The Harder They Fall

Okay so I'm a day or two late getting to this one...

On 09 November 1989, travel restrictions for East German citizens were unexpectedly lifted, prompting a rush of thousands of Berliners to the barrier, where they were allowed to cross.

World leaders met on Monday to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the fall. Interesting to note was that current German Chancellor Angela Merkel was among those who flooded across the wall to the West all those years ago.

I remember as a kid watching the news coverage. I remember my mom saying that she never thought she'd live to see the day when the wall would come down. I know I didn't fully appreciate what was happening. I think I came to better appreciate what it meant a few years later when I was a Mormon missionary in Romania.

The fall of the wall was the beginning of the end for the Eastern Block. And looking back, it is remarkable to think how fast it fell when it finally started to topple. In just a matter of months, a number of countries followed suit and began to open their borders. Europe has never been the same since.

In reading about the anniversary I found it ironic to learn that the German government has now put up protective fences and guards to protect the wall from curious tourists looking for souvenirs.

Actually, I can't think of a more suitible destruction of such a horrifying structure and all it represents than for it to be chipped away into oblivion.

Piece...by...piece.

AG Mark Shurtleff names former Legislator John Swallow as his new Chief Deputy over civil litigation. You can read the article here.

I was John's intern back in 1998. I interned for three legislators that year. My dad - Lloyd Frandsen, Representative Wayne Harper, and John Swallow. Three great legislators all with different styles and approaches. My dad, took on larger pieces of legislation; at that time he'd served about 18 years. The 'heavier' legislation tends to be picked up by those who've been around the longest. Harper had a handful of bills and focused a lot on constituent services. John had about a dozen bills, but they were mostly minor changes here and there.

It was interesting seeing how the nuts and bolts of the legislature works. State legislators have virtually no staff, so for the curious student it is a great opportunity to get involved and get a close up perspective.

So will John make a run at the AG's office if Mark wins the Senate seat?

Yeah probably. Seems like a no brainer right?

Provo Mayor's Race Get's a Whole Lot More Interesting

The Daily Herald reported today that the County Attorney's office is investigating Steve Clark's campaign for Provo Mayor over alleged bribery by offering one of his opponents and a sitting Councilman a job in his administration if they supported his campaign.

You can read the article here

I've heard these rumors in the Provo mayor's race for a while now. As I understand, other people, not mentioned in the article were also offered positions.

I'm anxious to see what the County Attorney's office finds out through their investigation. From working on a number of campaigns myself I know at least at the Federal level it is illegal for a candidate to offer anyone a position on their staff before they are elected. I'm assuming if the County Attorney's office is investigating that it is also illegal in this case, but I don't really know to be honest.

At this point, as the article states this is all rumor. And truth be told what I've heard is only second and sometimes third-hand accounts of what Steve said to various individuals.

BUT - I do have to say, that I believe enough of these types of conversations have happened that if not the letter of the law was broken (if there is such a law), but certainly the spirit of the law has been broken.

It's common for elected officials to hire campaign staffers after a successful campaign. Afterall, there is a relationship there, trust, and really they've probably spent the better part of a year or longer working together. So I get that...the problem however, is really an ethical one.

You cannot and simply should not bribe a staffer or any other individual with a promised job or other position if they will support your campaign. Whether overtly, implied, passivly suggested in casual conversation or whatever, this is dangerous territory and Steve should have never EVER gone there.

The Never Ending Revolving Door

Around and around we go...

Matheson's Chief of Staff quits to become a lobbyist. I have mixed feelings. Its hard to prevent people with significant experience from moving to the private sector. But it raises a whole bunch of issues when those folks turn around and lobby the same office they came from.

At the Federal (Congressional) level staffers have to wait one year. Why not two? Two years makes a full term in the House and helps separate those immediate relationships a bit more.

At the State level I don't think its as much of an issue for legislative staffers because really there are none (maybe a few admin positions and those in Legislative Council).

The bigger issue there is the Legislators themselves. You can be a legislator and a lobbyist at the same time, see Rep Jennifer Seelig (1-800 Contacts) and Accountabiltyfirst does a pretty good job summing up the situation with State Senator Howard Stephenson (Utah Taxpayers Association).

The funny thing is if you leave the Legislature...you have to wait a year before you can lobby your former peers. Tell me how that makes sense? You can lobby as an elected official but have to wait a year to lobby after you are out? Geesh.

I'd like to see our own state GOP lead out on this issue.

And one parting thought...I think the scary cases are in the executive branches (both Federal and State). For example, say you have someone leave the Pentagon to go work for Booz Allen or some other huge defense contractor. Just like a lobbyist you have a former Defense Department worker now selling the services of a private contractor to his former buddies. Shaddy. The rules are less clear and the executive branch tends to get less attention than the legislative branch on these types of issues.

Be my Valentine

Governor Valentine? He wants it. He's in.



Update

Be my Urquhart

Urquhart Positioning Himself for 2010? Steve was pondering a run at Hatch a few years back. Is he interested in Governor? He has the ambition but does he have the guts? I don't think he runs...

Politifact.com

Maybe I'm a johnny come lately to this new site, but I just came across Politifact.com. Its a sort of public-official-statement-fact-checker thingy. Really kind of interesting. It's a project founded and sponsored by the St. Petersburg Times. I'm still scanning through it to see if its got a liberal or conservative bias, but it seems to be on the up and up.

It includes an "Obameter" which tracks President Obama's campaign promises by whether they've been fulfilled, in-progress, broken, stalled, or no action. Also, if you look at the site you'll see that a lot of the statements that fall into the "Liar Liar Pants on Fire" category tend to come from the far right when they are criticizing the Obama Administration on the health care issue. But there are a few from the far left in there as well.

It's an interesting premise that I think the Internet facilitates really well. The key to something like this working has to be its credibility and lack of bias. Its kind of fun to see the various spin-miesters (including Utah's own adopted son - Glen Beck - gasp!) being taken to task for stretching the truth. In a world of who do you really believe, its nice to have another resource to use to verify the accuracy of the dialogue and debate.

So - for example, they take former House Minority Whip Representative Roy Blunt's (R-Mo) statement: "I'm 59. In either Canada or Great Britain, if I broke my hip, I couldn’t get it replaced" and break it down citing sources then ultimately assigning it a "Pants on Fire" label. Come to find out people even older than the Congressman often get hip replacement surgeries in both Canada and Great Britain.

For another "Pants on Fire" statement: Joe Biden talking about the Swine Flu on the Today Show: ""When one person sneezes, it goes all the way through the aircraft." Turns out a sneeze would just go a couple of rows.

