News Highlights

The Defense Department says it's delaying the Divine Strake bomb test until '07 and is considering moving the detonation from the Nevada Test Site to a new location (Salt Lake Tribune, St. George Spectrum, and Deseret Morning News).

Utah County voters will have opportunity to fund commuter rail in county with a quarter-cent sales tax increase (Morning News and Tribune).

Quote of the Day

“It's a billion-dollar ballot, baby.”

-- Morning News story by Leigh Dethman noting that Salt Lake County voters will vote on three separate property tax initiatives this fall ($48 million for open space, $895 million for TRAX expansion, and $63 million for zoo, arts and parks) totaling $1.6 billion and raising property taxes by $133 per year on a $200,000 home.

Media Watch

Check Newspaper Sites for Breaking News 

Used to be if you wanted to get a local news update during the day you had to turn on a radio news station or maybe check out the noon news on TV. But today, finally, your favorite newspaper Web site is becoming a viable source for breaking news.

While newspapers won’t be as fast as radio, Utah’s daily papers are, more and more, posting news updates throughout the day. It’s a good service, and it’s about time the newspapers took advantage of the immediacy of the Internet. If you check out the Salt Lake Tribune or the Deseret Morning News web sites throughout the day, you’ll find more news updates in news, sports and business sections than ever before. In the past, Utah’s local papers pretty much posted new stories -- the same ones that that appear in the print version -- in the wee hours of the morning and the Web sites would remain pretty much static for the next 24 hours.

Newspapers have far bigger news staffs and far more news-gathering resources than any other local news medium, so it only makes sense for them to get on the news-as-it-happens cycle and start to compete with radio and TV. They will also compete more vigorously with each other.

So the next time a major story breaks, check out the newspaper sites to see which paper posts the fastest with the most accurate and in-depth coverage.  

Campaign Blogging

NationalJournal.com's Beltway Blogroll describes a blogosphere-based congressional campaign by a Republican in Pennsylvania, noting both strengths and weaknesses of the medium, and makes references to blog campaigns by Utahns, including State Rep. Steve Urquhart and U.S. Senate candidate Pete Ashdown.

National Politics

Political Information Resources

The Washington Post has some terrific resources for political junkies, including: a political calendar listing primary elections and major political meetings, key races interactive map, House and Senate and gubernatorial state-by-state party standings.  

Legislation for Me

Check out the “Americans With No Abilities Act,” a fine piece of legislation that should help me – and maybe you. (According to Snopes, versions of this parody have been circulating on the Internet since 1998.)

Blog Watch

Rep. Steve Urquhart has a couple more posts on gubernatorial succession, and is soliciting reader feedback... LeBaronLogic says: "Ross C. 'Rocky' Anderson, Mayor of Salt Lake City recently announced he will not seek a third term. Whew, and I thought we would have to endure the embarassment of yet another 4 years. Instead of organizing a protest of President Bush's upcoming visit to Salt Lake City like he did last year, the good mayor indicated 'he would be willing to participate at a protest rally, if asked' and that 'leadership requires his speaking out', huh? MEMO TO ROCKY: The President of the United States will soon be visiting your city to speak at the American Legion Convention, attended by war veterans. Despite your liberal politics, the president deserves a respectful, warm and hospitable welcome by the city's Chief Executive Officer. We are not questioning your constitutional right to speak, but there are times to briefly check such at the door when social courtesies suggest otherwise. Write an op-ed piece after Air Force One leaves the tarmac if compelled to 'speak out'"... JuniperWest says: "I'm feeling like actually supporting a Republican for Mayor of Salt Lake City. What's wrong with me? Well, [Keith Christensen] says he'll keep up with many of Rocky's most liberal policies, and let's face it: Rocky would never endorse a Republican if he wasn't up to snuff. Plus, he's from Delta ... small town boy in the big city is bound to bring some good perspective" (see also here, here, and here)... At SouthernUtahBlog, Ed Kociela says: "First, there was a flash of an e-mail yesterday afternoon from anti-nuke activist J. Preston Truman in Idaho. Then came a call from Chicago, where Peggy Maze Johnson, of Las Vegas' Citizen Alert organization, was doing her part to combat the insanity. It all came together with confirmation from Alyson Heyrend, the super-aide to Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah. Divine Strake, the dangerous U.S. bomb experiment, has been postponed again. This time because the nuclear-powers-that-be can't prove that testing at the Nevada Test Site, which poisoned so many all those years ago, would be safe. Imagine that"... Paul Rolly says Pres. Bush's political appointees from Utah, HHS Sec. Mike Leavitt and FEMA regional director Robert Flowers, should be called the "'Entitlement' gang" (see also here)... Article VI Blog notes: "Monday morning Kate O'Beirne of National Review was on Laura Ingraham's radio show. (Podcast here). Among other subjects, O'Beirne commented on presidential politics. Reviewing the current field of likely or potential GOP candidates and their potential appeal to conservative values-oriented voters, she noted that all the candidates but one had divorces in their past: [Rudy] Giuliani and [Newt] Gingrich are on their third marriages, and [George] Allen and [John] McCain are on their second, while [Mitt] Romney's been married to the same woman for 30-plus years. Thus, O'Beirne noted, 'The candidate in the race with the fewest wives is the Mormon!'" (see also here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).

