Tonight:

Gallup’s annual “morality” poll is out.  Always a fun topic.  Take a look and give us your thoughts.

D-News reports that the NCAA has barred BYU online credits for high school athletes.  Is this appropriate, or a sign of the NCAA falling behind the times in accredited education requirements?

And Monday the ACLU announced via press conference that they will launch a suit against the state (AG, Lt. Gov) for ruling against e-signatures as a means for a candidate getting on the Utah ballot.  This stems from gubernatorial candidate Farley Anderson, who was blocked from the ballot after collecting the necessary number of signatures, but collecting them online.

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Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

I rode the CVTD bus up to  campus about a month ago.  I noticed the sign above the door said “Watch your Head” in English then under it was repeated in Spanish.  I looked around and noticed quite a few different ethnicities other than just English and Spanish.

I’ve “potty danced” in a subway station in Tokyo praying for any English characters to point me to a restroom so I didn’t have to prove myself an “Ugly American” and crap my pants from too much seaweed, Uni and Asahi Super Drys the night before.  I’ve gotten off a boat in Finland and ran to the first business to use their restroom, (again, didn’t time the beer out) only to have a couple of dudes yelling at me when I got out.  Apparently the sign on the door read:  For customers ONLY.  Luckily there was someone  who spoke English in there who clued me in before I got my ass kicked.  I gave them some colored paper out of my pocket and got out with my nose intact.

But this is America.  Everyone is here. The Melting Pot.  I think the sign should look more like this to better represent Americans.

When our European forfathers were drafting the Constitution, numerous different languages were being spoken in the United States including German, Dutch, French, Portuguese, Greek, Arabic, Italian, Spanish, Yiddish, and hundreds of Native American and African based languages.  Some of the framers were concerned with other ethnic groups’ influence even though they were European based.  Benjamin Franklin was concerned with the Germans in Pensylvania and their cultural and linguistic influences.  Jefferson was worried about the French in the Louisiana territories.  Ultimately, the Articles of Confederation were published in German.  Both groups played a vital role, and fought and died for, the birth of our country, but the English language and influence dominates the government.  As the U.S. grew, so does the English language influence over the people who resided there before Europeans arrived in the 1600s.

Language restrictionist policies in the 1850s affected thousands.  Chinese immigrants were attacked, not allowed to vote, kept from getting jobs, owning land, and testifying against whites because of English literacy requirements at the time

“In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man’s becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American…There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile…We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language…and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”

Theodore Roosevelt 1907

Meyer v. Nebraska:  In 1923, school teaher John Meyer was convicted under his states law for teaching a ten year old boy a bible story in German.  Under his states ‘English only’ law, foriegn language instruction was only allowed after the completion of the eighth grade. German and Japanese speakers will also suffer through race-fueled tensions in the 1920s and 1940s with World War I and II.  U.S. government maintains a “hands off” attitude towards languages until the 1960s.

The Bilingual Education Act of 1968 acknowlegded the need for funding bilingual education, attempting to help immigrant groups assimilate into their communities.  1974 Supreme Court decision, Lau v. Nichols further clarifies the countries responsibility toward the education of immigrant populations:

§ 8573 of the [California] Education Code provides that no pupil shall receive a diploma of graduation from grade 12 who has not met the standards of proficiency in “English,” as well as other prescribed subjects. Moreover, by § 12101 of the Education Code (Supp. 1973) children between the ages of six and 16 years are (with exceptions not material here) subject to compulsory full-time education. (Lau v. Nichols, 1974)

This is a public school system of California, and § 71 of the California Education Code states that “English shall be the basic language of instruction in all schools.” That section permits a school district to determine “when and under what circumstances instruction may be given bilingually.” (Lau v. Nichols, 1974).

