News Highlights

Legislators starting to tinker with Gov. Huntsman's "flatter" tax proposal (Salt Lake Tribune). Impacts of Huntsman plan outlined (Morning News). Tax hearings scheduled (Standard-Examiner).

Utah teacher salaries rank 38th in the nation and among lowest in western region (Standard-Examiner).

Gov. Huntsman, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson set Feb. 5 date for Western states presidential primary in '08 (Deseret Morning News).

Vast plan for west bench unveiled (Tribune  and Morning News).

After touring Yucca Mountain, Reps. Greg Curtis and Steve Urquhart say keep nuclear waste where it is (Morning News).

Quote of the Day

“While it would be nice if our transportation needs could be met through existing revenue streams and economic expansion, reality tells us new sources of funding will be needed. Utahns should be prepared for the reality of strategic tax increases.”

-- KSL editorial by Duane Cardall.

National Politics

Can Demos Find an Agenda?

Interesting story by National Journal’s Chuck Todd about the Democrats’ search for messages, themes and issues to coalesce around to take advantage of Republican woes in Washington.

Back in 1994, I worked for Gov. Mike Leavitt, who has been elected just two years earlier. The 1994 election was two years into Pres. Bill Clinton’s first term and the electorate was restless. The GOP was the party on the outside, but House Minority Leader Newt Gingrich brilliantly built a platform called the Contract With America, “a detailed agenda for national renewal” to give voters something to vote for rather than simply asking them to vote against Democrats. It worked brilliantly and the Republicans were swept into power.

Those were heady times. We met with Gingrich and other top GOP leaders at a Republican Governor’s Conference shortly after the election and heard Gingrich discuss his sweeping plans to reform Washington. Leavitt and Gingrich went for a long walk together and discussed how to turn power back to the states. Over the long term, things didn’t go as the Republicans hoped, but using the Contract was a brilliant election strategy because it was a real agenda and gave voters something concrete to grasp.

The big question today is whether the Democrats in 2006 can come up with an agenda like the Contract With America to give Americans a reason to restore them to power.

Blog Watch

KSL Radio news and program director Russ Hill writes thoughtfully about the communications revolution, the impact of the Internet, and the value of KSL’s staff blog, which is celebrating its first birthday. . . . Rep. John Dougall writes about changes in the Governor’s Office and provides a glimpse into a day in the life of a busy legislator. . . . Rep. Steve Urquhart doesn’t much like Gov. Jon Huntsman’s income tax reform proposal, saying it just shifts taxes around and boosts taxes for homeowners and big families.

Tax Reformers Seek Public Input

The Utah Tax Reform Task Force is holding six public hearings in October and encourages all Utahns to attend, ask questions, and give thoughtful feedback on the various proposals. The Task Force is considering major revisions to the tax code, including property tax reductions, reallocation of sales tax revenues, corporate tax adjustments, and lowering the state income tax rate along with elimination of certain exemptions and deductions. All Utah citizens will be impacted.  See the UPD calendar for times and places of the hearings, starting Oct. 19 in SLC. Agendas, minutes, and audio recordings of Tax Reform Task Force meetings are available by clicking here. Information on all task force proposals will be available at each of the public hearings.

VFM to Focus on Health Insurance Issues

Larry Siebers of Voice for Moderation says the group’s next meeting at the Anderson/Foothill Library, 1135 S. 2100 East on Oct. 19 at 6:30 p.m. will focus on health insurance issues and will feature a panel discussion with an employer, a physician, a public health worker, and someone from the insurance industry. 

The panel will address topics like: 1) employees who do not have employer provided insurance; 2) the uninsured (poor and/or homeless); 3) those with pre-existing conditions; 4) those between jobs; 5) small businesses with few employees; 6) who pays for the care of the uninsured, 7) why do health care costs keep escalating.

Family Structure Impacts Prosperity

The Sutherland Institute has posted an interesting new study on family structure and its impact on prosperity and educational attainment in the U.S. The study was authored by Dr. Chris Fawson, Dept. Head and Professor of Economics at Utah State. To read it, go to the "What's New" section in the left column of the Sutherland Institute homepage and click on "New Study."

Utahns Marry Young

A Census Bureau study being released today says “no one gets married younger than couples in Utah,” where the median age is 21.9 for women and 23.9 for men, according to the Associated Press.  At the other end of the spectrum, men and women in Washington, D.C., both wait until they are about 30.  Nationally, the median age for first marriages is 25.1 for women and 26.7 years for men.  See also Morning News story.

Conservatives Getting Restless

Consider this missive from the conservative Federalist Patriot newsletter asking readers to sign a petition:

“When it comes to fiscal restraint and many policy issues, Republican leaders in the White House and Congress have shown disregard, if not outright contempt for the Constitutional limitations placed upon the central government. Congressional Republicans have advanced the fastest growth in non-defense spending and regulatory expansion in generations, and President Bush has not vetoed a single bill during his five years in office. While Republicans have accomplished some conservative-agenda objectives in recent years, they have failed miserably when it comes to budget constraints, regulation and policy issues like immigration. Enough is enough! American Patriots like YOU constitute the foundation of our Republic—the so-called ‘conservative base’ that has been largely neglected by Republicans too often since we elected President George Bush.