is not accountable for schedules – and this is a condition of his diagnosis. He doesn’t have a case worker. I’m his father and legal guardian and most of the time it’s incredibly hard to find him.
  • The PD office is closed to the public on the weekend. He has no way to get his stuff back.
  • Because of his diagnosis he avoids people. He will not go to a shelter, especially when he feels vulnerable.
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Utah is a Cicero Institute Petri Dish

I am calling out the bullshit of Devon Kurtz, Policy Director at The Cicero Institute. Cicero Institute is responsible for pushing to get rid of housing-first solutions THAT WORK, and replace them with institutionalization through civil commitment and incarceration. I live in Utah where he/they have been actively working with legislators to push their agenda.

Utah Homeless Services Board (UHSB)

Letter: “UTAH HOMELESS SERVICES BOARD 2026 GENERAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION RECOMMENDATIONS”

  • This is the Utah Homeless Services Board (UHSB) policy recommendation letter. Randy Shumway (Chair) wants a civil commitment facility (bad bad bad)
  • Note that this letter was heavily influenced by “wants” from Utah Senate Leader Stuart Adams and Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz that incorporated the July 24 Presidential Executive Order policy changes to move away from a housing-first policy that Utah has traditionally been a leader for, and previously shown great success in implementing.

Response: “Utah Housing Coalition Shares Community Concerns on Utah’s “Action Plan to Address Homelessness” Aligned with the “Ending Crime and Disorder” Executive Order” (utahnewsdispatch.com)

Presidential Executive Order

“ENDING CRIME AND DISORDER ON AMERICA’S STREETS” (July 24, 2025)

  • the right-wing think tank Cicero Institute was involved in advocating for the policies that ultimately shaped the Presidential Executive Order “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets”
  • The executive order shifts focus from housing-first to institutionalizing homeless individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues
  • Critics argue the order fails to address root causes of homelessness and may increase untreated mental illness and incarceration.

Response: Unpacking Executive Order “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets” (ensorahealth.com)

  • The Executive Order represents the most sweeping federal pivot toward compulsory treatment and criminal-justice integration since the 1965 Community Mental Health Centers Act redirected asylums toward the community.
  • In isolation, the order risks exchanging tents for jail bunks and psychiatric wards without tackling the root supply constraints of therapy, housing, and peer support.

Reference

2025-12-16 Article: 1,000 Utahns could lose housing under Trump’s homelessness priorities (kuer.org)

2025-12-11 Article: Miller family donates millions to aid Utah’s homeless (fox13now.com)

  • The recipient org (https://homelessutah.org/) is comprised of city and county mayors in the Salt Lake area. However I also recognize Wayne Neiderhauser from Utah Office of Homeless Services, who is a Non-Voting Advisor. He sits on the board of Utah Homeless Services Board Members (UHSB) along with Randy Shumway (executive committee chair), who is also the CEO of the Cicero Group.
  • See the Utah News Dispatch article below (Nov 24)

2025-12-08 Article: Cox wants lawmakers to put up millions for a massive homeless shelter that Utah is not yet sure how to run (sltrib.com)

  • “State officials have long followed a policy of getting homeless people into housing first, but now officials are weighing a system that focuses on behavioral health care and forcing more people into help. Such a pivot would put the state in line with a summertime executive order from President Donald Trump.”

2025-11-24 Article: Utah’s plan for massive homeless shelter draws heat from advocates, community leaders (sltrib.com)

  • When Gov. Spencer Cox was quoted in The New York Times saying Utah’s proposed partially involuntary homeless shelter is “a statement of who we are as a state,” Rev. Brigette Weier all but balked. “My Lord,” the minister said. “I pray that is not true.”
  • Shumway’s recommendations to respond to Trump’s executive order, calling for a “certified community behavioral health clinic” on the campus with 300 to 400 beds reserved for people who are civilly committed — or court ordered into mental health treatment. His proposal drew criticism and concern from some homeless advocates, who worried it would be wildly expensive and could create a chilling effect by building a civil commitment facility in direct proximity to homeless shelter beds.

