Legislative Leadership Elections Today
Important elections aren’t quite over yet. The Senate and House majorities will gather this afternoon at 5 p.m. to elect leadership teams for the next two years (See Morning News story). Senators will be in Room W110 in the Capitol West Building.
The meeting is not open to the public, but a public announcement will be made at the end. Reporters, bloggers and interested individuals are invited. Results will be posted on www.senatesite.com, probably around 6:30 p.m.
UF Healthcare Cost Report
The Utah Foundation has posted a research report on employer health care costs. The report "examines data and trends on healthcare costs and coverage for Utah and the nation. Data show an increase in Utah's uninsured population, partly caused by rising insurance costs and the resulting difficulties for employers trying to provide health coverage to workers" (see press release and executive summary).
Wise Words
“The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.”
-- Former Sen. Hubert Humphrey (Source: SL Tribune Cryptoquote, Nov. 9, 06)
Blog Watch
Capital Carnage will be liveblogging the legislative leadership elections from Capitol Hill tonight (see also here and here)... Rep. Jeff Alexander says: "In Monday's Utah Policy Daily there was an article about the need for more proactive legislation. Senator Curt Bramble invited the Utah House of Representatives to join the Senate in becoming proactive in the legislative process. I found this idea to be very ironic. For the last eight years the House has met in a December caucus to strategize the upcoming session and set priorities. These aren't meetings where discussion is held and decisions aren't made. Priorities are set by the caucus and the House Majority leadership moves forward to accomplish those priorities. I believe the results from the last two sessions have been examples of following the caucus plan. If Senator Bramble or UPD believe that both houses of the legislature should meet together to define priorities I believe that would be wrong. The reason there is the House and the Senate is so ideas can be worked through and refined before they are sent to the Governor. Senators will always view legislation differently than Representatives. I hope Senator Bramble gets his wish and the Senate takes the time to prioritize issues and take positions before the start of the next legislative session. It will make it much easier for the House and the Senate to begin the debate"... Jeremy Manning says: "My favorite part of Tuesday evening's election coverage here in Utah was watching Jim Matheson on each of the different TV stations proclaiming that night a victory for 'blue dog' (conservative) Democrats. If Democrats can become the party of social liberty and fiscal conservatism they will maintain their hold on power and expand it because these stands resonate with Americans. If they allow their rhetoric to devolve into garbage like this they'll lose big time in the next election and they'll deserve it" (see also here)... At New West, Tracy Medley says: "Utah is becoming a political bore. Both the national Republican and Democratic parties left our newbie candidates out in the cold because in their view, there wasn't one 'viable' race in the state. National Republicans knew they had Utah in the bag and Democrats, despite Howard Dean's claim of a '50 state campaign,' knew they didn't; leaving promising challengers on both sides of the aisle in Utah, high and dry. Pete Ashdown had just as much potential as John Tester in Montana; LaVar Christensen really shouldn't have lost to Jim Matheson in such a blowout; but these guys were left hanging because the rest of the nation sees Utah as one big, impenetrable red blob. Is that really what we want?"... At Article VI Blog, John Schroeder says of this exchange between radio personality Hugh Hewitt and columnist Christopher Hitchens in which Hitchens says that all believing Mormons are idiots: "Does general religious bigotry somehow mitigate a specific expression of religious bigotry? Isn't that a bit like saying it is OK to be racist as long as you include the 'high-yellas' and the 'darkies'? Hitchens seems to want to justify himself by pointing out how religion can affect political thought and it is therefore is important to know the religion of a specific individual, but that is a likewise weak case -- race can affect political thought as well, yet it is widely acknowledged as bigoted to attack the race -- one attacks the political conclusions, not the race or religion. Hitchens is not pure left but he is very left-leaning and this shows that in terms of the political opposition Evangelicals and Mormons have far more in common than differences"... At The Right Angle, D.R. Tucker says: "So where does Mitt Romney go from here? There's no question that Tuesday's defeat of Romney's lieutenant governor, Kerry Healey, at the hands of former Clinton Administration official Deval Patrick represented a repudiation of Romney's social conservatism by liberal voters in the Bay State. ... However, Healey's loss may not ultimately impact Romney's viability as a Presidential contender in 2008. ... Romney has been a controversial figure in Massachusetts, but not for his leadership skills. While some have faulted him for not spending enough time in the state, he did work to improve the Commonwealth's economy and showed no fear in challenging the state's overwhelmingly Democrat power structure. While the state could never stomach his supposedly unusual social beliefs, it's hard to dismiss his effectiveness as governor. Romney left the state of Massachusetts in a far better condition than when he found it. Despite the results of Tuesday's gubernatorial election, voters in 2008 are still likely to conclude that he'll make similar improvements for the country as a whole" (see also here).
CPPA Ethics Conference
On Nov. 16-17, the Center for Public Policy & Administration will be holding a conference "to explore the issues of ethics in the public sector." The opening plenary of the morning session on the 17th will feature former Utah Governor Olene Walker. For more info, click here.
