Don't Rain on MY Parade Provo

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...

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

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?

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....

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Piece...by...piece.

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

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

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

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

Yeah probably. Seems like a no brainer right?

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

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

You can read the article here

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Never Ending Revolving Door

Around and around we go...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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