Basic English skills are at the very core of what these public schools teach.  Imposition of a requirement that, before a child can effectively participate in the educational program, he must already have acquired those basic skills is to make a mockery of public education. (Lau v. Nichols, 1974)

So there’s a little bit of my research on it.  In my opinion it should be all or none.  I still think the CVTD should get sued if a Japanese/ Tongan/ Italian kid racks his head on the door.  If taxpayer money is going to be spent on courtesy signs like on the CVTD.  The ‘courtesy’ should be extenended to, and be inclusive of, all that paid taxes that bought them.

I guess I’ll tell Tom Grover what he’s wanted to hear for a few weeks.

We should repeal the public accommodation portion of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

And John Stossel agrees and explains why well.

http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=stream/3&hpt=T1

Yesterday, caller “Nick” asked if we’d heard anything about certain registered voters in the valley receiving their ballots for the June 22nd primary by mail.  We hadn’t, and stated he was probably thinking of absentee voting.  A mid-show call to Jill Zollinger at the County Clerk’s office revealed we were wrong.  Thanks to “Nick” and Jill for the information.  Here’s what you need to know:

May 24th (This Monday!):  Last day to register by mail, or to deliver a registration for another person.

June 7th:  Last day to register in person.

June 8th-18th:  Early voting.  (Find your polling location here)

Absentee ballots, per usual, by direct request only, but registered voters in 5 precincts here in the valley will receive their ballot automatically by mail two weeks prior to the election.  Criteria for this “trial”: any precinct with under 500 registered voters.  The precincts are in Amalga, Benson, Clarkston, Trenton, and Cornish.

June 22nd:  Election Day. (Find your polling location here)

Remember acceptable ID is now required by state law on June 22, and only those previously registered to a party “not-recognized by the state” can switch their voter registration on election day.  Democrat, Republican, Constitution, Libertarian, or Green… if you want to switch your registration, you have until May 24 by mail or June 7 in person to do so.  Democratic primaries are open, Republican primaries are closed to only registered Republicans.

If you need more information, you can find it all at the County Clerk’s website.

Kentucky GOP Senate candidate, and Tea Party messiah Rand Paul, yesterday:

[NPR's] SIEGEL: But it’s been one of the major developments in American history in the course of your life. I mean, do you think the ’64 Civil Rights Act or the ADA for that matter were just overreaches and that business shouldn’t be bothered by people with the basis in law to sue them for redress?

PAUL: Right. I think a lot of things could be handled locally. For example, I think that we should try to do everything we can to allow for people with disabilities and handicaps. You know, we do it in our office with wheelchair ramps and things like that. I think if you have a two-story office and you hire someone who’s handicapped, it might be reasonable to let him have an office on the first floor rather than the government saying you have to have a $100,000 elevator. And I think when you get to the solutions like that, the more local the better, and the more common sense the decisions are, rather than having a federal government make those decisions.

Sound familiar?  It should.  Not only have we heard a lot of this rhetoric in the Utah Senate campaigns, but locally, in the debate over the non-discrimination ordinance here in Logan leading up to Tuesday’s council vote, it’s a common argument from those opposed.  The “let the market take care of it” meme I heard not only from Tyler and Jon on air, but repeatedly from comments and callers, and friends I had arguing against passage of a non-discrimination ordinance.

When we spoke with Constitution Party Senate candidate Scott Bradley on Monday, I argued that if one is opposing Logan’s non-discrimination ordinance from a “limited government” point of view, one would also have to be in opposition of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Brown v. Board of Education, and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  To Bradley’s credit, he was consistent, and agreed (which led to a conversation about “other” candidates who embrace Bradley’s position in verbage, but only to get elected… wouldn’t be as committed to the ideology once elected as Bradley).  So what’s wrong with this kind of thinking?  Well, it’s what I like to call “Libertarian Fairy Dust Syndrome.”  MyDD’s Jonathan Singer says it best:

The problem with this view is apparent to just about anyone who lives in a world of reality rather than ideology. It is fine enough to believe that, in theory, individuals’ contractual and property rights should not be trampled on by the state, and that, what’s more, the market will solve all problems. But the fact is the market did not solve the problem of institutional racism. It took state action, not only in directing state actors but also in directing the practices of private individuals like the ones who owned restaurants. The same can be said about the Americans with Disabilities Act, which like the Civil Rights Act restricted individual action to ensure access for those who otherwise might be denied access. The good acts of individual property owners to accommodate their workers in the ways described by Paul in his NPR interview are important — but they were not enough. Only when the state stepped in were the rights of the disabled to access restaurants and other accommodations ensured.