Washington Watch
Cannon: GOP Failed on Immigration
In article on Pres. Bush's plans to team with the Democrats to pass an immigration bill, Rep. Chris Cannon scolds the GOP-controlled Congress for not passing Bush's proposed guest-worker program earlier in the year, says Democrats will now get credit for solving the illegal immigration problem, adds that Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, an anti-immigration zealot, will be left with "a soapbox to pound the living daylights out of people who are scared of America changing," and says he worries Democrats will use the issue to bait Tancredo into a third-party presidential candidacy to split Republican votes in '08 (Washington Times).
Bennett: Less Gridlock in Congress?
Sen. Bob Bennett says that because neither Pres. Bush nor Vice Pres. Cheney will be on the presidential ballot in '08, "there is at least as good a chance that this Congress will be reaching out across the aisle to try to solve problems as there is that there will be continued finger-pointing and gridlock" (CQPolitics).
Hatch: MRC Milestone
Sen. Orrin Hatch joins "the Office of the Surgeon General in announcing that the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) has reached a milestone -- 500 active units nationwide -- with the launch of one in Summit County, Utah. The MRC are pools of local volunteer medical professionals and lay people who can supplement medical and public health agencies in a crisis or with other public health activities and educational campaigns" (see press release).
Regional Politics
Denver Woos Convention
Article: "A Democratic resurgence in the Rocky Mountain West on Election Day is giving Denver high hopes of landing the 2008 party convention" (Rocky Mountain News).
Land of Liberals?
Columnist: "Arizona: land of cactus, sunshine, and liberals. At least that's what the election results here would have you believe. An unmarried, Democratic, woman governor picked up 63 percent of the vote for re-election. More than 65 percent of the voters approved a minimum-wage hike. About 62 percent of them approved a ban on small cages for pigs and calves. Oh, and with 52 percent of the voters saying thumbs down, Arizona has just become the first in the nation to defeat a gay marriage ban" (Slate).
More Help for Navajos?
Article: "The newly re-elected president of the Navajo Nation said he hopes that the Democrats' takeover of Congress will help the nation's largest American Indian reservation, saying it was hard to win federal money from Republicans" (Associated Press).
Casual Friday
For the latest wildlife news and information and the fishing report visit the DWR website
Weekend Events & Outdoors Report
Outdoors Report
-- New signs remind backcountry skiers to turn beacons on in the Tribune
-- Morning News and the Tribune take us to the annual buffalo roundup and give a history of how the animals came to Antelope Island
-- Tribune’s Hike of the Week in Big Cottonwood Canyon
-- 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
-- Stranger Than Fiction: Rotten Tomatoes
-- Harsh Times: Rotten Tomatoes
-- A Good Year: Rotten Tomatoes
Concerts
-- BYU Alumni Choir, Friday, 7:30 p.m., First Baptist Church, 777 S. 1300 East, free
-- Mountain Jubilee Chorus, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Assembly Hall, Temple Square, free
-- Viktor Uzur, cellist, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Val A. Browning Center, Allred Theater, WSU, free
-- BYU DanceSport Championships, Friday, 11 a.m., and Saturday, 9 a.m., Wilkinson Student Center Ballroom, BYU
-- BYU Men's and Women's Chorus, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m., de Jong Concert Hall, BYU, Provo, $9 (801-422-7664)
-- “The Tender Land,” Utah State University Opera, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. and 2 p.m., Caine Lyric Theatre, 28 W. Center Street, Logan, $10
-- “Opera Scenes,” Utah Lyric Opera, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Libby Gardner Concert Hall
-- Sarah Chang with the Utah Symphony, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Abravanel Hall
-- BYU Alumni Choir, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Tahitian Noni International Auditorium, 5151 N. 300 West, Provo, free
-- Dallyn and Rachel Bayles, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Assembly Hall, Temple Square, free
-- The Red Desert Ramblers, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Vieve Gore Concert Hall, Westminster College, $10 (801-718-3862)
-- WSU Symphonic Band, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Val A. Browning Center, Austad Auditorium, WSU, Ogden, $4.50 (800-978-8457)
-- Utah Ballet, through November 18, 7:30 p.m., Alice Sheets Marriott Center for Dance, University of Utah
Theater
-- “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
-- “Red Badge of Courage” through November 13, SCERA Center
-- “Pride and Prejudice” through November 18, Pioneer Theatre Company
-- “Wait Until Dark” through November 18, Hale Center Theater
-- “Urinetown” through November 19, Babcock Theatre
-- “Man of La Mancha” through November 25, Hale Centre Theatre
-- “Ice Glen” through December 3, Salt Lake Acting Company
-- “In the Restroom at Rosenbloom's” through November 13, Salt Lake Senior Theatre
Museum Exhibits
-- Five Outer Planets Exhibition through December 27, Unseen Shores: The Post-Vietnam Era from the U.S. Navy Art Collection through January 13, Peace Garden Exhibition through January 27, Salt Lake Art Center
-- Sideshow through January 28, Utah Museum of Fine Art
Et Cetera
-- Jewish Art and Food Festival, Saturday and Sunday, Jewish Community Center, Salt Lake City
-- Cowboy Poetry and Buckaroo Fair, Friday – Sunday, Heber City
-- Utah SnowJam 2006, Saturday, 4 p.m., Gallivan Center
-- The Organ Loft Fall Silent Movie Series through November 16 |
