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One of our long-term goals at Utah Policy
Daily is to create a real public policy community featuring lots
of interaction with community members (that’s you, our readers).
We can create such a dynamic if readers will pro-actively contribute
newsy items and events and give us suggestions and ideas. We want
to receive information about policy issues you care about, particularly
links to items of interest on other Web sites.
We want to frequently publish a "People Watch"
section with lots of names of elected officials, staff, lobbyists,
agency and association leaders, and other policymakers. Send us
info about new appointments or hires, anyone in a new position,
anyone who has been honored in some way, or those who have made
presentations or speeches. We want lots of names. These don’t have
to be major items. Remember, ours is a relatively small community
and we’re interested in what each other is doing. Remember to also
submit events, fundraisers, speeches, etc. to our calendar. We're
basically interested in what you’re interested in and what you’d
like to share with others. Send it all to daily@utahpolicy.com.
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News
Highlights
House Speaker Greg Curtis
hires Chris Bleak as his chief of staff (Salt
Lake Tribune), while columnists duel over advisability of
the move. Holly Mullen (Tribune)
hates the whole idea, while Pig-Webb (Deseret
Morning News) think it’s just great.
Gov. Huntsman says he
hasn't made up his mind about flat-rate income tax proposal endorsed
last week by legislative subcommittee (Morning
News).
Mayor Rocky Anderson
provokes indignation of New Jersey mayors over resolution to normalize
relations with Cuba (Tribune).
(See also National Media Watch.)
Western governors, including
Jon Huntsman, talk international trade (Morning
News) and interstate trade alliances (Tribune).
(See also National Media Watch.)
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Quote of the Day
"For me, this is an easy vote. I know Tom
and his record
. . . . Tom Griffith is a good man and has what it takes in terms
of education, intelligence, judgment and character to become a great
judge."
-- Sen. Orrin Hatch during debate
on the nomination of BYU General Counsel Tom Griffith to
D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals (Tribune).
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Tuesday Buzz
Written by LaVarr Webb & Associates |
Transportation Watch
Strong Support for Transportation Funding
The Salt Lake Chamber Board of Governors has again established increased
transportation funding as a major Chamber goal. And at a meeting
of the Chamber Transportation Committee on Monday, strong support
for increased funding was also voiced.
Perspectives on transportation were provided by Dave Creer,
Utah Trucking Association, and Lincoln Shurtz, Utah League
of Cities & Towns. Robin Riggs, Chamber VP, led the discussion.
Creer said truck traffic on Utah highways will double in 20 years.
He urged caution in adopting toll roads and public-private-partnerships.
Shurtz said that 75% of roads come under control of local governments,
and local governments must have proper funding to maintain their
roads.
Senate President John Valentine asked the Chamber to provide
its perspective on whether commercial and residential developers
who benefit from expensive infrastructure projects like new freeway
interchanges should have some responsibility toward funding those
projects.
Washington Watch
(By Gaylen Webb)
“A Sign of the End of Days”
Orrin Hatch and Hillary Clinton have found common
cause in support of the Workplace Religious Freedom Act, says Richard
Thompson in a Monday
post on Slate.com. The WRFA was co-sponsored by Pennsylvania
Sen. Richard Santorum, a religious conservative, and liberal
Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry. In his commentary Thompson
argues that current anti-discrimination law is sufficient to deal
with religious discrimination and that the WRFA would make it easier
for employees to press for more troubling sorts of claims.
Bennett a ‘Source’, But Not the Real ‘Deep Throat’
Monday’s edition of The Hill featured an engaging
interview with Robert Bennett regarding the misdirected
speculation that he was “Deep Throat”. Bennett laments that the
Deep Throat accusations nixed his successful career as a Washington
PR consultant.
Will Griffiths Be Confirmed Today?
The Senate will resume consideration today of BYU lawyer Thomas
B. Griffith’s appointment to the federal appeals court in Washington,
D.C. The Senate’s official website
says a vote on Griffith was scheduled for today at 10 a.m. Despite
being dogged by issues surrounding his legal career, it is widely
speculated that Griffith will be confirmed.
Media Watch
Editorial Page Interactivity?
Fascinating story
in the New York Times about changes Michael Kinsley
is making in the editorial pages of the Los Angeles Times. Kinsley
comes from an Internet background as editor of Slate and
he is clearly trying to create more interaction and involvement
with readers. Some traditionalists think he is destroying the institutional
voice of the editorial page. He deserves credit for trying something
new.
National Politics
Views on Campaign Finance
For two diametrically opposed perspectives on campaign finance reform,
read the New York Times editorial
and compare it with the views of the Federalist
Patriot. Personally, I disagree with the New York Times.
The more politicians tinker with campaign finance and try to eliminate
the influence of big money in elections, the worse it gets. McCain-Feingold
drove the money away from political parties and candidates, which
are at least accountable voters and party activists, right into
the “527” special interest groups, which are accountable to no one.
I’d rather allow George Soros to give his tens of millions
of dollars directly to the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates
rather than force him to give to groups like MoveOn.org.
I say allow anyone to contribute whatever they like, but require
both candidates and donors to disclose all contributions immediately
on the Internet for all to see. Then let voters decide.
Holding Power Accountable
Common Cause of Utah, a non-partisan, political action group, hosts
a second forum in the educational series, Holding Power Accountable,
on June 30 at 60 p.m. The focus of the meeting is on Utah’s Government
Records Access Management Act. For more details, see the calendar.
