|
Sen. Hatch Gets Ink
Sen. Orrin Hatch takes on judicial
activism and judicial-nomination
filibustering in op-ed articles in the Washington Times
and The Hill newspaper.
Another Media Campaign
Intermountain Health Care has published newspaper ads and hit the
radio airwaves with a big campaign against HB61. The strategy is
to raise so many questions about the ramifications of the legislation
that it dies before getting very far in the legislative process.
The bill would impose a gross receipts tax on IHC.
As far as I’ve seen and heard, there are now three interest groups
that have taken their issues directly to the public through advertising
campaigns: The credit unions, supporters of tuition tax credits,
and now IHC.
Impact of Flat Tax
The Utah
Foundation has issued a new research brief, this one analyzing
the impact of a flat state income tax that reduces the tax rate
and broadens the base by eliminating deductions. Read
it here. The brief takes a look at states that now have flat
taxes and concludes that states that adopt the most broad tax base
do have more stable revenues than Utah. However, their tax systems
are also less progressive. It is interesting material in the context
of the current interest in tax reform.
Politics and Technology
Utah’s hottest political issues related to advanced technology will
be discussed at the Utah Information Technology Association’s legislative
leadership breakfast Feb. 16 at 7 a.m. at the Marriott City Center,
220 S. State. Speaking will be Senate Pres. John Valentine,
House Speaker Greg Curtis, and House Majority Leader Jeff
Alexander. The event is co-sponsored by The Exoro Group and
Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll. Cost is $30 for UITA members
and $60 for non-UITA members. To register, click
here.
Casual Friday
I Want to Be an Old Eccentric
I’ve been a nice, ordinary, normal, boring guy my whole life. So
I have an important question: At what age can one legitimately become
“a lovable old eccentric?” Since I’m pushing my mid-50s, am I getting
close?
I think I’d like to become an eccentric. You've met them, the old
eccentrics who can get away with saying or doing all sorts of politically
incorrect and outrageous things. Sometimes they wear funny clothes
and have mussed up hair. People excuse their behavior by saying,
"Oh, he's just a lovable old eccentric."
Being an eccentric provides a lot of good cover. Eccentrics can
be blunt, iconoclastic, odd, maybe even a bit bizarre, and people
will say, “He just marches to a different drummer.”
Can one consciously turn oneself into an eccentric, or does it
have to happen naturally? Eccentrics clearly have to be authentic.
Nothing worse, I’m sure, than a phony eccentric. And I’m afraid
that’s my problem. People would see right through me. Instead of
viewing me as a “lovable, old eccentric,” they’d see me as rude,
silly and just plain dumb.
I asked my wife if I could become an eccentric and she just rolled
her eyes and went on washing the dishes. I suppose if you have to
ask, you’ll never be one. One thing I am eccentric about though,
I never do dishes.
|
Utah
Policy Daily is a service