Debra Poulsen welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the program.
Invocation was offered by Karen Tucker
Pledge of Allegiance led by Jennifer Bertin
Debra Poulsen introduced United Women’s Forum new board members: Janet Seamons, Becky Nelson, Jennifer Bertin and Diane Prince.
Presentation on “A Principle of Freedom” – Electing Virtuous Leaders: Diane Prince
Diane gave us an inspiring message with many thoughts taken from the book, “Learning From the 5000 Year Leap”. She said that in our Pledge of Allegiance we say “one nation under God” and that we must do all that we can to honor and serve that God for our nation to flourish. In doing so, we mush elect virtuous leaders. To be a virtuous leader one must be guided by the source of true virtue – God. She also quoted Proverbs 29:2 as the Founding Fathers favorite scripture:
“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”
Diane reiterated that when the righteous are in authority great things happen. The Founding Fathers wanted leaders to be elected who:
1. Were not after office for the love of power or money.
2. To have modest pay or no pay at all, so that money was not the motivator.
Leaders who serve with all of their might, raise people to a higher level. We need to serve God with all of our hearts, might, mind and strength. Diane shared a wonderful personal experience, when as a young mother; she was called by a friend for help fighting a bill before the state legislature that would keep religious music referring to God out of the public schools. She attended the session the day this bill had come up for a vote and listened carefully to the opinions expressed by those supporting both sides of this bill. At the end of the debate there was time for one more opinion and Diane’s name was called. Courageously she spoke up and said that in supporting this bill we are in fact, “afraid of offending an atheist, and in the process we are offending our God.” At the conclusion of her remarks those present stood and applauded, including our state legislature. At that moment she knew that we had elected virtuous leaders.
Thank you Diane for a wonderful and inspiring presentation.
Debra Poulsen recognized Dalane England and Laura Bunker for their countless hours spent with the State Legislature during the Legislative Session.
Report on Utah’s 2008 Legislative Session: Laura Bunker and Dalane England
Laura Bunker enjoyed attending the State Legislative Session and learned so much. She encourages all of us to take the opportunity to attend next year and let our voices be heard. She mentioned a number of bills that were before the legislature including three bills that would forward the gay and lesbian lifestyle:
* B89 – an anti discrimination act that was put on hold and not voted on
*HB318 – allowing unmarried, co-habiting, homo-sexual and lesbian couples to adopt children. This bill did not pass.
*SB73 – Wrongful Death Amendment: allowing co-habiting or same sex partners to sue for death benefits if the partner were killed. This bill did not pass as well.
*SB299 was sponsored by Senator Greg Bell, in the last 4 days of the legislature, with the intent of prohibiting the Salt Lake Domestic Partnership Registry. It included a compromise so that it would pass, allowing adults who live together to name an “adult designee” on their insurance. This included mother-daughter relationships, sister-sister relationships, etc, but also had to include unmarried cohabitants and same-sex partners. However, it did strictly “prohibit a city or county registry from giving legal status or effect to a domestic partnership, civil union, or other domestic cohabitation other than marriage.” It protected the effect of our marriage amendment on all levels of government in Utah. It passed the Senate 21-7, passed the House 61-9, and was signed by the Governor last Friday, March 14
Laura invited us to sign up at unitedfamiliesutah.org to receive e-mails that will keep us informed on issues that affect the family.
Dalane England reported that there were 1100 bills presented during the Legislative Session and 463 were passed. This is during a period of 45 days. Our presence at the legislative session makes a difference and she encouraged us to make our presence known and to be heard. She reiterated that the bills from the gay and lesbian community will be back. They are a very strong force and will not give up. She touched on a number of the bills presented, including:
• A car seat law that means all children under the age of 8 must be in a car seat. This bill passed.
• ID theft – 96% of crimes have to do with ID theft. Many involved in these crimes are going after children.
• Human trafficking
• Waiver of immunity
• Transparency in Government Bill – How money is being spent
• Sex offenders bill
• Child Welfare Amendment - If a child is taken out of the home they must first be allowed to go to family or friends before being sent to foster care.
• Henry’s Law – regarding animal rights. Crimes intentionally torturing pets would be considered as serious as the rape/murder of a child.
• Home Schooling – a bill stating that if a parent does not have a teaching certificate they would not be allowed to teach, patterned after the State of California.
Dalane encouraged us to attend our Caucus meetings to be held this Tuesday, the 25th of March in our neighborhoods. Thank you Laura and Dalane for all of your work at the State Legislature and for educating and inspiring us in the process.
Debra Poulsen spotlighted Richard Wells of “National Write Your Congressman”. Richard mentioned that he could feel the passion present in the hall and applauded the efforts and goals of the United Women’s Forum. He emphasized that we have the potential as a nation to lose our freedom through legislation because of the darkness that we as a people are in. One of the goals of “National Write Your Congressman” is to empower people in every state to be heard by their leaders, that the leaders may know the voice of their constituents. The mission statement of this organization is:
“To encourage Responsible Americans to use their influence in government to preserve the freedoms set forth by our Founding Fathers.”
