Voucher Debate on Politicopia.com
State representative and school voucher bill sponsor Steve Urquhart (R-St. George) has announced the release of a recent voucher debate between himself and former PTA President Carmen Snow. A full video and written transcript of the debate, which took place on Oct. 23 at Dixie State College, can be found on Politicopia.com.
“I believe vouchers will be very good for education in Utah,” Urquhart said. “I believe more people are beginning to see it that way, as they dig past the rhetoric.” Politicopia.com, a nationally acclaimed site designed for increased political interaction and social networking, was upgraded this week to support the video format. Politicopia.com supports citizen-to-citizen dialogue to encourage the spread of accurate and useful information about topics such as vouchers. In addition to videos of the voucher debate, users can participate in a continuous dialogue about the voucher referendum.
Washington Watch
Hatch: SCHIP Vote 'Lost Opportunity'
Sen. Orrin Hatch says of Thursday's House vote on the SCHIP revision, which failed to secure a veto-proof majority: "I am very disappointed about the outcome of today's vote. I believe it is a lost opportunity for America's low-income, uninsured children" (see press release).
Matheson: Yes to SCHIP Revision
Rep. Jim Matheson says "real harm will be done to children in working-poor families if President Bush again vetoes the bipartisan compromise bill that renews and extends the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)" (see press release).
Cannon: No to SCHIP
Rep. Chris Cannon opposes the SCHIP revision, calling it a "stealth expansion of government run health care" (see press release).
Ulysses S. Grant and the Mormons
On October 3, 1875, Grant became the first President of the United States to visit Utah. He later wrote the first best-selling presidential memoir, which included the lines: “There are now people who believe Mormonism and Polygamy to be ordained by the Most High. We forgive them for entertaining such notions, but forbid their practice.” (From Mike Winder’s Presidents and Prophets: The Story of America’s Presidents and the LDS Church)
Today in Political History
Oct. 26, 1984: The Terminator, a film starring bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, opens at No. 1 in the box office. He speaks 17 lines of dialogue. (National Journal political calendar)
Oct. 26, 1994: Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and Prime Minister Abdel Salam Majali of Jordan sign a peace treaty in a ceremony attended by President Clinton. (New York Times)
October 26, 2001: The Patriot Act is signed into law by Pres. George Bush. (Source: NBC5)
Wise Words
“We should take care not to make the intellect our god; it has, of course, powerful muscles, but no personality.”
-- Albert Einstein (Source: Quote Garden)
Utah Capitol Spotlight
The Utah State Capitol Building is a symbol of government, community and heritage. It is truly the "People's House". It is located on the top of State Street and over looks the Salt Lake Valley. Construction on this great building began on Dec. 26, 1912, with the cornerstone being laid in April 1914 and the dedication on Oct. 9, 1916. The cost of the project totaled $2,739,538.00.
When Utah became a state on Jan. 4, 1896, there was no official Capitol building in Salt Lake City. The original Capitol of the state was in Fillmore. However, as Utah's population grew and was settling in Salt Lake City rather than in the middle of the state, the state Capitol was officially changed to Salt Lake City. Since only one wing of the Capitol building in Fillmore had been constructed, the Legislature decided to not spend any more money on a building that was not used or needed and the project to finish the Capitol in Fillmore was abandoned.
By 1911, the Legislature was able to issue bonds for a $1,000,000 loan to build the Capitol building in Salt Lake City. The efforts were aided by unforeseen good fortune, a windfall from the death of Edward Herriman, president of Union Pacific Railroad. The Utah Attorney General, A.R. Barnes, found a state inheritance tax law, previously un-enforced, which permitted the state to gain $798,546 in revenue from the Herriman estate. (Source: Capitol Preservation Board)
National Politics
Best Stories From …
-- The Hill: "Democrats are losing the battle for voters' hearts because the party's message lacks emotional appeal, according to a widely circulated critique of House Democratic communications strategy."
-- Los Angeles Times: "Democratic ideas for fixing the healthcare system to cover the uninsured enjoy more support among Americans than proposals coming from Republicans, a new ... poll shows."
-- New York Times: "[A] particularly hawkish group of advisers and neoconservative thinkers" is helping Rudy Giuliani formulate his foreign policy proposals.
-- Washington Post: "Iran is now the front line in a foreign policy debate that has found Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) defending a vote that her rivals said could embolden President Bush to once again launch unilateral military action against a Middle Eastern nation."
Blog Watch
-- At The Senate Site, Sen. Curt Bramble responds to this column by Paul Rolly.
-- Rep. John Dougall says: "As a taxpayer, do you ever feel like you get no respect for your efforts? It sure felt that way when the latest anti-voucher mailer arrived this week. Utahns for Public Schools show a table titled 2004-2005 Per Pupil Spending, which states that Utahns spent $5,257 per pupil. But if you look at the really fine print at the bottom of the page you see that the table just shows per pupil amounts for current spending. Reviewing Table 11 in the U.S. Census Bureau's 2005 Public Education Finances report you will see that per pupil revenue for the 2004-2005 school year was $6,510. The difference? $1,253 per student. ... Where did the $1,253 go? Perhaps it's just a victim of that new math where there are no wrong answers (just wrong parents)."
