As corrupt as I find the Utah State Supreme Court, they got this one right. In approving construction of the Heber Valley Temple, the court won a victory for both private property rights and religious freedom. Private property rights in America mean I can dispose with my property as I please, w ithin acceptable limits that do not violate the health, safety and welfare of others. The “harms” identified by the plaintiffs in this case of “less solitude, more noise, seeing the temple from their homes, a reduced quality view of Heber Valley’s night skies, and more traffic” do not rise to that standard. It is also a defeat for the HOA mentality of certain homeowners who feel they can control what others do, even outside the boundaries of their fiefdoms. A similar case could be made for constructing the new Park City Mountain lift upgrades despite objections of neighbors who think they can tell the ski resort what to do on their property. Additionally, by supporting the right of the Heber Valley Temple to continue construction, the court secured a victory for religious freedom by not allowing busybody neighbors to dictate who may worship and where. This process could easily be corrupted to prevent disfavored groups from opening and operating religious institutions, but the court wisely saw the threat to freedom of worship and dismissed the neighbors’ objections.  If elected to represent the people of Utah’s 59th House District, I too would support these principles for all groups, regardless of my personal faith because I respect the Constitution and the rights and liberties outlined therein.  Micah Kagan Park City, Candidate for Utah House District 59 The post The right call appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less