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Friday Buzz

Weekend Event: Catch the next gubernatorial debate Sunday on Take 2 with Rod Decker, live on KUTV Channel 2, at 5:30 p.m.

Good advice from Duane Cardall: (KSL editorial tribute to Pres. Ronald Reagan): “KSL believes it would be beneficial for his political disciples to remember that Reagan was a pragmatist, not an entrenched ideologue. Affability more than rancor served his cause. Though resolute, he understood the political art of timely compromise. Even his most ardent political foes could be counted among his closest friends.”

News Highlights: Federal campaign finance reports are in. Lee Davidson of the Deseret Morning News reports Jim Matheson amasses a huge war chest while Republican contenders Tim Bridgewater and John Swallow spend what they have fighting each other. The Salt Lake Tribune’s Rebecca Walsh reports from the road on Paul Van Dam’s 600-mile bike ride across the state. Low Primary Election turnout expected, so get out and vote, says Bob Bernick of the News in his weekly column.

“Big” Broadband and Politics

Part of the UTOPIA fight is over whether we need “big” broadband or should we be content with Qwest’s and Comcast’s “little” broadband (DSL and cable modem).

Here’s an enthusiastic vote for big broadband, which provides hundreds of times more capacity than little broadband. Next week UTOPIA cities vote final approval for the project, and I encourage them to get on with it.

UTOPIA’s big broadband, widely available, will revolutionize politics, not to mention education, business, health care and other disciplines. UTOPIA will spark a wave of exciting entrepreneurship and innovation.

With UTOPIA’s broadband, every Web site and personal computer, in effect, becomes a video broadcast and receiving station and video-on-demand repository, using inexpensive equipment. For politicians, this will open terrific new opportunities to communicate with many more voters on a much more effective and personal level.

For example, speeches and events could be digitally recorded and made easily available on a candidate’s Web site. Rather than writing out a candidate’s positions on issues, the candidate can be taped discussing the issues. Visitors simply click on a topic, a speech or other event and up comes full-motion, full-color, high-quality video and sound of the candidate.

A candidate could hold regular live video “town meetings” with citizens, inviting a dispersed group to videoconference live with the candidate on their home computers, asking questions and discussing issues as though they were in the same room. Rather than sending text e-mail, campaigns will be able to send video-mail featuring high-quality video and sound. Dispersed campaign staffs will be able to hold strategy meetings on-line with everyone able to see and hear everyone else.

For all this to happen, plus lots of other innovations in many disciplines, homes and businesses must be wired with fiber optic cable, as planned by UTOPIA.

UTOPIA has been one of Utah’s biggest political fights for the last year. It’s time to get on with the project and make it a reality. (Note: The Exoro Group has done communications work for UTOPIA in the past, but presently has no business with the organization.)

- LaVarr Webb

Casual Friday
Politics and Sports

I’m always fascinated by the juxtaposition of politics and sports and the relative attention and importance society seems to place on each. After all, sports is entertainment and games. Politics is serious stuff.

It’s not that politics gets no attention. We get politics in the newspaper, on television and we have periodic elections in which lots of people participate. But, by comparison, sports far outshines politics as a topic of interest, focus and attention.

Each fall, tens of thousands of Utahns gather on Friday and Saturday afternoons at high school and college football stadiums. How many make an evening of attending their city council or county commission meeting? Can anyone remember when a Utah political event drew 65,000 people to one location? Happens on a regular basis at Lavell Edwards Stadium. How many sports events does the average citizen or family attend each year compared to political events? We have lots of soccer moms. Not many political moms.

Newspapers have political and government reporters. But they devote a whole section of the newspaper every day to sports. Television’s cable new channels cover a lot of politics. But viewership is limited, nothing like a big game on ESPN.  The Sunday morning political news shows get reasonable ratings. But nothing like the Sunday afternoon NFL football games.

And it’s silly to even compare salaries. The country’s top politicians, who deal with multi-billions in budgets, get paid a couple hundred thousand bucks a year. About the same as a $20 million pro sports superstar makes over a couple of games.

It’s all rather curious, because politics is education and taxes, war and peace, and (literally) life and death. Sports is large and muscular young men (and some young women), tossing balls into hoops, smacking into each other, hitting balls with a bat or club, kicking or throwing balls around a field, smacking into each other, and lots of running, jumping, falling down, displays of armpits and, yes, smacking into each other.

I’m not really complaining. I accept society’s infatuation with sports while relegating politics to boring old people like me. Oops, better end this. Gotta go watch the Pistons whup the Lakers.

- LaVarr Web

Agenda Utah is a service of Utah Policy.com

Publisher: LaVarr Webb
Editor: Bart Barker
News: Golden Webb
Subscriptions: Paul Hollingshead

Please send your comments and suggestions to AgendaUtah@UtahPolicy.com.

