LobbyMe

Note to any candidate: Never say "Frankly I hope it's the other guy."

2011-06-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

So I'm late to the party as usual in terms of catching up on the Party Convention last Saturday. Call me a nerd but I had a good time. Some of my candidates and issues won...others lost. All in all as it should be I suppose.

As a campaign junkie though I just had to include this note on what not to say if you ever hope to be elected to well...anything...

Read this article in the Provo Daily Herald about Dave Duncan, candidate (at the time) for State Party Chair: Duncan a long shot to win GOP Chair

A few excerpts to highlight:

"The heart of the question is who should have the ultimate say in party affairs? The delegates or the power brokers?" asked Duncan.

Duncan admits being this aggressive about the issues and putting his name out there for everyone to scrutinize is a bit out of his comfort zone. He even says he hopes another candidate for chair, Arnold Gaunt, wins on Saturday. The third candidate for chair is Thomas Wright.

"I hope that one of us gets elected," says Duncan. "Frankly, I hope it is Arnold."

But Duncan's name is on the ballot and he is hoping he can change minds on Saturday. He notes this group is a different group than the traditional GOP delegates that have been involved in the past. Many Tea Party delegates who brought down former U.S. Senator Bob Bennett will be voting again at the convention and Duncan hopes their resentment for the old guard might work in his favor, but he isn't holding out much hope for a victory.

"I think my chances are very slim," he said.

If you ever hope to win, don't ever say what Dave said in this article. It comes across as though he doesn't really want to win. I've seen this happen dozens of times, mostly during convention speeches where a candidate gets up and all but apologizes for even running at all.

My point is that if you are going to run - run for crying out loud. If you don't think you can win then you won't. It's 50% attitude 50% hard work - the last 10% is luck ;)

I actually like Dave. I believe he's sincere and committed. The interesting thing is given the way the voting worked out I think Dave really had a legitimate chance of winning his race. But I think his attitude towards winning as demonstrated by his comments proved to be his downfall.

A Tale of Two Sites

2011-05-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

Most folks associated with campaigns will tell you that a campaign website is the new yard sign. It's been like that for at least the last ten years I'd say - so maybe it's not all that new. But really, the website is the central hub for disseminating campaign information. It's all very interesting how campaigns develop their sites, what they post, what the new/latest add-on or plug-in features they choose to use, etc...

But what about domain names? Consider NY Assemblywoman Jane Corwin's (for Congress) site JaneCorwin.com, then consider JaneCorwin.org

I'll wait while you take a look at each...No really look at BOTH sites.

Notice anything different?

The .org site is from the opposition. I doubt it's directly from the opposing candidate's camp but certainly it's not from a fan. My favorite part is the bogus slogan: "Together we can make delicious soup from the bones of the poor." As opposed to the official one: "Together we can build a bright future that is lit with prosperity and opportunity."

The truth is, I think the .org/bogus site is actually the better site. Cooler graphics, better features. They've actually gone to great lengths to make it look official, with crisp photos, a Twitter feed, rotating banners, and links to official sites like ProjectVoteSmart for voting records.

It'll be interesting to see the reaction to the bogus site. It's humorous, but cuts fairly deep. I suspect as many people will go to that site as do the official one. And perhaps the publicity of a bogus site may drive more traffic to the official one - kind of a no publicity is bad publicity scenario.

Campaign 2000 was one of the first Presidential races to really use the web as it came of age. At the time George W Bush bought a number of domains, anything from BushSucks.com to GeorgeWBush.com (.org/.biz/etc). People at the time thought it was a bit overkill, but I think larger campaigns should think about purchasing domain variations for very reason Jane Corwin is facing right now, not to mention possibly having to shell out chunks of valuable messaging dollars to purchase a domain (see this story on a squatter back in 2000).

Anyhow, one of those goofy things that comes up in a campaign. It'll be interesting to watch or should I say See Jane run...She does look rather regal standing next to a firetruck.

Update (like five minutes after I first posted I know!): turns out it's this guy, the Green Party candidate and a notorious prankster.

"I've Got Better Stuff to Do."

2011-04-27T07:51:00.000-07:00

This morning President Obama released his long-form birth certificate. The President said that "he decided on the release because the conspiracy theory over where he was born had eclipsed the debate on the budget." And I agree with him.

I see two problems with this whole silliness.

First, is that it took him so long to do it. I mean the requirements are fairly straightforward to be the President of the United States; No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President...(Article II Section I). So if your qualifications are ever in question I would think it simple enough to provide the appropriate documentation and move on.

And this gets to my second problem with this issue; the conspiracy theorists would not let this issue die. In the vacuum of formal proof, which has just now been provided, the birther issue got legs and kept running much longer that it ever should. And I think you see Obama's frustration with this non-issue in his statement today "I've got better stuff to do," referring to the budget issues.

Obama miscalculated how distracting this issue would become. People in their desperation (that doesn't seem like quite the right word though) to discredit him grasped on to this issue of all things. And to me the frustrating thing is that we're talking about a birth certificate here, not the budget, not the wars, not education, not ...name literally ANY other issue. It's just silly.

And now, because it's so curious to me, the side-bar to this story - Donald Trump.

If you read Obama's statement this morning it's full of awesome one-liners that as a guy who dabbles in campaigns like me just eats up. My favorite; "while the parties debate their fiscal policies, people can’t be 'making stuff up' and providing 'sideshows and carnival barkers.”

Sideshows. Carnival Barkers. Awesome. And really, is there any better way to describe Donald Trump right now?

There is an interesting article in the Union Leader that sums up my feelings of Donald Trump fairly well; see it here. In the article the author sites a Trump appearance on the Bill O'Reilly show where Trump said:

“If he wasn’t born in this country, it’s one of the great scams of this time.” To which O’Reilly replied: “It’s provocative. I think it gets a lot of attention, but I don’t think you believe it.”

I think O'Reilly was on to something at the time. Trump knows this issue is not substantive, but it is provocative, and it certainly has got Trump a lot of attention over the last month or so. But in the end, he comes off as a Carnival Barker. Someone who when history looks back at this presidential race will label as a literal sideshow.

And it's happening already; Jimmy Kimmel challenges any serious journalist to interview Trump with a straight face.

It'll be a fun (side)show to watch.

What's your Budget IQ?

2011-04-01T09:07:00.000-07:00

So have you ever been at a party, BBQ, or just sitting around with co-workers and friends and the one really opinionated person pipes up with some totally outlandish spending 'fact' or 'statistic' they heard from a friend of a friend who saw something on Glen Beck a few weeks back and you just know you are in for five minutes of trying to keep your blood pressure at a normal level while you quietly let the person relieve themselves of the said 'fact' and they attempt to enlighten the group on why America is going to hell in a hand basket? Ever happened to any of you? Anyone?

