blogs.sltrib.com - Salt Lake Crawler by Glen Warchol

Report: Majority Of Utah Jazz Players Have Never Heard Of Themselves

The Onion quotes Utah forward Paul Millsap as he studies a picture of Jazz forward Paul Millsap.

Wait, who the hell is that guy? I seem to remember the Jazz playing pretty well for the past few seasons, and they always have a bunch more white guys than other teams, but I don't know any of their names or what they do.

Special note for Utah County readers: The Onion is a satirical newspaper, meaning its stories are humorous and often not entirely true.

The pay's the thing

Utah's state-subsidized acting company, Hale Center Theatre, is running into opposition from an unusual, and powerful, quarter. Sen. Curt Bramble questions whether taxpayer money should be used to prop up a so-called non-profit theater that pays six-figure salaries to top executives and runs a questionable for-profit costume and prop business on the side. Says Bramble:

It stands out like a sore thumb.

Hale Theatre has been geting $100,000 annual funding (plus a $85,000 one-time infusion of cash) and county ZAP taxes.

Bramble told me:

We all have to be concerned with the message we are sending. What is the ratonale [for restoring funding to the Hale Theatre] when we are cutting so many other programs?

The West Valley City-based Hale, of course, has a guardian angel at the Lege: Rep. Ron Bigelow, who slipped the funding into the budget two years ago and is trying to maintain it because his home-town theater provides "family fare."

In a turnabout, liberal arts types in the state support arch-conservative Bramble's attack on this sterling example of socialism. They have complained for years that the Hale family has exploited actors — the theater rarely pays artists at professional scale.

Utah quartet?

Update: Fourth seat is approved by U.S. Senate . . .

Despite the resistance and oratory of Congressman Jason Chaffetz, it looks like Utah is on its way to getting a fourth congressional seat. Chaffetz opposed the deal because it would also give representation to the District of Columbia, which he believes is unconstitutional.

Chaffetz is offended by the political trade Salon calls "One black Democrat for one Mormon Republican." Utah deserves the seat because LDS missionaries were under-counted in the census, the freshman congressman argues, putting it bluntly:

I would love for Utah to get a fourth seat. I think they got screwed out of it years ago. From my point of view, you stand behind that.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

A 'negative' light is dimmed

Deseret News government and politics editor Josh Loftin, who led a dozen writers in pulling their bylines from today's paper in a protest against top managers, talked to KCPW radio in detail about what led to it.

You can listen to the KCPW podcast here. Or try here.

The protest came in response to the demotion of two editors who fought to protect the integrity of stories about alcohol liberalization, California's Proposition 8 or Utah gay rights legislation that were being slanted or killed because they were were deemed to put the LDS church in a negative light or were "not sensitive to LDS readers," Loftin says.

Says Loftin of the DNews' change in direction since Editor Joe Cannon took over:

We were carving out a niche as the best newspaper in the city and that is being undone to be the best Mormon paper in the city.

GOP would have given Utah more jobs

The Wall Street Journal's Susan Davis ratted out Gov. Jon Huntsman to House Republican Minority Leader John Boehner. Boehner couldn't have been pleased with rising-Republican star Huntsman telling the Washington Times that congressional GOP leadership has made itself "irrelevant."

I have not met them. I don’t listen or read whatever it is they say because it is inconsequential–completely.

Boehner said the Republican stimulus option "would have provided 24,000 more jobs to Utah than the stimulus plan that passed.”

So he’s got to run the state, all these governors got big challenges. I don’t know the man so I don’t think it would be appropriate for to comment.

Thou shalt not give up

Utah lawyer Brian Barnard may have lost in the land's highest court on the Summum Aporisms case, but he tells me the battle's anything but over.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the First Amendment was not violated when the city of Pleasant Grove refused to let a small Salt Lake-based religious group put a granite marker engraved with its sacred Seven Aphorisms in a public park where the Ten Commandments are on display.

Barnard told me that the Summum still have avenues to pursue, including a case under church-state entanglement, basically arguing that Pleasant Grove is supporting a religion by turning the Summum or any other religious message away.

In the case before the Supreme Court, Pleasant Grove has adopted this speech [the Ten Commandment monument] as their own. That gives us a strong case.

Jon moves forward one space

Sure it's early. But if Gov. Jon Huntsman is angling for a GOP presidential run in 2012, things are looking better all the time. The national political media are lovin' on him—"the fastest-rising Republican star you have never heard of."

Even the Brits have noticed Utah's guv. Alex Massie of the The Spectator says Huntsman is "for real."

Huntsman talks about the importance of — gasp! — winning back the intelligentsia, as well as rethinking positions on the environment, science, gay marriage, etc., etc. This is the sort of dangerously sensible thinking that can only lead the Republican party to recovery.

Singapore Jon is even getting good buzz from grassroots conservative bloggers around the country for ripping Republican congressional leadership as "inconsequential." A common reaction is at Nowhere and Everywhere:

Governor Huntsman gives a very refreshing take on what a real party in opposition should do, instead of pouting and behaving like a group of petulant four-year olds. The GOP needs more Huntsmans and fewer Sanfords, Boehners, McConnells . . .

Huntsman's closest competitor, I would argue, was Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, another one of the GOP's bright, young things. Jindal had an opportunity to smoke Huntsman when he was offered the plum job of giving the GOP response to Obama's address to Congress.

Jindal blew it big time. His speech was beyond bad, it was bizzaro weird bad. In what is close to consensus Web opinion, Jindal out-doofused Kenneth, the hillbilly NBC page on 30 Rock.

Next up for Huntsman: Mitt "What Utah?" Romney.

Dealing with wise guys

Didn't EnergySolutions chief Steve Creamer ever watch The Sopranos or rent Goodfellas? A businessman dutifully pays the mob its protection money*, then he invites the boys into a sweet deal. And the next thing he knows — he's on the outside, watching them torch his restaurant.

When we last tuned in — thanks to reporting in the Tribune — EnergySolutions was cutting a backroom deal with Republican legislators. If the lawmakers would allow the nuke waste-dumping giant to import foreign radioactive trash to its dump near Tooele, EnergySolutions would split the profits — about $3 billion over he next decade. Turn Utah into a glow-in-the-dark New Joisey. See?

EnergySolutions even launched a television ad campaign to make it all pretty.

Then, lawmakers got a better idea. Talking out of the sides of their mouths, they says to themselves: Why hold up our end of the deal? Why not write a bill that would require the company to give the state a share of any foreign-waste revenues, even if EnergySolutions wins its pending lawsuit on the issue?

In words that Tony Soprano couldn't have uttered with a straight face, Senate Majority Leader Sheldon Killpack says:

In terms of [EnergySolutions'] proposal — they have a proposal, but that isn't our proposal.

*A half a million in campaign contributions.

Leno drives a Utah legend

Comedian and car collector Jay Leno writes a valentine to the Mormon Meteor in March's Popular Mechanics.

In the 1930s, Ab Jenkins set triple-digit speed and endurance records in the Meteor at Bonneville Salt Flats. Leno reveals his inner-motorhead in gushing over the old-school feel of Ab's customized Duesenberg Special.

Although I only drove the Meteor a few hundred yards, it went GUHGUHGUHGUH, and I could feel the tremendous thrust. Engines now are more efficient, and they make more power, but there’s nothing like those big displacement engines for torque. You let the gas out, the car leaps forward and you say, “Geez, I didn’t do anything.” You’re moving a lot of metal here. Just to turn this thing, I’d think your arms would ache—but you’re mechanically involved.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Utah's star 'you've never heard of'

UPDATE. . .

With his mouth and her shoes . . .

Gov. Jon Huntsman's caustic criticism of the GOP as "irrelevant" and congressional Republicans as "inconsequential" put him at the top of The Huffington Post.

In the last 24 hours, Huntsman has been making a splash on the national political scene as a maverick. In Washington for the National Governors Association, Huntsman told the editors of the Washington Times that Republican congressional leaders are so "inconsequential" he doesn't bother to talk to them:

I don't even know the congressional leadership. I have not met them. I don't listen or read whatever it is they say because it is inconsequential - completely.

It might be helpful, at this point, to note that Huntsman is a Republican from the nation's reddest state.

In a lengthy interview with Politico, which calls Huntsman " the fastest-rising Republican star you have never heard of," the Guv said:

You know, it may come as a shock and a surprise, but I don’t pay any attention to what’s coming out of Congress. I couldn’t even tell you what these guys are saying, because it matters so little in our home state and in the region that I represent.

These guys aren’t doing a thing for us. And so what do we do? We have to do it ourselves. . . .

We will be irrelevant as a party until we become the party of solutions and until we become the party of preeminence.

If his drift weren't clear enough already, Huntsman told MSNBC that the Republican Party needs to get beyond "gratuitous political griping."

The Buttars-McCoy tradeoff

Blogging live from the Legislature . . .

In response to a public plea from Democratic senators that GOP leaders impose harsher sanctions on Sen. Chris Buttars in response for his virulently homophobic statements — Senate President Mike Waddoups reluctantly said he will ponder removing Buttars from other key committees.

Waddoups seemed intrigued by an offer from Democratic Sen. Scott McCoy, the body's openly gay member, to step down from his seat on the powerful Rules Committee if Buttars did the same. Under pressure from reporters, Waddoups said:

That, maybe, has some fairness to it. It's something I've got to think about.

Apparently, Waddoups and McCoy think that being gay can be seen as a conflict of interest. Dump the homophobe and "the gay*" — Utah's ying and yang — from Rules in some sort of hostage exchange?

Waddoups, above, was minding his own business, observing the Democrat's press conference, as senators Pat Jones and Ross Romero demanded that Buttars be removed from more committees for statements that included equating gay rights activists with Islamic militants—only without morality. Deseret News reporter Lisa Riley Roche pointed out that Waddoups was in the room and could directly address the Democrat's demands. After an awkward moment, Waddoups reluctantly took the Democrats' podium:

If there is a feeling that I need to reorganize the committees some more I can do that. I can reorganize [the Rules] committee.

At that point, McCoy made his offer to step down.

Jones says she doubts the Democrats would follow through with a threat to drag the Buttars mess onto the Senate floor, even if Waddoups did not act, simply because too much time had been wasted on Buttars already.

We have to protect the people's time.

Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka reacted in amazement when she heard about Waddoups' vacillation.

One thing I've learned up here is you never know what these guys are going to do.

Gayle, you're much too modest. The "guys" most often do what you (and your telephone tree-email network) tells them too.

*Buttars famously once referred to McCoy as "the gay."

Getting the 'tone' at the DNews

Update . . .

Deseret News government reporters pulled their bylines today in protest of management changes made as the paper transforms itself into a Mormon niche publication.

Assistant managing editor for news Chuck Gates and business editor Julianne Basinger have been demoted. Gates is now a "special writer." Basinger has been sent to the copy desk. State government editor Josh Loftin says, "In both cases, you can't call it anything but a demotion."

Why? In the words of veteran DNews reporter James Thalman:

We weren't going Mo' enough, fast enough.

Gates and Bassinger reportedly often fought against stories being killed or slanted because they "were not acceptable to the LDS reader." The change is not coming from the Church Office Building, Loften says:

This is a decision made ultimately by Joe Cannon. It's being done because he believes sincerely the way to save the newspaper is to turn it into a publication for a niche LDS reader. The News needs to still educate them, [Cannon says] but not offend their sensibilities or put the LDS chuch in a negative light.

Tad Walch, a Utah County reporter, will replace Gates, Loftin says, because Walch "gets the tone" that Cannon, a former GOP state party chair and lobbyist, has been pushing since he took over at the DNews. "They can never tell us what the 'tone' is," Loftin says. "They say, 'You'll know it when you get it.' "

Loften's government staff, including political editor Bob Bernick, pulled their bylines from their stories — the only real control a reporter has over his or her work. The bylines were replaced with "By Deseret News staff."

First Utahns do the red carpet

A shimmering Mary Kaye and some doofus.

Gov. Jon Huntsman and First Lady Mary Kaye, in Washington, D.C., for the National Governors Association meeting, attended the Obama's first formal dinner. For more red carpet photos, go here.

Monday, February 23, 2009

'Outrage is good'

The Senate divided again today into Democratic and Republican caucuses to discuss the suppurating wound that is Sen. Chris Buttars. The controversy over his anti-gay statements won't go away and the Democrats are threatening to drag it onto the floor.