-- Compiled by Golden Webb

Washington Watch

Hatch: Divine Strake Delayed

Sen. Orrin Hatch meets with Dr. James Tegnelia, director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, about the proposed Divine Strake test originally scheduled for June at the Nevada Test Site. Dr. Tegnelia said the DTRA will "look into the possibility of other locations" for the Divine Strake test. In a separate announcement, the DTRA informed Utah's congressional delegation "that the earliest that Divine Strake experiment could be conducted would be at least 'several months' into 2007. The agency also announced that it had ceased physical preparations at the site" (see press release and Associated Press); Air Force officials tell Hatch "that the Secretary of the Air Force and the Air Force Chief of Staff had rejected a proposal to eliminate the two-star commanding officer positions at the nation's Air Logistics Centers, including Hill Air Force Base" (press release).

Matheson: Test Poses Health Risks

Rep. Jim Matheson says the feds' decision to delay the Divine Strake test until '07 "is tacit acknowledgment that uncertainty remains" about the safety of the test. "The government has yet to provide environmental data regarding what the health risks are to communities downwind of the explosion" (Associated Press).

Bennett Hails FDIC Decision

Sen. Bob Bennett commends the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for its recent decision to place a six-month moratorium on the applications of Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and 12 other companies seeking to obtain industrial bank charters, even though "more than half of the country's 61 industrial banks are chartered in Utah and [Bennett] has traditionally spoken in support of the controversial financial services companies" (MarketWatch); Bennett says it's unlikely Congress will pass reform legislation this year creating a new regulator for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (Dow Jones).

Utah in the National News

Journalist David Ypsen says Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney is "the best organized of any of the GOP presidential candidates in Iowa .... He has made more than a half-dozen trips to the state and lined up some of the best political talent in the Iowa GOP to work for him. While some experts say Romney's Mormon faith will hurt him with some voters, it seemed to be helping him here Saturday. Romney organizers said several church members showed up and are deciding on their own to volunteer. 'We don't have to work it,' said a key operative. 'It works itself'" (Des Moines Register).

NAACP head Bruce S. Gordon says Romney “made a bad choice” in Iowa Saturday when he called Boston's ongoing Big Dig fiasco a "tar baby," but Don Scoggins, president of Republicans for Black Empowerment, says "he would have read right past Romney’s remark had the media not pointed it out" (Boston Herald).

Utah congressional candidate Bob Brister attends national Green Party meeting in Arizona, and says: "We think we are growing the party, and we think it's important that America have an opposition party ... Truth is, we are concerned about a wide range of issues ... Social justice, environmental issues, human rights issues, economic development issues -- the myth is that we're only concerned about the environment. That's not all we're about" (KOLD News 13).

Western states governors draft letter urging Congress to pass federal drought aid legislation (Associated Press).

Article: "North Dakota Republican John Hoeven and Utah Republican Jon Huntsman are the most popular governors in the United States, according to a 50-state poll conducted by SurveyUSA" (Angus Reid Global Scan).