Of course it has. Why? Because we're all idiots! Our perceptions are our realities. The news media, pundits, and even politicians themselves highlight items, cases, stories, and statistics that grab your attention and prompt an emotional response. You hear enough of these stories attached to an emotional reaction then they start to become your reality. Politicians and media pundits then capitalize on these new realities and use your feelings; often of anger and fear to keep you watching or listening to their shows or to keep voting for them.

Consider this poll from CNN on America's Budget IQ. Here is the accompanying article: American's flunk budget IQ test.

Let's take one item, say Foreign Assistance; What percentage of the budget would you say America spends on Foreign Aid? According to the poll on average people say we spend 10% of the budget on that one item (1 in 5 say we spend 20% on it). The truth? It's about 1.65%. Are you surprised? If so, why? Why do you think it's higher than it is? Is it because aid programs in Haiti, or parts of Africa, or other places around the globe get so much media attention?

Or is it cases closer to home like Congressman Chaffetz highlighting the inefficiencies of USAID in Haiti? "The relief effort is not progressing fast enough - why are we spending soooo much money there?" That's the message right? Does that make you angry? Of course it does. Are we wasting money in Haiti? Maybe. But would holding hearings and then cutting aid to programs like USAID really make a dent in the deficit? At 1.65%, and I'm guessing USAID isn't even a 10th of that, cutting that whole program wouldn't even be a blip on the radar. Yet you feel like our representatives are working on cutting the graft - trimming the pork right?

Wrong.

To get a sense - a true sense of where cuts need to happen take a look at this graphic for the 2012 proposed budget. It (see graphic at top of this post) gives you a nice visual of the largest programs and puts the smaller (yet often most highlighted) spending programs in context. What are the biggest spending items? Social Security at 20.04%, National Defense at 19.27%, and Medicare at 12.86%. Those three items are over half the total budget alone(!). Scroll over the various items to see their amounts.

So the next time your uneducated yet very opinionated associate starts in on how much the US is spending on what, you can chime in and say 'Oh yeah? If we're ever going to make a real dent in spending, you should take a look at those darn entitlement programs." Or when they say "We're spending 5% on NPR!" You can say; "Actually, it's only one tenth of one percent...If you really want to make a difference we should think about what it's costing us to fight wars on two fronts. 19.27% of our budget goes to national defense..."

Yeah, try giving them a dose of that reality. And the real reality is, that's where the discussion should be, not on earmarks, not on roads to nowhere, not on foreign aid programs. It's time to reform Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and come up with a cohesive national defense strategy.

Wimmer's no Jimmer

2011-03-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

I hate to get into this so early in the 2012 congressional races...BUT it's not secret Carl Wimmer is running for Congress. Which District? We don't know, he doesn't know and honestly I don't think he cares. He's decided he's needed in Congress and the District will find him. It's funny in a time when borders are talked about so vehemently that we've had our struggles with those pesky lines right here at home. Rep Craig Frank's unfortunate situation comes to mind, the upcoming redistricting of State House and Senate lines, and the new 4th Congressional seat, not to mention Congressman Jason Chaffetz not living in the District he represents.

But I digress.

This post is really about HB 477 - no, it's really about ambition, but I'll get to that in a moment. The infamous GRAMA Bill. The one that prevents/makes it more difficult for the average citizen (read news reporters) from gaining access to public records, including text messages and emails. I think it's no secret (notice the common theme) that the process of it's passage has been much criticized by the local media and rightfully so.

Any steps by newly elected Speaker Lockhart to push for a more open process have been severely shadowed by this bill. And it's ironic really. I mean what is the public, let alone the media, to think about a bill that limits access to various public records, when it's pushed forward so quickly and with such little process that a bill of this subject matter traditionally requires? It's really puzzling. And I'm also a bit surprised that the Speaker's new Chief of Staff Joe Pyrah, a former Herald news reporter and favorite blogger (SausageGrinder), didn't advise the Speaker on the potential backlash.

But now comes Representative Carl Wimmer. If Jimmer is everything good about basketball, Rep Wimmer is everything bad about politics. The classic definition of an ambitious, self-serving politician in the year of election. Wimmer is now conveniently calling for HB477 to be repealed. To me Wimmer comes across as an opportunist trying to capitalize on the public displeasure with HB477 and make himself a champion of its repeal. All the while I might add he voted FOR it the first time it came before the House then voted against it the second time when I believe he held his finger to the wind and saw it as a potentially harmful vote that would be held against him in his congressional run.

Does anyone remember the famous "I voted it FOR it before I voted AGAINST it"Kerry political ad of 2004?

Carl. YOU voted FOR HB477 before you voted AGAINST it!

Wimmer is an election year opportunist driven more by ambition than principle at this point. His usage of the repeal of HB477 as a vehicle for his own purposes is the perfect example.

If any of you know of an honest principled candidate considering a run. Please let me know. I'm anxious to help keep this guy out of a place where ambition is all to often rewarded over principle.

In my next post I promise to tell you how I really feel. ;)

Go Cougs!

Military Leave for an Elected Official of a Political Subdivision

2011-02-04T09:34:00.001-08:00

Just to follow-up on the National-Guard-City-Council-Vacancy issue...Here is the link to my Letter to the Editor in the Provo Daily Herald that ran earlier this week: Better Solutions.

It's basically a watered down version of my previous post - they only give you like 200 words so it's tough trying to sound intelligent - but as a conservative I always try to do more with less. ;)

Senator Valentine is running the bill, which you can track here: - SB66: Military Leave for an Elected Official of a Political Subdivision (Political Subdivision just means a 'city' which is technically a political subdivision of the state.

You can see the current language here: SB 66.

Please consider sending a note of support to your State Representative* or State Senator*.

*Disclaimer: the links to your local representatives district maps are provided by the state legislature, which may or may not be dependent on county governments, city boundaries, and the price of rice in China. They may or may not be accurate.

Resigned to This

2011-01-23T19:14:00.000-08:00

The Provo Daily Herald just published an odd editorial: Honor in resignation trying to link (former but soon to be rightfully restored) Rep Craig Frank's recent resignation to the situation of current Provo City-Wide Councilwoman Laura Cabanilla who is currently serving in Kuwait as a Colonel in the Reserves.

I fail to see the connection. It seems as if the Herald for some reason wants the Councilwoman to resign and is desperately trying to tie the two cases together. Anyone with an ounce of common sense can see the difference. One a bizarre map making error, the other fulfilling one's military duty.

