Downtown is rising.
I’ve been watching out my office window as steelworkers construct the framework for the sky bridge that will be dropped into place across Main Street. It is really quite massive. It won’t exactly be unobtrusive.
The bridge will connect the east and west parts of the enormous City Creek development, which will completely remake downtown.
Another sign of progress: You can now actually walk down the sidewalk on South Temple in front of the new Richards Court condos and Utah Woolen Mills, right across from Temple Square. The temporary wooden sheltered sidewalk is mostly gone on that block.
Deseret Book will be moving into a new flagship store, and the condos will begin to be occupied in April.
The face of downtown is changing rapidly!
Pete Ashdown, former U.S. Senate hopeful and current founder and president of Utah internet powerhouse Xmission, is one of a half dozen or so community leaders to weigh in on the battle over HB150 — the Senate bill which proponents say is a necessary tool in the state's arsenal to protect children online and which opponents call a naked power grab by the state Attorney General's office and a bald assault on citizen's Fourth Amendment rights.
In this Friday's broadside, Ashdown joins a broad spectrum of voices raising concerns — The Sutherland Institute, the Salt Lake Tribune Editorial Board, among others. Yes, as the head of one of Utah's foremost internet service providers, Ashdown is on the front lines of this issue. He could have talked about the issue from that point of view (and he has, elsewhere) but what I found most compelling in this morning's missive, was his historical framing of issue:
Publius, Junius, American Farmer, Common Sense, Silence Dogood, Caesar, Senex, Phocion, Historicus, The Sons of Liberty … If these names had been connected to individuals, the American Revolution may have never happened. … John Adams estimated that his cousin Samuel Adams used between 50 and 100 pseudonyms from the beginning of the American Revolution to its end. Samuel Adams himself said there were too many to count. If the pen is mightier than the sword, anonymity is its shield.
It's a powerful argument from an unlikely source. Sun Tzu would be proud — and maybe even Samuel Adams.
(From Policy Perspectives at the Center for Public Policy & Administration at the University of Utah)
It is nearly impossible to open a newspaper or turn on the news without reading or hearing about health care reform. President Obama’s commitment to finding a comprehensive solution to the problems of rapidly rising costs and inadequate availability of care for uninsured and underinsured Americans has yet to provide results. In a recent Gallup Poll examining Democrat and Republican approval ratings of Obama’s handling of various issues, health care policy proved by far the most divisive, with 74% of Democrats approving of the President’s handling of the issue, while only 7% of Republicans approved[1]. Yet most people agree something must be done soon to curb the rapidly rising costs and maintain the high level of health care many Americans enjoy[2]. In a May 2009 survey conducted by the Center for Public Policy and Administration, 92% of respondents said they were somewhat concerned or very concerned about the cost of health care insurance[3]. While the federal government continues to argue over the nature and details of health care reform, some state and local governments are attempting to take matters into their own hands. States are approaching health care reform with various solutions such as offering government subsidized insurance for the uninsured, establishing insurance exchanges, and creating single-payer systems.
Massachusetts health care reform law enacted in 2006 has served as an early study of state subsidized insurance, with mixed results. This legislation compels nearly all state residents to carry health insurance, offering the state’s Commonwealth Care insurance program for those with an income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. Commonwealth Care offers various health plans, subsidized at different rates dependent on level of income[4]. Massachusetts’ plan has proven successful in significantly reducing the percent of state residents without health insurance, from 11.7% in 2004 to 2.6% in June of 2008[5]. However, the state’s reform has been met with considerable criticism of both its sustainability and effectiveness. The costs of the program have outpaced inflation and critics have attributed state budget woes to this increasing expense. Additionally, some claim the high rate of residents carrying insurance does not sufficiently describe access to health care, which may still be limited for many who cannot afford care with high deductibles or copays. Looking solely at the measure of insured state residents, this approach appears successful, but looking deeper, it may not be effectively addressing affordability issues for both citizens and government, and improving access to care as much as claimed. Despite these mixed outcomes, several other states have implemented, or are proposing similar programs intended to expand insurance coverage[6].
