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Check
out USTAR Article
The Economic Development Corporation
of Utah has posted the Jan. 10 edition of its newsletter,
the EDCUTAH
Economic Review, which contains an interview
with EDCUTAH Chair Scott Anderson on the
Utah Science, Technology and Research (USTAR) economic development
initiative that will be before the Legislature.
Anderson says the Utah business community has rallied around
USTAR because “business leaders recognize that USTAR
is the best and most important economic development initiative
in a generation. Utah’s economy is doing well, and now
we have an opportunity to ensure that it stays on an upward
trajectory. USTAR really provides the means to take Utah’s
economy to the next level and keep it there.”
Anderson responds to questions on how USTAR will benefit
the economy, the expected return on the state’s investment,
how the entire state will benefit, why new research buildings
are needed, and how the initiative will be governed and accountability
ensured.
Budget
is Focus of Senate GOP
Senate Republicans held their legislative
briefing/fundraiser Tuesday morning. And despite a bleak attendance
outlook last week, the room was full. Sen. Lyle Hillyard
noted that last week the House had its event, so now “we
are the slow dance.” President John Valentine
was the host, and with few exceptions all the Republican senators
attended, along with other GOP leaders like Attorney General
Mark Shurtleff, GOP Chair Joe Cannon,
Speaker Greg Curtis and Salt Lake County
GOP Chair James Evans, in addition to a few
Democrats like Sen. Brent Goodfellow.
With an estimated $578 million available for ongoing funding,
the briefing focused on the budget, with Sen. Peter
Knudson outlining potential goals and the challenge
of balancing cuts with needed program funding. Sen. Hillyard
went through the numbers and emphasized that the appropriations
subcommittee prioritizations will be the key, and not just
decisions from the Executive Appropriations Commitee. Senate
leadership made it clear they will take a methodical approach
and not just react, but the frontrunners for potential funding
seem to be transportation and education. Some other optional
uses of the surplus are tax relief, rainy day fund, buildings
and water. The sentiment seemed to be that it may, in fact,
be more challenging to have too much money than not enough.
Get to
Know Your Legislator
Name &
District: Rep. Brad Dee, District 11,
Weber/Davis counties
Occupation: Human Resources Director
Education: Master of Arts Human Resources
Growing up: Not yet
Fondest memory: My first date with my, later
to be, wife.
Childhood ambition: To be a school teacher.
Family: Wife Marsha, five children, 12 grandchildren
Why politics: As a little league coach I
wanted the City to purchase a small water heater for the ball
park concession stand and they refused. So I ran for City
Council. The next year we had a water heater. The rest is
history.
My perfect day: Building something in my
wood shop at our family cabin.
Hobbies: Golf, hiking in the mountains,
fishing, hunting and wood working.
First job: Paperboy, My first real job out
of college was a television news reporter.
Motivations/ambitions: My family is my motivation.
I would like to serve a mission with my wife when I retire.
Hottest issue you’re watching: Catherine
Zeta Jones, Education issues and Tax reform.
Biggest challenge: Keeping my sense of humor
in check (see answer to preceding question.)
Alarm clock: My brain, every morning 6:30
whether I like it or not.
Proudest moment: All my children and their
spouses in the Salt Lake Temple with my wife and me to witness
the marriage of our last child.
Political ideology: Conservative, working
for better government not bigger government. Soundtrack:
Phantom of the Opera
Personal motto/mission statement: Family
First/ The most important thing a father can do for his children
is to love their mother.
Most embarrassing moment: Can’t go
there in this media.
Inspiration: My wife
Retreat: Never (there goes my sense of humor
again.)
Favorite book: The Frontiersman
Favorite movie: It’s a wonderful life
with Jimmy Stewart
Indulgence: Soda pop and chips.
Mentor: My father-in-law,
a World War II Veteran and Prisoner of War.
A small insight into my psyche: What’s
psyche? No, really I am an idea person who wants to move on
and let someone else work out the details. I work best when
I have detail people around me to keep my feet on the ground.
Upcoming 2006 Session: So many Task
Forces so much to do
My top priority for the 2006 session: Manage
the surplus without growing government.
Hot issue in 2006 session: Education and
Tax Reform
The 2006 session will be remembered for: Good
fiscal management!
The surplus: Into transportation, education
and one-time expenditures, not more government programs.
Utah’s tax system:
Maybe a chance for some real progress here.
Tax cuts: Yes! Within reason for future
fiscal management.
Education funding: Smaller class sizes and
more dollars to the classroom not administration.
Immigration: Need to act not re-act to these
concerns. Stronger border controls!
Transportation: Improve transportation infrastructure
and corridor preservation.
My district is cool because: Two counties
and much diversity.
I like serving in the Legislature because:
I get a real sense of accomplishment in serving my district.
My philosophy of government: As stated before,
better government not bigger government.
Running for political office is: The hardest
thing I have ever done; it brings a great deal of satisfaction
to see progress made in many vital areas.
Anything else you’d like to add: Does
anyone really read this stuff?
Washington
Watch
Hatch Supports
Alito
Sen. Orrin Hatch:
"As of right now, there's no question that [Supreme Court
nominee Samuel Alito's] going to have
my vote" (Associated
Press).
Wilkinson Joins Leavitt
Staff
As we’ve previously
reported, HHS Sec. Mike Leavitt has
appointed former S.L. County Council member Winston
Wilkinson to his senior staff (see press
release).
Blog Watch
Captain's
Quarters relays comments made by Sen. Orrin
Hatch at the RNC Blogger Forum... Rep. John
Dougall jumps
back in the blogging saddle, takes on the D-News (see
also here)...
Rep. Steve Urquhart has
a post on the Utah oil and gas boom... Evolution
in Utah responds to
recent D-News poll... Woods Cross Citizen has
a post on conditional use permits... YDems congratulates
the Utah GOP on its new House
members' PAC... Randy Harward at
New West asks
a rhetorical question about Larry H.
Miller and Brokeback Mountain (see also here, here,
and here)...
Phil Windley responds to Trib story on the
state
worker retirement benefits flap... SLCSpin is hawking
t-shirts and accusing Larry H. Miller of making
gay movies... Dee's 'Dotes disagrees with Sen. Bob
Bennett about Iraq
war casualties... Campaign for the Court has a video
link to an interchange between Sen. Hatch and SCOTUS
nominee Samuel Alito during yesterday's confirmation
hearings... The War on Guns decries recent appeals
court decision on Utah
gun case... Jimmy Akin worries that
the Andromeda Strain's about to
be unleashed on unsuspecting Utahns... Utah
Conservative thinks Rep. Rob Bishop
should run for House Majority Leader.
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