To the editor:
It is a common cliche in academic and political circles in this state that "a Utah Democrat would be a Republican anywhere else." If Utah's most prominent Democrat is evidence for this proposition, then I beg to differ.From the record, I would argue that the most liberal members of Congress have nothing over Salt Lake County's Congressman Wayne Owens.
In 1990, Congressman Owens cast key votes in favor of organized labor, federal funding for abortion and a Civil Rights Act that would place the burden on employers to prove that their hiring practices are not discriminatory (forcing them to adopt a quota hiring system to avoid liability).
Owens is popular among liberal interest groups and votes a liberal line 72 percent of the time, according to the liberal Americans for Democratic Action. The American Civil Liberties Union approves of Owens' voting record 77 percent of the time. Other less-known liberal interest groups give Owens an approval rating of up to 89 percent.
The message of the liberal wing of American politics is higher taxes, more government spending, increased regulation of private industry and expansion of an already monolithic bureaucracy. If you have any doubts, try asking Owens what he plans to do about a comprehensive national health care system.
Jeffrey B. Teichert
Orem