At Friday's Senate press conference, Troy Williams, a journalist and gay activist, tried to force Waddoups to address the gay community that Buttars' diatribe had hurt and outraged. Waddoups refused to respond. Though Williams was uncomfortably confrontational (for Waddoups), it was legitimate to try to pin Waddoups down:

I think defiance and outrage is good. Buttars, [Gayle] Ruzicka, [LaVar] Christiansen and [Southerland Institute's Paul] Mero are all on notice. The gay community is no longer going to cower and sit quiet. We will no longer allow them to disparage our community with lies. We will no longer be silent, timid or afraid. It’s a brand new day for queers across the country. It’s a bold new day in Utah.

You can read Williams' full account of the incident here, with a bonus (Value! Value!) "pig sex" confrontation with the Eagle Forum's Gayle Ruzicka.

Twitter hat tip to J.M. Bell:

Mormon role model

Dustin Black, accepting the Oscar for Best Original Screen Play for Milk, made an emotional speech that must have resonated through Utah. Black, a gay man from a Mormon family, seemed to be speaking directly to Mormon gays:

When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas to California and I heard the story of Harvey Milk. And it gave me hope. It gave me the hope to live my life, it gave me the hope to one day live my life openly as who I am and that maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married.

I want to thank my mom who has always loved me for who I am, even when there was pressure not to.

Larry Miller's passion

When I was a business reporter, I remember beginning a profile on Larry Miller. Figuring he was a rich, hard-driving guy, I didn't expect to like him.

We spent most of the afternoon talking about his No. 1 passion. It wasn't the Utah Jazz. It wasn't business. It was Shelby Cobra automobiles.

When we got around to talking about his sprawling business empire, I liked him even more. Miller was to business what Einstein is to physics. Even when I asked his opinion of other people's mega-deals, Larry could reel off the capitol sources, investments, government bond interest rates, payoffs and chances of success.* It wasn't greed for him, it was the deal as art or, at least, a grand puzzle. The calculations came as a visual, kinetic thing — Miller seemed to dance with the numbers in a mental ballet.

Anyone with that much passion and genius about anything earns my admiration.

Then Miller got tangled up in the Brokeback Mountain thing — he refused to screen a film about gay love in his theaters. But after meeting with gay and lesbian leaders, Miller told the Trib's Lya Wodraska he had been wrong to ban the movie. Miller showed (Chris

Buttars, take note) that he could grow as a human:

[The meeting] was good for me in a couple of ways. I learned a lot about them [gays and lesbians] with some open and honest dialogue. It didn't change my way of thinking or theirs, but we all realized after talking with each other we have a better understanding of each other. I'm still outspoken on issues, but I know I have to look at people's feelings and lives. I'd like to say I'm more understanding now. To say I'm tolerant would be less accurate, but I am more understanding.

Because of a beat change, I never wrote the profile (or took the drive in a Shelby that he had offered). And that's probably a good thing, because I don't think I could have done justice to a complicated man like Miller.

*At that time, at least, he thought a soccer stadium in Sandy was a bad idea.

Guv says 'Too soon'

Didn't we just finish with a presidential inauguration?

Already, Gov. Jon Huntsman has made what looked like a campaign stop in South Carolina and is suspiciously fending off questions about running for president in 2012:

Truth be told, I never thought I'd run for governor two years before I was elected. It's really hard to see around the next turn and where you might be.

That isn't stopping the Washington Post from calling him "the most popular politician in the country at the moment and someone with clear ambitions for national office."

I guess they didn't hear that Eagle Forum's Gayle Ruzicka dismissed the Guv as a lightweight because he ranks gay civil unions as better than an abomination. Gayle told me:

Shame on him!

Buttars is not alone

Let's get this out of the way: State Sen. Chris Buttars has the right to say anything he wants. His annual diatribes may be hateful and cockeyed— but at least we know what he's thinking, right?

And, apparently, Buttars gives us a window into what most of our lawmakers are thinking, too. Buttars says gays are the "greatest threat to America," like radical Muslims, but worse even, because they lack morals and want special rights.

Senate President Mike Waddoups assured us the Senate stands "four square" behind Buttars.

He is a senator who represents the point of view of many of his constituents and many of ours. We agree with many of the things he said.

Waddoups refused to be nailed down on exactly where GOP senators agree with Buttars. Was it the Sodom and Gomorrah stuff, that gay families are abominations, or the "pig sex" craziness that Buttars blurted out on tape?

Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper says the Senate didn't have a problem with what Buttars said, but took his committee seats away because he broke his promise to shut the hell up it on gay issues:

Most of what Senator Buttars said, I agree with. We as a Senate caucus had an agreement that because Sen. Buttars had become such a lightning rod on this issue, he would not be the spokesman on this issue, and basically he violated that agreement.

Many readers came unglued when Tribune columnist Rebecca Walsh compared Buttars to Alabama's George Wallace. But Georgia's Lester Maddox, who handed out ax handles for his customers to use on black civil rights activits, is a better comparison. Maddox was pencil-necked loser who Southern racism a face. Buttars has similarly positioned himself the national poster boy for "Utah values" and even the LDS church is backing away from him.

This is a good time for Buttars to ponder what Lyndon Johnson told Wallace about the future:

You and me, we’ll be dead and gone, then, George. What do you want left after you, when you die? Do you want a great big marble monument that reads, ‘George Wallace: He Built.’ Or do you want a little piece of pine board lying across that harsh caliche soil that reads, ‘George Wallace: He Hated.'

Friday, February 20, 2009

Shootout on the Hill

A civil war of sorts is continuing between the National Rifle Association and home-grown gun-rights groups over Utah's concealed weapon permit program, despite Rep. Curt Oda's assurances to the contrary.

The Utah groups want to eliminate instructors living outside Utah who issue Utah concealed carry permits. It comes as a surprise to most people that a non-resident can get a Utah concealed gun permit with training from another non-resident without ever setting foot in the state.

This has always concerned anti-gun groups, but recently they were joined by local gun-rights leaders who fear that incidents of shoddy training will undermine the value of the Utah permit, considered the "gold standard" of concealed-carry permits because it is accepted in nearly every state.

But earlier this week, national NRA lobbyists cornered Oda and got him to neuter his HB204 to allow out-of-state training to continue. Oda told me that the Utah groups were on-board with the change. But that surprises Clark Aposhian, chairman of the Utah Shooting Sports Council, and Sen. Scott McCoy, who have been working on the issue. They say they still want to eliminate out-of-state instruction.

Aposhian explains:

It's different constituencies. We represent Utah permit holders. The NRA represents non-resident instructors. . . . I'd rather protect the value of the Utah permit than fill the pockets of an out-of-state instructor.

Gay-rights Score card

A proposal to provide inheritance and medical rights to unmarried couples and the last hope of a package of gay-rights bills, aka the Common Ground Initiative, was snuffed out in a House committee at the halfway point of the session. Supporters hoped in vain that an LDS church statement that it did not oppose equal rights for gays and Gov. Jon Huntsman's support would at least get some of the bills into a debate on the chambers' floors. Other high and low points for the LBGT community:

• At Salt Lake County, Councilwoman Jenny Wilson, after four years of pushing, manages to widen employee benefits to include nontraditional families, including same-sex couples.

• In battling the Common Ground Initiative, a shadowy group America Forever prints full page ads in both Salt Lake City newspapers denouncing gay rights of any kind and labeling homosexuality "anti-species."

• Rep. Carl Wimmer, pointman of the Initiative's opposition, is forced to a least pretend to distance himself from America Forever.

• Sen. Chris Buttars exhibits hysterical homophobia in an interview with a documentary filmmaker that rocketed across the Web.

• Senate Republican leaders, embarrased by Buttars rantings, take away his chairmanship of a committee that handles most gay-rights bills.

• Senate President Mike Waddoups refuses to call the action "punishment" and Buttars refuses to apologize.

• The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s GLBT civil rights organization, is demanding Waddoups to condemn Buttars' remarks.

• The Eagle Forum hands out "Chris Buttars for President" pins. (This is not a joke.)

• For better or worse, Utahns are debating gay rights and civil unions.

• Sen. Curtis Bramble begins discussions about drafting legislation before the next session that would offer some legal protections to gays.

• The political clout of the Eagle Forum's Gayle Ruzicka is manifestly apparent.

Buttars gets spanked

The Senate punished Sen. Chris Buttars for making offensive statements for the second year in a row. Buttars followed up last year's racially charged comments with a full out assault this year on gays.

In an interview with a documentary filmmaker, Buttars compared the gay-rights movement to Muslim radicals. His torrent of disturbing rhetoric included that gay relationships are an "abomination" and "the greatest threat to America." Buttars won't apologize for the statements.

The statements and outrage they triggered distracted the Legislature from the public's business, says Senate President Mike Waddoups, at right. Waddoups says he took away Buttars' chairmanship of the Senate Judiciary Committee (he refused to call it a punishment) to allow gay-rights issues a better hearing. Eliminating Buttars "would remove the focus from distracting on personal issues and the issues would have a better chance of faring on their own merits."

Waddoups, who had just restored Buttars to his positions of power at the beginning of the session said the disciplinary measure would also allow Buttars more latitude to speak his mind.

This frees Sen. Buttars to feel more at ease in saying what he personally feels. This will be a freeing mechanism allowing Sen. Buttars to express his freedom of speech rights.

Buttars hasn't been completely frank already? That's a scary thought.

A gay rights activist at the press conference demanded Waddoups respond to the pain Buttars' statements have caused in the gay community. Waddoups ignored the question but answered another on whether the loss of the chairmanship would eliminate any future Buttars faux pas. Waddoups replied:

I have never been very good at predicting the future.

Utah County mob

In a curious house editorial, the Provo Daily Herald wags its inky finger at BYU academic Ned Hill, for backing out of consideration as president of Utah Valley University. Hill dropped out when he learned he needed to apologize to the Republican syndicate that controls Utah County for his uppity wife, Claralyn, who had the audacity to run as a Democrat.

Hill should have expected to encounter some political intrigue. It comes with the territory. While the job of UVU president is officially nonpartisan, there's no way to avoid interacting with members of the political establishment or responding to attempted manipulation, even by a member of the board of regents. After all, the state pays the bills and UVU is the new kid on the block.

Making nice may not be glamorous, but UVU's next president will have to devote much attention to the care and feeding of legislators and others with a political agenda.

The Daily Herald probably also endorses paying protection money to the mob and bribes to corrupt government officials because—hey, that's the way business is done. At least that's how it's done in Utah County.

Spreading the monkeywrench gospel

Monkeywrencher Tim DeChristopher took his message of civil disobedience in the name of the environment into the heart of conservative Utah.

DeChristopher, who derailed an oil and gas lease auction — and earned the title "eco-terrorist" in some parts of Utah — by winning $1.8 million in leases he had no intention of paying for, called on an audience at Utah Valley University to use civil disobedience to protect the environment.

We need to start pushing a lot harder and taking a less compromising stand in defending our future. The movement needs to take a stronger stand, to push the boundaries. ... I did have the power to change. People were locked out of the process of how are we going to use our own public lands, the lands we all own. . . .

Our job as citizens is to stand up and make demands of our representatives and political leaders. The best way to do that, in my opinion, is with direct action.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Deja vu for Buttars

Senate leaders met today to discuss what to do about Chris Buttars' gay-bashing extravaganza that is still reverberating across the country.

In an interview with a documentary filmmaker that wound up on the Web, Buttars compared the gay-rights movement to Muslim radicals. He also said gays have no morals, commit unspeakable sex acts, will destroy society and that families headed by gays are "abominations." The usual stuff.

But this time, he said so much of it so quickly that he achieved a critical mass that forced the GOP leadership to respond — before the Democrats dragged the stinking mess onto the Senate floor.

Buttars left the Hill after lunch (Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka tells me his health hasn't been good) and Senate President Mike Waddoups told the news media an announcement about the controversy will be made at a press conference Friday morning.

The buzz at the Capitol this afternoon is that Buttars will be disciplined, exactly how is a matter of speculation. This would seem to be a replay of last year, when Buttars embarrassed the Senate by threatening a judge who had ruled against one of Buttars' buddies.

But slapping down Buttars this time will be even more complicated. Sen. John Valentine was dumped as president, in part, because he punished Buttars last year by removing him as chairman of the Judiciary Confirmation Committee.

