Washington Watch
Bennett: Bill Victim of Politics
Senator Bob Bennett says of the U.S. House's decision to shelve a proposal that would have given Utah a fourth congressional seat: "I am obviously disappointed the House will not bring this legislation to a vote. However, Utah is well positioned to receive a fourth seat when the Census is completed in 2010, just a few years later than many in the state had hoped. I commend the congressional delegation, Governor Huntsman, and the state legislators for their diligence throughout this process. This bill, unfortunately, was a victim to end-of-the-session and post-election politics" (see press release).
Taxpayers Association Newsletter
The Utah Taxpayers Association has posted its December newsletter. This month's edition covers many topics and includes a column by Association President (and state senator) Howard Stephenson on why "congestion pricing is a must" to relieve traffic congestion.
Regional Politics
Michigan's Loss is Wyoming's Gain
Article: "Wyoming, a state with a population of around 500,000, is seeing a boom in the energy, coal mining, high-tech data storage, communications and health care industries. The need for all kinds of workers, especially skilled ones, is so great that the state is actively recruiting from Michigan, were the situation is almost the exact opposite" (USA Today).
Colorado adding jobs, population
Article: "Colorado's economy will slow next year, but not enough to prevent job hunters from moving to the state in much larger numbers, according to an annual economic forecast released today from the University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business. ... Colorado will be the fourth fastest growing state in the nation, said Patricia Silverstein, president of Development Research Partners, adding that only Nevada, Arizona and Utah will see their populations grow at a faster rate" (Denver Post).
UDOT Open House
The Utah Department of Transportation will be holding an open house on proposed Mountain View Corridor alignment shifts in Utah County tomorrow from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Snow Springs Elementary School in Lehi. For more info, click here.
National Politic
Arianna & Hillary: No Love Lost
Hillary Clinton gets savaged as much from the left as from the right. Ultra-liberal blogger Arianna Huffington uses every opportunity to ridicule Clinton in her Huffington Post group blog.
Wise Words
“Always remember: authority is granted from above; power is granted from below. Those who employ you can give you the authority to do your job; but only those who work for you can give you the power to succeed in it. Strive to earn power—defined as the unspoken agreement of staff members to allow you to lead them—through your own competence and excellence, and strive constantly to retain it.”
-- From Davis County Library Director Pete Giacoma’s tip sheet on being a successful administrator
Blog Watch
In response to this news, Jesse Harris says: "Good job, Utah Legislature. You spent a bunch of time and money drawing up all kinds of redistricting maps for nothing. ... In your thirst for gaining an extra seat for a whole three years (most projections show us getting the seat in 2010 anyway), you ignored the Constitution and ramrodded a proposal through that will have to end up being redrawn after the next Census anyway. How is it that a supposedly Conservative state like Utah can go so far astray from sound Constitutional principles? ... I give a special raspberry to Gov. Huntsman for forcing the special session for this train wreck" (see also here, here, and here).... Capital Carnage says: "Trib reporter Rebecca Walsh has an interesting post ... about the Majority party and their penchant for closed caucuses. Since Republicans in this state hold a super majority, their caucus decisions hold the most weight. So I understand why people want their caucuses open. I have no problem with them being called on the carpet for choosing to keep their caucuses closed. What I would like to know however, is why the state's Minority party seems to get a pass. The Minority party claims to be more open and transparent in their policy making, but the last time that their 19 (now 20) votes actually mattered (the Legacy highway deal) the first thing they did was close their caucus. This has to make one wonder whether or not if given the same power and responsibilities that the majority party enjoys, the Minority party would conduct their caucus differently. I have often wondered what would happen if Minority Leader Ralph Becker couldn't just pander to the media and toss shots at the Majority party. What if Rep. Becker had to make some tough choices and then was held accountable for those choices? Would controversial and contentious caucus meetings be held open for the public? Or would it be business as usual on [Capitol Hill]?".... At Out of Context, Thomas Burr reports: "Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's Commonwealth PAC issued a news release Tuesday saying that Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt has joined on as chairman of the PAC's Governors' Advisory Committee. That's a nice way of saying that Blunt has essentially endorsed Romney's expected presidential bid. For those who know a bit about Mormon history, it's nice to hear that a Missouri governor would actually endorse a Mormon candidate. Blunt's action on Tuesday is, well, a far cry from one of his predecessor's infamous 'extermination order,' an executive order in 1838 that allowed anyone to kill a Mormon as part of a plan to drive the faithful from the state. Good to know Missourian-Mormon relations have mended over the last 168 years" (see more Romney coverage here, here, here, here, and here).
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