He encouraged us to communicate with our congressman regularly and to compare his voting record with what he tells you he will vote for.
Leslie Swartwood gave an announcement regarding the first anniversary of The United Women’s Forum coming up in April. We will celebrate with a fundraising event in which Ike Fergusen will be our speaker and a light buffet luncheon will be offered. This will be held at the Bountiful Library on April 9th at 10:15 AM. A donation of $10-15 is encouraged. Please come and contribute to this great organization.
Marge Clayton introduced our special guest and speaker Congressman Rob Bishop. He has spent most of his life in the Utah North area. He graduated from Davis High School and from the University of Utah. He is a resident of both Brigham City and Washington D.C. while he serves us in Congress. Congressman Bishop served 16 years in the State Legislature representing Brigham City and the last two of those years as Speaker of the House. He is currently serving on the House Rules Committee in Congress as well as the Arm Services Committee, Natural Resources, Education and Labor Committees. Marge stated that our political leaders can lift us to a higher level and Congressman Bishop is truly a virtuous leader.
Congressman Bishop began his remarks by stating that a virtuous electorate is necessary to put into office a virtuous leader. He said that the Constitution protects us from our own best intentions. In order for us to understand the Constitution we must understand the history of the time period in which it was written. He stated that there is an abundance of ignorance regarding our history when it comes to understanding the constitution and he strongly encouraged us to read and study the history of the men and the issues facing our government at the time the Constitution was written. There is a book written by Akhil Amir that is very good about the words used in the constitution and their history. He was not sure of the title, but it refers to the words of the constitution and is yellow!
There are some years that the state of Utah sends more money back to the Federal Government than we receive in return. This is money for federal mandates in return for state needs that has nothing to do with what the state needs in the first place. Congressman Bishop feels that we as a state do not need to send as much money to Washington just to get things back. The states are the laborers of the democracy. They have the ability to be creative and cost-effective and empowered to solve the local needs of the people. The federal government tends to be enamored with rules and procedures and to forget the very purpose of why they are there. He feels strongly that the Federal leaders should want to lose power to the states.
A virtuous leader was never intended to do everything for everyone. It starts at the local and state level. His goal as our elected official representing us in Congress is to come back after his service in Washington with less power in National government and more power for the State levels. It is a systemic form of government that he strongly advocates and feels that he has a few back in Washington that are catching on and supporting this as well. He recommended reading the book, “Rebirth of Federalism” by David Walker.
Congressman Bishop addressed many issues in a question and answer session following his speech. Some of these were as follows:
*Candidates for President: You are in good company if you have a problem with all three. Vote for one that will do the least amount of harm.
*Doomsday forecast for our Nation: This would happen only if the people allowed it to happen. A virtuous electorate keeps this from happening.
*Utah is the best state in the union for appropriating money. Congress wants to model this. We need to cut spending!
*Regarding Primary Elections: Congress needs to go to a regional Primary concept.
*Global Poverty Act: He has voted against any funding for the United Nation. The United Nations doesn’t work.
Some of Congressman Bishop’s favorite issues he is working on are a land conveyance issue regarding 1600 acres to be traded between Bountiful and the forest service and the Clean Water Act. He gave an example using the Clean Water Act of how good people are hurt inadvertently by the federal government. He strongly reiterated that an educated electorate needs to get the systemic form of government brought about. He will feel successful at the end of his term in Congress if he has been able to bring this power back to the states.
We appreciate Congressman Bishop for his very motivational speech and are grateful for the virtuous leadership and work that he is doing for his electorates.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
GUEST SPEAKER ROB BISHOP
To view image larger click on upper right hand corner of announcement. You can also choose from the dropdown menu titled ipaper to print or e-mail the announcement to a friend.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
MINUTES FEB. 13TH 2008
United Women’s Forum Meeting – Minutes, Feb 13, 2008
Debra Poulsen welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the program.
Invocation was offered by Erin Perkins
Pledge of Allegiance led by Linda Hess
Debra reaffirmed the intent of UWF is to capture the “spirit of liberty which our Founding Fathers had.” She reminded us to check out the websites of Family Research Council and United Families, Community for Decency, and Lighted Candle Society. She encouraged us to “get up, put on our armor and get going!”
Debra introduced Lauralee Christensen who gave a brief presentation about the governing principles of the Constitution. Lauralee taught a principle from a book which was written by Cleon Skousen titled: The 5000 Year Leap – A Miracle That Changed the World. Principle #2, which she discussed, states that a free people must remain virtuous and morally strong to survive in a republican culture. She reminded us that the Founding Fathers began a moral revolution against arrogant views of wealth, leisure and waste which they saw in England. They saw that to have public virtue, people must stand on principle. Their efforts led to the Constitutional Convention and our guiding freedom documents. Principle #3 will be discussed next month and it is about electing virtuous leaders.
