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Reach Utah Policymakers
The Exoro Group will soon publish a new edition of the popular Legislative Guide, and is now accepting advertising reservations. The guide is an excellent way to stay visible and deliver your advertising message to Utah opinion leaders and policymakers. Some 5,000 copies of the handy, pocket-sized, 88-page guide will be printed in full color, with color photos and bios of Utah’s 104 state lawmakers, plus committee assignments, seating charts, events calendar, and much more valuable information. For pricing and deadlines, contact Business Development Director Mark Towner, 801.502.9134, mark@utahpolicy.com.
Winning at the Legislature
Now is the time to communicate with and educate lawmakers about important issues coming up in the 2006 session. Read more below.
Transportation Survey
Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert wants to know your opinions about transportation issues in Utah. In advance of the Oct. 14 Transportation Summit, he wants Utahns to take a quick on-line survey measuring opinions on a variety of transportation topics. The survey takes only a few moments and can be accessed by clicking here. Herbert will announce the survey results at the Summit, which begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Davis Conference Center, 800 West Heritage Park Boulevard, Layton.
Gov. Jon Huntsman will present his vision for the future of Utah transportation during the summit and four informative panel discussions will be featured. RSVP by sending an email to tylerallen@utah.gov or by calling Tyler Allen at 801-538-1041.
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News Highlights
Jason Chaffetz to resign as Gov. Huntsman's chief of staff (Salt Lake Tribune and Deseret Morning News).
Sandy wins soccer stadium bid (Tribune and Morning News).
GOP millionaire John D. Jacob to challenge Rep. Chris Cannon for 3rd Congressional District nomination (Tribune and Morning News).
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Quote of the Day
“For many reasons, Utahns need tax reform. The governor's plan is a start. At least it keeps the pressure on lawmakers, who should avoid the temptation to do nothing.”
-- Morning News editorial arguing broader-based tax reform should be attempted. |
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Tuesday Buzz
Written by LaVarr
Webb & Associates |
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Being Chief of Staff is a Tough Job
Jason Chaffetz’ departure as Gov. Huntsman’s chief of staff (see stories at right) is partly a reflection of how tough the job is. The chief of staff gets to deliver the bad news and takes a lot of arrows. If anyone thinks Chaffetz was a tough gatekeeper, you should have been around when Scott Matheson first took office and appointed Mike Graham as his first chief of staff. Graham was young and a little arrogant. He quickly developed a reputation for keeping people out of Matheson’s office, and made even party members and lots of legislators angry. I was writing political columns at time and mentioned that Graham was being called “Utah’s Little Caesar” by political insiders. Shortly after that the Democratic Party held a fundraiser where they roasted Graham. They handed out T-Shirts imprinted with “Utah’s Little Caesar.”
So it’s pretty normal for the chief of staff to be the SOB. And that can be wearing for anyone. Thus, turnover in the position in most states is fairly frequent, although Utah has had more stability. Gov. Huntsman deserves credit for dealing with the situation and not letting it fester. We wish Chaffetz well and congratulate Neil Ashdown for his appointment to the hot seat.
Govs Push Western States Primary
Gov. Jon Huntsman and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson will hold a press conference today at 11:30 a.m. in Gov. Richardson’s cabinet room “to discuss bipartisan western governors’ support for creating a Western States’ Presidential Primary in 2008,” according to a post on Swing State Project.com.
The Utah delegation traveling with Huntsman includes Sen. President John Valentine, Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich, House Majority Leader Jeff Alexander, House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, Democratic Party Chair Wayne Holland, and Republican Party Chair Joe Cannon. The delegation and their New Mexico counterparts will also discuss immigration.
Parkway Agreement Gets Boost
The Transportation Committee of the Salt Lake Chamber voted Monday to recommend support of the Legacy Parkway agreement-in-principle, but also expressed reservations about the ban on large trucks that is part of the proposed agreement. With a few dissenters, the sentiment of the group was strongly in favor of the agreement, but hope was expressed that officials negotiating the final agreement will eliminate the provision excluding large trucks from the highway.
