The Week Ahead
It’s a busy political week with Mexico President Vicente Fox in town on Tuesday and Wednesday. With immigration issues in the national spotlight, the visit will attract a great deal of national and international attention.
On Tuesday, Fox attends a luncheon sponsored by Zions Bank at Little America hotel; that night he is feted at a state dinner in the governor’s mansion. On Wednesday, he will speak to a joint convention of the Legislature at 11 a.m. Live audio and video of the event will be streamed over the Internet. You can connect at the Legislature’s Web site. Security will be extremely tight at all events.
At 2 p.m. on Wednesday the Legislature will hold a special session to clean up some transportation funding items and possibly to deal with a few other issues.
On Thursday, the Legislature’s Privately Owned Healthcare Task Force will meet at 9 a.m. The entire meeting (see agenda) will be devoted to public comment on the 94-page independent consultant report commissioned by the Task Force. The report makes the case that the Utah health care industry is competitive and serves the interests of consumers, producing high quality health care that is reasonably priced. The consultant said it would be a mistake for the Legislature to intervene in Utah’s health care markets.
Also on Thursday, Gov. Jon Huntsman will hold his monthly KUED press conference at 10 a.m. and will appear on his monthly radio talk show, hosted by KSL Radio, at 6 p.m. See the entire Utah Policy Daily calendar.
Media Watch
Newspapers are Nicely Organized
National Journal.com column by William Powers on the news media contrasts the "heirarchy" of traditional newspapers with the randomness of Internet news listings. It's something I've commented on a number of times myself, noting that I enjoy reading printed newspapers because smart (hopefully) editors have arranged and laid out a day’s worth of news in a logical manner so I can see at a glance what stories are most important. I can quickly thumb through a newspapers and feel like I’m updated on what’s happening.
The top stories are published on the section fronts with big headlines. The section topics generally remain the same, so I can find favorite subjects and features easily.
Using the Internet to find news I’m interested in is a lot more random, with the big stories often not given much more weight than less important stories.
Of course, young people not used to traditional newspapers may not want someone prioritizing their news. Young people tend to click through stories in a big hurry and stop on those they deem important.
Population Bomb is a Bust
The other day I read parts of a book of essays about the environment published several years ago, and one of the contributors wrote about the horrors of world population growth. Just how old-fashioned is that! Today, the best thinkers around the world are worried about a population implosion, not explosion. Some experts believe the greatest challenge facing the world economy is declining birthrates. And that’s the case even in Russia. Read this interesting New York Times op-ed column by a Russian author who notes that President Vladimir Putin is now offering women $10,000 to have a second child. He worries that Russia’s declining population is a security risk.
But money won’t necessarily result in more children, says the op-ed author. Russia must deal with high alcoholism rates and moral degeneracy. “If Russia stops drinking, and the Kremlin stops thrashing around in search of new friends and enemies, then one day we will wake up as a big European country with amazing potential. And the children will start coming. Beautiful Russian children.”
Other European countries are also losing people. Developing countries have higher birthrates, but even there they are declining. An interesting Wall Street Journal article noted that the immigration problem with Mexico could resolve itself within a generation because Mexican women are having fewer children and there will eventually be enough jobs in Mexico to accommodate them.
One day Utah’s high birth rate will be seen as a significant competitive advantage. We’ll have a workforce when others are lacking.
Blog Watch
Rep. Steve Urquhart tells the Senate to be careful with scissors... Davis County Watch comes clean about last week's online Davis County Commission Clipper poll... Mountain View Corridor says: "Each citizen in Utah needs to ask themselves what they are willing to live with. Are we willing to live with dysfunctional public transportation and endless gridlock on our road systems? Or are we willing to shoulder the added tax or toll burden that would be necessary to complete these essential projects?"... Whisper says of Utah's new state slogan, "Life Elevated": "Utah misse[d] a golden opportunity to uncover their one unique, authentic, engaging difference, setting the state apart from ANY tourism destination. Had they done that, Utah’s message would become irresistible, rather than setting themselves up for the large year-over-year advertising spends of a Fortune 500 with little hope of success"... Ryan Money is hosting a conference for Utah bloggers on June 13: '[I]f you ever wanted to start your own blog but didn’t know where to start or wondered who the person was behind the blog you are reading here is your chance to find out."
-- Compiled by Golden Webb
Washington Watch
Matheson: More PILT funding needed
Rep. Jim Matheson says annual funding legislation for the Department of Interior falls short in areas important to Utah, such as the Payment in Lieu of Taxes program, despite the passage of an amendment sponsored by Reps. Chris Cannon and Rob Bishop that offsets administration-proposed cuts (see press release and California Chronicle).
Now You Know
The town of Stockton in Tooele County was founded by General Patrick Connor, who arrived in the area in 1862. He named the area Stockton, it is told, because he loved Stockton, California so much. In 1865 a find of lead and silver was the beginning for the Great Basin Mine and the Honorine Mine, making this the first mining town in Utah. One of Utah’s most famous and unique geological features is the Stockton Sand Bar located northwest of town. It is a flat topped bar of sand and gravel deposited by Lake Bonneville at its highest peak. (Source: Local Government Directory, Utah League of Cities & Towns)
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