The Week Ahead
The holidays are here and we should all forget about politics for a few weeks. But an interesting special legislative session, called by Gov. Jon Huntsman to create four congressional districts, will be held today beginning at 10:30 a.m. See this page on the legislative web site for the governor’s proclamations and links to maps of the proposed districts. See the Utah Policy Daily calendarfor other political activities.
Monday Musing
Federalism Needed on Agenda
Republican Party leaders are doing a lot of head-scratching and soul-searching as they contemplate their defeat in November and try to figure out how to win in 2008. Lots of pundits are offering advice, focused mostly on moving to the center or returning to core conservative principles.
It’s disappointing to me that few people are talking about a return to a properly balanced federalist system as a means to deal with the knotty problems facing the nation. In a recent speech to Republican governors, outgoing Republican National Committee chair Ken Mehlman came close to endorsing proper federalism. The Washington Post reported that Mehlman said that as Republicans built up their Washington power base, “the center of gravity shifted away from the statehouses that had been the traditional laboratories for policy ideas. The result was a vacuum that delivered little of interest to voters, while devaluing the national Republican brand.”
The consolidation of power at the federal level has continued under Republican rule. The result, I believe, is a federal government that is trying to do far too much. The federal job description has become so bloated that it is impossible to execute properly.
We need to leave more responsibility and more resources at the state and local levels where government is more manageable and producing positive results is still possible. While states are not without their problems and some states perform better than others, we’d see more innovation and more real results to the country’s toughest problems if they were addressed at the state level rather than the federal level.
For the most part, states balance their budgets; they don’t engage in financial shenanigans, hiding the seriousness of their financial problems. By contrast, the federal government is hurtling toward financial disaster, taking all of us with it.
It’s true that we live in a complex world with commerce and technology not respecting state boundaries. But we can still follow the Internet model of central coordination and standard-setting, with local control. The Internet is successful because it is decentralized. More and more large companies are decentralizing their operations as they go global. Few successful entities these days operate from a command-and-control, highly bureaucratized, one-size-fits-all organizational structure.
Republicans and Democrats looking for new ideas, for ideas that work, ought to embrace proper federalism as a means to find solutions to problems in 50 laboratories of democracy, in addition to improving the nation’s fiscal health.
Washington Watch
Hatch Hails Panel Selection
Sen. Orrin Hatch congratulates "mining engineering Professor Felipe Calizaya of the University of Utah for his appointment to a national panel to explore mine safety. Calizaya will be one of six members of the panel" (see press release).
National Politics
No More Superpower?
Fascinating National Journal cover story on what the world might look like if the United States ceases to be a superpower that dominates the rest of the world.
Bloggers Hire Out to Campaigns
In a Sunday New York Times column, Daniel Glover and Mike Essl note that a lot of bloggers are leaving their independence behind and are joining political campaigns.
Growing Mormon Political Clout?
Article: "When Sen. Harry Reid becomes Senate majority leader next year, he will be the most powerful Mormon in Washington. But that reign could be short-lived if Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney makes a bid for the presidency in 2008 and wins. ... Reid is a Democrat from Nevada and Romney is a Republican. Though they have chosen different political stripes, they are bonded in a faith whose leaders encourage members to become active in public life. Mormons are heeding the call. Typically conservative, they are more politically active than average Americans ... And the 15 Mormons in Congress is a slightly greater representation than the religious group's percentage of the general population" (Associated Press/USA Today).
Grace in Politics
In a Wall Street Journal column, Peggy Noonan says we need more grace in today’s politics.
Regional Politics
Western States Act on Climate Change
Article: "Energy regulators from four U.S. Western states, saying they cannot wait for the Bush administration to act on climate change, signed an agreement on Friday to cooperate to promote energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The move by the public utilities commissions of California, Oregon, Washington and New Mexico is likely to draw in other states in the West, officials said" (Reuters).
Eco-Friendlier West?
Article: "Last month's elections ... may signal the end of Republican dominance and fierce resistance to many conservation measures [in the West]. Profound demographic and economic change seems finally to be asserting itself across the region. Westerners cast votes suggesting that the protection of their natural surroundings is not a negotiable condition for living well" (Washington Post).
Wise Words
Milton Friedman (who died recently) on government:
- “If a tax cut increases government revenues, you haven’t cut taxes enough.”
- “A society that puts equality ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom.”
- “Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program.”
- “If government is to exercise power, better in the county than in the state, better in the state than in Washington.” (Source: Forbes magazine, Dec. 11 edition, p. 56)
Blog Watch
Paul Rolly reports: "Sen. Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, has discovered the consequences of challenging the king and losing. Waddoups reportedly came within one vote of unseating Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem in the Senate leadership elections held shortly after the general election last month. But lose he did and now he gets the thanks for trying to upend the apple cart. Committee assignments have been made in the Senate and guess who no longer is Rules Committee Chairman? Waddoups has been replaced in that powerful spot by Sen. Bill Hickman, R-St. George. But Waddoups does get to be co-chair of the Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations Committee. Big whoop. The consequence of Waddoups' big fall is that Salt Lake County now has no member i[n] a key leadership position in the Senate.” (see also here).... At Political Insider, Drew Pritt describes how a 4th Utah congressional seat could help the Democrats solidify their control of the U.S. House (see also here, here, and here).... SLCSpin says of the EnergySolutions Arena deal: "WE made [Larry H. Miller] rich. WE gave him the profile and lifestyle unrivaled in the region. THIS is how he thanks us? By permanently and publicly tying our State to nuclear waste? He puts a fine spin on the decision, but let's all remember that after stripping away all the 'you know this guy' crap Larry is just a used car salesman trying to sell us a lemon".... PoliBlog's Dr. Steven Taylor has a long, detailed post on Mitt Romney and "the politics of Mormonism" (see also here, here, here, here, here, here, and here).
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
- Real soccer stadium funding
- 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
- School nurse shortage
- Education achievement gap of disadvantaged students
- School nurse shortage
- 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
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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