News Highlights

Sen. Orrin Hatch says U.S. House leaders may have delayed taking action against former Florida Republican Rep. Mark Foley because they were afraid of appearing anti-gay (Salt Lake Tribune); Hatch debates Democratic challenger Pete Ashdown in Ivins, the first of five debates scheduled throughout the state (St. George Spectrum, Tribune, and Associated Press).

Quote of the Day

“Without a timely presidential primary in the region, the West will continue to be an irrelevant ‘fly-over zone’ as candidates shuttle between states and regions with meaningful contests. Vital regional issues such as water development, nuclear waste storage, and public land use deserve higher status on the national agenda. A strategically timed presidential primary would help bring that about.”

-- KSL Radio/TV editorial by Duane Cardall endorsing a western presidential primary.

Fantasy Politics

It was, no doubt, inevitable. The fantasy sports league concept has arrived in politics. Now you can draft and manage a team of members of Congress at Fantasy Congress.  Says the site: “Fantasy Congress offers you the power to ‘play politics.’ As in other fantasy sports, you -- the citizen -- draft a team of real-life legislators from the U.S. Congress and score points for your team's successes. Join a league and compete against other citizens, or form a league of your own! Play against your friends, family, bloggers, fellow politicos . . . Move your members of Congress into your active line-up or onto the bench, and even trade them!”

Jobs Data Mostly Good

Utah economist Jeff Thredgold’s weekly Tea Leaf economic update has mostly good news about the unemployment picture. While fewer jobs were created in August than expected, Thredgold believes the official U.S. employment gains have been understated, as evidenced by significant upward revisions in employment numbers in recent months. Other economists believe the official numbers do not adequately count entrepreneurs who start businesses from their homes.  

UIR Growth Summit

The Utah Intergovernmental Roundtable will be holding a summit on Oct. 19 titled "Growth=Challenges: A Dialogue on Growth in Utah." Cost is $50. A wide range of interesting speakers and panel presenters are scheduled, including pollster Dan Jones who will reveal results of a new poll on Utahns’ perceptions of growth-related issues. Late registration after Oct. 13 will be $60. For more info, click here.

Podcast Watch

This week’s edition of Jennifer Napier-Pearce’s InsideUtah.com podcast features Robin Riggs of the Salt Lake Chamber (:35) on a sales tax for transit; Kirk Huffaker, interim director of the Utah Heritage Foundation (7:51) on saving a downtown gem; and Tori Baker with the Salt Lake Film Society (16:35) on 25 years of Sundance.

Blog Watch

At Out of Context, Rebecca Walsh says: "Pen for hire LaVarr Webb tries to create a veneer of objectivity for his online newsletter, Utahpolicy.com. But one of his recent items undermines that image. Webb took me to task for reporting a story about realtor influence at the Legislature. I cited $325,000 in political contributions this campaign season. Accepting Utah Association of Realtors Director Chris Kyler's parsing of that number, Webb repeated it verbatim [yesterday], noting Kyler's explanation that not all of that money goes to legislative candidates. Some goes to federal candidates and some goes to local candidates. 'The story wasn't careful with the facts regarding how much the association has contributed to legislative candidates,' Webb wrote. The Tribune rejected the Realtors' demand for a correction, standing by the $325,000 as the amount the Association itself reported it spending during the current election year. The back story is this: Two weeks ago Webb acknowledged Kyler had asked him to write a column on the issue. At the time, Webb said he had no plans to run an item. But apparently the Realtors' money was too tempting to pass up. The association has advertised on the site in the past"... MangledCat says of Mayor Rocky Anderson's proposed outdoor smoking ban: "The whole idea is a joke. If [the SLC Council] really wanted to do something about smoking, they would start the (admitedly long and difficult) process of making tobacco illegal. That will never happen as they are addicted to the tax revenue provided by the sale of tobacco products, so they propose, again and again, feel good measures to place restrictions on something they secretly want more people to use. The irony will forever escape them"... Obiter Dicta by Steve discusses yesterday's Orrin Hatch/Pete Ashdown debate (see also here)... Part of the Plan posts some thoughts on the proposed Washington Co. growth bill... Paul Rolly explains why "it's too bad the State Capitol couldn't be moved to Daggett County for one day so the leadership race in the Utah State Senate could be called 'The Thrilla in Manila'"... Jesse Harris says: "As soon as we got the state voter information pamphlet, I started looking up which districts we're in and shot off e-mails to candidates asking them where they stand. ... Many of the candidates I e-mailed don't seem to want to respond even after 10 days. ... Big cheers for Trisha Beck and Wayne Niederhauser of Senate District 9 for responding to my questions in a timely fashion. Wayne even took the time to call me on the phone to answer personally, a nice touch. Big jeers for LaVar Christensen and Jim Matheson of US Congressional District 2 and Sylvia Anderson, Eric Gustafson, and Francis Tully of House District 48 for not responding in any way, shape, or form. (No, Francis, the autoreply doesn't count.) This kind of gives me an idea of who will be a responsive legislator if elected, and 'None of the above' is starting to sound like a pretty good alternative to legislators who can't be bothered to respond to the concerns of their constituents."