Rep. Stuart Adams and Sen. Sheldon Killpack, along with UDOT Director John Njord, argued persuasively in favor of the agreement, saying without the compromise agreement litigation may continue, delaying the highway for several years and boosting costs by hundreds of millions of dollars. Dave Creer of the Utah Trucking Association said the agreement should not be supported if trucks are banned from the highway.
The full Legislature must ratify the agreement in a Nov. 9 special session, and Adams said the vote in the House could be close. He said support by the business community is essential to ensure passage. The full Chamber Board of Governors will now consider the Transportation Committee’s recommendation and determine the Chamber’s formal position on the issue.
Radio Watch
KSL’s Doug Wright will interview Political advisor/Columnist/Author Dick Morris today about his new book, “Condi vs. Hillary: The Next Great Presidential Race.” The show airs 9-Noon on KSL Newsradio 102.7 fm & 1160 am.
Blog Watch
Many municipal candidates have Web sites this election year, and at least one of them is a blogger. Steve Handy, running for mayor of Layton, blogs at www.handyformayor.com/blog.
People Watch
Welcome home Natalie Gochnour, who returns to Utah after adventures in Washington with former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt. Gochnour has been named Vice President for Policy and Communications for the Salt Lake Chamber, an ideal role for her. She will work with business, political and community leaders to develop and implement policies that will ensure the vitality of Utah’s business community.
She brings 20 years of policy depth and communications expertise to the job. She spent the last two years in Washington, D.C. working at the side of Leavitt as Associate Administrator for Public Affairs at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and, most recently, as a Counselor to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Before that, Natalie was Governor Leavitt’s Deputy for Policy and Communications and his spokesperson. She also spent sixteen years in the Utah Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, serving at various times as a state economist, State Planning Coordinator, and Deputy Director.
Washington Watch
Rep. Chris Cannon announced legislation last week that would authorize a groundwater storage project in Juab County. If passed the project could enhance local water supplies by as much as 2,000 to 3,000 acre-feet per year, a Cannon press release said. |
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Message Center |
| Winning at the Legislature |
Sponsored Essay by LaVarr Webb
I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone lament, at the end of an unsuccessful legislative session, “If only we’d had more time to communicate our position! Legislators just didn’t understand the importance of our issue and what we were trying to do.”
Most legislative failures are failures of communications. But the time to communicate, the time to educate, isn’t after a session starts. In fact, by then it’s probably too late. During a brief, intense 45-day session, Utah’s 104 lawmakers are incredibly busy, with hundreds of issues hitting them all at once. They are inundated with letters, e-mail messages, position papers and phone calls. They run from meeting to meeting, early in the morning to late in the evening. And it only gets worse as the session goes on.
If they don’t go into the session already having some knowledge about an issue, if they aren’t already aware of the significance and rationale of a position, then it may be too late to generate enough support to pass or defeat a proposal.
The time to communicate with lawmakers, the executive branch and other policymakers and opinion leaders is well in advance of a legislative session. That’s the time to educate.
And right now is the time to start. We are only about 12 weeks away from the next session, with the holiday season taking a chunk of that time. A lot of legislation is already being drafted. Work is being done on the budget. Interim committees and task forces are finishing up their work. Lawmakers are planning their priorities and goals for the upcoming session. Now is the time to communicate with them, before it’s too late.
Utah Policy Daily provides an excellent channel to deliver persuasive messages to legislators and other policymakers and opinion leaders. UPD is being read on a daily basis by most lawmakers, along with more than 8,000 other politically-active citizens.
By publishing advocacy essays, sponsored articles or advertorials in UPD, you can reach, and educate, lawmakers and others who are critical to your success. A series of articles over the next several weeks could provide enormous visibility and understanding of your issue or proposal.
UPD’s space is somewhat limited and we expect a lot of interest in this advocacy advertising channel. So reserve your space now. Discuss the possibilities with Business Development Director Mark Towner, 801.502.9134, mark@utahpolicy.com.
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Tuesday
October 11,
2005
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KCPW Radio 1010AM · 88.3FM · 105.3FM
Please submit calendar items to Daily@UtahPolicy.com
- Oct 11: Administrative Rules Review Committee, 9 am, room W135.
- Oct 11: Gov. Huntsman media event with New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, 11 am, State Capitol Building, 490 Old Santa Fe Trail, New Mexico.
