Today's key developments and analysis for Utah policymakers

Forward this issue
Subscribe or unsubscribe

A service of

Tuesday's Buzz:
Gubernatorial Watch: Ad Wars Begin

Nolan Karras is hitting the airwaves with radio ads touting his experience and fiscal acumen and making veiled references to substance over style. Jon Huntsman has been up with TV and over the weekend published an impressive “double truck” (two full facing pages) newspaper ad introducing himself and running mate Gary Herbert and detailing his economic development program. Karras and his running mate, Enid Greene , are holding a series of “Kitchen Table Talks,” at homes and parks around the state, meeting prospective primary election voters in small groups.

Utah Newspapers Compete Head-to-Head

Besides competing for readers, Utah's newspapers also compete in various journalism contests for awards and accolades. The biggest is the annual Society of Professional Journalists contest. Both Salt Lake dailies expend great effort preparing entries for judging by other journalists from some other part of the country. This year's results were published in both papers last Saturday and you can read the spin put on by each paper at the following links:

Morning News claims 49 journalism awards

Tribune publisher, staffers win top awards

Overall, the Tribune won the biggest awards, while the Deseret Morning News won the most first-place awards. The Tribune was named overall best newspaper. Tribune Publisher Dean Singleton won the Ethics Award for cleaning up the scandal involving two reporters who sold information to the National Enquirer. Tribune Reporter Dan Harrie won the prestigious Service to Journalism award. But the Deseret Morning News also did well, winning 13 first-place awards to the Tribune's 9. News reporter Dennis Romboy was named best newspaper reporter in Utah. Newspaper contests and awards are highly subjective, and don't always reflect the quality of the journalism, but the Society of Professional Journalists competition is one of the better contests.

More important to the bottom line is readership, and in that area the News is feeling pretty good because it has picked up several thousand new subscribers since going morning, while the Tribune circulation has been flat. Generally, newspapers that switch publishing cycles initially lose circulation, so the News has bucked the trend. However, the News is still far behind the Tribune in overall circulation and the Tribune has mounted a major advertising campaign to boost readership.

Historical Perspective:
Does One Vote Count?

By Kate Soulier

I must admit that during some of my mindless diatribes about our political system, I have heard myself ignorantly blurt out, “What does it matter anyway? It's not like my vote really matters.” I'm sure others have felt just as meaningless in our voting process.

Therefore, for myself and the other political cynics I would like to highlight some extraordinary moments in American history where the act of someone casting a simple vote has transformed the laws and face of our nation.

During the hot month of July in 1848, a courageous group of women met in a small church in Seneca Falls, New York, to hold the first women's rights convention. Their goal was to achieve the same rights and opportunities as men. However, instead of causing great changes that day, these early feminists only inaugurated an arduous journey of many decades of relentless protesting, picketing and devastating rejections from the state and federal governments.

Finally, after many political struggles, President Woodrow Wilson announced on January 9, 1918 , he would support the enfranchisement of women. The next day, the House of Representatives passed the Susan B. Anthony amendment and six months later the Senate passed the amendment by one vote. From the House and Senate the amendment was sent to the states, where ratification required favorable votes in 36 of the 48 states. By the summer of 1920, 35 states had voted to pass the amendment and 8 had passed rejections.

After 72 years of fighting, the political battle was almost over and Tennessee stood at the brink of changing the fate of women suffrage. For an exhausting month, “The War of the Roses” raged, with anti-suffrage forces wearing red roses and pro-suffrage forces responding by wearing yellow roses. Before any votes took place one could observe just by the flowers that the final scene of this historical conflict was going to be incredibly close.

On August 13, 1920, the Tennessee Senate voted in favor of the amendment, and passed the last decision to the House. Five days later the House and all the conflicting flowers convened for the final answer. After the first vote the House was deadlocked 48 to 48. In a bold move to kill the amendment, anti-suffrage legislators drove to table the bill. However, once again the vote was even.

After settling the crowd, a third roll call took place and something turned. Somewhere near the back sat the youngest legislator with a bright red rose on his jacket. His name was Harry Burns and he had already voted against the amendment and in favor of tabling. However, when his name was read the third time he stood up, took off his rose, and quickly declared a defiant “aye.” Like a clap of thunder, the entire room erupted and opponents of the amendment began chasing Burns around the room. To save himself, Burns climbed out one of the third-floor windows and managed to hide in the Capitol's attic.