Kris Kimball shared her experience of working with the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney. She said that it was wonderful to learn how one person could make a difference. Kris included her children with the volunteer efforts and they enjoyed the experience too. They learned “how” to participate in an election and how a caucus works. Everyone contributed and did a lot of phoning to states which were having Primary elections.
Laura Bunker shared with us a “Letter to the Editor” which she has written to voice her personal concern for the Alcohol Variance which has been granted in Bountiful to El Matador Restaurant. Though the variance has been granted, it application is not yet complete. After the restaurant makes the legal application, there will be another public hearing where the public is invited to attend to make their feelings known. Laura stressed that she feels this is the first Variance given and opens the door to others in our city and state. It sets a precedent and would negatively impact the health, peace, safety and well being of our community. Watch for an email notice of the upcoming hearing and plan to attend. Attendance sends a message to our city council that we will not tolerate this variance acception.
Laura also encouraged us to contact our legislators to oppose the Salt Lake Registry (HB 267) – which registers domestic partners. This bill opens the door for alternative marriages? The Salt Lake City domestic partner registry was passed unanimously by the SL City Council. It gives a measure of legal recognition to domestic partners and cohabiting couples in Salt Lake City . At the very least, the registry sends an incorrect message that alternative relationships are good for society, and at most it could be in violation of the Utah Marriage Amendment.
SB267 prohibits cities from establishing domestic partner registries, and preserves the standing of marriage between a man and a woman as the only legally recognized partner-relationship in Utah .
Celestia Himstreet introduced us to the Bountiful opinion poll and results to determine if the residents of Bountiful are in favor of curbside recycling. She stated that Bountiful was the first city in Utah to have a recycling program and that it is estimated that Bountiful’s landfill has capacity for approximately the next 50 more years. What then? Why not extend it longer than that? Why fill our landfill with compostable and recyclable materials? We need to be better stewards of our land(fill) to make sure it lasts a lot longer than that. Bountiful garbage rates are close to half of what they are in all other Davis communities because we have a valuable asset in our landfill. Other cities in Davis County have to send their trash to a Burn Facility making their rates almost twice what we pay in Bountiful. We probably only have 5% of our community recycling. Currently, Bountiful has bins for residents to take their materials to recycle at the Streets Department 950 S. 200 W. Studies have shown that city wide curbside recycling programs increase the recycling activity of a community, and according to the EPA green waste represents up to 43% of the waste stream, which may be a good place to start when trying to reduce waste stream for community. Bountiful City has a website where we can still vote about a current proposal but there is still more we could do to change the proposal such as using current funds that are used for Bountiful Beautification projects. Go to: www.bountifulutah.gov. Look in the upper left hand corner to vote to have curbside recycling.
Adrian Buckley addressed us about community pornography issues and fighting decency in our community. She said that “to keep quiet is to *approve* and that we define our community by our tolerance.” We should voice our displeasure of pornography on all fronts. Adrian told us that Gov. Huntsman declared February as “White Ribbon Month” in the collective fight in our state against pornography. So far, no one in Bountiful has supported this effort on a group basis but she said that there is still time for us to sign a proclamation voicing our support for the effort against pornography. She will forward us an email with the proclamation to sign.
Debra introduced our guest speaker Davis County Attorney, Troy Rawlings. She said that Troy began his career wanting to be a Defense Attorney but changed his mind when he worked in the system for 5 years. He is now a Prosecuting Attorney and feels like he is contributing more to our society by doing justice to protect our communities from those who are criminals, sexual predators, or law breakers of any kind. He keeps a heavy and active case load.
Troy began his remarks by telling us that over the past 24 hours, he had taken a lot of heat with his aggressive efforts in obtaining a search warrant for the Layton store – Spencer’s. He said that we would be appalled to know of the obscene and pornographic things that were seized at the store which were openly displayed and available for purchase to minors. He has had mixed reaction from the community that his actions were improper. He is concerned about the affect he sees of this type of influence (pornography) in such other crimes as domestic violence and sexual abuse. His experience has taught him that pornography, drugs and alcohol contribute greatly to domestic violence - which destroys men, women and children both physically and psychologically. He stated that “love is replaced with lust and people are desensitized with pornography. This is an uphill battle.”
The subject of his talk was “Hope for America” and he told us that WE are the hope for America. “We were all created equally by a Creator. He gave us time and agency as well as a framework for freedom in the Constitution. We must make daily decisions which will maintain our freedoms.” Troy taught the New Testament story of Mary and Martha who were hosting Jesus at their home. Martha was busy preparing for the visit and Mary was sitting with the Savior – visiting and learning from him. Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the better part and that Martha was busy with things that didn’t matter. We need to keep that example in mind and choose the “better part” when we decide when and how to be involved with preserving our freedoms.
