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Lawmakers Head Home
Well, it’s over. There will be lots of sleepy legislators today. Congratulations to everyone involved in the 2005 session, including Utah’s 104 lawmakers, legislative staff, executive branch leaders, journalists, lobbyists and many others who contribute to the success of the session. The budget is balanced. The essential legislation is passed (well, most of it, and some not so essential). The bad legislation is dead (well, most of it, along with some good stuff that deserved passage). In other words, I’m not pleased with everything that happened, but neither is anyone else. And there’s always next year.
Blog Watch
Rep. Jeff Alexander criticizes Tribune coverage . . . KSL Radio reporters’ insights on covering stories . . . Rep. Steve Urquhart describes the death of a bill . . . Dave Fletcher tells how state is beginning IT consolidation . . . Paul Allen on a variety of interesting non-political topics . . . John Yewell on Moab uranium tailings.
State Share of Higher Education Funding is Declining
The higher education budget fights are over for this legislative session. But the long-term outlook for state support of Utah’s public colleges and universities is not bright. A thought-provoking article in Utah State magazine by Editor Jane Koerner notes that public support for higher education has been declining for two decades. In the last four years alone, Utah State’s reliance on state funding for its operating budget has shrunk from 37% to 29%.
USU President Stan Albrecht calls the shift “the biggest transformation of higher education in my lifetime.” Soon, public research universities like USU will become hybrid public-private enterprises, said former USU President Kermit Hall. “They will be privately owned but operated in the public interest.” While Utah and other states invest less in higher education, China, Korea, Ireland and many other countries are investing more money than ever in higher education.
Communications Tip
How to Stay Visible with Voters
With municipal elections coming up later this year, mayors and city council members seeking re-election need to communicate pro-actively with voters. Here are a few ideas:
- Neighborhood Meetings. Do at least one a year in every region or broad neighborhood of your city or district. Do it at your home or someone’s home in the neighborhood. Send invitations to every active voter household in that neighborhood. Make it a newsy, informational letter. Invite them to share their concerns. You could do it jointly with another like-minded council member or two, assuming you get along.
- Come up with good topics and send news releases, letters, op-eds regularly to your weekly newspaper.
- Produce and send your own newsletter. Printed or e-mail. Maybe do it quarterly. Some people wonder, What can I write about? In reality, there is plenty of good content. Write about your feelings and positions on city issues. Highlight a business or an individual, or a neighborhood park. Write about fun things to do in your city, or highlight youth/recreation activities, or other issues. Highlight students from elementary schools in your district. Honor a senior citizen every quarter or six months. Recognize deserving teachers or volunteers. Present a gift to someone who has achieved, donated by an area business. Sponsor an essay contest on what makes your city great. Highlight great gardens and beautiful yards. Talk about walking a neighborhood and who you met there and what you learned from citizens. Do a questionnaire or survey asking citizen’s opinions on issues. Use lots of names. People love to see their names. It shows you care.
- Use the city newsletter to communicate. Each council member could have a short blurb in the newsletter. Don’t just toot your own horn. Provide valuable information.
- Have a page on the city web site or produce your own web site or web log. Make it informative and fun.
- Look at events as opportunities. Events drive politics. Crisis, disaster, holidays, parades, community doings, localize national events. Write letters to victims of crime or disaster. Look for opportunities around events like National Family Week, or a legislative study on an issue important to your community. Be aware. Be thinking. Read a good newspaper every day, asking yourself “How can I use this event or that issue?” Watch calendars and lists of upcoming events for opportunities to communicate.
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Utah
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