Given that this will likely cost vast sums of money in legal battles for Utah (that will probably be fruitless)…What are Utahns thoughts on this aggressive move ?
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=9949293
Archives
All posts for the month February, 2010
For those who have missed them (please provide a reasonable excuse in the comments), here are links to the podcasts from the FTP Legislative Limelight segments aired so far this session.
- February 9th – Sen. Dan Liljenquist (R – District 23) on Retirement Reform.
- February 11th – Sen. Peter Knudson (R – District 17) on Chief Justice bill.
- February 15th – Sen. Stuart Adams (R – District 22) on the 10th Amendment.
- February 18th – Sen. Lyle Hillyard (R – District 25) on the final budget numbers.
- February 23rd – Sen. Dennis Stowell (R – District 28) on Utah’s water shortage.
- February 25th – Sen. Ben McAdams (D – District 2) on bipartisanship and initiative signature bill.
More to come, and again a big thanks to Ric Cantrell and The Senate Site crew for making this happen every Tuesday and Thursday @ 5 forever and ever it will never stop until the 2010 session wraps on March 11.
If you want to keep up on the legislative session even more, I recommend loitering at The Senate Site itself, sifting fine details at le.utah.gov, or scouring the Utah Bloghive a few times a day. If you want even more than that, well, I recommend the Utah State Archives, where you can read legislative session minutes as far back as 1882.
Tonight:
Jon has noticed a frightening (Geek!) trend in Cache Valley, and has a special PSA announcement for fellow (Geeks!) residents.
A report on child pornography arrests in Utah has been released by the Attorney General’s office. The results are more than a little troubling. What gives? We’ll try to find out.
Forging onward with our Legislative Limelight series, we’ll speak to the latest involuntary victim, er… guest legislator on the latest goings on on the Hill. Was there arm wrestling? Rock/paper/scissors for who gets to pass their bill? We’ll find out. As always, who the guest is remains a mystery until closer to 5, but that’s what makes this exciting!
This an more, tonight at 4. (<—- rhymes!)
Your calls are welcome.
Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.
Tonight:
A lot to discuss from today’s legislative festivities. Retirement reform, using school trust funds for suing the Fed’s, a really, really, really strange conversation between Reps. Herrod and Seegmiller on parents smoking in cars (which Tyler and I may just re-enact for your entertainment), and much, much more. What are you hearing that we might be missing?
And live, in studio, we’ll welcome members of Sky Views “We the People” team. What is that? Read on:
We the People the Citizen and the Constitution High School Level Simulated Congressional Hearings is a federally sponsored program for students. Those at the High School level have the opportunity to compete for district, state, and then national competitions. For the fourth year running, Sky View’s team has taken the …state title, meaning that the team proceeds onto the national level in Washington D.C.
They are fundraising for the trip. We’ll get the deets.
And finally, Attorney General Mark Shurtleff wants to sniff through your email without a warrant or even a hint of judicial review, anytime he needs to. We’ll discuss the AG’s assault on the 4th amendment in a segment we’ve loving titled “Thank You, Patriot Act!”
Your calls are welcome.
Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.
Last week, Utah lawmakers honored Senate Site mastermind Ric Cantrell for his work opening the legislature to the public. It was an overdue show of respect for the work they do at the site. Today, “intern in exile” Krystle Whitney, a new addition to The Senate Site crew, provided a real insider’s look at what makes the Hill work.
Meet the people you speak to when you call to yell at your Senator (with Video!):
Commenting that they too are in Exile, the Operators spent time with me to explain what they do for the Senate. Tucked away in the East Senate building, Becky, Vicky and Ellen shared valuable tips and insight for the public:
“Call the House (operator) and ask for Betty!” they said (joking). “If not that, email your Senator… and please learn their name first.” Working directly with all of the Senate staff, they are often the first people reached by the public. “We take the calls from the public and try to get them as much information as we can,” Vicky said about their position.
Click here for the podcast.
It’s a refreshing reminder that there are actual human beings in the law making process we often only hear about in headline formats.
Call. Call often. Yell, if so are inclined. But not until the friendly operator transfers you to your Senator.
