Casper Star-Tribune from Casper, Wyoming • 33

Forum 12 Letters l.i Community II 1711 Vat Ur Km rr H.W i )7, fit, Kit) TV afiri I Juity lrilum- Ijy It lUimat TV Mar (it III Ml Qi.sMTSl;irTi ihunr Sunday, July 4, 1999 STAR-TKIIJUNK I) I TO I A I. fat- UfltoMRM 6 rr 1 1 II II ft II If a i 3 i t. E-a mm m-m mm mm mm i FJ II HUH I II 11 yna ULVl JL 1 TU05E Yito fcRErtT. State treasurer's plan raises interest Take a moment to reflect upon our liberty This Index-ndence conies 2ZJ years after tin signing of the Declaration of lndcx'ndcnce in Philadelphia. In signing this dixunicnt, I Ik; Founding Fathers cut their political tics with Finland and a new nation was Ixirn.

We are a nation tliat arose out of dissent. We understand the call of freedom resides in all xople, no matter in what country they live. But we are fortunate enough to liave a tradition of liberty against which we evaluate those forces that might restrid it. We liave struggled mightily over the past two centuries to preserve the "unalienable rights" mentioned in the Declaration of Independence "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness." The ILS. Constitution and the Bill of Rights have Ix-en America's Magna Carta.

Those two doc uments stand a'xive all other laws. No law and no public official may infringe; uxm the rights guaranteed in them. We wrestle with what materials should not lx protected by the First Amendment's guarantee; of a free press and freedom of speech. We grapple with the meaning of the I'ill of Rights opening line: "Congress shall make no (xxxl x'ople in good faith disagree alxjut what adults and children should fx-able to read. We debate the issues.

We tell our state legislatures what we think. We contact our meuilx'rs of Congress alxut these Issues. In such oxn delwte, we reinforce the meaning of free speech and freedom of the press. This is how it should lx'. How it should work.

In our nation all religions are protected, not merely tolerated. They liave a right to exist, according to the I'ill of Rights. Hie adherents of minority religions have a right to believe as they do, even if the majority thinks they are wrong or evil or strange. TliLs Isn't simply tolerance, but the unalienable right to lx. James Madison stressed that the freedom of conscience is the key to all our litxrties.

No other nation lias the tradition of religious liberty tliat we enjoy. No other nation fias a tradition of free sjx'eeh and free press tliat we experience every single day. Freedom to read, to hear divergent opinions, and to think without restraint are inherent in the free sxech and free press clauses of ttie First Amendment. These lilx-rties are so much a part of the falric of our lives tliat we are often unaware of them, until someone tries to interfere with them. When we pick up a fxxk tfiat criticizes the resident of the United States, or condemns government policies, we must realize tfiat few nations have such freedom.

These freedoms as well as all tlie other freedoms mentioned or implied in the I'ill of Rights and the Constitution should lx; cherished. More than that, they must lx; field firmly in our hearts and minds, and mast be reflected in our political actions lest some well-meaning lawmakers hack them away in order to solve some Imagined ill or for some short term goal. And fiere at this juncture in our history, mcmlx-rs of Congress debate amending the U.S. Constitution, a document that lias served as well. In 223 years, the Constitution lias only been amended 27 times and one (A tliose amendments rescinded a previous amendment.

We sliould lxj cautious and tf loughtful about any projxsed amendments to this grand document. Take a moment this day to remember the great gift of lilx'rty tliat fias been handed down to us It's our job to make sure we pass on to our children and grandchildren without litx'rty being diminished. effort may lx- different The Ix-ginning is promising. The big hunk of potential increased income would come from removing the 2j percent limit on the amount the treasurer can invest in equities. Although there are other pieces of the package that I won't go into, raising the equities cap is the centerpiece.

It would yield $20 million a year. l.ummis says the stale will hit the 2T percent cap on equities a year from now. She and the investment consultants will recommend the legislature raise the rap in the 2000 legislative session with the aim ultimately to tiave liall the state's portfolio in equities and half in Ixinds and short-term cash investments. "Right now we are overweighted in Ijonds." l.ummis says. "We are riding the Ixind market to our peril." Although the principal on IxiikJs is protected, interest income is risky, indeed.

The last winter finally approved the prudent investor rule to allow the treasurer's of lice to further diversify the state's portfolio by investing In high-yield Ixinds, convertible Ixmds and additional asvt classes. Timing will lx- an Issue, says. Ixtauv it will take a year or more hen and if the legislature increases the cap on equities until the state can reach the split in equities and bonds. None of these strategies is new. Former State Treasurer Stan Smith lalxrd lor years to get the expanded investment authority from the Iegiskiture.

The stale now is reaping the Ix'iielits of Smith's groundwork, l.ummis says, "I'm fortunate." she says. The tough work already has been done." The legislature, looking into the black revenue hole, now realizes wliat a big role investment policy can make in the state's future. The investment strategy is one into the legislative-executive study of government revenue and spending. A subcommittee on dedicated revenues took a Ixild brave step recently when it voted to recommend d'-earmarking certain federal royalty payments. Sfx'arheading tliat move were two committee rnemtx'rs with liroad legislative exx-rienee.