This isn’t to say that Paul is racist or biased against the disabled. He’s not. He holds a principled stance against federal action to regulate private action in these areas. But this stance, when manifested as the law of the land prior to enactment of the Civil Rights Act in 1964, enabled institutional racism to occur. That’s a fact. And that’s a problem for Paul because it’s hard to imagine many Americans, or Kentuckians specifically, want to go back to a period in which segregated lunch counters, whether on the basis of race or disability, are condoned under the law.

The Real World vs. Ideology is getting to be a common theme.

Sen. Jim Demint also endorsed this point of view today, so expect Mike Lee to follow suit in…3…2…1… PANDER!

UPDATE: Bruce Bartlett weighs in…

As we know from history, the free market did not lead to a breakdown of segregation. Indeed, it got much worse, not just because it was enforced by law but because it was mandated by self-reinforcing societal pressure. Any store owner in the South who chose to serve blacks would certainly have lost far more business among whites than he gained. There is no reason to believe that this system wouldn’t have perpetuated itself absent outside pressure for change.

In short, the libertarian philosophy of Rand Paul and the Supreme Court of the 1880s and 1890s gave us almost 100 years of segregation, white supremacy, lynchings, chain gangs, the KKK, and discrimination of African Americans for no other reason except their skin color. The gains made by the former slaves in the years after the Civil War were completely reversed once the Supreme Court effectively prevented the federal government from protecting them. Thus we have a perfect test of the libertarian philosophy and an indisputable conclusion: it didn’t work. Freedom did not lead to a decline in racism; it only got worse.

UPDATE II: WOW!  Even DeMint is walking this one back. When you’ve lost even Senator “Snow Disproves Global Warming,” you’ve really left logic behind:

Think Progress followed Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) after a press conference to ask him about Rand Paul’s (R) views on civil rights.

DeMint, who endorsed Paul in the Kentucky Senate primary, flatly stated that he supports the 1964 Civil Rights Act, adding, “I’m going to talk to Rand about his positions.”

Tonight:

Hour One: We’ll spend the hour with Andrew Gause, who will make his third appearance on FTP tonight to discuss the 96-0 Senate approval of a measure — attached to the current financial reform bill — to audit the Federal Reserve.  Auditing the Fed is a passion of Andy’s.  And that’s an understatement.  Should be a great discussion.

Hour Two:  Logan City Council approved a non-discrimination ordinance banning discrimination against gays in housing and employment.  We’ll offer up some reactions from around town, and ask you to call in and offer yours.

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Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.”

UPDATE: One of the unfortunate, if not surprising, aspects of all the discussion around the ordinance, including comments at the public hearing last night, has been the approach some have had to those they disagreed with.  It’s easy to throw out invectives like “homophobe!” and reactionary ignorance like “think of the children!” but it’s also dumb to do so.  Many of you have heard Tyler and I disagree on this issue repeatedly on air, and we still do.  I believe many arguments against the ordinance have been unreasonable, some even obtuse.  But I want to post the text of Tyler’s comments at the public hearing last night to show that not all arguments against were so.  And same goes for those in support of.  There’s room for a discussion between both sides, and emotionally charged rhetoric only ensures that never happens.

Tyler’s comment:

My name is Tyler Riggs, I am a Logan resident, and I stand today in support of ending discrimination against anyone do to sexual orientation or gender identity, however, I stand against the ordinances that are proposed today.

