The Week Ahead
-- First ever Utah bloggers conference is Tuesday, June 13, 6:30 to 9 p.m., Larry Miller Center for Entrepreneurship, 9750 S 300 W, Sandy. Free admission, food, and advice. Question/answer session with a panel of Utah bloggers from 7-7:45. For more information visit www.utahbloggers.com. Read New York Times story about 1,000 “angry left” bloggers gathering in Las Vegas. Maureen Dowd was their hero; Hillary Clinton and Joseph Lieberman were unpopular because of their support for the Iraq war.
-- First meeting of the Medicaid Interim Committee is Wednesday, June 14, 8 a.m., W135. This will be a timely and interesting discussion, given the controversy over Medicaid funding for indigent dental care, which was not approved in the recent special session. See meeting notice and agenda.
-- Big announcement in Farmington regarding FrontRunner commuter rail Friday at 1:30 p.m. featuring U.S. Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta. Gov. Jon Huntsman and some members of the Utah congressional delegation will also attend. Location: Burke Lane Interchange near Legacy Highway & commuter rail construction projects.
Monday Musing
Regional Transportation Approach Needed
By LaVarr Webb
I enjoy the outdoors a great deal, but I've never visited the big, new Cabelas store in northern Utah County. Part of the reason is I'm not interested in wasting a lot of time driving and fighting traffic, both through Salt Lake and into Utah counties.
I'm looking forward to the day when I can drive a few miles to Farmington from my home in Centerville and hop on FrontRunner, which will eventually take me to a stop near Cabelas. Along the way, I can read, make phone calls, work on my laptop -- be productive all the way.
Conversely, I have friends in Utah County who would like to take their families periodically to Lagoon in Farmington. The drive is a problem. When they are able to hop on rail transit and the trip is enjoyable and productive, they'll do it more often.
The point is, we ought to be thinking regionally about transportation infrastructure. Looking narrowly at the needs of one city or county isn't going to serve the needs of our citizens. We all travel in too many directions that cross city and county borders to be parochial about it.
Thinking regionally and taking on our transportation challenges as a big package will require cooperation and collaboration. It will require legislators and city and county leaders to support the greater good and not get bogged down by what city or county is ahead. It will require vision and leadership, compromise and tough decisions. It might even require a few leaders to be willing to wait a while to get their fair share of benefit. Is such statesmanship possible? We’re going to find out over the next several months as key decisions are made about the future of transportation infrastructure.
The Price of Gambling
Very interesting New York Times Sunday Magazine story on Internet gambling and how quickly it can become addictive and mess up the lives of young people.
Campaign Tip
Get Good Information
(Source: Representative Ronda Menlove, 2006 Republican Women’s Political Action Committee Leadership School Candidate Training Workshop)
Get as much information as possible about the following:
-- The issues that are important to your constituents, communities, and YOU.
-- The political office you are seeking, what you will do when you serve.
-- Your opponent’s performance – voting record, successes in the community, strengths and successes, areas of vulnerability, campaign style, support network.
-- Your constituents – who are they? What is important to them? What are they worried about? How do they vote? Who do they listen to? Are they satisfied?
-- Past voting patterns – find past election results, study the precinct numbers.
-- Leaders in the community whose support gives you credibility and brings support.
-- Best places to interact with your constituents including events you need to attend – parades, community events, meet-the-candidate nights, local gathering places.
-- Best methods for communicating with voters – brochures, signs, t-shirts, website, email, mailings, phone calls, walking lists. Use limited time and resources wisely!
Kitty Dunn
(For more information about the RWPAC, contact Kitty Dunn.)
Blog Watch
House Majority Leader Jeff Alexander says: "It seems that [Gov. Huntsman and the Utah media] do not understand how the budgeting process works. The Legislature doesn’t need to approve the Medicaid Dental funding. The Health Department can make that decision themselves" (see also here, here, and here)... Rep. Steve Urquhart says: "It's a new and very exciting world in communications. Big is small again. And this translates well to so many other areas. Like government. Just in the 6 years I've been in office, a constituent's ability to monitor his/her elected official has easily doubled. And, if they choose to use it, their ability to interact has doubled as well. And that can only lead to better results"... At the prompting of Obiter Dicta by Steve's Steve Peterson, the BBC is conducting a couple of radio interviews with Senate candidate Pete Ashdown, including one this morning. Go to Steve's blog for details on how to listen to the "programme" (see also here)... Ryan Money is hosting a conference for Utah bloggers on Tuesday... Rob Latham says: "I toiled for several years within the Republican Party to work for change. I now know that the Republican Party is where liberty goes to die" (see also here)... Mark Towner has a post about anonymous bloggers... The Rabid Biodiesel Nut made the front page of Sunday's Trib... Out of Context reports that Gov. Huntsman already has his ticket for Nacho Libre.
-- Compiled by Golden Webb
Washington Watch
The Hatch Report
Editorials oppose Sen. Orrin Hatch's proposed flag desecration amendment (Arizona Daily Star and Journal times); editorial endorses the work of a nonpartisan panel created by Hatch that recommends "universal coverage for all Americans guaranteed by the government" as the fix for America's "inefficient, inadequate and hyper-expensive" health care system (The Register-Guard); Hatch votes to repeal the estate tax (see press release); votes against the native Hawaiian sovereignty bill (press release); asks South Korea to lift its trade restrictions on American beef (press release); and hails Pres. Bush's nomination of Brett Tolman to serve as U.S. Attorney for Utah (press release).
Now You Know
The city of Syracuse was settled in 1878, two and one-half miles southwest of Clearfield. In 1887, a bathing resort was built on the shores of the Great Salt Lake and named for Syracuse, New York. Syracuse means “City of Salt” and was so named because of the salt works that once flourished on the shores of the Great Salt Lake.
(Source: Local Government Directory, Utah League of Cities & Towns)
|
