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(The Exoro Group is sponsoring a series of Issue Essays on public policy topics of importance to us and our clients.) |
Issue Focus: Utah’s Transportation Vision
By LaVarr Webb |
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An historic opportunity awaits Utah’s policymakers to build out a transportation infrastructure that will serve the state’s needs for decades to come.
See sponsored essay below.
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News
Highlights
Soccer site is down to Sandy and downtown SLC (Salt Lake Tribune).
Tax Reform Task Force recommends broadened sales tax raising $150 million more in new sales taxes (Deseret Morning News).
Two underdogs withdraw from Provo mayoral race, eliminating need for primary (Daily Herald and Salt Lake Tribune).
Sen. Bob Bennett had concerns about FEMA merger with Homeland Security Dept. back in 2002 (Tribune).
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Quote of the Day
"I wouldn't be surprised if they vote to license the facility, but as I said all along, licensing the facility doesn't mean it's going to get built."
-- Sen. Bob Bennett, in Tribune story indicating the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is likely to reject Utah’s last objection to Goshute nuclear waste site during a meeting Friday.
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Thursday Buzz
Written by LaVarr Webb & Associates |
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Reader Participation:
How Do You Stay Informed?
UPD reader Dana Dickson, a Republican activist, made this suggestion: “I noticed a reference to Campaign & Elections magazine in one of your Utah Policy newsletters and it brought a question to mind. Have you ever asked your readers for websites and publications that they know of that help them with campaigns and candidates? This would be great information for all of us and especially for anyone considering running for an elected position any time soon.”
So, readers, how about shooting a quick e-mail to daily@utahpolicy.com, listing a few favorite books, magazines, newspapers, Web sites, etc., that help you stay up-to-speed on politics and campaigns. We’ll pass on your suggestions to the UPD readership.
Round Up (and Blame) the Usual Suspects
The biggest game in town (at least in the big media markets on the east/west coasts) is the Katrina disaster blame game. To some folks, finding someone to blame in any tragedy is almost as important as helping the victims.
One of the better commentaries I’ve read about who deserves blame was written by Chuck Todd, NationalJournal.com contributing editor and editor-in-chief of The Hotline. Todd does not spare the Bush administration, saying federal officials apparently “can’t walk and chew gum at the same time,” and the administration may be reaching the “tipping point” at which it may never be able to recover politically.
But Todd is at least even-handed enough to make the following observations:
“As politically bad as things are for Bush and the Republicans right now, it's not clear the Democrats are in any position to capitalize on the situation. With Katrina, it's actually par for the course for the Democrats. Before Katrina, we planned to use our first post-Labor Day column to highlight the Democrats' political impotence on the three biggest issues the public disapproves of when it comes to Bush's policies: Iraq, immigration and the economy (within which we put energy and gas).
“Arguably, Katrina could be the fourth item on this list. For as much unhappiness as there is with the public in regards to the Republican direction on these issues, at least there is a direction. The Democrats don't have a plan on Iraq, immigration or energy. Sure, individual Democrats might have talking points, but what's the united message? Is the Democratic Party for or against a continued presence in Iraq? Is the party for or against a guest worker program for illegal immigrants already in the country? Is the party for or against fossil fuels?
“Many ‘leaders’ within the party are gambling that the public angst over the GOP will automatically push voters to the Democrats. It's why Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and other wannabe centrist Democrats are so silent on so many of these issues. The country is yearning for an opposition party. But not one that throws bombs or says nothing, one that offers an actual alternative vision.”
Also: “Finally, a quick word on the political culture of Louisiana. The state's penchant for winking at corruption may have finally come home to roost. There's nothing about the state and city's response that anyone can point to with pride. . . . don't be surprised if a culture of government reform finally sweeps through the state, particularly since at the moment the people needed the city, state and federal government's assistance, these governments didn't deliver.”
People You Ought to Know:
Doug Willmore
Chief Administrative Officer, Salt Lake County
Education: BS in Public Administration, George Mason University; MPA, University of Utah
Growing up: I grew up in Manassas, Virginia – what was a small town outside of Washington, DC – now it’s a burgeoning metropolis.
Family: Two children – Katie (12), and Ben (6).
Spouse: Kristin Takahashi Willmore, former All-American gymnast at the U and member of their NCAA championship team in 1990 (you have to mention that because she always gets mad at me when I do). She’s currently completing her Master’s in Library Science.