Troy told us that we all have many rights such as: right to vote, to worship, to assemble, to have due process, to protest, to communicate freely, etc. To be effective, we must have integrity and be a moral people – just like we were taught earlier from Lauralee Christensen. This responsibility includes electing officials that reflect our lifestyle, getting judges and legislators, city council and school boards who are honest and moral people, who also carry the banner and hope for America. He reminded us that we have a Utah State Constitution which we are responsible for as well as our federal Constitution. We must be accountable for the abuse of these rights.
We should be aware of laws such as Free Speech Coalition vs. Ashcroft which struck down the Supreme Court argument to protect children from pornography. This law says that child pornography is protected by free speech. We have to become involved to protect our children and our free society from evils which will be destructive.
“There are many issues to deal with here in Davis County such as drugs, domestic violence, and pornographic text photos of juveniles – by juveniles – spreading around the community. Youth are becoming desensitized and have a lack of judgment. We must teach standards in the home,” Troy stated.
Troy said that he always appreciates public support and feedback. He is happy to receive email or phone calls. His contact information is: troy@co.davis.ut.us The County Attorney's office is located at 800 S. State, Farmington, Utah 84025. The phone number for his office is 451-4300.
We all appreciated the very motivating and educational talk by Troy Rawlings and the UWF women who participated at our well attended meeting.
Closing prayer was offered by Jill Taylor and refreshments were served by Marva Lyman.
Debra Poulsen welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the program.
Invocation was offered by Erin Perkins
Pledge of Allegiance led by Linda Hess
Debra reaffirmed the intent of UWF is to capture the “spirit of liberty which our Founding Fathers had.” She reminded us to check out the websites of Family Research Council and United Families, Community for Decency, and Lighted Candle Society. She encouraged us to “get up, put on our armor and get going!”
Debra introduced Lauralee Christensen who gave a brief presentation about the governing principles of the Constitution. Lauralee taught a principle from a book which was written by Cleon Skousen titled: The 5000 Year Leap – A Miracle That Changed the World. Principle #2, which she discussed, states that a free people must remain virtuous and morally strong to survive in a republican culture. She reminded us that the Founding Fathers began a moral revolution against arrogant views of wealth, leisure and waste which they saw in England. They saw that to have public virtue, people must stand on principle. Their efforts led to the Constitutional Convention and our guiding freedom documents. Principle #3 will be discussed next month and it is about electing virtuous leaders.
Kris Kimball shared her experience of working with the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney. She said that it was wonderful to learn how one person could make a difference. Kris included her children with the volunteer efforts and they enjoyed the experience too. They learned “how” to participate in an election and how a caucus works. Everyone contributed and did a lot of phoning to states which were having Primary elections.
Laura Bunker shared with us a “Letter to the Editor” which she has written to voice her personal concern for the Alcohol Variance which has been granted in Bountiful to El Matador Restaurant. Though the variance has been granted, it application is not yet complete. After the restaurant makes the legal application, there will be another public hearing where the public is invited to attend to make their feelings known. Laura stressed that she feels this is the first Variance given and opens the door to others in our city and state. It sets a precedent and would negatively impact the health, peace, safety and well being of our community. Watch for an email notice of the upcoming hearing and plan to attend. Attendance sends a message to our city council that we will not tolerate this variance acception.
Laura also encouraged us to contact our legislators to oppose the Salt Lake Registry (HB 267) – which registers domestic partners. This bill opens the door for alternative marriages? The Salt Lake City domestic partner registry was passed unanimously by the SL City Council. It gives a measure of legal recognition to domestic partners and cohabiting couples in Salt Lake City . At the very least, the registry sends an incorrect message that alternative relationships are good for society, and at most it could be in violation of the Utah Marriage Amendment.
SB267 prohibits cities from establishing domestic partner registries, and preserves the standing of marriage between a man and a woman as the only legally recognized partner-relationship in Utah .
Celestia Himstreet introduced us to the Bountiful opinion poll and results to determine if the residents of Bountiful are in favor of curbside recycling. She stated that Bountiful was the first city in Utah to have a recycling program and that it is estimated that Bountiful’s landfill has capacity for approximately the next 50 more years. What then? Why not extend it longer than that? Why fill our landfill with compostable and recyclable materials? We need to be better stewards of our land(fill) to make sure it lasts a lot longer than that. Bountiful garbage rates are close to half of what they are in all other Davis communities because we have a valuable asset in our landfill. Other cities in Davis County have to send their trash to a Burn Facility making their rates almost twice what we pay in Bountiful. We probably only have 5% of our community recycling. Currently, Bountiful has bins for residents to take their materials to recycle at the Streets Department 950 S. 200 W. Studies have shown that city wide curbside recycling programs increase the recycling activity of a community, and according to the EPA green waste represents up to 43% of the waste stream, which may be a good place to start when trying to reduce waste stream for community. Bountiful City has a website where we can still vote about a current proposal but there is still more we could do to change the proposal such as using current funds that are used for Bountiful Beautification projects. Go to: www.bountifulutah.gov. Look in the upper left hand corner to vote to have curbside recycling.