Utah has been a leader in promoting the health exchange system, in which employers provide pre-tax dollars to employees and allow them to select from a wide range of plans offered by multiple insurance companies through one comprehensive website[7]. Health exchanges make available a range of options and provide easily comparable information about the available plans in order to allow consumers to make better informed decisions. These exchanges seek to empower consumers to take responsibility for their health care costs and consumption by selecting plans that best suit their needs through a defined contribution. A defined contribution is a specified amount of money, typically provided by the employer, for an employee to spend on health care. Giving consumers more control over their healthcare dollars is intended to reduce overuse and to incentivize participants to seek out better value for care. Additionally it offers employees of small businesses many more options than are typically available, allowing them to select a plan that is best suited to their needs.
In August of 2009, the Utah Health Exchange was initiated on a limited basis in order to assess the successes and setbacks that could be expected in statewide implementation. This test was successful in that it accomplished exactly what it was designed and intended to do: identify potential problems prior to a full-scale launch[8]. A significant setback was the difference in premiums established by the participating insurance companies for those employers within and without the Exchange. Over half of the employers who dropped out of the trial program cited increased insurance premiums as the primary reason. Some of these increases can be attributed to loyalty discounts employers had previously received from their insurer, which were eliminated at the start of their participation in the Exchange. Utah House Speaker David Clark is currently sponsoring legislation (HB294) designed to address these issues by equalizing the two markets so that neither is unfairly advantaged.
It is difficult to assess the achievement of this approach so early in the program, but the Utah Health Exchange is planning to expand this summer, in hopes of serving as a model of health care reform. Future plans include increasing available information to make data on costs and outcomes of various providers easily accessible to consumers, improving transparency[9]. Oregon and Wisconsin are considering similar health exchanges, looking to consumer-driven health care as a possible measure to control costs and improve access in the states.
A small number of states have sought to pass legislation enacting statewide single payer systems, seeking to greatly reduce administrative costs while making health care accessible to all residents regardless of ability to pay. The California legislature has endorsed universal state health care through publicly financed administration, twice passing single payer bills in both the state Senate and Assembly. Twice those bills have been vetoed by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has pledged to veto any similar future legislation[10]. Several other states have seen comparable legislation introduced, such as New Mexico and Connecticut, but to date this approach has not been attempted statewide.
In recent years solutions to the problems of health care have been sought on an even smaller scale, such as San Francisco’s implementation of its Healthy San Francisco program. This program is available to all residents with an income at or below 500% of the federal poverty level who are not eligible for other state or federal assistance. Healthy San Francisco encourages the use of primary and preventive care by participants, rather than costly emergency care, with monthly premiums assessed on a sliding scale. While many San Franciscans who were previously uninsured have enrolled with Healthy San Francisco since its inception in 2007, the plan does not serve as a comprehensive substitute for insurance, as the health care offered through the program is only available within city limits. Outside of the city, no funding or assistance is available to participants through the program[11]. Additionally, although Healthy San Francisco has thus far proven viable, it may not be easily replicated in other cities, as San Francisco’s unique demographics contribute to the program’s success.
It is clear we have yet to find the silver bullet to alleviate our country’s health care woes, but while Congress struggles to find a compromise on health care reform, states and municipalities will work on their own solutions.
[1] http://www.gallup.com/poll/125678/Obama-Approval-Economy-
Down-Foreign-Affairs-Up.aspx
[2] http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/US/healthcare031020_poll.html
[3] http://www.cppa.utah.edu/publications/health/
PP_Health_Insurance_Utah_Concerns.pdf
[4] https://www.mahealthconnector.org/portal/binary/com.
epicentric.contentmanagement.servlet.ContentDeliveryServlet/
About%2520Us/CommonwealthCare/Commonwealth%
2520Care%2520Program%2520Guide.pdf
[5] http://www.census.gov/prod/2006pubs/p60-231.pdf
[6] http://www.cppa.utah.edu/publications/health/
PP_Universal_Health_Insurance_Reform.pdf
[7] http://exchange.utah.gov/index.html
[8] Two of the issues revealed involved
1) complexities with parallel markets and
2) applying previously-used rating methodologies in an altogether new market.