It's these sort of off the cuff exagerations and in some cases out and out lies that dialute the facts from the honest debate. So whether this site is perfect or not I still applaud the concept and hope to see more of these sites pop up in the future.

Is the Tent Big Enough?

Check out this interesting article on UtahPolicy.com "Are Political Moderates Welcome in the Utah Republican Party?" It features insightful commentary from four GOP perspectives. I thought the most thoughtful was from Thomas Wright, Chairman of the SLCO GOP.

Thomas notes Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment - "Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican." Good advice for any team, family, business, or any organization really. As a member of any team I think it's important to show a united front.

As I read the article I was reminded of my New Mexico days. I was a staffer on (former) Congresswoman Heather Wilson's reelection campaign a few years ago. Last year, she ran for US Senate when Pete Domenici announced his retirement (I did a graduate internship and was a staffer in his office as well - all back in the day). Heather represented Albuquerque which was 60% Democrat and she walked a delicate line as a conservative representing a left-leaning area.

Her Republican colleague in the southern part of the state was Representative Steve Pearce. Steve's district was much more conservative and he himself had a strongly conservative record. Well - to make a long story short - they both ran for Senate in a tough primary, beat each other up, Pearce narrowly wins in a Republican Primary then goes on to get totally trounced by Democrat Tom Udall (an inactive Mormon with Utah ties by the way) the liberal leaning Congressman from the northern part of the state. Both Heather's and Steve's former districts go Democrat.

So really - if the GOP were thinking strategically it would have been a better play for each of them to run again as incumbants in the House and both unite behind another strong GOP player -OR- to elect Wilson in the Primary where a moderate record would have played better to a largely Democrat state. Would Heather have won? You never know. With Obama on top of the ticket it was probably tough for any GOP to win there, but the odds would have been much improved with her on the ticket vs. Pearce. Fast forward to next year - Pearce is likely to run for his old seat and Wilson is rumored to run for Governor now that Bill Richardson is term-limited out.

In the end, disagreement and discussion are vital to the health of any organization but when we cannibalize our own it's shortsighted and harms the overall cause. I hope there is room for various positions in the party. With shifting demographics (see Salt Lake County) I hope it's more real than talk or we'll find ourselves in the minority soon enough.

Provo Mayor and City Council Races

I have to apologize for not posting for a while. As a certified political junkie I've been working on a couple of Provo city campaigns. Two candidates I'm really excited about are John Curtis for Provo Mayor, and Laura Cabanilla (rhymes with 'vanilla') for the Provo City-Wide Council seat. You can expect to see their signs around town, cottage meetings, and other public events soon.

I met John over eight years ago and have been impressed ever since. He's an executive with Action Target here in Provo. He's also a problem solver, listener, and hard worker.

Laura is incredibly qualified and talented. She's an attorney at Esplin Weight in an office her husband restored located in Downtown Provo. Not only did she complete law school with four young kids (including triplets!), she's also an Lt. Colnel in the Army Reserves. Provo couldn't ask for a person more ready to serve.

Neither John nor Laura are affiliated in any way, but I've been lucky to meet them and get involved early on in their campaigns. I believe these two really stand out among those running.

Some say you should wait and get to know all of the candidates and their issues. I feel I'm pretty well plugged into the issues and know the candidates fairly well, therefore I'm completely comfortable committing to these two early. And I'd encourage you to find a candidate or two that you really identify with and get out and help them too.

There's something to be said about those early days of a campaign. You can have more influence on the candidate's issues, message, and outreach strategies if you get involved early, work hard, and show your loyalty.

Check out John and Laura's sites and make an effort to get to know them and their vision. Heck, even offer to volunteer!

John Curtis: www.johncurtis.org

Laura Cabanilla: www.laura4provo.com

Iowa Get's Saturday Afternoon-Caucus-Fever

Since 1972 Iowa has been the first state in the country to hold it's political party caucuses. The caucuses are seen as the first major event in the electoral process for the US Presidency. Iowa Republicans and Democrats have just agreed to hold the caucuses on a Saturday afternoon. This is a big deal. I'll tell you why in a moment.

Iowa's caucuses traditionally have been held on Thursday nights, Utah's on Tuesdays but otherwise they are somewhat similar, they are held in neighborhood homes, schools, and other similar locations. These people elect delegates who then go on to represent their neighbors in their various county and state party conventions.

One of the biggest criticisms of these types of caucuses is that people who have to work, have children, are serving in the military, or otherwise occupied on a Thursday/Tuesday night cannot attend. These meetings can often run up to two hours making it difficult for many people to stick it out to the end. So what happens is that only those who are "super" motivated will attend and ultimately become delegates.

If a candidate garners 60% of the delegate vote at a county convention they forgo a Primary election. It's common for many of our elected officials to be elected at county conventions, avoiding a Primary and because of the GOP dominance in Utah they are more often than not all but guaranteed election in the general election come November.

In Utah, the common way of thinking suggests that the most extreme members of the two parties attend these events and subsequently become delegates. So the logic follows: extreme delegates elect extreme elected officials.

Extreme may be a bit too strong, but in the State GOP most educated observers will concede that the delegates are generally more conservative than the greater electorate. But given the process by which they are elected (on one single Tuesday night in March) is it really a surprise?

So I see the Iowa shift as a positive example for Utah to follow. Those in power have little incentive to shake up the status quo, but if we are intellectually honest promoters of democracy I believe we should make these meetings more accessible to more voters. (On a side-note, ever wonder why the Republicans always oppose "motor voter" registrations? You know, allowing folks to register when they renew their drivers licenses? It's because they think the more average folks are more likely to register as Democrats).

Is Saturday the best day? I'm not sure. Our caucuses used to be on Monday nights and were generally better attended, but given the traditional observance of the LDS family home evenings held on Monday there was pressure to move it to Tuesday. I actually think it would be a great family activity. What better way to introduce your children to the electoral process than watching their parents actively participate?

Monday, Saturday, I don't really care but if we truly want a representative democracy let's make these events more accessible.

Hill Air Force Base Classifieds: F-22 For Sale/Hire

Earlier this week the Senate stripped out the funding for the F-22 fighter plane. A savings of nearly two billion dollars. It's a plane that has amazing capabilities: it's designed for air to air combat, can fly at supersonic speeds and avoid radar detection (just like my '96 Passat).

But - it's never been used once in the war(s) in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I've seen some interesting arguments on both sides. The Wall Street Journal Opines that the cuts are only a drop in the bucket and America should be prepared for the next big war, noting that China is beefing up it's armed forces. And I can sort of buy that.

But I'm less convinced by the arguments from congress such as our own Rob Bishop from the first district. Primarily because I don't believe his motives are purely national defense. Congressman Bishop argues that:

“This (Bishop's) amendment will save jobs and get the Air Force more of what they want and need, but most importantly it will help provide for the defense of the country.”