When Waddoups replaced Valentine as Senate President, the first thing he did was restore Buttars' chairmanship. It allowed Buttars to thumb his nose at the groups that were outraged by his routine racial and homophobic comments.

Anglers skunked on the Hill

Memo to lawmakers: It's bad enough to send out the message you loathe drinkers, gays and mooners — but don't anger the anglers.

About 250 fishing enthusiasts, birdwatchers, paddlers and other outdoorsy riff-raff, armed with fly rods and nets, portaged a canoe up the steps of the Capitol to show opposition to a bill that would close many state waterways to the public.

Rep. Ben Ferry doesn't like a recent state Supreme Court ruling:

The public [has] the right to float, hunt, fish and participate in all lawful activities that utilize the water.

Ferry, a feed-lot operator, and the Farm Bureau are pushing HB187 to drastically limit the rivers open to the public. They argue that private property rights of the land along the streams trumps the public's ownership of the water.

Field and Stream, which has the power to send fishing and paddling tourists to Utah, doesn't like Ferry's idea:

The dirty truth is that many of us who live in states where stream access is restricted (like Colorado) are green with envy over states (like Montana) where things are more open. Oh, the fishing is good if you're on the inside of those fences. Sometimes better. But that costs money.

And with more and more of us having less and less to spend, with more businesses depending on people to get out and fish, and more people clinging to what is a relatively affordable pastime... well, I think, if anything, we should be taking down more fences, and not building new ones.

Former Salt Lake City Mayor Ted Wilson, now with the Utah Rivers Council, says Ferry's attempt to deprive the public of access to streams will just cost the state more legal fees: "If this passes it will go right to court again."

The crowd took the precaution of wearing hip waders for nothing—Ferry refused to come out to smooze them.

The pimp who keeps on giving

Utah's seediest legal drama (and that's insulting to seeds) seems to be withering.

Salt Lake County District Attorney Lohra Miller fired long-time prosecutor Kent Morgan last year saying he leaked confidential information to a pimp who was under investigation for doing what pimps do. Morgan denies it and wants his job back. A brief summary of the mess is here.

But now, key witness Tiffany French Curtis, who was a business partner of former Doll House escort service owner (aka, the pimp, at right) Steven Maese, admits her information that Morgan was Maese's inside source might not be credible. After all, she explains, Maese was a manipulative dirt bag and may have been lying to her in order to control her as the police investigators closed in. Seems reasonable.

Extra seediness points: I forgot to mention that this all went down after Morgan ran against Miller for the DA job.

What's $1.2 million here and there?

U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz was up at the Legislature this week reaming the Washington establishment for "sick" levels of government waste and spending. He said, in amazement, "No one even uses the term millions anymore" — only hundreds of billions or trillions.

Still, I'm sure he'll be happy to know that the folks he was addressing kissed off a cool $1.2 million in federal highway money because they won't pass a law requiring seat-belt use. Can't have "Big Brother" telling you to buckle up, says Sen. Allen Christensen:

Missing out on a million dollars to preserve that right is absolutely appropriate.

Utah doesn't enforce adult seat-belt use unless a you are pulled over for something else first.

Speaking of tainted money, Utah is accepting more than its share of the "sick" federal stimulus cash that was roundly denounced by Chaffetz and the state's conservative lawmakers. All three of Utah's districts are in the top 10 for "employment impact," and can expect to see 32,000 jobs created.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Fade out for Sundance?

Director and icon of the Sundance Film Festival Geoffrey Gilmore has quit after nearly two decades to become chief creative officer of Tribeca Film Festival, founded by Robert DeNiro.

Some bloggers see Gilmore's departure as another sign of problems within the film festival held each January in Park City:

Sundance faces a world of hurt: declining sponsorships, bankrupt indie film companies, and a bloated festival that is now as noteworthy for its swag suites as it is for the films that emerge there and go on to shake up American culture.

And Robert Redford's somewhat cryptic statement on Gilmore's decision only fuels the speculation:

Our festival's 25th anniversary has been a time of candid reflection. I support completely his decision. The timing is right to move on.

Chris Buttars saves civilization

ABC 4News obtained an extraordinary interview with Sen. Chris Buttars done by a documentary filmmaker. In it Buttars explains that the gay movement has been taken over by radicals, much like the Islamic religion. In the tape, the West Jordan Republican warns that the gay rights movement is the primary threat to civilization:

What is the morals of a gay person? You can't answer that because anything goes.

We're moving towards a society with no morals... There's never been a nation survived that's done that. . . .

You will destroy the foundation of American society because the foundation of society is a man and a woman. It's the beginning of the end.

What is most obvious in the interview is that Buttars views himself as a martyr to his cause.
From the NAACP to gays to the American Civil Liberties Union to the news media*, everyone is out to get him.

[Eagle Forum president] Gayle [Ruzicka] and I have been called everything in the book. They are the meanest buggers I've ever seen.

Buttars dismisses gay and lesbian families as "combinations of abomination," and speaks with pride of thwarting gay rights legislation:

I've killed every [bill] that they brought for 8 years. . . . I'm the wall they hit.

*"The [Salt Lake] Tribune has become the "Tribune Tabloid"as far as I'm concerned."

GOP vs. LDS

The national Republican Party has a unusual problem going into future elections: too many of its best candidates, including Gov. Jon Huntsman, are Mormon. Conservative commentator David Frum at The New Majority says the problem is rooted in the fact that many Americans, including a large part of the GOP base, find the Mormon religion repugnant:

This dislike presents a special problem for Republicans. Two of our most plausible candidates for president in 2012 are leading Mormons: Mitt Romney and Utah governor Jon Huntsman. Both of them bring special and important advantages to the race: Romney his success in expanding health insurance coverage in Massachusetts; Huntsman his innovative stands on the environment and social issues. Both men are highly intelligent, with strong business backgrounds, and easy verbal fluency.

If candidates like these cannot be elected to national office because of their religious affiliation, then our Republican talent pool looks dangerously shallow. It’s important to know: how thick are the barriers against a Mormon president – and what might help to surmount them?

Gay-rights drive dies in a charade

Blogging from the Legislature . . .

The final segment of the Common Ground Initative, HB160, failed in committee, bringing this season's gay civil rights drive to an anti-climatic end.

Probably the most frustrating part for the bill's supporters is that HB160 obviously was dead before the House Judiciary Committee convened. Nevertheless, citizens, gay and straight, went through the motions—testifying the state needs a simple way to protect the rights of cohabiting adults in inheritance and medical decision making. The opposition, including the Eagle Forum's Gayle Ruzicka, right, complained that the bill was unnecessary and a veilded attempt to drag the state into legalizing gay marriage.

Strikingly, few committee members bothered to ask questions, prompting chairwoman Rep. Lorie Fowlke to remark: "My, we have a quiet committee today."

Rep. Keith Grover, R-Orem, idly surfed the Web on his laptop as unmarried couples told of their fears that they would not be able to care medically, financially and emotionally for "the person who matters to me most."

The bill's sponsor Rep. Jennifer Seelig, later said she was disappointed with the committee's lethargy. She was offended that her efforts were characterized by the right-wing Sutherland Institute as "mendacious."

"That's a new word for me," she joked. "I wrote it down."

Seelig says she will reintroduce a similar bill next year:

The issue of equality is not going away.

Utah's quiet guys get mad

Lawmakers long for the old — smiling — Jim Matheson.

Congressman Jim Matheson, Utah's top Democrat, is seriously honked off at Republican state legislators who are trying to cut a back-door deal with EnergySolutions to import overseas nuke waste to its dump near Tooele. EnergySolutions, which has contributed to virtually every Utah lawmakers, is offering to spit the $2 billion in dumping fees with the cash-starved state.

I am outraged that Utah legislators would even consider allowing our state to become the universal dumping ground for the world's nuclear garbage, and I know most Utahns share my anger.

Matheson joins Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman in outrage. Huntsman says:

Our position is abundantly clear. Let's just say that the price the state pays for being a dumping ground lasts forever. The recession will not.

The governor is exagerating. The low-level waste EnergySolutions is talking about is only hot for a couple generations of Utahns.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Belly up to the trough

Just minutes after President Obama signed a gargantuan stimulus bill today, the Utah House caucus fell on Utah's $1.5 billion share like a school of piranha on a drowning weasel. A $200 million chunk for highways and bridges, almost $400 million to stabilize education and on and on.

This happened less than two hours after Sen. Lyle Hillyard told the senate that the state's newest revenue numbers are bleak.

The fall has not bottomed out — but it has diminished substantially.

It also happened less than two hours after the House gave a standing ovation to Congressman Jason Chaffetz for calling the stimulus bill "sick" and "legislative malpractice."

On the other hand, a majority of the nation's 22 Republican governors, including Utah's insanely popular Gov. Jon Huntsman, support the package.

I *heart* Jason

Congressman Jason Chaffetz is going to go way, way far in politics.

Why am I being so nice? Jason (He let's me call him that now) approached me in the Capitol cafeteria with a grin, shook my hand and charmed my rear end off.

You may recall that I write a lot of trash about Chaffetz and interment camps and his being a "cry baby" and a publicity pig — which is exactly why he chatted me up today.

On leg wrestling and other publicity stunts:

Aw, you've got to have some fun. Some people had a problem with it [being undignified]. But had I not done those things, everyone would be calling me a freshman wall flower. . . .You're campaigning all the time out there.

On Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, who did a facial on Chaffetz, beat him at leg wrestling and generally tried to make a boob out of him:

He's a great guy. I laughed the whole time (during the three-hour filming).

On jerk bloggers back home in Utah:

I'll keep feeding you stuff—by opening my mouth.

Ha. Ha. What a charmer. Wait a minute—where's my wallet?

Chaffetz on the Hill

Blogging from the Legislature . . .

Congressman Jason Chaffetz appears to be still running for office as he speaks to the Senate and House. He flings red meat* to the mostly Republican Lege and stomps all over bipartisanship. (Oddly, he tells the House, "We are only going to be successful if we reach out across the aisle. That's the right way to do things.")

The freshman congressman, who has already become a legend for cheap publicity stunts that include leg wrestling all comers and proving his frugality by sleeping on a cot in his office — managed to plug himself. He told the Senate he was delighted "to be home to sleep in my bed, to be able to sleep in a bed." And telling the House when they applauded his introduction:

You all saw my leg wrestling? This is for my leg wrestling, isn't it?

State Sen. Romero, joked that the senators needed "a baked potato with all the political red meat you served us."

Chaffetz denounced President Barack Obama's stimulus plan as "legislative malpractice" and "sick."

Utah will get more than its share in highway and bridge funding. . . .[The stimulus] is not about jobs; it's about growing government and it's sick.

Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, countered:

If this is a bad process and tainted money, why should the state of Utah take a dime of this money?

Chaffetz responded that Utah should take the money because it is paying for it:

Absolutely we will take the money. . . .Let's get behind it and get the most of it.

State Sen. Pat Jones took a belated shot at Chaffetz through a compliment to Sen. Orrin Hatch, who followed Chaffetz in addressing the Senate.

Sen. Hatch, we appreciate your statesman like tenor. I comes as a welcome breath of fresh air to us.

*Chaffetz managed not to choke up, apparently by somehow avoiding mentioning the Founding Fathers.

Wife runs amok in Utah County

Ned Hill, a former dean of BYU's Marriott School of Business, says he dropped out of consideration for president of Utah Valley University because a member of the state board of Regents asked him to apologize to Utah County Republican king pins for his wife's infidelity.

Before you hyperventilate — it wasn't Ned that Claralyn Hill cheated on, it was the GOP. Claralyn, who had been a life-long Republican, ran as a Democratic candidate for the state House in the last election.

Ned Hill says the board member asked him to apologize to local Republican lawmakers who were offended by Claralyn's statements that the Legislature needs ethical reform.

I am a Republican, but because my wife ran against them, I had to apologize for my wife running for office.

Tribune columnist Paul Rolly already reported the incident, but now that it's in the Provo Daily Herald maybe some voters in Utah County will hear about it.

Huntsman bets on the people

It appears that Gov. Jon Huntsman has a better understanding of the people of Utah than his conservative critics.

A Deseret News/KSL-TV poll finds that 67 percent of Utahns are copacetic with the governor's recent announcement supporting civil unions. And 80 percent of Utahns still approve of the job Huntsman he's doing. So much for the "Shame on You Gov. Huntsman" demonstrations at the Capitol and the newspaper attack ads.