I say “outsider” because I am most definitely not a part of any group of people that even by accident served up this batch of candidates. In other words, a Democrat. But that’s not to say I haven’t been paying very close attention, for entertainment’s sake. Here are a few thoughts I have on each of the candidates hoping to grab the GOP nom, and the race itself. I don’t claim to be an expert (I just play one on the internet) but I’ve had a chance to talk with all of them either on air here, at events around the state, or in some cases personal interviews. So, in no particular order:
Bob Bennett: I know it’s trendy in many circles to hate the man as a “liberal,” but take it from a liberal; he ain’t . And he has gigantic piles of money to run this one through. If he can survive the convention — and having known Bobby for a while, I think he will — this one’s in the bag for him. As he told me himself last time I heard him speak at a business conference, “this isn’t my first rodeo.” I think Bennett is holding his cards, smartly. And if his campaign slogan (“The Fight is Now!” Huh?) is any indicator, he’s not exactly feeling threatened.
Cherilyn Eager: Eager’s campaign tactics have been the most impressive to me so far. She’s running a very aggressive ground game, but isolated to the areas she knows she’s strong with the assumption if she becomes the nominee, she gets Cache and Washington Counties just for being an R. She’s combining that with one of the most persistent social media campaigns Utah has yet to see. For that alone I could support her. If she wasn’t crazy. I’ve run into Eager twice now, and both times I’ve found her quite condescending, and, frankly, a bit entitled. Probably because she once brought two aspiring and a double shot of Wild Turkey to Phyllis Schlafly at some dark arts event in the hey dey of the religious right, or because she knows someone who knows someone who knows someone who once bumped elbows with Reagan. And Joe the Plumber. Inside Utah County, popular. Outside Utah County, electoral mustard gas. End of story.
Mike Lee: Probably the most irritating of the candidates. A lawyer, and son of someone or other that had something to do with BYU — a fact his campaign staff, if not the candidate himself, never hesitates to bring up — Lee jumped into the race in what I call the “wussy” phase. This is the time when a candidate jumps into a race after they’ve judged, upon the work of others, that it’s going to become a real race. Lee is the most demagogic — which is saying alot, considering the woman above him in this list — and seems to be campaigning on rhetoric alone. When I asked him on air what he would have done instead, when he brought up Bennett’s TARP votes, his vague “blah blah blah deficit” answer seemed obtuse. When I read he’d involved himself with this, I gave up on his credibility. Mark Shurtleff wannabee. Car salesman opportunism and all.
Tim Bridgewater and “The Other Guy”: Not much to say here. Tim and James both seem like very sincere, well intentioned people, but being a cynic, if they aren’t going to campaign seriously, I’m not going to seriously consider them candidates. No offense, guys.
All said and done, I still give the nomination to Bennett. What I see and read from both supporters and staffers of all the respective campaigns is a lot of “bubble” mentality. This usually leads to an emotional support of a candidate (evidenced most with Lee and Eager supporters) without consideration for political realities. Eager supporters, for example, remain unaware that her receiving the nomination would be like an early Christmas for Democratic candidate Sam Granato. Again, she’s toxic outside of Gayle Ruzicka’s Mordor Utah County. And just last week, I followed along as a Mike Lee campaign staffer wrote about when and where Bennett did and didn’t use the word “conservative” in his campaign literature and website. Seriously, people? Yeah, seriously. Unfortunately.
Lee would be much more of a challenge for a Democrat in the general election, but again, where’s the consideration for judgment? It might be fun to hear heated rhetoric at rally’s, and feed anti-Fed mentality at fundraisers, but when the ballots are cast, Senators — as I understand it — have to then do… you know… Senator stuff. Lee seems completely oblivious to a real world outside of the Tea Parties. Check out what passes for his “Issues” page if you’d like an example. Those aren’t issues, those are Glenn Beck scripts! That’s something party leaders — with just as much influence over delegates — have to take into account, even if candidate supporters don’t.
But no one should assume Bennett is as safe as Bennett seems to be assuming he is. If it were a simple ballot decision, these clowns serve up no viable threat. But Bennett could fall to the same insider wheelin’ and dealin’ that snuck up on Chris Cannon in 2008. Again, I’d assume the state party leadership has learned there lesson there as well.