The key is the first part of the sentence - JOBS. I think one of the worst things a Member of Congress can have in their district is a military base. Because, your motives for protecting the country become secondary to protecting the local economy.

I understand America needs a strong national defense. I understand that (most) equipment used for our defense needs to be manufactured on American soil. I just get a little annoyed when Congress puts their own (re-election) interests ahead of the country's.

He's baaAAAaaack!

Superdell Schanze is running for mayor of Saratoga Springs.

This guy needs a platform like Imelda Marcos needs another pair of shoes. But still, this is why America is so great. A guy who some see as a certifiable nut can file and run for office anywhere in the country.

I just visited his blog. He starts off with a great gem Posted July 14th:

"SARATOGA SPRINGS — After an unsuccessful run for governor last year, Dell "Superdell" Schanze is giving politics another try with a run for mayor of Saratoga Springs.

(“unsuccessful”??? Well it takes them 3 words to start in on the negative bashing. “try”? Yet another negative and suggestive poke. These people are freaking evil."

This guy needs a thicker skin. Who is he running against? Another candidate or the media?

I wish him the best but if his first volley is a rant against the media and not about his platform or the issues I think he's going to have a hard time convincing the people of Saratoga Springs to take him seriously.

Should be entertaining to watch though...

Sotomyor Hearings - its not what you think

The Senate confirmation hearings for Judge Sonia Sotomayor begin today. Some people would have you think these hearings are about Judge Sotomyor herself, the Supreme Court, the future of the Supreme Court, or the current state of our justice system...

But they're not.

The hearings are about the Senate.

Just watch them and you'll see for yourself.

Calling BS on the BCS Hearings

Note to Senator Hatch and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff: Quit Grandstanding! You have better things to do!

In my humble opinion.

How Bizarre

So Sarah Palin is resigning as Governor of Alaska. Huh. If you are a real Gov. Palin fan you may want to click to the next blog now.

Not quite sure what to make of it. Truth be told I was never a big fan. When the news first emerged that she was McCain's running mate I was disappointed. I mean, one's first reaction to a VP choice shouldn't be ...Who? I always felt the choice was gimmicky as the plug-in 'my campaign needs a conservative woman' so McCain could check those boxes on the list of things his campaign needed to be successful. I never felt it was because the McCain camp felt she had genuinely good ideas to add to the debate.

She did deliver an awesome speech at the NRC convention and she opened the door enough for me to give her a chance. But then after that it seemed misstep after misstep just provided fuel to a skeptic media and then ultimately cementing her as a cartoon character on Saturday Night Live.

Just like the original SNL cast Governor Palin was "not quite ready for prime time." Was she treated unfairly by the media? Probably. Was she treated any differently by the media? Not really. The media is what it is...I mean just watch the interview with Katie Couric, it was a simple question: what newspapers to do you read? She was a trainwreck from there, but at that level you expect someone to bounce back and she never really has.

I'll be the first to admit that George W Bush was not a cerebral President. That's why I think it's all that more important that the next GOP Presidential offering is seen as an intellectual. Or at least one that is more than one liners and has some depth. Sarah Palin is not that person.

In then end I have to wonder if all the attention was just too much for her. In an odd way I'm reminded of Susan Boyle from Britain's Got Talent fame. Too much. Too fast.

Too bad...

Oh Canada...

Happy Birthday to our neighbor to the north...And in case you were wondering; No, I'm neither Canadian nor socialist. I just like those ketchup chips and wunderbars!

Frequently referred to as "Canada's birthday", particularly in the popular press,[1][2][3] the occasion marks the joining of the British North American colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada into a federation of four provinces (the Province of Canada being divided, in the process, into Ontario and Quebec) on 1 July 1867. Although Canada is regarded as having become a kingdom in its own right on that date,[4] the British Parliament kept limited rights of political control over the new country that were shed by stages over the years until the last vestiges were surrendered in 1982 when the Constitution Act patriated the Canadian constitution.

Rock Stars: Nick and Jason Jonas(?)

Maybe Jason is the long lost 4th Jonas brother?? ;) I'm just saying...they're both rock stars.

A Brand in Trouble

With yesterday's bizarre news about Republican South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford admitting to an affair with a woman from Argentina, coupled with the previous week's admission from Senator Ensign (R-NV) of infidelity, I have to wonder where does that leave the national Republican Party?

I don't think the timing could be worse. As this NYTimes article points out, the President was beginning to show some signs of waining support for his health care initiatives and a reluctance to publicly support the Iranian protesters.

Now this. I'm a bit embarrassed to be part of the national party right now. We don't practice what we preach on issues like family values any more. I understand nobody is perfect, but geesh these two guys were often mentioned as potential Presidential candidates for crying out loud. I think this really opens the door a bit further for someone like Mitt Romney in 2012.

Our own State GOP is in a bit of an image crisis as well. In today's SLTrib Herriman Representative Carl Wimmer was taken to task for his relationship with recently indicted businessman Rick Koerber. While I believe the story makes a pretty weak argument for a conflict of interest, still the public association doesn't help a state party still reeling from a cloudy ethics reputation.

I guess that sometimes life is more fascinating than fiction and we should all be entertained by the gossip, but really is hoping for elected leaders we can truly trust and believe in too much to ask for?

Cedar Hills Mayor & City Council Get Lit Up

I had to shake my head and laugh a bit when I read this article in the Daily Herald.

It's a piece from Caleb Warnock recounting his experience at a recent city council meeting regarding the city's public golf course. I really don't know much about the politics of the golf course, but apparently the Mayor and Council take issue with the way Caleb has portrayed them in a recent series of articles.

The point is, the Mayor and City Councilors of Cedar Hills forgot this ancient Chinese proverb (and I think you can also find it in the D&C): Never get in a fight with anyone who buys ink by the barrel. Actually, I think its attributed to Mark Twain...but still probably in the D&C somewhere.

I've been there before in both a congressional office and congressional campaign. And believe me the temptation to do what the City Council did is so hard to resist. "If only the reporters would be fair, you know see it from our side?" or "Come on now, that's piling on - going too far."

I've seen many elected officials try to combat the press. Some do informal boycotts - I believe Rob Bishop avoided the SLTrib for a while (probably still does if he knows what's good for him) and Rocky Anderson was more formal in his blackout of the Desnews towards the end of his term as Mayor in SLC.

Do these protests ever work? Not really. In the absence of your side of the story the press will fill the vacum. And usually, they'll seek a source to get your side, but it's not your words and therefore not ever going to tell the story as you see it.