Adrian Buckley addressed us about community pornography issues and fighting decency in our community. She said that “to keep quiet is to *approve* and that we define our community by our tolerance.” We should voice our displeasure of pornography on all fronts. Adrian told us that Gov. Huntsman declared February as “White Ribbon Month” in the collective fight in our state against pornography. So far, no one in Bountiful has supported this effort on a group basis but she said that there is still time for us to sign a proclamation voicing our support for the effort against pornography. She will forward us an email with the proclamation to sign.
Debra introduced our guest speaker Davis County Attorney, Troy Rawlings. She said that Troy began his career wanting to be a Defense Attorney but changed his mind when he worked in the system for 5 years. He is now a Prosecuting Attorney and feels like he is contributing more to our society by doing justice to protect our communities from those who are criminals, sexual predators, or law breakers of any kind. He keeps a heavy and active case load.
Troy began his remarks by telling us that over the past 24 hours, he had taken a lot of heat with his aggressive efforts in obtaining a search warrant for the Layton store – Spencer’s. He said that we would be appalled to know of the obscene and pornographic things that were seized at the store which were openly displayed and available for purchase to minors. He has had mixed reaction from the community that his actions were improper. He is concerned about the affect he sees of this type of influence (pornography) in such other crimes as domestic violence and sexual abuse. His experience has taught him that pornography, drugs and alcohol contribute greatly to domestic violence - which destroys men, women and children both physically and psychologically. He stated that “love is replaced with lust and people are desensitized with pornography. This is an uphill battle.”
The subject of his talk was “Hope for America” and he told us that WE are the hope for America. “We were all created equally by a Creator. He gave us time and agency as well as a framework for freedom in the Constitution. We must make daily decisions which will maintain our freedoms.” Troy taught the New Testament story of Mary and Martha who were hosting Jesus at their home. Martha was busy preparing for the visit and Mary was sitting with the Savior – visiting and learning from him. Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen the better part and that Martha was busy with things that didn’t matter. We need to keep that example in mind and choose the “better part” when we decide when and how to be involved with preserving our freedoms.
Troy told us that we all have many rights such as: right to vote, to worship, to assemble, to have due process, to protest, to communicate freely, etc. To be effective, we must have integrity and be a moral people – just like we were taught earlier from Lauralee Christensen. This responsibility includes electing officials that reflect our lifestyle, getting judges and legislators, city council and school boards who are honest and moral people, who also carry the banner and hope for America. He reminded us that we have a Utah State Constitution which we are responsible for as well as our federal Constitution. We must be accountable for the abuse of these rights.
We should be aware of laws such as Free Speech Coalition vs. Ashcroft which struck down the Supreme Court argument to protect children from pornography. This law says that child pornography is protected by free speech. We have to become involved to protect our children and our free society from evils which will be destructive.
“There are many issues to deal with here in Davis County such as drugs, domestic violence, and pornographic text photos of juveniles – by juveniles – spreading around the community. Youth are becoming desensitized and have a lack of judgment. We must teach standards in the home,” Troy stated.
Troy said that he always appreciates public support and feedback. He is happy to receive email or phone calls. His contact information is: troy@co.davis.ut.us The County Attorney's office is located at 800 S. State, Farmington, Utah 84025. The phone number for his office is 451-4300.
We all appreciated the very motivating and educational talk by Troy Rawlings and the UWF women who participated at our well attended meeting.
Closing prayer was offered by Jill Taylor and refreshments were served by Marva Lyman.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
United Women's Forum --- Fabulous February
Dear Ladies,
PLEASE COME to hear our Davis County Attorney,
TROY RAWLINGS
Former criminal defense attorney and Davis County Public Defender Troy's expertise is in child/family protection and prosecuting pornography and adult sex offenders
("Davis County Elected Official of the Year" in 2007)
("Davis County Elected Official of the Year" in 2007)
Next Wednesday, February 13th at 10:00 a.m. at
Lauralee Christensen's,
1781 Lorien Dr Bountiful
Lauralee Christensen's,
1781 Lorien Dr Bountiful
As Davis County Attorney, Troy's office handled over 4,500 cases, including many felonies for Davis County. His office allocated $34,000 to complete the expansion of the Children's Justice Center in Davis County. He assisted in passing the
"jail stay-for-pay" legislation.