Actually, the poll found that a plurality (corrected) of Utahns, 47 percent to 42 percent, also support civil unions.

Pollster Dan Jones thinks the move to the center will only help Huntsman's standing as a potential presidential candidate:

I don't think he took as hard of a hit as people had anticipated. When 2012 rolls around, he'll be on the short list.

Jones did not, however, poll to find out how many Republican lawmakers are planning to stick it to the governor during what he promises is his last term.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Looks like Mitt won't be Utah guv

Mitt Romney has put his 10,000-square foot Deer Valley home up for sale, severing that embarrassing tie to Utah. That, of course, means he will lose Utah's "native son" vote when runs again for president in 2012. Ha. Ha. Just kidding. We'll always love Mitt for saving the 2002 Sacred Olympics.

Some wonks say Mitt doesn't want to get teased about his many mansions when he runs against President Barack Obama. Who can forget John McCain not knowing how many houses he owns?

In any case, this means somebody else will have to toss Sen. Bob Bennett out of office this fall.

Did he visit Temple Square?

In the age of the Intertubes Superhighway of Information, people with no experience or expertise on a subject have the power to spout crap to the whole world.

So, while France's First Lady, rock star and super model Carla Bruni loves Utah, nonfamous wonk Bane Windlow on the Carolina Politics Online blog sure as heck does not like Salt Lake City:

When you see pictures of the city from afar it looks like a folksy city with snow capped mountains in the background and quaint little chateaus and chalets on the mountain sides. Then you zoom in and actually walk through the place and you see all the blemishes and scabs and bruises. It’s really kind of a $#@& hole. . . .
Oh, and don’t even get me started on the liquor laws. . . .

We’ll add this one to the list of places of which I have no intention of ever returning to.

The brains behind that ad

UPDATE . . .

Q SaltLake digs into the background of the folks behind the full-page anti-Common Ground Initiative ad that ran Sunday in The Tribune and Deseret News. The Tribune adds additional information here.

Among other revelations about the brother-sister founders of America Forever, Sandra Rodrigues and Jonas M. R. Filho, Q SaltLake reports:

Rodrigues immigrated to the United States in 1975. Indeed, several years of the group's efforts were around the rights of children born in the United States to undocumented immigrants. They started an initiative called "Save the Innocence" calling on the government to address the problem.
The group came to the attention of authorities in 1999 after complaints from the Mexican consulate said it was selling identification cards for $200 to illegal residents that ask the Immigration and Naturalization Service not to deport them. . . .

It was decided that, while the identification cards were worthless, they were not illegal.

Anti-gay rights, but pro-illegal immigrant activists? Untangling that will put a hurtin' on the heads of some conservative allies in the Legislature.

The love of a beautiful woman

After being the butt of countless polygamy stories, jokes about bizarre liquor laws, suffering Proposition 8 backlash and boycotts — finally somebody's got something good to say about Utah. And it's not George W. Bush.

French First Lady Carla Bruni says she really, really likes us! In fact, she told The New York Times she loves Utah. Ooo, baby, ooo.

In private, Ms. Bruni-Sarkozy has no trouble making down-to-earth small talk: that Daniel Craig is good-looking but Sean Connery will go down as the best James Bond; how some of her friends have become paranoid that their phone conversations with her are monitored by French intelligence officers; how women over 25 — 28 at the latest — should stop wearing makeup because it ages them; how she longs to have a child with Mr. Sarkozy, but knows that at age 41, she is “just at the edge;” how she fell in love with Utah when she was once there on a shoot for Victoria’s Secret, modeling pajamas and boxer shorts because of her flat chest; how she still believed what she told an Italian interviewer years ago, that human beings cannot be faithful.

OK, her cynicism towards eternal monogamy, outright endorsement of polygamy, penchant for posing nude and, well, being French aren't going to endear her to a lot of Utahns. But considering Carla has also loved Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, Utah is in cool company.

Debate and crazy talk on gay rights

The Tribune carried an amped-up Sunday ad paid for by America Forever spewing crazy talk against the Common Ground gay-rights initiative and Gov. Jon Huntsman's support of civil unions. (Threats of subscription cancellations are rolling in to the Trib, but with legislation afoot to deprive the newspaper industry of its final refuge of legal ads, we'll take anything we can get.*)

America Forever is the same group that offered lesbian lawmaker Rep. Chris Johnson an unsolicited critique on the use of her vagina.

But Dan Wade, a self-described gay in Salt Lake City says Huntsman's stand on civil unions was cynical, not courageous: I am one gay citizen who finds his support of civil unions to be nothing short of a hoax.

The Daily Herald opines that Huntsman is aspiring to national office with his moderate stand: But if the governor is thinking of higher office, he ought to embrace Utah, not try to run away from it.

A boycott of Ken Garff auto dealerships apparently continues (the matriarch of the Garff family gave $100,000 in support of California's Proposition 8) provoking the LeftCoastConservative blog to wonder what happened to the all-things-Utah boycott?

You know, the Gay leadership is not doing so well here with their boycotts. Maybe they should actually do something that would make a difference. Like focusing on wiping out hunger in America. They seem to have a lot of surplus cash. What could all that money do if they poured it into America’s food banks?

*That wacky First Amendment obligates us to print this kind of stuff from both sides. You'll be relieved to know that the version of the full-page ad that ran in the Deseret News did not include the photograph.

What's more 'scenic' than billboards?

Though the legislation it seeks to influence is seldom exciting, one of the most powerful lobbies on the Hill is the billboard industry. What the folks who litter the passing scenery with advertising messages — including political candidate's pitches — want, they invariably get.

But this time, the outdoor advertisers may be courting controversy. They want to defile the view along the Legacy Parkway that cuts through wetlands along the Great Salt Lake. Rep. Christopher Herrod's HB272 would remove the authority for the state's scenic highways and roads from a citizens' committee and open the door to commercial development, including billboards. Herrod doesn't seem to have a firm grasp on the meaning of the word "scenic":

Scenic byways are being used to stop economic development, whether it be mining or other types of issues.

One of the reasons the billboard lobby is so successful is that few ordinary citizens pay much attention to the humdrum legislation it backs. Perhaps a "No Billboards on Legacy!" billboard?

'Seven years of college down the drain'

The University of Utah has poor timing when it comes to an new effort to revive its dying frat culture. Most people figure the so-called Greek system deserves to pass into the mists of history after the recent death of a Utah State University freshman of alcohol poisoning following a pledging prank.

But the U is paying Jay Wilgus to restore the U.'s declining fraternity system, without, he hopes, its "Animal House" heritage.

We're trying to create a dynamic, vibrant community where we build tomorrow's leaders from today's undergraduates. We want students spending time together. We know that increases the likelihood of graduating and increases their GPAs.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

The billion dollar carrot

Energy Solutions, which has been longing to dump foreign nuclear waste in Utah, is nothing if not persistent — not to mention insidious.

Gov. Jon Huntsman and Rep. Jim Matheson thought they had pretty much sealed the state off from Energy Solutions' foreign radioactive ambitions. But they didn't count on an end run through the Legislature.

The Tribune's Judy Fahys and Robert Gehrke uncovered a secret deal being worked out between Energy Solutions and Republican legislative leadership. It's simple: Let the company import foreign waste and it would split the profits with the state. It could mean $1 billion cash infusion to a state that is hard up.

Energy Solutions spokeswoman Jill Sigal says nothing is concrete yet, but:

We think there's an opportunity for the governor, the Legislature and EnergySolutions to come together and find a solution to this issue and also to provide a benefit and assistance to the people, the citizens of the state of Utah.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Unbeatable unification

If the Moonie website means anything, Rev. In Jin Moon is going to be speaking at the Mormon temple in Columbus.

"Machiavelli": the video game

Question: What do Rep. Mike Morley, the Eagle Forum's Gayle Ruzicka and Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert have in common?

Answer: They are in cahoots with a disbarred Florida lawyer to pass a law regulating violent video games.

Morely, who represents Spanish Fork, has introduced HB353 that would allow stores to be sued if they sold adult video games to kids after advertising they have a policy to check ages. Although bills to regulate violent video games have failed in the Legislature before because of Freedom of Speech concerns, Morley's bill is so innocuous (and probably ineffective) that it might pass.

But the interesting part is the backstory of how the bill was created. Dennis McCauley, editor of GamePolitics.com interviewed Morley about the bill. I encourage you to read the transcript of the interview here.

Until late in McCauley's blog item, you think Morley might have had something to do with writing his bill. But when McCauley asks how much input anti-video game zealot and disbarred attorney Jack Thompson, above, had to do with in the legislation, Morely says Thompson was not deeply involved.

When Thompson learns Morley isn't giving him due credit, he threatens McCauley with libel and forces Morley into another interview. Morley promptly gives Thompson credit, telling McCauley:

In speaking with Gayle Ruzicka from Eagle Forum, she indicated that Jack has been involved in the concept and involved in meeting with the Lt. Governor, has been here to Utah. I was not in Utah when he came, but he met with the Lt. Governor, met with some of the legislative staff. And at least the concept of what we’re working on apparently originated with him.

The Attorney General, of course, would vet such legislation, but what would Lt. Gov. (and as-yet unannounced gubernatorial candidate) Gary Herbert have to do with video game regulation?

Of course, AG Mark Shurtleff has shown little enthusiasm for Thompson and his video violence bills in the past, leading Thompson to call for Shurtleff's impeachment.

Intensive care on the Hill

A seemingly innocuous drama is unfolding at the Legislature that offers a raw glimpse into how law is made that you won't find in any ninth-grade civics book.

Southwest Ambulance wants a bill passed, HB273, that would allow the company to break into the business of "inter-facility transfers"— transporting patients between hospitals and care facilities.

Utah-based Gold Cross does not want the change because they've got a lock on the lucrative inter-facility transfers. Sen. Curt Bramble, who wrote the existing law and says it took a year to hammer out a compromise, told me: "I don't support either side. But if they want to change the law, I want them to bring all the stakeholders in again."

Both sides have launched swarms of lobbyists, including former House Speaker Greg Curtis, who has whirled through the revolving door and emerged on the Gold Cross team.

More interesting is that GOP majority leader Rep. Kevin Garn's son is lobbying for Southwest along with former Republican Party Executive Director Jeff Hartley, former Utah Democratic Party Chairman Mike Zuhl and former Rep. Mark Walker. The bill's sponsor in the Senate is Sen. Steve Urquhart, who has done legal work for the company. The ambulance companies together have pumped about $200,000 into lawmakers campaign chests.

What is it with Utah's crybaby politicians?

If you pay even the barest attention to politics in this state you've had to endure conservative politicians turning on the waterworks at the drop of a hat. Former Rep. LaVar Christensen, for instance, could always be counted on to lose it on the House floor over some anti-abortion measure or highway repaving bill.

Newly elected Congressman Jason Chaffetz proved he's got what it takes to go far in Utah politics:

Huntsman's timing

It looks like the stars are lining up.

Gov. Jon Huntsman—seemingly for no reason—makes a strong statement in favor of gay civil unions. It sets off a flurry of publicity nationwide, including kudos from gay, liberal and moderate bloggers.

Now, Republican Senator Judd Gregg drops out as Obama's across-the-aisle pick for Commerce Secretary. citing “irresolvable conflicts” between him and the Democratic administration.

Huntsman's resume for Secretary of Commerce:

Former trade diplomat, who speaks fluent Mandarin (China's a key trading partner).
Proven record of bipartisanship.
Enormously popular moderate governor in a conservative stronghold (He supports civil unions, but — like Obama — not gay marriage).
Huntsman is very close to Sen. John McCain and he could win McCain's support for Obama's economic plans.
He has burned his bridges with a far-right Legislature and state GOP.

But Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka sounds a warning for Huntsman. After his statement in support of civil unions broke, she told me:

He's aiming for Obama's cabinet. But if he's not careful, he's going to be too far left even for Obama.

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Those who can't teach, legislate

Blogging from the Senate Chamber:

Sen. Chris Buttars wants to open the teaching profession to just about anyone who has expertise in some field. After all, he figures, if you're a retired business person and can pass a test on economics, you can stand in front of a class and shape young minds. How hard can it be?*

But other senators disagreed with his SB48, pointing out that there's more to teaching than simply knowing the subject — and what about teaching elementary school? Sen. Brent Goodfellow countered: "Everyone may know how to read, but it doesn't mean you can teach reading."

