The Week Ahead
A lot is happening in this week leading up to Christmas, but not a lot of it is politics, thankfully. Besides finishing up your Christmas shopping, you can watch a lot of football. Bowl games get underway Tuesday and you can watch BYU play Oregon, 6 p.m. Thursday on ESPN. On Saturday, Utah plays Tulsa, also 6 p.m. on ESPN. See Tribune listing of all bowl games.
If you like darkness, then this Thursday is the day for you. Dec. 21 is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and the longest night of the year, the day when the northern hemisphere is tilted farthest away from the sun. See info from NationalGeographic.com.
On the political front, the Tribune reports two key meetings will be held this week to determine what transportation projects will be funded by a sales tax increase authorized by Proposition 3: On Tuesday, the County Council, Mayor Peter Corroon and the county's mayors will meet at 10 a.m. in the council conference room in the County Government Center North Building, 2001 S. State, to approve the Legislature’s latest tweak to the prioritization process, and attempt to settle on a project list. Then, on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the same room, the Council will meet to formally impose the tax.
The Legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee meets Wednesday at 9 a.m. (see agenda). For other political events, see the Utah Policy Daily calendar.
Monday Musing
Tie Ed Funding Boost to Reform
By LaVarr Webb
Utah’s public education system needs a lot more money for teacher salaries and class size reduction, and 2007 is the year the system will likely get the biggest funding increase in history.
Thanks to enormous tax revenue growth to pay the costs, Gov. Huntsman has made public education funding his top priority for the 2007 legislative session, and the Legislature is also poised to fund public education at unprecedented levels.
I believe Utah teachers do a terrific job, for the most part, and deserve a healthy raise. Teacher salaries ought to be high enough to support a family, and today they are not.
However, I also believe that the Legislature and governor ought to require some improvements in our education system, along with the big money. Don’t simply throw more money at the same system. Some of the governor’s proposed funding is targeted at specific needs in public education, and that makes sense. Legislators will propose other reforms.
But the most important single reform that would make the largest difference and ultimately result in more funding per pupil and systemic education improvement is school choice. The Legislature should tie the big increases in public education funding to a school choice legislative package. At the very least, a modest pilot project should be undertaken.
Tying a portion of education funding directly to students, and allowing families to choose where their children attend school, would inject marketplace economics and free enterprise into the education system. This most fundamental of all education reforms would, over time, improve public schools, raise teacher salaries, reduce class sizes and make schools more responsive to parents.
Opposition by the education establishment to even a modest school choice pilot project is irrational and unreasonable. The opposition has unfortunately taken on elements of religious zealotry. It has become emotional, not facts-based.
This is the time for enormous budget boosts for public education. It is also the time for real education reform.
Wise Words
“Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.”
-- James Bovard, Civil Libertarian
CPPA Minimum Wage Report
The University of Utah's Center for Public Policy & Administration has posted a research report analyzing "the characteristics of those earning minimum wage" in Utah. To read it, click here.
Regional Politics
Toll for I-80?
Article: "A state lawmaker says one way to solve mounting maintenance costs on Interstate 80 in Wyoming is to impose a toll on drivers. 'We'd make the road pay for itself,' said Sen. Michael Von Flatern, R-Gillette, a member of the Senate Transportation Highways and Military Affairs Committee" (Casper Star-Tribune).
Colorado Uranium Rush
Article: "Colorado's vast stores of uranium are once again causing an unprecedented rush of investors, hedge funds and prospectors toting Geiger counters and stake poles. After three decades on hiatus, thousands of prospectors are back on the Western Slope, staking claims and seeking permits, bent on tapping the region's rich uranium reserves" (Rocky Mountain News).
Optimistic About Pipeline Plan
Article: "The developer of a proposed $4 billion pipeline that would bring water from Flaming Gorge Reservoir in Wyoming to Colorado's Front Range is filing permits with federal agencies and believes the project could be completed in a short time. 'We honestly believe our timeline will be three years,' said Aaron Million, a Colorado State University graduate student who wants to convert his research into a business" (Pueblo Chieftain).
National Politics
The Man From Nowhere
In a Wall Street Journal column, Peggy Noonan wonders what Barack Obama believes in and what his core values are. Also in the Wall Street Journal, John Fund explains why he thinks Obama may not run.
Blog Watch
The Senate Site says: "The funniest thing about last week was the déjà vu. The House Majority met in caucus and established some sweeping budget goals, just like they did last year. The Senate Majority also met to start digging into the budget, like we did a year ago. Once again, following those meetings, reporters peppered us with questions like, 'The House proposed a $300 million tax cut, what is YOUR proposal?' A few seemed to anticipate -- almost hope for -- a punch and counterpunch. The reality, I hope, is a bit more nuanced than Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed".... Utah Taxpayer analyzes Gov. Huntsman's proposed education budget (see also here).... Neil Abercrombie disputes the notion that Utah's cities and towns are flush with cash.... Paul Rolly says: "Here's an interesting take on why Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff have endorsed John McCain for the Republican presidential nomination over home-town hero Mitt Romney. If Romney, a Mormon, is elected president, he would most surely not be able to appoint other Mormons to cabinet posts or other significant positions because of the political ramifications. One of Romney's greatest challenges as he negotiates the Republican mine fields toward the nomination is getting through the Mormon question. Many fundamentalist Christians in the Republican Party's conservative base don't trust Mormons and feel the LDS Church is not a true Christian Church. So Romney is down-playing his Mormon membership. Campaign insiders say it is crucial that he show a broad base of political support outside the LDS community. Huntsman and Shurtleff are both Mormons and, under this theory, would be out of the running for a top federal job with Romney. Speculation is rampant that Huntsman is playing the Mike Leavitt game and angling for a cabinet post or a juicy ambassadorship in a McCain administration. Shurtleff? Perhaps he would like something in Homeland Security, or maybe a drug czar appointment. If McCain is elected, he could appoint all the Mormons he wants, with impunity" (see also 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
- Utah’s 2008 budget and big surplus; dueling tax cut/tax reform proposals
- Real soccer stadium funding
- Prop. 3 transit, roads project list
- 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
- 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
|
