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News Media Hire Lobbyists
News reporters, columnists, editorial writers and do-gooder groups tend to look at lobbyists plying the halls of the Capitol with some disdain. They frequently decry the influence of lobbyists and deplore the fact that wealthy interest groups hire lobbyists to win at the Legislature, while average citizens have no one representing them.
So it’s all rather interesting and even a little comical that the news media, including the Deseret Morning News and the Salt Lake Tribune, have hired Doug Foxley and Frank Pignanelli to help them fight revisions to the GRAMA law proposed by the GRAMA Task Force.
It is certainly a tacit acknowledgement by news media executives that lobbyists are effective and necessary to have a fighting chance at the Legislature. With all their vaunted clout, ability to control the public agenda, and unlimited communications capacity, the news media chose to hire lobbyists to secure their interests.
Given that the news media now have a clear conflict on interest on GRAMA, it will be very interesting to see how they cover this issue, both on their news pages/broadcasts, and on their opinion pages.
Not that there’s anything wrong with hiring lobbyists, even for the news media. I tell clients and interest groups all the time that if you want success at the Legislature, you had better have some folks on your team who have relationships and access. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but sometimes even those who buy ink by the barrel and paper by the roll need a little help from those much-maligned political bottom-feeders – those arm-twisting lobbyists.
Blog Watch
Liberal heavy-hitters to collaborate on new group blog, OneUtah... Charley Foster has some hard news for Sen. Fred Fife's son-in-law... Mangled Cat says of the of the Trib, "any paper that can decipher the crap that was the Al Gore speech given Monday and decide that he's right, has got to re-evaluate themselves. Sad. Really sad"... Casserole Bar makes no comparison between Kanab officials and the Taliban... The UAC blog wonders if GRAMA legislation is in trouble (see also here)... ... The World, According to Me relays news involving House District 36, former Rocky Anderson communications director Cliff Lyon, and former news anchor Phil Reisen (see also here for other announcement rumors)... Too many good posts over at Planet Legislature to summarize; just go read 'em... Zionide says "there's never been anybody in any Utah public office as outspoken about gay rights as Rocky [Anderson] - even more than our own 'out' legislators"... Rep. Steve Urquhart's running a bill that would allow military personnel and overseas citizens to vote electronically... SLCSpin has posts (complete with pictures) on polygapimps and radical cheerleaders... randomduck has a long post on Utah, the LDS Church, "LGBT rights", and Rocky Anderson... Life of a Hacker endorses Pete Ashdown.
Get to Know Your Legislators
Name & District: Rep. David Cox, District 56, NW Utah County.
Occupation: 5th grade teacher.
Education: Retail - Trade Tech (UVSC), BS Elementary Education BYU, MEd Public School Administration BYU.
Growing up: Small farm in Lehi with cows!
Fondest memory: Hiking behind Mount Timpanogos and Mineral Basin.
Childhood ambition: Scientist.
Family: 7 children, 4 grandchildren, 6 siblings, 16 Native American siblings.
Why politics: I've been interested since very young in politics.
My perfect day: Working around my yard or Dad's farm.
Hobbies: gardening, hiking, camping, playing basketball with kids.
First job: Delivering newspapers for Daily Herald and Deseret News.
Motivations/ambitions: Building people. I will do things for others that I can't get myself to do for me!
Hottest issue you're watching: School and school district size and building the infrastructure for the state.
Biggest challenge: Getting the educational leaders and others to understand the principle of dividing as we grow for best governance.
Alarm clock: My wife!
Proudest moment: Seeing my family grow.
Political ideology: Create a structure of governance that promotes personal growth by those involved, and they will govern themselves.
Soundtrack: The Garden.
Personal motto/mission statement: Wickedness never was happiness.
Most embarrassing moment: When I shot myself in the foot 12 days after being elected to the legislature!
Inspiration: My wife, children, parents, and ancestors.
Retreat: Timpooneke and Capitol Reef.
Favorite book: Without Reservation by Kay Cox.
Favorite movie: Follow Me, Boys.
Indulgence: Ice Cream.
A small insight into my psyche: KISS - Keep It Simple, Stupid.
My top priority for the 2006 session: Community sized school districts.
Hot issue in 2006 session: The surplus.
The 2006 session will be remembered for: Being one of the most pivotal in Utah's future.
The surplus: Was provided by growth to pay for further growth.
Utah's tax system: Balanced and more fair than given credit for.
Tax cuts: We should be as careful with cutting the tax base as we are with raising it.
Education funding: Teacher salaries and sufficient infrastructure (neighborhood schools) should be first priority.
Transportation: Neighborhood schools would solve much of the local congestion.
My district is cool because: Young communities, a pioneer legacy, Cabelas, Thanksgiving point, Micron, most votes of any legislative district and last Utah vote cast in 2004.
I like serving in the Legislature because: The opportunity to educate others.
My philosophy of government: Create a structure of governance that promotes personal growth by those involved, and they will govern themselves Dividing political subdivisions as they grow provides this. It gets rid of big government and promotes freedom and self government.
Running for political office is: A mine field!
Wilson to Speak in Salt Lake
Heroic whistleblower (or notorious self-promoter, depending on your perspective) Joe Wilson will be the first speaker in the new KCPW Forum speaker series. Wilson will speak at the SLC Library Auditorium at Library Square on Sun., Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. Wilson's presentation is titled: "The War in Iraq. Were we told the truth about the threat, and where do we go from here?" The speech will also be broadcast live on KCPW. For more info, click here.
Huntsman Welcomes Bank
Silicon Valley Bank, the primary subsidiary SVB Financial Group, to open an operations facility in Salt Lake. Says Gov. Huntsman: "This is a good fit for both the company and the state. Silicon Valley Bank has a well-respected name and a long history of successful growth in a dynamic industry, and is exactly the kind of company we want to attract to our state" (see press release).
EDCUTAH Employer's Guide
EDCUTAH's 2005-2006 Utah Major Employers Guide is now complete and available for purchase. The Guide contains listings for nearly 700 Utah companies with 100-plus full-time employees. Each listing includes the company name, address, phone and fax number, web site address, county location, highest ranking official, HR contact, number of employees, standard industrial code, and product and service. For more info, click here.
Washington Watch
Hatch: SCOTUS Decision is Troubling
Sen. Orrin Hatch says he's "deeply troubled" by Supreme Court decision to uphold Oregon physician-assisted suicide law (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette); Georgia political consultant-turned-candidate for lieutenant governor Ralph Reed says of the Samuel Alito SCOTUS nomination: “Find a time when President Bush, the American Bar Association, Orrin Hatch and the Washington Post agree on anything, and that’s a consensus" (redandblack.com).
Cannon Loan Scrutinized
According to lefty "alternative news" outlet, Rep. Chris Cannon loaned nearly $100,000 to the president of a Nebraska bank, who then extended at least $250,000 in credit the following year to Cannon's business venture in the state (Raw Story).
Murray New Program Director for CUP
Orem's Reed R. Murray has been selected by Mark Limbaugh, assistant secretary for Water and Science at the U.S. Interior Dept., as the new program director for the Central Utah Project Completion Act Office (see press release). |