2025-11-20 Minutes: UHSB Public Meeting

  • Stakeholder presentations included Devon Kurtz of The Cicero Institute, who proposed to reallocate grant funds from SAMHSA Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI), and request engagement of the US Dept of Justice to build a framework for expanded civil commitment.

2025-11-18 Article: Faith leaders, environmental groups push back on proposed homeless campus (ksltv.com)

2025-10-29 Article: In Utah, Trump’s Vision for Homelessness Begins to Take Shape (nytimes.com)

2025-10-02 Article: Utah homeless board proposes ‘initial framework’ to respond to Trump’s executive order (Utah News Dispatch)

2025-09-03 Announcement: State Legislators Respond to Proposed State Homeless Services Campus on Salt Lake City’s West Side (utahhousedemocrats.utleg.gov)

  • “With the Utah Homeless Services Board’s proposal of a new homeless services campus in the area we represent, we are concerned that this decision was made without any significant input from the public. As leaders and champions on issues of homelessness, we know how critical it is for our unhoused neighbors to have access to safe shelter and the services they need to regain stability. This campus is an important step in addressing the state’s homelessness crisis, but it must move forward in partnership with the people who will live alongside it.”
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It isn’t a Single Index. Hear Me Out.

This is a continuation of thought after reading On “Dignity: Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict”. The Dignity Index doesn’t address accountability. It makes no remark of the uses of power, or willful corruption, or malice. Dignity alone is suffering, and it makes no road to end that suffering except to endure.

There is so much more to address, and I don’t think that a dignity index is sufficient to resolve a root problem: people suffer from both words and acts; and there is no justice or safety found unless words make accountability from action.

I personally am confounded by the lack of response in the dignity movement about disinformation, corruption, conspiracy; and I’m not the only one struggling to understand how dignity alone can be a diplomatic bridge.

The success of a Dignity Movement is based first upon personal exemplification of Dignity. It is based on a hope that others will recognize that inherent dignity, then learn to see it in themselves. It is a desire for cultural adoption of a basic tenancy of human-ness in ourselves and others. It is a thought that shapes words, and it is an influence game.

But dignity does not solve problems. It is a bequest to treat others as you would like to be treated, a call to let go of umbrage towards your fellow man.

  • It does not fix aggression, or genocide
  • It does not resolve hunger, or suffering
  • It does not address corruption, or malfeasance
  • It does not address greed, or despotism
  • It does not address misinformation, or falsehood

The Dignity Movement will call as example the trials of Desmond Tutu, but it does not call out the sacrifice of Alexei Navalny. Dignity alone can just as easily amount to suffering as it can for change.

It’s More Than The Measure of a (Single) Man

What we need is more comprehensive than what a Dignity Index alone can provide. It is not sufficient to say the elements of dignity withstand when it does not address suffering, or complicity, or all the other things unaddressed.

We are imperfect, yet we strive to be better than who we are today. We can be personally accountable for who we are and how we act, but as social animals we recognize that there are constructs to society that must also be defended for all of us to find safety and opportunity.

I started a table of indices that matter. It’s just a start… but please, let’s start a conversation about this.

A Proposal: Pillars to Measure Self and Society

  1. Dignity vs Contempt (this is the Dignity Index)
  2. Truth vs Disinformation
  3. Humility vs Hubris
  4. Humor vs Vitriol
  5. Discovery vs Dogma
  6. Leadership vs Manipulation
  7. Accountability vs Infallibility
  8. Integrity vs Corruption

A society must agree on the limits in which it operates, but a society must also trust its members to act in ways that protect each others liberty; and in ways that promote general well-being. For this, we need to recognize the conditions of man, or more specifically the conditions that present themselves in absence of fulfilled need.

“It is an affirmation of values and hopes that I share with millions of Americans that sustain and motivate each of us to do his best, that give vigor and moral direction to our representative institutions. Public service has confirmed my faith in the potential of the human spirit, its generosity, its idealism, its capacity for growth, its resilience, and its infinite resources.”

Hubert Humphrey, 1971

Dignity is a thought that inspires words. For dignity to thrive, there must be actions that deliver its affirmation to all of us.