The debate ended with this exchange between Sen. Pat Jones and Buttars:

Jones: Do you know what classes required for a teaching degree?

Buttars: No, I don't. I don't know what classes are required.

Jones: It's a very rigorous process. It's a very important profession that is prized by most of us. Teaching is not just a job. It takes a gifted person and alot of training.

Not surprisingly, that made Buttars hot under the collar. He pointed out that many important jobs are done without the necessity of specialized training.

How about special training to be a mayor? . . Or special training to be a senator?. . . We don't do that!

In the end, his bill survived for more debate on another day. A visiting sixth-grade teacher in the gallery told me she would love to trade places for just one day with Buttars:

He wouldn't last five minutes in front of my class.

On the other hand, Buttars inadvertently brought up an interesting concept: Why not require training to be a state senator? At least administer an IQ test or, for Buttars, a biology test.

Wimmer does the right thing

Hanging at the Legislature...

If you remember — how could you forget? — an anti-gay-marriage demonstrator confronted openly lesbian Rep. Chris Johnson and told the Salt Lake lawmaker that she is "a waste of a vagina."

To his c

redit, ex-cop Rep. Carl Wimmer, a leader in the opposition to civil unions, not only met with Johnson, but made a public statement that he would have nothing to do with such crass behavior.

Chris and I don't agree on much — Chris and I don't agree on anything. But I won't stand by and see her mistreated.

The same group of demonstrators, America Forever, crashed a press conference called by Johnson and started aggressively questioning gay rights leaders. Wimmer, himself, stepped in.

I called the state troopers and had them ejected.

Here's an idea! Screw the poor

The drive to solve the state's financial problems on the backs of the those without lobbyists is gaining momentum.

Rep. Kay McIff tried to convince the Deseret News editorial board that reinstating the tax on food is the way to go.

It has attraction because it's such a stable income source. When we took the food tax off, it made no difference in sales and when we put it back on, it won't make a difference either.

No kidding, Kay. That's because people — no matter how destitute — have to eat. It's a biological imperative thing. But a disproportionate part of poor and middle-class people's income goes to food.

Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce president Lane Beattie, of course, backed McIff to the hilt.

We have to apply true business principals … we have to balance this thing.

Sorry, it's just business.

Road kill

It's not the kind of news you want to hear after watching lawmakers hack away at the state budget to meet revenue shortfalls: Con artists bilked the the state Division of Finance out of $2.5 million.

And the scam was ludicrous. Shadowy figures somehow electronically diverted money meant for the University of Utah into an Arlington, Tex., truck driver's account. Most of the money was frozen before it could be withdrawn when the Texas bank wondered: Why is the state of Utah writing $2.5 million in checks to a truck driver?

John Reidhead, director Finance points out the obvious:

We thought we had better controls than we did.

The new blacklist

The continuing battle over Prop 8 is spilling over into an ugly guerrilla war on the Internet.

Getreligion reports that beyond public protests, activists are setting up web sites listing anyone who supported California's ban on same-sex marriage. Some sites, using public financial disclosures, single out individual Mormons who supported the measure. Is it free speech or harassment?

An example is an anti-Prop 8 group that is targeting the Ken Garff car dealerships. CEO Bob Garff's wife Katharine donated $100,000 in support of the ballot proposition. Fred Karger, leading a group with the somewhat ironic name Californians Against Hate, is using the Web to organize a boycott against the 40 Garff businesses in Utah, California, Texas and Iowa.

Garff and Karger have agreed to talks that could lift the boycott. On another front of the Prop 8 war, The Tribune's Rebecca Walsh explores the savvy politics behind the delayed release of information on the full extent of the LDS church's financial contributions — $200,000 at this point. Had the information been available before the election, it could have turned Californians against Prop 8, gay rights activists say.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Ralph explains it all

What is Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker up to? He has an apple-polishing letter in The Tribune defending the LDS church's annual pre-session meetings with House and Senate legislative leaders. The missive seems to come in support of a guest column written by LDS spokesman Otterson that chastised columnist Rebecca Walsh and letter writers for questioning the Legislature's yearly festival of church-and-state confusion.

Ralph finds it necessary to cop to having regularly met with the church as a Democratic House member, but explains:

It is understandable that people would be suspicious of an institution as powerful in our state as the LDS Church. While I have not always been in agreement with LDS Church positions, in my experience, in secular matters the LDS Church has carefully considered the opinions and effects of their opinions on others having different perspectives.

What's up — is the city contemplating selling another section of Main Street to the church?

Media as chumps

Last week, a report came out showing that ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) was not deporting the most serious criminal immigrants. Instead, ICE has been taking only the easiest “targets of opportunity.”

What's an agency with bad press to do? Go to the rubes in the hinterlands to spin some good news, of course.

It's too easy.

ICE sent out some press releases and held a "media availability" yesterday at at the Utah County Jail to give local reporters "a rare glimpse" of its relentless efforts to track down criminal immigrants and deport them. In the parlance of reporters, it was a classic "media cluster f#%&."

Apparently, none of the suckers asked about the recent "targets-of-opportunity" report. Instead ICE got sweet headlines like this:

Crimes sending illegals home (Deseret News).
ICE officials focusing on immigrants who've been arrested (KSL).
ICE Agents Show Interviews of Suspected Illegals (KUTV 2News).

Like the man says, you can't buy publicity like that. And ICE got it all free. A public information officer somewhere has a bonus coming.

So much for civility

Live blogging from the Capitol . . .

You have to conclude that the $230 million in marble, woodwork and sculpture poured into the restored Capitol is utterly wasted when you consider some of the primates who hang out there.

An anti-gay marriage demonstrator got in the face of openly lesbian House member (and mother) Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake. Johnson told me the woman shouted:

You are abusing your vagina. You're a waste of a vagina!

A state Trooper had to step in to explain the concept of respectful debate to the woman.

Another anti-gay marriage/anti-civil unions/anti-"other" demonstration is planned for 12:30 p.m. at the Capitol.

Hurricane Huntsman

Gov. Jon Huntsman's off-handed statement supporting civil unions, if not gay marriage, has whipped up a storm nationwide. When you factor in that Utah is the headquarters of the LDS church that was instrumental in banning gay marriages in California and that Huntsman has been annointed as a rising star of the national Republican Party — a potential presidential candidate no less — the reverberations make sense.

His statement has been picked up by gay news outlets around the country. The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights group, gushed over Huntsman.

We’re thrilled that Gov. Huntsman recognizes that it’s simply the right thing to do to support equality.

Right-wing bloggers, not so much. GOP12 calls Huntsman a "Maverick!":

Tack this onto his fight against draconian liquor laws and global warming, and you've got a genuine, and very popular moderate (90% of Utahns approve of the job he's doing) in the most un-moderate of states. We'll see if this makes a dent in his numbers.

Conservative Utah Rep. Carl Wimmer plans to counter Huntsman with a rally against the so-called Common Ground Initiative (a package of bills that would protect gay rights).

He wants to take us down a slippery slope to where essentially marriage is meaningless except for the name.

Nationally, middle-ground political bloggers, including The Moderate Voice, support Huntsman:

Observers noted that there was little to gain politically from the move since Huntsman was already re-elected in 2008 and there is little broad support for the policy among Utah voters. I for one say GOOD JOB to a brave man willing to stand for his principles.

Meanwhile, the question of the week among cynical observers is: Why did Huntsman stick his neck out on civil unions? Theories range from Huntsman is getting out ahead of a GOP that he is betting will move to the center after getting its ass handed to it in the last election to — the Guv didn't think supporting civil unions would be a big deal considering the Mormon church recently said it supports gay civil rights, if not same-sex marriage.

State Rep. John Dougall from Utah County muses to the Deseret News:

It's clear that he is not running again in Utah. He's moving to a national agenda. And his civil unions sound like gay marriage to me.

Even openly lesbian lawmaker Rep. Jackie Biskupski tells me her first reaction was:

What is he running for?

Openly lesbian Rep. Christine Johnson says:

I'll take it at face value — he's a very fair-minded governor.

Finally, one observer on Utah's Capitol Hill told me:

Huntsman has spent all his political capital in this one statement. It's gone.

Here's an idea

Utah soon may be alone as the only state prohibiting gambling. Right now, Hawaii also does not allow any form of legal gaming, but lawmakers there have introduced eight bills to legalize slot machines and video poker to offset the state's $800 million deficit projected over the next two years.

Opponents say legalized gambling would lead to increased crime and corruption. Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Peter Carlisle joined a rally against the bills, saying:

Does Hawaii really need one more addiction?

It's kind of quaint that back in Salt Lake City, Utah lawmakers think the governor's drive to abolish the club membership requirement to get a cocktail is Satan's work.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Gee thanks, guys

To honor retired Democratic state Sen. Mike Dmitrich, the Republican-controlled Legislature will name U.S. Highway 6 — Utah's most dangerous stretch of black top — after him. Senate bill 66 (why not go all the way and call it SB 666?) will dub the corkscrewing highway that makes its way through Mike's old district the "Mike Dmitrich Death-Dealing Highway."

Dmitrich served in the Lege four decades and returned today to be present to bestow his name on the state's fatal-bahn.

Via con Dios Mike, hope you make it back to Price alive.

UPDATE: I ran into Dmitrich in the Rotunda and asked him about the "honor."

My daughter said the same thing, 'Why do you want that highway named after you? That's where all your friends died.'
But we've really improved that road—saved a lot of lives.

Gun nuts gone rational!

What would Chuck do?

It has got to be a desperate strategy to get laid by cute liberal babes. Utah gun rights activists have split with the National Rifle Association to join with gun-control freaks, including openly gay Sen. Scott McCoy, in an effort to roll back Utah's concealed gun program.

In the past half-decade, Utah has become the de facto national concealed weapon permit by issuing a relatively cheap and easy-to-obtain permit to all comers (felons and wife beaters need not apply) — even if applicants never set foot in Utah.

But increasingly, reports have been coming in that out-of-state instructors are rubber stamping applications without requiring the necessary safety training.

So gun lovers and surrender monkeys are uniting to clean up the program — perhaps by eliminating any out-of-state application and instruction. Charles Hardy, policy director for Gun Owners of Utah and the freakiest gun freak I know, says:

This is an unfortunate but necessary step we in the gun rights community are supporting in order to maintain the integrity and credibility of the Utah permit.

Gun rights advocates fear that slip-shod regulation of Utah's "gold-standard" gun permit could result in states revoking reciprocity agreements.

McCoy, like most terrorist-coddling liberals, of course, wants to see the scope of the program reduced any way possible:

Good on them for pursuing a problem and working to fix it. I'm happy they want to tighten up the program.

It looks like the NRA may have to have a re-education session with GoUtah. While they're at it could they have a word with the yahoo who blew away the toilet in Centerville?

Chaffetz finds a kindred spirit

Openly gay Colorado Congressman Jared Polis on learning of Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz’s background in skin care (NuSkin):

Well, I’m surprised that Jason was in skin care. That sounds more gay than anything I’ve done in my career.

You can see Democrat Polis, right, goofing with Chaffetz near the end of this video.

Remember ethics reform?

House Speaker Dave Clark tells the Deseret News editorial board that Gov. Jon Huntsman has gone "over the line" in establishing a commission that would look into government ethics.

Clark, a Santa Clara banker (I love it that bankers now rank below lawyers and even journalists in public esteem), warns that Huntsman is threatening the separation of powers.

I am very, very protective of the legislative branch of government . . . and I hope he will respect that.

Clark makes it sound like the Guv is trying to get his hand inside the Legislature's blouse.

What's most telling about this bit of non-news is, first, that Huntsman's Commission on Strengthening Democracy and Other Good Stuff, like all such blue-ribbon farces, will not produce any ethical changes.

More importantly, after kvetching about outside-imposed changes, Clark admits the Legislature's lame attempt at ethics reform is going nowhere, or, as he puts it in his gooberish way, "gosh, all four tires were flat."

It's not going to happen in this session. This is going to take, I think, through this next summer. I hope the people of Utah will have enough patience to know we're sincere and determined in what we are doing.

Clark and his pals obviously take Utahns for chumps and I haven't seen much evidence to the contrary.

Jonny, we hardly knew ye

It's as if Gov. Jon Huntsman unzipped his face, revealing Al Gore underneath. He comes out to Tribune reporter Rosemary Winters as favoring civil unions between same-sex couples! As his mouthpiece Lisa Roskelley tells Winters:

He's long supported many of the ideas that are presented within the [gay rights] Common Ground Initiative. He supports civil unions.

