I just read the Letters to the Editor (aka “Soapbox”) section of Connect Magazine. Rather than posting many excerpts from various letters they posted the entire text of one large letter from a disgruntled reader, Mr. Alan Jacobsen. Here’s how it begins:
Dear Editor:
I have been reading the recent issues of connect with interest, particularly the articles dealing with the topic of what Utah needs to do to grow Utah businesses. There have been a few articles on this one topic, including one that laid out Jon Huntsman Jr.’s plan for Utah’s future.
What all of these articles downplay, or not mention at all, is the issue of Mormonism and what it is like to live in Utah as a non-Mormon. No analysis of business growth, or the lack thereof, is complete without examining how Utah is different from other states and what it is like to relocate one’s family to Utah as a non-Mormon.
First of all, I have to give credit to Connect for being willing to publish the letter. Second, I have to give credit to Mr. Jacobsen for writing it. Although I don’t agree with all his views, I think in general (although there are exceptions) our community benefits when people speak up.
For my part, I wanted to express my concordance as well as discordance with Mr. Jacobsen’s observations. I’ve pasted the full text of his letter here, and my comments are in (parentheses and bold).
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Dear Editor:
I have been reading the recent issues of connect with interest, particularly the articles dealing with the topic of what Utah needs to do to grow Utah businesses. There have been a few articles on this one topic, including one that laid out Jon Huntsman Jr.’s plan for Utah’s future.
What all of these articles downplay, or not mention at all, is the issue of Mormonism and what it is like to live in Utah as a non-Mormon. No analysis of business growth, or the lack thereof, is complete without examining how Utah is different from other states and what it is like to relocate one’s family to Utah as a non-Mormon. (I agree. You can never underestimate the importance of the culture of a geographic area. Doing business in Utah is, for certain people in certain ways, as much of a unique experience as doing business in Japan)
Mr. Huntsman’s 10-point plan for Utah included many points and sub-points which either explicitly or implicitly involved relocating people, talent and capital from outside of Utah to inside of Utah. Mr. Huntsman’s points included:
>> “Grow Utah’s pool of management talent” Point 2, B
>> “Recruit Businesses to our state” Point 3
>> “Attract More Capital” Point 4
>> “Enhance Utah’s National and International Image” Point 7
>> “Promote Tourism” Point 8
All of these points or sub points involve either asking people from out of state to move their families to Utah, or to visit Utah. So, it is imperative to analyze what it is like to move from outside of Utah as a non-Mormon.
Let’s look at what people are like in other places. A company that Mr. Huntsman might be talking to one day about the possibility of moving to Utah might be a high-tech company in California. The people who work for companies in California have demographics and psychographics that are quite different than people in Utah. For example, executives and employees of a California high-tech company are likely to be non-Mormon, many will be women, many will be non-white, some will be gay, almost all will drink alcohol, and a good proportion of them will describe themselves as politically “liberal.”
When they look at moving their company and families to Utah they might ask themselves questions like how is Utah different from California, and indeed they will find a lot of differences. While some of these differences may seem minor and superficial to a native Utahn and Mormons, believe me when I tell you that they are a daily irritant (at least) or a reason to move back to California (at the most). Here is a partial list:
1. In California, no one asks, knows or cares what religion you are on your street, at work or anyplace else. It never comes up. – (I agree it’s true that very few people might ask about another’s religion in California in the workplace, but that may be due more to fear of the “thought police” and in observance of politically correct standards as opposed to no one caring)
2. In California, your boss may be a woman, black or gay, or all three, and no one cares. – (Again, I believe the perception may be that no one cares, but is this only because of the fear their job may be terminated if they are perceived to care or do they really not care? How can you tell the difference?)
3. In California it is not a Class B Misdemeanor to be actively gay. - (Is it really a misdemeanor here? I’m not knowledgeable about the law to know, and so I think I’ll skip commenting on this.)
4. In California it is not a Class B Misdemeanor to have sex with your monogamous heterosexual girlfriend or boyfriend. – (Ditto my above remarks)
5. California is not dead last in per pupil public education spending. – (I believe this is an important issue. In general, I don’t believe enough money is put into public education. However, things get a little complicated if you go any further. But suffice it to say I believe this is issue should be given plenty of consideration and hopefully funds could be diverted from areas of government to public education.)
6. While California does not allow gay marriages, it does allow domestic partner rights in issues such as health insurance, hospital visitations, medical decisions, etc. These rights are about to be taken away with Amendment 3 despite opposition from Mr. Huntsman, Mark Shurtleff and many others. – (First of all, will Amendment 3 really keep businesses from moving here? How do you know? Second, Amendment 3 does not take any so-called “rights” away. Whoever has spread that information is either misinformed or lying. Amendment 3 takes existing law and makes it part of the Utah constitution. And I’m not sure that “domestic partners” have any less ability in Utah under existing law or Amendment 3 to share in decisions about health insurance, hospital visitation, or medical decisions, etc. Correct me if I’m wrong, but as far as I know, it’s not too hard to give those priveleges to anyone you want to.)
