Tonight Armando Galarraga threw 8 2/3 perfect baseball innings for the Detroit Tigers. The next batter, the 27th of the game hit a grounder to first. The first baseman fields the ball cleanly and tosses it to a covering would-be perfect Galarraga who made an imperfect catch of the throw. The snow-cone appearance of a nearly dropped ball prompted a call of safe though replay shows the runner was out.

Travesty? Do we need official instant-replay review in baseball? Should replay be used just this once to grant perfection to Galarraga?

I say no. If replay is to be used on this one play, then replay should be used on every play (maybe every pitch) of the game to ensure every call was solid. In fact, review should be made of each of the 20 games currently listed as ‘perfect’ (where available as these date back pre 1890).

There is a lot of talk that THIS PLAY justifies review and little talk of what REALLY goes into a perfect game. Great pitching is only part of the equation. Outstanding plays in the field and at least one run scored before the pitcher leaves the game are also required.

Perhaps MOST important to a perfect game isn’t perfect umpiring, but, in its absence, for all bad calls to go the pitcher’s way.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2010

CONTACT:

Senator Scott Jenkins
Chair of the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee
801-560-1295

Jerry D. Howe
Policy Analyst
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel
801-538-1032

SENATE INVITES PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE APPOINTMENT OF TOM LEE TO THE SUPREME COURT

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee will hold a public meeting to consider the appointment of Thomas R. Lee to the Utah State Supreme Court. To assist in determining the scope of that public hearing, Senator Scott Jenkins, Chair of the Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee, is seeking public comment regarding the appointment of Mr. Lee.

Anyone desiring to submit comment on this appointee is invited to contact Mr. Jerry D. Howe at the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, Utah State Capitol Complex, House Building, Suite W210, P.O. Box 145210, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-5210, by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 14, 2010. Statements from the public should include the presenter’s name, telephone number, and mailing address.

Senate Judicial Confirmation Committee members are Senator K. Scott Jenkins, Chair (R-Plain City), Senator Jon J. Greiner (R-Ogden), Senator Lyle W. Hillyard (R-Logan), Senator Karen Mayne (D-West Valley City), and Senator Michael G. Waddoups (R-West Jordan).

The confirmation committee will report to the full senate in preparation for the final confirmation vote.

# # #

On May 30th at 10:06:  We have spent $1trillion on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Damn, that makes me mad.  Spending money like like it grows on trees.  I almost forgot about the million dead. It’s pretty crazy how it doesn’t even show up in the news anymore.  Americans are over it.  Don’t want to hear about it.  Just send us the bill.  A trillion+ dollar bill.  Nice.  Would it be impolite not to tip?

Man, where did the time go. It seems like just yesterday when we feared the most dangerous regime on the planet. How much to take care of the problem?  How much to keep us safe?  Mitch Daniels, then director of the Office of Management and Budget, told the NY Times in 2002 it would cost us 50-60 billion. Pretty good guess. He was only off by 940 billion so far…

A Trillion according to Reason Magazine is:

How much money is $1 trillion? Enough to pay for the entire 1976 federal budget, adjusted for inflation. Enough to write a check for $37,500 to every Iraqi man, woman, and child. Enough to buy 169,492 Black Hawk helicopters, or 455 stealth bombers. Enough, in nominal terms, to pay for the entire federal government from 1789 to 1957. And it’s 10 times more than what specialists predict it would take to eradicate malaria once and for all.

The National Priorities Project Website had some good stats for Utah:

Taxpayers in Utah will pay $5.6 billion for total Iraq and Afghanistan war spending since 2001. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

1,918,124 People with Health Care for One Year OR

136,917 Public Safety Officers for One year OR

108,764 Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR

976,955 Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR

1,011,456 Students receiving Pell Grants of $5550 OR

39,842 Affordable Housing Units OR

2,377,810 Children with Health Care for One Year OR

829,307 Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR

107,488 Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR

6,866,584 Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year