Before I make my brief remarks, please allow me to express a moment of disgust with the America Forever group and any others who fueled by their hatred of homosexuals, have invaded our community for the past few days and, unfortunately, brought their fallacious, offensive and disrespectful arguments into your neighborhoods and, in at least one unfortunate case, religious services. While I do oppose these proposed changes to law, I do not stand with this group.

Now, I do oppose these proposed ordinances, especially 10-26 dealing with employment. I do not believe a discrimination problem exists in this community with discrimination in employment. Even if such a problem did exist, however, why would it be your role as a city council to address it? If a problem with discrimination, beyond the anecdotal instances or hypothetical scenarios that you have heard tonight, I’m pretty sure it’d have been brought to light, because using the media to shine the light on an egregious offense of discrimination would certainly be one of the first avenues explored by the victim.

If a problem does exist, however, this ordinance is not the way to address ending discrimination. For me, this is an issue of property rights. Under this ordinance, landlords may be forced to rent to people they do not want to rent to. Employers may be compelled to hire people who will not fit well in their business, and all the while, we may see discrimination and prejudice increase because the city government is trampling on the private property rights of one group to satiate another.

I come to this meeting with the understanding that most of you have made up your mind, and that’s unfortunate. We need to end discrimination, I agree. I have no respect whatsoever for anyone who would unfairly discriminate against a good person based on race, color, creed or, yes, sexual orientation. But of all the ways there are to end discrimination, a city council passing another law is among the most offensive, ineffective and overall poor ways to do it.

Tonight:

We’ll speak with Terryl Warner and James Swink about Alive at 25, a program built to promote safer driving among teens and new drivers.

Talk is bubbling up about a Facebook boycott on May 31st over user privacy concerns after an announcement came that your privacy would be… well gone. Which begs the larger (and one of our favorite) question: Is there any such thing, these days, as online privacy?  Do you care?

The on-again-off-again non-discrimination ordinance in Logan city debate is on again (for now).  Logan City Council will host a public hearing tomorrow for residents to give their feedback on a proposed ordinance meant to protect from job and housing discrimination.  We’ll beat the council to the punch with our own on air hearing, and invite listeners to weigh in.

And what is an “Atlernative” economy?  The concept stems from a growing trend in the US: local communities banding together for environmental, economic, business, and even homemaking purposes to create their own mini-economies where services are bartered, gardens are shared, and midwives are the busiest people in town.  Could something similar work here in Cache Valley?  Good thing, bad thing?  We bloviate, you decide.

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Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

From hughes4governor.com:

As your governor, my number one promise to you is to remove all pedophiles from the State of California. We can do this.  We as parents care about our children. They are our gift from God and it is our responsibility to keep them from harm. I urge you to e-mail family, friends, associates, colleagues, neighbors, and acquaintances urging them to vote for Douglas R. Hughes for Governor of California. Let’s get these sick pedophiles out of our neighborhoods for good.

Currently, our government places pedophiles in prison. After short sentences, they are released back into our neighborhoods to rape our children. How mentally ill can one government be?  Why should Californians tolerate this practice?

As governor I will introduce legislation to impose mandatory expulsion of convicted pedophiles from the State of California as a condition of release from prison.

Pedophiles in the State of California will have three (3) choices:

1.     Leave our State of California permanently;

2.     Live on Santa Rosa Island (a self supporting community for pedophiles and sexual offenders);

3.     Remain in prison for life;

Hughes  might have a court ruling to back him up:

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-politics/20100517/US.Supreme.Court.Sex.Offender.Law/

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Monday that federal officials can indefinitely hold inmates considered “sexually dangerous” after their prison terms are complete.
The high court in a 7-2 judgment reversed a lower court decision that said Congress overstepped its authority in allowing indefinite detentions of considered “sexually dangerous.”
“The statute is a ‘necessary and proper’ means of exercising the federal authority that permits Congress to create federal criminal laws, to punish their violation, to imprison violators, to provide appropriately for those imprisoned and to maintain the security of those who are not imprisoned but who may be affected by the federal imprisonment of others,” said Justice Stephen Breyer, writing the majority opinion.
President George W. Bush in 2006 signed the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, which authorized the civil commitment of sexually dangerous federal inmates.
The act, named after the son of “America’s Most Wanted” television host John Walsh, was challenged by four men who served prison terms ranging from three to eight years for possession of child pornography or sexual abuse of a minor. Their confinement was supposed to end more than two years ago, but prison officials said there would be a risk of sexually violent conduct or child molestation if they were released.