7. In California, the Boy Scouts is not run by the Mormons. – (Yes, and in China the government isn’t run by Americans. I think this has more to do with demographics than anything else. And actually, I’m not so sure the Boy Scouts isn’t run by Mormons in California or anywhere else. I know there are plenty of Boy Scouts of other religions in California, but I’d be willing to wager most of them in California are, in fact, Mormons. Either way, I’m not sure this plays a large role in attracting businesses and their employees…)
8. In California, when the Boy Scouts go on a weekend campout they actually camp for the whole weekend and don’t come home Saturday night. – (I was a Boy Scout in California and we always came home Saturday night and never stayed camping on a Sunday. We had Catholics and Jews in our Troop in addition to Mormons and they didn’t seem to mind at all.)
9. In California, public school students are not excused from school or given school credit for religious education. That is done on a student’s own time on afternoons and weekends. – (Is this a bad thing?)
10. In California you can buy wine, liquor and real beer in Albertson’s 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and in some cases 24 hours a day. – (While my personal opinion is that we’d all be better off if prohibition were still in effect, I realize that’s not the world we live in and it ain’t gonna happen. Utah may have some challenges attracting outside talent and businesses if our liquor laws remain the same. However, there may be prices to pay if our laws are relaxed. Is the price worth it? Maybe we would rather keep the laws as they are and work around the challenge. I say let the people choose.)
11. In California the price for wine, liquor and real beer is much less, in some cases 50 percent less than in Utah due to the state monopoly in Utah. – (Ditto my above remarks. Let the people choose through the democratic process if they want to change the liquor laws that affect this issue.)
12. In California if you want to watch Monday night football and enjoy a real beer in a sports bar after work no one will ask you for your membership or ask you to pay to join some charade of a “private club”. – (Ditto my above remarks for 10 and 11)
13. In California, “Saturday Night Live” is on NBC. – (That’s it, I’m packing up for California today.)
14. In California, NBC is owned by a media company, not a church. (So?)
15. In California, NBC televises football games on weekends, not LDS General Conferences. – (General Conference is only broadcast on two weekends per year unless there are repeats, and although I could be wrong I doubt the local NBC affiliate would bump a big football game to broadcast a repeat of LDS General Conference. Anyway, between cable and dish, does anyone really feel they don’t have enough football to watch?)
While some people might say that Utah has an “image problem,” it really has a “reality problem.” Those non-Mormons who do live here now have made the choice that they want to live here despite being made to feel like they are not welcome here. – (It is regrettable if any “non-Mormons” feel they are not welcome here, and the leadership of the LDS Church has repeatedly urged its membership to never do anything to make others not of their faith to feel unwelcome. In addition, my own experience has been that most non-Mormons do feel plenty welcome here. Although I’ve heard of one or two unfortunate situations where an LDS family told their kids not to play with the “non-member” kids, most of those I’ve met who don’t feel welcome in Utah seem to be going to an extra effort to feel that way. I don’t believe most non-Mormons feel unwelcome here, although that may be the case with most of those Mr. Jacobsen chooses to associate with.). However, other people will not make that decision. A frequent question I get from my business contacts in California, all of whom have visited Utah for business and vacation, ask me “how can you stand living there?” I also know of a few Californians who did move here, and then moved back after their neighbors wouldn’t allow their children to play with their children, or similar ugly incidents. – (Again, I have heard of this happening at least once, and I think it’s ridiculous. I don’t know who these parents are, but they’re going completely contrary to the teachings of the LDS Church if they’re doing this.)
The point is that it doesn’t matter how many tax incentives or marketing programs Mr. Huntsman or anyone else puts together to lure businesses to Utah. The fact is that they will not be successful in attracting businesses to Utah until non-Mormons outside of Utah see it as a place that they want to move their families to. (I agree) They will not want move their families to Utah until public education is improved (I agree), the liquor laws and government liquor monopoly are dismantled (I disagree), the anti-gay laws are repealed (disagree), the seminary system is moved out of public school time (disagree), the Boy Scouts are independent (disagree), the LDS Church sells KSL (disagree), etc.
Until then, Utah will continue to lose to Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, etc.
I think Mr. Huntsman and connect need to address these issues if they want Utah to attract businesses.
Alan Jacobson
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My opinion here is that Alan makes the mistake of assuming more people feel like he does than actually do. It’s easy to understand how this happens if most of your peer group feels the same way you do and if you listen to network news. However, let me present an alternative perspective.
Could it be that there are large numbers of people in California who:
1. Are against gay marriage or domestic partnerships that grant the same priveleges under a different name?
2. Are tired of the proliferation of drunk driving accidents?
3. Wish their children didn’t have access to alcohol at Albertsons 24/7?
4. Want to live in a place where 1984-esque “thought police” don’t turn you in for every politically incorrect term or phrase you use?
5. Want to live and raise their families in a place where traditional morals and family values are the norm rather than the exception?
6. Would welcome an alternative to the atheistic society being created in the California public school system?
7. Want to live where the local media is controlled by a church that is open and straightforward about its standards and which tries to keep soft-core porn and other disreputable material off the airways rather than in a place where those who control the media have a hidden agenda?
8. Want to enroll their children in a Boy Scout troop that actually lives up to the Boy Scout teachings?
9. Want to put their kids in a public education system that stinks? Oh wait, no, we agree on that one.