One of the most valuable lessons I've learned from working campaigns is that when a 'bad' story is being written sometimes its best to make your case and then let the wave crash. Give it a few days to settle, focus on your own message, and get back to work.

The good Mayor and City Councilors of Cedar Hills would have done well to make the issue the issue (It's the Golf Course Stupid!) instead they are getting sidetracked by one version of the story told by the media. My advice to them: get in there, solve the real problem - the truth will find its way out eventually (good or bad).

Hat Tip: @SausageGrinder

Revolutionary Technology

I hope many of you are keeping tabs on what's happening in Iran. The protests there over the elections really are quite remarkable. Very reminiscent of Tiananmen Square 20 years ago with huge numbers of protesters marching in the streets.

One of the most enduring images I have burned into my brain and heart is that of "Tank Man." The lone Chinese citizen who some believe was a man simply on his way home from work. Who had grown tired of the tanks in the streets and all they represented disrupting his life. This one man standing in front of a column of tanks. The tank drivers popped their heads out, yelling at him to move, they tried to go around him and he moved in front of them - finally the tanks turned off their engines and sat there.

One man had literally stopped an entire army.

Now fast forward to today. Iranian students, street vendors, parents, and everyday people are rising up to protest what they believe are rigged elections. And let's face it - they are. But different from Tianamen is that of new technology. A real uprising in the age of the Internet and specifically Twitter.

I just read this article - A Cyberwar Guide for Iran Elections (from a link posted on a Tweet) telling people how to support the protests using Twitter effectively and protecting the identity of Iranians who are posting messages. I wonder if things would have turned out differently for the student protesters in Tiananmen if they had had access to this sort of technology?

Truly revolutionary.

Another Week - Another Candidate - or Two

So it's been what three weeks since AG Mark Shurtleff threw his hat in the ring to challenge Senator Bennett, and four weeks since Tim Bridgewater dropped out of the State GOP race to give our Jr. Senator a run. And now...this week Cherylin Bacon officially announces she's in the race and newcomer James Russell Williams III also announced his intentions to run.

Present at Bacon's announcement was Gayle Ruzicka of the Eagle Forumn. So clearly Cherylin is running as the ultra-conservative in the race. She said as much in her announcement "I'm told this is a four-way race. It's not," she said. "It's a two-way race: a race between three counterfeit conservatives and one authentic conservative. I'm the real deal."

"Counterfeit Conservatives"

The name calling begins. I wish she hadn't said that. I hope she chooses to make the case for her conservative principles without demeaning those who disagree or have a sightly different take on the definition of conservative.

James Russell Williams III is a younger guy - only 36 and is a Ron Paul Republican. It will be interesting to see how some of the more conservative state delegates break between these two candidates. It seems in recent elections there hasn't been much of a difference between an 'Eagle Forum' candidate and a 'Ron Paul Republican' candidate.

My guess is most would break in Cherilyn's direction. James is a newcomer to politics and without significant resources either in dollars or volunteers will have a hard time getting his message out and being taken seriously.

Cherilyn's entry into the race in my mind hurts Tim Bridgewater the most. I think Tim's play is to go after the disenfranchised voter/delegate and with the support of the Eagle Forum I think Cherilyn gets an instant boost from the strength and networking power of a very politically active organization. Tim could find himself the odd man out.

Provo Mayor's Race Get's Uncrowded

So a month ago I blogged about how crowded the Provo Mayor's race was getting. Well, on Monday it surprisingly got uncrowded. Mayor Lewis Billing's announced he is not going to be seeking a fourth term.

Just about all of my political connections were totally shocked. And to read the news reports so were the candidates. In an impressive sign of organization, John Curtis (who I'm strongly supporting in this race Go John!) published a letter to the editor thanking Mayor Billings for his service. John's a class act. It remains to be seen if Billings will continue in politics or retire from the business altogether.

This is a game changer. The race is now for an open seat rather than an incumbent-challenger race. The dynamics will shift from focusing on the Mayor's record to the individual plans for Provo's future put forth by the remaining candidates. And now that Billings is out does that open the door for some other would-be challenger to enter the race?

The filing deadline is about a month away now. Should be an interesting one to watch...

Let Us Never Forget

I've always been interested in WWII history. Especially the events that happened on the beaches of Normandy on June 6th, 1944 - D-Day.

I remember going to see Saving Private Ryan as a college student. It was one of a few films that have ever really left a lasting impression on me. Particularly the opening sequence where the soldiers are landing on the beach. Many of them never made it out of the boats. Others jumped over the sides only to drown or be shot in the water.

I remember wondering how I might react in that sort of situation. Would I be a coward? Would I be a leader? Would I be afraid? Would I have survived?

Scary questions. Ones I'm grateful I've never had to answer thanks to the brave men and women who have worn the uniform and continue to do so today.

To them I say - Thank you!

Take a minute and view this really interesting slide show of D-Day from Life Magazine.

A Party of Primaries

I think Primaries are a good thing. It keeps things fresh and elected officials honest. As an incumbent you hate them. As a news reporter you LOVE them for the drama and conflict (because really that's what sells news right?). As a Party leader you publically support them and stay neutral, but still hate them for the often divisive versus constructive nature of those types of races.

Senator Bennett's got a Primary. Congressman Cannon had a number of Primaries and eventually lost in one. And, there is a lot of speculation as to who may or may not challenge Gary Herbert from within for Governor in 2010.

So I found this exchange at the PolitickerNY interesting. It's an interview with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, about his plans to run against current Democratic Governor David Patterson, who replaced the disgraced former Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Interesting parallels with our own Utah Republican Party. Particularly considering that both New York and Utah have had and soon will have recently replaced state-wide elected officials; NY - Gov. Spitzer & Sen. Clinton, and Utah - Gov. Huntsman.

AC (Andrew Cuomo): My plan is to run for reelection as attorney general.

Q: That has not changed?

AC: Nope.

Q: There was a lot of action in terms of potential challengers to Kirsten Gillibrand sort of being asked to not run. Just in general, is there any benefit to a party that has gone through some appointments on the statewide level, having primaries? Is there any upside?

AC: The Democratic Party is essentially a party of primaries. I mean, there’s always the discussion ‘Maybe it would be good if there were no primaries, and everyone just gets behind and picks a candidate.’ For many years the Democrats said that’s what the Republicans do. They just squelch intraparty discussion. The—we often have primaries. President Obama is the product of primaries. In the presidential, the Senate race, I even think he ran against Bobby Rush for Congress, early on. That must have been a primary, right? So we’re a party of primaries, which I think winds up being good for us, because I think the conversation and the discussion within the party can be very productive. Because we have a broad party, a lot of diverse interests, and those interests need to be discussed and need to be aired. So I think it can be good, as long as the primaries remain constructive, and not destructive.

