So lets give Health Benefits to Same Sex Partners of City Employees? Your a genious Ralph, let's promote immoral practices in the capital of the State which hails "Marriage Is Ordained Between MAN & WOMAN", way to go! Then again I guess for the City it will be BIG TAX INCREASES because of the LIBERALS and their STUPID IDEAS to be EQUAL AND FAIR which just makes it MORE UNEQUAL AND MORE UNFAIR! Good Luck City!

Or we could create a national health care system, so that cities, states, and private companies don't have to pay outrageous amounts of money in order to keep qualified employees. Every other civilized nation in the world seems to be able to do it.

Ralph is not the one who gave health benefits to same sex partners. That happened under the previous administration, but I applaud that it happened. Gay people use a lot less health care than straight people who have lots of pregnancies and children to take care of. The state of Utah does NOT hail marriage as being ordained between "MAN & WOMAN." That would be the LDS church. Thank goodness for the separation of church and state, what little we have of it in Utah.

It couldn't be that spending is out of control with this Domestic Partner Registry, could it be? Nah, That could never be the reason.

I thought Utah's economy was doing just fine. How can we have a budget shortfall when it's supposed to be different here? Oh well.

This man disgusts me. He chooses to spend, spend, spend. But where it counts, a service tax payers are happy to shell out money for, emergency services, he is going to cut jobs. Those lives lost will be on your head Mr Becker.

You are spectacular, "Lets strive for mediocre." That is real smart, your backwards logic says your emergency services are above par and it costs too much money. I congratulate you on striving to be just average. Your people don't deserve to have their lives saved in a timely manner.

Instead of rolling back all the asinine spending from Rocky you plan to increase it while cutting essential services in order to pander to your cronies trying to "cure the earth" and promote pathetic things such as bike trails.

The people of Salt Lake get what they deserve!

To Justin and his ilk....please tell me how you would do the math. Our Federal government is untold billions (if not trillions) in deficit spending...and you think the federal government can magically come up with the money to fund a national healh care system...how? Also, name me ONE thing the Federal government does well...it used to be be national defense...but not any more. And there is not one civilized country that has a succesful national health care program,ie., just talk to Canadian citizens who come here when they need some life-saving procedure, rather that wait to be scheduled for it in Canada....hopefully before they die. Do the math.

I dont know how long you have lived in other countries, however, state funded healthcare systems are on the brink of disaster.
Take New Zealand for example, the waiting lists are so long and facilities so under resourced that women are having to go to Australia to get treatment for cancer. Or how bout the little girl who collapsed and was advised by the hospital under such a wonderful government supported health care system that she probably needed a MRI as it appeared as though she had pressure on the brain, but they sent the girl home and advised the waiting list would mean she wouldnt get a MRI for 6 months to a year.
How bout the NHS in the UK, thats on the brink of collapse too. Every family member I know in these government supported health care systems have needed to arrange private health insurance AND still pay the high taxes for 'free healthcare'.

One of my favorite ideas that seems to creep up is the problem of national deficit, my question is why is it a problem? Anyone who has studied finance and economics (beyond what you get in your first year business school) would understand that the whole idea of deficite spending is fine, great even; so long as it promotes growth in the economy and benefits the citizens. So El Tab, a national health care system is quite easy; Kaiser does one heck of a job and reaps billions in profits; looks like there is some money left on the table that could help out the poor and the needy. Also your misconceptions about Canadian health care is laughable, please tell me you are at least 50 years old because then I can understand why you spew silly rhetoric so quickly. Read something apolitical like John Gailbraith or even as simple as Adam Smith (the old one) and start to think before you go on some meaningless tirade.

Have you ever studied the Candian health system.... Speaking of laughable

My friends in Canada and Germany like their health care. I hear Americans complain more about health care. We're 37th, which is fine if you don't think America can do any better.

Americans as a percentage of GDP pay the most for health care. We are paying through our noses now.

Some people are easily frightened by make up scary tales. The sky will fall. We can't do anything right.

Bush as government health care. Government doctors take care of him.

While citizens pay Delta's property taxes, why not pick up the tab for Energy Solution too. You can make Miller tax exempt.