Why it Matters

Language matters, but on both sides of the conversation. In reference to a Thanksgiving post from Donald Trump, the response from Tim Shriver was to use indeterminate language like “the post suggests” and “if that’s true”. There is clear evidence that it’s real.

  • What does the dignity index rank Trump’s own language? Why would that alone matter?
  • Did the response from Shriver make Trump accountable for his language?
  • Did it challenge his leadership in making such remarks?
  • Is there any question of the hubris required for Trump to say these things?

Trump’s cruelty is like a callus that needs to be torn off. We are hardened by it, and in permissing the language the callus (and the callousness) grows. Our responses should be direct when addressing the slight. If words are wielded as a cudgel by one party, we do no service in coddling our response to it.

  • Our clarity in the definition of egregious behavior matters
  • We model appropriate responses using language that is precise and remains dignified, and
  • We back up our words with actions that respect humanity and values

This is why we need more than a Dignity Index. Our measure cannot simply be of the language – because we are not trying to shape language, we are trying to shape a culture and a movement (i.e. action).

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DOGE, What Are You Doing?

To: justin.w.aimonetti@doge.eop.gov, jacob.r.altik@doge.eop.gov, anthony.j.armstrong@doge.eop.gov, jennifer.balajadia@doge.eop.gov, alexandra.t.beynon@doge.eop.gov, riccardo.n.biasini@doge.eop.gov, akash.n.bobba@doge.eop.gov, ashley.s.boizelle@doge.eop.gov, emily.l.bryant@doge.eop.gov, james.burnham@doge.eop.gov, edward.h.coristine@doge.eop.gov, steven.m.davis@doge.eop.gov, marko.elez@doge.eop.gov, luke.e.farritor@doge.eop.gov, joshua.fox@doge.eop.gov, joshua.a.hanley@doge.eop.gov, stephanie.m.holmes2@doge.eop.gov, gautier.c.killian@doge.eop.gov, keenan.d.kmiec@doge.eop.gov, nicholas.lahera@doge.eop.gov, kendall.m.lindemann@doge.eop.gov, erm71@doge.eop.gov, noah.peters@doge.eop.gov, nikhil.rajpal@doge.eop.gov, adam.ramada@doge.eop.gov, austin.l.raynor@doge.eop.gov, kyle.l.schutt@doge.eop.gov, ethan.shaotran@doge.eop.gov, brad.m.smith@doge.eop.gov, christopher.stanley@doge.eop.gov, jordan.m.wick@doge.eop.gov, susan.s.wiles@doge.eop.gov, christopher.j.young@doge.eop.gov

DOGE, what are you doing?

You aren’t forensic auditors. You aren’t financial experts of any kind.
You aren’t government workers. You have never staffed or planned a headcount for an agency or department.
You aren’t supply chain managers. You have never negotiated a contract, let alone a government contract.
You have no experience with grants or administration of grants.
You have no experience with education administration. Or research administration. Or field administration.
You have no background in organizational change management.
You have no background in risk management. You don’t understand risk tolerance, risk avoidance, or risk mitigation.
You have no experience with crisis management. You don’t even know how to undo the things that you have broken by your actions.

You aren’t even very good at the job you purport to know; writing search queries, or parsing data, or analyzing large blocks of information.
You are breaking federal security standards.
You are breaking privacy laws.
You are stealing data.
You are compromising the personal information of US citizens.
And you are not transparent in your actions.

Everything you are doing right now goes against ethical coding.
Everything you are doing right now goes against developmental standards (ISO 31000, DevOps, Agile Practice, SAFe, Site Reliability Engineering).

The likelihood is that your actions open our data to compromise.
The likelihood is that our country, our security, and our people are more at-risk.
The likelihood is that your work will be successfully hacked by threat actors.
The likelihood is that you may already be personally compromised.

So, once again, what are you doing?

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It isn’t Absurd. A Citizens Initiative to change the Utah Constitution

According to the Utah Constitution, Utah voters can initiate any desired legislation and cause it to be submitted to the people for adoption.

In response to HB267 Public Sector Labor Union Amendments, Utah voters need to consider going all the way to change Utah’s constitution to become a right-to-organize state. We can work on language and support for restructuring Utah Title 34 similar to Michigan’s 2023 HB4004 that overturned their “right-to-work” law in favor of workers’ rights.