"jail stay-for-pay" legislation.
UWF SPEAKER 02-13-2008
Troy Rawlings
Davis County Attorney
Troy Rawlings will be the guest speaker at the United Women's Forum meeting February 13, 2008 10:00 a.m. at Lauralee Christensen's home. Troy was just named the 2008 Elected Public Official of the Year. Read below:Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings was named the 2008 Elected Public Official of the Year at the third annual Star Spangled Awards Banquet & Fundraiser,hosted by the Davis County Republican Women on Saturday.Rawlings was elected by county officials, legislators and the members of DCRW for his impassioned work prosecuting child sex/abuse cases in the county for the past six years. Rawlings was also honored for allocating $34,500 from the county attorneys budget to help upgrade the Childrens Justice Center. At the dinner, he turned the spotlight to his wife Lisa saying that she and his four children were the inspiration behind his dedicated work. I couldn't do this job without the support of my wife and family Rawlings said, also thanking his father, county Clerk/Auditor Steve Rawlings and Troy's mother Jenell who were both in attendance.
Troy Rawlings will be the guest speaker at the United Women's Forum meeting February 13, 2008 10:00 a.m. at Lauralee Christensen's home. Troy was just named the 2008 Elected Public Official of the Year. Read below:Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings was named the 2008 Elected Public Official of the Year at the third annual Star Spangled Awards Banquet & Fundraiser,hosted by the Davis County Republican Women on Saturday.Rawlings was elected by county officials, legislators and the members of DCRW for his impassioned work prosecuting child sex/abuse cases in the county for the past six years. Rawlings was also honored for allocating $34,500 from the county attorneys budget to help upgrade the Childrens Justice Center. At the dinner, he turned the spotlight to his wife Lisa saying that she and his four children were the inspiration behind his dedicated work. I couldn't do this job without the support of my wife and family Rawlings said, also thanking his father, county Clerk/Auditor Steve Rawlings and Troy's mother Jenell who were both in attendance.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Minutes of United Women’s Forum General Meeting - January 9, 2008
Twenty five women braved a snowy day to attend the meeting which was conducted by Debra Poulsen. Debra welcomed the group, announced the program and introduced the guest panelists.
Prayer was given by Carolyn Harmer and Pledge of Allegiance was led by Anne Marie Oborn.
Linda Reeves began the meeting announcing this year’s theme of “A Season to be Strong – A Time to Act.” She told us that 28 states now have some sort of legal gambling. They target interactive games to the 21-40 age group and start with seemingly innocent games such as Bingo. Gambling is a 38 billion dollar industry. Pornography is another evil that is flourishing in the world. It contributes greatly to the declining moral standards that surround us. Linda reminded us that we all have an opportunity to make a choice of what we will do and where we will stand. She compared life to a baseball game where we don’t know what the outcome of the game will be beforehand. In the “game of life” we have a chance to choose what team we are going to suit up for. “Battles will be lost but we know who will win the war,” she said. Linda reminded us that we live in a “holy land.” Not THE Holy Land but a land which was preserved to be a blessing to the world. She told us of a prayer said by Ben Franklin before the First Continental Congress where he prayed for protection. He said that “God governs in the affairs of men.” We need His help. We can each make a difference with small actions carrying forth the cause of God. We can win the war!
Next, Debra Poulsen’s remarks were titled “A Picture of Liberty.” She asked us to imagine a canvas and then paint the world as we see it now. Create a painting. Did we see ourselves in that painting? As a girl, Debra spoke of her own experiences of feeling a love for the flag, a love for the country and a joy to be an American. These feelings have continues with her to this day. She said “this is the Spirit of Liberty” – feeling patriotic. “Our founding Fathers recognized the ideal of liberty – living in days that tried men’s souls.” She said that “what we achieve too cheaply, we esteem to lightly.” “There is a price to pay for freedom; it is something to value and protect.” Debra attended the dedication of the Utah State capitol last week and said that it was something of grandeur – “the people’s house.” “It can now withstand earthquakes but it can’t withstand neglect of the people,” she said. “Debra admonished us to learn the constitution and to look for and seek out good people to represent us.”
The Moderator for a Panel Discussion today was Lauralee Christensen. Presenters on the panel were: Dalane England – participating at the state level; Laura Bunker – United Families Utah; Cindy Moreno – Communities for Decency; and Miriam Harmer – Participating in a Presidential campaign. Lauralee said that this panel was there to inform us and give us ideas of how we can participate and help in the community, state, world affairs. She said that “we should seek the Lord to guide us, take what we have and say ‘here I am.’”