I for one support Councilwoman Cabanilla. Is anyone else offended that The Herald so easily dismisses her willingness to serve our country in a time of war? If The Herald were so convinced of her need to resign where were they six months ago when the City gave her a proper send off?

I'm surprised The Herald's best idea is one of simple resignation. Federal law requires that a servicemember if called to serve cannot be fired and is entiled to their job when they return. Would the Board then have those in the private sector resign from their places of employment before fulfilling their military duty as well? Perhaps The Herald Editorial Board would benefit from brushing up on their HR basics: The USSERA - The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA 38 U.S.C. 4301-4335)

USERRA provides that returning service-members are reemployed in the job that they would have attained had they not been absent for military service...with the same seniority, status and pay, as well as other rights and benefits determined by seniority...USERRA also provides that while an individual is performing military service, he or she is deemed to be on a furlough or leave of absence and is entitled to the non-seniority rights accorded other individuals on non-military leaves of absence.

Provo residents still enjoy representation from their District Councilmember, the other City-Wide member and the Mayor. Additionally, the advance of technology allows those called to military service to still fulfill their duties as members of the Council. The Councilwoman has participated in meetings over the phone, and has on two separate occasions corresponded with my wife via email while overseas.

But really, is resignation the limit of The Herald's imagination? The Councilwoman was elected to a four-year term. The length of her call is expected to be one year. Could the Editorial Board not come up with a reasonable alternative? Senator Valentine is exploring options, including one that would allow the Member to appoint someone in their place for the duration of their leave. I understand the concerns such a proposal raises, but why not use it to further the dialogue? Other reasonable ideas would include, allowing the Council to appoint a temporary replacement or my preferred method would be allowing the Mayor to make the appointment.

In each alterantive the power is centered in one area or the other, either the Councilmember involved, the Council, or the Mayor. I understand the concerns. Perhaps there is some combination of all three, but it seems like this isn't rocket science. Let's define an appropriate process and follow it.

Resignation is unnecessary. Provo deserves better.

Healthcare...get your Healthcare...get your Healthcare...Reform

2011-01-21T16:37:00.000-08:00

Great op-ed by former Utah Gov and Bush Cabinet Member Mike Leavitt (yes I realize I just mentioned him in my last post and no I'd don't have a crush).

See the full article here: Healthcare reform: Less spending, less government control

I'll summarize his key points quickly:

1) Define contributions not benefits
2) Engage consumers
3) Give states more flexibility
4) More towards sustainable expectations

He offers the three primary reasons why healthcare, an issue Republicans generally do not win, was in 2010 a winning issue for them: "The truth is that people don't like Obamacare for three reasons: It represents too much debt, too much deficit and too much government."

Amen.

2012

2011-01-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

So this comes as no big surprise that Senator Hatch is going to run for another term.

I think he's going to have a tough battle ahead of him. Rumored to run is Rep. Jason Chaffetz and recently mentioned is former Governor Huntsman. I thought it was interesting that two days ago Jason's campaign manager Deidre Henderson followed me on Twitter then literally two hours later so did Senator Hatch.

I suspect Huntsman won't run. I suspect Chaffetz will.

That means 2012 is going to be nuts for elections. The Governor's office is up for election (already), Attorney General (Sen Valentine has been mentioned as interested), Hatch's seat, and all what will by then be four Congressional seats, not to mention the Legislative seats.

I'm looking forward to it. Odds are with so many races going on at the same time there will naturally be an increased demand for people with political and/or campaign experience. The good ones will be nabbed up early so folks need to start organizing now - or else you may be caught in a moral dilemma of trying to decide between high school interns and hiring illegals from Mexico - just sayin. ;)

But back to the Senate race. Who would you like to see run? I think it'd be interesting to see someone like Mike Leavitt run, or even his brother David Leavitt (neither are really being mentioned as interested). I'm a huge fan of Provo Mayor John Curtis (but he's not that politically ambitious). West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder is someone with a political future, but I see him happy with being Mayor (for now). Honestly, at this point I'm not that excited about any of the current Legislators rumored to be interested, but that could change as things get closer to kick off. Not rumored to run but I'd be interested in watching his campaign would be someone like Curt Bramble. Same with John Dougall.

Who knows what it'll bring but with so many races I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Shawn Bradley again, with that, why not Steve Young, Thurl Bailey, Karl Malone (he could come back right), or maybe even that crazy chick from Utah on The Bachelor?

Update 1/24/11: A new addition I'd like to add to the list. Sen Dan Liljenquist. He comes across very sincere and more than qualified.

A House without a Home

2011-01-19T12:49:00.000-08:00

I honestly do feel bad for Rep Craig Frank in Cedar Hills. He got shafted. But I am a litle surprised at how quickly people are willing to toss out the State Constitution.

This commentary in the Daily Herald nails it I think:

The pro-Frank crowd felt that the committee and legislature should follow what has been traditionally believed to be right for the last 10 years and ignore the plain language of Utah's constitution that would remove him from office.

I understand the frustration. I understand the confusion. But if you live outside the line you live outside the line.

What's curious is that the majority of Craig's supporters are ardent defenders of the US Constitution. It's just interesting how folks react when an issue hits as close to home as this one does.

Just to add even more intrigue to the issue...Senator Valentine is looking into the definition of what the line actually is.

UPDATE
Valentine and Dougall to run a Bill

The Daisy Awards

2010-10-20T16:13:00.000-07:00

Great montage of the best and worst of the political ads from this season. Being in Utah we've missed some of the best...and the worst...but then doesn't that make them the best? I digress...

The Daisy Awards for Political Ads - Political Punch

...my personal favorite? The Carly Fiorina's "Demon Sheep" ad. Priceless

And here's the one that started it all...

Continuing on the Civility Theme

2010-10-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

Interesting comments from former President Carter. Speaking of his campaigns back in the day the former President says; "It would have been devastating if any one of us had run a negative campaign against the other," Mr. Carter said, "whereas nowadays it's become a common practice and, unfortunately, it works for the American people."

And that's the sad state of public dialogue in America right now - it works.

Mr. Carter continued, "By the time you get to Washington, even if you are elected, your reputation has been severely damaged by the constant stream of negative TV commercials."

Just in case you've always wanted to get a Polaroid with a former prez, Carter will be signing copies of his new book on Oct. 28 at The King's English Bookshop near 1500 South and 1500 East in SLC.

Fore!

2010-10-04T08:01:00.000-07:00

Here's my comment in last Sunday's Daily Herald regarding Provo's golf course.