It’s important to note the difference between right-to-work laws and right-to-organize laws. Right-to-work typically focuses on the individual employee, and weakens collective bargaining power. Employees not covered by a union can be subject to at-will work agreements where employers can reduce workforce, lay-off and re-organize with no significant repercussions to the business, but devastating impacts to the employee. Additionally, employees often discover that loyalty to a company isn’t rewarded through commensurate advancement, pay or recognition because employees are treated like assets rather than an investment. In contrast, right-to-organize typically focuses on the fundamental right of workers to form unions and perform collective bargaining, and strengthens collective bargaining power.

If it’s a veto referendum for HB267 that the newly formed “Protect Utah Workers” PIC is pursuing, consider that they are doing the same work to gather signatures that a citizen’s initiative would require. We can collect signatures for both.

It’s worth noting that the Utah legislature didn’t follow Utah law when submitting its own amendments to the people last year. There were four constitutional amendments in 2024, and none followed state laws to appear on ballots. Two were challenged in the courts and ignored, but two unchallenged amendments remained for voters to weigh in on.

The supermajority in our Utah legislature believes that it isn’t beholden to anyone, and they have plans to keep scrapping with everyone, picking fights with the Feds, picking fights with Utah courts, and picking fights with Utah voters.

This time, we need to bring the fight to them.

References

Article 23 Amendment and Revision
https://le.utah.gov/xcode/ArticleXXIII/Article_XXIII,_Section_1.html
A constitutional amendment can be proposed by either chamber and is run via a joint resolution. The resolution must be approved by two-thirds of each body. If it is, then the question gets placed on the ballot for voters in the next general election.

Article 6 Legislative Department
https://le.utah.gov/xcode/ArticleVI/Article_VI,_Section_1.html
(1) The Legislative power of the State shall be vested in: (a) a Senate and House of Representatives which shall be designated the Legislature of the State of Utah; and (b) the people of the State of Utah as provided in Subsection (2).
(2)(a)(i) The legal voters of the State of Utah, in the numbers, under the conditions, in the manner, and within the time provided by statute, may: (A) initiate any desired legislation and cause it to be submitted to the people for adoption upon a majority vote of those voting on the legislation, as provided by statute; or (B) require any law passed by the Legislature, except those laws passed by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to each house of the Legislature, to be submitted to the voters of the State, as provided by statute, before the law may take effect.

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Cullimore’s SRJ7 is Virtue Signaling and Dangerously Deceptive

Kirk Cullimore has introduced SJR7 Joint Resolution Urging Congress to Propose an Amendment to the United States Constitution which has a lot of WHEREAS statements but an very interesting summary that’s worth diving into.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah hereby calls upon the United States Congress to propose and send to the states for ratification an amendment to the United States Constitution that clarifies that the states may reasonably regulate and limit the spending of money in their jurisdictions to influence campaigns, elections, or ballot measures, and that, in doing so, the states may also distinguish between natural persons and artificial entities such as corporations, unions, and artificial intelligences.

Sen. Cullimore’s resolution isn’t about better campaign financing. It’s about removing federal limits and allowing states to control that funding. Utah currently has no contribution limit for state senate and representative seats. Utah would undoubtedly remove contribution limits for federal as well.

What’s interesting about the resolution is that he does specifically call out unions. If you aren’t aware, Cullimore is the Senate House Sponsor of HB267 Public Sector Labor Union Amendments that would dismantle workers rights to organize. Of particular interest in committee and floor discussion are queries on union dues that go to campaigns (there are none, and there are no reported violations). Cullimore is adding language here to specifically target unions.

At a state level, Sen. Cullimore has done nothing to control campaign financing and unlawful political activity.