Why political involvement: A life-long love affair. My Dad worked for Sen. Frank Church from Idaho and started the Department of Agriculture Graduate School under President Kennedy. My three brothers and I grew up discussing politics and public policy around the dinner table from toddler age on (“Well, thanks for telling me what you learned in pre-school today, Doug, but what did you think about David Broder’s Op-Ed piece in this morning’s Washington Post?”)
Hobbies: Running, reading, traveling, eating the gourmet food cooked by my friend, Rolen.
Motivations/ambitions: Help Peter Corroon make a lasting difference in Salt Lake County government
Hottest issue on your watch: Anyone need a used car?
Proudest moment: The birth of my daughter, Katie.
Most embarrassing moment: I was presenting to a large group of employees (about 500) from Lucent Technologies several years ago, and was wearing a wireless mike. I left the stage during a break to go to the restroom (I had been drinking lots of water), and forgot to turn the wireless mike off. Needless to say, the room was in hysterics when I returned. When I found out why they were laughing, it easily moved to the top of a long list of most embarrassing moments.
Favorite book: I love books so much, it’s tough to limit it to just one – The Secret Life of Bees is wonderful; Theodore Rex, about Teddy Roosevelt’s early life is great; and I just read Collapse by Jared Diamond, which is an amazing feat of a book.
Favorite mentor: Two people. First, my Dad. Still, the greatest man I’ve ever known. Second, Jack Vaughn. Jack directed the US Peace Corps under Johnson, and was US Ambassador to Columbia and Panama at different times under Johnson and Nixon. I ran into Jack when I worked for the State Department in Central America, and he really took a young guy under his wing and showed him how to get things done. He’s been showing me (or trying to) ever since.
Washington Watch
Cannon Leads Hearing on Cancer
On Wednesday, Rep. Chris Cannon led a hearing entitled “Women and Cancer” in the House Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources. A Cannon press release (not yet posted) says Dr. Mark Rosenfeld, of Salt Lake City, was one of the witnesses. Rosenfeld is founder of Grant Life Sciences, Inc., which has developed new diagnostic procedures for detecting human papillomaviruses (HPV) and cervical cancer.
Hatch Eulogizes Rehnquist
Sen. Orrin Hatch took the floor of the Senate Wednesday to eulogize Chief Justice William Rehnquist, saying the principles Rehnquist consistently followed, and the steady hand with which he guided the judiciary make him one of the judiciary’s very best.
Economy Watch
MidAmerican Energy Holdings Co., which has agreed to buy PacifiCorp from Scottish Power, is planning to shift some of its corporate jobs from Portland headquarters to Salt Lake City, reports The Oregonian.
About 1,164 people work at PacifiCorp headquarters, while about 246 people work at the utility's Salt Lake corporate offices. The paper says the distribution of corporate jobs between Oregon and Utah will become more balanced, reflecting Utah's increasing importance to PacifiCorp. Utah now accounts for almost 41 percent of retail electricity sales, more than any other state. Oregon comes in second, with 29 percent of sales. Utah also boasts the most customers. PacifiCorp distributes electricity to 704,000 households and businesses in Utah. In Oregon, the count is 517,000 customers.
Today in Political History
On Sept. 8, 1935, Sen. Huey Long, the “Kingfish” of Louisiana politics, was mortally wounded in an assassination attempt. He died two days later.
On Sept. 8, 1974, Pres. Gerald Ford granted former Pres. Richard M. Nixon a “full, free and absolute pardon . . . for all offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in while President.” |
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Issue Focus:
Utah’s Transportation Vision
Sponsored Essay by LaVarr Webb
Utah currently enjoys a vibrant economy that ideally will continue for many years. The very best hope for increased education funding allowing higher teacher salaries and smaller class sizes is a healthy economy that produces higher tax revenues. The potential for such continued growth is excellent. One dark cloud on the economic horizon, however, is a pending transportation crisis that could cripple mobility, slow the delivery of goods and services, and waste the time of commuters traveling to jobs and appointments.
It is somewhat ironic that in an age of telecommuting, videoconferencing and all manner of digital communications, mobility has become even more important. We are a state of travelers. A strong economy fuels increased travel in many ways. The more affluent and prosperous we become, the more cars we have and the more we travel. The number of delivery trucks, large and small, is expected to double in Utah over the next several years. From 1990 to 2010 (projected), the state’s population will grow by 60%; while vehicle miles traveled will grow 100%. Tellingly, in the same period state highway lane miles will increase only 5%. So while highway travel will double, the capacity of state highways will increase only 5%. That enormous disparity cannot continue for long or gridlock will set in.