I know exactly what you're thinking: Wuttha hey?

Huntsman, who is more popular than that beagle that won the Westminster dog show, is not only honking off every conservative in his very conservative state — including 99 percent of his own party, he's going against the 70 percent of Utah Joseph Six-packs who oppose civil unions. Forget that the Guv is consistent with the LDS church's recent statement on gay rights, he's spitting in the eye of the Eagle Forum.

Lordy. What's our crazy, out-of-control governor going to do next? Insult the memory of GOP godhead Ronald Reagan?

Monday, February 9, 2009

The scarlet 'M'

Be careful out there after the next BYU-UofU game. If Rep. Paul Ray has his way, repetitive mooning or even taking a leak in public could land you on the state's Sexual Offender Database.

Under HB136, "two or more" convictions on lewdness, which includes mooning and public urination, will put you in the electronic company of father rapers and child molesters. Then, when your neighbors check on local pederasts — you'll be the star of back-fence gossip — with your lewdness conviction, your address and even a photo.

Ray told the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee that his amendment is meant to target flashers. "This would put them on the (sex offender) list."

Still, Rep. Becky Lockhart seemed a bit disturbed by the bill:

It's my understanding — not from personal experience obviously — that mooning is a lewd act.

Ray assured her that it would take two mooning convictions to get on the list:

This gives them one free moon. You are in trouble after that.

Committee chairman Rep. Curt Oda pressed Becky on her lunar experience:

This was not personal experience? I need to clarify that.

Lockhart maintained she has only been the victim of mooning. The committee approved the bill before Oda could pry any farther.

Taxman cometh for Uncle Bob

Utah Sen. "Uncle Bob" Bennett is being awfully defensive about a small Tribune item that pointed out that the Senator has had some tax issues over the years. The item followed Bennett's telling reporters that Sen. Tom Daschle — who owed $140,000 in back taxes — had to drop out as Obama's Health and Human Services Secretary:

He could not possibly have functioned effectively with this cloud over him. That is more than most Americans make in a year.

The Trib cheekily pointed out that in 2005, Bennett and some business partners coughed up about $320,000 in back property taxes that had accumulated over four years for a business that also had $140,000 in tax liens for late sales and tourism room taxes.

Quips The Trib:

For the record, that's about three times more than most Americans make in a year.

Bennett told KSL Radio:

I've done nothing wrong and done nothing covert … There were no penalties for failure to pay, as would be the case with an IRS assessment. It did not involve federal taxes and did not involve any kind of cover up on my part … The implication is that I have done something wrong, recently. The fact is, I have done nothing wrong and done nothing covert, and it happened years ago.

Embracing 'the other'

The Los Angeles Times offers a fascinating story about an unlikely friendship that has sprung up between a staunch Mormon father of three and a lesbian Episcopal priest.

Pasadena-based filmmaker Douglas Hunter says he wanted to make a documentary that explored Jesus' teaching of embracing the outsider. And who, he thought, is farther outside the Mormon circle than gays and lesbians?

The engagement of the 'other' was so important in the teaching of Jesus that it had to have a place of centrality in my own faith. What's your reward if you only love people who already love you?

Russell surprised him with the story of her coming out as a lesbian:

For me, the coming-out experience really had nothing to do with a sexual act or even a relationship or a person. It was about really, finally understanding my fullest, deepest self and getting all the pieces in place.

Understanding a lesbian's spiritual quest for the meaning of human relationships improved Hunter's relationship with his wife. Hunter began started showing up at rallies to oppose California's Proposition 8 that bans gay marriage.

If as a straight man I find the tools for strengthening my marriage in the relationships of same-sex couples and of a dear friend, can I deny them a fundamental right that I benefit from and cherish?

Russell was struck by her LDS friend's courage:

It isn't a risk for a priest from All Saints [Episcopal church] to go to a Prop. 8 demonstration, but it is for a devout, straight Mormon father of three. It just speaks volumes about how deeply Douglas walks the talk in terms of really putting his faith into action.

Chaffetz's publicity limbo

Is there a information medium that freshman Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz won't exploit?

Besides Twittering and participating in a CNN reality show on life as a rookie congressman, Chaffetz allowed faux political pundit Stephen Colbert to humiliate him in leg wrestling, Rock Band and even subject him to a facial. Warning: Watch at your own risk. It is so excruciatingly mortifying, you may want to crawl under a chair for Caffetz.

Now, he assaults our senses through an old-school portrait painting. The preliminary sketch is at left, to see the finished portrait, go here.

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BLM vs. monkey wrenching copy cats

Colorado BLM officials are prepared for possible infiltration of a gas- and oil-lease auction Thursday. With Tim DeChristopher's successful derailing of a lease auction in Utah a fresh memory, the chances of someone emulating his civil disobedience to stop drilling on Colorado public lands seems high.

The BLM will continue to allow anyone to observe the auction, says spokesman Jim Sample.

But we’re definitely going to be on our toes. We’ve got very tight procedures from the beginning.

The BLM has added an additional precaution. Sample says bidders will have to sign a statement that they have the means to make the payment.

We’re fully aware of that situation that happened at Utah’s last sale. I think we’re about as well-prepared as we can be to forestall anything like that

I've got news for Sample, signing a piece of paper won't stop a committed monkey wrencher. DeChristopher accepted that he faced prosecution for fraud (a federal investigation continues) when bought $1.8 million in leases with no intention of paying for them.

Friday, February 6, 2009

Grand Theft Lawmakers' Time

Here's an update for you gamers on the Legislature's latest attempt to regulate the sales of video games that turn kids into mass murderers and cop killers.

Rep. Mike Morley tells me his bill — that is ready, pending the Attorney General's Office eye balling it for constitutional issues — takes a radically different approach than ill-fated past proposals. His proposal would use the Truth in Advertising Law to regulate video game sales.

It would work like this: A store, Target for instance, could advertise that it takes precautions not to sell mature-content games to kids, presumably to attract business from concerned parents. But if one of its clerks did sell an inappropriate game to a kid—the parents could sue the store. As disbarred Florida lawyer, anti-video game crusader and Utah legislation-drafter* Jack Thompson puts it:

If you promise the public you don't sell adult-rated entertainment to kids, then you had better be telling the truth, because if a parent catches you selling this stuff to his or her kids, then you're guilty of fraud under the Truth in Advertising Law.

Of course, the stores can simply not make any such advertising promises.

If this doesn't sound to you like a rigorous way to control video game sales, you're right. Morley acknowledged as much to me:

This approach is constitutional. Will it be effective? Maybe not.

Morley assures me the Legislature has plenty of time to deal with pointless bills like this and still take care of the people's real business.

Meanwhile, GamePolitics reports that Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has taken campaign contributions from the bad guys.

The Entertainment Software Association, which represents the interests of U.S. video game publishers, made a $3,000 donation to Shurtleff in May of 2008. The popular, moderate Republican would go on to win an unprecedented third term in November's election.

At the same time, the ESA also made lesser contributions to a pair of Republican state senators, Ross Romero and John Valentine.

Shurtleff has demonstrated in the past that he can be very good to campaign contributors.

*And guy who emails me a lot.

Political football

Utah Sen. Scott Jenkins has introduced a resolution into the Legislature urging the dumping of the Bowl Championship Series in favor of a national playoff system.

For those who have been wandering the West Desert for the past month — the University of Utah went undefeated, but were denied the BCS national champion crystal orb thing. Yeah, a real bummer. Now, it's become the Holy Grail for Utes fans.

The Legislature, which apparently has time on its hands, will debate SJR11, a "Joint Resolution Urging Football Playoff," to right that heinous wrong.

The BCS, which blew off a similar suggestions from President Barack Obama and Sen. Orrin Hatch and are ignoring a Utah Attorney General's investigation, will surely take notice of a embossed piece of paper out of the Utah Lege.

Indigo over Prop 8

You just can't get away from the echoes of Proposition 8 in Utah. If the local queer community isn't protesting it, the Eagle Forum and Sutherland Institute are invoking the California ban on same-sex marriage to crush the gay rights initiative in the Legislature.

This weekend, Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls, whose solo tour is in Salt Lake this weekend, will likely bend our ears about it between sets. In an interview with the Tribune's David Burger, Ray, a Georgia native, is well aware that Salt Lake has a progressive community, despite the so-called dominant culture.

We should use the Mormons as a way of understanding each other. There are good things that come out of [the Mormon faith], if it wasn't for the prejudices.

The LDS church showed prejudice in supporting of Prop. 8.

The LDS shouldn't be involved in that. I thought it was a stupid way to spend your money. It's just wrong.

Ray will perform tonight at the Avalon Theater.

Why not 104 LoveSacs?

The Tribune has uncovered how much it cost to furnish the Legislature's new offices that they use 45 days a year. With each office running about $15,ooo to $17,ooo, it comes to way over $1 million, it turns out.

That includes $600 worth of chair for each butt of 29 senators and 75 representatives.

For more details on lawmakers' furniture binge, go here.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Jawin' about marriage

Blogging live from Thanksgiving Point . . .

Judging by the talks at Standing Up For Marriage, traditional marriage is anchored in sanctimonious speeches. LaVar Christensen is droning on and on. Memo to LaVar: Try to keep your speeches shorter than the U.S. Constitution.

During the endless speech, I keep daydreaming, fantasizing LaVar debating a drag queen. I'd love a different slant on LaVar's contention that Dallin Oaks, John Adams, James Madison, JFK and G.K. Chesterson all somehow have opposed gay marriage.

Here's the long and the short of LaVar's attack on the Common Ground Initiative—which proponents say would ensure gay rights, but not legalize same-sex marriage:

It all depends on whether same-sex relationships are singled out and recognized through a series of legislative enactments a new "suspect class" or citizens that must now be treated the same as race, religion and ethnic origin under our laws.*

Since meetings like this are mostly theater — I should note that LaVar's voice dramatically broke when: A.) He quoted from the LDS church's statement opposing California's Proposition 8. B.) He quoted the Bible on joining guy and gal together (Matthew 19:6).

Photo: The only LaVar Christensen shot I have is of him with puppet master Gayle Ruzicka.

*Gay rights activists maintain the Common Ground Initiative will not do this because for one thing, Utah's Constitution provides that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

Standing up for marriage

Live blogging from Stand Up to Protect Marriage at Thanksgiving Point . . .

Tonight is the Sutherland Institute's response to the Common Ground Initiative, which would ensure gay rights, and is being slowly throttled in the Legislature:

Like our friends and families in California, it's now our turn to Stand Up to Protect Marriage here in Utah.

Paul Mero opens the meeting:

We gather here tonight, as responsible citizens do . . . to learn, to renew our faith in Democracy, to reason together wisely . . .

Conveniently, the Sutherland Institute carefully has kept out any dissenting voices in this reasoning skull session. I watched as anyone with a beard or halfways trendy clothing was scrutinized by Thanksgiving Point security guards and turned back to be rechecked against lists of names.

Jude McNeil and three friends had signed up. She works for the Pride Center in Salt Lake City and identifies herself as "queer." But she says she just wants to listen to the presentation.

I wanted to hear what they had to say. I was going to listen respectfully and civily. I wasn't even going to ask a question.

McNeil, who doesn't look particularly queer, even stayed clear of the demonstrators at the T-Giving Point's entrance. "I was not going to cause a disruption."

Nevertheless, she and her friends — who were on the RSVP list – were bounced. "Obviously, it was the way we looked," she says.

But Sutherland Institute spokesman Jeff Reynolds says they were kicked out because they were, indeed, on a list — one that the Sutherland Institute had intercepted from Facebook. A list of gays who were going to "infiltrate" the meeting.

I couldn't guarantee they wouldn't be disruptive. I'm not going to risk a disruption.

Aaron Falk, a Deseret News reporter (That's God's newspaper!), apparently looks too hip for T-giving security's taste. They turn him back to be rechecked against the lists.

"They almost bounced you," I tell him.

"I noticed," Falks says, laughing.

Spin City

The Provo Daily Herald and the City of Orem are locked in a spin battle for the minds of Utah's news media over a story the Daily Herald recently ran about the city tossing women and children out "in a snowbank." Here's the article:

Citing zoning violation, Orem evicts women, infant

An outraged Orem Police mouthpiece, Lt. Douglas Edwards, responded to the story in a press release fired off to the state's news media, arguing the the Daily Herald got the facts wrong and was manipulated by an alleged scoff-law landlord.

