If you read the Utah newspapers or even some of the political blogs (most recent example: [cityweekly.net] – “Cleaning House Article”, another: http://www.slcspin.com/?p=440), you’d think that Utah is one of the more corrupt states in the Union, led by a corrupt majority.
Well it’s nothing more than media bias instead [...]
Here’s a way to win a war that you might not have considered, but made perfect sense to our 6-year-old Joseph. Enjoy this exchange with my wife and our two sons:
-listening to talk radio in the car; boys hear the word “war”
-David (4): “What is the war Mommy?”
-Mom [...]
It’s time for new senators from the great state of Utah. If only Bennett and Hatch would follow the example of fellow Republican Voinovich.
While a registered Republican, I’ve never voted straight party ticket. My dad always advised to vote candidates not parties, great counsel if you [...]
The last post dealt with defining what a criminal was/is. I enjoyed the responses.
As we look at criminal justice/public safety issues, recently one has been particularly on my mind and that is restitution. The easy answer when somebody breaks the law is to lock them up, [...]
Part of the global warming hysteria has centered around the disasterous effects of major rises in sea levels because of melting ice. It’s a nice scare tactic, but it isn’t totally scientific and can be disproved by a simple science expericment in your own home. From [...]
Guess who said…
“[global warming is] worst scientific scandal in the history…When people come to know what the truth is, they will feel deceived by science and scientists.”
Dr. Kiminori Itoh, an award-winning PhD environmental physical chemist, who also happens to be a member of the [...]
I attened a policy summit in DC a couple of weeks ago. Policy topics ranged from Transparency to Health Care to Property & Casualty Insurance (fun topic, eh?).
One of the most interesting sessions for me was on criminal justice reform. The sessions posed some very interesting and thought-provoking questions that [...]
Obama’s change mantra included cleaning up or downsizing the K-street lobby crowd, but his policies may make that tough:
Another case of political good intent that gets washed away by real life consequences of policy choices.
A side bar on this article is articulating well the value that lobbying can provide.
[...]
Having lived in Russia for two years, any email starting with “Leningrad Cowboy” is going to get my attention.
Strap on your seatbelts for a one-of-a-kind Ruskie/Finskie version of Sweet Home Alabama: [www.tothepointnews.com]
Enjoy! (Especially the hair–WOW)
[...]To the readers of this blog, I need to make an apology to Representative Trish Beck for jumping to conclusions on some data that I pulled from the Lt. Governors campaign disclosure website. While Rob Miller and I still disagree on the total number of out-of-state contributions, my revised total [...]
As I watched the game last Saturday, I kept wondering what in the world Max Hall was doing, but with this recent announcement it all becomes clear.
Give’s new meaning to the smack talk phrase: eat your lunch (or in this case breakfast).
I think [...]
Did anyone else pick up that nearly 22% of Trish Beck’s support came from outside the state of Utah? I guess the media was too busy tracking mormon dollars in the Prop 8 debate or their still counting the out-of-state support of vouchers. If the media really wants us to [...]
Sutherland has posted a bunch of video clips from its Why California Matters seminar: [www.youtube.com]
[...]
Does anyone have any good websites or resources to get better educated on the judges up for election?
Thanks
–Lyall
[...]
As I’ve listened to both candidates and both parties debate this issue, I think that in order to make any progress in reform we have to start by using correct terms. This issue is most apparent when referring to “insurance” or the insured.
Let’s be clear…What we [...]
David, over at Pursuit of Liberty, beat me to it on posting his thoughts on Amendment E. I started to write a comment on his blog, but found that there was enough going on in my head that I wanted make it a full post.
I [...]
Today is the first “home” game for the new Real Sandy soccer team, which got me thinking. Since this nice little white steel structure was paid for by yours truly the utah taxpayer and those kind enough to visit our [...]
Actually, it’s more like a $60 Billion equity investment. Take a look at this plan put together by a BYU professor of finance, who demonstrates how the $700B bailout will actually destroy credit and just put the US further in the red. The report is a bit finance wonkish, but [...]
Looks like the great economic gov.’s overspending ways finally caught up with him. This is going to be fun to watch Huntsman actually deal with crisis. My guess is that his prayers for McCain becoming president just got a lot more fervent.
[...]
This is a good example of where Democrats blame others for problems they sowed the seed for years before. Then to make matter worse, they offer up new (code: same ol answer) solutions, which is code for more government intervention/regulation, which in turn gets you more problems. It’s kind [...]
So I finally got around to watching the Sarah Palin/Charlie Gibson interview last night, and as I watched the video, that sick feeling of seeing a McCain Republican ticket that had temporarily subsided came roaring back.
Let [...]
The Sutherland blogger briefing debate proved very interesting on Tuesday morning. Next time, I’ll need to make sure that JasonThe gets a 7:25 wake-up call. 