Q: Will Paterson have a primary next year?

AC: Oh, next year? Who knows what’s going to happen next year? Next year is a long way away.


Next year is indeed a long way away. A long way away indeed...

Oh yeah...me too.

Me and Josh Romney - we're in the same boat. We're both 33, politically-minded, stunningly handsome, and really smart. Had the Deseret News called me for a quote I would have said the same thing. By the way Gary - I am available, and I don't plan to run for Governor in 2010. You know, I'm just saying...I too am "considering all options."

Josh Romney Would Consider Lieutenant Governor Position

"Romney, the son of former Salt Lake Olympic leader Mitt Romney, told the Deseret News on Monday that he won't run for governor himself in 2010.

But he didn't rule out serving as soon-to-be-governor Gary Herbert's No. 2.

"It's definitely not something I'm actively campaigning for," Josh Romney said. "If it were offered to me, I would give it serious consideration."

Romney, 33, said he and Herbert have already talked several times since Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. announced he would step down once the U.S. Senate confirms his appointment as ambassador to China.

The lieutenant governor's spot "didn't come up in conversations," Romney said. "There's nothing official or serious at this point. But I'm considering all options. I find it to be a great thing to give back to the community, to serve in public office."

Bennett's Race to Lose

So the race for US Senate is miles away, but with the recent announcement(?) of Cherilyn Bacon, the race on the GOP side is getting crowded.

I am happy to see a woman get into the race. I don't know Cherylin that well, but from what I can tell she will be a frank and straightforward debater.

I'm not really sure if Cherilyn announced formerly or not - it wasn't over Twitter so she's probably okay, but it does seem similar to Shurtleff's anti-climatic announcement a week or so ago. I guess you need a real podium nowadays for an announcement to be official. The Twitter/leaked-to-bloggers announcements are just preliminary now I guess.

It's very early, but I have to say that I think Bennett is clearly in the lead, despite the various announcements. He's conciously making the case for his conservative credentials, which is to be expected given the current climate in Utah.

Holly at Holly on the Hill had a great summary of his recent presentation to a business group in Provo. It appears he's saying and doing the right things. He's running ads early, sending post cards early, and has the all important nod from Papa Romney.

Shurtleff has sort of stumbled out of the gate. Literally with his Twitter mishap and now this week he's fending off accusations he helped the recently indicted "Free Capitalist" Rick Koerber, by pressuring the Utah Securities Division to call off or tone down their investigation. At Mark's announcement there was dueling press conference with the annoucenment of the Patrick Henry Caucus the same day that stole a bit of his thunder, and perhaps draws into question the AG's own credibility among conservatives.

And we haven't heard much from Tim Bridgewater since his Twitter announcement that he was running. It's early, but it seems like Tim has been brushed aside and has yet to gain much if any momentum from his would-be run at the GOP Chairmanship race.

A very interesting pool of candidates. But, they've all got their work cut out for them if they want to give Bennett a serious challenge.

Evil Twin

Last week, Joe Pyrah from the Provo Daily Herald pointed out that my blog looked very familiar.

A quick click to his blog the Sausage Grinder and you'll see that our two blogs do look eerily similar.

Truth be told, I'm sure Joe's blog was up and running much longer than mine...Independent of Joe's blog, I just happened to have used the same blogger.com template - complete with Twitter feeds and everything. I thought I was being so cool when I discovered I could add those. Who knew I was behind the times? (Joe did). Heck, we both even have pictures of the state capitol building at the top of our home pages!

The only thing I'm missing is a portrait shot from glamour studios on my right side bar - how much do those run nowadays Joe?

Voting from Home?

As Jay Leno likes to say "How lazy are we getting in this country!?"

The state of Hawaii just tried a totally paperless election. Voters could cast their ballots either online or over the phone. The results? Voting dropped 83% compared to the previous (same cycle) election.

As anyone who has ever worked on a campaign will tell you - turnout is always critical. That's why you always hear about campaigns that monitor things like traffic and the weather. Is it raining? That could help the challenger. Is it sunny? Bonus for the incumbent. Accident on the highway? Uh oh, not enough time to make it to the polls...

Voters can be rather fickle.

I'm always cautious about likely voter polls, especially if the primary screening criteria is based on the question of "how likely are you to vote?" Because, everyone will tell you they are voting - "don't question my devotion to my civic duty," but really much of what happens on election day depends on that person's schedule for the day. Too busy with the kids? Running late from work? Heck, if the line's long (anyone remember the Presidential Primary last year?), folks will just turn around and walk out.

I like the Hawaii attempt. I hope that the low turnout was a function of newness and lack of awareness and education of the new system. Here at home we can vote early as two weeks before the actual election day. So really, there's no excuse for any Utahn not to make it to polls.

There's much more that could be said about individual responsibility, patriotism, democracy, representation, ect... But let's face it, America has a real apathy problem.

This land is your land...this land is my land...

Excellent article from the Desnews on the Rock Canyon situation in Provo. The fellow who owns a large part of the Canyon wants to mine a portion of it. You can read the article here.

The paper offers four or five perspectives from the various concerned parties. I prefer this style of reporting. It's more presentation of facts as those participating in the situation see them without including biased opinion from the reporter.

If I want to read biased opinion I can always listen to talk radio - or read blogs. ;)

Chrysler (State?) Bailout

I was bit surprised to read this story about the State Legislature considering stepping in to save local Chrysler dealers. Last week Chrysler sent notices to nearly 800 dealers out of a current network of about 3,200 that it was revoking their franchise rights.

I can understand why a business owner would be upset. They had been loyal franchisees many of whom had been selling cars for decades. But my issue with these guys is; didn't they see it coming? The company was restructuring in bankruptcy for crying out loud! Is this really an after-effect of the big Fed-Auto-Bailout? or the actions of the free market's invisible hand?

Chrysler has been in trouble for a long time. Case in point; the typical Chrysler dealership sold 303 vehicles per showroom last year. Toyota sold 1,292 and Honda did 1,219/per. Also, it's not like they didn't see new closures coming, the company has reduced dealerships from 4,320 in 2001 to 3,188 by the end of April this year.

If Chrysler now wants to open a new dealership within 150 miles of one they just closed down, the Legislature's proposal would require Chrysler to first offer the former franchisee the opportunity to (re)open the business. I suppose that's not all that bad, but it seems like that should be between Chrysler and it's dealers - I don't see a reason why the legislature should be involved. It's more of a contract issue in my mind that should be settled in the Judicial system - not Legislatively.

So why is the State Legislature getting involved? As much railing as the Legislature does against 'bailouts' and government intervention, it seems ironic for them to step into the fray at this point. Perhaps it's because one of their own - Rep. Patrick Painter is himself a Chrysler dealer who is now losing his dealership.