They only give you 100 words on those things. Not much to make yourself sound very intelligent. I thought the Herald's Op-Ed "Is City Owned Golf a Sand Trap?" on the topic did a fine job outlining the issues.

So. Should cities be involved in golf? Call me unprincipled but I say - it depends. I have nothing against a community pooling its resources to fund beneficial projects. It's just in this case East Bay Golf Course is unable to operate at a profit because they cannot raise their rates - why? Because the marketplace already has enough golf courses. It's supply and demand.

Other similar issues like say a rec center in Provo I'm open to because Provo doesn't have one, and the market is such that a private investor won't get a decent ROI. So if the citizens of Provo decide we want to build one that oh say - just breaks even, then I say let's go for it.

I guess that's why I'm a Republican and not a pure Libertarian.

Herbert Takes the Bait

2010-10-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Trib's report on the 2nd gubernatorial debate indicates the dialogue was 'nasty.'

Most of the animosity seems to center around the I-15 bid "pay for play" scandal or lack thereof or whatever it is. The Corroon campaign is brilliantly running with this issue. And the reason why it's working is because the Herbert campaign is taking the bait! My question is why? Because now the issue has serious legs, the press is eating it up, and it's giving Corroon so much more air time than without.

Herbert should have just laid out the facts, opened up the records, dismissed it as an ongoing campaign issue and focus on the economy (stupid). But every time Corroon brings it up you can tell he's getting under Herbert's skin. Herbert can't help himself but respond - as if it's a personal attack on his integrity. Note to Gary - IT'S NOT - unless YOU make it so which you are doing. SO STOP!

Corroon Challenge

2010-09-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

I know this is so last Thursday but I have to comment on the Corroon to Herbert Challenge.

Corroon challenged Governor Herbert to return any donations over $10,000. It's kind of a funny gimmick really. That would mean Herbert would have to return about $750,000 and Corroon $250,000. So let's face it. It ain't going to happen.

Should campaigns be limited in what money they can raise? Eh. I'm not against requiring some limits. I'm not sure what the numbers should be. Raising money is soooooo difficult. Limiting donation amounts can sometimes force campaigns to reallocate resources from communicating with voters to simply dialing for dollars. A quick example - say you need to raise oh $10,000. Right now, a (state) campaign could get that from one donor. But if the limit were $2,500 then the campaign's got to raise that from four different people. It's a lot more work.

And let me add, I do have serious concerns about limiting one's ability to speak with their wallets - read free speech concerns. Complex issues. I encourage the dialogue.

But the best part in whole back forth between Corroon and Herbert is the zinger delivered by Herbert campaign manager Joe Demma. In his response to "The Challenge" Demma throws it back in Corroon's face and says "If the Mayor has reservations about any of those donations and the influence they have on his ability to govern Salt Lake County, his commitment to returning them should not be contingent upon the governor."

Awesome. I love that. Yes, Mayor; If this is such a concern why are YOU taking donations over $10,000 in the first place? Nice call out by Demma.

Have you taken The Pledge?

2010-09-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

Utah's own Congressman Chaffetz was among a dozen-ish Republican Congressmen to appear and speak at the unveiling of the House-GOP's "Pledge to America."

See the official link at Pledge.gop.gov

To me, I'm reminded of the ancient Roman flea standing atop the wheel of a chariot amidst a stir of dust who says "what a great storm we've incited this day!" (I think that's Cicero could be Pliny - can't remember).

I mean it just seems like a poof of dust. Tall on rhetoric short on new ideas. For example from the second page of the intro; An arrogant and out-of-touch government of self-appointed elites makes decisions, issues mandates, and enacts laws without accepting or requesting the input of the many. Classic campaign season blah blah blah.

Can't you just see lead Pledge author Rep Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) sitting at his writing table late into the night, writing by candle light, trying his best to channel his inner Thomas Jefferson...but for what? It's just all so...so...silly.

Try this one - Trust gets it's own section:

A PLAN TO REFORM CONGRESS & RESTORE TRUST

• We will “read the bill” and require legislation be publicly available at least 3 days before voting on it

• We will adhere to the Constitution and require every bill to cite its specific Constitutional Authority

• We will ensure an open and bipartisan debate on all spending bills

• We will advance legislative issues one at a time and end the practice of massive bills that address unrelated issues.

The ironic thing is I DON'T TRUST THE GOP TO DO THIS. It all sounds good, but will they really do it if they take control? Can they really do it? Rhetoric. All stuff that sounds good in an election then never happens. Sigh...

Side note.

Read the sidebar "Why Chaffetz" in the Trib article. I don't think the Tea Party folks would be very happy with the following: Chaffetz said congressional clout is partially based on relationships, and he has become fast friends with some of the leading Republicans in Washington. He said his speaking role “is an expression that they have gained a lot of confidence in me in a very short amount of time.”

I just don't know if Chaffetz can be trusted anymore now that he's so quickly made friends with the Washington elite. ;)

Provo Ethics

2010-09-23T07:54:00.001-07:00

The Provo City Council announced it would not be ammending it's ethics rules. At play in this particular debate is the issue of conflicts of interest.

The current rules requre a councilmember to only declare their conflict. They are still free to debate, discuss, lobby, and even vote on the issue. To me, I have no problem with a councilmember declaring their interest - transparency is a good thing. Also, they should be free to lobby and debate their point of view. I'm fine with all of that as long as it's done in the open. My beef is with the final vote. Councilmembers should excuse themselves from voting on those issues in which they have a direct conflict of interest.

Do councilmembers have greater influence on their collegues? Of course they do, but I think it's unfair or unwise even to not allow them to contribute to the debate on issues they have personal interests in. But, they shouldn't vote. Let their ideas and arguments sway the members on the council. Not their own vote.

Good Lesson on Crisis Communications

2010-09-21T10:45:00.001-07:00

I thought the Utah National Guard did well for itself by admitting they had made a mistake and taking full responsibility for the Herriman/Machine Gun Fire incident. Maj. Gen. Brian Tarbet said it was the Guard's mistake to shoot under the existing weather conditions.

Its refreshing in a way to see a public/government/military organization take responsibility so quickly. I've found that more damage to credibility, trust, and reputation tends to be done in the cover-up and spin of explanation than just flat out admitting the truth right away.

So for such an awful event it's nice to see the Guard own up to it's mistake.

Where in the UTCO-World is Mayor Corroon?

2010-09-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

So I get it that Utah County is exactly a hot bed of support for the Corroon for Gov campaign, but I can't recall hearing about any campaign events in Utah County. I wouldn't spend a ton of time down here either, but you can't completely ignore Utah County. Richard Davis must be pulling his hair out. Just sayin...you know...Richard Davis must be pulling his hair out.

