My Work Made the News! (But not for a good reason)

As some of you may be aware, last weekend in Logan a small canal on a hill-side breached, causing a landslide that destroyed millions of dollars' worth of property and took three lives. You can read all about it on any Utah news website if you are interested in further information. A few days later, some citizens of Utah County contacted KSL expressing their concern about the safety of the unlined, opened Provo Reservoir Canal (aka, the Murdock Canal), which runs from Provo Canyon to the Point of the Mountain. (It is the same canal that runs behind John and Mary's former home in Highland.)

You can read KSL's story and comments on the story here. The main complaint by the residents is that they said they were promised five years ago that the Canal would be enclosed, but nothing has happened since then. I have been intimately involved in the details of the project described in this news story for the past 5 1/2 of my 6 years as an attorney with the U.S. Department of the Interior. It's always nice to see your work reported in the news, but not necessarily under these circumstances and when the story and the comments to the story are negative and/or uninformed. Because of some discrepancies and inaccuracies in KSL's story and especially the reader comments, I thought I'd share the real story. I've written this as a really bad fairy tale in an effort to keep names and events vague because this is an ongoing project. Enjoy.

Once upon a time, a long time ago (as in the 1930s), the Kingdom of the United States bought an opened, unlined canal in one of its northern-central provinces. The Kingdom owned many such canals, and so by law entered into an agreement with a small non-profit provincial organization to take care of the canal. Over the next 60 years, many people died or otherwise suffered serious harm as a consequence of swimming, wading, or diving illegally in the canal. About ten years ago, the provincial organization decided it was time to enclose the canal and bring greater safety to its citizens. However, because the provincial organization did not actually own the canal, the construction costs and taxes that would be assessed to the provincial organization for this project were far more expensive than the provincial organization could afford. Consequently, the provincial organization sought permission from the Kingdom to take title to the canal and further sought financial assistance for the enclosure from four other organizations. Following a year of negotiations the Kingdom agreed to transfer title, and the other 4 organizations agreed to provide the necessary financial assistance to the provincial organization. For the next five years the Kingdom, the provincial organization, and the 4 other organizations met weekly, and oft-times multi-weekly, to negotiate the details of the title transfer and financial arrangements. They were within months of consummating the transfer and financial arrangements when, suddenly, the provincial organization discovered that this transaction would result in a tax upon it of a third of the cost of enclosing the canal. (And if you are confused by now, you have good reason.) Paraphrasing from Beowulf, this was not a good bargain. Following 18 hours of discussion over 3 days, the Kingdom benevolently agreed to retain title to the canal and oversee the enclosure of the canal so that the provincial organization would not be impossibly burdened by the taxes it would have been otherwise assessed. Coincidentally, another major event that occurred at this time was that the local provincial government informed the provincial organization that the local provincial government would be willing to consider paying half the cost of the enclosure so long as the provincial organization could show by mid-August that the enclosure project was ready to go. And so, for the past eight weeks the Kingdom, the provincial organization, and the 4 organizations have been meeting up to three times a week to finalize the agreements for the enclosure of the canal and the financial arrangements. They are just weeks away from the deadline to meet with the local provincial government, and now the provincial organization is arguing that the Kingdom is asserting itself too much into the details of the enclosure of the canal -- which, I must now remind the reader, is still owned and may forever be owned by the Kingdom. The provincial organization is also complaining that if and when it finally takes title to the canal, the costs of owning, operating, and maintaining the canal will be too much for them to bear alone, and the other 4 organizations should therefore be obligated to help pay for those costs (including the provincial organization's taxes) in perpetuity. Given that the other 4 organizations are collectively paying for almost half the cost of the enclosure, these organizations have vehemently disagreed that they should pay the provincial organization's additional costs that are simply incidental to its ownership of the canal. And so, as of this writing, the Kingdom, the provincial organization, and the other 4 organizations may never live happily ever after. The End.

Writer's notes: Contrary to the provincial organization's characterization of the delay in the KSL story, this is clearly not about working out "little details" nor, as some citizens have suggested through their comments, about delays caused by the Kingdom. No, the "little details" causing the delay are none other than the provincial organization's financial problems, including the $50 million tax problem that it should have recognized and resolved 5 years ago and that the Kingdom has now voluntarily agreed to help resolve. Indeed, assuming the provincial organization and the other 4 organizations can cooperate with each other, the Kingdom will accomplish in 2 months what has taken all the organizations 5 years to try to do. But of course, none of this was in the story or the comments. And you wonder why I'm a little frustrated.