Washington Watch

Bennett Hails Treasury Announcement

Sen. Bob Bennett says of yesterday's U.S. Treasury announcement that the deficit has been cut in half three years ahead of the 2009 goal: "I want to commend the president for his leadership on passage of a pro-growth agenda. ... [N]ews that the deficit has dropped to 1.9 percent of GDP, compared to the 3.2 percent projection made earlier this year, is further evidence that these policies are working to spur economic growth and job creation" (see press release).

Meet the Candidates

Voters from Sandy, West Jordan, South Jordan, Harriman, Riverton and Draper are invited to meet Republican candidates for countywide office on Wednesday, Oct. 18. Lohra Miller for District Attorney and Carrie Dickson for Clerk, as well as all of the other candidates, have been invited to speak and meet with voters. This is an opportunity to meet and financially support the candidates. Location is the South Jordan Community Center, 10778 S. Redwood Road, South Jordan, 6-9 p.m. For more information, contact Ozwald Balfour, (801) 254-2677.

Elected Officials Birthday List

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Utah in the National News

Wisconsin considers following Utah's lead by amending its conceal-carry law to make it legal for teachers to carry guns (WMTV News).

Mitt Romney Watch

Article: "Polls may show Rudy Giuliani in the lead for the Republican nomination in 2008. John McCain may appear to have the political clout to serve as President Bush's anointed successor. But it is Gov. Mitt Romney, the Mormon from Massachusetts, who has captured the imagination of the religious right. It's counterintuitive, to say the least, for social conservatives to treat a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a fitting successor to George W. Bush. ... [T]he last thing you'd expect evangelicals to do is support a candidate whose religion many of them consider to be a polygamous cult with practices and beliefs that derive from Freemasonry, not the New Testament. Yet this is precisely what's happening. Which goes to show how broad-based the religious right has become, inviting participation and support by culturally alienated members of nearly any faith" (Slate).

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

- Transit tax could be in peril

- Hatch says House feared anti-gay label

- Candidates debate N. Korea, health care and land-use issues

- Utah Chinese excited about governor's trip

- No holiday for the parents

- Salt Lake DA hopefuls call each other green

- Dump expansion draws objections

- Police, fire unions back challenger Winder's bid

- Mullen: Don't take your vote for granted

- Sex boutique: Court upholds Roy's licensing of 'adult' stores

- New group: UEA not enough

- Rivals both pushing health care reforms

- Retailer urges leaving politics out of industrial bank decision

- Questar billing would promote conservation but preserve profit

Standard-Examiner

- Editorial: Still painful at the pump

St. George Spectrum

- Candidates air differences in first debate

- SUU enrollment up for third year

- New Beaver school officials looking to fix money mistakes

- Editorial: Support Utah's anti-spam law

- Op-ed: Private property rights are being forgotten and grossly lost

Daily Herald

- Hatch, Ashdown face off in St. George

- Utah County voters asked to approve quarter-cent sales tax increase

- UVSC defies statewide trend

- Editorial: Sex, politics and Rep. Cannon

City Weekly

- The Ocho

- Hits & Misses

- 5 Spot: Green Party candidate Bob Brister

- Bland's End: Burton's sterile and lifeless 'blockbuster' will make downtown like Las Vegas -- only less fun

- Lhora Who? Some donors to the GOP candidate for district attorney have buyer's remorse

- Editorial: 'Precocious' Cannon

Cedar City Review

- Democratic Party talks over breakfast

- Big Red Bus

KSL Editorial Board

- Western Presidential Primary election

KCPW

- Lt. Gov. backs cervical cancer awareness program

- Power company seeks to acquire more coal-fired energy

- College enrollment down in Utah

Deseret Morning News

- Fallout-thyroid link gets boost

- Underground blasts were also culprits

- Church says site can't be restored

- Red tape delays Asha's addition to Huntsman clan

- Politics kill transit list?