And to tag along on that note, just for fun; Can you tell me what's different between the campaign logo above versus the one below? And I'm not talking "Mayor" v. "Governor." There's something the Corroon Campaign isn't emphasizing in the statewide race.

International House of...Politics?

2010-09-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

You've heard of "pancakes and politics" right? You know, when candidates buy delegates/would-be voters breakfast?

Just when I was about to launch my own IHOP version; a world-wide political think tank/non-profit/save-the-world/its-all-about-the-kids foundation... the lawyers go and get in the way!

IHOP (the pancake maker) sues IHOP (the prayer center) over trademark

...back to the drawing board err...test kitchen...whatever...

Next Stop. Havana?

2010-09-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

Cuba is reforming their economic system. As one of the last few communist holdouts its amazing really it's lasted this long.

One gem from the Cuban statement: "Our state cannot and should not continue supporting businesses, production entities and services with inflated payrolls," the union said, "and losses that hurt our economy are ultimately counterproductive, creating bad habits and distorting worker conduct."

Well duh.

I've always thought the travel and trade restrictions to Cuba are silly. They are a remnant of the Cold War and should be abolished. The White House as recently as last month has indicated they may move to lift the restrictions. With any luck we could all be relaxing on a Cuban beach a year from now.

Who's in?

To Report or Not Report. That is the...

2010-09-13T08:35:00.001-07:00

I was a bit surprised to see this piece from Paul Rolly of the Trib.

It's an article regarding the Florida pastor who wanted to burn the Koran. Interestingly, Paul in this case argues that there are some stories the press should not report. It's insightful and spot on.

If a tree falls in the forest...

Civility, Politics, Media, and the Truth

2010-09-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

I wanted to jot down a couple thoughts regarding the new media policy from KSL, which is "taking a stand for civility in political advertising."

"What we'd like to do is try to help candidates focus on what they stand for rather than tear down their opponent," Willes said (Deseret Media Companies CEO).

Okay. Who can argue with that?

Essentially, what they are trying to do is come up with some kind of "truth test" according to the statement. I think they will have a hard time really blocking any ads because most ads (if not all) are based in some form of the truth. I would challenge anyone to produce an example of an out and out lying political ad. Show me one without some element of truth to it.

When I worked on the Cannon campaign we were often frustrated by what we felt were "lies" about the Congressman's record for example. The reality is what our opponent(s) were saying were not necessarily lies but elements of the truth somewhat twisted or taken out of context to further advance their arguments. Were our opponents out and out lying? No. They weren't. My experience is that most candidates are able to justify what they are saying to some degree or another.

When candidates challenge their opponents directly some think that is negative. I believe it is important to allow candidates to directly and frankly point out their differences. But let them be fair and honest in outlining their differences. Let them not conveniently ignore certain unflattering facts. Let them confront them honestly and directly. We deserve it.

What we really need is not civility in politics but intellectual honesty. What most people would call "negative" ads are generally not personal attacks, but distorted elements of the truth. The line between that and a lie is admittedly thin. What our political speech needs is less rehtoric and more honest examination of the facts in full context. The challenge becomes the ability to fully flesh out an issue in a 20 second radio spot or direct mail post card.

My advice if the media is really trying to clean up campaigns (should that even be their role?) is to challenge candidates more openly, loudly, in your face, on the out and out exaggerations, twisting facts, out of context comments, and yes, be intellectually honest themselves void of agenda. You know, honest journalism. If KSL is going to block an ad let them do it publically not by preventing it's airing in the first place but challenging it so loudly the candidate will be forced to defend and here's that word again - justify it.

So what do I really think about KLS's new policy? Its misguided and naive. In the end it will have little if any effect on campaigns in Utah.

Update 9/15/2010: For a current real life example take a look at the sausage grinder's blog regarding Morgan Philpot's claim that Matheson has only passed two bills. How quickly each camp gets into the minutia. Also take a look at the comments - they just prove my point and are what inspired this update.

Congressman Ryan...I like it.

2010-08-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

Congressman Ryan. No. It's not what you think. I came across this great Washington Post article profiling Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI). When I was in DC I secretly admired Congressman Ryan from afar. Probably because we have so much in common. He's smart. He's young. He's good looking. ;) And in an institution of poll fearing policy making and cheap sound bites he's the real deal.

When I run for Congress (wink) I want to run on the Ryan platform. Seems like a natural thing to do right? But really, what's not to like about this guy? His views particularly on budget items just ring common sense to me.

One of the biggest problems with our nation's debt problem is funding the entitlement programs such as social security, medicare and medicaid. Congressman Ryan (I just like saying that) wants to implement private insurance options in the place of government run programs. On Social Security he says why not allow those under 55 to put their social security tax payments into personal accounts? Really? Yeah really! This is one that absolutely drives me crazy! I know my money would grow more in a private account than sitting in the government treasury...but that's all for another day.

What's endearing about Congressman Ryan (don't you like the sound of that too?) is this line: "Political people always tell their candidates to stay away from controversy," said Ryan, 40. "They say, 'Don't propose anything new or bold because the other side will use it against you.' (Think Congressman Rob Bishop here - don't propose anything new or bold - you won't get anything done, but you won't get voted out either).

We need more people who lead with real vision, passion, and common sense. And given the silliness of the recent Senate Primary the following quote from the article is also timely:

"It's really important, I think, not to run campaigns on some vague platitudes and rip down the other party, to hopefully win an election by default," he said. "You have to win an election by acclamation, by aspiration, by telling people who you are and what you are going to do, and then go do it once you get there."

So yeah, Congressman Ryan. I like the sound of it.

If you are feeling policy-wonkish check out the Ryan platform here.

The List

2010-07-13T14:17:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know an anonymous letter was sent out to various state leaders and Departments over the last few days including a list of 1300 supposed undocumented immigrants. To me The List represents everything wrong with the immigration debate.

It smacks of the infamous McCarthy 'Black List'- those who were suspected Communists. The link above highlights the state's review of how The List was obtained. The fact that it was submitted anonymously is not only cowardly but (to use the word again) smacks of secret police tactics.

I'm always reluctant to publicly refer to my church experience in Romania, but one thing I came back with was a determination to never let what happened there during Ceausescu's reign to ever happen here. Neighbors spying on neighbors. People living in fear of being awakened in the middle of the night and never being heard from again. Persecuted, accused, tortured, killed. Often with little evidence other than what a terrified neighbor thought they heard or saw.

