The Week Ahead
Redistricting on Center Stage
The big political event this week is congressional reapportionment, with six public hearings scheduled today (starting at 9 a.m. in Provo) and Tuesday all across the state to receive public input on redistricting options. See the legislative calendar for notices and agendas of the meetings. If you have an opinion about the new maps being drawn on a fast-track to create four congressional districts, the committee wants to hear from you.
If you can’t attend a meeting, but would like to study the maps, you can click on a link to the maps on the meeting schedule page. Options A, I and J will be presented for public comment at the hearings. Option A is the same map created in 2001. Options I and J are those most favored by committee members. At the bottom of the maps page is a link you can click on to send a comment to the committee.
The committee hopes to have a recommendation to the full Legislature after its meeting on Wednesday, with a special session called by the governor possibly to be held on Thursday, Nov. 30, or Friday, Dec. 1.
See all the week’s political events in the Utah Policy Daily calendar. Major legislative events that have been scheduled so far for the session that begins Jan. 15 are also posted in the calendar.
Businesses Need Immigrants
Utah economist Jeff Thredgold's weekly Tea Leaf economic update newsletter focuses on immigration issues, which will continue to be a subject of much debate in Congress and among 2008 presidential candidates.
Says Thredgold: “A highly competitive global marketplace requires that American companies have access to the ‘best and brightest’ around the world. Tens of thousands of American jobs have resulted from highly skilled and intelligent foreigners being allowed access to this country to live and work.”
Washington Watch
Editorial: No to Growth Bill
Editorial opposes Sen. Bob Bennett's and Rep. Jim Matheson's proposed Washington Co. growth bill (Denver Post) (see also related Associated Press story).
Hatch Defended Hastings
Embattled Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings, who was acquitted of bribery charges in '83 but impeached by the House five years later and removed from the federal bench by the Senate in '89, defends his potential chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee by releasing a statement made by Sen. Orrin Hatch during the '89 Senate trial. Said Hatch of Hastings at that time: "Just as the jury was not convinced that Judge Hastings was guilty of committing any crime, I am not convinced that Judge Hastings is guilty of committing an impeachable offense" (McClatchy Newspapers).
Regional Politics
West Going Blue?
Columnist discusses the electoral gains of Democrats in the Rocky Mountain states (Albuquerque Tribune).
Wise Words
“The traditional view of emotions is that they are something extra, like adding color to a black-and-white photograph. But to me, emotions are what happen when you remove other resources. Anger means you’ve turned off your social graces, you’ve turned off your cautiousness, you’ve turned off your long-range plans and most of your ambitions, and you’ve turned on things that make you act more rapidly and less deeply. Recognizing this complexity adds dignity to the theory.” -- Marvin Minsky, author and co-founder of MIT Artificial Intelligence lab (Source: Wired magazine, December 2006, P. 92)
Blog Watch
At Out of Context, Heather May says: "This early in the 2007 Salt Lake City mayor's race, it's no surprise that the candidates' biggest foe is not one another, but the vast ranks of the undecided. Jenny Wilson's camp leaked a poll this week that shows the Democrat leading her opponents in the nonpartisan contest. But even the Salt Lake County councilwoman is bested by that candidate 'undecided.' The campaign surveyed voters about the top six candidates: Wilson, City Councilman Dave Buhler, City Councilwoman Nancy Saxton, former City Councilman Keith Christensen, state lawmaker Ralph Becker and former state Democratic Party Chairwoman Meghan Holbrook. According to figures provided by Wilson's campaign manager, Carter Livingston, Wilson garnered 16 percent; Buhler 6 percent; Christensen and Saxton 5 percent each; Becker 4 percent; and Holbrook 1 percent. The undecideds registered a whooping 62 percent. In a Wilson-Buhler matchup, she takes 33 percent, he 11 percent. The numbers are roughly the same if she were to face off against Christensen or Becker. The best news for Wilson -- and the other three Democrats -- came from the question about a generic Democrat vs. a generic Republican. Almost 49 percent want to vote for a Democrat and 21 percent for a Republican. Salt Lake City-based NSON Opinion Research surveyed 300 registered city voters Nov. 10-14. The margin of error was 4.7 percent".... In a post about redistricting for a 4th Utah congressional seat, Rural Blogging's Ed Meyer says: "[Rep. Jim Matheson's] dad was from Panguitch, but he is certainly not a rural boy. However, he has the humility to genuinely ask for input and is the most helpful of any Representative we've sent to Washington in the 30 years I've lived in Utah. It seems to me that the best plan for rural Utah would be for all four districts to have a rural component. We have a greater potential for meeting rural needs if we create strong alliances such as the one we have with Congressman Matheson than by hunkering down in our rural strongholds and complaining because no one is willing to help us. Rural Utah wins when it capitalizes on friends wherever they may be found. Redistricting is one way to find new friends to help us address our needs".... In response to the controversy surrounding Andrew Sullivan's recent series of posts about Mitt Romney's Mormonism (the controversy is best summarized here, but see also here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), Ann Althouse says: "[M]ake no mistake: Sullivan's move is an ugly one. He doesn't like social conservatives and the way they use religion, and he sees an opportunity to drive a wedge into them by raising questions about religious doctrine and prodding people to feel hostility toward Mormons. He thinks this is justified because -- he asserts -- the Republicans have won power by styling themselves as a 'religious organisation.' They've used religion to their advantage, so they deserve to have it used against them. But stirring up hostility toward one sect? That is a dangerous thing that goes far beyond the targets you think you're aiming at."
Favorite Headlines
(Source: James Taranto’s “Best of the Web” at OpinionJournal.com)
Cannibals Agree
"Doctors Say How We Taste Affects Health"--headline, Associated Press, Nov. 21
Who Blew 007's Cover?
"Bond Doubled for Man Accused in Stamford Rape Case"--headline, Advocate (Stamford, Conn.), Nov. 21
Good News for Naomi Campbell
"Imported Models Deemed Safest Vehicles"--headline, Associated Press, Nov. 21
We're Looking Forward to the Radio Ads
"Beverage Firm Offers Pea-Flavored Soda"--headline, Reuters, Nov. 21
Not Full Price, We Hope
"Woman Charged for Poisoned Sandwiches"--headline, Associated Press, Nov. 20
Utah’s Top Issues
Here is our weekly issues list, generated by observing what’s hot in the news media, what’s on the agenda of various policymaking groups, and what’s being discussed among opinion leaders and policymakers. We welcome suggestions
and input from UPD readers. E-mail daily@utahpolicy.com.
Hottest of the Hot
- Redistricting to create 4 congressional districts
- Prop. 3 transit, roads project list
- Utah’s big budget surplus: Cut taxes or spend it
- Tolling on highways
- Cyber-safety issues (cyber predators, child pornography, identity theft, Internet scams, etc.)
Emerging
- Education achievement gap of disadvantaged students
- Western states primary
- Snake Valley water pumping for Las Vegas
- SITLA land sale on Green River
- Minimum wage increase
Mature
- Downtown SLC massive construction
- Immigration
- Washington County land sales
- Open space funding
- Affordable heath insurance
Getting Old (but not totally resolved)
Oldies But Goodies
- Banks/Credit Unions
- Highway funding
- Vouchers/School Choice
- Tax cuts vs. education funding/class size
- No Child Left Behind
- Healthcare reform/Medicaid
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