Time to Clean House?
Utah economist Jeff Thredgold’s Tea Leaves economic forecast this week features an A-Z look at current economic issues. Thredgold’s 'P' entry:
“Politics—childish and boorish behavior on both sides of the aisle in Washington is ridiculous…and all too typical. Is cooperation really that difficult? Wouldn’t it be nice to clean house?” He also predicts continued good times on Wall Street: “I remain bullish on stocks. Dow 12000 this year remains our view.”
Mountain View Corridor Meetings
West Salt Lake County and northwest Utah County residents are invited to a series of town hall meetings to learn more about how Mountain View Corridor funding issues relate to Utah’s statewide $16.5 billion transportation funding shortfall (see press release).
Blog Watch
National Journal's Beltway Blogroll notes the Pete Ashdown Day blogswarm organized by SLCSpin earlier this month: "The positive blog swarm made perfect sense in Utah, which is aptly named the Beehive State. But I imagine such efforts will become commonplace as the campaign season gains steam and bloggers try to steer voters toward their favored candidates"... At the Senate Site blog, Sen. Pete Knudson says "[p]roblems with the new bifurcated system for tax on food are multiplying ... This is poor policy and we should have known better ... Why hurt people when we don’t have to? Why rush into a poorly-thought-out policy decision when we are not ready to mitigate the damage?"... Part of the Plan writes an open letter to Sen. Bob Bennett, encouraging him to "apply the same rationale to" Massachusetts and New Hampshire flood victims "as you so boldly did for New Orleans"... Random Meanderings and Other Meaningless Blather says: "A few weeks ago, the LDS church made a statement that pointed out, in part, that both political parties contain values that are identified with general LDS principles. This put a lot of wind in the sails of the group of people who have felt like black sheep for decades: the religious democrat"... Rob Miller thanks the Clipper "for turning up the gas that feeds the fire in my belly"... At Plato's Cave, George Pyle says: "[T]he Utah Department of Transportation should stop being such an enabler and just stop building or widening highways. When people figure out that they ought to work where they live, live where they work and demand expanded public transit -- because the commute has just become unbearable -- they'll make much wise use of our limited land and budget"... Sorro at Two Guys from Quantico chose not to vote for John Jacob at the GOP convention because, in part, of Jacob's campaign theme song -- "'John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.' If nothing else would have turned me off of his campaign, that would have all by itself. That song is literally the spawn of Satan"... Rep. Steve Urquhart says of anonymous bloggers: "I think it is somewhat foreign to the mindset of political leaders that someone would expect to be taken too seriously posting anonymously. But, I understand that people have employment and other concerns that might preclude providing their name. At the end of the day, comments probably stand or fall based on their merits"... National über-blogger Ann Althouse discusses the Utah Supreme Court's recent bigamy decision (see also here)... At New West, Tracy Medley notes recent financial disclosure records that reveal some members of Utah's congressional delegation are "singing the broke-ass blues": "These are the people that we’re trusting with Utah’s finances? I mean given that the bulk of Utah’s record budget surplus this year wound up in the pockets of the richest among us in tax breaks and not into education or health care programs? I’m just saying."
-- Compiled by Golden Webb
Washington Watch
Hatch, Bennett Hail Tax Relief Extension
Sens. Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett join Pres. Bush at the White House for the signing of H.R. 4297 -- The Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act of 2005. Says Bennett: “With all the political debate about the tax cuts, it should be pointed out that tax revenue is higher than ever before in history and 14 percent higher this year than last. Doomsayers’ claims to the contrary, we must be doing something right” (see Hatch and Bennett press releases); Hatch urges the Senate to vote on his embryonic stem cell research bill: "[T]he longer we wait, the harder it will be to keep partisan issues out of this. It is not a Republican or Democrat issue" (CNSNews.com, Kaisernetwork.org, and Inside Higher Ed); Hatch puts his support behind an amendment "that will prevent illegal alien felons and repeat offenders from earning U.S. citizenship" (press release).
Bennett Blasted for Billboard Measure
Another editorial criticizes Sen. Bennett for attaching to the emergency Iraq and hurricane recovery spending bill a measure that would allow outdoor advertising companies, with state permission, to rebuild billboards destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita -- even if they do not conform to local billboard regulations (Houston Chronicle); Bennett's Senate website has posted an MP3 audio clip of his response to Pres. Bush's Monday night immigration speech. To listen to the clip, click here.
Cannon On Immigration Reform
Rep. Chris Cannon's House website has a new page titled "Immigration Reform: A System in Crisis," which analyzes the immigration issue and summarizes Cannon's voting record on immigration reform-related actions and legislation. Says Cannon: "Though some wish to use the immigration debate to polarize the American public or who only look at the issue in black or white, those of us who are willing to take a hard look at all aspects of the debate are working toward meaningful, comprehensive reform. The time is right and it can be done."
National Politics
NationalJournal.com column by Chuck Todd says Democrats haven’t been so confident about taking back control of the House since 1996. However, they have to navigate some tough primaries before knowing their final slate of candidates in several competitive races.
Sierra Club: Utah's Drinking Water at Risk
The Sierra Club has issued a report that claims 90% of Utah's population may be exposed to unsafe drinking water because of a new Bush Administration policy exempting the headwaters of America's rivers systems from Clean Water Act protection. To read a PDF file of the report, click here.
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