The Daily Herald’s report that Orem officers evicted tenants from the homes is blatantly false and . . . was published in reckless disregard for the truth.

The City feels compelled to state that we are disappointed in the reporting conducted by the Daily Herald. We believe that the articles published on this matter have been written with the intent to sensationalize and scandalize rather than objectively report the truth. It appears that inadequate attention has been paid to accuracy in reporting and to presenting the facts in context. We hope that a return to more objective and accurate reporting will be the norm in the future.

In an unusual move, the Daily Herald's metro editor fired back by sending a press release to her news media "colleagues":

There is no issue of accuracy or incomplete sourcing in our first story. The story not only represented the viewpoint of the landlord, . . . but also the view of the city through the mayor, the deputy city attorney and the neighbors . . . .

She acknowledged a later story was wrong in saying the cops evicted the residents: "The Daily Herald is publishing a clarification on this point."

But what I like best is cool comic-book byline on the article:
Ace Stryker - Daily Herald.

Up in smoke

A bill to raise the tax on cigarettes — and save the lives of 27,000 citizens* — was stubbed out in a Senate committee.

Sen. Allen Christensen had proposed jacking up the cigarette tax to $2 per pack, but lowered his sights to the national average of $1.30. Gov. Jon Huntsman had supported the tax boost as a way to underwrite removing all sales tax on groceries. Amazingly, it all left the opposition, which was mostly non-smoking LDS lawmakers, unmoved. Christensen futilely argued:

Tobacco kills people. It costs this state billions of dollars in the process of killing these people. Tobacco companies, excuse me, but just don't give a damn about this state, its citizens, its finances or its children.

I guess that goes for a majority of the Utah Senate, too. Senators said they killed the bill because it would send Utah smokers across the state line for gaspers — depriving local retailers of the trade. Howard Stephenson, a lobbyist for business and seasonal senator, affected a concern for the poor:

This seems to be a very regressive tax, because people of the lowest income seem to be the ones who are hooked on it.

*Utah chapter of the American Cancer Society says the tax increase would motivate an estimated 27,000 people to quit, deter children from starting, and save millions on healthcare.

Rep. Hutchings lights the fuse

Eric "Che" Hutchings — My Hero

Crawler can be pretty hard on members of the Utah Legislature. Ha. Ha. All in good fun. But today I want to annoint the first-ever Crawler's Hero on the Hill: Rep. Eric Hutchings.

Hutchings of Kearns (ignore his cherubic looks) is about as close to a sexy revolutionary as you'll find among the monkeys of the House. This week he went way out of control.

Eric is drafting a bill that would cut lawmakers off from their sweet, sweet health insurance deal (that taxpayers lavishly underwrite). Instead, they'd get the cash equivalent and sent out to find their own health insurance (still a hell of a good deal). All the brave free-marketeers would be set loose in the world of free enterprise to buy coverage — just like so many panicked Utahns.

Hutchings, the cunning subversive, says that the state insurance plan has kept lawmakers insulated from the nightmare faced by their constituents. You'll recall Senate President Mike Waddoups' optimistic kick-off pep talk about how things aren't that bad. We can still purchase what we need, he said, including health care, tires and even "color TVs."

Hutchings says it's time for lawmakers to fly solo in the real world:

They're going to be more effective policy makers if they're engaged in the process on a daily basis. Go in the marketplace and figure it out. Be exposed to all of the challenges, all of the setbacks, all of the restrictions.

If you want more information on lawmakers' lush PEHP health plans and Hutchings' journey to enlightenment, read Lisa Rosetta's Tribune article here.

Bush's back-door deal scrapped

New Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has canceled the controversial leases to drill for gas and oil near Arches and Canyonlands national parks. The leases were auctioned waning weeks of the Bush administration. Mr. Salazar says the Bush administration improperly “rushed ahead to sell oil and gas leases at the doorstep of some of our greatest national icons, some of our nation’s most treasured landscapes."

But he did not rule out drilling on the lands in the future after a proper review.

The cancellation, of course, delights monkey wrencher Tim DeChristopher, who sabatoged the December lease auction by winning bids on $1.8 million in parcels with no intention of paying up:

That's excellent. That's wonderful. That's the kind of strong stance we need our leaders to be taking.

The U.S. Justice Department is investigating the bogus bidding and may still file fraud charges against DeChristopher.

Natural Resources Defense Council trustee and Utahn Robert Redford also applauds the Obama administration's move to protect "some of the last pristine places on Earth."

Bennett's dirty pork

Utah Sen. Bob Bennett is attacked today in a letter from more than 240 environmental, consumer and faith groups who are outraged that he slipped a "dirty energy pork" provision into the economic stimulus bill. Bennett wants to provide up to $50 billion in taxpayer loan guarantees to build nuclear plants, so-called clean coal plants and operations that turn coal into liquid fuel.

To make matters worse, the letter says, Bennett's provision diverts money away from the purpose of the bill:

Adding more money to this program would have absolutely no stimulative effect on our economy, since no nuclear reactors or "clean coal" plants can be built over the two-year period supposed to be covered by this bill.

The Woz comes to Zion

Utah's high-tech industry has suffered because it has difficulty recruiting talent from other "Silicon Valleys" of the U.S., including Silicon Valley. It seems the Utah "lifestyle" scares many creative minds away.

Maybe those days are over as one of the legends of computing is coming to Utah. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is joining Fusion-io, a Salt Lake startup company as chief scientist. He's been advising the company since last fall.

Fusion-io makes hardware that speeds access to large amounts of storage for customers that includes Hill Air Force Base.

Salivating West Valley City real estate agents please calm yourselves — I'm guessing billionaire Woz (aka, iWoz, Wheels of Zeus) will be making his commute from the real Silicon Valley.

Photo: Woz, left, with Steve Jobs and the Ur-Mac.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

It's a meat market out there

Keep it in your pants, big guy.

The Legislature is committed to maintaining Utah's status as the go-to state for late-night punchlines. Utah's latest hero is Sen. Margie Dayton, her wildlife birth control law is going to allow John Stewart and Letterman to furlough their gag writers for a week.

Under SB13, which awaits Gov. Huntsman's signature, only state wildlife officials would be allowed to give animals birth control. So don't even think about handing out condoms to those randy mountain goats in Little Cottonwood Canyon.

Some hunting groups fear animal rights groups will begin giving birth control to big game to drive their populations down to the point that they will be protected from hunting.

Now, PETA volunteers will have to talk rutting Utah game animals into practicing abstinence (it works so well for teenagers). Animal family planning activists can take comfort that roofies probably are also covered by Margie's Law as "a chemical or organic substance that pacifies, sedates or immobilizes" a game animal.

Ganging up

It'll come as no surprise to the Legislature that The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board is against their God-kissed efforts to crush gangs and save civilization. It seems the Trib opinionators are squeamish about a couple proposals to eradicate hooliganism from Utah forever.

Rep. Ronda Menlove is working on a bill that would make it totally illegal to belong to a criminal gang or even associate with a gang member. The Trib pantywaists— safe in their skyscraper high above the mean streets of The Gateway—counter:

Simply belonging to a group, or associating with an individual, should not constitute a crime.

Senator and Ogden Police Chief Jon Greiner has pushed a bill through the Senate that would allow towns to declare "gang-free zones." But the Nancy boys (and girls) at the Trib whine:

While well-intentioned, the bill will surely result in racial and age-related profiling, and restrict the right to peaceably assemble.

Next, they'll be dragging the Constitution into it.

By happy coincidence, the History Channel will be replaying Thursday its Gangland episode "From Heaven to Hell" that examines Salt Lake's Crips.

Thinking outside the box

In a letter to the Tribune, Mark Cantor offers the Legislature a timely reminder of Jonathan Swift's modest proposal to ease economic hard times and reduce social services:

The next time you find yourself saying to some little waif, "You are so adorable; I could just eat you up," well, there you have it! Since the Utah Legislature is clearly tossing our children to the wolves, shouldn't we get first dibs?

We could ease nearly all of Utah's social, environmental and economic problems in as little as 45 minutes at 375 degrees!

It's not painless

Suicide is killing Utah National Guardsmen at five times the rate of combat. The Tribune's Matt LaPlante reports that two Utah soldiers have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, while 10 committed suicide.

In the Army as a whole, at least 128 soldiers took their own lives in 2008 alone. Army Secretary Pete Geren says he has no answer for the rising number of suicides:

But we can tell you that across the Army, we're committed to doing everything we can to address the problem.

The Army is calling for a 30-day stand-down this month to train soldiers to recognize behaviors that may lead to suicide.

PC's gay love affair back on

Utah is seeing the light at the end of the alleged gay-boycott tunnel.

The annual Utah Gay & Lesbian Ski Week in Park City is on again for January 2010. It would have been the 10th anniversary of the event had not the LDS church's support for Prop 8 come between gays and Utah's powder.

The trip organizers hope the ill will following California's Proposition 8 gay-marriage ban will have evaporated by then.

Other than the annual gay ski week, any gay boycott of all things Utah was masked by the recession. There was little sign of the threatened boycott at the recent Sundance Film Festival.

The 2010 homosexual ski trippers plan to hit Park City's resorts Jan. 6-10 and spend money on parties and dinners at local eateries.

Atomic-powered debate

Can someone please dispatch a seventh-grade science teacher to the Utah Senate?

Several senators, including Chris Buttars and Mark Madsen, argued to amend a renewable energy resolution, SJR1, to include nuclear energy. Sen. Pat Jones' measure is meant to encourage development of wind, geothermal and solar energy resources.

But Buttars—who it should be noted, also is sceptical of the teaching of evolution—wanted nukes added to the list. And before the amendment ultimately failed, Madsen argued:

[Nuclear power] is a wholly natural process. This really is a renewable source of energy at the least and a perpetual source at best.

Sen. Scott McCoy, who apparently has the Golden Illustrated Book of Atoms at home, pointed out that uranium, the stuff used to produce nuclear energy, is a finite resource, adding:

I'm pretty sure the laws of physics are the same in Utah.

Then again, when was the last time McCoy was in Utah County?

Health Czar Mitt?

With the cratering of former senator Tom Daschle as President Barack Obama's Health and Human Services secretary, several pundits have floated former presidential candidate, governor and Salt Lake Olympic savior Mitt Romney as an excellent candidate for the job.

Karen Tulmulty at Time makes her argument in her Swampland blog:

He's the only person in America who has ever put together and passed a universal health care program.

Marc Ambinder makes his on Atlantic.

What Romney, in a bipartisan fashion, was able to do in Massachusetts -- even with caveats -- is pretty much the same as what Obama wants to do on a national level.

Jonathan Cohn at The New Republic agrees Romney would be a great choice in many ways, but,

He's said too many unambiguously harsh things--about the auto bailout, about the stimulus, and about Democrats in general--to serve credibly in this administration.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Not Oceania yet

The Associated Press is reporting that Gov. Jon Huntsman will oppose any proposal to create a statewide database to track drinkers' bar hopping. Huntsman, who has made updating Utah's restrictive liquor laws a priority, says electronically entering a patron into a law enforcement database would damage Utah's image nationally as a friendly place to visit.

Huntsman told the AP's Brock Vergakis that he's in favor of scanning driver's licenses to keep minors out of bars, but he says government shouldn't track who drinks where. (Or Vergakis and most of the reporters at the Tribune — and yes, a few at KSL and the DNews — would be in a world of hurt.)

I think that would enhance the oddness of our laws. I think that for most people that is a rather frightening, almost Orwellian, proposition.

Senate President Mike Waddoups, you can bone up on Orwellian here.

In God we trust

A former LDS bishop is facing 10 criminal charges in his role in Utah's largest-ever Ponzi scheme (and that's saying something).

William J. Hammons, 64, worked with Val E. Southwick, who ran the scheme that bilked 800 investors out of more than $180 million. At least one investor from Hammons' former ward said she prayed about where to invest her savings and concluded she should go to "Bishop Hammons."

So-called pyramid rackets are so prevalent in Utah that legal dictionaries are considering changing the term "Ponzi scheme" to "the Utah IQ test."

Let the games begin!

Blogging live from the Utah Legislature . . .

Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka is remote controlling Rep. Mike Morley to introduce yet another bill to regulate those cop-killing video games. Ruzicka, who has been pushing this issue for years, told me today that the bill has yet to get a number:

We are working on the language right now.

