FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 8, 2006 FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Brett Garner Office: (801) 983-7383 Cell: (801) 573-4759 ****PRESS RELEASE**** ASHDOWN: I'll Solve Real Problems First Bigger Issues than Flags need to be Addressed, Ashdown says SALT LAKE CITY, UT—Democratic US Senate hopeful Pete Ashdown today called action of the Flag Protection Amendment “election year politics that pushes aside more important issues.” Citing nuclear waste sitting in Moab, the potential for more waste in Skull Valley, Ashdown said Utah needs a US Senator who will address issues that “are more pressing and more important.” "As a US Senator, I will address the big issues first," Ashdown said. "Yesterday, I visited Moab and witnessed the radioactive Atlas tailings pile first hand. This tailings pile, abandoned by private industry, has been sitting under government inaction for over a decade. Instead of attempting to modify the US constitution yet again, I would fight against budget cuts that affect the lives of the citizens of Utah." The Bush Administrations Fiscal Year 2007 proposed budget cuts the tailings pile movement from $28 million to $22.6 million, for a project that experts expect to take over a decade and half a billion dollars. "Why is Senator Hatch once again pushing for a constitutional amendment on the flag, when we have uranium poisoning the water for 25 million Americans downstream on the Colorado River? When I am senator, I will get the funding for moving that disaster by forming the regional coalition of Senators we need to fix this problem." Ashdown also cited Hatch's failure to block the creation of a nuclear waste dump at the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation. “Private Fuel Storage just got its license from the NRC and what is the response of Senator Hatch? He wants the citizens of Utah to petition the BLM, while he scribes a constitutional amendment on the flag." The Democratic opponent noted that Hatch's plan to stick with the Administration on Yucca Mountain has been a failure, saying: “If a senior senator such as Hatch is as close to the President as he purports, why can't he stop either Yucca Mountain or PFS? I know when I am Senator, I will oppose PFS and Yucca Mountain and fight for nuclear waste recycling and safe, on-site storage.” Ashdown named a litany of issues Congress should address before considering the Flag Amendment. “I'm fine having a debate about a Constitutional amendment on flag protection, but only after we have freed Utah's education system from a flawed Federal micromanagement law; after we have even started to give health care to 45 million Americans without it; after we have secured our seaports, airports, borders, and sensitive facilities.” Again, Ashdown asked: "Why, of all the problems facing our state and nation, is Senator Hatch once again pushing the Flag Amendment to the Senate floor?" The answer, according to Ashdown, is that Hatch is either out of touch with Utah's needs after 30 years of listening to Washington lobbyists, or ineffective at getting Utah's real problems solved. “Senator Hatch is either incapable of moving the Uranium tailings, or he is unwilling to listen to the people of Moab, Phoenix, LA, Las Vegas, etc. Either he is incapable of stopping PFS and Yucca Mountain, or he doesn't listen to Utahns' unwillingness to be either a dumping ground or a conduit to a dumping ground.” Ashdown noted a promotional video on Senator Hatch's campaign website, where Hatch proclaims how much he loves the Constitution. Ashdown pointed out the apparent contradiction in Hatch's legislative career. “For someone who says he loves the Constitution so much, he sure wants to change it a lot. Whether it's flag protection or Arnold Schwarzenegger for President amendments, or disregarding the Fourth Amendment to allow to President's warrantless spying, or an incompetent reading of the copyright clause, he sure has a strange way of showing his love.” In his 30 year career, Hatch has sponsored at least 22 constitutional amendments and co-sponsored another 44, according to the Library of Congress. Ashdown will be officially filing as the Democratic candidate for US Senate on Friday, March 10, at 10 AM. He will be filing with First District Congressional candidate Steve Olsen, at the Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office.