Even after the “OK” from every side of the issue, even the LDS church, the Utah legislature has to try to muck things up. Everyone seemed to be in agreement that there could be a different solution to the ridiculous membership fees for entry into Utah’s “private” clubs, a rule that makes Utah the laughing stock of the tourism industry. The solution; an inexpensive scanner to confirm the authenticity of personal IDs. While still a little over-the-top for me, a step in the right direction to be sure.
Could Utah start shedding it’s stigma to tourists, that it is a Church-run State with backward ways and intrusive devises to discourage imbibing? With the backing of Governor John Huntsman, it would seem like it is only a matter of time.
The ball is rolling, everyone seems to be on board, and the $6 billion dollar Utah Tourism industry has everything to gain, so what could get in the way? Enter the Utah Legislature. Now there seems to be a move to require bar & club establishments to forward the information gathered from the scanners to a government data base. Yep, see you later constitution, hello big brother.
If this sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, you are right. Giving up freedoms and privacy for a small measure of (alleged) safety is something, especially when combined with technology, that sci-fi writers have been reworking since the beginning of the genre.
So, if this new measure is allowed, Utah deserves the criticism, drop in taxable liquor sales, and loss of any credibility it may still have as a tourist destination. And, just remember the LDS church wasn’t a part of this ridiculous decision, it was our elected officials… theoretically, the “people” of Utah.
1. ftp://ftp.xmission.com/pub/users/u/uttour/outgoing/TourismReport2k8v1r2_print.pdf
2. Illustration by Pat Bagley at the Salt Lake Tribune.
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