Citizens of the World

Just days before Iran’s election, Jason Jones, a correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, traveled to Iran to hang out and do a little reporting on the election and other goings-on in Iran. As an abashed Jon Stewart reminded his viewers each night, the Daily Show producers did not know that Jason would be in Iran during a most exciting but quite dangerous and volatile time in the country’s history. Despite those dangers, this also presented an amazing opportunity for the Daily Show to show a side of Iran that we might have otherwise never seen. You can see the 4 parts of this series using the following links: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; and Part 4. Although this series was rife with the usual sardonic humor, silliness, and other antics you expect from the Daily Show, it was impossible to not feel touched by the beauty of the people of Iran and to realize how much we share in terms of ideas, expectations, desires, dreams, and hopes for a better more peaceful future.

As I continue to think about this series, I am taken back to my travels around the United States and the world: 39 states, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, France, England, Wales, and most recently China. On my last day in China, our family happened to be walking through a very small town during the school recess time. Somewhat to my surprise we passed by a number of games of Chinese jumprope. (I guess I didn't really think that Chinese jumprope was actually a Chinese game.) Watching those kids took me back 20 years to when I was their age playing the exact same game on my playground at recess at Cherry Hill Elementary School in Orem, Utah. I realize that this may seem insignificant to most, but it left such an indelible impression on me – one generation and literally a world apart (over 6000 miles) I found something I could totally relate to with these children.

Positive experiences like these were abundant in China. The one annoyance I felt throughout our two weeks there were all the people who wanted to touch us and take our pictures. As I've thought about this since returning home, I have come to understand that behind this behavior is their enormous desire to connect with the western world, and for a variety of reasons we westerners who visit their country ARE that opportunity – maybe the only opportunity they’ll ever have – for that connection. Many Chinese nationals have never left and probably never will leave China, much less the provinces and areas they’re in, so seeing western culture is almost unheard of unless we come to them. And truthfully, many of us in western society are equally clueless about eastern culture, so making those connections, here or there, is really important for all of us as we come to understand that we are all together sharing this earth. Indeed, while we should acknowledge and celebrate our differences, those differences should never be an impediment to those things that connect us as human beings–the things that bring us happiness, sadness, excitement, serenity, anger, and love. This world is held together by the tapestry of humanity, and one loose or stray thread would eventually cause the whole tapestry to fall apart.

And so, back to Iran, I think it’s fair to say that Jon Stewart, the studio audience, and everyone who has seen this series feels an overwhelming sense of compassion for the Iranian people, and we hope for a swift and peaceful end to the violence that has marred this country in recent weeks, because Iran's success in achieving peace will help to effect more peace around the world.

My Worst Nightmare

This was in yesterday's Deseret News:

"Kimberly Warner was chatting on the phone and washing the red grapes she had just purchased from the Orem Costco on Monday afternoon when she spotted it: a big, black spider. 'I thought it was just a big, monster grape spider,' the Provo homemaker and mother of three said. Then Warner saw the hourglass shape on the spider's back." (http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705312635,00.html.)

I bought red grapes at Costco last week. And I have arachnophobia. Just looking at pictures of spiders is enough to stop my heart from beating for a second. I sometimes hang a plastic spider on a web in my office during Halloween, and it looks so real that it scares ME every time I look at it even though I'm the one that put it up! Now I'll probably be checking my grapes every 5 minutes to make sure I have no black widows. No one said phobias aren't irrational.

A Father's Day Tribute

Happy Father’s Day to Dad, Grandpas Rasmussen and Thomas, Dave, John, Matt, Bryce, and Curtis.

At the request of Parade Magazine, President Obama wrote his reflections on what fatherhood means to him. It is a beautiful essay that in many respects is reminiscent of the counsel we receive from our church leaders in General Conference. You can read the whole text at http://www.parade.com/export/sites/default/news/2009/06/barack-obama-we-need-fathers-to-step-up.html. Here are a few excerpts from his remarks that were particularly thoughtful:

“We [fathers] need to realize that we are our children’s first and best teachers. When we are selfish or inconsiderate, when we mistreat our wives or girlfriends, when we cut corners or fail to control our tempers, our children learn from that—and it’s no surprise when we see those behaviors in our schools or on our streets.

“But it also works the other way around. When we work hard, treat others with respect, spend within our means, and contribute to our communities, those are the lessons our children learn. And that is what so many fathers are doing every day—coaching soccer and Little League, going to those school assemblies and parent-teacher conferences, scrimping and saving and working that extra shift so their kids can go to college. They are fulfilling their most fundamental duty as fathers: to show their children, by example, the kind of people they want them to become.