What if your name is on the list? What if you simply share the same name as someone on The List? Your neighbors, with (apparently) access to state databases, the compilers of The List presume you are guilty. Should your workplace be raided? Should you be dragged in front of law enforcement, investigators, or committees? It's happened before. And we don't have to look to examples from the former Eastern Block, but our own history and the McCarthy hearings of the 1950s.

One of my favorite Congressional hearing exchanges of all time occurred on June 9th 1954 between the head counsel for the US Army Joseph Welch and Senator Joseph McCarthy (both pictured above). Take a moment and watch it here. It was the 30th day of the infamous McCarthy hearings. Mr. Welch was defending a young Army lawyer who's only apparent act of treason was that he had joined a lawyers guild. It was Mr. Welch who publicly stood up to Senator McCarthy with his famous line "Have you no sense of decency sir?"

Learn more about this unsung American hero and a short transcript of the exchange here.

When I first heard about The List I was reminded of Mr. Welch's statement. To those who thought it was a good idea to take the law into their own hands, publish names, addresses, due dates of pregnant mothers in some cases, phone numbers, social security numbers, I would ask them Have you no sense of decency sir? Who are you to play judge and jury?

This is America where you are considered innocent until proven guilty.

Update: See Peg McEntee's article "List a Dispicable sign McCarthyism could happen here. Similar arguments but better presented by Peg.

Don't Rain on MY Parade Provo

2010-06-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

Does this seem ironic to anyone else? The Provo "Freedom" Festival Parade has had a years long policy of only allowing elected officials to officially be in the parade - excluding challenging opponents. You can see the Desnews article regarding Congressional Candidate Karen Hyer's argument for why she should be allowed to participate here.

I'll be supporting Congressman Chaffetz so this particular race isn't the issue for me. The issue is - It's the FREEDOM Festival for crying out loud! Why not let any and all challengers in? Free and fair elections is key to what makes us free. Why not celebrate that? Why be exclusive? I can't think of another city or community-based parade that refuses to allow challengers (maybe the Days of 47?) to walk and wave and kiss as many babies as possible along the way.

Come on Provo. Let them in!

I guess some parades are more free than others.

I HATE this line...

2010-06-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

from a story about the Bridgewater Lee KUED debate:

"I think one of the things the people of Utah want is someone who won't vacillate, who won't waiver..."

Is it ever okay for an elected official or candidate to change their mind?

I don't want to get into who said it and what the issue was that the other person supposedly shifted on. The reason I hate this is because politicians and the media are constantly putting themselves and our public officials in boxes.

Ideologues are quick to cry that a person is "unprincipled" if they change positions. Reporters cry hypocrisy if someone changes their mind. Have YOU ever changed your mind on an issue? Of course you have. New information, evolving dialogue, etc... "Sides" of an issue are not created in a vacuum. It's also fair to say that on some issues there are no formal sides - you may not be for or against - but what if you are somewhere in between? or mostly on one "side" but differ on a few of the details?

This is the political culture of our day. Both in DC and at home. This is part of the reason why people are so frustrated with politics. Surely our elected officials need to be held accountable for what they say. I'm simply saying let's not be so quick to cry hypocrite or heresy when someone changes their mind.

Issues are important. They are also complex. In many cases I think people need time to make up their mind. Let's allow our elected officials to make the best decisions they can with out making mimes out of them.

Mike Throw's a Football...on TV

2010-06-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

Senate candidate Mike Lee is the first to go up on TV. You can see the ad here. You can see the Desnews breakdown here. Up to this point both candidates have run ho hum radio ads - sort of a tit for tat rushed production I think to see who could be the first up on the air. Neither spot was really that compelling.

And I don't think Mike's TV spot is very compelling either. I feel like both campaigns are bit a patronizing in a way. Mike's ad starts off with "Stop the Obama liberal agenda." I don't like those sorts of broad strokes. They are kind of lazy in my mind. Granted this is his first TV spot and it's basically an introduction and bio ad to help voters get to know him, but it's short on real solutions. I think Mike needs to hit harder on specifics.

Tim's "Stop the DC Insanity" campaign is gimmicky and I think frankly a little silly for a US Senate race - a House seat maybe. And even then a House seat in Mississippi or Arkansas somewhere. But the message is the right one. I think people are less motivated by fear of Obama and the "liberal" agenda, than a simple overwhelming frustration with DC. If Mike tries to run against the democrats, Obama, and Liberals, basically - "I'm the most conservative" - I think he loses. Bob Bennett is conservative and he already lost.

The winner will be the one who makes the better case of why we need to change the culture in DC. So while DC Insanity is gimmicky it's the right message.

And because I can't resist:

Note to Mike. If you throw like a girl don't put yourself in a commercial throwing a football. Try something else to show how American you are - like grilling red meat on the 4th of July.

Post Script to Mike: Something I wanted to add earlier but forgot - if the campaign ever comes down to Tim Businessman v Mike Lawyer. Businessman wins everytime.

Is it any Wonder?

2010-04-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Interesting PEW poll finds 4 of 5 don't trust DC.

Is anyone really surprised?

The poll says that "results point to 'a perfect storm' of public unrest, Pew reports, "a dismal economy (check), an unhappy public (check), bitter, partisan-based backlash (check) and epic discontent with Congress (check) and elected officials (and check)."

So, check, check, check, check, and check.

-Beware I'm about to wax philosophical here-

When you think about it, its interesting how much people are targeting their elected officials. I think that most of the trouble actually lies in the institutions themselves and elected officials happen to be the face of those institutions.

Our nation's institutions as intentionally created by the Founders were designed to be cumbersome and slow. Take Congress for example; Name a successful company that goes through TWO huge decision making bodies with complicated subsystems (committees, hearings, floor debate, ect) then goes to the CEO for final approval? Not too many of those around.

Changing anything in Washington is really like making sausage. It's ugly. I think herein lies the real frustration of most Americans. We feel powerless to really make a difference - to "change" anything. Every two/six years we (often) send new people back with promises of change to the same bodies with little capability to effectively change anything.

Take a look at this list of Presidential Slogans dating back to 1840. It's interesting to see how many of those really focused on change. So I'm not sure changing the people really changes anything in what really are unchangeable institutions unless those people are changing what it is we are asking those institutions to do.

Whew! I just wrote that last sentence and I'm not sure I even follow it.

He's BaaAAAck....

2010-04-16T08:47:00.001-07:00

So it's been a long time since I last posted. I stopped blogging when Utah County GOP Chair, Taylor Oldroyd asked me to be on the UTCO Steering Committee. I felt it was just too difficult to blog and still maintain a sense of neutrality among the various elected officials, initiatives, and candidates. So I took a break.