[9] http://www.cppa.utah.edu/publications/health/
PP_Utah%27s_Health_System_Reform.pdf
[10] http://www.sacbee.com/business/nation/story/2512360.html
[11] http://www.healthysanfrancisco.org/about_us/history.aspx
Spring is approaching and The Nature Conservancy in Utah is celebrating with a suite of lectures and fun events you can participate in — from volunteer events on Earth Day, to expert-led bird walks, to a guided sunset tour at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve. There's plenty to do.
Click here for a list of events.
See The Nature Conservancy's latest Great Places e-newsletter here.
It’s getting ugly, as much as it can in 140 characters or less, in the race for Utah’s 3rd Congressional District.
Joe Puente, who is an independent running for the seat, is upset that Republican Jason Chaffetz keeps blocking him from viewing his Twitter feed.
The Examiner blog says, quite hyperbolically (and without a spell check), Puente “unleashed his fury this morning via Twitter.”
He tweated"@jasoninthehouse You keep kicking me off your page. I keep joining. I have every right to know what you're up to in Washington, you coward."
Puente’s web page says he advocates for publically funded elections, and Utah should have 91 Representatives in Congress.
Members of the United Way of Salt Lake believe revenue enhancement, including use of the Rainy Day Fund, rather than additional cuts, is the best way to deal with Utah state budget deficits for 2011.
It’s raining. United Way of Salt Lake agrees with the majority of Utahns who believe that increasing revenue, in addition to making some cuts, is the way to deal with the 2011 deficit. This includes increasing the tobacco tax, even in light of a possible gubernatorial veto.
We recognize there are efficiencies that can be achieved in some programs but, in general, we believe the $1 billion already cut from education and from other key state functions means that we should rely primarily on new revenue to balance next year’s budget.
That is why United Way supports the use of a combination of new user fees and rainy day funds, because it is raining now.
Activists who oppose common-sense management of wolf populations are misusing statistics from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to support their own agenda. We will not let it go unchallenged.
Defenders of Wildlife, Western Wildlife Conservancy, Endangered Species Coalition and others would have you believe that restored wolf populations are somehow translating to growing elk herds. That is, of course, far from accurate. Our population data, which come from state wildlife agencies, show that elk populations are expanding the most in areas of the northern Rockies where wolves are not present. However, where elk share habitat with wolves, such as the Yellowstone area, some elk populations are declining fast. In fact, since the mid-1990s introduction of gray wolves, the northern Yellowstone elk herd has dropped from about 17,000 to 7,100 animals—a 58 percent decline. Other localities in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming also are documenting precipitous downward trends.
Additionally, some research shows that the elk remaining in areas of concentrated wolf populations are suffering nutrition loss, lower body weights and decreasing birth rates.
An unemotional, rounded view of the research is why we strongly support state-regulated wolf management via hunting and other viable methods. Last year we got involved in the ongoing litigation over wolves, filing legal briefs used in federal court to delist wolves and allow hunting to help control local wolf populations.
Groups who oppose wolf management ignore these facts, by design.
Utahns Jennifer Robinson and David Patton have edited a new book, published by the University of Utah Press, that looks at how the West is becoming more influential in presidential elections. An article published in Policy Perspectives newsletter says:
Consistently ... the West has been largely ignored by presidential candidates who remain uninterested in the few electoral votes to be won in the region. The 2008 presidential election demonstrated that such an attitude toward western states appears to be shifting, as are the dynamics of the presidential primary system as a whole. As western populations have increased, so too has the political clout of the region.
The Rise of the West in Presidential Elections, a new book edited by Jennifer Robinson and David Patton, explores the changing role of the region in national elections. The prominence of Nevada as an early caucus state, Denver’s role as the host city of the 2008 Democratic National Convention, as well as increased candidate visitation and media expenditure, point to the rising importance of the region, an importance that political candidates will increasingly need to recognize. The book examines the political advantages and barriers to the creation of a regional primary for the western states, a move that could further change the influence of the West on the national agenda and highlight western issues and values.
Robinson is associate director for the Center for Public Policy & Administration at the University of Utah. Patton is deputy director of operations for the Utah Department of Health and a former CPPA director. Read more about the book, including chapter contents and authors, here.
A Missouri lawmaker has a novel idea to help with the state’s budget woes. Play the lottery.