  • Reform current state legislative disclosure processes to include audits and tracking of online payment processing apps like Venmo that operate like banks;
  • Reform current state legislative disclosure processes to penalize egregious reporting errors, like Sen. Stuart Adams’ campaign disclosures that used his credit card name for expenses rather than the actual recipient
  • Address crypto currency as a source of unregulated campaign funds that need controls for reporting and audits
  • Reinforce the separation of church and state, where the Republican super majority are also members of the predominant faith here in Utah
  • Prevent the church (i.e. an outside influence) from financing political activity here or elsewhere

At a federal level, if Senator Cullimore were serious about reforming campaign finance, he would have included

  • Support to turn over Citizens United
  • Make it illegal for Legislators to conduct Insider Trading
  • Prohibit foreign interference through blockchain, crypto currency and AI
  • Set Transparency and Reporting for crypto currency

But he says none of these things.

Updates

Feb 18, 2025: Letter published in Salt Lake Tribune
https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/letters/2025/02/18/letter-sen-cullimores-campaign/

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As a Republican Party Member, Here’s Why You Should Vote for Me Instead of Jordan Teuscher

Hello – 

I’m writing to you because you are an important member of the Republican Party in Utah House District 44.  I know that you are a committed member of your party, but I’m asking you to consider voting for me – a Democrat – in this election.  There is good reason.  

For the past two elections, the incumbent Jordan Teuscher has represented South Jordan and West Jordan communities in House District 44, but he’s failing to serve constituents here. He doesn’t represent our values, he doesn’t serve our community, or the interests of Utah voters. I’m asking you to vote for what’s best for you, what’s best for our district, and what’s best for Utah by helping me unseat Jordan Teuscher this election.  I’m reaching out because I want to drop the rhetoric and focus on what’s best for Utahns.  

Teuscher leads, and actively works against Utah voters better interests, including yours: 

  • Teuscher was the House floor sponsor of SJR401, which became Amendment D to strip Utah voters of legislative rights (This was blocked by Utah Courts on Sep 12, 2024 for deceptive language, and for not following due process) – he now says that he will run it again
  • Teuscher was also the House floor sponsor of SB4002 House Sponsor of Ballot Proposition Amendments to jam through Amendment D, and Amendment A in 2024, which are both voided on our ballots. 
  • Teuscher voted for HJR14 to make it more difficult for Citizen Initiatives to pass (Failed/Not Passed)
  • Teuscher sponsored HB185 Primary Ballot Requirements to remove candidates who qualify through signature gathering process (Failed/Not Passed). This affects the Republican party, and as much as you may be vested in your closed primary, he’s attempting to change the rules to make it more difficult for Republican candidates to participate in Utah’s election process. 

Teuscher is writing bills poorly that are caught up in expensive legal battles that Utah eventually loses:

  • Teuscher sponsored the Minor Protection in Social Media Act (Blocked by Utah Courts for violating 1st amendment rights) – this was a good idea but executed poorly because it ignored first amendment rights in the bill language.
  • Teuscher defends Amendment D (which I tear apart here) with misinformation and lies. The cost for taxpayers to write the bill, publish on ballots, defend lawsuits and ultimately lose BADLY is not just embarrassing, it’s expensive. 
  • Teuscher also decries the Utah Supreme Court decisions to allow the Gerrymandering case to proceed in the lower court, as well as the injunction upheld by the Utah Supreme court on Utah’s trigger law.  Checks and balances are expensive when Jordan is involved. 

Teuscher actively works against the better interest of our public (state, county, municipal, school and first response) employees 

  • Teuscher was the sponsor of HB285 Labor Union Amendments to weaken public employee rights (Failed/Not Passed).  
  • He repeatedly submits bills that dismantle worker rights, and he consistently targets our public employees every time. 

Teuscher doesn’t care about religious freedoms

  • Teuscher was the House floor sponsor for SB150 Exercise of Religion Amendments to protect discriminatory acts based on religious belief (Passed)
  • Teuscher voted for HB269 to add Ten Commandments to public school curricula (Passed, expect civil liberties groups to file suit)

Teuscher doesn’t support our Public Schools

At the very minimum, find out what I want to do as your state representative, if I’m elected. https://utah44.com/proposed-2025-legislation/

If you made it this far, thank you.  We need a better voice in the Utah legislature. I’m asking you to consider making a vote for me based on your conscience and for better engagement. 

