Alert: Rainy Weekend
The Scott Matheson-intoned flood watchcry of 1983 remains
valid 22 years later: This really is “a helluva way to run a desert.”
Given the massive snowpack statewide and the ultra-rainy spring,
it’s amazing we’ve weathered the spring flooding as well as we have.
It’s no solace to those relatively few who did get wet, but the
snowpack came down in about as orderly a fashion as was possible.
So as the pitter-patter of rain ruins our weekend, we ought to be
grateful it’s not a whole lot worse.
Tax Watch
Utah Foundation Research
As a legislative task force charged with overhauling Utah's tax
system looks into instituting a flat
income tax it is worth looking back at an analysis
of the flat tax done by the Utah Foundation back in February.
Analysts looked at the six states with a flat state income tax --
Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan and Pennsylvania
-- and studied how their budgets were effected post-9/11.
Among the conclusions: "Broad-based flat income taxes, like those
in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Illinois, do appear to be more stable,
providing revenues that do not suffer declines as severe as other
states during recessions. The tradeoff that comes with greater stability,
however, is slower revenue growth during positive economic cycles.
Slower growth may be desirable to those who prefer to limit government
growth, but because of the income tax’s tie to education funding
in Utah, slower growth may be undesirable to those looking for greater
increases in education funding during economic expansion years.
In addition, a flat income tax carries less opportunity to craft
a progressive tax system that eases burdens on low-income taxpayers."
-- Golden Webb
UTA Recommendations
Utah Taxpayer Association (UTA) leaders were a little miffed that
media coverage of the recent Tax Reform Task Force meeting indicated
that some of those testifying didn’t offer concrete recommendations
on tax reform. While time didn’t allow every item in Utah’s state
and local tax structure to be addressed, the UTA was specific in
its recommendations on several major tax issues. A UTA position
paper on tax reform, which will be updated as the tax reform process
moves along, can be found on the association
Web site.
New School Choice Leader
Mike Jerman, Utah Taxpayer Association vice president, has
been named chair of two related school choice organizations: Parents
for Choice in Education, a 501(c)(4) corporation, and Parents for
Choice in Education PAC.
Jerman, who is also vice president of the Utah Taxpayers Association,
has long been a supporter of school choice. He said he is honored
to serve as chair, a voluntary position. “Parental choice is essential
to ensuring that every Utah child has a quality education, and now
is the time to make it a reality,” he said. Doug Holmes,
the previous chair, will continue to be involved in the school choice
movement.
Blog Watch
-- Does God help entrepreneurs? Read Paul Allen’s provocative
comments.
-- Wilf Sommerkorn weighs
in on the fight between North Salt Lake and Salt Lake City over
foothill property that some want to develop and others want to preserve
as open space.
Media Watch
Strong Feelings About Talk Radio
Thanks to all of you who responded to my invitation to comment on
talk radio. I have seven pages of comments and they keep coming.
I’ll publish some of them over the next few editions and provide
a link to all of them. I was a little surprised at the intensity
of feeling and the divergent opinions. Lots of you don’t like the
highly-partisan talk show hosts, despite the popularity of some
of them in this radio market. I suppose it demonstrates the superior
intellect and clear thinking of Utah Policy Daily readers.
Some of you, including my friend Rep. Pat Jones, scolded
me for admitting that I sometimes listen to Sean Hannity
and Bill O’Reilly: “Didn't you learn in church that if you
hang out with the bad crowd, it rubs off on you? Why, then, do you
listen to people who preach hate? Just a thought.”
Ron Barney: Here’s an unpopular notion. The frenzy and clamor
for current events and titillating intrigue, which is the basis
for talk radio, has created a cultural corpus so top-heavy with
the here-and-now that historical perspective is rarely melded into
our societal discussions, rendering the atmosphere-of-opinion stunted,
skewed, and polemical. That you have resolved to consider Rush
O’Hannity “entertainment” is an indicator that you, too, are
inordinately weighted toward this incredibly discordant aspect of
public dialogue. (The argument is no different if Al Franken
and Jon Stewart are the summary of your daily consumption.)
Of course people are interested in the “breaking news” of public
interest. But our shameless neglect of where we have been in order
to inform where we are now makes the polemical, divisive talk radio
you have accommodated less than beneficial. We don’t need an hour
of Franken following Hannity. We need a David McCullough
or Doris Kearns Goodwin involved in our public discussions,
even though it might not be “entertaining.” If entertainment becomes
the arbiter of public thought, the flush we hear in the background
will become more vivid.
Mark Fotheringham: I have difficulty listening to anyone
who engages in what I like to call the "politics of outrage." I
enjoy the search for truth and understanding that comes with informed
and polite dialogue, but the ranting hosts of most talk radio shows
seem more interested in seeing whose pot we can get to boil today,
rather than in a sincere search for truth. That is why, even though
I consider myself mostly conservative, I can listen to NPR for an
entire afternoon, but the so called "entertainers" you mentioned
will get the OFF button at about three seconds. Silence is better
than bozos.
Todd Weiler (Davis County GOP chair): I think talk radio
is a great form of entertainment. I get a little worried about the
people who cannot distinguish "entertainment" from "news". Fourteen
years ago (when I lived in L.A.) I enjoyed listening to Dr. Laura
and Rush. I have a hard time listening to either one of them today
-- especially Dr. Laura. I can only listen to Michael Savage
in small snippets. He is a bit too mean-spirited for my taste. Lars
Larsen is probably the best of the up-and-comers.
Casual Friday
What To Do In The Rain
The Downtown Farmers' Market starts Saturday at Pioneer Park, 300
South 300 West. The market features fresh produce from over 50 Utah
farmers. In addition to produce, the market also offers a variety
of fresh baked breads and pastries, cheeses, meat and seafood, jams
and honeys, house and garden plants, arranged planters, and numerous
handmade arts & crafts. Unique food vendors also are a part of the
Market, offering prepared foods and beverages.
The Downtown Alliance Web
site has more information about the Farmers’ Market and also
a 16-page guide to summer activities downtown.
Late Night Jokes
Jay Leno.... Deep Throat was the biggest mystery in Washington
since how the Clintons stayed together. .... The Deep Throat incident
was about the Watergate break in, when the Republicans broke into
the Watergate hotel to see what the Democrats were up to. You see,
back in those days the Democrats actually had ideas worth stealing.
.... Did you hear about this? Up at the Canadian border they let
a hitchhiker cross into Maine carrying a homemade sword, a hatchet,
a knife, brass knuckles and a chainsaw stained by blood. It was
Howard Dean. . . . According to "Sports Illustrated”, a winery is
coming out with a NASCAR wine. Which will finally answer the question,
which wine goes with chili corn dogs?
Conan . . . If Michael Jackson is convicted he could end
up in the same prison as Charles Manson. Charles Manson heard this
and said, "I hope not, that guy is nuts.” . . . According to Michael
Jackson’s father, Joe, if Michael is found guilty he will take care
of Michael’s kids. Joe Jackson went on to say, "I might be old,
but I can still dangle kids from a balcony.”
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