Ryan's takeaway: It doesn't look good for the Legislature or the State GOP when they apply conservative principles selectively.

Show Me the Money!

The State of Utah has come a long ways...

I remember as a college student doing an internship that required me to tabulate and record the voting records for a series of Senate Bills. Maybe this dates me (it was just in the late '90s), but none of the data was available electronically - not on the web or even available on a disk. I had to literally go up the Capitol and ask the grumpy old Senate receptionist lady for the record book and record the votes by hand (I did have a laptop so that helped somewhat).

Now look at us today! The State Legislature has an awesome searchable and (relatively) user-friendly website. And yesterday, our new 'Acting Governor' announced this new site - Transparent Utah. It's a gold mine of searchable budget related data. Ever wonder how much goes to education? roads? or the Health Department? You can see how much the state is spending by agency and department. It's not audited and much of the data is aggregated and not broken out by line item, but still what a great resource.

I much prefer this type of site to utahwastebuster, which was/is an effort by Representative John Dougall and Senator Steve Urquhart to uncover state spending waste. While I can appreciate the concern to prevent waste I felt that site was more about promoting personal agendas rather than actually solving significant waste issues. That site has not seen much traffic since the legislative session when it was initially promoted, and it doesn't appear any significant 'waste' was reported or investigated.

I come from the school of the thought that says give people access to the information and they'll find the issues, problems, and even good things being done in our governement. The premis of a wastebuster type site assumes not just waste but almost some type of criminal misdoing on the part of government employees. And I think conservatives make this mistake too often by assuming there is something criminal happening when in more cases than not, waste is simply the by-product of an ineffecient bureaucracy. That said, I think it would be appropriate for the State to actually have a whistleblower site/system to ferret out criminal acts. (Does anyone know if they already do - I would think so)

I believe transparency is a key element of a vibrant democracy. I'm pleased to see our elected officials acknowledge our right to know and have access to this type of information. So. All you government watchdog wannabes - get on there and dig to your heart's content. It's your government - make it better!

再见! (Goodbye) Jon. Hello Gary.

So with Governor Huntsman bolting the state for the lure of the orient we now have a new, yet familiar face in the Guv's office.

I think its great that Huntsman is opting for the Chinese Ambassadorship. I believe this is what he's wanted to do for some time. Had McCain won I have no doubt Huntsman would have lobbied for the same position. Interesting political dynamics though. With Huntsman often mentioned as a potential Prez challenger I guess the Obama Administration was thinking "keep you friends close, your enemies closer."

So I wish him good luck. His diplomatic approach to problems which may have recently caused him some minor heartburn with the conservative faction of the state, will now suit him very well in the art of international negotiation.

I wasn't always a fan, but the more I studied him and learned about where he was coming from I came to really respect him. I liked his approach. He avoided the negative and divisive language that can quickly muddle up complex issues such as; immigration and liquor laws. I think he often felt uncomfortable in political speak situations so I found his style refreshing. Because he wasn't a natural politician I think he gravitated towards his own style which is more statesmanship-like. I wish more officials would try to emulate his approach to the issues. The state would be better for it. Utah's citizenry would be less put-offish when it comes to politics if our leaders would take a cue from Jon.

So now, we look to Gary Herbert. I've had a couple of chances to meet with him. He's very personable, genuine, and pragmatic. My favorite meeting with him was at the Juab County Lincoln Day Dinner. It was held at a small senior citizen center in Nephi. Not a minute before we all dug into our dinners did the power go off in the entire place - not a single window to be found either! I guess it's a sign of our times, but soon enough everyone produced their cell phones and all the elected officials spoke by cell phone light. Gary didn't miss a beat.

It's those kinds of times, when you get to see people out of their comfort zones and guards down a bit that you learn about people's true colors. Gary came across very natural and seemed as if he was among friends. I think Utah is going to like him the more they get to know him.

Truth be told I really don't how he'll interact with the Legislature. He's got to run again in November 2010, so I suspect this next session everyone will be polite with neither the Legislature or the new Governor pushing too hard until they know who's going to be in the Guv's office on a more permanent basis.

So who else is in the mix for 2010? Former Senate President and current Senator John Valentine will run, Lane Beattie, also a former Senate President, and current CEO of the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce will likely run as well. If you know of others testing the waters let me know and we'll get the word out.

So, a very big Thank You to our outgoing Governor Huntsman, and a welcome and good luck to Gary Herbert.

How Should the Supreme Court Interpret the Constitution?

With Justice David Souter recently announcing his plans to retire there has been a lot of talk about who President Obama will nominate to take his place. In this context I found it very interesting to see the results of a new Foxnews poll.

The poll was conducted with 900 registered voters over two days (May 12-13). Potential Foxnews bias aside, after digging through the data (I used to work in market research and for a polling company so I'm kind of a geek about this stuff), I stumbled across this interesting gem.

Q36. How do you think the Supreme Court should interpret the Constitution?

1- No matter what the outcome, the court should follow what the Framers meant when they wrote the Constitution.

2- If necessary, the court should ignore what the Framers meant to reach the outcome it feels is appropriate for today.

3-In between/Combination.

The results surprised me - at first.

Follow what Framers Meant

Republicans: 78%

Democrats: 44%

Independents: 61%

Reach Outcome Appropriate for Today

Republicans: 13%
Democrats: 37%
Independents: 27%

In between/Combination
Republicans: 5%
Democrats: 10%
Independents: 8%

(balances for totals made up of those who said "don't know" or "refused")

Really interesting insight into how conservatives and Liberals view and approach the Constitution. I guess really I shouldn't be surprised, I've just never seen it spelled out as clearly as these data suggest.

I think as conservatives this data is useful in helping us approaching the other side when it comes to the Constitution and conservative ideals. Conservatives believe the principles of the Constitution are timeless. Progressives may believe the principles are timeless but that the context in which those principles are applied is more subjective to the issues and current thinking of the day.

Let's not get into 'Constitution bashing', name calling, and questioning the other side's patriotism. Instead, I think being aware of where Progressives are coming from can help us design methods, strategies and even the language we use to help them understand why it is so important to honor the Framers original intent.

How Tweet is That?

So the media is having a lot of fun at AG Shurtleff's Senate Campaign Twitter gaffe. If you haven't heard by now (which would be impossible because the media is just enjoying this too much), our good AG mistakenly sent out a series of tweets announcing he's in the race.

Having been part of a couple of high profile races I know these things are bound to happen. In some cases it's no so much who can out manuver who in a race but who will make the fewest mistakes. So is this really a mistake worth all the attention it's getting? Probably. Will it hurt Shurtleff's campaign? Not a bit.