Reader Response
Views on Radio Talk Shows
The last of the comments on talk radio are posted
here. Included are interesting perspectives from David Eskelsen,
Don Milne, Raymond T. Swenson, Andy Wilson, Doug Nielsen, Brenda
Teig, Jay Griffith, Albert Fretz, and Shawna Baird. Some
interesting reading there.
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Tuesday
June 14, 2005
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National
Media Watch
Gays trying to establish themselves in conservative Mormon Utah
see signs of change (Chicago
Tribune).
Mayor of Trenton, New
Jersey, attacks a Mayor Rocky Anderson-authored call for normalized
relations with Cuba (The
Trentonian).
Western states need to
nurture mature, well-trained, middle-class work force, governors
told at Western Gov. Assoc. meeting, to maintain the economic health
of the West (Denver
Post).
Some fear government has
no solution for nuclear waste storage, while plans for outdoor,
above-ground storage on Goshute reservation moving forward (Los
Angeles Times).
States, including Utah,
passing laws to encourage public schools to teach relationship skills
(Christian
Science Monitor).
Columnist: Utah politicians
admirable for trying to protect kids from porn, but disregard Constitution
in their new anti-porn legislation (Washington
Post).
Local
Headlines
Deseret Morning News
- Trade
ban sparks big beef at WGA forum
- Huntsman
weighing flat-tax proposal
- A
deal for more police?
- 2
groups battling for Cedar Hills votes
- Huntsman
nominates lawyer McHugh to bench
- Tourism
program faces some hurdles
Standard-Examiner
- UDOT
takes back the road money
- Ogden
City Council may approve employee raises
KSL Editorial Board
- Preferred
drug list
Salt Lake Tribune
- Trade
alliance of West states?
- Rocky's
policy on Cuba earns anger of Eastern mayors
- Yes
vote on Griffith likely today
- Speaker
creates chief of staff job
- Mullen:
Another layer at Utah's Capitol
- S.L.
County weighs jail budget; lockup alternatives sought
- Cities
weigh medical benefits for part-time council service
- County
board to offer to help buy N. Salt Lake land
- Water
district decides against raising its tax
- Editorial:
A rural responsibility: Officials have duty to make services available
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Please submit calendar items to Daily@UtahPolicy.com
- June 12-14: Western Governors’
Association’s Annual Meeting in Breckenridge, Colorado.
Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, WGA Chairman, will be joined by his colleagues,
the secretaries of the U.S. departments of energy and agriculture,
Western Canadian premiers and economic experts to discuss Western
Leadership in the Global Economy. For more information
visit www.westgov.org.
- June 14: Legislative task force meetings throughout
day. See calendar
to check schedule.
- June 14: Dan Jones and Associates' 25th
anniversary party, 5 pm to 8 pm, Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way,
Salt Lake City.
- June 14: Sage
Greens Local Meeting, 7 pm, Coffee Club, 4879 South Redwood Road.
- June 15: Legislative Interim Committee Day. Task
force meetings throughout day. See calendar
to check schedule.
- June 15: Natural Resources, Agriculture, and
Environment Interim Committee meeting, 2 pm, room W125. See
Legislative Calendar
for more information.
- June 16: State Rulemaking Seminar, 9 am to 3
pm, 5112 State Office Building.
- June 18: Salt Lake County Republican Central Committee
meeting, County Complex on 2100 S State in the Council Chambers.
Registration beings at 8 am and the meeting begins at 9 am.
- June 23: Salt Lake County Libertarian Party Organizing
Convention, 7 pm, Rocky Mountain Pizza Company, 3977 Wasatch Boulevard,
Holladay.
- June 26: Green Party of Utah Monthly Council
Meeting, 10 am, Salt Lake County Government Complex, 2100 South
State Street, Salt Lake City.
- June 30: Common Cause of Utah's "Holding
Power Accountable" informational forum, 6:30 to 8pm, Salt Lake
City main library, Level 1, Room B. The panel includes Jeff
Hunt, Attorney for the Freedom of Information Hotline; Joel
Campbell, BYU Assistant Professor of Print Journalism; and
Frank Nakamura, Murray City Attorney. Speakers will address issues
involved in trying to implement Utah's Government Records Access
Management Act. This program is free and open to the public.
For more information contact Tony Musci at ccause@qwest.net
or 801-533-0876.
- July 12: Sage Greens Local Meeting, 7 pm, Coffee
Club, 4879 South Redwood Road.
- July 14: 2005 Sutherland Transcend Series,"Civility,
Integrity and Politics - Being an Authentic Citizen," breakfast
and morning seminar begins at 8:30 am. For more information
contact Lisa Montgomery at 801-355-1272 or email si@sutherlandinstitute.org.
- July 15-Aug 15: Candidates wishing to run for a municipal
office this year need to file a Declaration of Candidacy with their
municipal clerk.
- July 19: Utah House Republicans Third Annual
Bowler's Ball, 6:30 pm, Shepherd's All Star Lanes in West Jordan.
Interested parties should contact Kat Dayton at 801-580-4743.
- July 20: Legislative Interim Committee Day.
- July 24: Green Party of Utah Monthly Council
Meeting, 10 am, Salt Lake County Government Complex, 2100 South
State Street, Salt Lake City.
- July 27-29: Utah Association of Counties
2005 Recorders Summer Workshop, Cache Administration Building, 179
North Main, Logan. Contact Calleen Peshell for more details
at 435-843-3180 or cpeshell@co.tooele.ut.us
- July 29: Filing Deadline for Candidates,
Platform Amendments, and Resolution Amendments to the State Organizing
Convention, 5 pm.
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| - See the entire calendar
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