How it turns out won’t say as much about Utah at large as it does the Utah GOP specifically.
And no matter what, it’s going to be fun to watch.
…as I am. I found this interesting though, and the book that is referenced in it.
Is the nexus of the Universe (Kramer reference!) when politics, morality, science and philosophy meet ? See for yourself…
http://s.nyt.com/u/zDR
An audio update from Sen. John Valentine on the ethics bills moving quickly through the house:
SJR3 and HJR15 are companion bills that will create an independent commission to investigate accusations of unethical conduct by members of the legislature. In this Hesterman Report, Senator Valentine explains the role of the commission and why it should be enshrined in the Utah’s Constitution. Listen here. (MP3)
And a statement from Utahn’s for Ethical Government on the issue:
On the other hand, one measure, HJR 15, approved by more than the two-thirds vote needed, is directed at reducing citizen input into ethics reform. The resolution would allow voters to decide whether to create a legislative ethics commission by amending the Utah Constitution. The proposal sounds better than it really is.
UEG believes the rights of Utahns to effectively respond to legislative abuses by enacting ballot initiatives would be eroded by the amendment. The speaker of the House said as much today when responding to a question from another member of the House. HJR 15 is clearly intended to override certain provisions in UEG’s citizen initiative that provide for an ethics commission.
“It’s pretty clear that our representatives do not want to share lawmaking power with the people of Utah,” said Kim Burningham, chair of UEG.
Where do you stand? I’m encouraged by the efforts of the legislature to respond (FINALLY!) to public support for ethics reform and an independent commission, but I’m also weary of the fine details. “Independent Commission” sounds good in every form, but in the current bills coming from the legislature, it still leaves a lot of appointment and enforcement control within the body itself, and also leaves large gaps in transparency. With most legislators pushing the message “If we’re unethical, just vote us out!” meme in the UEG public meetings I witnessed in 2009, I still pose the question: How can voters vote you out for being unethical if you can still hide the fact that you’re unethical from those voters? Huh? (No one every answers that one…)
Tonight:
We’re going “Meta,” and spending our entire first hour talking “political identity.” What is means, what it doesn’t mean, the difference between being “independent” and being “moderate,” and… well, everything surrounding the topic. We want your calls. Where do you put yourself on the political map and why? And we’ll wrap the hour up with the latest installment of Sutherland Institute President Paul Mero’s “Mero Moment,” and hear Paul’s thoughts on the same topic.
It’s also time for our latest Legislative Limelight. The Senate Site crew will be sending us the latest headline slash law maker directly from the Hill to give us the latest on what your legislature is doing for you.
And in the same vein, we’ll hear from AARP Utah’s Tom Hogan on the AARP Legislative Listening Day coming up Saturday at the court house, and why you should make time to be there.
Your calls are welcome.
Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.
Via the NYT: one third of the US is opting out on getting wired.
Of the 93 million persons without broadband identified by the study, about 80 million are adults. Small numbers of them access the Internet by dial-up connections, or outside the home at places like offices or libraries, but most never log on anywhere. In a world of digital information, these people are “at a distinct disadvantage,” said John Horrigan, who oversaw the survey for the F.C.C.
Julius Genachowski, the chairman of the F.C.C., is promoting faster and more pervasive broadband infrastructure as a tenet of economic growth and democracy.
The study, conducted last fall, interviewed 5,005 residents by telephone. It indicates that the gap in access is no longer between slower dial-up and faster broadband; the overwhelming majority of people who have Internet access have broadband.
“Overall Internet penetration has been steady in the mid-70 to upper 70 percent range over the last five years,” Mr. Horrigan said in an interview on Monday. “Now we’re at a point where, if you want broadband adoption to go up by any significant measure, you really have to start to eat into the segment of non-Internet-users.”
Those nonusers are disproportionately older and more likely to live in rural areas. Those with household incomes of less than $50,000 are “much less likely” to have broadband access, according to the F.C.C. report.