Republican Rep. Mark Parkinson is pushing a bill that would take $2 from the Governor’s monthly salary to buy Powerball tickets. Any winnings would be put into a fund called “Governor Nixon’s Scratch-off, Match-off Fund.”
The fund would be dissolved and moved into the General Revenue Fund if the governor's potential winnings were to match or exceed $300 million — the exact amount in Nixon's budget recommendation for fiscal year 2011 that comes from an extension of federal stabilization funds that has not yet been approved by Congress.
"The odds of that, the second stimulus funding package being passed by the Feds are probably the same odds as winning the lottery," Parkinson said.
Parkinson says his bill is meant to be a statement on the Governor’s budget.
Who knows? Maybe Utah lawmakers should hop a bus to Malad, Idaho and throw a couple bucks down on the Powerball themselves. $300 million would be a quick panacea to any budget problems. The only problem? Who would have to stand in line to buy the tickets?
“A state’s tax system should look like it was created on purpose…Utah’s tax system doesn’t.”
-- Economist Richard Sims
Jordan School District announced it is laying off 500 school employees, including 250 teachers. The effects of an additional 500 unemployed workers on an already struggling Utah economy will be devastating. The impact of increasing class sizes by four students and eliminating important educational support services will be felt for generations.
While Jordan’s financial troubles are exacerbated by an ill-conceived school district division, they underscore a much larger problem in this state—CHRONIC UNDERFUNDING OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
Utah’s last-in-the-nation status in per-student funding is well known. What is less well known are the reasons for that status. At one time, Utah ranked in the top 10 states for overall tax burden. This is because we have more children per taxpayer, creating a heavier education funding responsibility. Changes to tax law, however, now put Utah’s tax burden below the national average, according to the Tax Foundation. We’ve fallen to No. 30 for state income tax, which in Utah is dedicated solely to education, and to No. 40 for corporate income tax. Yet we still have more students per taxpayer than any other state.
In other words, while the number of students has increased, Utah’s commitment to fund education for those students has declined.
This underfunding has led to overcrowded classrooms (Utah has the nation’s highest student-teacher ratios by a large and increasing margin), reduced educational support services, inadequate classroom technology, elimination of teacher preparation time, insufficient numbers of teacher librarians and school counselors…I could go on and on. More information about public school funding is available at UtahsFuture.org.
A study released earlier this year by Utahns for Public Schools found several changes to Utah tax structure over the last decade have eroded state revenues by as much as $1 billion per year. The 2007 move to a flat tax alone is costing Utah’s schools between $220-$245 million per year. With nearly 9 percent of the state’s student population, just Jordan District’s share of that lost revenue could have covered two-thirds of the district’s present shortfall.
To fix these funding problems in Utah’s public education system, we call on our state legislators to:
If we truly want what’s best for Utah’s future, we must prepare for that future by making quality public schools a priority now.
From National Review Online blogger Reihan Salam:
As a New York native, it pains me to say this, but Utah is pretty awesome. From the four-day, 40-hour workweek to smart health reforms, the state is a trailblazer. And now two Utah state legislators, Michael Waddoups and David Clark, have advanced an extremely exciting new policy idea.
Read the entire post here.
America is at a crossroads… actions in Washington DC have many questioning if America is still the land of opportunity and prosperity. With President Obama in the White House and liberals in control of the House and Senate, the path for conservatives should seem clearer. Yet, the Republican Party is also at a crossroads; a resurgence of conservative voters and grassroots organizations has conservatives salivating in anticipation of new life and the possibility of returning to power, but not all this activity and energy is necessarily partisan at its core.
I believe that conservatives must take the following steps to prevail and capitalize on the momentum and ultimately achieve victory. Basically stated, Republicans must show the American people that we are connected to our principles and as we stay connected to them, we will help return America to a land of opportunity and prosperity.
Currently conservatives are divided, fearful, and full of distrust…of each other and unfortunately of groups with similar goals. But the bottom line is the American people will not follow an angry, frustrated, and distrustful party. So what does the Republican Party need to do to unite conservatives and capture the momentum? First off, we must recruit, train and motivate our neighbors. I’m excited by the undercurrent of conservative, business-friendly discussion and attention. Many are active in recruiting and training their neighbors to get involved; this is a great trend and we need to accelerate this activity.