Friday, June 11, 2004

Today's Headlines

Associated Press
- New rule clarifies hospital abortion
- N.Y. Co. callenges Syware Control Act

St. George Spectrum
- Local, state leaders ponder Reagan influence

Standard-Examiner
- Politics unveiled
- Huntsman, Karras square off
- South Weber budget approved with pay increases for mayor and council

Deseret Morning News
- Primary fight costly for GOP
- Abortion ruling is called a Band-Aid
- Payson councilman arrested
- Artists will return to park
- 2 hopefuls go head-to-head over taxes
- Council OKs tax hike to fund S.L. libraries
- Experts say UTOPIA probably would fail
- Riverton mayor defends land deal
- Spyware law delay sought
- Bob Bernick Jr.: There's a lot at stake in primary, so go vote

Salt Lake Tribune
- Abortion rule offers a solution for doctors
- 'Pop-up' firm seeks to block spyware act
- Candidates differ on tax hikes
- Rolly and Wells: Marriage invitations intriguing
- Pedaling his views to the voters
- Bennett asks feds to fund dinosaur bone repository
- Holbrook is leaving Envision Utah post
- Panel overseeing Salt Lake County vehicle use makes meeting public
- SLC taxpayers likely to take another hit to fund libraries
- Roads appear to still rule in Utah County
- Editorial: High-ego warning
- Editorial: Wasted minds

Political Calendar

Please submit calendar items to AgendaUtah@UtahPolicy.com

- June 11: Davis County Republican family “Remember President Reagan” picnic, 6-8:30 pm, Farmington Main Park, 100 S. Main. $5 per person for picnic food. Speakers will share personal experiences with President Reagan. RSVP: 294-4811.
- June 12: Kitchen Table Talk with Nolan Karras, 2-4 pm, home of Nathan Alder, 1757 E. Mountain View Dr, SLC.
- June 12: Utah House Democrats Fundraiser, Barbeque & Stingers Baseball, 5:30-9:30pm, Franklin Covey Field, SLC. RSVP by June 2, 3620 South 6000 West, West Valley City, UT 84120. For info call 801-328-2208.
- June 12: Davis County Democrats No-Host Breakfast, 8:30 am to 10:00 am, Joanie's Restaurant, 286 North 400 West, Kaysville. Contact: Richard Watson (801) 292-6772.
- June 13: Gubernatorial Debate: Take Two with Rod Decker, live on KUTV Channel 2 at 5:30 pm, Contact Rod Decker, (801) 973-3000.
- June 14: Flag Day. The Salt Lake Chamber invites the public to join the families of military, government leaders, and business people to show collective support for the military. Gather at City Creek Park at 7:30 a.m. to walk up Capitol Hill to the steps of the Capitol. Planned events include a military flyover, military vehicles, Army Band, address by Gov. Walker, flag display and other activities. Register at www.saltlakechamber.org for event planning purposes.
- June 14: Lt. Governor Debate: KCSG and Bonneville Radio in St. George, live at 7:00 pm, Contact: Dan Matheson, (435) 467-7452
- June 14: Meet Nolan Karras, 12-2 pm, Brigham City Community Center, 24 North 300 West, Brigham City.
- June 14: Meet Nolan Karras & Enid Greene, 4-5:30 pm, Pilkington Metal Finishing, 1225 S Legacy View Dr (5710 W), SLC, hosted by Nyla & Marlon Berrett.
- June 15: Gubernatorial Debate: KCSG and Bonneville Radio in St. George, live at 7:00 pm, Contact: Dan Matheson, (435) 467-7452.
- June 16: Ogden Rotary Gubernatorial Debate, noon at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center.
- June 16: Greg Skordas for Attorney General Fundraiser, 5-7pm, Urban Bistro, 216 East 500 South, SLC. Suggested Donation $50/person.
- June 16: Ogden Brown Bag Lunch with Enid Greene, 12-1 pm, MarketStar Auditorium, 2475 Washington Blvd, Ogden.
- June 18: Meet Nolan Karras, 6-7pm, Lehi City Council Chambers, Lehi Administration Bldg., 153 N 100 E, Lehi.
- June 18: Kitchen Table Talk with Nolan Karras, 8-9:30 pm, home of Jeanette Hales Beckham, 1260 E. Oak Crest Circle, Provo.
- June 19: Central Committee Meeting, Salt Lake County Republican Party, Hillcrest High School Auditorium. Agenda Highlight: selection of nominee for County Auditor and of interim County Auditor. Registration 8 am, meeting 9 am.
- June 19: Utah County Meet the Candidates, 12-4 pm, Pioneer Park, 500 W Center St, Provo.
- June 21: Gubernatorial Debate: KUED Channel 7, Live at 9:00 pm.
- June 22: Utah Primary Election, 7:00 am to 8:00 pm.
- June 22: Green Party of Utah Roots Local Monthly Meeting, 12:00 pm, Sprague Library, 1100 East, just past 2100 South, Salt Lake City. Contact: 486-2558.
- June 24: Legislative Golf Tournament, Thanksgiving Point. 533-9777.
- June 26: Republican Central Committee Meeting.
- June 27: Green Party of Utah Roots Local Monthly Meeting, 12:00 pm, Sprague Library, 1100 East, just past 2100 South, Salt Lake City. Contact: 486-2558.
- July 7: Utah Stonewall Democrats, 5:30 pm, GLBT Community Center Multi-purpose Room, 359 North 300 West, SLC.
- July 19-23: National Conference of State Legislatures, Salt Lake City.

See the entire calendar.