-- At Out of Context, Thomas Burr reports: "At least around these parts, it would be career suicide, not to mention just plain wrong, to make false and offensive stereotypes about Irish Catholics being drunks, Jews being stingy or Muslims being terrorists in a newspaper blog. But Pennsylvania Patriot-News' Washington correspondent Brett Lieberman apparently doesn't see it that way. ... Lieberman wrote in a blog post on his newspaper's site Wednesday that Romney would drop into Pennsylvania for a fund-raising event, 'but you'll be hard pressed to see the GOP presidential candidate or his 17 wives.' ... Romney's spokesman Kevin Madden quickly dialed up Lieberman to complain. 'What you did was essentially slander a person and make an offensive remark about someone in reference to their faith,' Madden said. 'That's sort of what we do most every day,' Lieberman responded in another post, apologizing and saying it was an attempt at satire. ... Heads-up Brett: Mormons don't like to be stereotyped as weirdo polygamists.
Lighter Side
“Hillary tried to get a million dollars for the Woodstock museum. I understand it was a major cultural and pharmaceutical event. I couldn’t attend. I was tied up at the time.”
— John McCain (Patriot Post)
Casual Friday
Fishing Report
The weather is so nice, this is a wonderful time to go fishing. Get out and enjoy the season.
Brown trout will be spawning during the next few weeks. They build and guard nests in shallow gravel on our streams. Adult fish and the nests are vulnerable; take care that you don't harm them because they represent the good fishing of the future.
You can still fish for trout in the streams, just don't target fish guarding nests. Fish below the nests and you may catch opportunistic trout waiting for roe to wash down. You can also feel good about fishing the deeper runs. Success is good right now on our trout streams.
Strawberry, Scofield, Fish Lake, Flaming Gorge, Bear Lake and many other waters are all productive. Good fising will continue on these waters until access becomes difficult because of snow and ice. More info at Red Rock Adventure.
Outdoors Report
-- Bad weather slows start of the annual deer hunt in the Morning News
-- Training dogs for hunting in the Tribune
-- Morning News entices anglers to fish Scofield Reservoir
-- Explore the Mount Aire Trail in the Tribune’s Hike of the Week
-- Find out about upcoming events in the Morning News’ Outdoor Notes
-- Check out the Tribune’s Outdoor Notebook 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
-- Dan in Real Life: Tribune review
-- Lars and the Real Girl: Tribune review
-- The Darjeeling Limited: Tribune review
Concerts
-- Church Relief Society Music Festival, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Temple Square Assembly Hall, free
-- “Monstrous Melodies,” Utah Philharmonia, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Libby Gardner Concert Hall www.kingsburyhall.com
-- “Symphonie Fantastique,” Utah Symphony, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., Abravanel Hall
-- Bob Bailey Quartet with Jerry Floor, jazz, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Vieve Gore Concert Hall, Westminster College
-- Peggy Wheelwright and Reesa James, piano and violin, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Temple Square Assembly Hall, free
-- “Serenade to Music,” Utah Choral Artists, Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Libby Gardner Concert Hall
-- The Fourteenth Annual Eccles Organ Festival, Sundays, 8 p.m., through November 4, Cathedral of the Madeleine
-- Organ Recitals, every Saturday, noon, and every Sunday, 2 p.m., Temple Square Assembly Hall
Theater
-- “Art” through October 26, Utah Shakespearean Festival
-- “Dracula” through October 27, Academy of Performing Arts
-- “It's Showtime!” through October 27, Bumbleberry Theatre, Springdale
-- “The Mousetrap” through October 27, Utah Shakespearean Festival
-- “The Tempest” through October 27, Utah Shakespearean Festival
-- “Twist the Night Away” through October 28, Bumbleberry Theatre, Springdale
-- “Lucky Stiff” through November 3, Draper Historic Theatre
-- “Exposed” through November 4, Plan-B Theatre Company
-- “The Big Friendly Giant” through November 9, SCERA Center
-- “Anne of Green Gables” through November 10, Grand Theatre
-- “Harry Botter and the Curse of Dracula” through November 10, Off Broadway Theatre
-- “Little Shop of Horrors” through November 10, Rodgers Memorial Theatre
-- “Once Upon a Mattress” through November 10, Terrace Plaza Playhouse
-- “Spamlet, Where Mystery Meats Comedy” through November 10, Desert Star Cabaret Theatre
-- “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” through November 17, Empress Theatre
-- “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” through November 17, Center Street Musical Theatre
-- “Thoroughly Modern Millie” through November 24, Hale Center Theater Orem
-- “Once On This Island” through November 24, Hale Centre Theatre
Museum Exhibits
-- The Bear River Exhibition through December 30, Utah Museum of Natural History
-- Picturing the West: 19th Century Landscape Photography Exhibition through December 30, Utah Museum of Fine Arts
-- Andy Warhol’s Dream America Exhibition through January 6, Utah Museum of Fine Arts
-- Cinderella: Masks, Magic, and Mirrors Exhibition through March 31, Utah Museum of Fine Arts
-- Minerva Teichert: Pageants in Paint Exhibition, through May 26, Brigham Young University Museum of Art
Et Cetera
-- Utah Humanities Book Festival, Friday and Saturday, Salt Lake City Main Library
-- Utah Shakespearean Festival, through October 27, Cedar City
|