I believe some of the reasons we face serious challenges as a nation is voter complacency and apathy, and government corruption. When complacency and apathy are solved, or more actively addressed and reduced, then we’ll see less corruption in government. When I say corruption I’m talking more than just fraud and back-room deals. I’m also including the growth of government with its out-of-control spending (if this behavior were being committed by any other entity, public or private, it would be illegal). I’m talking the corruption of big government, which is best kept in check through greater citizen involvement.
Second, to reduce complacency and apathy, we need to bridge the gap between our leaders and the people. Conservatives we must lead out to bridge this accountability gap. But as we do we can expect some resistance. Thomas Jefferson said, “Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty.” Thankfully we have citizens not afraid. But as we encourage this bold action I ask, are we effective?
Third, conservatives must unite. The various grass-roots movements right now must unite or divided we fall. I believe as a conservative the GOP is the best vehicle to accomplish my goals to defend the Constitution and protect the family. So while the Republican Party may need to purge a bit and get back to our foundational principles (and I think for the most part this is happening) we need to make sure that the variety of grass-roots movements doesn’t take us off track.
Finally, stay connected to conservative principles. The proof is in the none-partisan but conservative nature of the frustrated voter. For example, the Scott Brown win in MA and the struggles of Charlie Crist in FL demonstrate that the candidate that demonstrates his connection with conservative principles will win, regardless of party. The voters are rejecting all officials/candidates regardless of party if they remain aloof and defend big government. So I suggest conservatives unite and help the Republican Party be the champion of the Founders. This is easier as we return to our core values, but conservatives can’t win if we are angry and distrustful. We will be the party of the future as we recruit, train and motivate others to get involved.
For the Republican Party to achieve victory we must follow V.I.C.T.O.R.Y.: The GOP has the right vision and message. We need to be more inclusive and communicate better. We must incorporate technology better to help us do both of these and we must do so in an open and transparent way. Relationships are critical to our success and these relationships, especially with the youth, must be based on relevant information, delivered in a timely and effective manner.
This is how as conservatives we can prevail and achieve victory; as we show the American people that we are connected to our principles and stay connected to them, we will help return America to a land of opportunity and prosperity.
It was probably a good thing for the Obama administration that the “internal draft” memo listing possible areas for National Monument designation (including two in Utah) was leaked to Congress and the news media.
The ensuing uproar was just a small taste of what would have happened had the administration abruptly created some new national monuments following the precedent of the Clinton administration’s designation of the Grand Staircase National Monument.
It’s hard to overstate the anger and intense negative reaction that would occur with a surprise monument designation.
Pres. Obama would be accused of waging war on the West. Relationships with the Interior Department would be forever damaged. Democratic candidates like Congressman Jim Matheson would be punished. Many experts believe one reason former Democratic candidate Bill Orton lost in the 3rd Congressional District to Republican Chris Cannon was Clinton's monument designation.
Enormous bitterness still exists in many circles over Grand Staircase and the way it was handled. In today’s angry political environment with Tea Party uprisings and widespread disgust with Congress and the federal government, such a bombshell national monument designation would be the final straw for the West. Democrats wouldn’t recover for years.
To be fair, the document listing possible sites for monument designation says congressional and public support would need to be assessed, so there may have been no plan to do anything covertly or to spring a surprise like Clinton did.
But reaction to the leaked memo demonstrates just how strongly westerners feel about this issue. The Obama administration should avoid waging war on the West by being transparent, working with local and state leaders, and providing plenty of public input and study before taking major action regarding western land.
The political world is abuzz with talk and speculation about who’s running for what in 2010, especially in legislative races.
But it won’t be long until the candidate slates are set. The filing period for all 2010 races opens March 12, only three weeks away. The filing deadline is March 19, followed quickly by party caucuses on Tuesday, March 23.
Lots of incumbents and prospective candidates are making final decisions about seeking re-election or running for the first time.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see a bumper crop of candidates this year, with a lot of challenges to incumbents. In my more than 35 years of watching politics, I’ve hardly seen a year with more ferment and interest in politics, and more dissatisfaction with the status quo.