“It is rarely easy. There are plenty of days of struggle and heartache when, despite our best efforts, we fail to live up to our responsibilities. I know I have been an imperfect father. I know I have made mistakes. I have lost count of all the times, over the years, when the demands of work have taken me from the duties of fatherhood. There were many days out on the campaign trail when I felt like my family was a million miles away, and I knew I was missing moments of my daughters’ lives that I’d never get back. It is a loss I will never fully accept. . . .

“On this Father’s Day, I am recommitting myself to that work, to those duties that all parents share: to build a foundation for our children’s dreams, to give them the love and support they need to fulfill them, and to stick with them the whole way through, no matter what doubts we may feel or difficulties we may face. That is my prayer for all of us on this Father’s Day, and that is my hope for this nation in the months and years ahead.”

I am so grateful for my dad who has always exemplified this commitment toward his duties as a father. Dad has always been a great example to me of someone who works hard, exercises great patience, and readily expresses his unconditional love to our family. I love you, Dad!

On Death

Yesterday morning my co-worker came to my office to say hi. As is customary, I asked him how his weekend was and he kind of drew a long face and said it was good and bad. He had a good time canyoneering with some scouts from another ward, led by none other than our cousin Joel Mills. After returning home, he received a call from his dad Saturday evening informing him that his grandpa (his dad’s dad) was not doing so well. At this point, I’m thinking, oh his grandpa is in the hospital now and that’s why he’s so glum. But then he concluded by saying that on Sunday, at age 94 and surrounded by his family, his grandpa died. I’ve actually met my co-worker’s grandpa before and heard so many stories about him. One of the things his grandpa did as a matter of tradition at family reunions was to offer his unintentionally melodramatic rendition of The Holy City in its entirety. (That's the really long song that goes "Jerusalem, Jerusalem....Hosanna in the highest!!") A few months ago my co-worker played me an excerpt of a recording they made and it was so great. My co-worker had a close relationship with his grandpa, including being in the same ward and same high priest group with him. So, he’s sharing this with me and I’m doing my best to fight back the tears, but I finally yielded and let the tears flow. I apologized to him, not really knowing exactly why I was crying, but in retrospect, it is clear that I was thinking about my own grandparents and relating his relationship with his grandpa to my relationship with my grandparents. Growing up in the same neighborhood as my grandparents has provided them an opportunity to actively participate in so much of my life. Losing them will feel like losing my parents.

I remember when President Hinckley died, I cried for several days for 3 reasons: First, he was my friend’s grandpa. Second, I knew that if Pres. Hinckley had to die, then so do the rest of us. And third, I thought, now Grandpa is going to die. (As an aside, I mentioned to my co-worker my fear of Grandpa dying, and he told me that he had the exact same thought about his grandpa, who was 92 at the time.) It was the first time that our grandparents’ mortality really hit home for me, and now it has happened again this week. But President Hinckley did leave us some words of comfort in his poem called What is This Thing That Men Call Death.

What is this thing that men call death?
This quiet passing in the night?
‘Tis not the end but genesis
Of better worlds and greater light
O God, touch Thou my aching heart
And calm my troubled, haunting fears
Let hope and faith, transcendent, pure
Give strength and peace beyond my tears.
There is no death, but only change
With recompense for vict’ry won
The gift of Him who loved all men
The Son of God, the Holy One.

My co-worker’s grandpa’s death was about as ideal as a death can be, I guess. He was not suffering from any diseases or other painful afflictions. He was just old. He lived a good full life and, most importantly, was surrounded by family as he peacefully passed away. Nonetheless, no matter what your beliefs and perspectives are about life after death, death is still hard for those left behind. I have no doubt that for those who die, it feels like no time has passed before we join them, but for us mortals, it can be anywhere from a day to 100 years before we see our loved ones again. That is such a raw deal and it hurts to think about it.

A few years ago I had an opportunity to talk to Grandpa Rasmussen about our philosophies of death. Sort of a weird topic to be discussing with him, but he was writing a talk for my friend’s grandma’s funeral, so it was a natural discussion to have. He told me that before my friend’s grandma died, she started having a lot of serious questions about life after death and whether she really believed everything she was taught. He was called to give her a blessing to release her from this life. Before doing so, in response to her growing fears about dying, Grandpa shared with her these beautiful and unforgettable words: “I think death is a sweet experience of exploration and new discovery.”

This is not the end of this discussion for me, but for now I go on with life, completely unprepared to deal with the deaths of my loved ones, certain that it will hurt more than I can even imagine now, but also taking great comfort in Pres. Hinckley's and Grandpa’s words and holding them close to me as those times quickly approach.