Agriculture Commissioner Ron Micheli. a former legislator from Uinta County, and Setretary of State Jx- Meyer, former attorney general and deputy director of the legislative Service f)ffice. prodded and pushed the committee to take the brave plunge into de-earmarking. As a long-time skeptic of government studies. I think this Dl MX RAT I'hil RoVrts.

who ran unsuccessfully lor governor in I'M. hasn't lost tic ixditical ill h. The University of Wyoming history prolessor and chairman ol the Albany County Demi ratic Party says friends and supjxirters are asking him whether he will run for the I House or the U.S. Senate next year, Kolx-rts says he is at the races, partly Ix'cause he has not yet heard ol any other Derroxrat who might run. Moreover, the party needs credible candidates, he says.

Although Rolx'rts says either race would be tough, he believes that Republican Rep. liarlwra Cubin is "very vulnerable" and Sen. Craig Thomas less so. He says he learned a lot Irom his WW gulx'rnatorial primary cam)aign. chiefly to concentrate on the counties with the most Democratic votes.

"Last lime I spread myself too thin," he says. II he runs next year he ill work the Democratic southern tier of counties and Natrona County although he won't ignore the rest of the state. Kolx-rts says he will make a decision on whether to run Ia the end of the summer. And st) it Ixijins Joan Barron STAR TRIBUNE CIIKVKNNK- II takes money to make money, And it's pretty amazing what some massaging of investment strategy can yield lor Hie state treasury. State Treasurer Cynthia l.ummis' plan is to increase the interest yield on $2i billion in IxTinanenl funds by a modest 1 ix-nent.

That modest 1 er eiit would generate an additional $20 million ler year. I.uininis says the pa' kage was develojx! during a 2-day meeting in April with Hie state's (irofessioiial investment advisers Irom K. V. Kuhn the treasurer's advisory council and executive branch officials knowledgeale in these matters. Ijegislal'irs undcrstaiKlaMy warmly embraced l.uinmis' jjlan in their scan for money to cover a projected million txiflget sliortfall for Hie coming biennium What if the wall of separation between church and state fell? -4 religkius groii)s And tlwt can only get worw as more and more different religkius groujA take on the character I numlx-rs sufficient to liave weight have a growing diversity.

The First Amendment is far more imixirtant to now than it has lx-en in any jximt in i hi-story. We've avoided what Furox- li t1-gone through, what's going on in the Pvilkans right now Ffwin laustad. irofesvir emeritu'- of history at the University of California at Riverskle. was emphatk alxmt wlwt woukl hapx-n il tin- rin ipe of vjvir.ttf fi ol hur and were ignor'-d "'Die most in'J iut mo-t obv kins example is religious warfare -lx auv- was true of luigland in the 7th century, of the ontutent in the century An time you put the wer of the state wlik is to sav the (XHM-r of sword Vliitid'onformity anl re'igion you're tailing for n-Lgio r- 'ihon vHi're i a ri.ir'vrd'H.-i oii re i i 'or reiigi' warfare Vi laws Ilie 're' Kxerciv Clauv d'x-s iv xoteri human sa rifx s. incest.

pidygarny as a wrt of reiyiius worship Art'x b- I of the states in aiT "no re'K)US test shill ever li-r-juire() as a afsrti to ans ode or trust iHKjef the jiitef) Elates" This lauv' ts a lurtfKf liartx-r to iinxiny hur ti arxl slate It ox-mi'I tiwitt'-r wlwt a refois Ix lf-fs are that p-ry(ii an nin for o((i A peril's relrious lx-lx-fs'Afifxit lx' uv-d to divjsfv pTyi foKii ii a fine Hi'' t-iii't'rs w-re a'Aar1 were (teatifry a vitiiLir state irfitiofi of or a rty in tlx- (YxtsirtutMi or in (' 'A I'i-Jh'v Df 'nitxI'-Ts arKj -rr aif I'ratxfsMretits liad wttrx-sv-d p-ryTifiixi 3fx) il urir-si in ami Ijojx- lxauv- ol untxxy marfvii-'-s iM'fifl fmrti arxJ state txarrx- fiorx- to tfrfV wlo wiTe evajxnj; tiyns TV loinxV-rs lr: tlx- -riijbated w- gfA-emrrx-rit ati enf'im- rtrfX' or tx-Ms Tlx- v-SKra'rifi '4 i fiijf arn! sf afe was 't ti xi ttx-ir ri ls as Tafff) tit (Vxtstftijti'X) ar! ir V. v-'iara'i'xi nt fti' a (x tsi'l 'iarfx! t'tn Ixit ts 'a t.V -r A tfx- rrtvr.i fur-, TV irrer? t- i rC'-sv i A jr'-l-T' ari A "cif TV if ClfXt "fl I' 'kxuments. I'ut k-t us suinx' lor argument's sake that the (xiik ipk- ol yviration if liureh and state d'x-s not exist tliat it is ari errone(us reading of lames Madivm Thomas What wxiki ramifications if llwi wall suduVnfv felf liiw xofesvr (xxiglas lyoxk the I niversity A Texas at Austin who is an evjx-rt in hur state law said (Utly that 'X a su(xrsiikin is a mistake tliat it gives vixx1 for Hie re eul rhetoric tlut dismisv-s tin' mi ijde of the vibration ol fiUri state 'nt un Ijife he vixi. is iml'-(kl-r in if.e ri i Liuv-s ol the I irst ArtKixlmefit ol hnr aiKl state" is merely tie- slogan f'r wfiat Hki-v- tii iv -s i re -an Piit, lyfx said if you want to rryike the siijjjxAi'mi th'fi xrt it this way viwratkm yi ant g1 to )re- f-vi-r tvj TV g'Aerrirrx-Tit wvitjkj I- fr'-f- to atKl elirm.ia'e fre-'v-rt iv- for everVh l-irry l.ynn. tor of ArrxTxans Unifef! lor Sr-jvtratxifi A hun arxl gave a of r-cr ar tis tfiat wmiH lx-1(- revih of r.ti efrrruriatifii' tic- wail ol vMra'xxi 'Tmr' N-s wotikl x- f' r.vnv'S a.xf 'it ts tfiat rnrxirity woik! a'ways v- in the i Ifit.rx-vv-s arxj iV es (nM start lav Wt'U (ra-r of t.V ma.rrly Ttx-r- a reTwai4 ry t'if tf.T te'txn tV War Saws lx- "rial arxt a-v counsel of the IJaptLst Joint Committee, added to the list.