That may result in more people than usual filing for office. And, certainly, with a number of intra-party challengers taking on Sen. Bob Bennett, whose race is at the top of the ticket, the usual reticence of going after an incumbent in your own party is long gone.
So hang on to your hats . . . it’s going to be a wild election year ride.
I watched the video of Rep. Jason Chaffetz talking to the “truther” who believes the World Trade Center was destroyed in a government conspiracy. It’s obvious Chaffetz was just trying to be nice to the guy and making small talk. (See Deseret News story.)
It would clearly have been better for Chaffetz to tell the guy he’s nuts and he didn’t want to hear such nonsense. But in a casual encounter with someone it’s easier just to nod and be polite.
But there’s nothing in the conversation that indicates that Chaffetz actually believes any of the conspiracy silliness. To suggest otherwise is unfair to Chaffetz.
Yesterday we celebrated the one-year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). After just one year, the Recovery Act has saved and created an estimated 18,000 jobs in Utah; provided $500 million in tax cuts to 95% of Utah families; provided $74 million in one-time relief payments to Utah seniors, veterans and other high-need residents; provided $384 million to 125 transportation projects in Utah; given $413 million in 1,691 small business loans; provided more than 110,000 Utahns with expanded unemployment benefits; funded 1,900 education positions with $350 million in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds; provided $206 million to help provide Medicaid in Utah; $51 million for food stamps and other nutrition programs; and helped to fund dozens of other critical projects that would have been beyond our means during the recent fiscal crisis. Without a doubt, we are back on track to building a strong and vibrant economy.
Because of this crucial action our schools are far better off than they would have been. Just two of the top recipients in Utah are the Granite and Jordan School Districts that received more than $100 million to keep our schools afloat. The University of Utah has received $44 million, $13.8 million to BYU; $13.7 million to Utah State University; and $8.2 million to Utah Valley University. And this is just some of the good news. All in all, we have been able to fund over 1,800 projects in Utah with the help of the Recovery Act. Other key projects and benefits of the Recovery act include tax credits for first-time home-buyers, $108 million to remove uranium tailings near the Colorado River in Moab, and $13.5 million to reconstruct the Dinosaur National Monument Visitor Center in Vernal, and $5 million for construction of a Bureau of Reclamation pipeline in Daggett County.
ARRA has been a resounding success for Utah and for all Americans, and there's still more to come. In fact, there are still almost 200 projects that have yet to begin, and 363 that are still less than 50% complete. The state has spent nearly 60% or $1.1 billion of its $1.9 billion total funds designated for Utah. So the Recovery Act will continue to revitalize our economy and put Utahns back on their feet.
But while Democrats are working hard to rebuild the nation's economy, unfortunately Utah's Republicans like Sen. Bob Bennet and Rep. Jason Chaffetz squandered their chance to work together to repair the economy -- and what's worse is that they're attempting to take credit for something they voted against. All four of Utah's Republicans in Washington vote against the Recovery Act but still sent letters requesting federal money for projects proving that they care more about scoring political points than putting Utahns back to work.
This November we expect Utah voters to send a clear message that they will hold our Congressional Republicans accountable for their obstruction in helping Utahns keep or get jobs, pay for their homes, improve their communities, and provide for their families.”
Here is what others are saying:
Jeff Thredgold, economist for Utah-based Zions Bank: "It's helped Utah. Has it saved us from going into a recession? No. Has it saved us a few jobs? Clearly it has, and that's been the case around the country."
William Sederburg, Utah Higher Education Commissioner: "Without question the stimulus has helped. While the state's colleges and universities still eliminated 940 positions, Utah hung on to 955 that would have been lost."
John Njord, Director, Utah Department of Transportation, whose contractors and subcontractors said their payrolls would have been slashed if not for the money: "What they're telling me, is that we would have laid off a lot more if those projects had not come through."
Utah Republican Party Chairman Dave Hansen: "Has it helped on some jobs? Yeah, it has helped."
If you follow some Utah editorial writers, columnists and ethics do-gooders, you would get the impression that Utah is a hub of nefarious political activity involving all manner of scandal, corruption and unethical behavior.
The truth is, by most any fair standard, Utah is a model of political virtue and uprightness. When some politician does commit wrongdoing, the fact that it is so rare is what makes it headline-grabbing and attention-getting.
