Downtown Rising
Life in the City
Downtown lost a lot of parking with the demise of the ZCMI and Crossroads malls. When there are lots of events downtown, finding a parking spot can be difficult.
So it’s great to see the TRAX trains jammed full every evening with people, and lots of families, coming downtown to see the lights at Temple Square, attend the Nutcracker, shop at Gateway, attend a Jazz game, and other assorted activities.
I’ve talked to a number of people from all over the valley who say they love riding TRAX. It’s great not having to fight traffic or find a parking spot downtown, especially in bad weather. They drive to a park-and-ride lot, and hop on TRAX. For children, especially, it turns a trip downtown into a fun and exciting experience.
In a few months, folks in northern Utah will be able to have a similar experience, riding downtown on FrontRunner. Within a few years, with TRAX lines all over the valley and FrontRunner south to Provo, we’ll see transit ridership skyrocket. A train will come by on the main TRAX line every 5-7 minutes. No worrying about schedules. Just show up and a train will arrive.
That will be good for traffic congestion, good for people who won’t have to buy a second car, good for mental health, and good for our air quality.
Gifts for Globalists
The latest Global Utah newsletter from World Trade Center Utah (WTCUT) profiles Doug Clark and the International Trade and Diplomacy Office within the Governor's Office of Economic Development. Also, WTCUT President and CEO Lew Cramer offers some gift suggestions to give the younger generation. For readers: "Consider a gift subscription to an internationally-based periodical (such as the Economist, Financial Times, BusinessWeek or Forbes), or Tom Friedman’s books, or a language training course."
Apply for United Way Grant
In this week's Making an Impact newsletter, United Way of Salt Lake announces the opening of its new grant cycle and encourages all non-profit organizations and established public entities providing community-based services in Summit, Davis, Salt Lake, and Tooele Counties to apply. In the past, UWSL has invested in as many as 63 community partners, 163 programs, and four strategic initiatives that create a brighter future in its service area.
Today in Political History
Dec. 18, 1787: New Jersey joins the Union.
Dec. 18, 1865: The 13th Amendment, making slavery illegal, is ratified by the states. (Source: Perspicuity)
Dec. 18, 1944: The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the wartime relocation and detention of Japanese Americans. (Source: NBC5)
Dec. 18, 1957: The Shippingport Atomic Power Station in Pennsylvania, the first civilian nuclear facility to generate electricity in the United States, goes online.
Wise Words
“Those who think it is permissible to tell white lies soon grow color-blind.”
-- Austin O'Malley (Source: Quote Garden)
Campaign Tip
The Campaign Staff
By Carol Hess
Running a campaign is much like running a corporation. The President is the Candidate, the Chief Operating Officer is the Campaign Manager and the Chief Financial Officer is the Finance Chairperson. Other key officers can include: Treasurer, Volunteer Coordinator, Scheduler, Telephone Supervisor and Press Secretary.
TIP: Don’t run your own campaign. Even if you are running for a very local office, find someone else to run the campaign. You, as candidate, should be out “on the street”, on the phone, attending coffees, meeting the press, getting voters to know who you are and what you stand for. As some point in the campaign, you should be given a schedule and told where to go, how long to stay, who to meet and greet and what to say.
It is the job of the CAMPAIGN MANAGER to pull the campaign together and hold it together. An effective Campaign Manager communicates with everyone, making sure the staff knows what to do, that the candidate is “on track,” and that the outside world has a positive view of the campaign. There should be regular staff meetings, reviewing the Campaign Plan, making alternations and discussing potential problems. (Source: Political Resources)
National Politics
Best Stories From . . .
-- The Hill: "Key endorsements from the crucial state of Iowa are coming fast and furious with the first-in-the-nation caucuses just more than two weeks away."
-- USA Today: "New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, trying to warm up an image some voters perceive as cold, start[ed] a drive Monday to showcase her personal side with testimonials from friends, associates and constituents she has helped."
-- The Politico: "Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) raised an astounding $6 million and change Sunday, his campaign said, almost certainly guaranteeing he'll outraise his rivals for the Republican nomination in the fourth quarter and likely will be able to fund a presence in many of states that vote Feb. 5."
-- Philadelphia Inquirer: Columnist Trudy Rubin looks at how Gen. David Petraeus "turned around Iraq."
Blog Watch
-- The Senate Site notes: "So we left the office for less than an hour this afternoon. When we returned we found 48 messages on the voice mail. And the phone keeps ringing. All in support of Denise Mafi. Courtesy of Crosstalk America."
-- Jeff Bell is having some bad luck with his health this holiday season and needs to sell some of these t-shirts and mugs.
Lighter Side
“Here’s a woman of great accomplishment with a master’s degree in international conflict resolution and I hope you’re going to talk about more than her tongue ring.”
-- Rep. Dennis Kucinich, speaking to reporters about his wife (Campaigns & Elections magazine)
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