Asked about the reasons for not having broadband at home, almost half of respondents cited a prohibitive cost, and almost as many said they were uncomfortable using a computer. Forty-five percent answered “yes” to the statement, “I am worried about all the bad things that can happen if I use the Internet.” Others said they viewed the Internet as a waste of time.
I think it’s fair to say the majority of the demographic still “unconnected” will never be sold on getting online. But for those who “choose” not to attach themselves to the cloud citing cost as the barrier to entry, where’s their alternative?
Many argue internet access is still a “frill,” not necessary to livelihood or education. A toy to play with, but no more. Others argue (as I would) that lack of access cuts a person off from a world of business, politics, and education that is becoming increasingly (exclusively?) online centric.
It’s my belief that that ISP’s have not been challenged much on providing access and competitive pricing — still riding the high of being the sole providers in many areas. Rural access remains almost non-existent in large swaths of the country. Citizen driven access manifests in collective efforts like UTOPIA, which meet resistance from both existent corporate ISP’s, but even in some areas cut down by regulations driven not by considerations for access and competition, but rather placating state level lobbyists and the companies they represent.
I once believed that innovation and improved wireless technologies would fill in the holes, but major ISP’s have instead proven effective in choking off such development, while remaining unwilling to invest in themselves, for the most part. It does open an opportunity for smaller providers to swoop in and provide the access, but there are a whole slew of barriers to entry for those companies as well, which can also be traced back to the influence of major ISP’s over state legislatures.
I hesitate to make a comparison that seems intentionally contentious, but it still fits: Broadband ISP’s are on the path to becoming the health insurance companies of the next decade.
If states would take the initiative now to level the playing field, and invest in the future of this market, we could avoid the need for federal intervention down the road. Federal stimulus has already gone to this effort, but what we’ve seen is that money going to the traditional players who use it to create jobs in the states they reside, but rarely use it to increase access or innovative technologies.
If you believe the internet is simply a fringe extravagance, this conversation isn’t for you. If you believe the internet is tied to the future of our economy, education, and political landscapes — as I do, firmly — then the question posed is: How can a state — Utah, for example — influence the expansion of access and implementation of new technologies.
NOTE: Recently, a series of letters to the Herald Journal in Logan, Utah criticized the behavior of Utah State Aggie basketball fans in the Spectrum. As a lifelong Aggie basketball fan, this is my response. This letter was originally published at blog.tomgrover.net.
To the Editor:
Recent letters to the Herald Journal have debated whether or not the crowd at the Spectrum has become too mean. This topic is an unfortunate distraction during one of our finest seasons.
My coworkers and classmates know that I am an Aggie. They couldn’t point out Logan, Utah on a map, but they are all impressed by Stew Morrill, Utah State Aggie basketball, Shirtless Bill and the Spectrum.
Last year I attended a Kansas game at Allen Fieldhouse, one of America’s most storied college basketball venues. Compared to Allen Fieldhouse, Spectrum fans are louder, smarter and better organized. This is why the Spectrum has an established reputation as one of America’s elite college basketball venues. That should make every Aggie proud.
A lot has been made about the alleged hurt feelings of our opponents. This concern is completely misplaced. Our opponents love the Spectrum! They are elite athletes who crave the challenge of playing in such a hostile environment. When Jerry Green beat the Aggies at the buzzer in 2002, he leapt in the air in triumph. A reverent student section would have robbed Green of his glory.
Louisiana Tech Head Coach Kerry Rupp thinks Aggie “fans are unbelievable. … It’s a great college environment, and I’m excited for our guys to go in there and really fight.”
After losing in a hostile Spectrum on national television, Wichita State Head Coach Greg Marshall said, “The atmosphere is special. You talk about our atmosphere – whoa. We might be Triple-A.” According to Nevada’s Brandon Fields the Spectrum is “one of the best basketball environments in the nation.
When fans held a Reggie Theus look-alike contest based upon a circa 1980’s modeling photo, Coach Theus laughed and was flattered- he even autographed the photos! When Jerry Tarkanian was the victim of the infamous “water bomb”, he complimented the students ingenuity.
Year after year players and coaches lavish praise upon the fans in the Spectrum. The idea that the fans have somehow crossed some arbitrary line is completely absurd.