Just in the last couple of days I’ve noticed several columns and stories on widespread political shenanigans in other states. Here are a few: Columnist Gail Collins, writing in the New York Times, wonders who has the most corrupt political culture: Illinois or New York? Both recently lost governors to scandal. Both have a bunch of indicted politicians, domestic violence and lots of weird goings-on.
Michael Barone writes about crony capitalism in Washington, D. C., at Townhall.com.
The New York Times documents some pretty amazing political shenanigans and fundraising feats of the Congressional Black Caucus .
And, of course, we can’t forget the federal law enforcement sweep last summer in New Jersey, where more than 40 people, including several state and local officials, were arrested and charged with money-laundering, influence-peddling, bribe-taking, and other scandalous activity.
Utah’s political peccadilloes are pretty small potatoes compared to what happens elsewhere. That’s not to excuse any improper behavior. But, to be fair, we ought to keep it in perspective. And we ought to fit our remedies to the problems that really exist, not to some imaginary hotbed of political corruption.
Utah political leaders represent us well. They are, almost without exception, ethical, honest and upright.
A blogger at the conservative publication, The American Spectator, gave the following response to President Obama’s announcement of more than $8 billion in federal loan guarantees for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in the United States in nearly three decades:
“As much as I’d like to see more nuclear power plants built, I still can’t bring myself to supporting government subsidies.”
Now, I have written several times about my opposition to government intervention in business and I can see where the author is coming from, however when it comes to energy creation, it is completely different game. Our economy and national infrastructure depend on energy. Our ability to communicate and transport goods depends on energy. Energy creation is a matter of national security.
When the U.S. government invests dollars in United States-created energy, that is money spent on energy that will not be lost abroad. One of John McCain’s main talking points during the campaign of ‘08 was that oil imports send billions of dollars every year to “countries that don’t like us very much.” We should applaud the President for taking steps to reduce our dependence of foreign oil. As steps are taken to utilize wind, solar, oil shale, and off-shore drilling, our country will move closer to becoming energy independent.
Consider the following:
I had a great hike up City Creek Canyon on Saturday. It was cool, in the low 40s, with a Seattle-like light rain and fresh, clean air, interrupted by an occasional beam of sunshine – perfect for a vigorous walk.
It felt like an early spring afternoon. Here’s further evidence we’ve turned a weather corner: On south-facing Temple Square gardens, daffodils are poking up all over the place, loving the cool, damp weather.
Winter will yet unleash some snowy fury, but we can expect a lot of great days from here on out. Enjoy them!
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Businesses battle Utah's liquor license bottleneck (Salt Lake Tribune)
Salt Lake County’s economic development director retiring (Salt Lake Tribune)
Utah Indian tribe breaks into the health care business (Salt Lake Tribune)
ATK to acquire ammunition maker Caliber Co. to complement munitions efforts (Salt Lake Tribune)
Real estate first quarter lays solid foundation (Park Record)
Utah’s inclusion helps fuel economic growth, researcher says (Salt Lake Tribune)
| 1 | | Consumer Sentiment Index in U.S. Rose to 83.7 in May (Bloomberg)
How J.C. Penney Can Stem The Tide Of Slumping Sales (Forbes)
US ends freeze on new natural gas exports, approves Texas terminal (Reuters)
Cairo Airport Baggage Handlers End Strike (Associated Press)
Bernanke's advice for college grads (CNNMoney)
Bill Gates Retakes World's Richest Title From Carlos Slim (Bloomberg)
Lew Orders Review of IRS Systems After Groups Scrutinized (Bloomberg)
GM Shares Roar Back to Old Levels (Wall Street Journal)
Bangladesh factories shut by worker protests to reopen Friday (Reuters)
U.S. state cancels subsidy for investment from Pakistani company (Reuters)
Gains for a 4th Week in a Row, and Milestones, Too (New York Times)
Senate Confirms MIT's Moniz as Obama’s Energy Secretary (Bloomberg)
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Gov. Walker is right on target. I live in Tooele where my Senator resides in Monroe and two miles down the street my friends' Senator lives in Brigham City. The proposed process tops the current process by a long shot.