State should help mining communities

Want to know about Utah values? Follow the money.

If Utah's legislators can rush to raid Utah's "tax cookie jar" to the tune of $35 million to rescue a soccer stadium, how come they are not hurrying to rescue our counties struggling to cope with a mine disaster, one that has taken a great human and economic toll?

Why do the people in Carbon and Emery counties have to rely on concerts, fund-raisers and donations, while an "entrepreneur" comes to town and gets legislators tripping over each other and making creative moves to give our tax dollars away? The fact that there is an outpouring of good will and donations from residents, and silence from our legislators, speaks volumes about the growing disconnect with our lawmakers.

Follow the money. That's Utah values.

We used to have legislators fight to protect the interests of Utah workers. Now, they seem more concerned about protecting campaign donors. Somewhere along the way, we have diminished the value we place upon working people. Some legislators are quick to lash out at Washington politicians for not enforcing our immigration laws and federal intrusion, yet allow our labor laws to become paper tigers and content to have the "feds" protect our miners.

Our governor appointed a commission to determine what Utah might do to improve the safety of miners. However, the mine disaster also reveals a broader problem — the chronic problem of rural communities dependent on one industry.

Why is it that in the 21st century rural children have two choices: go to work for the "company store" or leave town? Staying home means either risking your life in dangerous jobs earning $20 an hour or trying to get by on two or three minimum-wage jobs the Department of Workforce Services says are plentiful.

The solution: Apply the same energy, drive and commitment of resources legislators demonstrated in saving the soccer stadium; even 50 percent, $17.5 million, would go a long way to bring new vitality to struggling communities.

The governor and Legislature should work together to create a coordinated and focused approach to bring together the private sector and the state's resources; then, give power to the director of the Office of Rural Development to coordinate and concentrate all the state agencies' resources in restructuring a rural community's economic, education/training infrastructure.