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Weekend Schedule
Have a great Memorial Day weekend. Utah Policy Daily will take the holiday off on Monday, but we will send weekend news links and calendar.
Utah Foundation Policy Brief
The Utah Foundation has posted its latest Policy Brief, which analyzes Utah's state and local tax and fee burdens, and a new poll question on the home page: "Which tax do you dislike the most?" Head on over and vote.
Washington Watch
Bennett Endorses Iraq Study Group
Sen. Bob Bennett joins a bipartisan group of senators "offering legislation next month to make the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group (ISG) official U.S. policy. The Iraq Study Group Recommendations Implementation Act of 2007, announced last week by Senators Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN), is expected to be introduced in early June" (see press release).
Today in Political History
May 25, 1925: John Scopes is indicted in Tennessee for teaching Darwin's theory of evolution. (Source: NBC5)
May 25, 1961: President John F. Kennedy asks the nation to work toward putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade. (Source: perspicuity)
Wise Words
“We believe that human happiness requires freedom and that freedom requires limited government.”
—Charles Murray (Source: Patriot Post)
Utah Trivia/History
Utah, named after the Ute Indian Tribe, was the 45th state to enter the United States (January 4, 1896). Today with a population of approximately 2.5 million, Utah ranks as the 34th most populous state in the United States. Some 76% of the population lives along the Wasatch Front (Salt Lake, Davis, Utah and Weber Counties). (Source: History to Go)
National Politics
Best Stories From . . .
-- USA Today: "Democrats aiming for the White House in 2008 are being forced to take sides on an issue that tripped up their 2004 nominee: whether to support continued funding of the Iraq war. The party's Senate candidates are in a bind because the bill they'll vote on, as early as Friday, does not include a timetable for bringing U.S. troops home. A no vote risks reviving the party's image as anti-military and soft on terrorism, and could hand a weapon to a GOP presidential nominee. A yes vote could inflame liberal groups and voters active in the primary process, and hand ammunition to Democratic rivals."
-- Wall Street Journal: Columnist Peggy Noonan asks for some common sense in the immigration debate. “Here is the truth: America has never deported millions of people, and America will never deport millions of people. It's not what we do. It's not who we are. It's not who we want to be.”
-- Newsday: Editorial: "The war in Iraq is far more consequential than the war in Washington between Democrats and Republicans. That's why it was a positive development yesterday when Democrats decided to drop their insistence on a withdrawal date for U.S. troops and instead agreed to a compromise proposal on establishing benchmarks for the Iraqi government."
-- New York Times: "Of all the candidates running for president, none have weathered more crosscurrents of the immigration battle than Gov. Bill Richardson, the New Mexico Democrat. ... Mr. Richardson initially said he would support the immigration compromise announced earlier this week. But on Wednesday, he said that after reading it in detail, he had decided to oppose it, saying the measure placed too great a burden on immigrants -- tearing apart families that wanted to settle in the United States, creating a permanent tier of second-class immigrant workers and financing a border fence that Mr. Richardson had long opposed."
Blog Watch
-- At The Senate Site, Sen. Curt Bramble says: "The voucher debate has progressed to the point that Utah needs a referee to blow the whistle and make a call. We have confusion on the field. Emotions are high, people are yelling, and no one can tell exactly where the lines are. [Thursday] the co-sponsors of the original voucher bill, Steve Urquhart and I, brought the issue to Utah's ultimate legal referee, the Utah Supreme Court. To my thinking, there are two possible outcomes -- one I like, one I don't" (see also related Steve Urquhart, Senate Site, UtahSenateDemocrats, Utah Taxpayer, The Utah Amicus, Jeremy's Jeremiad, and The World, According To Me posts).
-- Jesse Harris says of Rep. John Dougall's participation last week in the Food Stamp Challenge: "Apparently Rep. Dougall [didn't suffer] enough for [his critics'] tastes (which is to say, not at all) so they let him have it in at least two columns in the Tribune. Commenters on the stories joined in the melee to badmouth his efforts. ... What Rep. Dougall proved is that with proper meal planning, you can make your budget stretch out pretty darned far and still manage to eat real food. I can't for the life of me figure out why these detractors have refused to take the value of that lesson and say 'hey, good idea. Now how do we get it to the people that need it?'"