Apparently, Morley needs to build cred with the Eagles, because he is carrying a bill that other right-wing lawmakers are staying as far away from as possible. (I checked and Morley's pupils appear to be dilating properly.)

The last version of the video game violence bill, sponsored by former Rep. Dave Hogue in 2006, and reluctantly carried in 2007 as a courtesy by also-former Rep. Scott Wyatt (who acknowledged the bill was likely unconstitutional) went nowhere.

Florida-based wingnut crusader and disbarred* lawyer Jack Thompson apparently has roughed out the bill for Gayle. He writes in the Deseret News:

It doesn't define what content is "harmful to minors," so we avoid the phony First Amendment arguments Hollywood loves to make. The bill simply states: If you promise the public you don't sell adult-rated entertainment to kids, then you had better be telling the truth, because if a parent catches you selling this stuff to his or her kids, then you're guilty of fraud under the Truth in Advertising Law.

Attorney General Mark Shurtleff told me he understands the Ruzicka-Morley bill will be completely different from earlier versions, but, "They keep changing the language." He says the evidence that Thompson keeps quoting about video games turning kids into cop killers hasn't stood up in court. Looks like Thompson will have to call for Shurtleff's impeachment again.

*The DNews refers to him as a "former" lawyer.

Wild, wonderful laws in Wyo.

The Casper Wyoming Star-Tribune reports that Wyoming's Mormon lawmakers, who seldom vote as a block in the Legislature, seem to be joining together to push social legislation, including bans on assisted suicide, abortion and, naturally, gay marriage.

The eight Mormon lawmakers, who make up about 10 percent of the Wyoming Legislature, say their collective support for the bills is more coincidence than strategy.

But some Wyoming social-issue advocacy groups (Wyoming has social-issue advocacy groups?) are troubled. Dan Neal, executive director of the Laramie-based Equality State Policy Center worries about that old church-state thing:

It raises some serious questions about how we want to make our laws in this state. Churches that believe one way or another shouldn’t be forcing things in their direction.

To which LDS spokesman Mike Otterson and I would have to say: Whoa, Dan. Reread your Constitution. Churches have every right to muck around in politics, even in the Brokeback Mountain State.

Rod Decker makes some noise

Obama during a rare Utah visit.

Rod Decker, Channel 2's "Hollerin' News Hound," takes a turn as a pundit in the Tribune. His subject? Barack Obama's impact on Utah politics.

Local Democrats are counting on 'Bama's long coat tails to make some serious gains in Utah in the next couple elections. But Rod says forgetaboutit. Democratic presidents have a long history of dumping on Utah conservatives and driving it further into the red end of the political spectrum:

Lyndon Johnson expanded Arches National Monument and Capitol Reef national parks.
Jimmy Carter wanted to cut back Utah's beloved water projects.
Bill Clinton signed off on the Escalante-Grand Staircase National Monument.

As Rod bellows:

Surely Barack Obama begins with good feelings toward Utah, when he thinks of it at all. But to govern is to confer benefits and impose costs.

When Democratic presidents must impose costs, no Utahns are in the discussion.

Mitt: master of money

Newt Gingrich mentioned Salt Lake Olympic savior Mitt Romney to the Christian Science Monitor as a potential GOP presidential candidate in 2012.

If the economy is still a mess a year from now, then Romney’s economic credentials start to come back in an important way.

But Gingrich, who the Monitor calls a "one-man idea factory for the Republican Party," added:

Romney has got to figure out how to close the sale.

Chaffetz lovefest ends

The Washington (D.C.) City Paper reams Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz for masquerading as a constitutional authority.

Chaffetz opposes a deal to give Utah a fourth congressional seat, if the compromise also gives the District of Columbia representation. The former multi-level marketeer says that would be "just simply unconstitutional."

City Paper's Loose Lips blog fires back:

Here’s the beautiful thing about the United States of America: We have an entire branch of government devoted to sorting out these questions. And it’s not Congress.
Nope—Congress’ job isn’t to sort out matters of constitutionality. That’s for the federal judiciary to decide. Congress’ job is to conduct oversight of the federal government and to pass legislation in keeping with its principles and policy objectives.

. . . Chaffetz shouldn’t hide behind the trope that such a move wouldn’t be constitutional.
That’s not what you’re here to decide, congressman—you need to decide whether D.C. deserves to be afforded a vote, with Utah gaining one in the process. If you think that leaving the federal district disenfranchised is a worthy policy goal, say so. But leave the questions of constitutionality to the courts.

Unless, of course, it's a question of leg-wrestling rules — then go for it, Jason.

Whose river runs through it?

The Salt Lake City Weekly reports that conservative lawmakers are plotting a bill that would at least partially roll back a state Supreme Court ruling expanding the public's right to use rivers. According to the ruling:

The public [has] the right to float, hunt, fish and participate in all lawful activities that utilize the water.

But angler/lawyer Gerald Nielson says Rep. Ben Ferry, a feed-lot owner, is planning to roll back the river-access decision by removing various rivers from a list of those that would be open to the public. Ferry's got the support of the Farm Bureau, which apparently doesn't like strangers recreating in its rivers.

Of course, Ferry's stealth bill, however it is written, likely will wind up in front of the Supreme Court — again.

Will the Lege debate gay rights?

Gay rights supporters are increasing the pressure on the Legislature to pass a package of bills that protect the rights of unmarried couples. Equality Utah is buying newspaper ads and radio spots and billboards explaining the so-called Common Ground Initiative.

The Ogden Standard-Examiner argues for at least a full debate of the bills in the initiative.

The Legislature's apparent move to quickly kill — in committee — several bills to ensure legal rights for gay persons and same-sex couples is a cynical, political short-circuit. The bills deserve an appropriate debate period and floor votes before state legislators.

Supporters of the initiative are trying to calm lawmakers that the bills are not a "slippery slope" to legalizing gay marriage — Utah's constitution bans gay marriage. Mike Thompson, Equality Utah's executive director, explains:

We should not allow this tired, fear-based argument that somehow these rights are going to lead to gay marriage. Amendment 3 [Utah's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage] prohibits that.

This comes amid the controversy over California's Proposition 8 that bans gay marriage in that state. The most recent revelation is that after denying direct financial involvement, the Utah-based LDS church acknowledged it put $190,000 into passing the ban:

$97,000 in time that church staff members devoted to the campaign.
$21,000 in the use of church buildings and equipment.
$72,000 in airline tickets and lodging for church officials.
The church made no cash donations.

A California Fair Political Practices Commission official points out:

The value of the Church's in-kind contribution is less than one-half of one percent of the total funds raised for the Yes on 8 campaign.

Is the bishop in the database?

Why stop with license scans?

If Senate President Michael Waddoups gets his way, restaurant patrons who order a bottle of red with their chicken marinara or a Tecate with their mole will have their drivers license electronically scanned and the information fired off to a law enforcement data base.

Tom Guinney, a partner in the chain of restaurants that includes The New Yorker, says the mandatory scanning would be a"customer-relations fiasco."

It's inconceivable that that kind of legislation could be passed for public restaurants, or for private clubs, for that matter.

And I thought Republicans were for less "Big Brother" oversight of business. And while they're at it, why not link the info to the temple recommend database?

Monday, February 2, 2009

Wack-a-mole with judges

Back in the catbird seat.

Tribune columnist Paul Rolly thinks our uppity Gov. Jon Huntsman has got another slap down coming from the Legislature. Huntsman can't seem to get his judicial appointments right.

There is enough rumbling behind the scenes at the Utah Legislature and public comments made by one of the most stridently partisan senators on Capitol Hill to suggest another Senate ambush of Gov. Jon Huntsman's judicial nominee is in the works.

You'll remember that Judge Robert Hilder, the Guv's nominee for the Utah Court of Appeals got bounced by the Senate because he made the strategic error of upholding a ban on weapons at the University of Utah. Or was it because he had a messy divorce? Or because he didn't show enough deference to Republican senators? Probably all the above.

Now Huntsman has picked Weber County Attorney Mark DeCaria for a vacancy on the 2nd District Court. But DeCaria must to survive the Senate Judicial Confirmation Inquisition, headed by Sen. Chris Buttars.

Last session, then-Senate President John Valentine removed Buttars as chairman because he had tried to use his position to intimidate a judge who ruled against a Buttars' buddy. But new Senate President Mike Waddoups quickly dumped straight-shooter Sen. Greg Bell and returned the power and majesty to Buttars — apparently to assure voters that Republican senators don't give a rat's patootie about ethics.

Rolly thinks DeCaria is way screwed because he was a special investigator into allegations that a former GOP legislator tried to bribe an election rival with a job. That isn't what legislative leaders consider to be making good choices.

Utah's emigration schizophrenia

UPDATE . . .

National Review Online blogger John Derbyshire has been attacking what he sees as a false and dangerous myth in post-election Republican thinking — that McCain lost because he frightened off Latino voters by being "insufficiently enthusiastic about mass illegal immigration."

Derbyshire argues that theory is baloney because McCain is an immigration moderate, if anything.

An NRO correspondent in Utah — which is apparently the gold standard for red states — offers our enormously popular governor — and upcoming party leader — as proof that GOP leadership is anything but anti-immigration.

In Utah our governor, the silver-spoon-fed Jon Huntsman Jr., sought to delay an impending law that he signed last year that would require the State of Utah to help enforce immigration laws. . . .

In fact, the GOP-controlled Utah Senate passed a resolution asking the feds to allow the state to create its own guest-worker program to bring in the immigrant workers they believe the state needs. The unnamed correspondent tells Derbyshire:

Plainly there is no unemployment problem in Utah. The state has jobs to spare — so many, the governor and legislature are exercised over how to prevent illegal immigrants from leaving.

It would seem the Republican Party's base and its pro-business leadership have a difference of opinion on immigration reform to iron out before the 2008 elections. If you want to read more about the Utah Lege's wrestling with immigration laws, go here.

UPDATE: According to a Rasmussen Reports poll of GOP voters:

More than 40 percent say their party has been too moderate over the past eight years.
55 percent think it should become more like Sarah Palin in the future.
Only 24 percent think McCain is the best future model for the party.
Only 17 percent say their party has been too conservative.
30 percent say its actions and positions have been about right.

LDS church fires back

One way to measure the success of a newspaper columnist has always been how much that columnist pisses off the powers that be. By that standard, The Trib's Rebecca Walsh's stock has gone way up: Sunday, the LDS church's top mouthpiece ripped into Walsh in a lengthy op-ed article.

Church spokesman Michael Otterson takes Walsh to task for a recent column, "End LDS-legislator huddles," in which she questioned the annual meetings the church hosts for the Legislature's leaders. Otterson, who has had problems with the uppity Walsh before (a few years ago, she dug into how the church went about buying a block of Main Street), opens with:

Of course, it's difficult to calm someone who invariably sees a conspiracy behind every pew . . .

Otterson goes on to tediously explain the church's constitutional right to meet with lawmakers. He condescending writes as if Utahns walk around with buckets on their heads. The truth is, they see clearly that from liquor sales to transportation issues, the LDS church exercises irresistible clout on the Hill. You would think a state that is trying to change its image to outsiders might want to avoid the appearance of being a theocracy, even if it often behaves like one behind the scenes.

Otterson notes:

Of course, Walsh has never been invited to these lunch meetings. I have, so I can throw a little light on what invariably happens. [Church officials simply encourage legislators to be "wise, thoughtful and compassionate."*]

Glancing behind the nearest pew, I've got to wonder — why doesn't the church invite a few reporters to witness its annual lawmaker wingding?

*The lawmakers regularly ignore that advice, so maybe the church doesn't have as much sway as we think.

Short week long on benefits

The national newsletter of state government, Stateline, reports that although Utah's four-day workweek has not delivered the energy savings Gov. Jon Huntsman had hoped for (especially after gas prices toppled), it has been a success in unexpected ways. Six months into the program:

• Employee satisfaction is way up, resulting in less turnover and absenteeism.

• The three-day weekend has become a recruitment tool that attracts younger candidates to state jobs.

• Utah saved $200,000 on custodial contracts.

• Complaints from taxpayers who can’t get access to services on Fridays have tapered off to the point the call center might be shut down.

• The $6 million that state employees are expected to save in commuting costs will be spent on goods and services — an economic stimulus.

Several other states are watching Utah and some have begun similar programs.

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