This is an easy one to demonize. Emotional issue that politicians manipulate us with (see Shurtleff HB 150). I don’t think it is all “cut and dried” as we would all like it to be. I know a kid who ‘got with’ a fifteen year old when he was fourteen. Consensual…. bla, bla, bla. The charges he got then continue with him now.

I know what most parents would do to protect their children, and I know this is an easy subject to throw a blanket ‘solution’ over. I just think if someone went through every case that has labeled a person a sex offender, maybe they would find it isn’t as easy to judge as a sensational headline suggests.

But maybe I’m a hypocrite. I wanted Garns head on a platter. I think I am.

Cache Valley Daily: Photo gallery: Residents protest Logan’s proposed gay-rights ordinances

Man is there anything this guy can’t do? Mike Lee panders really, really, really loves the Constitution so much that he can smell a liberal activist judge from 50 yards, pander criticize a lack of experience while gunning for a lifetime position he has no experience for, and, well… he’s a true panderer patriot, so don’t ask questions!  From the inbox (helpful links, mine):

U.S. Senate Candidate Mike Lee Voices Early Opposition to Supreme Court Justice Nominee Elena Kagan
Citing Kagan’s views and actions, Lee expresses significant concerns regarding Obama appointee.

Alpine, Utah, May 13, 2010 — U.S. Senate Candidate Mike Lee has come out as an early opponent of President Obama’s decision to nominate his Solicitor General, Elena Kagan, to fill the Supreme Court seat of retiring Justice John Paul Stevens. Kagan has drawn fire early in the nomination process based on the fact that, while serving as dean of Harvard Law School, she prohibited military recruiters from conducting on-campus interviews at Harvard. [No she didn't] She has also been criticized based on her lack of judicial experience, limited litigation experience, surprisingly short paper trail (despite having spent most of her career in academia, she has published only six law review articles) [One of which, her administrative law article, which was named the year's best article by the American Bar Association’s Section on Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice, is taught in law schools.], and apparent lack of respect for the First Amendment (as Solicitor General, she signed her name to a brief in United States v. Stevens [2010] making the disturbing argument that “[w]hether a given category of speech enjoys First Amendment protection depends upon a categorical balancing of the value of the speech against its societal costs”). [She was doing her job, something even a clerk should understand: the difference between being an advocate and being a judge.]

Mike Lee stated: “Kagan’s decision to exclude military recruiters [Slate: In short, she never barred a military recruiter from campus.] from the Harvard campus — especially at a time when our military is fighting overseas [Mike Lee: Delivering Meals on Wheels] — gives me great pause in considering her for a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land. Her lack of judicial experience,” [History of the Supreme Court: 1/3 of justices had no judicial experience.] Lee continued, “makes it difficult to ascertain how faithful she might be in independently and impartially deciding cases that will come before her. And although many have served on the Supreme Court without prior judicial service, Kagan’s professional track record falls short of establishing that she would consistently respect the text and original understanding of the Constitution.” [C & L: Republicans Defend Slavery to Attack Kagan]

Lee added: “The Senate cannot simply be a rubber stamp for President Obama’s nominees; otherwise, those nominees will become a rubber stamp for whatever course of action the Obama administration decides to pursue.”