My fear is that a few proverbial wet blankets, who clearly do not understand college basketball, might cause the University to ruin something very special. Please USU officials, don’t turn the Spectrum into an average college basketball venue! The real embarrassment in the Spectrum are the people who refuse to wear blue and/or won’t stand and sing “Hail the Aggies” and “The Scotsman.”
I have enjoyed watching the Aggies on ESPN listening to them on KVNU this season. My compliments to the team and the coaching staff! You make me proud to be an Aggie who loves the spot where the sagebrush grooooooows!
GO AGGIES!
Tom Grover
Lincoln, Nebraska
Tonight:
We’ll speak with a representative from local business Juniper Systems, Inc., on their growth in the valley, through thick and thin, from start up to major contender in their field. Business owners will not want to miss this one.
We’ll get an update on the Children’s Justice Center from Director Mike Stauffer.
Continuing our Legislative Limelight series, getting the latest from the Hill from the legislators who make it happen, we’ll speak with [... we'll know soon!...] about [...same...]. Gratitude, as always, to The Senate Site crew for making this happen twice a week. You can listen to previous Legislative Limelight segments here.
And word is out, officially, that Author/Speaker/Guru Stephen R. Covey will join the USU business dept. staff. We’ll patch into a (hopefully live) update on what many are calling the biggest academic hire of the decade in any state.
Your calls are welcome.
Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.
You knew this was going to happen. These guys are trying to persuade the Tea Party the GOP is closest to their ‘ideology’. But their track record tells a totally different story. No amount of ‘turd-polishing’ by Beck/ Hannity can change that. I think there is a certain percentage of Americans that don’t want vote ‘D’ or ‘R’ anymore, no matter how many people tell them they have to.
“Now the smart thing will be for independents who are such a part of this Tea Party movement to, I guess, kind of start picking a party,” Palin said. “Which party reflects how that smaller, smarter government steps to be taken? Which party will best fit you? And then because the Tea Party movement is not a party, and we have a two-party system, they’re going to have to pick a party and run one or the other: ‘R’ or ‘D’.”
From here: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/17/politics/main6215033.shtml
“If we fractionalize the Republican Party, we are going to see more liberals elected,” Hatch warned a crowd of 300 at a town meeting at American Fork Junior High School on Wednesday night, amid jeers from Tea Party supporters.
Hatch said if the Tea Party had not backed a constitutionalist candidate in that race, Brown wouldn’t have lost to Democrat Jeff Merkley, whom Hatch described as “the most liberal senator,” by 45,000 votes.
But Hatch’s critics said he was not interested in listening to them.
“I think you guys are as out of touch as you can get,” said Sarah Beeson, of American Fork. Hatch, she said, appeared more interested in raising money for candidates than listening to what the people had to say.
From here: http://www.sltrib.com/ci_14423113?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com
This is hilarious. It is going to be harder to bring them to heel than Hatch/ Palin think. The movement is even turning on Beck. Maybe the Tea Partiers aren’t as dumb as they are made out to be. But I think the media designed Tea Party Express is. Be careful what you wish for….
Tonight:
A bill in the Utah Legislature proposes putting ads on school buses to generate more revenue for school districts. Proponents argue buses are driving billboards, opponents argue kids are already bombarded by advertising. What do you think?
Utah once again ranks as one of they healthiest states, and Cache Valley is the second healthiest county in the state, despite our poor winter air quality. How are we doing it? We’ll try to figure it out, and hear from local experts.
And Utahns for Ethical Government are hosting a public hearing tonight in Brigham City (7pm, USU Brigham). We’ll speak with UEG Chairman Kim Birmingham about ethics ballot initiative, the eSignature efforts to collect signatures online, and what the Legislature’s own efforts for ethics reform mean for the UEG initiative.
Your calls are welcome.
Podcasts of this and past shows are available here.