Be Well, 

Greg Green
Candidate, Utah House District 44 running against Jordan Teuscher

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What About Amendment C?

The best explanation is that Brad Wilson sponsored the bill before he left for his Senate race so that he could curry favor with rural Republicans, who embrace the idea of a Constitutional Sheriff. Of course, Brad lost any more opportunity when his campaign didn’t survive in the Republican Primary to John Curtis.

The bill originated as 2023 HRJ010, and was one of the last bills that Brad Wilson sponsored before he left office last year. In the October 4 podcast of City Cast Salt Lake, Robert Gehrke of the Salt Lake Tribune opines that it was downplayed.

Wilson says it doesn’t really change anything, but there is this undercurrent, this philosophy in conservative circles of a constitutional sheriff, which says that the sheriff is the supreme law of the county. This kind of plays into that. You can’t have a constitutional sheriff unless your sheriff is in the constitution. – Robert Gehrke (paraphrased)

The Constitutional Sheriff movement is about sheriffs having the power to interpret and enforce the constitution. Amendment C has nothing to do with sheriffs enforcing the constitution or giving sheriffs extra power. But it does embed the election of the Sheriff in Utah’s constitution, rather than simply have a law in Utah code. And Gehrke’s line of thought supports this idea of a Constitutional Sheriff in Utah.

Another suggested explanation for Amendment C was that Republicans were angry with Salt Lake County Sheriff Rivera, and threatened to change the law to make Sheriffs appointed instead of elected so they could remove her. However this doesn’t make much sense. The appointment would be by the local authority, and Salt Lake County is predominantly Democratic. By election law, impeachment is still possible. Republicans in the legislature know this, and with Brad Wilson and Stuart Adams as sponsors, there is zero chance that they were seeking to preserve Sheriff Rivera’s electability.

2023 was a tumultuous year for the Salt Lake County Sheriff and UPD. It’s worth noting that 2023 HB374, sponsored by Rep Jordan Teuscher, removed the Salt Lake County sheriff as CEO of the Unified Police Department and ultimately dissolves the agency in 2025, leaving Holladay, Midvale, Millcreek, Kearns, Copperton, White City and Magna to find new law enforcement services.

Rivera opposed the Teuscher bill to separate UPD from the Sheriff’s office in 2023, then decided she was okay with it. I’m wondering if this is another case where the GOP did something and she was like, what the hell but okay.

For the record, the Salt Lake County Democratic Party does recommend a “For” vote. I requested more information, and this statement was provided:

“As the Salt Lake County Democratic Party, our primary role is to support Democratic candidates who serve our community, and we are proud to stand behind Sheriff Rosie Rivera. Voting “Yes” on Amendment C is crucial because it ensures that the position of sheriff remains an elected one—decided by the people, not appointed by officials. By doing so, we protect the democratic process and safeguard the accountability that comes from direct elections. This is not only important for Sheriff Rivera, but also opens the door for more diverse candidates, including women and people of color, to compete fairly for the role. A “Yes” vote on Amendment C would enshrine in the state constitution that every county will elect a sheriff to serve four-year terms. This maintains the voice of the community in choosing its leaders and supports a fairer, more inclusive system of representation.”

Both side provide similar arguments on how elections or appointments make the community better. Elections allow anyone who meets qualifications for the office to run and hold the position, and are considered “safe” from political disputes while in office. This also means that an elected sheriff can run off the rails (think Joe Arpaio in Arizona) and not suffer consequences. Appointments make a sheriff more accountable to leadership and the community but can become tangled in political controversy. Appointments are more likely to be a cis-gendered white male, so if diversity is your thing you may want to elect your sheriff.

We don’t have a clear picture of the “why” behind this amendment, but it’s safe to say that the need to transform how a sheriff takes their role in Utah counties isn’t at risk today, and has little chance of being altered as a law in the future. Changing Utah’s code so that the election of a Sheriff is written into the Utah Constitution seems to only serve the narrow purpose of making right-wing conservatives think they are one step closer to having their version of a Constitutional Sheriff within Utah’s borders.

There isn’t a clear picture on whether to vote “For” or Against” Amendment C, but I am voting against it without a compelling reason to change the existing law.

References