Here's why:

First of all Shurtleff's plans to run have been anything but secret for some time now. If anything his mistake has been that of dragging out his 'announcement' for as long as he has. Kirk Jowers said it the best in a Desnews Article:

"Shurtleff has postponed this announcement so many times, he's starting to look like Fred Thompson," said Kirk Jowers, head of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics. The actor-turned-politician kept putting off getting into the race for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, and once Thompson did get in the race, he didn't stay long. Jowers said there's a danger of voters losing interest in Shurtleff's candidacy.

I don't see Mark as a Fred Thompson once he's actually in the race. Shurtleff will now (finally) follow-up with his formal announcement and then kick off a series of events and meetings that will start building momentum.

Besides, it's not as if the AG misspelled the word "potato" or is it "potatoe?" like former VP Dan Quayle. As long as the campaign manages to steer clear of additional mishaps the tweet mistake is early enough in the race that no one will remember it. But if the campaign stumbles again it sets a tone that Shurtleff may not be a good manager or leader.

The last reason this doesn't hurt the campaign is the fact that Tim Bridgewater announced his candidacy (intentionally) via Twitter the same day. But who is getting all the attention? SHURTLEFF! Talk about taking the wind out of a guy's sails, the Bridgewater camp was perfectly poised to lead the news and dominate it for a few days. Dropping his bid for State GOP Chair to challenge Bennett? That's a big deal. But is anyone talking about that today? Nope.

Shurtleff is obviously going to be fine. His people (and maybe more specifically Mark himself) are going to need to be more disciplined because they've already shortened their slack in what could turnout to be a very competitive race all around.

Should be a fun one to watch.

Update: Hat tip to Paul Rolly of the Trib for this link to Redline.com (an very conservative blog) regarding a post questioning Shurtleff's conservative credentials. It brings up, Mark's positions on illegal immigration, the BSC, and some questionable fundraising issues. The guy is not even formally in the race and already it's getting vicious! See the post "Is Shurtleff Ready for Prime Time?" here.

Bridgewater to Challenge Bennett

The sharks are definitely starting to circle.

Just when Bennett appeared to have muscled out a potential challenger in Mike Lee (former legal counsel to Gov. Huntsman) another upstart from the Huntsman clan emerges. In a somewhat surprsing (to me at least) move Tim Bridgewater, a former Utah County Republican Party Chair and two time Congressional Candidate in the 2nd District has decided to forgo his bid for the State GOP spot and take on Senator Bennett.

With Mark Shurtleff all but decided to run as well this will be a very interesting mix of candidates. All experienced and capable men (I'm surprised we haven't seen a strong woman step forward for a Federal office in a while - come on ladies step it up!).

I can only suspect that during Tim's travels around the state in his GOP Chair bid folks encouraged him to get into the race. Shurtleff will be a formidable challenger certainly but he's got a record and will have his own set of skeletons to deal with (immigration and polygamy issues come first to mind).

If you are interested in where Tim is on the issues I found an old article from the Deseret News questionnaire they ask all the candidates to fill out - from his Congressional race back in 2004. You can see those responses here.

Pot Calling the Kettle Black...

As a former Congressional staffer I used to hear all the time from various State Legislators how horrible unfunded mandates from the Federal Government were and that the Fed's should just butt out of the State's business. That's all fine and well and I personally couldn't agree more. However, it was with a little guilty glee I have to admit I enjoyed a recent article in the Provo Daily Herald talking about the budget process in Cedar Hills.

You can read the full article "Cedar Hills mocks, challenges Legislature over Red Tape" here. Here are some highlights:

"City councils are burdened by two kinds of legislative nonsense, (Councilman) Perry said -- unfunded mandates, meaning the city is ordered to begin a program but not given money to pay for it; and red-tape in the form of bills that are "just meaningless, silly, or even condescending," Perry said.

"The requirement to adopt a 'preliminary budget' by a specific date is both meaningless and condescending," he said. "It is meaningless because we work on our annual budget over a period of months, usually starting in April."

Adopting the preliminary budget means nothing more than adopting the working draft by motion, "so it accomplishes nothing other than using time from city staff and adding an agenda item, thus taking time from our meeting," Perry said. "This requirement is condescending because it seems state legislators think they need to baby-sit municipal officials and set artificial and meaningless deadlines as if we otherwise wouldn't be working on our budget process."

While there are good state laws, "I would obviously prefer the state Legislature reduce their interference with municipal government, and especially eliminate micromanagement efforts, which offer absolutely no benefit."

Municipal elected officials and city staff "are infinitely more knowledgeable on the issues and workings of the city compared to state legislators, and thus are in a better position to decide how to manage the budget process, and most everything else regarding their city," Perry said. "Eric's motion was putting voice to the frustration we feel when faced with meaningless or counter-productive restrictions from the state."

Yes, even our own Legislature can put folks under its thumb sometimes - because it can.

S(h)ave that Mustache Mayor!

Update: the mustache loses by a hair (1254 shave to 966 save)

If you ever meet Murray Mayor Dan Snarr you won't won't forget him. Well his face at least - uh to be more specific - his mustache. It's a classic waxed at the ends circa 1890's beauty. In a charitable effort to support the Children's Miracle Network the mayor is putting the fate of his famous mustache on the (hair) cutting block. Folks can cast their jelly bean ballots in either 'Shave' or 'Save' jars at the local Costco.

Apparently people aren't big fans of the Mayor's facial hair as the 'shaves' have an early lead (but then I've always been cautious of early exit polls).
After sporting the 'stache for three years he says his wife is sick of "puckering up for a kiss and getting poked in the eye." Can you blame her really?

And, just to prove that there is literally a lobby group for anything and everything in America Snarr is getting pressure to save the pointy facial hair from the St. Louis-based American Mustache Institute who's purpose is to defend a man's right to sport a mustache. Remind me never to eat anything 'crumbly' with these guys.

With sympathies to the Mayor's wife I'm dropping my jelly bean in the SAVE! jar.

You can read the full AP article here.

They're Own Worst Enemy

Despite the media's feigned concern regarding the future of the Republican Party I'm not so sure it's the Republican's who will be in trouble in 2010. I think the opportunity for the GOP will be derived from one thing - Hubris. No no, not on the part of our beloved Grand Old Party but hubris on the side of the Democrats.

Consider the latest YouTube attack video put out by the Democratic National Committee (DNC). It's for lack of a better word - lame (pathetic maybe?). It's a play on the Survivor reality show and ticks off about a dozen high profile Republicans under the guise of "who will survive to be the voice of the GOP"? Not only is the look low budget and shotty but the premise is just petty.