Dalane England has a passion for our country. She said that freedom is essential to our lives and to God’s plan. “He wants agency for us.” Dalane enjoys woring at the state legislature expressing views and meeting with legislators and others who are also concerned about issues affecting God, country and family and anything related to those issues. She has learned how to fight and defend our constitutional values and how to take the opportunity to get involved. She suggested that we join a machine that is already in place and work hand in hand with others who are organized. She said that there is strength in numbers and it is more effective belonging to an organization than being alone. The Legislature is only in session for 6 weeks and we can make a difference going there for a day, ½ day or as much time as we can spend. The website for the legislature is: le.state.utah.us. She said that it is very user friendly. We are welcome to attend committee meetings; they are open to the public. We can call Delane for any help at: 298-5319 (H) or 330-0303 (C). She said that there is great synergy attending the meetings and learning about various bills. Currently, there are bills about mandatory health care, property tax, abortion, overview of judges, sex offender bills and more.
Laura Bunker, representing United Families of Utah organization, is working on issues that affect the family. She is new to the organization and she asked for help from anyone who would like to join them. They would like to start a Utah database to be able to link to our legislators. They need help in setting this up and are looking for someone who can help with that. She said that UF is hosting a lobbying training meeting at the Bountiful Library on January 17 at 10:30 am. Ron Mortensen will be there to teach everyone how to approach and talk to legislators. She said that recently UFU met with legislators who felt threatened by UF. They are pro gay marriage and want cohabitation rights acknowledged instead of just traditional marriage. This group also wants a change in sexual orientation materials. Anne Marie Oborn showed us some books with a moral viewpoint written by Richard Wilkinson. These books present a social science perspective but support faith-based positions and are available for $16.95. Rose Marie Murray, who participates with United Families, met with our legislators to introduce UF to the legislators. She noted that there are several issues about consumers taking a stand to strengthen pornography stand and other “decency” issues. She told us that Troy Rawlings, Davis County Attorney, (801-451-4300) is working on a bill which strengthens laws penalizing adults who expose children to pornography. There are currently 800 bills going thru this session and it is impossible for every legislator to know all the facts about each bill. We need to participate to be a voice of the community values and lobby them. They want to meet with us and be our voice for family values and issues. Carolyn Harmer told us that currently, there are pressures put on local Doctors to artificially inseminate gay couples. Some Doctors refuse to do that and have been threatened with removal of their license to practice at particular hospitals.
Cindy Moreno, the next panelist heads up Communities for Decency organization – which is an anti-pornography group striving to maintain high standards in our communities. She said that “there are a lot of voices speaking out and that many voices make a difference.” She told us that there are internet safety classes for young people which are taught by teenagers. It is called the Protect Their Minds program. Cindy cautioned us to take nothing for granted with respect to the availability of pornography. “It is pulling people into its grasp.” She asked us to speak up in our state and districts. We can contact Businesses for Decency to enforce the laws we have in place now. Cindy suggested a couple of websites who sponsor what is going on in the media with pornography: onemillionmoms.com and parentstelevisioncounsel.com
Miriam Harmer has been involved in the political process for years – since age 18. She urged us to attend our caucus meetings which will be coming up in February, go to Washington DC, learn what is going on, and be involved and informed about current issues. Last summer, Miriam was a legal clerk for the Romney campaign with 80 other interns. She said it was a great experience to learn the political process and to make connections with others. She urged us to “be humble enough to start anywhere.” We can donate, make phone calls, travel to areas to knock on doors, work in offices, pass out literature. She stated that “good people make a difference.” The most important part of her message was that “the media filters the message they want us to hear; they are very negative. We should be optimistic, hopeful and believe in the future.”
Marge Clayton
Prayer was given by Carolyn Harmer and Pledge of Allegiance was led by Anne Marie Oborn.
Linda Reeves began the meeting announcing this year’s theme of “A Season to be Strong – A Time to Act.” She told us that 28 states now have some sort of legal gambling. They target interactive games to the 21-40 age group and start with seemingly innocent games such as Bingo. Gambling is a 38 billion dollar industry. Pornography is another evil that is flourishing in the world. It contributes greatly to the declining moral standards that surround us. Linda reminded us that we all have an opportunity to make a choice of what we will do and where we will stand. She compared life to a baseball game where we don’t know what the outcome of the game will be beforehand. In the “game of life” we have a chance to choose what team we are going to suit up for. “Battles will be lost but we know who will win the war,” she said. Linda reminded us that we live in a “holy land.” Not THE Holy Land but a land which was preserved to be a blessing to the world. She told us of a prayer said by Ben Franklin before the First Continental Congress where he prayed for protection. He said that “God governs in the affairs of men.” We need His help. We can each make a difference with small actions carrying forth the cause of God. We can win the war!
