by Howard Stephenson
With the new year beginning it is appropriate to remember some of the dumb things that were said during 2003 in hopes of avoiding such thoughts in the new year. Here are some statements made last year on the national scene and others made right here in Utah.
National Quotes
“The reason the Democrats are weak is that we appear to be willing to say whatever it takes to win. We are willing to say on Wednesday we are against the war, on Thursday, vote for it, and then come to New Hampshire and try to pretend you’re against it.”
Former Gov. Howard Dean
Rutland Herald
April 19, 2003
“If you want to give a billion and a half dollars from the federal government to state and local government here in Iowa in the next three years, then I am your candidate.”
U.S. Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-MO)
Slate.com
May 19, 2003
“Of course we (Democrats) tax and spend.”
Tim Robertson, Frm New Hampshire Legislator
The Union Leader
April 27, 2003
“I don’t need Bush’s tax cut. I have never worked a [bleeping] day in my life.”
U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI)
Washington Post
June 27, 2003
“I think the Democratic Party has proven, through real results during the Clinton administration, that we do have the right values, we do reflect the values of the American people.”
U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt (D-MO)
CNN
October 9, 2003
“One could say that Osama bin Laden and these non-nation-state fighters with religious purpose are very similar to those kind of atypical [U.S.] revolutionaries that helped to cast off the British crown,” Miss Kaptur said…
“I think that people of faith understand that for many of the terrorists, their actions are acts of sacred piety to the point of losing their lives. And I think that people of faith understand that there is a heavy religious overtone to the opposition.”
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
The Toledo Blade
March 5, 2003
“I think unleashing 3,000 smart bombs against the city of Baghdad in the first several days of the war . . . to me, if those were unleashed against the San Francisco Bay Area, I would call that an act of extreme terrorism … You can’t send in 3,000 bombs without some of them going awry, in spite of the military’s claims about accuracy. If they get two-thirds accuracy that means that 1,000 bombs will explode [off target] inside a city of 6 million people. To me, that’s a terrorist act.”
Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA)
San Francisco Chronicle
March 19, 2003
“The Republican Party is the biggest danger to democracy.”
Kerry Kennedy Cuomo
Washington Times
July 08, 2003
“There really is a vast right-wing conspiracy — my only regret was in using the word ‘conspiracy’ — there’s definitely nothing secret about it.”
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
MSNBC
August 4, 2003
Utah Quotes
“Raising taxes has always been, for some reason, a death knell in this county. There’s only so much pie representing the budget. But you [county commissioners] are the pie makers. Maybe we need to make more pies.”
James Tracey, Utah County Sheriff.
“If they say we need it, we’ll educate the public. If they say we don’t need it, I don’t know what we’ll do.”
Davis County Sheriff, Bud Cox, commenting on the Davis Count jail expansion study committee. Source: Standard Examiner
“Goodbye. Hey, let me show you the way to get to Evanston, Wyoming”
Representative Steve Mascaro, responding to criticism in the Interim Revenue and Taxation committee hearing that his proposed tax increase encourages high income Utahns to leave Utah. Source: Salt Lake Tribune— 10/ 16/03
“No one is asking me or other regular citizens to spend three days with legislators.”
Political activist Claire Geddes, complaining about not being invited to a lobbyist-legislator golf outing in St. George.
“This is not a tax hike . . . this is a tax shift.”
Rep. Pat Jones, referring to H.B. 183, which shifts $90 million from the private sector to the public sector.
“This is a gift we give ourselves.”
Salt Lake County ZAP Coordinator, Lynette Hiskey, describing Salt Lake County’s ZAP tax to local officials attending the National League of Cities and Towns convention.
“It’s going to take a tax increase. You’re not going to be able to invent this money somewhere.”
Denis Morrill, State Board of Education member, referring to funding Performance Plus. Source: Deseret Morning News — 10/04/03
“I am going to hound people to death; I’m not giving them a choice this time.”
Shiela Thurston, Payson Recreation Committee member, referring to a $10 million bond for a swimmin g pool. Source: Daily Herald
“It really takes new taxes. That’s the reality.”
State Board of Education member John Pingree in a Salt Lake Tribune article about state education leaders’ spending proposal for education reforms.
“Having some rock ‘n’ roll, having a strong gay and lesbian community, having a creative artistic, culturally rich, diverse community is absolutely essential to economic development in a modern world.”
Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson in a Salt Lake Tribune article.