Is this really the best the DNC's got? I mean much past Obama and really what does the Democratic party have to stand on? The D's did not win in 2008 because of their 'principles' or 'ideals.' If the DNC strategists are really honest with themselves they'd come to the conclusion that they won primarily because of George Bush, and a young, talented, charismatic, rockstar of a guy at the head of the ticket - not on the issues.

Consider the following (Stats from CNN)

Obama wins the Electoral College in a landside: 365 to 173

...but the popular vote isn't as convincing:

Obama: 69,492,376 (53%)

McCain: 59,946,378 (46%)

Electoral College math aside, a swing of less than 5 million votes and the GOP has the hearts and mind of the people. That's not an insurmountable gap by any means.

My Takeaway:

In 2010 Bush will no longer be a factor and Obama will not be on the ticket. The Republican's will find a voice. It could be any one of those featured in the video, or a combination, or someone yet to emerge. The DNC is currently acting glib, cocky, and arrogant. Firing negative and petty shots at the GOP will get old in a hurry. Just like the hubris that was the thinking behind the Titanic, left unchecked this sort of attitude is going to catch up with the Left sooner rather than later...If the Democrats don't focus on their own message the Republicans will make significant mid-term gains.

Keynesian Theory Explained

This post is a bit 'wonkish' so proceed at your own risk.
Recently, at this year's Utah County convention Senator Bob Bennet made the observation that President Ronald Reagan was so bold and innovative in his approach to economics (Reagan had a degree in Econ) because he had studied pre-Keynes. Keynesian theory of spend your way out of recessions had not yet flooded American campuses during Reagan's college years. Keynes book, The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money was first published in 1936.

It was an interesting observation.

The Utah Foundation recently published a policy brief on Keynesian theory in regards to the Keynesian response or explanation to what caused the current crisis and how Keynesian's suggest we get ourselves out of this mess. I like the Foundation's material and apparently they plan a series of similar briefs each focusing on a different economic theory to explain the current situation and how each theory would solve the crisis.

Here are the highlights on Keynes:

Causes of Current Recession

Paul Krugman, an advocate of Keynesian policy, indentifies the 2007 fall in China’s stock market, and the subsequent 416-point slide in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, as the events which started the decline in investment ultimately leading to the current recession. Investors were shaken by the 2007 drop and began to panic over the number of risky mortgage-loan defaults that emerged with the collapse of the housing boom.


Keynesian solutions to current recession

As the recession continues to worsen, Krugman believes government spending is the only tool left available to stimulate the economy. Both consumer and investment confidence are down, the global effects of the economic downturn have lowered net exports, and monetary policy is not an option because interest rates are essentially already at 0%. This leaves government spending, which largely came in the form of the 2009 stimulus package.


I think its clear where President Obama's thinking comes from. It's early in the recovery(?) but it does appear things are improving. I think the jury is definitely still out as to whether this approach will work or not. But one thing is for sure - the price tag is beyond enormous. This is unchartered territory folks...

They don't call it 'World' Cup for nuth'n...

Soccer moms - don't let your babies grow up to be...soccer players.

Former GOP Congressman, Quarterback, and Presidential Candidate Jack Kemp died over the weekend after a months long battle with cancer.

The former football star was once quoted on the House Floor as saying:

"I think it is important for all those young out there — who someday hope to play real football, where you throw it and kick it and run with it and put it in your hands — [that] a distinction should be made that football is democratic capitalism, whereas soccer is a European socialist sport."

Thank you for your hard work and service Jack. Godspeed.

You can Give a Man a Fish or...

As the three of you who occasionally read this blog may already know I work for a company called Franchise Foundry. Basically, what we do is take small and often young companies with a few units and help them grow using the franchise model. It's a lot of fun and I've really enjoyed working with our team there.

I recently received an email from a company that uses the franchising model to build small community clinics in Africa. The clinics are called "Child and Family Wellness Shops" or "CFWShops" for short. The clinics are primarily funded by The HealthStore Foundation.

For a franchise fee of $500 the would-be entrepreneur purchases a franchise. The remaining $6,000 required to build and supply the clinic is financed at nominal rates and in some cases grants through the Foundation. This $500 is a considerable investment; as the HealthStore Foundation mentions on its website this is usually a combination of life savings and a sale of the family's livestock. The training is completely paid for by the Foundation as well as the franchisee's living and boarding costs while they learn how to run their new clinic.

The reason I find this so exciting is that it's the perfect example of self reliance - a classic conservative principle. The HealthStore Foundation is not giving these people a clinic. They are teaching them how to own and operate one on their own. The administrators are not (well meaning) bureaucrats but truly owners in the clinic with a very real and personally significant interest in it's success.

The time old adage still applies: you can give a man a fish - or you can teach that same man to fish. The clinic franchise model is innovative and clearly demonstrates that conservative principles can be effectively applied to problems which often the progressive side claims we ignore. It's time for conservatives to reclaim these issues.

Air Quality: Utah Gets an 'F'

American Lung Association Report: Utah cities among the nation's worst for air quality

I wanted to follow-up on my earlier convention post. If you remember I had asked Representative Keith Grover if there was anything we could do about the air quality in Utah County during the winter months. He said that because of our geography really the only thing we could do is to move.

I've really never been someone who's been really concerned on environmental issues. And I'm not talking about climate change and polar ice caps, but this one hits pretty close to home. Truth be told Republicans have differed to the Democrats on the environment for too long. I think conservatives should and must engage the other side on issues like this (see also ethics reform).

So, not being satisfied with being told "to move," I promised to dig a little deeper. I didn't have to look very hard - it's almost like the information came to me(!). In today's SLTrib there is a story about a report from the American Lung Association on the very topic.

And the report says....

Utah County

Particle Pollution: F

High Ozone: F

The Wasatch Front really gets pounded by pollution in the winter during short but intense periods of inversion. So during these times our area suffers from some of the worst air in the country.

Of the top 25 U.S. cities most polluted by short-term particle pollution three are in Utah.

1. Pittsburgh, PA

4. Los Angeles, CA

6. Salt Lake City, UT

8. Logan, UT

16. New York, NY

20. (tie) Philadelphia, PA/San Francisco, CA

22. Provo-Orem, UT

So What can be done? Again, I didn't have to look very far. I took a look at a local activist group - Utah Mom's for Clean Air. They had a lot of common sense suggestions - most of them centered around driving.

Now despite the communist conspiracy that is 'light rail' I think that will help make a difference when it is completed. I'd gladly trade my car and a dangerous drive on an icy road during winter for the safety of light rail. It'd be a safer commute and a healthier one.

In the end, I think it really comes down to personal responsiblity and each of us being aware and doing our part during those smoggy winter days.