As many of our political leaders have said, the answer to the looming transportation crisis is not simply more highways. The answer is use of “smart growth” concepts, increased mass transit, and still we will clearly need more highway capacity. A proper mix of roads and mass transit is crucial. This is not an either-or situation. To cope with the dramatically increased mobility needs of society, and to keep the economy rolling, increased mass transit, smart planning, AND more highway capacity will be needed.
While in some states the transportation situation is so bad as to be overwhelming, in Utah we still control our destiny and we can maintain vital mobility. But it won’t be easy and it will require more money, meaning some form of tax/fee increases. We have, over the next few years, an unprecedented opportunity to seize control of the problem and resolve it for the next couple of decades, by which time new technologies may be in place to allow us to dramatically increase ridership density on our highways and transit infrastructure.
Luckily, we seem to have in Utah the leadership commitment from all sectors – state government, local governments, business leaders and informed citizens – to do some big thinking and big action over the next few years.
The needs, plans and projections are not being evaluated and developed in any arbitrary fashion. Local governments, through their regional planning associations, have been researching, projecting, and quantifying the growth scenarios, needs and alternatives for a number of years. Individual businesses and various business associations and chambers of commerce have made mobility and transportation among their top priorities. They want to accelerate construction of Utah’s critical transportation projects so they are in use within 10 years, rather than 25 or 30 years. A critical mass of support exists for this fast-track program that must not be squandered.
The needs are great enough that current revenue sources will simply not be enough. The Legislature is wisely considering innovative financing opportunities, including tolling and private investment in critical infrastructure through public/private partnerships. Utah has also been very successful in obtaining significant federal support for the state’s transportation needs.
Even with all of that, Utah citizens and policymakers need to get used to two words: tax increase. There is simply no realistic scenario to keep up with the demands of the traveling public without some combination of tax/fee boosts. A variety of revenue enhancements have been studied to increase funding for transportation infrastructure, and decisions will need to be made relatively soon.
Imagine the day in the not-so-distant future where 90% of the citizens of Salt Lake County, for example, will live within one mile of a major mass transit stop or station (light rail, commuter rail, bus rapid transit, etc.) when the light rail and commuter rails spurs and extensions are all built out. Imagine a completed Legacy Parkway through Davis County and a new Mountain View Corridor through the west side of Salt Lake County. Imagine Utah County’s immense traffic jam-ups on I-15 being resolved.
It is a compelling vision that transportation officials are prepared to fulfill over the next several years if the right levels of funding can be obtained. |
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Thursday
September 8, 2005
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KCPW Radio 1010AM · 88.3FM · 105.3FM
Please submit calendar items to Daily@UtahPolicy.com
- Sep 8: Utah Intergovernmental Roundtable Annual Summit, 8 am-1:30 pm, at the Delta Center in SLC. An overview of RDA's and Tax Increment Financing, plus a stakeholder panel on the pros and cons of RDA's, moderated by a professional mediator. Speakers include Lane Beattie, Salt Lake Chamber, Robyn Bagley, Citizens Coalition for RDA Reform, Randy Sant, Sandy City, Larry Newton, Utah State Office of Education, Larry Ellertson, Utah County, Howard Stephenson, Utah State Senate (invited), Curtis Bramble, Utah State Senate, Lincoln Shurtz, Utah League of Cities and Towns. For more information: www.cppa.utah.edu/uir/, or send email to Jolaine (jrandall@cppa.utah.edu).
- Sep 8: 2005 Sutherland Transcend Series,"The Rules of the Game - Applying Processes Effectively," Breakfast Keynote from 8:30 to 9:30 am, Morning Seminar from 9:40 to 11:30 am, Lunch from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, Afternoon Workshop from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm. For more information contact Stan Rasmussen at 801-355-1272, email si@sutherlandinstitute.org, or view brochure here.
- Sep 8: Privately Owned Health Care Organization Task Force, 1 pm, room W135.
- Sep 8: Davis County Libertarian Party meeting, 7 pm, 1617 North 350 East, Layton.
- Sep 9-10: Lt. Gov. Herbert to lead a delegation of Utah Legislators to Texas to discuss opportunities in transportation for public/private partnerships and to tour various forward-thinking transportation projects underway in Texas. The Utah delegation will be joined by the Texas Lt. Gov, as well as key Texas Legislators and policy makers.