-- At Out of Context, Robert Gehrke reports: "Right after former Justice Department official Monica Goodling testified the No. 2 in the department (in her opinion) had given misleading testimony to Congress and she personally had 'crossed the line' in politicizing non-political positions, Rep. Chris Cannon held a short news conference to declare that Democrats had come up empty in their hunt for wrongdoing. His mind, however, seemed to be on another era -- happier days when a young congressman could see corruption everywhere he looked. 'Are we looking for violations by Monica Lewinsky?' misspoke Cannon, who managed the impeachment of President Clinton for lying about his relationship with the intern. Close. But no cigar. 'Are we looking for violations by Monica Goodling ... or are we looking for corruption?' Cannon righted himself. Asked if there was anything new in the hearing, Cannon did offer this: 'If this is a witch hunt, it was Glinda, the pretty witch, not the Wicked Witch of the West,' he said. Thanks for the insight, Congressman."
Casual Friday
Fishing Report
The Mirror Lake Highway and other high mountain areas are now opening up. You can drive to Trial Lake and action there has been fast. Most lakes in the area still have some ice (which is unsafe). You also have to wade through snowdrifts to get to some areas. This area will open up quickly now.
Boulder Mountain is open and has very good fishing in some lakes. The Skyline Drive is also opening up. Cicadas are still providing good fly fishing on the Green River. Check Dave Webb’s full report for ideas about where to fish over Memorial Day weekend. E-mail: Dave@redrockadventure.com.
Outdoors Report
-- Morning News’ tips on Memorial Day getaways
-- National hunting dog competition comes to Utah in the Tribune
-- State parks water conditions in the Morning News
-- Avoid the crowds this weekend with the Morning News’ lesser known escapes
-- Memorial Day activities at Utah State Parks in the Tribune
-- Biking events in the Morning News’ Cycling Notebook
-- Find out about upcoming events in the Morning News’ Outdoor Notes
-- Check out the Tribune’s Outdoor Notes and Recreation Roundup for sports and recreation activities this week
-- For the latest wildlife news and information and the fishing report visit the DWR website
New Films
-- Pirates of the Caribbean: Tribune review s
Concerts
-- Chorus of Sandy City, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Temple Square Assembly Hall
-- “Bravo Broadway,” Utah Symphony, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Abravanel Hall
-- Emily Williams, voice, Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Madsen Recital Hall, BYU, Provo
-- Lisa Williams, voice, Saturday, 3:30 p.m., Madsen Recital Hall, BYU, Provo
-- Richards Family, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Temple Square Assembly Hall
-- Chinese Celebration, Saturday, 8 p.m., Murray Park Amphitheater, $5
-- Organ Recitals, every Saturday, noon, and every Sunday, 2 p.m., Temple Square Assembly Hall
Theater
-- “Evening of Ballets” through June 2, Ballet West
-- “No Time for Sergeants” through June 2, Hale Center Theater Orem
-- “The Secret Garden” through June 2, Center Street Musical Theatre
-- “Seussical the Musical” through June 2, Terrace Plaza Playhouse
-- “Utahoma!” through June 2, Off Broadway Theatre
-- “Phantom of the Grand Ol' Opry” through June 9, Desert Star Cabaret Theatre
-- “Thoroughly Modern Millie” through June 9, Hale Centre Theatre
-- “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” through June 17, Wasatch Theatre Company
-- “The Secret Garden” through June 23, Center Street Musical Theatre
-- “Nunsense A-Men,” Desert Star Theatre
-- “Backstage” through June 25, Valley Center Playhouse, Lindon
-- “Fiddler on the Roof” through July 2, Empress Theatre
-- “Les Miserables” through July 7, Pioneer Theatre Company
Museum Exhibits
-- The Quiet Landscapes of William B. Post Exhibition through May 28, Museum of Art, Brigham Young University
-- 83rd Annual Spring Salon, Springville Museum of Art, through July 8
-- Brian Kershisnik: Painting from Life Exhibition through July 1, Head Trip: Around The World in Forty Hats Exhibition through August 12, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, University of Utah
Et Cetera
-- The Organ Loft Spring Silent Movie Series, through May 25
-- Scandinavian Heritage Festival, Friday and Saturday, Ephraim
-- Spring City Heritage Day, Saturday
-- Moab Arts Festival, through May 27
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