A Fortnight of Politics

Well, Sarah Palin and Dick Cheney are at it again. Let's begin with my favorite subject -- Dick Cheney, who as VICE PRESIDENT hid himself for 8 years and now that he's no longer in a leadership position feels it necessary to be anywhere and everywhere. A couple of weeks ago, Cheney showed up at the National Press Club to answer questions. You can read more about this at http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/01/cheney.speech/. But let me share a few highlights. First, he said he does not believe Saddam Hussein was involved in the planning or execution of the September 11, 2001, attacks. And I quote, "I do not believe and have never seen any evidence to confirm that [Hussein] was involved in 9/11. We had that reporting for a while, [but] eventually it turned out not to be true." He does allude to a relationship that goes back a decade between al-qaeda and Iraq, but not Hussein himself. After insisting that the White House did everything it could to keep America safe up to the 9/11 attacks, he was asked about Richard Clarke's role in all this (Clarke was the head of the counter-terrorism program leading up to 9/11). Cheney's response was that "he obviously missed it." Cheney blamed Clarke for 9/11! The same Clarke who wrote a handful of memos during the preceding year warning that this could happen, which memos were dismissed by the administration. When asked about Clarke's efforts to alert the administration through the memos, Cheney responded, "That is not my recollection. But I haven't read his book." To which the audience laughed. Yeah, that's pretty funny. If you want to see a video on this and some good commentary, go to the Daily Show with Jon Stewart website.

Now on to Sarah Palin. She was interviewed by Matt Lauer on the Today show on Friday, June 12, 2009. (You can see videos of this on youtube and NBC.) You can also read about this at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/31275358/ns/today_people/. I'm pretty sure Matt and Katie are giving each other high fives for scoring some of the most bizarre interviews ever with someone who could have been the Vice President. Sarah Palin was in New York this past week, and among other things attended a Yankees game with Rudy Giuliani. During his monologue that evening, David Letterman made a joke (in poor taste, which he has completely admitted) that there was an awkward moment during the 7th inning when there was an "incident" between her daughter and Alex Rodriguez. (Sorry to be vague, but I'm trying to keep this post appropriate for all ages.) Letterman was referring to Bristol, her 18 year old daughter who gave birth recently, but it turned out that it was actually her daughter Willow, age 14, who accompanied her to New York. In his apology, Letterman explained that he meant Bristol and would never have made such a joke about a 14 year old. In her interview with Matt Lauer Palin insisted that Letterman just made up that excuse on the fly because he had to, that he intentionally made that joke with her 14 yr old daughter in mind, and now she feels the need to protect her daughter from Letterman. Matt Lauer kept trying to calm her down and suggest to her that Letterman was sincerely sorry, but she refused to believe it and is now on the warpath with Letterman, even to the point of suggesting that CBS fire him. Yeah, definitely not a great or even funny joke, but a bit of an over-reaction? Matt Lauer clearly thinks so, as do I, but there you go. Moving on, Matt Lauer then asked her whether she thought she might have an opportunity to have a leadership position in the GOP. Her answer? "Absolutely not necessarily." Brilliant. I think we can expect to see Tina Fey returning to SNL in the very near future.

Finally, some good news. On June 4, 2009, President Obama delivered an amazing speech from Cairo. If you haven't read it or seen it, go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8082862.stm. Really, whether you totally agree with everything he said or not, it was very thoughtful and well-said. I felt proud of our President. A recent letter to the editor in the SL Tribune expressed many of the same things I felt about the speech. Here are a couple of excerpts from that letter: "Obama's speech resonated with people of all faiths and non-faiths. His Muslim/Christian roots can be used to great effect to bridge and heal the dangerous rifts that threaten our world with destruction. He is living proof that anyone can rise above the debilitation of religious zealotry to reach one's full potential as a natural human being. . . . I applaud Obama's secularism, because that is ultimately the key to our success: to have faith in ourselves and to show respect for others." Yesterday morning I was pleasantly surprised to see a very thoughtful Deseret News editorial that likewise applauded the speech and expressed the same sentiments I felt. It's a bit longer, so I won't include the text here, but you can read it at http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705310004/Editorial-Obama-pushes-forward.html. Even Fox News had a hard time criticizing the speech. For every 1 negative critique, there were 3 positive critiques. President Obama is such an over-due breath of fresh air.

Demon Cat

After turning off the living room lights on my way to bed last night, I glanced out my front window and saw a dark shadow, which turned out to be a charcoal cat lurking about my front porch and in my bushes outside the front window. I walked away but I wanted to look at it again. The second time I looked out the window the cat was staring straight up at me, perfectly still. I stared back, shuddered and quickly walked away feeling very shaky and creeped out. (This is sounding like a John Bellairs story.) For the next few minutes I repeated to myself, "It's just a cat. It's just a cat." Clearly I was way past my bedtime.