- 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: Gov. Huntsman to attend Ribbon Cutting for Cyberknetics Neurotechnology Systems, Inc., 3:30 pm, 391 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City.
- 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: A Grand Slam Evening with Mr. George F. Will up to bat on ‘The Political Argument Today.’ A double-header event hosted by the Sutherland Institute. Game 1: 5 pm - Dinner at Franklin Covey Field, limited seating. Game 2: 6:30 pm - Reception and Keynote address at Rose Wagner Center. For tickets or more information contact Lisa Montgomery at (801)355-1272 or si@sutherlandinstitute.org or visit our events page on website at www.sutherlandinstitute.org
- 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: U of U College Democrats meeting, 8 pm, OSH 255, the Hinckley Institute's Caucus Room, University of Utah campus. For more information contact Breanne Miller at 702-324-8316 or breanne.miller@utah.edu.
- Oct 12: Tax Reform Task Force, 8 am, room W135.
- Oct 12: Gov. Huntsman to give speech at Ogden Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Event, 12 pm, Javier's Restaurant, 4580 Harrison Blvd., Ogden.
- Oct 12: Planning and Development Committee Meeting of the Utah Transit Authority Board of Trustees, 12 pm, Board Rooms of the Administration Building at the Meadowbrook Facility, 3600 South 700 West, Salt Lake City. For more information contact Heather Barnum at 801-287-2290.
- Oct 12: Gov. Huntsman to attend Mike Sibbett's Retirement Gathering, 4:30 pm, Board of Pardons and Parole Office, 448 E 6400 S, #300.
- Oct 12: Cache County Democrats Community Forum, 7 pm, Cache County Administration Building, 179 N. Main Street, Logan.
- Oct 12: Freedom Forum "The Freedom to Criticize the Government," 7 to 8:30 pm, Main City Library Auditorium, 200 E 400 S, Salt Lake City. Hosted by Mayor Rocky Anderson. The forum is a town hall meeting style discussion in which the audience is invited to participate. Broadcast live on KCPW. For more information call 801-535-7704.
- 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, or view brochure.
- Oct 13: State Democratic Legislators "Meet and Greet" with Local Democrats and the Community, 9 to 10 am, Golden Corral, 42 S River Rd, St. George.
- Oct 13: Gov. Huntsman to give welcoming remarks at Department of Workforce Services Council of Councils, 10:30 am, Provo Marriott, Zion/Bryce Rooms.
- Oct 13: Gov. Huntsman to attend Association of Public Safety Dispatchers Luncheon, 11:30 am, South Towne Expo Center.
- Oct 13: Debate with Richard Watson, Davis County Democratic Chairman and Todd Weiler, Davis County Republican Chairman, 5 pm, Layton City Council Chambers, 437 North Wasatch Drive, Layton. The public is invited.
- Oct 13: State Democratic Legislators Public Town Meeting, 7 pm, Dunford Auditorium, Browning Learning Center, Dixie State College, 225 S 700 E, St. George.
- Oct 13: Utah Democratic Progressive Caucus Meeting, 7 pm, SLC Main Library, room C. This month's featured speaker is Bill Tibbitts of the Crossroads Urban Center. The topic is a fair and equitable tax policy for Utah.
- Oct 14: Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr. and Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert's Transportation Summit 2005, Davis Conference Center, 800 W Heritage Park Blvd, Layton. A continental breakfast will begin at 8:30 am, the program will begin at 9am sharp, ending around 3pm with a served lunch at 11:30am. To RSVP or for more information contact Tyler Allen at 801-538-1041 or email tylerallen@utah.gov.
- Oct 14: Tax Review Commission, 9 am, room W125.
- Oct 14: Hinckley Forum "The Arab League and the Middle East Situation," 10:45 am. Forum will feature His Excellency Hussein Hassouna.
- Oct 15: Dr. Kathy Escamilla will be doing a 3 hour seminar titled, "Use A Child's First Language to Close the Achievement Gap," 9 am to 12 pm at Mi Ranchito Grill at 9550 S State. Contact Barbara Lovejoy at bclovejoy@msn.com for more information. |
| - See the entire calendar |
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