These are classic discussions published back in August 2007
Crandall Canyon Mine
The hearts of all Utahns go out to the families that are suffering. Many issues must be addressed and many questions must be answered concerning the Crandall Canyon mine disaster. But, the political sideshow should stop; it helps nothing.
UPDATE (later): Ethan disagrees. Fair enough.
Editorial Boards Turn Negative for a Change
The editorial boards for the Deseret News and Tribune didn’t like the outcome of the special session. Dang. I was sure they’d give the Legislature a gold star. Maybe next time.
Both editorials stated that one reason the County Council postponed a decision on the district splits issue (a.k.a., “punted”) was that a provision in the law needed to be “corrected,” allowing all residents of a district to vote on the split, instead of just the voters in the area wanting to split off. Um, no. That issue was debated at length in establishing the law on district splits, a decision was made, and a law was enacted. Like it or dislike it, that is the law.
If the Council thought the law was unfair, rather than punt, it could have voted “no.” But taking positions tends to displease some group or other. So, if a governmental entity that represents an extremely small percentage of voters (4% in the Jordan school district)... (read more)
Polar Bears, School Kids, and Priorities
The Salt Lake County Council was tasked with deciding whether a vote should go forward to allow school district splits in SL County. Instead, the Council punted, saying that it could not make that decision unless the Legislature first puts a funding equalization formula in place. No recommendations or suggestions on how that formula should look. Just a punt. “It’s your problem.”
Now, though, predictably, people are complaining that the Legislature is up to no good. This article uses the words “steal . . . draconian cuts . . . tax increase . . . hurried and slipshod politics . . . bad public policy.” Oh my.
Equalization, in general, isn’t rocket science. Money goes into a pool and some areas get more than they previously did and other areas get less. Apparently, though, it is just now occurring to folks that equalization will move money from no-growth areas to high-growth areas.
The richest part of this debate, though, is Salt Lake City... (read more)
Objection — Lack of Foundation
Trib Columnist Rebecca Walsh attacks Judge Ted Stewart – saying that he is a magnet for reversal. Walsh lists 3 reversals. Judge Stewart, a Clinton appointee, has been on the bench for 8 years. That’s not many reversals. Does he have more? Is his reversal rate higher than other judges?
We don’t know from reading Walsh’s ad hominem.
What we do know from reading Walsh’s column is that Judge Stewart has a background in Republican politics and that one of his decisions failed to stick it to the Mormon church. And as any reader of Walsh’s rants knows, anyone who is Republican or doesn’t hate the Mormon church is suspect.
Global Warming “Facts”
Nothing lies like facts. As I’ve written regarding education vouchers, it’s proving extremely difficult to get the debate focused on correct financial numbers. And that involves simple accounting.
Take a truly complex scientific issue, like global warming, turn it into a political football, and getting at the truth becomes almost impossible. A few weeks ago, I was taken to task for stating that more research is needed before we draw hard conclusions on human-induced global warming.
Since then, NASA has come to my defense. (I still have a few connections in Houston.). Republished data shows that even the most basic data in this debate, if you want to call it that, have been in error. Though the last decade clearly has been hot, it turns out that it has not been off-the-charts hot, relative to other periods, as previously advertised.
Contrary to previously-accepted fact, 1998 was not the hottest year in at least a millennium. Turns out, it wasn’t the hottest year in... (read more)
Virtual Town Hall
The amazing Ric Cantrell, Mark Allred, and our other great technologists/futurists working with the Legislature are putting together a virtual town hall. Citizens can submit questions and have a legislator respond. This could be cool. If nothing else, it will save our opponents a little time next election cycle on their opposition research.
I get this one a lot, so I’ll go ahead and answer: “Why are you (Rep. U.) so good looking?”
Answer: genetics and pilates.
Financial Impact of Vouchers
Rep. Sheryl Allen and I spoke on vouchers at the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures in Boston. It was a fun exchange. However, based on some of the commentary, I sense that the financial aspects of the voucher program seem particularly difficult for some people to understand.
One attendee gave me the business on the “cost” of vouchers – repeatedly challenging whether Utah could afford vouchers. The cost he cited was over $300 million. “Can Utah afford that?” I explained that the other side of the balance sheet – the savings – was $1.4 billion. To understand the financial impact, the costs AND the savings have to be considered. Thus, if Utah does spend $300 million on vouchers, the savings would be $1.4 billion – thus, a net gain of $1.1 billion, to be spent on students remaining in the system.
Vouchers will make education dollars go further. It’s not magic. It’s basic accounting.
Legislators and union leaders understand... (read more)
Mad Cow