A little over a month ago I realized I was just too busy with family, work, and everything else to really be useful and effective on the Steering Committee so I resigned. I really did enjoy serving on the SC. The SC had some real lively discussion and it was a great opportunity to have influence on the direction of the county party. There really is a diversity of ideas on the Committee which I think is a good thing.

I'm looking forward to blogging a bit more regularly again. So for the two people who occasionally read this blog before - Thanks

Thoughts on the senate race so far

2010-04-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

So the Trib ran its obligatory Bennett (insert any incumbent really) outspends their opponents article this morning. You can see it here: Bennett spends 20 times his opponents.

I think people over estimate the role money plays in campaigns - especially the media. They love those stories. Don't get me wrong, marketing budgets are a huge part of a campaign's success. But Jason Chaffetz proved that you don't need big bucks to win.

For me the most interesting sentence in the whole article is the last from Kirk Jowers director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics: "The bigger problem for candidates like Eagar and Lee is that their message has been so tailored to the far right that it may not appeal to mainstream Republicans."

I know I'm from Utah County so I'm supposed to like Mike Lee - and I do - a lot. But right now I'm kind of leaning Tim Bridgewater. Although I have some concerns I don't worry too much about electing a candidate that is too far out of the mainstream. But for me as a partner in a small business Tim's message of knowing what it's like to make a payroll really resonates with me.

In a recent Forbes article the SBA announced that 30% of all small businesses fail in the first two years - 50% within five. I don't get the sense that Lee, Bennett, certainly not Eagar understand or fully appreciate how hard it is to run a small business. And really, small and medium sized businesses are what fuel job creation.

At this point in the campaign it seems like all of the GOP challengers are on board with a return to conservative/constitutional principles. I'm looking for something that further distinguishes them though, and right now Tim's story and message are leading the pack for me.

Anyhow, those are just a collection of thoughts I have as a state delegate at this stage in the convention process. Stay tuned...

The Harder They Fall

2009-11-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

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.

2009-10-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-20T12:48:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-08-11T10:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

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

In my humble opinion.

How Bizarre

2009-07-07T14:52:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-07-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

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(?)

2009-06-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

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

A Brand in Trouble

2009-06-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-18T12:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-10T14:34:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-04T13:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-06-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-05-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-05-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-05-14T16:22:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-05-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-12T09:21:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-11T10:05:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-05-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-07T16:28:00.001-07:00

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

2009-05-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-05-04T15:39:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-04-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

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'

2009-04-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

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.

Convention Summary

2009-04-26T21:39:00.000-07:00

You can see the Deseret News summary of the Convention here. If you are interested in the specific results for the county leadership positions you can find them here.

I'm going to keep it simple and just focus my thoughts and takeaways from our breakout meetings with State Senator Margaret Dayton and Representative Keith Grover.

Senate District Meeting

We met with Senator Margaret Dayton for about 45 minutes. I like Margaret but, I thought she did a couple of interesting things. First off she started by writing the toll-free subscription number to the NRA magazine. I'm all for the 2nd Amendment, but I would have prefered her to simply recomment the publication as one she enjoys rather than actually providing the number.

Second interesting announcement; surprisingly she thanked everyone who had encouraged her to run for the US Senate, but announced that she would be running for the State Senate and not the US Senate. Of course she was flattered, but no, just the boring old Utah State Senate. I wish her well in her re-election bid. Rumor is that Greg Hudnall is considering a challenge run, which would make for an interesting race. I'll keep my ear to the ground on this one...

Sen. Dayton did say she hadn't talked to Rep. Fowlke beforehand, but she proceeded to invite Rep. Lorie Fowlke up to the front so we as delegates could get an opposing view from two Republicans on the rivers/private property issue. Maybe it's not a big deal nor her intention, but it seemed like she was trying to put Lorie on the spot a bit. I don't want to get into the rivers issue here, but truth be told, I thought Rep. Fowlke came off well. She was well spoken and her reasoning logical.

My takeaway: Margaret approaches issues ideologically, someone like Lorie approaches them pragmatically. I think both are healthy and needed not only in the Republican Party but government in general. I enjoyed hearing the two perspectives and I'm glad Margaret did what she did (just give a gal a head's-up first next time!).

During our Senate breakout session Lt. Governor Gary Herbert took a few minutes for an update. He was well spoken and took on the issues straightforwardly. The interesting takeaway was to see him distancing himself a bit from Governor Huntsman on issues like civil unions and global warming. Gary was clearly setting himself up for a run at the Gov's spot in 2012. I think he's got a good shot. He was in good form on Saturday.

Legislative District Meeting
Next up was our meeting with Representative Keith Grover. I'll start with my takeaway from this meeting: Keith is definitely coming into his own. It was the most confident I've ever seen him speak in front of a group of delegates.

He mentioned a couple of times how much he really feels he's bound to be responsive to us as delegates and thinks about us when he votes. I believe he does. Keith reviewed a couple of the high profile issues from the last session; One being ethics. Keith said that he feels the ethics issue is addressed every two years when the people vote and that was good enough. I understand what he means, but I think most people (and the delegates sitting around me) feel that more could be done. It probably deserves a separate blog post in the future so I'll leave it there for now.

One delegate from Vineyard asked about the Anderson development end-run around Vineyard to get the County to do an RDA. I blogged about that issue last week. You can read that post here. Keith expressed concern about how important the project is but didn't have much more to add to the previous comments, which included pretty much the same concerns I brought up in my post. It's an important issue for our area.

Since education wasn't a real big issue with the session Keith didn't bring it up in his summary. The question did come up though. There was some discussion from the delegates expressing desire to see more movement towards choice in education and charter school expansion. Also, autism legislation was discussed.

During the winter months we have some of the worst air in the country. So I asked Keith if there was anything that could be done to improve our air quality in Utah County. Keith said he had asked some officials about it and really given our geography the only thing that could be done - was to move. I was kind of surprised that that was the response. Because really, there are things we can all do, but how much of a difference would it make? I'm not really sure. I'm not satisfied with the moving option so I'm going to do some additional research - stay tuned! But in the meantime check out this press release regarding a BYU-Harvard study on the topic here.

My Major Takeaway: I thought there was a lot of chest thumping with each official and candidate trying to out-conservative each other. Which is fine I suppose at an off-year convention. Being conservative is who we are - we all get that. But, I'm a bit concerned that the Party is missing a lot of opportunities for greater discussion on a number of issues people face every day - I-15, Geneva Development, Economic Development, Ethics reform, Education, Environment (just to name a few). Is our Party really in touch with the issues most important to most Utahns?

Power Grab?