A few quick takeaways for me from the debate:
This is an interesting question as we move toward the November election on two fronts.
This is just a follow-up to last weeks invitation. I needed to clarify and reiterate a couple of things:
This is an open invitation to all the Blog Hive Bloggers. Sutherland is holding a 3rd District debate for bloggers only on September 9th at 7:30 in the morning. Sutherland will provide a light breakfast.
Format will be as follows:
Clinton’s presidency may have highlighted this debate better than any in recent history, but it is again relevant in the debate in California. I am not going to use this post to talk about my thoughts on gay marriage, but rather to highlight a major flaw in one of the [...]
As I have spent the last several months studying Story’s Commentaries on the Constitution i have often pondered the question, why didn’t I hear more about this in middle school and especially high school. I remember three US history classes in school: 8th grade with Mr. Rosenthal, AP US history [...]
In education circles (see NEA Foundation — Building A Profession — the NEA has decided not to call themselves a union anymore but by the more modern term: a teacher organization) I have heard talk about really ‘professionalizing’ the teacher function so that those working everyday to educate our children can be [...]
According to Mayor Joe Thomas, most mayors in Utah are there for ribbon cuttings and to talk up the city, but they lack any real authority to make meaningful change. One of the major eye openers for Thomas was coming to the quick realization that what most [...]
I posted awhile back on possible campaign finance reform. Obviously the best campaign reform starts with “we the people,” versus some mandate from back in Washington, which is why I am very happy to see that the McCain-Feingold bill continues to see defeat after defeat [...]
With tomorrow being Independence Day, a “patriotic” post is in order.
Today I read two OpEd pieces, one from John McCain and the other written by Barack Obama where each puts to paper his own definition of Patriotism. I enjoyed reading both and [...]
Because every now and then a string of comments or a topic I write about forces me to take a long hard look in the mirror. My post from Monday and yesterday and the ensuing comment threads did just that. After the past couple of days, I am more convinced [...]
What’s next a 35 hour work week?
I have a sinking feeling that whole going to the DMV experience just got much worse. I guess on the bright side, friday commutes should get a little lighter.
[...]Ponder this quote from Allan Bloom, author of The Closing of the American Mind:
“Indignation is the soul’s defense against the wound of doubt about its own; it reorders the cosmos to support the justice of its cause…Recognizing indignation for what it is constitutes knowledge of the soul.”
Example No.1 from SLCSpin: [...]
Last week I was at an education conference in Orlando and heard some very interesting presentations on a wide range of education reforms. One of the most interesting sessions I attended featured the former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent, Roy Romer (Romer is also a former [...]
To no one’s surprise, the LDS church has come out in strong support of the passage of CA’s marriage amendment, which will be on the ballot in November. This open support for marriage puts the age old question back on the table for politicians and [...]
New Yorkers have a reputation, NY cab drivers especially, of having a short fuse and for being fairly aggressive. Well I’ve finally figured it out why. Yesterday while enjoying my nice commute home, I heard a news clip stating that cigarettes in NYC are now $10 per pack.
So there you [...]
Rep. Rob Bishop came to the Sutherland blogger briefing this morning and shared some thoughts on energy policy in the US and his proposal to affect compreshensive change versus the piecemeal approach we have seen over the last 20 or so [...]
Joseph Story’s Commentaries on the Constitution has become one of my favorite books. It is no easy read. In fact parts of it read like Isaiah in the Bible. But like Isaiah, in the midst of all the mud [incomprehensible verse after verse] you find nuggets.
Here is a nugget about [...]
In response to my post on Obama’s PAC pledge, Misty asked a question about what did I mean about “incentives.” It’s a fair question and one that is best answered by using a recent constituent letter I received from Senator Hatch’s office after I [...]
We’ve got a new guy at Sutherland. His name is Matt Piccolo. He just finished his Master’s of Public Policy at Pepperdine. Here’s his blog: [justandholy.blogsome.com]. Enjoy.
[...]The Texas courts are on a roll this week. This ruling strikes down a ban on renting to illegal immigrants where the judge found that immigration policy is strictly a federal function. Utah legislators would be wise to take a closer look and save Utah taxpayers the expense of litigating [...]
I been reading through two education focused books recently.
The combination of reading the two books side by side got me thinking again about part of the education reform debate that keeps bugging me. And until now I hadn’t been able [...]
After reading this Letter to the Editor in the DesNews, I got down on my knees and gave thanks for the kind of woman I married. I know of only a few other people (Mother Theresa comes to mind) who are so wholly focused [...]
A recent study by the American Council for Capital Formation highlights what the US can do for real economic stimulus versus handing out checks that came as a result of us borrowing more money. ACCF’s study showed the adverse effect of corporate taxes on investment. This is significant [...]