Later when Burns was asked why he had changed his vote he informed his fellow legislators that he had received a telegram from his mother telling him to vote in favor of suffrage. He then stated, “...an opportunity such as seldom comes to mortal man to free seventeen million women from political slavery was mine,” and “I knew that a mother's advice is always safest for a boy to follow, and my mother wanted me to vote for ratification.”

With one simple vote, Tennessee ratified the Amendment and opened the window to women's rights. Burns was only 24 years old, but his vote wrote history.

The Earlybird is a service of Utah Policy.com

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

Tuesday, May 25, 2004

Today's Headlines

Wall Street Journal
- Utah orders university to allow gun-toting students

KSL
- Editorial: Don't forget Legacy

Daily Herald
- Republican candidates for 3rd District to face off
- Editorial: Cannon-Throckmorton debate tonight

Standard-Examiner
- More local minority candidates run
- Sales-tax bonds on the table
- Editorial: Slam door on hotter waste at Envirocare

Deseret Morning News
- Nevada tests worry Utahns
- Auditor admits theft and resigns
- Nine Mile Canyon on list
- Utahn aims to unlock oil shale
- Bennett hails gains in Utah jobs picture

Salt Lake Tribune
- Auditor quits, admits gas thefts
- How guzzler-gate unfolded
- Scientists will referee dispute over new power plant pollution rules
- Mullen: Dems toast political junkie at 84
- Initiative a race as deadline looms
- Nine Mile Canyon ranks as threatened historic site
- New tax may fund search and rescue
- Superfund site may be revamped into village
- Editorial: Not family friendly

Political Calendar

Please submit calendar items to Earlybird@UtahPolicy.com.

May 25: 3rd Congressional District GOP Candidates Debate, Chris Cannon vs Matt Throckmorton, sponsored by Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce, Daily Herald and Provo City— 7pm Provo City Council Chambers, 351 West Center Street, Provo. Contact Michael Mower, (801) 852-6103.
May 25: 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.
May 26: WIR Annual Conference—Eccles Conference Center, Ogden.
May 26: Governor's Candidate Forum, Utah Taxpayers Association—12:00 pm, Little America Ballroom, Salt Lake City.
May 30: Howard Dean fundraiser for Peter Corroon, Democratic candidate for Salt Lake County Mayor—donuts 10:00 - 11:00 am, Millcreek Coffee Roasters, 657 South Main, SLC, $35; brunch buffet 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, Anderson Commons, 734 East 200 South, SLC, $200. 801-328-2208 or www.VoteCorroon.com.
May 30: Iron County Tax Freedom Day Governors Forum—6:00 pm, Sharwan Smith Center Ballroom, SUU, Cedar City.
June 1: Utah Log Cabin Republicans Monthly Meeting—7:30 pm, Room N4010, Salt Lake County Building, 2001 South State Street, Salt Lake.
June 2: Utah Stonewall Democrats monthly meeting, 5:30 pm GLBT Center 355 N. 300 W. (first Wednesday of every month).
June 3: Washington County Republican Women meeting and luncheon—11:30 am to 1:00 pm RSVP 435-688-0777
June 3: Progressive Democratic Caucus Meeting—6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, 455 South 300 East, Suite 102, Salt Lake City. Contact: Craig Axford (801) 918-6017.
June 4: Debate between John Huntsman Jr. and Nolan Karras, Provo/Orem Chamber of Commerce and Daily Herald, First Friday Forum lunch—noon at the Provo Marriott Hotel . Lunch reservations, 379-2555; debate questions, Michael Mower 852-6103.
June 6: Gubernatorial Debate: On the Record with Chris Vanocur—KTVX Channel 4, 9:30 am, Contact Chris Vanocur, (801) 975-4444.
June 10, 11: Government Affairs Advisory Committee of the Salt Lake Chamber—11am, Eccles Board Room, Salt Lake Chamber.
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: Lt. Governor Debate: KCSG and Bonneville Radio in St. George—Live at 7:00 pm, Contact: Dan Matheson, (435) 467-7452
June 15: Gubernatorial Debate: KCSG and Bonneville Radio in St. George—Live at 7:00 pm, Contact: Dan Matheson, (435) 467-7452.
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 19-23: National Conference of State Legislatures— Salt Lake City

See the entire calendar.