True conservatives across the country are beginning to mount their opposition to Kagan’s nomination. While recognizing that, if elected, he will not be in office until after Kagan’s confirmation proceedings have concluded, Lee noted that “having clerked and litigated at all three levels of the federal judiciary, I have become quite effective at sniffing out activist judges. I would love to lend my experience and insight to the Senate.” [Activist Judges! Activist Judges!]

Mike Lee continues to campaign around the State of Utah, driving toward the June 22nd primary, when the Republican nominee will be chosen.

Tonight’s show will be broadcast live by Tyler and Jonathan from the Sutherland Institute’s 2010 Legacy Awards Banquet at the Rice-Eccles Stadium & Towers in Salt Lake City.

I wasn’t invited this year after “the incident” between myself and Gayle Ruzicka at the 2009 banquet.  KIDDING!  There was no incident, and I was invited, just had prior commitments.

Read more about the awards ceremony and recipients.

Sutherland Institute will present The Honorable James V. Hansen and his wife, Ann, with its annual Legacy Award at the 2010 Legacy Awards Banquet on Thursday evening, May 13, at the Rice-Eccles Stadium & Towers in Salt Lake City.

Each year Sutherland honors an outstanding Utah couple with this prestigious award.  The Hansens will be recognized for their lifetime of service in promoting faith, family, and freedom.

Jim Hansen represented Utah’s 1st District as a member of the United States Congress from 1981-2003, and was a member of the Utah House of Representatives from 1973-1980, where he served as Speaker of the House from 1979-1980.

Listen in for special guests.

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Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

Tonight:

Yesterday I mentioned I’d like to discuss Tyler’s… how do I say it… “shift” to the right (or immigration to GlennBeckistan, as some — me — would say).  Tonight, we’ll duke it out.  Is there a “Republican Revolution” afoot, or just the wingnuts getting the megaphones for a while?  Tell us what you think.

News today that the RNC has (SURPRISE!) decided not to cater to the second reddest state in the nation for the upcoming convention.  They’re headed to Tampa.  NOT Arizona!  Definitely not Arizona!  Non-white people, pleeeeeease consider still voting for Republicans because of this!  We’ll discuss.

Hour two, we’ll discuss two hot topics in Logan City this week: the passage of a non-discrimination ordinance by the city council, and everyone’s favorite topic, the city budget.

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Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting this afternoon that Tampa Bay will be awarded the Republican National Convention for 2012, beating out Salt Lake City and Phoenix.

This really isn’t a surprise, but a lot of us in Utah were holding out hope that someway, somehow, SLC could pull ahead of Tampa to win the convention. Phoenix more or less was eliminated from the running after the Arizona immigration law brouhaha hit a couple weeks ago, and realistically, Phoenix never had a shot because of the 100-degree-plus weather conventiongoers would have had to deal with in August 2012.

In an earlier Tribune article prior to the official announcement that Tampa would be recommended as the host city, there were quotes from RNC officials suggesting things like Tampa would be better because Florida is a swing state, you know, the typical stuff you’d expect to hear. There was a slightly more striking comment that holding the convention in Utah would be seen as the Republican party entrenching in a safe place that is “one of the whitest in the country.”

I didn’t care for that comment. Yes, holding the RNC in SLC would have been entrenching, somewhat, but for me, that was the point. Holding the convention in a swing state is nice for giving party officials the thought that some votes are going to be gained by having the convention there, but the last time a Republican convention being held in a swing state actually helped the party was in 1980 with Reagan in Michigan.

At the end of the day, the RNC probably is making the right decision. Holding the convention in Utah would have been nice and cool for us here actually in Utah, and probably would have created a great convention for the Republicans, but the intangibles out there are just too great to not try and have the event in a swing state.

Now, I guess, Utah will aim to try and get the 2016 RNC, which with any luck will be held with a popular and effective Republican president in the White House and no need for a swing state, but rather an opportunity to give back to a state that has been overwhelmingly loyal to the party for quite a while now.