It looks like more Florida students are gaining greater access to school choice thanks to bipartisan support for real reform. Hopefully Utah can learn from Florida’s example.
From the WSJ:
When Florida passed a law in 2001 creating the Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program for underprivileged students, all [...]
I have to admit that my thinking regarding the immigration issue has changed significantly over the past couple of years as I have spent more time reading and listening the to arguments on both sides. One of the major shifts occured when I began to look at and study the [...]
Mention the word ExxonMobile and global warming and the response is pretty predictable. “Oh those guys that are making billions and funding all the global warming deniers.” The fact is that statement is pretty true. Exxon has made billions and they have spent several million over the past 15 years [...]
I’ve been busy this week with EarthWeek at Sutherland which has kept me from posting more, but I wanted to throw out this question posed by Roy Innis during the first day.
What’s the balance? What’s the right balance between development and conservation? What’s the balance between the principles of stewardship [...]
This blog is about politics, but I’m also a sports nut and so when this came across the wire yesterday/today I about hit the roof and had to post something.
Some of you may have heard this story about Ric Bucher, but I’m just blown away that he could say something [...]
For those keeping track, today is TAX day. Hopefully you’ve already filed and will avoid a) the bad weather and b) long lines at your local post office. I think this brief history is very informative and demonstrates the shift away from the founders intent of how government should be [...]
The National Taxpayers Association just released their 2007 scorecard (Full Report and Criteria):
Quick Glance:
Hatch’s ranking, sadly,doesn’t surprise me. The last 8 years or so I have watched Sen. Hatchabondon the principles and conservative platform that got [...]
A good reminder from a former president.
There are no adequate substitute for father, mother, and children bound together in a loving commitment to nurture and protect. No government, no matter how well-intentioned, can take the place of the family in the scheme of things. (President Gerald Ford, 38th President of [...]
I went to the Utah Foundation’s Utah Priorities lunch today, which included remarks by the Governor. I have to say that there should be a general rule that politicians should be limited to 20 minute speaches, because that’s about the time people started tuning out the governor and started chatting [...]
The media is making a big deal out of nothing (what’s new). This time their pet publicity project isall about voter dissatisfaction and “resurgence” of the Democratic Party in politics in the state. I decided to take a look for myself and see what was really happening. Looks like it’s [...]
LaVarr Webb (UtahPolicy.com) came and spoke at the blogger briefing on Wednesday morning and gave his thoughts on the legislative session and upcoming election cycle. He highlighted some of the major themes of the session like health care, Sen. Buttars, and immigration. But one of his comments [...]
The state has issued its Budget overview and two items jumped off the page. 1) The state depends on the federal government for 50%+ 22% (See the update) of the state budget and 2) the 2008 budget has been revised up $1 BILLION for FY2008.
[UPDATE]
I wanted to get this clarification [...]
This post is primarily an answer to a comment from Misty Fowler on this blog. Her comment:
“I give up, I dont think people that are set against the idea of global warming are just being blind and dont want to hear the truth. Im really truly not [...]
Thomas Huxley would classify this as an”ugly” fact, which has the potential to ruin a beautiful hypothesis: global warming.
Let’s look at a positive of global warming: Bio-Diversity. The colder the earth gets the more rapid the rate of species extinction. The reverse is true that as the earth warms we [...]
Here are somequotes from the global warming conference I attended earlier this week that ought to help inform the global warming/climate changepolicy debate.
From Thomas Huxley:
I wrote a letter to the editor @ the desnews on this, which hit this morning.
here’s the link: [deseretnews.com]
[...]Not too long ago I read a letter to the editor in the Wall Street Journal that hit the “religion” principle nerve for me. The writer remarked that the best way for me to show him respect is to practice religion the way that he does–namely, in the privacy of my [...]
Religion as a Key Moral Compass
Liberty cannot endure unless those under its banner a) have a clear sense of right and wrong and b) in general choose to act in accordance with right.
But this leaves us with a dilemma: who defines “right.” Herein lies the critical role of religion. The definition of right [...]
Limited Government:
My view for the need of a limited government is colored by two fundamental beliefs: (1) I believe God created each of us with the ability to reason and act for ourselves, therefore government should respect my ability to make good and wise decsions that will benefit me and [...]
While coming into work the other day I passed by a car with a bumper sticker that read: “Dissent is The Highest Form of Patriotism,” which is a quote from Howard Zinn. While fundamentally I agree that the ability to take a stand in opposition to one in power takes [...]
My hope is that this blog will be different from other “politically” oriented blogs. The focus here will be on prinicples, solutions and furthering constructive political dialogue. Personal attacks will not be posted. Well reasoned, principles arguments will always be welcome. My hope is that we will listen to each [...]