(Via Vince Wickwar, Cache Democrats)
Contact: Wayne Holland
Utah State Democratic Party
Phone 801/328-1212×201
455 S 300 E Ste 301
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
www.utdemocrats.org
mail@utdemocrats.org
Press Release
Utahns will hold Congressional Republicans accountable for Obstruction
Salt Lake City, UT – Democratic State Party Chair Wayne Holland issued the following statement regarding the first anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:
“Today we celebrate the one year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). After just one year, the Recovery Act has saved and created an estimated 18,000 jobs in Utah; provided $500 million in tax cuts to 95% of Utah families; provided $74 million in one-time relief payments to Utah seniors, veterans and other high-need residents; provided $384 million to 125 transportation projects in Utah; given $413 million in 1,691 small business loans; provided more than 110,000 Utahns with expanded unemployment benefits; funded 1,900 education positions with $350 million in State Fiscal Stabilization Funds; provided $206 million to help provide Medicaid in Utah; $51 million for food stamps and other nutrition programs; and helped to fund dozens of other critical projects that would have been beyond our means during the recent fiscal crisis. Without a doubt, we are back on track to building a strong and vibrant economy.
Because of this crucial action our schools are far better off than they would have been. Just two of the top recipients in Utah are the Granite and Jordan School Districts that received more than $100 million to keep our schools afloat. The University of Utah has received $44 million, $13.8 million to BYU; $13.7 million to Utah State University; and $8.2 million to Utah Valley University. And this is just some of the good news. All in all, we have been able to fund over 1,800 projects in Utah with the help of the Recovery Act. Other key projects and benefits of the Recovery act include tax credits for first-time home-buyers, $108 million to remove uranium tailings near the Colorado River in Moab, and $13.5 million to reconstruct the Dinosaur National Monument Visitor Center in Vernal, and $5 million for construction of a Bureau of Reclamation pipeline in Daggett County.
ARRA has been a resounding success for Utah and for all Americans, and there’s still more to come. In fact, there are still almost 200 projects that have yet to begin, and 363 that are still less than 50% complete. The state has spent nearly 60% or $1.1 billion of its $1.9 billion total funds designated for Utah. So the Recovery Act will continue to revitalize our economy and put Utahns back on their feet.
But while Democrats are working hard to rebuild the nation’s economy, unfortunately Utah’s Republicans like Sen. Bob Bennet and Rep. Jason Chaffetz squandered their chance to work together to repair the economy — and what’s worse is that they’re attempting to take credit for something they voted against. All four of Utah’s Republicans in Washington vote against the Recovery Act but still sent letters requesting federal money for projects proving that they care more about scoring political points than putting Utahns back to work.
This November we expect Utah voters to send a clear message that they will hold our Congressional Republicans accountable for their obstruction in helping Utahns keep or get jobs, pay for their homes, improve their communities, and provide for their families.”
Here is what others are saying:
Jeff Thredgold, economist for Utah-based Zions Bank: “It’s helped Utah. Has it saved us from going into a recession? No. Has it saved us a few jobs? Clearly it has, and that’s been the case around the country.”
William Sederburg, Utah Higher Education Commissioner: “Without question the stimulus has helped. While the state’s colleges and universities still eliminated 940 positions, Utah hung on to 955 that would have been lost.”
John Njord, Director, Utah Department of Transportation, whose contractors and subcontractors said their payrolls would have been slashed if not for the money: “What they’re telling me, is that we would have laid off a lot more if those projects had not come through.”
Utah Republican Party Chairman Dave Hansen: “Has it helped on some jobs? Yeah, it has helped.”
# # #
[Editorial addition, for the comments, not a part of the press release above:]
(Source: Economic Policy Institute – The Recovery Act Worked)
- Not that it isn’t fun to panic, but bad drivers are still more dangerous than Toyotas.
- Well, that’s a strange vote for a police officer / state senator to skip, don’t you think?
- Top 300 Websites in Political Science (Shut up, they’re cool)
- Sen. Hillyard with the latest budget outlook. (Audio… very sad, scary audio)
- Health Care Reform: Public option revival (Part XXXIV)
- Foreign Aid Spending Is Crippling Our Budget… NOT
- BUT I WANT MY MONKEY NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!
- Birthers, bored with Barack Obama, target… Hillary Clinton?
