The Week Ahead
With the convention phase of Utah’s election season behind us and about six weeks to go before the primary election, candidates facing primary opponents will start talking to a broader audience this week, particularly focusing on citizens who will vote in a low-turnout primary election.
Meanwhile, a full slate of interim committees are scheduled this week, with Executive Appropriations and Legislative Management meeting on Tuesday, and then the usual committees meeting Wednesday. A number of interesting issues are scheduled for discussion. In Revenue and Taxation, for example, the governor’s proposal for a dual individual income tax system is on the agenda. In Transportation, the Utah Trucking Association will recommend ways to fund the state’s highway expansion needs. For all the meetings and agendas, see the legislative calendar. See Utah Policy Daily calendar for other political events this week.
GOP Convention Observations:
- I’ve never been able to quite figure out the mentality of some state delegates who seem to think that as soon as someone is elected to any position of leadership within the party, they automatically become stupid and are suddenly the enemy. It seems a lot of delegates would rather fight over esoteric party rules than defeat Democrats. The intra-party fights discourage good people from becoming involved in party politics.
- A lot of Democrats believe they will topple Republican control of Congress this year, but Sen. Bob Bennett isn’t so sure. In his convention speech, Bennett said the GOP has mastered the art of the “ground game” (grassroots organizing) in key states, and that gives the GOP a fighting chance. In the Senate, he said, Democrats must defend four open seats this year, and the Republicans only one. Most incumbents are safe. While Democrats want to make this election a referendum on George Bush, it is really an election of choices, he said: A choice between Denny Hastert and Nancy Pelosi running the House; a choice between the politics of George Bush and Michael Moore. When voters recognize the choices they are making, they will vote Republican, Bennett said.
- Utah may be Romneyland, but Sen. John McCain got about as warm a reception as any presidential prospect could hope for. In his effusive introduction, Gov. Jon Huntsman did everything but endorse him outright. McCain gave a good speech with some nice applause lines and patriotic flourishes. He is clearly the GOP frontrunner, with wide appeal across the political spectrum. He is moderate on the immigration issue, but Utah delegates didn’t seem to care.
- No one was terribly surprised that Chris Cannon and John Jacob ended up in a primary, but few would have predicted that Jacob would run ahead of Cannon in the second round of delegate voting. Cannon clearly has a fight ahead of him and Jacob has a real chance of winning if he runs a smart primary and uses his resources wisely.
Tribune Editorial Bloggers
Nice Tribune column by editorial writer George Pyle who, along with the rest of us, is trying to figure out how to play in the blogosphere. He addresses the question of whether the Tribune’s new editorial page blog, Plato’s Cave, should allow anonymous comments.
That’s a big issue in the blogosphere, where it’s easy to be anonymous and therefore avoid any responsibility or accountability for one’s comments. A number of UPD readers have questioned why we sometimes link to anonymous blogs, and I share their concerns. Anyone who is confident in their opinions and positions ought to have enough courage to let readers know who they really are and not hide behind anonymity. Postings of anonymous bloggers ought not to be taken as seriously as postings of bloggers willing to put their real identities out there.
Blog Watch
Mike Ridgway says of Saturday's state GOP convention: "Other than the day I married my wife Mavis, [Saturday] was the most perfect day of my life. It could have only been better if my kids had been there to witness it all with me" (see also here, here, here, here, here, here, and here)... Obiter Dicta by Steve says: "When asked about why I (a young, white male moderate who is upset at the Republicans this year and likes Pete Ashdown) was at the Democratic Convention, I mentioned that I felt like my voice and opinion were valued by the Democrats. I also mentioned that in Utah the Republicans can and would take me for granted, but the Democratic Party in Utah cannot"... Phil Windley says of the Senate Site blog: "What makes this blog work is what makes every blog work in the end: writing that interests people, openness, and a human voice. This isn’t a collection of press releases. These are posts by real people, explaining in their own words why they’re doing what they’re doing"... JuniperWest says Utah legislators' "opposition to [ethics reform] tells me that something is seriously wrong, and makes me really want to know who these guys are having lunch with. I want to know who is influencing their votes. It certainly isn't me or you"... National Parks Traveler asks: "Is the state of Utah so hopeful that one of the [oil and gas] leases it sells will strike a proverbial mother lode and toss a few coins into the state's tax coffers that it will auction off any of its land, no matter the location and no matter how futile the project might be?"... The Wasatch Front comments on the price of Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson’s portrait: Twenty thousand dollars. Now, I don't object to the idea of a portrait, per se. Our offices deserve some pomp and circumstance. I just don't think the mayor of Salt Lake City deserves twenty thousand dollars' worth of pomp."
-- Compiled by Golden Webb
Washington Watch
Bennett Inserts Billboard Provision
Editorial objects to legislative provision authored by Sen. Bob Bennett "that would undermine a federal law intended to curb billboard blight" (Orlando Sentinel); Bennett welcomes four Utah college students to his Washington, D.C., office to work as interns for the summer semester (see press release).
Utah Promoted at CoreNet
Check out the latest newsletter of the Economic Development Corporation of Utah. The feature story describes Utah’s participation in the CoreNet Global Summit in Philadelphia at the end of April. Exhibiting at CoreNet allows Utah’s business recruiters to network with and communicate Utah’s assets to corporate real estate executives, large national brokerage firms, and national site selectors. The newsletter also includes links to economic development news stories.
Utah Sierra Club Newsletter
The Utah Chapter of the Sierra Club has posted a PDF file of its Summer 2006 Newsletter. This edition features articles on the Washington Co. growth plan, nuclear energy, the Clean Air Act, and the Utah Air Quality Board; it also features a legislative round-up and a Utah Senate scorecard. To read it, click here.
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