News Highlights

New report shows that Utah job growth has dropped to its lowest level in four years (Salt Lake Tribune, Standard-Examiner, Daily Herald, and Deseret Morning News).

SLC downtown facelift is progressing rapidly, with some of the condominium housing elements of the LDS Church City Creek project to be completed in two years (Morning News and Tribune).

Federal Medicaid cuts could deal financial blow to Utah health systems (Tribune).

Quote of the Day

“An independent commission would have greater credibility because it could be either bipartisan or nonpartisan.”

-- Tribune editorial calling for an independent commission to oversee elections in Utah. Such a commission would handle things like lobbyist registrations, campaign finance reports, ballot issues and investigate complaints.

Washington Watch

Congressional Outlook is Familiar
Congressional Quarterly: "The outlook for Utah's congressional elections, in the wake of the state's candidate filing deadline Monday, has a very familiar ring. As in 2006, the prospects for a blockbuster general election contest in any of the state's three U.S. House districts look slim. Republican Rob Bishop in the 1st District and Democrat Jim Matheson of the 2nd are strongly favored for re-election, and Republican Chris Cannon of the GOP-friendly 3rd District will be, too -- that is, if he again outlasts his third serious challenge for the Republican nomination in as many elections."

Blog Watch

-- Dell Schanze says of his upcoming gubernatorial campaign: "Fear not, my fundraising events will be worth their ticket if merely for entertainment value to the sceptics:). We are going to have some serious fun in Utah. I'm already working on my first event. I'm looking for acrobatic aircraft, base jumpers, powered skydiving pilots, helicopters, race cars, monster trucks, pyrotechnics and everything wild and imaginitive you can come up with. If you have an awesome talent you would like to donate please let me know. I can assure you nobody will be falling asleep at any of my rallies." (See also related Third Party Watch, Glen Warchol, and Frank Staheli posts.)

Protecting Intellectual Property

Zions Bank's Taking Care of Business newsletter says the upcoming Sunrise Seminar, hosted by the Zions Business Resource Center on March 27, will focus on protecting intellectual property. Cecilia Romero, an attorney with Holland & Hart, is the guest speaker. Click here to read more about the free seminar and other news of interest to small businesses.

Doing Business in China 

World Trade Center Utah has posted online its latest Global Utah newsletter. According to a Salt Lake Tribune story referenced in the newsletter, former Australian Prime Minister John Howard will be in Utah in May to speak at the Zions Bank International Trade and Business Conference. Also, if you are interested in doing business in China, the Confucius Institute at the University of Utah is presenting a "Doing Business in China: Opportunities and Challenges,” luncheon seminar with Harry Harding, professor of international affairs at George Washington University, on March 31.

Today in Political History

Mar. 19, 1860:  William Jennings Bryan, gifted orator and three time presidential candidate, is born in Salem, Ill.   (Source:  NBC5) 

Mar. 19, 1918:  Congress creates Daylight Saving Time 

Mar. 19, 1979:  House of Representatives begins live TV broadcasts. (Source:  Perspicuity) 

Wise Words

“Never be afraid to stand with the minority when the minority is right, for the minority which is right will one day be the majority.” 

-- William Jennings Bryan  (Source:  Think Exist) 

Campaign Tip

Absentee Targeting

Another great use for targeting is reaching absentee voters. In many areas, more people are voting absentee than every before. While rules vary by state and locality, many of these voters turn in their ballots weeks, if not months, in advance. Your goal is to reach these voters early with special messages geared specifically towards them.

You have two options: either doing targeting to determine which precincts have high percentages of absentee voters, or looking through elections data and compiling a list of voters who have consistently voted absentee in the past. If you chose the first option, it will be less time consuming; however your mailings will reach a lot of extra people who won’t be voting absentee. The second option is more time consuming, but you’ll reach far fewer non-absentee voters.

No matter which option you choose, after doing your targeting you can send out special mailings to absentee voters well before they turn in their absentee ballots. To connect with them, you can design your mail pieces to remind them when absentee ballots become available, count down how many days they have left to turn them in, etc. The goal is to make a connection with them that lets them know you care about their support. (Source:  Winning Campaigns) 

National Politics

Best Stories From . . .

-- Washington Post: In a major speech in Philadelphia Tuesday, Sen. Barack Obama "tried to come to grips with the issue of race in his run for the presidency and to reinforce his primary theme that he can help bring fundamental change to the nation. His remarks were aimed at repairing the damage his campaign has suffered from his association with Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. and addressing what he called a 'particularly divisive turn' in recent weeks as videos of the fiery pastor's sermons have circulated."

-- New York Times: "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton announced not one but two superdelegate pick-ups on Tuesday, including a big one from Representative John Murtha of Pennsylvania, her first burst of super-delegate good news since her March 4 victories in the Ohio and Texas primaries."

-- Politico: "A fast-growing financial crisis -- headlined by tumbling stocks, panicked credit markets, fearful investors and the spectacular collapse of the nation's fifth-largest investment bank -- leaves members of Congress little choice but to consider the sort of economic intervention Washington hasn’t weighed since the Great Depression."

-- The Hill: "Expectations are beginning to get out of hand for [Sen. Charles] Schumer's second term as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), almost to the point where anything but a gain of several seats would be seen as a failure."

Lighter Side

Actually Heard in a Courtroom

Attorney: “All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to?”
Witness: “Oral.”

Attorney: “Was it you or your younger brother who was killed in the war?”

(From Disorder in the Court: Great Fractured Moments in Courtroom History by Charles M. Sevilla and Tea Leaf by Jeff Thredgold)

Elected Officials Birthday List

Utah Policy Daily is a service
of Utah Policy.com

Publisher: LaVarr Webb
Editor: Paul Hollingshead
News: Golden Webb
Calendar and Subscriptions: Luci Hollingshead

Utah Policy Daily
Crandall Building, Suite 300
10 West 100 South
Salt Lake City UT 84101
801.537.0900 Office
801.537.0901 Fax

Special E-Mail Messages: Utah Policy Daily may send subscribers e-mails with information about new features, special offers, or messages on public policy issues from clients and advertisers. If you do not wish to ever receive these e-mails, please let us know by e-mail at daily@utahpolicy.com.