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Tuesday Musing
Utah is a Well-Managed State
Utah government and its leaders face their share of challenges, and Utah has plenty of problems. But it is also periodically instructive to step back and consider the state of Utah’s government in a broader perspective. In doing so, Utah looks pretty darn good.
I recently participated in a lengthy interview with Will Wilson, from Governing Magazine and the Government Performance Project. Wilson was conducting an in-depth evaluation of Utah’s government, interviewing a variety of Utahns knowledgeable about the operation of state government. His focus was not on the big political issues of the day, but instead on the basic operations of state government, indicators that show how healthy or troubled a state is.
Wilson asked questions about state long-term planning, decision-making based on appropriate performance data, cost performance information, care of basic infrastructure like information systems, state buildings and transportation facilities, capital expenditure planning, budget forecasting and procedures, spending discipline, debt levels, rainy day fund, accounting and finance procedures, procurement procedures, workforce procedures, retirement fund health, planning for economic downturns, tax base balance, and so forth.
Those things aren’t very sexy and don’t get much news coverage, but the reality is Utah is very healthy in all of those areas, no doubt among the best in the country. Based on Wilson’s comments, it was clear he’s quite impressed with the way Utah state government is operated. I predict Utah will fare very well when the Governing Magazine performance rankings are released.
Utah’s leaders, both in the Executive Branch and the Legislature, deserve kudos for taking care of the basics and managing the state exceptionally well.
Washington Watch
Hatch: Gonzales Served Honorably
Sen. Orrin Hatch says of the resignation of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales: "Alberto Gonzales has been the President's strong right arm in fighting terrorists using the tools of law enforcement, and he helped successfully protect the American homeland during his tenure. ... I hope that history will remember Attorney General Gonzales for his honorable service to his country, rather than for the absurd political theater to which some critics have subjected him" (see press release).
Today in Political History
August 28, 1954: School Milk Program Act approved, providing funds for purchase of milk for school lunch programs and a more reliable income for farmers.
August 28: 1958: Congress responds to Soviet advances in missile technology by authorizing emergency defense spending and creating the Advanced Research Projects Agency under the Department of Defense. ARPA’s explicit mission is the pursuit of military research and development, but the agency’s accomplishments include technologies suited to civilian use, including the Internet. (Source: Perspicuity)
August 28: 1963: Martin Luther King delivers his “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to a crowd of 250,000.
Wise Words
“Sweet are the uses of adversity, Which like the toad, ugly and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our life, exempt from public haunt, Find tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, And good in everything.”
-- William Shakespeare (Source: Quote Exchange)
Communications Tip
Op-Ed Essay Quick Tips
Political and business leaders should attempt to periodically publish newspaper op-ed essays on important topics. Op-eds should be timely, lively and present strong arguments. Editors want readers to say, "Wow, did you see that piece today?" They are looking for an unusual or provocative opinion on a current issue, a call-to-arms on a neglected topic, bite and wit, or an expert take on an issue by a well-known name. Op-ed page editors are not looking for event announcements, promotional materials or generic ideas.
Make your points compelling. The first sentence should grab the reader's attention, and everything that follows should keep it. Illustrate your case with vivid examples and memorable facts. Defend it with a few strong arguments. Be short and specific. Use a lively, active voice. Give readers the minimum background they need to understand your case. Don't bog them down with jargon or too many statistics. Mention your opponents' claims and dismantle them with common sense, past history, contradicting facts, moral outrage – whatever is needed. (Source: CCMC.ORG)
National Politics
Best Stories From . . .
-- The Politico: "Attorney General Alberto Gonzales announced his resignation [Monday] morning, to the relief of many administration officials who have long considered him an embarrassment. The departure means President Bush will go to battle with Congress next month with a dramatically different set of advisers than before the recess -- and with two of the Democrats' top targets sidelined."
-- Washington Times: "Republican strategists say the Democratic Congress' plunging job-approval rating gives them a fresh chance to make gains in next year's elections under a developing Republican strategy that is urging its candidates to run an insurgent, anti-incumbent campaign."
-- Washington Post: John Edwards is pinning his presidential hopes on "the argument that he is the sole Southern Democrat and cultural conservative in the Democratic presidential field, making him the only top-tier candidate in his party who can appeal easily to white men."
-- Las Vegas Review-Journal: Editorial: "Thanks largely to economic growth spurred by the Bush tax cuts, the federal deficit continues to shrink significantly. The Congressional Budget Office announced last week that the deficit for the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30 will be about $158 billion, well below the $250 billion recorded the previous year."
Lighter Side
The Preacher in Alaska
(Source: Floating around the Internet)
A famous television preacher took a couple of days off to visit the rugged mountains of Alaska for some sightseeing. He was cruising along the campground when there was a frantic commotion just at the edge of the woods.
A helpless Democrat, wearing sandals, shorts, a "Save the Whales" hat, and a "To Hell with Bush" T-shirt, was screaming while struggling frantically and thrashing around trying to free himself from the grasp of a 10-foot grizzly. As the preacher watched in horror, a group of Republican loggers came racing up.
One quickly fired a .44 magnum into the bear's brain. The other two reached up and pulled the bleeding, semiconscious Democrat from the bear's grasp. The three loggers finished off the bear and two of them threw it onto the bed of their truck while the other tenderly placed the injured Democrat in the back seat.
As they prepared to leave, the preacher summoned them to come over. "I thank you for your brave actions!" he said. "I've seen with my own eyes that the bitter hatred I’ve heard about between Republican loggers and Democratic environmental activists is not true."
As the preacher drove off, one of the loggers asked his buddies "Who was that guy?"
"He’s a preacher. I’ve seen him on TV," another replied. "He gets inspiration from Heaven and is a very wise man."
"Well," the logger said, "He may be wise, but he sure doesn't know anything about grizzly bear hunting! By the way, is the bait holding up, or do we need to go back to Massachusetts and get another one?” |
