| Winter Can Only Get Better
Well, we all survived the darkest and shortest day of winter. The sun begins its northward climb now and we get a little more sunlight each day. Can spring be far behind? Sorry, not until after the Legislature goes home.
Track Santa Live with NORAD
If you have children who still believe in the Big Guy (or even if they don’t) NORAD has a terrific Santa tracking Website with a lot of fun features. The site, celebrating NORAD’s 50th season tracking Santa Claus, even has Ringo Starr singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” NORAD will start tracking Santa in the morning of Dec. 24, and children can track Santa on a world map and see where he’s been. Your computer needs video and audio capabilities to take advantage of all the features. For more info, visit the site: www.noradsanta.org.
Humbug to Happy Holidays
Policy Daily reader Gary Lawrence, who lives in southern California but has a lot of Utah ties, faxed a copy of an essay he wrote that was published in the Los Angeles Times op-ed section last Sunday. In the tagline at the end of the essay Lawrence was described by the Times as “a Republican pollster in Orange County who celebrates Christmas with his Mormon congregation.” An excerpt from his essay:
"Eighty-two percent of us are Christians in this nation, but we’re wimps. Too many of us have stopped saying Merry Christmas. My Jewish friends will say it to me. But Christians offer up PC drivel about Happy Holidays. Happy Holidays? Humbug. Happy’s for January through November; December is for Merry. As in Merry Christmas. If my Jewish friends are comfortable wishing me a Merry Christmas, but my fellow Christians aren’t, there’s something wrong with Christendom . . . If I say Merry Christmas to someone who gets offended because he thinks I’m ‘pushing my values,’ isn’t that evidence that he has a very weak value structure? Imagine the reverse situation. If someone wished me a Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa, would I be offended? Absolutely not. I would take it as a compliment on my openness."
My Christmas Card to You
Being highly holiday-tradition-challenged, I seldom get around to sending Christmas cards. But I do get up every morning at 5 a.m. and write in this newsletter. And many of my friends and associates happen to read it. So why not deliver my Christmas greetings via Utah Policy Daily? Tacky? Yes. But extremely heartfelt.
Seriously, I would like to wish all of my associates at the Exoro Group, all of our terrific clients (you know who you are), my friends in government and politics, wonderful neighbors, extended family members, and all enlightened readers of Utah Policy Daily a very Merry Christmas and a successful and fulfilling New Year. When all is said and done, it’s really the relationships we have that make our lives rich and rewarding. Thanks to all of you for keeping my life interesting and adventurous.
Riggs Takes the Plunge
Robin Riggs, Chamber government relations VP and all-around good guy, is smiling a lot these days. And not just in anticipation of another thrilling legislative session. After an unmentionable number of years of footloose bachelorhood, Robin is officially and formally engaged. The lucky lady is Patricia Paulsen and the date is March 18. Congratulations, Robin and Patricia.
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Raise Your Visibility
A pocket-sized legislative directory, co-sponsored by the Salt Lake Chamber, Zions Bank, and others, is being produced by The Exoro Group. The directory will include color photos of all legislators, contact information, and a great deal of other useful legislative information. The project will soon be wrapped up and advertising space is nearly gone. If your business, association or non-profit organization would like a presence in the directory, call Greg Jarrard, 599-4858.
Reader Response
Transportation and the Economy
Mike Jerman, VP of the Utah Taxpayers Association, responded to a Quote of theDay from a Standard Examiner story on how transportation projects stimulate the economy.
"Utah needs to expand its transportation infrastructure to accommodate population growth, which is largely internal, and to allow the movement of goods and services. Public spending -- whether for highways, buildings, or increased public employee compensation -- should be used to provide critical services that the private sector will not provide. However, government spending should not be justified as a jobs creator. Government spending occurs at the expense of private spending, and higher taxes reduce the ability of the private sector to spend and invest, either through borrowing or by reinvesting profits.
“Experience in western Europe, the Pacific Rim, and the U.S. demonstrates this. Western Europe has traditionally relied on a large government sector -- either through higher taxes or direct government ownership of the means of production -- to not only transfer wealth but to ‘stimulate’ the economy. Pacific Rim countries and the U.S. have relied more on private sector investment and the comparative growth in per capita GDP shows that the Pacific Rim countries and the U.S. have pursued the correct course."
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