2009-04-23T12:49:00.001-07:00

Geneva site Developers Look to Bypass Vineyard

I'm not sure if this is a power grab by Anderson Development or not. It has all the makings of one though.

Anderson appears to be doing an end run around Vineyard to develop the old Geneva site. The way Anderson is going about things makes it seem a little suspect. Basically, the development company is asking Utah County to create an RDA (Redevelopment Agency) - even though Vineyard claims it can handle it. An RDA is kind of like a separate governing/taxing entity so it would essentially limit Vineyard's say in what and how Anderson develops the property.

Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs not withstanding the old Geneva site is really one of the last prime development opportunities in Utah County. So this is a big deal. It's important that it be done right. By right I'm including proper transportation infrastructure - can you imagine '000s of homes right off of 1600 North in Orem with cars all trying to get on and off I-15 during rush hour? It needs the right mix of industrial and commercial zoning, residential zoning - multi-unit/single unit mix, ect...this is a big deal for our neck of the woods in Utah County.

My question is why is Anderson treating Vineyard like a pebble in its shoe? I realize its a tiny city but why not engage and be good corporate citizens? I think transparency in government is the best practice and in this case a little transparency into the motives behind the move towards a county level RDA would go a long ways. Is it for financing purposes? infrastructure? planning? what?

There may be very good reasons for the County to do this versus Vineyard, but I have yet to see Anderson Development make the case - at least publicly.

Provo Race Getting Crowded

2009-04-21T21:47:00.000-07:00

Neighborhood chairman considering run for Provo mayor

Don Allphin throws his hat in the ring.

This makes three declared candidates with Mayor Billings who says: "he is leaning toward running, but wants to get his family's full support before making any formal commitment."

The Mayor is clearly in the race. With Representative Steve Clark declaring a few weeks ago its quickly becoming a crowded field. Conventional wisdom would say that three challengers will dilute the angry voters and favor the incumbent. However, I see three challengers as a symptom of dissent among the ranks.

Parallels

There are a number of interesting parallels to Chris Cannon's situation one year ago. First, both Cannon and Billings had/have served for 12 years. If Billings is elected that's 16 years as Mayor. I repeat 16 years as Mayor! (this isn't the US Senate you know). Second, a couple of high profile issues appear to be weighing on the incumbent; Cannon-illegal immigration and Billings-iProvo. And third, each race had/has a field of very well qualified candidates. In the congressional race you had Chris Cannon, David Leavitt and Jason Chaffetz. In the Mayor's race there's Rep. Steve Clark, Businessman John Curtis, now neighborhood activist Don Allphin, and Mayor Billings.

With this many declared candidates for Mayor (the final deadline to file isn't until July) I think folks smell blood in the water and see Mayor Billings as vulnerable.

I've commited my support to John Curtis. I'll blog more about why in a future post, but I'll say that John's positioning himself well and has shown his abilty to be a good organizer. He's got an early start and has already siphoned off a number of local heavy hitters as endorsments - people who had supported Billings in the past. You can see that list here.

Representative Clark has been in the legislature since 2001 (see his House campaign site here)and before that served three terms on the city council. Steve's wife Cindy is currently on the City Council. Steve's got history that's for sure, but he's never had a serious race. It will be interesting to see if he can mobilize the ground troops on a city-wide level. As he said here, he still has a lot of ground to cover to catch up to Curtis organization-wise.

I'm excited to see so many qualified candidates. I think the competition will breed constructive debate and hopefully the various campaigns will get folks here in Provo involved and excited about our city and its future.

If I had to handicap the race at this point:

Billings: 1/3

Clark: 1/5

Curtis: 1/2

Allphin: 1/9

Good luck to all the candidates!

Orrin Off the Top Rope

2009-04-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hatch: 'The Rock' and I could kick butt

Can't you just see it now?

While Hatch & The Rock's manager 'Mr. Fuji' is distracting Harry Reid...Orrin 'The Hammer' Hatch swings Senator Durbin into the turnbuckle. Then he tags The Rock to finish him off with a pile driver.

If Sonny Bono (hand over heart) can get elected to congress why not The Rock?

'Shalom'

2009-04-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Israel backers big source of Bishop's campaign cash

The SLTrib this morning ran an article about Congressman Bishop getting most of his last quarter's campaign cash from Pro-Israel groups.

My take: Given Bishop's LDS affiliation it comes as no big surprise he's pro Israel - I am too. And really, Bishop has never been big on fund raising. My guess is he really didn't try very hard to raise money this quarter - NORPAC offered to do a fundraiser for him and he did it.

I thought the most interesting quote is Bishop's take on Israel's new Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Bishop says: "Netanyahu would be an excellent American politician." He's right, but given how much aid we send to Israel I'd argue Netanyahu already is...

Thanks Bill

2009-04-20T18:53:00.000-07:00

Utah lost a great leader and statesman last Saturday. Sadly former Congressman Bill Orton was killed in an ATV accident.

I first met Representative Orton when I was a senior in high school. I was visiting Washington DC with the National Youth Leadership Conference (NYLC). The Congressman was kind enough to visit with three not-yet-able-to-vote high school kids who didn't even live in his district at the time. When his staff informed him he had a vote he suggested we walk over to the Capitol with him.

I remember walking through the tunnels from his office to the Capitol and him stopping to show us some of the pieces of artwork submited from students across the country. He seemed particularly proud of the Utah entries. We stood outside the House Chambers in awe as we watched the various members of Congress walk through security to vote.

When we returned to his office he took a polariod (remember those?) with each us individually and encouraged us to consider doing an internship in DC during our college careers. I remember him as being friendly, kind, sincere, and intelligent.

That hour or so he spent with three kids from Utah left a big impression on me. I did do an internship as a graduate student on Capitol Hill and often thought of my experience with Congressman Orton years later as I walked through those same tunnels as a congressional staffer.

Utah lost a good man on Saturday. In an era of the one-liners and eight second soundbites I wish our country more men like Bill Orton. My thoughts and prayers go to him and his family.

Welcome

2009-04-20T18:16:00.000-07:00

Just getting started blogging here. I've enjoyed microblogging on my Facebook status updates then tried Twitter, but wanted to do something where I could expound a bit more.

I enjoy local politics and the occasional quip on business here and there. You can expect a little of both with a slant towards the politics stuff.

A word about 'comments.'

The thing I like about the dialouge on Facebook is that when folks comment on posts or notes, you have to stand behind it because your name is published with your comment. The problem with blogs and comments on news sites is that anonymity breeds sarcasm, personal attacks, and frankly unintelligent debate. My hope is that people here will feel free to post their actual names, think before they submit - and most of all have fun!