The Week Ahead

The Democratic presidential primary continues Tuesday with crucial contests in Indiana and North Carolina for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.  Locally, the big events are the Democratic and Republican state conventions on Saturday. Democrats get their convention started on Friday with registration and then the Jefferson & Jackson celebration Friday evening at the Salt Palace. See details. Republicans hold their convention Saturday at Utah Valley University. See details. The Legislature has a few meetings scheduled. Check out the legislative calendar. For all the week’s political events, see the UtahPolicy.com calendar.

Monday Musing

Is Government Good or Evil?

Last week I invited UPD readers to comment on a statement by a gubernatorial candidate that government is evil. Here are a few responses:

David Miller: Government, like any tool, is good so long as it is being used for its proper purpose. The purpose of government is to protect individual rights. Once people start using government as a force to mandate the will of the majority on the minority, or even the will of the minority on the majority, then government is not good. Unfortunately that is how too many people view government today, as a force to promote their own view on society as a whole.

No matter how well intentioned (and most of them are well intentioned) an activist is in their efforts to make the world better through some government action, they are using the tool of government incorrectly and there will be undesirable consequences. (Read David’s complete response at Pursuit of Liberty)

Tessa Hauglid: I think government is, essentially, neutral; like any tool it can be used for good or evil purposes. That said, it is a dangerous tool because of the power it wields. In my opinion, the dangerous tool is best used by good and wise craftsmen. Government is no exception.

My two cents.

C.J. Ewell: I believe that government can be a force for good, but that this requires the participation of truly exemplary individuals who consistently work to improve the human condition without ego or personal agenda. Unfortunately, these people are rare. Without them, government too often moves according to the goals of selfish and power-hungry individuals who cloak their motives by coloring them as the innocent actions of well-meaning but misguided souls. This is why an inefficient government is often the best design, as it limits the harm that can be done.

Richard Watson (Democratic Candidate for State Senate 23): The question needs to defined as to what kind of government and whose government (local, state or federal). This is too broad of a question to ask if all government is evil. And if we inject politics into the question, is a one-party controlled government evil? (like Utah’s government)

Washington Watch

House Approves Matheson Bill
Rep. Jim Matheson hails the House's passage of his Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act. Says Matheson: "None of us are perfect specimens. Each of us carries numerous genetic 'glitches' that could increase our risk of developing one disease or another. If that is used against anyone -- either to preclude getting a genetic test, or medical coverage for a future health condition -- health and quality of life suffers. That is why I believe this bill offers critical protection -- protection which is overdue" (see press release).

Bennett Speaks at FrontRunner Event
Sen. Bob Bennett's office has posted audio of his remarks at the grand opening celebration for UTA's new commuter rail, FrontRunner. Bennett secured over $108 million for the FrontRunner project.

Today in Political History

May 5, 1818:  Political philosopher Karl Marx is born in Prussia.

May 5, 1961:  Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr. becomes America's first space traveler as he makes a 15-minute suborbital flight in a capsule launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla.  (Source:  NY Times) 

Wise Words

“I must admit, maybe I am a piece of history after all.” 

-- Astronaut Alan Shepard  (Source:  Brainy Quote) 

Leadership Tip

Ethics in Leadership

Unethical behavior, in which people deliberately intend to harm themselves or others, springs from, and is reinforced by, destructive and painful emotions such as fear, greed, anger and jealously. Ethical behavior, on the other hand, enhances the well-being of everyone because it comes from, and reinforces, motives and emotions such as love, joy, generosity and compassion.

Ethical cultures are the result of diligent effort--frequent, scheduled conversations between leaders and employees about what the standards of your company really are, according to Laura Hartman, a professor at DePaul University.

A biennial survey of the nonprofit Ethics Resource Center found 25% of nearly 2,000 U.S. employees said they had observed their colleagues or their companies lying to customers, suppliers, workers or the public--up from 19% in 2005. The industries in which people are most likely to bend the truth: hospitality and food (with 34% of employees observing falsehoods), arts, entertainment and recreation (also 34%), and wholesalers (32%).  (Source:  Coach Thee) 

National Politics

Best Stories From . . .

-- New York Times: The fault line of Democratic support between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton "has reflected the sort of splits that normally divide Democrats from Republicans. And the pattern is likely to be repeated on Tuesday, when voters go to the polls in Indiana, a predominantly white state and North Carolina, which has a substantial black population."
 
-- Washington Post: Columnist David Broder wonders if Clinton can secure the nomination without "blowing up" the Democratic Party.

-- Politico: Jury's still out on whether John McCain's age will hurt him at the polls.

-- The Hill: "President Bush on Saturday conceded America is in a 'tough economic period' but added that his administration foresees a 'strong long-term outlook' -- a message derided as 'empty rhetoric' by [the Democrats]."

Blog Watch

-- At Out of Context, Dan Harrie says: "Nothing to look at here. That's the message regarding lobbyist influence in Utah campaigns and policy making in [Sunday's] column in the Deseret News by Frank Pignanelli and LaVarr Webb. Pignanelli believes the story about Sandy City bonuses is a pretty big scandal and has some legs as a political issue. Much more powerful, he opines, than the press' 'constant rewarming of tired issues regarding lobbyist gifts and campaign contributions.' He adds, 'No candidate has won or lost because of legal lobbyist gifts, campaign contributions or internal party machinations.' Webb, who is less impressed that the Sandy bonus story is a political timebomb, completely agrees that lobbyist influence on the Legislature and other public officials is a non-issue. 'Despite all the hand-wringing over ethics, coziness with lobbyists, gifts, playing rough with opponents and so forth, Utah has a pretty clean political industry compared to a lot of states. Does anyone have clear evidence of down-and-dirty graft, corruption and vote-selling?' In other words, bring us the video and audio tapes from an FBI bribery sting or sit down and shut up. Oh, by the way, both commentators are, well, yeah, lobbyists."

Lighter Side

There is a story about the last May Day parade in the Soviet Union. After the tanks and the troops and the planes and the missiles rolled by, there came ten people dressed in black. “Are they spies?” asked the Russian Premier.

“They are economists,” replied the KGB director. “Imagine the havoc they will wreak when we set them loose on the Americans.” (From The Economist’s Joke Book by Jeff Thredgold)