It Is likely we would see violence against minority religions, she said. Religious entities woukl then lx-treated iy the government in the same manner as any vsrutir organizations -tliat is. there woukl lx- conditions tied to any publk' funds given to churches: religious groujA wiud liave to hire and lire according to federal law: religious 'iraaniations could not discriminate bav-d upon religion when hiring HI'M MiiK Ix-rg. k-gal dir'tlor of 'eo)e fx the Amerk an ay. summed it up this way "II tlx' dtniK- ot v-jaMtkin of hur ami state religious religVxjs pra tire woukl lx- mix li k-ss Ire" TV-autoiKimy ol religion from stale Xjwts div)))X'ars he vikt (xAerniw iil coiki jxomote religion.

Ss-ne states oukl endorv orx1 relfckm anl dtvrimiivite against oth'TS ourts crmH yet involved wrth dVling huri li issixs He ai ixf-d tliat where refigkin arKi v-tate are fxiurxl tfpi-re ls relrgk.u as in Kovao and Vorflwrti Irettnd I'rofesvir enxTitus of huirvmitk-s Holx-rt of l.mversitv of Rx hircKKl. a si-akirft! A th- H.hk- riots in tlx- li i V)kl 11k- xirx hi the fst Am-fxlrniil rtnv liae pi-r vkiited in the situ! run Ixjt tfxTf it was nA'erth-k-ss as a k''iardan tfwtt t'i tlx- vhip ami re a we j)'t have t.V- ol tvi ntKXi tt were fa.rK in in tlx- tth I g'iiuirx-K se tfiat Without tV IVst -rrx-nilrrx-fit ai'-rjr-f'-r in a sm wav this wM fix itv in tV thr'x- il wtxxk confix Ix-twM-n 'i t'o fs ik a' istor Charles Levendosky As tin- ixitro-rsy i-t fiiiftiirg r-feiort fAs wish tax OWUfs l-(s up. are laimirtg tt- root -jy( 4 of tiun ami state" is iify a mv1h WliJe it ts tnx- tftat tlx- ptirav-Ars nA sjx-ar in Iff I Comiit'Jtxm or tU tWS of Prts. praxiji" i A tlx- aD A v-jwra'xifi ts 'BTifxVJ'J in tJiP two T'Jrvms Uw 4 the I rst Arii-trhrxirt ami An I ol tlx; Cofivi.iiitxxi Tlx- Irs) u-s par! Tirigress law vntafi in A v-itinxy TTie F-staJusfirrx-rrt (Vmse rry-arft jf'A'-TTimeTrt Mf.l SijX1 Of xx- or aS r'-lv ts Y. kMi o-.

rt pfwrvmA rr. ii fx- Jo TJx Ir Lvf "jv- lit- S'A'Tr'x-'ii ri r'T. fv ti4i p.V vi'-'-v x-a'i- vx'f'i r.Tlrt?- 'r tht- WeVern work! to a't'-t ev.iin;' I our xm A vx-w in l'f' w- siiv ifi tlwt tHiki er ii I5.it the fail is il hastened over arKi over again Ttirs- argu'- tfuit the wall v'iration tietwecn hurt atwl state made us goffless n-itNiii ignore the reality ur 'ountry Iws a growing of vital atlA'e gTmljis antl a r-' g. lilx-rts i-n a an- ri'Ai-r i tV I Of tlUffVKlkilx We M'tdivin wall of I.