- One “states rights” bill I can get behind. (Mostly because this one isn’t dumb)
It appears the sheeple-herding shepards have been caught red-handed…yet again.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703562404575067372476731404.html
Even Utah’s own Senator Bennet has now been revealed to be a 100% unabashed hypocrite, saying flat out “This will help Utah’s economy”.
Does it concern any in the FTP audience that these people are so utterly successful at fooling so very many people in this country ?
When rightly called-out by liberal talking head Rachel Maddow on his stunningly blatant hypocrisy concerning HIS stance on the stimulus, an Oklahoma senator exclaimed “Hardly!” to the idea that while privately expressing support of the stimulus, privately requesting stimulus funds to Oklahoma, then calling it essentially outright socialism, is anything BUT hypocrisy.
I know many of you “Proud, True Conservatives” are keen to differentiate yourselves from the GOP-machine (however new and novel an idea that obviously was to you guys), but would anyone care to comment on Sen. Bennet, or how / why you think this pathetic game of lies and grandstanding to the eternally loyal GOP-base is justified ?
CACHE COUNTY LEGISLATIVE LISTENING DAY
AARP Utah invites you to meet your Utah state legislators for Cache County and have a conversation around issues of importance to you. Your state representatives are Rep. Jack Draxler, Rep. Fred Hunsaker, and Rep. Curt Webb. Your state senator is Sen. Lyle Hillyard.
The listening day scheduled for February 24 is devoted to issues of concern to the senior community, including:
-
Retirement security
-
State health care reform
-
Funding for Meals of Wheels
-
Protection of state benefits; and
-
Anything of particular importance to your life and community
Here are the details:
WHEN: Saturday, February 24 from 11:00am to Noon
WHERE: Historic Courthouse, Council Chambers
199 North Main Street
Logan, UT
PARKING: Free off-street parking is available behind the building.
This is your chance to have your voice heard with your state legislators, and to discuss issues that affect you and Cache County.
Please join us on the 24th. This event is free and open to the public.
http://www.aarp.org/states/ut/
Tonight:
Tyler has a MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT. He’s keeping it under lock and key. You’ll know as soon as Jonathan and I know.
It’s Tuesday, which means we’ll hear the latest from Sutherland President Paul Mero in his longest running radio series* The Mero Moment. Rumor has it he’s talking high school. Related: Chris Buttars was on CNN today… I couldn’t bring myself to watch. Rick Sanchez did though:
Utah state Senator Chris Buttars suggested (in less than perfect English) killing senior year of high school to save money. His exact words:
“The kids either got their one foot in AP classes in college, or they’re just running around, taking PE”
And continuing our Legislative Limelight in collaboration with the folks at The Senate Site, we’ll speak with Utah Senator J. Stuart Adams about SCR003, the “States Rights Resolution.” A teaser:
19 . strongly urges that all compulsory federal legislation that directs states to comply
20 under threat of civil or criminal penalty or sanction or that requires states to enact
21 legislation or lose federal funding be prohibited or repealed.
Should be an interesting discussion.
Your calls are welcome.
Podcasts of this and past shows are available here.
*It’s his only radio series!
Utah blogger Holly on the Hill has a rare opportunity, just announced yesterday:
Woot! Erick Erickson and RedState, a nationally known conservative website, are sponsoring the bloggers lounge at this weekend’s CPAC gathering. It’s probably the largest conservative conference of the year, held in DC every February. A couple of weeks ago, they called for applications from bloggers. They specifically looked for conservative, independent bloggers (ie: not part of someone’s DC staff or another media outlet). Fitting the bill – and knowing CPAC is a BIG DEAL, I applied. I was accepted and today, have been fundraising to get myself there.
Whether you follow CPAC for the latest from the biggest conservative players, or because you can’t wait to hear what Michelle Bachmann says next, having a Utah blogger there to cover it will provide us all with an insider’s view few other states will enjoy.
Holly is fundraising for the trip via PayPal. If you can toss a little her way (click here), please do so soon. Send the donation to “hollyonthehill@yahoo.com.” She leaves tomorrow!
You can follow Holly’s trip at her blog, and also on Twitter via @hollyonthehill.
Congrats, Holly!
