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Originally Posted by Captain_Strato  Sorry you had bad time here Captain. I've seen it happen to people that are transplants and to people that have lived here their whole lives. Having lived in Utah for a long time I would like to add a few comments if I may:
a) there are 7 liquor stores within the majority of SLC (in CO, there are 7 within 5 miles). There are close to 20 (including 2 really extensive wine stores) in the Salt Lake Valley. I actually only need one.
b) Sam Adams beer is $15.00 per case in Utah, vs $7.50 anywhere else (an that was several years ago). The manager of the liquor store flat-out told me it was a surcharge mandated by city council to discourage beer consumption. I like to drink the award winning local beers. Liquors store prices are indeed higher than in surrounding states. The prices are set by the State Liquour Commisssion, not the city council (Thus the price you pay for a bottle of booze in Moab will be the same price you pay in downtown Salt Lake)The high sin taxes in Utah go, in part, towards funding our schools. So when I get drunk I'm doing it "for the childern"
c) Condoms must be purchased directly from the Pharmacist, like an controlled substance. Not true. They are out in plain sight right by the Preperation H. (Not that I have to buy either )
d) Zoning laws in SLC favor the church. Ordinances regarding use of public land were overruled by eminent domain claims by the church. Even public land on boulevards outside the main church are controlled by the church. It's true that the Mormon Church pays no property tax. Neither does any other church. This pisses me off. They swing a lot weight around here in regards to zoning too, that's for sure.Don't really know what you're referring to about "public land outside the main church". Public land, is that, public land. You should see the ani-Mormon protesters with bull-horns that stand on the city street outside the Mormon Temple.Don't try anything like that on Church owned property. Guys in suits will get you.
e) The church OWNS city council. Separation between church and state - right The Salt Lake City Council is a mix of Mormon and Non Mormon. It changes with each election. The last five Mayors have been Democrats.(Google Rocky Anderson, DeeDee Corradini, Ted Wilson)Having said that, the Mormon Church will usually get its way. It is not the City Council that is the problem, it is the State Legislature. Those guys are wack-jobs. They are the real problem in this stateI believe that your friend's kids could have been ostracized. When I was growing up in Logan in the early 60's my brother and I were told by neighbor kids that we couldn't play with them because we were not Mormon. Not a good thing to hear as a child. Luckily we moved to Moab soon after, and discovered a whole different world. Polygamy does exist here. Don't like that either.Politics and religion just don't bother me I guess.The only door to door prosletizing we have had here in Murray in 15 years have been the Jehova's Witnesses. (Its true the Mormons will give up eventually, especially if you keep inviting them in for a beer )There are plusses and minuses to living here, like anywhere I guess.So far the plusses are still winning.quote]
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This a fair assessment.
Our experiences differ on a few points. The two Pharmacies in our neighborhood kept Condoms behind the prescription counter. You had to ask for them like a naughty schoolboy.
I always enjoyed watching the staff fumble with the latex contraband. It was embarrassing for them - especially the ladies. I felt like requesting the Magnum (which I don't need), and asking if they had anything bigger
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Re liquor stores, there may have been more. We only found seven in the SLC phone book. Still, even at 20, that's likely less than 5% per capita of most major cities. Although Mormon consumption was nil (theoretically), the rest of us still had to drive a distance, and stand in lines.
The "Sin Taxes" are indeed punitive. The 3.2 "bunny piss" in the supermarkets is good for getting fat, and not much else.
I'm sure a lot of people can co-exist with the political, legal and social idiosyncrasies of Utah. If you're inherently compliant, and easy-going, it's no big deal. I envy people like you.
You'll live longer, with less stress.
I didn't grow-up with the Mormon church, and its heavy-handed control of local law and social norms. I therefore felt offended that a religious sect could intrude on my life and freedoms.
To me, church mandated government is violation of our constitution, and nation it formed. United States was founded, partially, in pursuit of religious freedom, and freedom from church dogma.
It may be been we were targeted by the teen missionaries in CH due to our uniqueness. In that neighborhood,
everyone was Mormon, and our sin was well-known. They probably had high hopes for our conversion, and felt betrayed when we didn't fall. They hit us hard, and often.
If you're indifferent to the church's pervasive influence, a good life can be had in Utah. We found such indifference increasingly impossible.
Perhaps Mormons deserve to dictate the rules. They came first, and they worked hard to make it theirs. They may view the intrusion of non-Mormons in Utah with as much distaste as we viewed their intrusion into our lives.
Regardless, Utah is still in the United States.
:"Pssssst, there are several states that have 3.2%, or "grocery store beer". All of them also have regular stregnth beer too, it just may only be available as imports or off brands. In Oklahoma, for example, the Coors, Miller, and Bud products are 3.2% ("bunny piss"). But, the Bass, Fosters, Carlsberg, etc is the regular stuff (only they sell it warm because it is illegal to sell anything in a liquor store cold
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:. But when you go to the grocery store there is an entire isle of hops, yeast, brewing sugar, etc...
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