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Holiday Schedule Utah Policy Daily will publish Friday and then take Monday, Jan. 2 off. |
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News Highlights Bill in the works would outline how the state could join forces with private investors to build toll roads, likely starting with the Mountain View Corridor (Salt Lake Tribune). Federal government moves a step closer to allowing PFS to build a rail line across federal land (Deseret Morning News). Tribune editorially supports a unified Salt Lake County policy agency. Local officials don’t like BLM’s Nine Mile Canyon plan (Morning News). |
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Quote of the Day “The Gay” -- Words on a souvenir personalized license
plate ordered by Sen. Scott McCoy recalling a comment
made by Sen. Chris Buttars when he learned
of McCoy's election (Tribune). |
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| Thursday Buzz Written by LaVarr Webb & Associates |
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Publisher’s Opinion Honor McAllister With Open Space Funding It would be a fitting tribute to the late Sen. LeRay McAllister for the Legislature to fully fund the LeRay McAllister Critical Lands Conservation Fund in the upcoming legislative session. McAllister served in the Legislature for 24 years, much of that time as Appropriations co-chair. He believed strongly in limited government and was one of the Legislature’s most conservative members on taxes and spending. When I covered the Legislature years ago, I had many discussions with him about the role of government and the need for frugal government. He helped me understand the budget process. While McAllister was a conservative’s conservative, he also had a passion for trails, parks and open space. An avid hiker and cyclist, he saw how fast Utah’s population was growing and how development was eating up the farms and open space. He worried that future generations would not be able to enjoy trails, parks and open space in the urban areas. He became a champion for the preservation of critical lands for future generations, a very conservative thing to do. McAllister died of cancer on Dec. 14 at age 75.
In his honor, the Legislature
created the LeRay McAllister Fund in 1999, authorizing appropriations
up to $6 million, with the funding to be leveraged with grants and
private donations to maximize the state’s investment. While
the fund was authorized at $6 million, it has never been funded
at that level. The largest appropriation was $3.3 million in 2005
and some years it has been funded at less than half a million dollars.
Meanwhile, Utah’s urban open space is rapidly disappearing. Other western states are funding critical land and water conservation needs in the hundreds of millions of dollars. This year, over $18 million in applications statewide was received for the $3.5 million available in the fund. It is estimated it would cost more than $700 million, using conservation easements, to preserve and protect just 5% of Utah’s irrigated farmland from development. With this year’s billion dollar surplus, it would be a great investment in Utah’s future to fully fund the LeRay McAllister Critical Lands Conservation Fund at the authorized $6 million level. 2006 Economic Outlook is Bright In its December edition, Utah Business Magazine takes a look at prognostications for the 2006 economy and can’t find a dark cloud on the horizon. Writer Lucy Burningham interviews several economists and other sources for the cover story and the consensus is steady growth and good times ahead. Municipal Swearings-In At least some municipalities will hold their inaugural ceremonies next Tuesday, Jan. 3. Provo Mayor Lewis Billings and three council members will be sworn in at noon at the Provo City Center. Blog Watch At the Senate Site blog, Sen. Michael Waddoups unveils his new secondhand smoke bill... Lawmakers blog urges Sen. Chris Buttars to start his own blog (Hat Tip: Charley Foster)... Evolution in Utah posts some thoughts on the text of Buttars' evolution bill (see also here, here, here, and here)... SLCSpin thinks Buttars is just tilting at windmills... Dave Fletcher posts his annual list of Utah's top ten tech accomplishments/events... Wilf Sommerkorn responds to Trib sales tax revenue story... Weber County Forum unhappy with recent goings-on between the Ogden City Council and Boyer Co.... Jeri Cartwright comes to the aid of desperate journalists... Jeremy Votaw doesn't like the plans for a new St. George Airport... CAFA Law Blog looks at Sen. Orrin Hatch's comments on class action litigation at an American Bar Assoc. seminar in November... The Impeach Bush Coalition establishes a beachhead in Utah... YDems announces its existence, and also its purpose: to "focus on everything that you can't get at BYU -- A real world education"... Sal's Corner endorses Jon Huntsman Sr.'s book, "Winners Never Cheat". Washington Watch Hatch Working to Reduce Drug Prices Sen. Orrin Hatch is writing legislation aimed at reducing drug prices by fostering competition in the biotechnology marketplace (Wall Street Journal). |
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Thursday
December 29, 2005
Exoro Group is a major sponsor of UPD
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| Political Calendar |
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Please submit calendar items to Daily@UtahPolicy.com - Dec 29:
House Rules Committee, 9 a.m., room W135. -
Dec 29: Lt. Gov. Herbert to chair a special meeting
of the Capitol Preservation Board to address the Capitol Hill parking
issue, 2 p.m., Olmsted Conference Room in the East Building on Capitol
Hill. -
Jan 3: Lt. Gov. Herbert to attend the Southwest
Utah Planning Authorities Council, 12 p.m., 1070 W 1600 S, in St.
George. |
| - See the entire calendar |
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Utah Policy Daily is a service Publisher: LaVarr
Webb Business Development: Mark Towner
Utah Policy
Daily |