- Sep 9: Tax Review Commission, 1 pm, room W125.
- Sep 9: Salt Lake County Republican Party Constitution Day Celebration Family BBQ Night, 6:30 pm, Murray City Park, 5125 S. State Street, Pavilion #5. Food, music, games, speakers and much more. Free for the entire family (donations welcome). For more information contact Wanda I. Carrasquillo at 801- 879-7340 or wcarrasq@qwest.net.
- Sep 10: Davis County Democrats Monthly Breakfast, 8:30 am, Grannie Annie's Restaurant, 286 N. 400 West, Kaysville. Held the 2nd Saturday every month. Bring an item of food (non-perishable) for the Davis County Food Bank.
- Sep 10: Constitution Party of Utah State Convention, 8 am to 2 pm, 2001 S. State Street, North building, Salt Lake City. Keynote speakers will be Steve Pratt and Jim Norlander.
- Sep 10: Salt Lake County Republican Central Committee Meeting, 9 am, Hillcrest Junior High, 123 East 5600 South.
- Sep 12: Lt. Gov. Herbert will keynote the Annual Meeting of the Western States Association of Tax Administrators, 7:45 am, Downtown Marriott, 75 West South Temple.
- Sep 12: Child Welfare Legislative Oversight Panel, 10 am, room W020.
- Sep 13: Special Districts Subcommittee of the Political Subdivisions Interim Committee, 9 am, room W110.
- Sep 13: Administrative Rules Review Committee, 9 am, room W135.
- Sep 13: Policy Round Table, 11:45 to 1:15 pm, Alta Club, 100 East South Temple, Salt Lake City. Topic is "RDAs: Whose money is it, anyway?" Speakers include Curtis S. Bramble, Utah State Senator and C.P.A. and Liane Stillman, Manager, City of Cottonwood Heights. For more information call Mark Crockett at 801-550-5343 or Dan Burton at 801-358-3613 or email policy.round.table@gmail.com
- Sep 13: Retirement and Independent Entities Interim Committee, 1 pm, room W135.
- Sep 13: Sage Greens Local Meeting, 7 pm, Coffee Club, 4879 South Redwood Road.
- Sep 13: Utah Citizens Alliance Monthly Meeting, 7 pm, Utah State Bar (Law and Justice Center), 645 S 200 E, Salt Lake City. Speaker: Jared Horne from Sterling Financial Group. Topic: Planning financially for the future and how to wisely invest a settlement. For more information contact LaRee Miller at 801-521-1749 or laree@utahcitizensalliance.org.
- Sep 14-16: Utah League of Cities and Towns 98th Annual Conference, Salt Lake City Sheraton, 150 West 500 South, Salt Lake City.
- Sep 14: Lt. Gov. Herbert to speak to the State Fire Chiefs Association, 10:30 am, Sheraton City Center, 150 W 500 S, Salt Lake City.
- Sep 14: Utah Petroleum Association Annual Meeting "Refining the Future," 12 pm, Little America Hotel. Keynote Speaker is Mr. Bill Haywood, Senior V.P. of Refining for Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company. For more information contact Lee Peacock at 801-364-1510 or lpeacock@utahpetroleum.org.
- Sep 14: Lt. Gov. Herbert to meet with the 5-County AOG in Beaver to discuss transportation issues, 1 pm, 105 E Center Street, Beaver.
- Sep 15: Lt. Gov. Herbert to participate in the Department of Public Safety's "Statewide Continuity and Emergency Preparedness" conference, 8am, Radisson, 215 W South Temple, Salt Lake City.
- Sep 15: Lt. Gov. Herbert to meet with the Southeastern Utah AOG in Price to discuss transportation issues, 1 pm, 375 S. Carbon Avenue, Price.
- Sep 15: Weber County Libertarian Party meeting, 6 pm, Etched in Stone Design, 2031 Lincoln Avenue, Ogden.
- Sep 15: Republican Party Executive Committee Meeting, 6 pm.
- Sep 19-23: Utah Legislators Back to School Program "Kick-off Week."
- Sep 19: Democrats of Southern Utah Monthly Meeting, 11:30 am, Dixie Center, 1835 Convention Center Drive. The speaker is Dr. Joseph Jarvis, co-founder Utah Health Alliance and the topic is "New Health Care Plan." For reservations call Jan Patrick by September 15th at 435-652-2096.
