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Lawmakers Plans On-Line Town Meeting
An on-line town meeting will be held in conjunction with legislative site visits today and Thursday to Davis and Salt Lake counties. The Senate Site provides details, and says:
“For several reasons, such as a packed itinerary, a plethora of diverse communities, etc., the traditional ‘brick and mortar’ town meeting was impractical this year. We decided to take to the web. This on-line town meeting replaces 3X5 cards with E-mail, replaces the brick and mortar of an auditorium with whatever surrounds your computer, shrinks geography and tosses the clock out the window.” Anyone with questions for legislators can pose them at www.utahsitevisit.com.
UTA Bus Redesign Meetings
The Utah Transit Authority will be visiting TRAX stations and local colleges and universities to educate the public about upcoming changes to the bus system in Salt Lake County. UTA representatives will hand out maps, schedules and answer questions at several locations throughout the valley over the next two weeks. For more info, click here.
Today in Political History
August 15, 1914: U.S.-built Panama Canal opens.
August 15, 1953: CIA backed coup in Iran overthrows existing government and installs the Shah.
August 15, 1971: President Richard Nixon announces 90-day freeze on wages, prices and rents. (Source: Perspicuity)
Wise Words
“Regard your good name as the richest jewel you can possibly be possessed of -- for credit is like fire; when once you have kindled it you may easily preserve it, but if you once extinguish it, you will find it an arduous task to rekindle it again. The way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.”
-- Socrates (Source: Quotations Page)
Campaign Tip
Targeting Your Votes
(Campaign advice from Trust for Public Land)
An excerpt: “Long before any votes are counted -- or even cast -- you should estimate the votes you need to win. This targeting analysis is critical in a couple of cases. First, if you don't have the money to conduct a public opinion poll, a targeting analysis will help you allocate your resources effectively. You won't know which specific demographic groups make up your base and swing voting groups, but you will know which geographic areas are most inclined to support environmental and/or spending measures.
“Next, this analysis can be helpful even if you do have a poll to help refine your campaign's targeting. For instance, some states such as Georgia and Washington don't provide voter information by party and you won't be able to target your media accordingly (although there will be other demographic factors such as gender and age to consider). You may also want to refine your targeting beyond the information provided in a poll. For instance, an analysis may tell you that voters in a cluster of southwestern precincts are most inclined to support environmental measures. This area may be the best place to attract supporters to a campaign kick-off/rally or to increase turnout among supporters in a low-turnout election.”
National Politics
Best Stories From . . .
-- Washington Post: Columnist Grover Norquist: "Karl Rove changed history. He managed four campaigns that will define America for a generation. None of these campaigns was easy or obvious, and that is why Rove will rightfully be remembered for his role in American politics."
-- Der Spiegel: "The American people may want to get rid of Bush, but they in no way want to risk losing the war on terror. The consequences: America's Democrats are seeking to position themselves as being more hawkish than the Republicans and Congress has just approved the biggest military budget ever."
-- Los Angeles Times: "Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton cites her experience as a compelling reason voters should make her president, but nearly 2 million pages of documents covering her White House years are locked up in [the Bill Clinton presidential library], obscuring a large swath of her record as first lady."
-- The State: "U.S. Sen. John McCain said Monday he most likely has to win two of the first three nominating contests to become the Republican Party's 2008 choice for president."
Blog Watch
Arianna Huffington at Huffington Post argues that the mainstream media are ignoring “a vital part of the Utah mine collapse story.”
Lighter Side
“To err is human – and to blame it on a computer is even more so.”
-- Robert Orben (Connect magazine Connectory edition) |