Next, Debra Poulsen’s remarks were titled “A Picture of Liberty.” She asked us to imagine a canvas and then paint the world as we see it now. Create a painting. Did we see ourselves in that painting? As a girl, Debra spoke of her own experiences of feeling a love for the flag, a love for the country and a joy to be an American. These feelings have continues with her to this day. She said “this is the Spirit of Liberty” – feeling patriotic. “Our founding Fathers recognized the ideal of liberty – living in days that tried men’s souls.” She said that “what we achieve too cheaply, we esteem to lightly.” “There is a price to pay for freedom; it is something to value and protect.” Debra attended the dedication of the Utah State capitol last week and said that it was something of grandeur – “the people’s house.” “It can now withstand earthquakes but it can’t withstand neglect of the people,” she said. “Debra admonished us to learn the constitution and to look for and seek out good people to represent us.”
The Moderator for a Panel Discussion today was Lauralee Christensen. Presenters on the panel were: Dalane England – participating at the state level; Laura Bunker – United Families Utah; Cindy Moreno – Communities for Decency; and Miriam Harmer – Participating in a Presidential campaign. Lauralee said that this panel was there to inform us and give us ideas of how we can participate and help in the community, state, world affairs. She said that “we should seek the Lord to guide us, take what we have and say ‘here I am.’”
Dalane England has a passion for our country. She said that freedom is essential to our lives and to God’s plan. “He wants agency for us.” Dalane enjoys woring at the state legislature expressing views and meeting with legislators and others who are also concerned about issues affecting God, country and family and anything related to those issues. She has learned how to fight and defend our constitutional values and how to take the opportunity to get involved. She suggested that we join a machine that is already in place and work hand in hand with others who are organized. She said that there is strength in numbers and it is more effective belonging to an organization than being alone. The Legislature is only in session for 6 weeks and we can make a difference going there for a day, ½ day or as much time as we can spend. The website for the legislature is: le.state.utah.us. She said that it is very user friendly. We are welcome to attend committee meetings; they are open to the public. We can call Delane for any help at: 298-5319 (H) or 330-0303 (C). She said that there is great synergy attending the meetings and learning about various bills. Currently, there are bills about mandatory health care, property tax, abortion, overview of judges, sex offender bills and more.
Laura Bunker, representing United Families of Utah organization, is working on issues that affect the family. She is new to the organization and she asked for help from anyone who would like to join them. They would like to start a Utah database to be able to link to our legislators. They need help in setting this up and are looking for someone who can help with that. She said that UF is hosting a lobbying training meeting at the Bountiful Library on January 17 at 10:30 am. Ron Mortensen will be there to teach everyone how to approach and talk to legislators. She said that recently UFU met with legislators who felt threatened by UF. They are pro gay marriage and want cohabitation rights acknowledged instead of just traditional marriage. This group also wants a change in sexual orientation materials. Anne Marie Oborn showed us some books with a moral viewpoint written by Richard Wilkinson. These books present a social science perspective but support faith-based positions and are available for $16.95. Rose Marie Murray, who participates with United Families, met with our legislators to introduce UF to the legislators. She noted that there are several issues about consumers taking a stand to strengthen pornography stand and other “decency” issues. She told us that Troy Rawlings, Davis County Attorney, (801-451-4300) is working on a bill which strengthens laws penalizing adults who expose children to pornography. There are currently 800 bills going thru this session and it is impossible for every legislator to know all the facts about each bill. We need to participate to be a voice of the community values and lobby them. They want to meet with us and be our voice for family values and issues. Carolyn Harmer told us that currently, there are pressures put on local Doctors to artificially inseminate gay couples. Some Doctors refuse to do that and have been threatened with removal of their license to practice at particular hospitals.
Cindy Moreno, the next panelist heads up Communities for Decency organization – which is an anti-pornography group striving to maintain high standards in our communities. She said that “there are a lot of voices speaking out and that many voices make a difference.” She told us that there are internet safety classes for young people which are taught by teenagers. It is called the Protect Their Minds program. Cindy cautioned us to take nothing for granted with respect to the availability of pornography. “It is pulling people into its grasp.” She asked us to speak up in our state and districts. We can contact Businesses for Decency to enforce the laws we have in place now. Cindy suggested a couple of websites who sponsor what is going on in the media with pornography: onemillionmoms.com and parentstelevisioncounsel.com
Miriam Harmer has been involved in the political process for years – since age 18. She urged us to attend our caucus meetings which will be coming up in February, go to Washington DC, learn what is going on, and be involved and informed about current issues. Last summer, Miriam was a legal clerk for the Romney campaign with 80 other interns. She said it was a great experience to learn the political process and to make connections with others. She urged us to “be humble enough to start anywhere.” We can donate, make phone calls, travel to areas to knock on doors, work in offices, pass out literature. She stated that “good people make a difference.” The most important part of her message was that “the media filters the message they want us to hear; they are very negative. We should be optimistic, hopeful and believe in the future.”
Marge Clayton
Friday, January 11, 2008
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
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