- Sep 19: Tourism Task Force, 1 pm, room W110.
- Sep 20: Government Records Access and Management Task Force, 1:30 pm, room W125.
- Sep 20: Holding Power Accountable: Setting Utility Rates, 7 to 8:30 pm, Salt Lake City Main Library, 4th Floor Conference Room, 210 E 400 S. Common Cause of Utah hosts Roger Bell, Former Director of the Utah Committee of Consumer Services. Learn why it is important for Utah consumers to have independent representation when it comes to utility rate making. Light refreshments and conversation to follow. Free and open to the public. For more information contact Chriss Meecham at 801-583-1699 or christine.meecham@comcast.net
- Sep 21: Legislative Interim Committee Day.
- Sep 21: Legislative meetings scheduled throughout day. See Legislative calendar for details.
- Sep 22: Privately Owned Health Care Organization Task Force, 9 am, room W135.
- Sep 22: Deadline to submit candidacy declarations for Republican State Party Committees (Executive, Audit, Budget, Constitution and Bylaws), 10 am.
- Sep 22: Salt Lake County Libertarian Party Meeting, 7 pm, Rocky Mountain Pizza Company, 3977 Wasatch Boulevard, Salt Lake City.
- Sep 23: Salt Lake County Republican Party Lincoln Club presents An Evening with Senator Orrin Hatch, 7 pm. For more information visit www.lincolnclub.net or call Duane Millard at 801-706-5082 or Jeremy Roberts at 801-545-0105.
- Sep 24: Republican State Central Committee Meeting, 10 am, Salt Lake County (exact location TBA). Discussing the 2006 calendar, elections to Party committees, as well as the possibility of considering a number of Constitution/Bylaw amendments
- Sep 25: Green Party of Utah Monthly Council meeting, 10 am, Salt Lake County Government Complex, 2100 South State Street.
- Sep 27: Administrative Rules Review Committee, 9 am, room W135.
- Sep 27: Eleanor Roosevelt Luncheon, 11:30 am, Marriott City Center on 200 South and State Street, Salt Lake City. Keynote Speaker is Lily Eskelsen, Secretary, Treasurer of the NEA, and honoree is Robyn Matheson. Tickets are $50 per person, $500 per table. Call Marcie at 801-328-1212 for more information.
- Sep 27: Washington County Republican Party Central Committee Meeting, 7 pm.
- Sep 29: Education Interim Committee, 1 pm, House of Representatives Chambers.
- Sep 30: Tax Review Commission, 1 pm, room W125.
- Oct 4: Municipal Primary Election.
- Oct 11: Policy Round Table, 11:45 to 1:15 pm, Alta Club, 100 East South Temple, Salt Lake City. Topic is "Soccer & Stadium: To build or not to build? Where? With whose money?" Speakers include Dave Checketts, Salt Lake REAL soccer and Mike Jerman, Utah Taxpayers Association. For more information call Mark Crockett at 801-550-5343 or Dan Burton at 801-358-3613 or email policy.round.table@gmail.com
- Oct 11: Fundraiser for Senator Orrin Hatch, 5 to 7 pm, Overstock.com, 6350 South 3000 East, Salt Lake City. Hosted by Patrick Byrne. Please RSVP to Kristy Jensen at 801-836-2935 or danishkrj@yahoo.com.
- Oct 11: Sage Greens Local Meeting, 7 pm, Coffee Club, 4879 South Redwood Road.
- Oct 11: Utah Citizens Alliance Monthly Meeting, 7 pm, Utah State Bar (Law and Justice Center), 645 S 200 E, Salt Lake City. Speaker: Attorney Phillip Shell, Topic: "What you need to know about Bankruptcy and the New Laws." For more information contact LaRee Miller at 801-521-1749 or laree@utahcitizensalliance.org.
- Oct 11: The Sutherland Institute presents "An Evening with George F. Wills", Rose Wagner Center for the Performing Arts.
- Oct 13: 2005 Sutherland Transcend Series,"Ethical Fitness - Being an Authentic Leader," Breakfast Keynote from 8:30 to 9:30 am, Morning Seminar from 9:40 to 11:30 am, Lunch from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, Afternoon Workshop from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm. For more information contact Stan Rasmussen at 801-355-1272, email si@sutherlandinstitute.org
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