UPD Taking a Break
Utah Policy Daily is taking a spring break this week. While vacationing we have limited Internet access, so we will produce and send the newsletter each day, but it will be a more basic version without the full complement of features that we usually produce. We’re not checking as many blogs, so Blog Watch will not be as complete as usual.
Mitt Romney on Health Care
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s health care plan has received an enormous amount of national news coverage and has provided a boost to his presidential campaign. It’s worth reading Romney’s own description of the plan as published in a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece.
A lot of conservatives don’t like the plan, and Romney himself admits it can be improved upon. But at least he has accomplished something the president and Congress have been fiddling with for decades. I like the fact that Romney puts in a nice endorsement of federalism – states acting as laboratories of democracy -- and encourages other states to further improve the Massachusetts plan.
Polls Show GOP Trouble
Charlie Cook’s column in NationalJournal.com documents the woes of President Bush and Republicans in the latest survey research. The only good news for Republicans is that Sen. John McCain continues to run ahead of Sen. Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential matchup, and the approval rating of Democrats in Congress isn’t any better than Republicans in Congress.
Blog Watch
Paul Allen gives a plug for the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum, scheduled for April 13 at noon at the Novell Cafeteria. “I know all four speakers — Adam Edmunds (Allegiance), Dave Bateman (PropertySolutions, DealElder.com), Brent Buetler (Alianza) and Gary Williams (BYU) — they are superb”... At Utah Planners' Corner Wilf Sommerkorn agrees with a Morning News “My View” editorial by Pamela Atkinson debunking studies that claim to show a high cost for “smart growth”... Weber County Forum says townsfolk are uneasy about proposed ski and housing development on the east side... Deanna Taylor at Dee's Dotes talks about encouraging the resistance movement against paying taxes that support the war effort... The Good in Ogden describes a Trib article about a petition circulating among faculty and staff at WSU opposing sale of university land to developers. Good assumes students woul\d favor the sale because it would generate revenue and, perhaps, help hold down tuition costs.
Meet Candidates at U.
The Student Body Government Relations Board is planning a major "Meet the Candidates" event Friday at the Union Plaza from 9 am to 1 pm called Impact Day. So far, 53 candidates for office have committed to talking to students about their campaigns and platforms. The general public is also invited.
“It is our hope that this will provide a means by which students and the general public might be able to get involved on a campaign and in their communities,” said Marshall Hendrickson, director of ASUU Government Relations Board.
At the event students can register to vote, join a campaign, meet local candidates and get involved in campus groups.
In the final hour (Noon to 1pm), a debate will be held between the College Democrats and College Republicans on the Union Patio.
Job Opening
The Salt Lake Downtown Alliance is seeking a qualified professional to implement the organization’s strategic plans and goals for economic development in downtown Salt Lake City.
The Downtown Alliance is a non-profit economic development, marketing, and promotion organization, and manages the Central Business Economic Improvement District in Downtown Salt Lake City. More information can be found at www.downtownslc.org.
The applicant will have experience in the following areas: economic planning, urban planning, real estate development, community development, and business and economic research. Salary range is $27,000 to $30,000, plus a competitive benefits plan.
Send resumes to Michelle Higham. Downtown Alliance 175 E 400 S Ste 600, Salt Lake City, UT 84111. mhigham@saltlakechamber.org. |