- A land tale of 2 cities

- Orem arts hub could hit $66M

- Candidates cry foul in attorney race

- Panel calls soccer stadium a solid investment

- Syracuse mayor decries vote to change city government

- Wal-Mart defends bank plan

- Ag-loan program reaps harvest

- Editorial: A matter of trust

- Editorial: Another signal to smokers

Please submit calendar items to Daily@UtahPolicy.com

- Oct 12-13: 2006 UEA Convention, Salt Palace Convention Center. The focus of the convention will be "Closing the Achievement Gaps in Education." For more information visit www.utea.org.
- Oct 12: Lt. Gov. Herbert to address attendees of the 2006 Annual Association of Contingency Planners Utah Chapter Symposium, 8:15 a.m., South Town Expo Center, Sandy.
- Oct 12: Sutherland Transcend Series “The Nature of Public Policy – Understanding Policy Frameworks," 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Gateway Tower West building, 15 West South Temple, Salt Lake City. Congressman Rob Bishop will facilitate a discussion on principles, policies, and politics. For more information and to register, call 801-355-1272, or email srasmussen@sutherlandinstitute.org.
- Oct 12: Midday Metro at 10 a.m. on KCPW 88.3 FM features conversations with reading specialists Kathleen Brown and Cynthia Strong. October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. Plus Laughlin MacDonald, director of the Voting Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union. He’s in town to keynote the 10th Annual Rocco C. and Marion S. Siciliano Lecture at the University of Utah. To participate, call 355-TALK or email midday@kcpw.org.
- Oct 12: RadioWest on KUER FM 90: "Dogs of God," 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. When Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1492, Spain was in the midst of the Inquisition and the battle for Islamic Grenada. Historian James Reston, Jr. has written a new book "Dogs of God." In it, he deals with the complex interplay of government, religion and popular opinion of the 15th century. He'll talk about what that meant for the "Great Age of Discovery."
- Oct 12: Tenth Annual Rocco C. and Marion S. Siciliano Lecture, 12 p.m., University of Utah, Dumke Auditorium, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 Campus Center Drive. The topic will be Considerations on the Status of American Society, with keynote speaker Laughlin McDonald, director of the Voting Rights Project of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) in Atlanta. For more info, call 801-587-3556 or visit www.csbs.utah.edu.
- Oct 12: Gov. Huntsman to give speech at the Jobs for Youth Initiative Luncheon, 12:30 p.m., University Park Hotel, 480 Wakara Lane, Salt Lake City.
- Oct 12: Utah Citizens Alliance meeting, 7 p.m., Law & Justice Center, 645 South 200 East, Salt Lake City. Dr. Lauren Florence will be the guest speaker on "Affordable Health Care for Everyone." Dr. Florence is a Utah Plastic Surgeon and a founder of the Utah Health Alliance, affordable health care for everyone. She serves on the board of the Utah Medical Association. The public is welcome to attend.
- Oct 13: Lt. Gov. Herbert to meet with delegation from Peru, 11 a.m., East Capitol Building, Salt Lake City.
- Oct 13: Hinckley Forum "Making the Invisible Visible: Marching for Immigrant Rights in Utah 2006," 12 p.m. Guest is Tony Yapias, Organizer of the “Dignity March” for Immigrant Rights in Utah; former director of Utah’s Office of Hispanic Affairs; Director, Proyecto Latino of Utah and Chairman of the Utah Hispanic Democratic Caucus.
- Oct 13: National Immigration Advisory Committee (NIAC) 3rd Live Internet forum, 12 to 1 p.m. The topic:  How Should We Approach Internal Enforcement on the Immigration Front?  Go to http://www.solvenow.org, and an icon on the home page will direct you to the forum.
- Oct 13: Governor's Gala, 6 p.m., Salt Lake Convention Center.
- Oct 14: Davis County Democrats monthly breakfast, 8:30 a.m., Granny Annie's Restaurant, 286 N 400 W, Kaysville. Featured guest speaker will be Representative Neil Hansen from Weber County, District # 9. In addition many of the Davis County Democratic candidates will be present to give campaign updates. Please bring an item of food (non perishable) for the Davis County Food Bank.
- Oct 16: Hinckley Forum "Campaign 2006: The Race for Utah 1std Congressional District," 10:45 a.m.. Representative Rob Bishop (R) v. Steve Olsen (D).
- Oct 16: Privately Owned Health Care Organization Task Force, 1:30 p.m., room W135.
- Oct 16: Utah Medicaid Policy Partnership meeting, 3 to 4:30 p.m., room 5112, State Office Building. The subject of the meeting is to map out next steps in the campaign to protect, sustain, and seek efficiencies in Utah's Medicaid program. All are invited who would like to help ensure that the Utah Medicaid program provides access to quality, affordable, and comprehensive health care coverage to eligible Utahns.

- See the entire calendar