Curtis Deserves Praise, Not Criticism, on TRAX Funding
Utah House Speaker Greg Curtis is the victim of a hatchet job by the Utah State Democratic Committee, which sent a nasty last-minute campaign piece into his district accusing him of being on a trip when a legislative committee needed to vote on funding for TRAX expansion.
The accusation is silly because no vote on TRAX funding would have taken place even had Curtis been in town. The truth is that Curtis has been the chief legislative champion of finding a viable source for TRAX funding and were it not for him there would be no opportunity to vote on Proposition 3 next Tuesday.
The decision to wait until after the election to deal with the process of prioritizing transportation projects was not made by Curtis, but by the entire legislative GOP leadership. Curtis was invited to represent the State of Utah along with Gov. Jon Huntsman on an economic development trip to China. It was appropriate and important for him to represent the legislative branch of government and the TRAX funding vote is irrelevant because it would not have occurred even had be been in town.
Curtis worked incredibly hard behind the scenes to line up support among fellow lawmakers to deal with TRAX and other transportation funding during the recent special session. Were it not for his efforts, the only funding option for TRAX in Salt Lake County would be a billion-dollar boost in property taxes, which would likely be rejected by voters. If Proposition 3 passes and Salt Lake County is able to expand TRAX and commuter rail using a slight sales tax boost, it will be in large part because of Speaker Curtis’ hard work.
Special Report on Kristen Cox
ABC 4 News at 10 p.m. tonight will air a special report on Kristen Cox, a former Utahn who is running for lieutenant governor of Maryland in tandem with Gov. Bob Ehrlich in his hard-fought re-election race. Cox has received a great deal of attention because she is blind, having lost her sight while young due to a rare genetic condition.
On the Ehrlich campaign web site, Cox is described this way: “A devout Christian, Kris spent eighteen months as a missionary serving the people of Brazil before graduating from Brigham Young University with a degree in educational psychology and a certificate in special education.”
National Politics
Play WashingtonPost.com’s “Midterm Madness” game by picking winners of congressional races and putting your political forecasting skills up against other readers of WashingtonPost.com for prizes and bragging rights.
Podcast Watch
This week’s InsideUtah.com podcast by Jennifer Napier-Pearce features author Bruce Wilson (:48) on his solutions to the red state-blue state culture war; third-party candidate Deanna Taylor (9:34) on equal media time; and Findagrave.com’s Jim Tipton (16:50) on high-tech grave-hunting.
Blog Watch
Utah Taxpayer says: "Public policy issues are solved or worsened incrementally. Very few serious issues are quickly solved by silver bullets, and very few disasters occur overnight. It's all about incrementalism. We recently received a mailer from a legislative candidate that demonstrates this point. In this mailer, the candidate dismissed the recent income tax cut as 'enough to buy a tank of gas, go out to dinner, or get your hair done'. This is a time-honored tactic of the spending lobby: scream loudly if the tax cut is big and dismiss the tax cut as inconsequential if it is small. This same argument is used to raise taxes during bad times: this tax increase will only cost you a tank of gas per year so don't worry about it. In fact, we've noticed over the years that the politicians who use the tank-of-gas argument to justify opposition to tax cuts during good times are the first ones to argue for tax increases during bad times using the same tank-of-gas argument. So here's the question: what happens when tax cuts are rejected during good economic times because 'it's only enough to buy a tank of gas' and when tax hikes are passed during tough economic times because 'it's not worth worrying about because it is only a tank of gas'? Click here to find out"... At Out of Context, Thomas Burr reports: "God may be punishing Rob Bishop. Bishop's office in Washington, D.C., was flooded this week when an overhead pipe burst, bringing a deluge to computers, papers and equipment. No one melted. The flood caused 'serious damage,' according to a staffer. It destroyed a new, $2,000 copier, the carpeting, computers and piles of files. The fax machine's paper tray was filled with water, apparently, and mail and papers soaked beyond repair. With that kind of luck, one wonders if Bishop may end up with less than the Republican landslide election victory he's used to." … Paul Rolly reports on polling done by both sides in House Speaker Greg Curtis' district in Sandy.
Casual Friday
For the latest wildlife news and information and the fishing report visit the DWR website
Weekend Event & Outdoors Report
Outdoors Report
-- Successful fishing as weather cools in the Morning News
-- Tribune offers hope for future of pheasant hunting as well as pheasant recipes to try after the hunt
-- Morning News reports on pheasant hunting around the state
-- Tribune’s Hike of the Week in Mueller Park
-- Find out about upcoming events in the Morning News’ Outdoor Notes
-- Check out the Tribune’s Outdoor Notebook and Recreation Roundup for sports and recreation activities this week
-- Use the Morning News’ interactive map of Utah to plan your outdoor pursuits across the state
New Films
Borat: Rotten Tomatoes
Flushed Away: Rotten Tomatoes
Concerts
-- “Fresh Courage Take,” Friday, 7 p.m., Bountiful Regional Center, Bountiful, free
-- Brigham Young University Chamber Orchestra, Friday, 7:30 p.m., de Jong Concert Hall, $9, $6
-- Hancock Family, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Assembly Hall, Temple Square, free
-- Taylorsville Symphony Orchestra and Salt Lake Community College Orchestra, conducted by Craig Ferrin, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Eisenhower Junior High, 4351 S. Redwood Road, free
-- Repertory Dance Theatre’s Demolition Derby, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Rose Wagner Theatre
-- Eileen Ivers with the Utah Symphony, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Abravanel Hall
-- Pianist Kori Bond, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Vieve Gore Concert Hall, Westminster College, free
-- Moab Folk Festival, Friday – Sunday, Moab
-- Murray Symphony, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Hillcrest Junior High, 126 E. 5300 South, Murray, free
-- “We Also Sing,” choral group, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Assembly Hall, Temple Square, free
Theater
-- “Little Shop of Horrors” through November 4, Desert Star Theatre
--“The Pajama Game” through November 9, Rodgers Memorial Theatre
-- “Confessions of a Mormon Boy” through November 11, Rose Wagner Center
-- “Mission: Incredibles,” Desert Star Theatre
-- “The Scarlet Pimpernel” through November 11, Terrace Plaza Playhouse
-- “The Secret Garden” through November 11, Grand Theatre
-- “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” through November 18, StageRight TheaterCompany
-- “Pride and Prejudice” through November 18, Pioneer Theatre Company
-- “Wait Until Dark” through November 18, Hale Center Theater
-- “Man of La Mancha” through November 25, Hale Centre Theatre
Museum Exhibits
-- Sweetwater Rescue: the Willie and Martin Handcart Story Exhibition through October 31, Museum of Utah Art and History
-- Sideshow through January 28, Utah Museum of Fine Art
Et Cetera
-- Utah Folk Arts Festival and Day of the Dead Fiesta, Saturday, 3 – 8 p.m., Utah Cultural Celebration Center
-- The Organ Loft Fall Silent Movie Series through November 16 |
