Separation of Church and what?

Still wet behind the ears, the Governer elect of the great state of Utah is already making some noise that is sure to rattle some swords. It seems that they're having a little trouble paying for roads and schools and the like. And as per usual, the genie is in the bottle.

SALT LAKE CITY - Gov.-elect Jon Huntsman Jr. said Thursday he is open to changing the state's restrictive liquor laws, often derided nationally as absurdly complicated and annoying, as part of an aggressive campaign to boost Utah's image and its economy.

Open?? What exactly does that mean? Is that something like 'we are going to have a study conducted looking into the potential tax revenue generated from blah, blah, blah...'?

I'll give old man Huntsman credit for eloquence:

He said Utah exists in "splendid isolation" to economic realities, lagging behind every surrounding state "in the most competitive neighborhood of any region in the United States." He cited the turnaround of Colorado, a "failed state 20 years ago" after an energy bust, as a diversified model for Utah to follow with aggressive marketing and business recruitment.

Splendid Isolation, huh? How many ways can you say 'Sh*thole in the Middle of Nowhere'? And what exactly qualifies Colorado as a 'failed state'? Is that like spending $300 trillion to move a piece of luggage thirty feet? Or is it like hosting the Olympics? I bet those school kids are getting great use out of that Ski Jump the world used for about a week.

I don't know how many of you have visited SLC, but the following is true. I know it sounds like something from the 1800's, but...

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are forbidden to drink, and the laws reflect that. Utah has no open-door saloons; patrons of the state's only full-service liquor clubs must sign up and pay a membership fee before imbibing, a rule that discourages drop-ins.

The myriad regulations require drinkers to completely drain a glass or bottle before they can get a waiter to pour another round. For home, Utah retailers offer only weakened beer with 3.2 percent alcohol content. The stronger stuff can be bought only at out-of-the-way state-run liquor stores at exorbitant prices.

Cue the prohibitionist jargon: saloons, liquor club, drain a glass, stronger stuff, etc..

Huntsman acknowledged the Mormon church, which opposed any loosening of the laws for the 2002 Winter Olympics, would weigh in on any changes.

"There are, like with any issue, several constituencies," he said. "I consider the church a very important constituent."

What about the 'Gimme a damn beer' constituency? Maybe they will finally get some face time with the 'gubner'.

Unbelievable.