Local Headlines

Deseret Morning News

- Initiatives on ballot add up to $1.6 billion

- First Night drops in funding priority

- Utah economy on a roll

- Divine Strake weapons test postponed for further study

- New mayor willing to serve

- Transit's fate in hands of voters in Utah County

- Panel looks to cut state Medicaid expenses

- Wilson Elementary hopes to set standard

- 6 groups make cut in quest for open-space $$

- St. George plans sex crackdown in parks

- Petition aims to pull plug on Apple Valley

- Utah panel examining impacts of treaties

Standard-Examiner

- Securing the borders

- Report: Local economy still strong

- Editorial: Tracking the monsters

KCPW

- LDS Church, Islamic Relief partner in Mid-East aid effort

- Cities, counties pick up state's open space slack

- Legionnaires snub SLC mayor

KUER

- Christensen wins Rocky's endorsement

St. George Spectrum

- Divine Strake postponed until 2007

- Council to look at development plan

- Graduation changes are right thing to do

- City requests input on Red Hills Parkway

- Annexations, zone change on agenda at the Enoch City council meeting

- Editorial: Fund military installations

Hurricane Valley Journal

- Springdale Town Council opposes growth act

Salt Lake Tribune

- Nevada site may be out for the blast test

- Utah County ballot adds commuter rail

- Rolly: Phantom detour strands bus riders

- Draper could be key player in new district formation

- Old Golf City site's future uncertain

- School district splitting could hurt bonds

- SL Co. officials add open-space measure to ballot

- BLM land-lease sale plan draws protests

- HAFB general to keep job as cuts in downsizing plan are put aside

- Editorial: Bait and switch: House vote would appease all, help none

Elected Officials Birthday List

Please submit calendar items to Daily@UtahPolicy.com

- Aug 2: Midday Metro at 10 a.m. on KCPW 88.3 FM features conversations with Fraser Nelson of the Disability Law Center, who is calling for the closure of the Utah State Developmental Center in American Fork, the proceeds of which could be used to under write more community-based services; Ingrid Quiroz and Dr. Cesar Diaz on the new Utah Hispanic-Latino Rotary Club; and University of Utah law professor Erik Luna on the possibilities of a post-Castro Cuba. To participate, email midday@kcpw.org.
- Aug 2: Lt. Gov. Herbert to hold Board of Education Ballot Position Lottery, 12 p.m., Governor's Board Room, State Capitol Complex, Salt Lake City.
- Aug 2: Democratic candidate for District 3 Christian Burridge to speak at Valley West Rotary Club, 12 p.m.
- Aug 2: Speaker Curtis to attend Capitol Preservation Board Meeting, 3 p.m.
- Aug 3: G.O.Pen Golf Tournament, 1 p.m. registration, Thanksgiving Point, Lehi. Followed by the annual GOP Summer BBQ at 6 p.m. with Gov. Jon Huntsman and Lt. Gov. Herbert. For more info contact Abby Balfour at 801-533-9777 or abby@UTGOP.org.
- Aug 3: Gov. Huntsman to meet with the State Board of Education, 3 p.m.
- Aug 3: Davis County Democrats Planning Committee meeting, 7 p.m., Davis County Courthouse, Commission Chambers room, 28 East State Street, Farmington.  The agenda includes, planning for booth at the Davis County Fair, plans for the First Annual Democrat/Republican softball game, recruitment of more precinct captains, opening of new Campaign HQ. All Davis Democrats and the general public are invited.
- Aug 4: Water Issues Task Force, 9 a.m., room W135.
- Aug 4: Closing the Achievement Gap for Hispanic Youth presentation by Barbara Lovejoy, Director of the nonprofit Generación Floreciente, 12 to 1:30 p.m., Lamb's Café, 169 S. Main, Salt Lake.  For more information or to register contact Barbara at 801-466-1117 or bclovejoy@msn.com.  Cost $25.
- Aug 4: Desert Greens Party of Utah Summer Recycling and Utah Food Bank Campaign, 5:30 to 9 p.m., 2144 South Highland Drive, Sugarhouse. For more information see www.gput.org/events.shtml.
- Aug 4: Democratic candidate for District 3 Christian Burridge to attend Payson Salmon Dinner, 6 p.m.
- Aug 5: Green Party Honk 'n' Wave for Peace "U.S. Out of Iraq, Now," featuring Bob Brister, Green Candidate for Utah's 2nd Congressional District, 9 to 10 a.m., NW corner, intersection of 700 E and 2100 S, Salt Lake City. For more information see www.bristerforcongress.org.
- Aug 5: Fundraiser for Rep. Mark Archuleta Wheatley, 5 to 8 p.m., 6313 South Murray Bluff Road, Murray. Food, music, City Jail, dancing girls, Wild West Saloon, Sheriff’s Posse. Put on your western garb and come join the fun. Requested donation $40, any accepted. Call Josie Valdez at 801-264-8844 with questions.
- Aug 5: Constitution Party of Utah lecture by Michael Merritt and Ken Bowers, 7 p.m., Larry H. Miller Sandy Campus, room 101, 9750 S. 300 W., Sandy. There is a suggested donation of $10/person.
- Aug 7-8: Legislative Site Visits, Uintah Basin.
- Aug 9: Lt. Gov. Herbert to attend Rural Summit, 12:30 p.m., Milford City Hall, 26 South 100 West, Milford.
- Aug 9: Democratic candidate for District 3 Christian Burridge to hold town hall meeting in Richfield, 7 p.m.
- Aug 10-11: Utah Rural Summit, Haze Hunter Conference Center, Southern Utah University, Cedar City. For more information see https://utahreach.org/urs/.
- Aug 11: Desert Greens Party of Utah Summer Recycling and Utah Food Bank Campaign, 5:30 to 9 p.m., 2144 South Highland Drive, Sugarhouse. For more information see www.gput.org/events.shtml.
- Aug 12: Meet Green Party Candidate Bob Brister at the Farmers' Market, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Find out Bob's take on the issues and give him yours. For more info visit www.bristerforcongress.org.
- Aug 12: Democratic candidate for District 3 Christian Burridge to attend Kearns parade, 9 a.m.
- Aug 12: First Annual Davis Republicans vs. Davis Democrats Softball Game, 11 a.m., Ellison Park, 700 N 2200 W, Layton (just south of Swan Lakes Golf Course).

- See the entire calendar

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News: Golden Webb
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