Standing Up For Utah’s Needs 2018 Report
This report deals with issues in our Declaration of Human Rights - Transparent and Ethical Government, Education, Health, Social & Community Support, Healthy Environment, Violence Prevention, and Dignity and Respect.
Issues covered in this Report:
Democratic Governance: Pg 31 (Previously titled “Participatory Governance”)
Education: Pg 15
Equal Rights & Dignity: Pg 7 (Previously titled “Equal Dignity & Respect”
Environment: Pg 11 (Previously titled Environmental Health”)
Health: Pg 19
Social & Community Supports: Pg 27 (Previously titled “Social & Community Supports”)
Violence Prevention: Pg 23 (Previously titled “Personal Safety”)
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Dear Fellow Utahns,
This is our 5th annual report. Each year we tackle a limited number of issues that are directly related to the kinds of Utah communities we want--ones that honor basic human rights. Our Declaration of Utah Human Rights on page 3 remains the framework for our analyses.
It is increasingly clear that the growing economic inequality across this great country is multiplying the range of problems being experienced, directly or indirectly, by all Utahns. We are experiencing social and cultural divisions, loss of trust in government, and, for all but the wealthier among us, relative wage declines, job insecurities, and health care instabilities. Problems of income inequality interact with many other policy issues: air and water quality, educational opportunities, health care delivery systems, domestic violence and gun violence, homelessness and toxic stress, and even basic challenges to engaging effectively as voters in our representative government. Our seven reports explore these issues and interactions.
As many of you know, we are a nonpartisan group of retirees with public policy experience across multiple areas. We hope that our collective insights, knowledge, and beliefs are of interest to those who care about the functioning of Utah government and civil society at all levels. We value the contributions of both the public and private sectors and the activism of many groups who strive to improve the functioning of our democracy and the health, safety, and welfare of all Utahns. Six of our reports–those addressing policy actions in Utah last year–offer specific commendations to selected private groups, government bodies, and individuals for efforts to help Utah make progress. Those same reports also include important recommendations for promoting continuing progress. We invite you to read our Executive Summary on pages 4-5 and then dig into the specifics that support our policy recommendations.
Sincerely,
Sheryl Allen
Diana Allison
John Bennion
Marie Cornwall
Pat Christensen
Michael Deily
Irene Fisher
Nancy Haanstad
Dixie Huefner
Robert Huefner
Louise Knauer
Cheryll May
Julie Miller
Rex Olsen
Stewart Olsen
Dee Rowland
Andrew Schoenberg
Harry Fuller, Michael Stapley (Leave of Absence)
With volunteer staff support from David Carrier, University of Utah.
We invite you to read more about UCC members, our mission, our history, our emeriti members, and our previous reports at our website: www.utahcitizenscounsel.org