MyDD diary, “Moses and The Constitution”:

I believe that instead of looking at the constitution as absolute and complete we need to view it as a living, breathing document. A document whose basic tenets we hold untouchable but one where we also recognize that it can be amended to include those situations that men of the 18th century would never have imagined would exist. How could we expect them too, unless we believe that it was written by the hand of God a position which I personally do not subscribe to? Students of history can attest to the fact that the complexion of our country has changed dramatically and continues to change. There are those who want to cling to the America of the 18th century in the false hope that the sands of time can be stopped by the sheer will of stubbornness and ignorance.

What does it mean to be a strict constructionist? Does it mean that you believe that the constitution was complete as originally written or does it mean it was complete after certain amendments? I have never been sure what exactly these people believe. As a member of one of the groups who were originally left out of the constitution I find it difficult to accept the completeness of the original document. We are not the society we were in the 1700’s and we will never be again.

I admit, I’d like to hear an answer to the same questions.

Tonight:

SPY CAMERAS!

Bloomberg News: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100511/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_bloomberg

The New York Police Department hopes to install the 3,000 cameras by the end of 2011. It is also using private surveillance installed in major buildings as part of a massive security initiative.

Bloomberg’s spokesman Jason Post said the mayor was particularly interested in London’s transit system security because the two cities and their subway networks were roughly the same size.

Like New York, London has been beefing up its counter-terrorist measures since a series of bomb attacks on the capital. More than 50 commuters were killed and hundreds were injured when four suicide bombers attacked London’s subway system and a double-decker bus on July 7, 2005.

If the Logan City Council present the same proposal, would you support it?

Today the Senate passed a “one time audit” of the Federal Reserve bill, 96-0.  We’ll discuss.

And finally, the Mero Moment today is a send off from Sutherland President Paul Mero for Sen. Bob Bennett.  We’ll get your feedback, and discuss the rumors/speculation over Bennett running a write-in campaign.

Tune in, or Log in.

Your calls are welcome.

Podcasts of this and previous shows are available here.

West Jordan Rep. Steve Mascaro has a little piece in the Deseret News today that asks “Where did the Utah Republicans go?”

Let’s give him a little help. First, what Mascaro asks:

I’m wondering if you can help me find something. I have used it for more than 40 years, and you have probably used it, too. It’s the Utah Republican Party. We seemed to have lost it. It was last borrowed by the tea party and Patrick Henry guys — as well as others — who have put a few nicks and dents in it. It doesn’t purr quite like it used to do. It seems to screech and holler and boo and scream more than before. I think maybe they broke it. I’m not sure, because I just can’t find it. And there are a whole lot of us looking for it.

It’s pretty simple here, Rep. Mascaro, the Utah Republicans were just at the Salt Palace Convention Center over the weekend, 3,500 strong, and they are scratching a clawing to get the Utah Republican Party, and vis a vis Republicans nationwide, back to their real roots.

And yes, those would be fiscally conservative, freedom loving, big government eschewing roots. If your impression of the Utah Republicans is something other than that, then good luck finding it, because it’s a thing of the past and something the rest of us are trying to make sure doesn’t come back.

You’re welcome to join us in the new Republican revolution anytime you’d like though.

Half the fun of the election cycle for me isn’t just rooting for my favorite candidate(s), it’s the campaign successes and meltdowns, the messaging hits and misses, innovative strategies, and campaigns trying to out do each other with video ads.  The most creative ad I’ve seen so far, via TPMLiveWire:

Ohio Democrats have come up with a rebuttal to an Ohio NRSC web video that took a shirtless picture of their Senate candidate, Lee Fisher, and set it to smooth jazz.

The Dems’ response? Your candidate took the shirts off our backs, literally.

The Democrats’ video features a handful of Ohioans standing in the streets with their shirts off, denouncing GOP candidate Rob Portman for his role in the Bush administration’s economic policies.

And for every new subscriber to the Ohio Democrats’ mailing list, they are mailing a t-shirt to Portman.  Watch the “Shirtless People for Fisher” ad: