Yesterday
The young man in the wagon had his 41st birthday today.
The young man in the wagon had his 41st birthday today.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Bob Van Velkinburgh Says:
In a copywrited article published in the Deseret Morning News, a Dan Jones poll shows 74% of Utah citizens favor leaving GRAMA as it has been for the last 14 years.
Governor Huntsman is quoted as saying, "he likely would veto two of the bills. Those are HB12, sponsored by Rep. Douglas Aagard, R-Kaysville, and SB277, sponsored by Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Leihi."
Before we start popping Champaign corks, remember there are two more days for the legislative process to continue and it "aint over until the fat lady sings."
Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com
Bush Administration To Pay Disputed Halliburton Costs
Washington, DC - Today, despite admitting numerous problems with a contract with a Halliburton subsidiary, including disputed costs, overcharging and questionable business practices, the Bush Administration announced that they will pay "nearly all" of the disputed costs, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. The disputed charges are part of a multi-billion dollar, no-bid contract awarded to a firm formerly run by Vice President Cheney.
Below are excerpts from today's article in the New York Times:
"The Army has decided to reimburse a Halliburton subsidiary for nearly all of its disputed costs on a $2.41 billion no-bid contract to deliver fuel and repair oil equipment in Iraq, even though the Pentagon's own auditors had identified more than $250 million in charges as potentially excessive or unjustified.
The Army said in response to questions on Friday that questionable business practices by the subsidiary, Kellogg Brown & Root, had in some cases driven up the company's costs. But in the haste and peril of war, it had largely done as well as could be expected, the Army said, and aside from a few penalties, the government was compelled to reimburse the company for its costs. ...
The contract has been the subject of intense scrutiny after disclosures in 2003 that it had been awarded without competitive bidding. That produced criticism from Congressional Democrats and others that the company had benefited from its connection with Dick Cheney, who was Halliburton's chief executive before becoming vice president."
Would you let your stake president get away with these type of business practices?
Sunday, February 26, 2006
J. Dell Holbrook
First Democratic Davis County commissioner to be elected in Davis County in 38 years. He is also the last Democrat to be elected in Davis County government. His successor, Dannie McConkie, was elected after J. Dell's first term in 1994.
Dannie tried to push through a 138% property tax increase to pay for a jail which was eventually paid for through a bond.
You would think that Davis County residents would want to hire a qualified Democrat who can not only work with their republican counterparts, but who could help to maintain a balanced and honest county government. It just makes sense.
The photo above was taken at the Davis County Democrats Presidents Day Dinner. J.Dell Is the good looking guy between me and Wayne Holland Jr.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Steve Olsen
Congressional Candidate
First District in Utah ~ Democrat
I also met Steve Olsen at the Davis County Democrats President's Day Dinner.
Steve wrote the pamphlet titled, Why Most Utahns Are Democrats (but just don't know it yet) that was featured in an earlier post on this blog site.
Steve asked the DCD crowd to please read his pamphlet. He then asked that if they liked what was inside, to please pass it on.
This should be another exciting campaign.
Pete Ashdown
United States Senate ~ Democrat
I have been observing Pete's campaign since the beginning. The photo above was taken at the Davis County Democrats President's Day Dinner last Thursday. He not only looked like a distinquished gentleman, he spoke as one.
Ashdown has come a long way on this journey. He is confident, he is presenting his ideas well, and he is listening to our ideas.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we just may have a Senator.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Lunch at The Pie Pizzaria
Highly Recommended
As reported earlier, Phil Riesen announced his candidacy for House District 36 yesterday. Afterwards Wayne Holland Jr, Phil, and I went to lunch at The Pie Pizzaria, home of the 23" Pie, located on 1320 East 200 South in Salt Lake City.
I have been a fan of The Pie for more than two decades. Up until last fall they had a photo of me from an old article pasted on the display board. I'm both glad and sad its gone. Sad, because I could show off. Glad, because no one believed it was me anymore anyway.
I love how The Pie calls your name when your pizza is ready. I love hearing, "Mr. Democrat, your pie is ready!"
After ordering Wayne introduced me to Senator Ed Mayne's son Paul and his friend Jeff who were just finishing their meal at The Pie.
Even after two decades I can still safely say that The Pie still has the best pizza in Salt Lake City. I keep getting older, but The Pie stays the same.
Primary with Anna
Anna is my second daughter. At home she is lovingly known as "The Candy Monster", although she will argue with anyone that she is simply "just Anna".
Anna drives older sister Abby crazy because Anna has methods of getting her own way. "All she ever wants to watch are Max and Ruby and Angelina Ballerina..." explains Abby, "and thats all we EVER WATCH!"
Anna is also a the child who loves nature. The other day Anna decided to go outside to find her kitty, Kony Boy. "Put on your boots Anna!" When I went to check if Anna had her boots on I was surprised to find that she did, but thats all she was wearing.
My wife Michelle is one of Anna's primary teachers. We suspect that Michelle is in there to keep Anna from taking over. Due to Sami's illness last week, I was passed the torch and went to primary with Anna. It was great fun.
I love you Anna.
Bob Aagard on Senator Hatch
Holladay resident and LDS Democrat Bob Aagard also has some great posts on Senator Hatch on his blog, The World, According To Me.
I first met Bob at the SL County Spaghetti Dinner. Admittingly suffering from tunnel vision while passing out some flyers, I missed a well dressed gentleman who was adimate about receiving a copy. Since then I have run into Bob a couple of times, but not often enough.
Bob is great at breaking stories. He was the first to announce that Phil Riesen was going to be a candidate, and he was the first to report that I had started a blog, (even before I had officially announced that I was doing so).
Check out, The World, According To Me by Bob Aagard.
SLCSPIN on Senator Hatch
Ethan Millard has several excellent posts on his blog SLCSPIN concerning Senator Orrin Hatch, his dressing abilities, and his 200 years in office as a Senator. Ethan even provides a clock that is counting off Orrin's time in office second by second. Check out his post titled "Sigh....Thirty Years"
Ethan also shares his opinions on ethic reform, Rep. Cox, and Rocky Anderson.
I highly recommend SLCSPIN. Go and see why Ethan continues to be the king of the Utah political blog scene.
Republicans Hurting, Not Helping on Voting Rights
Washington DC- Today as President Bush prepares for a Black History month event at the White House, an article in the New York Times reports that a recent study by a civil rights organization showed that minorities still face "unfair tactics and confusing rules" when attempting to vote.
The study concluded that the prevalence of nationwide discrimination at the polls shows the need to reauthorize the1965 Voting Rights Act. [New York Times 2/22/06] This news supports the Ohio report issued by Democrats after the 2004 election which found that African-American voters were twice as likely to wait in long lines at the polls than white voters. To combat these voting irregularities Democratic leaders have strongly advocated for renewal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act which has helped safeguard the rights of minority voters.
Instead of working to remove barriers, Republicans across America are pushing new voter identification rules and other obstacles to voting by citizens who are lawfully eligible to vote. These obstacles would disenfranchise millions of voters, including disproportionate numbers of minorities, rural voters, seniors, youth, and the disabled.
"Democrats want to make sure that all Americans are able to exercise the most fundamental right of our democracy, the right to vote," said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney."Just recently in Louisiana, Democrats led the way on legislation to ensure that New Orleans residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina are able to cast their ballots and have their votes counted. Instead of continuing to erect barriers to the polls, Republicans should join Democrats in making it easier and not harder to exercise the right to vote."
How does this affect Utah? Take a look at an earlier post on SB200 that was brought to our attention by Nichole Adams Dunn from Mayor Peter Corroon's office (below).
Washington DC- Today as President Bush prepares for a Black History month event at the White House, an article in the New York Times reports that a recent study by a civil rights organization showed that minorities still face "unfair tactics and confusing rules" when attempting to vote.
The study concluded that the prevalence of nationwide discrimination at the polls shows the need to reauthorize the1965 Voting Rights Act. [New York Times 2/22/06] This news supports the Ohio report issued by Democrats after the 2004 election which found that African-American voters were twice as likely to wait in long lines at the polls than white voters. To combat these voting irregularities Democratic leaders have strongly advocated for renewal of the 1965 Voting Rights Act which has helped safeguard the rights of minority voters.
Instead of working to remove barriers, Republicans across America are pushing new voter identification rules and other obstacles to voting by citizens who are lawfully eligible to vote. These obstacles would disenfranchise millions of voters, including disproportionate numbers of minorities, rural voters, seniors, youth, and the disabled.
"Democrats want to make sure that all Americans are able to exercise the most fundamental right of our democracy, the right to vote," said Democratic National Committee Communications Director Karen Finney."Just recently in Louisiana, Democrats led the way on legislation to ensure that New Orleans residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina are able to cast their ballots and have their votes counted. Instead of continuing to erect barriers to the polls, Republicans should join Democrats in making it easier and not harder to exercise the right to vote."
How does this affect Utah? Take a look at an earlier post on SB200 that was brought to our attention by Nichole Adams Dunn from Mayor Peter Corroon's office (below).
HB 436
Are we setting a precedent for mid-decade redistricting?
HB436 Legislative District Changes to Accommodate County Boundary Change by Rep. Greg Hughes may appear to be a technical amendment to align the boundaries of legislative districts with new county lines; but, is there something more at stake?
Utah already went through one of the most partisan gerrymanders in the country -- noted by the not-so-liberal Wall Street Journal editorial board. If Democrats pick up seats in future elections, will the GOP try to take it away from them the next cycle through redistricting?
Certainly, one of the arguments would have been that Utah did not have aprecedent for mid-decade redistricting. Well, if HB436 passes that argumentwill be out the window. Since this didn't go through the normal redistricting processes, does it follow the traditional standards? One person - one vote, utilize the most recent census data, districts that are contiguous and compact, do not retrogress the position of racial minorities, preserve communities of interest, respect political subdivisions, respect geographical boundaries, preserve the core of existing districts, minimize voter disruption, and respect voters choices as expressed in previous elections.
In this specific instance for HB436, aligning the boundaries is a good thing. But the GOP purposefully did not follow other boundaries during redistricting where it provided them with a partisan edge in elections. So,why is this case special and worthy to be addressed? What are the real motives of those pushing it?
There are questions that need to be answered before it is too late.
Are we setting a precedent for mid-decade redistricting?
HB436 Legislative District Changes to Accommodate County Boundary Change by Rep. Greg Hughes may appear to be a technical amendment to align the boundaries of legislative districts with new county lines; but, is there something more at stake?
Utah already went through one of the most partisan gerrymanders in the country -- noted by the not-so-liberal Wall Street Journal editorial board. If Democrats pick up seats in future elections, will the GOP try to take it away from them the next cycle through redistricting?
Certainly, one of the arguments would have been that Utah did not have aprecedent for mid-decade redistricting. Well, if HB436 passes that argumentwill be out the window. Since this didn't go through the normal redistricting processes, does it follow the traditional standards? One person - one vote, utilize the most recent census data, districts that are contiguous and compact, do not retrogress the position of racial minorities, preserve communities of interest, respect political subdivisions, respect geographical boundaries, preserve the core of existing districts, minimize voter disruption, and respect voters choices as expressed in previous elections.
In this specific instance for HB436, aligning the boundaries is a good thing. But the GOP purposefully did not follow other boundaries during redistricting where it provided them with a partisan edge in elections. So,why is this case special and worthy to be addressed? What are the real motives of those pushing it?
There are questions that need to be answered before it is too late.
Phil Riesen
Candidate Announcement Speech
House District 36
Phil Riesen made his run for House Seat 36 official today in the House/Senate building lobby in front of a enthusiastic crowd of supporters and legislators.
At my request Phil has provided a copy of announcement speech. Enjoy his speech and enjoy the photos from Phil's event.
I have always believed that in its finest, most productive form, the political process should be a "healthy exchange of ideas" between honorable men and women with different political views.
It's also my belief that the end result of the debate should be the preservation and enhancement of a society that cares about and helps one another more than it hurts and divides. But, from what I see today, the process in Utah has broken down. It has become a one-sided discussion (and only one hand clapping doesn't make much productive noise).
What was at one time a productive and respectful two-party system in Utah has eroded into "secretive", often "rude", and occasionally "arrogant partisan politics".
I want to help return the Utah Legislature to a body of men and women acting with civility, respect, and tolerance. Not only for one another, but more particularity for you and the individual beliefs each of us has. We don't all believe the same thing, or in the same way, but each person's beliefs must be respected in a free society. It is time to bring civility, common sense, and statesman-like behavior back to your state government and as I have stated, "I want to be a part of that change."
It is for this and other reasons that I am announcing today my intention to enter the race as a Democratic Candidate for House District 36 of the Utah State Legislature.
Her are some of my legislative priorities:
(1) Adequate, fully funded, meaningful education is at the top of the list. Let's stop giving lip-service and Band-aid approaches to the problems facing education. Lets start listening to and acting to fill the needs of our educators who struggle daily with low salaries, huge class sizes, and inadequate school supplies. We can and we must do much better than last place in teacher's salaries and per pupil spending. We need to fix and fully fund education now, not later.
(2) The legislature needs to quit talking about why it won't work and find a way to do away with the out-dated, regressive sales tax on food. It hurts our most vulnerable, our low income and elderly citizens on fixed incomes. The public is demanding it.
(3) Lobbyist are paid a lot of money by the organizations they represent to influence how and what legislators think about an issue. That's part of the legislative process; but let's keep the process open, above board, and completely transparent, not hidden or clouded with suspicion. That's something else the public is demanding...Honesty and open government.
We need Legislative reform that will stop gifts of any size to elected officials unless those gifts are fully and publicly disclosed. A person shouldn't be in political office for what they can get away with.
Utah legislators must start listening again to the voices of those who elect them instead of the needs and wants of special interest that finance their campaigns.
For more than 30 years you trusted me to be your eyes and ears and report to you events that impacted your lives. I'm asking the voters of district 36 to trust me now to be their voice. My greatest desire in this process is to give voice to your concerns and your needs in an arena too often dominated dominated by only one voice.
In this ongoing process of listening to and learning from one another over the next few months, you and I may not always agree completely on issues...But I promise you this...I will always listen to you with an open mind, and I will try to respectfully represent your concerns in the Utah House.
You will be my only special interest.
You deserve better government.....We all do.
It's time we begin electing members of the legislature who are about doing the people's business again. You deserve no less.
Nichole Adams Dunn
Effects of Medicaid Cuts on County Human Service Activities
"I think the effects of the Medicaid cuts at the federal level is an important issue. Replacing these funds at the State Level was one of Health and Human Services Appropriation Subcommittee's top priorities, now it looks like $2 million dollars won't be funded...and we have a surplus?
I have attached a sheet that explains how these cuts effect programs in the county
Effects of Medicaid Cuts on County Human Service Activities"
Overall, Salt Lake County Human Services acts as a safety net for its citizens—providing support to at-risk individuals of all ages. When policy changes and budget cuts occur at the federal and state level, the county system takes on additional burden to support those who are no longer receiving services at the state level or who are receiving reduced services. This is true for many of the Human Services divisions—aging, youth services, mental health, substance abuse, and community development.
The Federal changes in Medicaid will have direct impact on two Human Services programs—Youth Services and Community Resources & Development.
Youth Services (DYS)
~ The loss of IV-E funds has a direct impact on Youth Services as the state Division of Child and Family Services uses IV-E funds to support $353,500 of the Youth Services emergency care contract.
~ The emergency care contract pays for services in the Boys Group Home, Girls Group Home and the Christmas Box House. Each provides emergency residential shelter to children and youth who are experiencing abuse and neglect and addresses their emotional, physical, educational and placement needs.
~ While Youth Services will work to keep all beds open, reduced funds would require reducing the amount of time youth can spend in the programs which would mean less time to conduct comprehensive assessments and providing important services to the youth.
~ Comprehensive assessments are essential to determining appropriate placements (home, kinship, foster care, etc) for youth as they leave Youth Services care. Without them, youth may be placed into out-of-home settings that do not meet their needs, leading to a greater likelihood of moving youth to multiple homes. This can be very difficult for a youth.
Community Resources & Development (CRD)
~ This Division stands to lose approximately $300,000 from reductions in SSBG and CDBG funds.
~ CRD contracts dollars to organizations throughout Salt Lake County (e.g., homeless shelters, boys & girls clubs, food pantries, low-income housing) that provide services to the most underserved populations.
~ CDBG is the only federal program that is charged to ensure that citizens have decent, safe and sanitary housing and adequate public infrastructure.
~ These funds have been used to build senior citizen centers; build and improve parks, sidewalks, new sewer and water lines and upgrade neighborhood and youth facilities; assist in the construction of homeless shelters; rehabilitate homes; and purchase land for affordable housing.
~ Reductions in these funds will reduce the Division’s ability to meet these community needs.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
A Visit to Emery County
On February 11th, Craig Axford and I drove to Emery County to meet with their leaders and delegates. The last time I went to Emery County I ate well. Nothing changed this Going to Emery County is like going to a Church social except the food was a lot better. Who can complain when ribeye is on the menu.
After our meal Gary Petty introduced the speakers. The first speaker spoke to long, I think he put half the room to sleep, but once I was done it was Craig Axford's turn.
Once Craig finished we listened to former Emery County Chairman Dennis Dooley. Dennis's speech grabbed everybody in the room. Here is an excerpt,
Dennis Dooley Energizes Emery Democrats (above)
Emery County Chair Gary Petty and Craig Axford
"The subject of my little talk tonight is
liberalism, God and ice cream.
I don't know if any of you saw Johnny Carson the night George
Gobbels was on the show and said, "Did you ever feel like the
world was a tuxedo and you were a pair of brown shoes?"
Well that's what it's like to be a Democrat in Utah sometimes.
Further if you are a somewhat conservative rural Utah
Democrat you are like brown shoes with purple shoe laces.
None the less, if you are a Democrat you will be labeled as a
liberal. Or, LIIIIBURRRULLL.
Now I wouldn't mind that
except somehow a nice sweet word like liberal has somehow
become synonymous with MINION OF SATAN.
Now c'mon. If you go to the ice cream store do you want the
nice serving person to be liberal with the ice cream scoop or
conservative with the tutti-frutti?"
and there's more,
My favorite part of the God Book is in the last part of Matthew, and forgive me if I paraphrase a bit:
On the last day everyone who was saved stood before the
throne of Our Lord and He said: When I was hungry; you gave
me to eat. When I was naked; you covered me. When I
thirsted; you gave me to drink. When I was a stranger; you
took me in. When I was sick and in jail; you came to visit me.
The saved asked when they had ever met Him and did these
things. He answered, "You have done these things for others
and behold I say to you; whatsoever you have done for these,the least of my Brethren; that you have done also for me."
I want to thank Dennis for his speech which will be available in its entity on at utdemocrats.org very soon. When it is I will link it. I also want to thank the Emery County Officers, Gary, Glenys, and Kim for once again putting on an event worth going to, and for all their good work.
Mr. Joe Cannon
Utah State Republican Chairman
"I need to inform you sir that you are inncorrect..."
When Art and I returned to the House/Senate building lobby we ran into Joe Cannon. When we approached him he said, "I'm not my brother Chris".
We spoke of Wayne Holland Jr., Utah State Democratic Chairman, and of his father Wayne Senior who Joe thinks the world of. Then Joe explained how Utah was once a blue state when he moved here from California. He also stated that Utah Democrats started to lose ground when the "liberal left" took over the party in the early seventies.
It was at this point when Art asked Joe if he thought Utah would ever turn around. "No, I don't think it ever will." Joe replied calmly. That's when I looked Joe in the eye and replied, "I need to inform you sir that you are inncorrect in your assumption..."
Mr. Cannon is not one to show his emotions, but he and I both know that I was speaking the truth, which brings me to the following statement.
I challenge every Utahn to take a real look at the candidates the Democratic Party is recruiting. We have listened to your qualifications, we have found those who are qualified. The time has come to bring the debate back to our counties, to our State Capitol, and to Washington D.C.
Together, we can do better; we must do better, and the Democratic Party is committed to once again put our house in order.
Lunch with Art
Earlier in the morning I agreed to have lunch with Arthur (Art) L. Douglas, president of the Farmers Union. Reaching for my phone did me no good; my battery had died so I went looking for Art. When I was almost ready to give looking, I turned around and there he was. He was talking to Suzanne R. Rees (R), County Commissioner for Box Elder County.
Talking with Suzanne was of great benefit. She has a good understanding of rural issues. She very much reminded me of my late grandmother Helen Romney (who was at one time the Vice Chair of the State Republican Party). I once asked my grandmother why she was able to pass partisan lines. She explained that she never discounted anyone's thoughts, "I understand your viewpoint, I just happen to disagree." This was how my conversation was with Suzanne. Open, honest, real, and friendly.
Just as we were finishing lunch Candace Daly, secretary of the Utah Republican Party walked up to our table. We were inroduced, but until she announed her position I
was sure that she was an old neighbor. I asked Candace, "how do know you?" When the light came back on I was a bit embarrassed, but she did not know me either. Candace won her second term at convention by the highest margin of all the candidates, and I can see why. She has a fun personality. She really should be a Democrat.
After lunch Art and I walked back to the House and Senate lobby were we ran into another officer of the Republican Party. Mr...
Earlier in the morning I agreed to have lunch with Arthur (Art) L. Douglas, president of the Farmers Union. Reaching for my phone did me no good; my battery had died so I went looking for Art. When I was almost ready to give looking, I turned around and there he was. He was talking to Suzanne R. Rees (R), County Commissioner for Box Elder County.
Talking with Suzanne was of great benefit. She has a good understanding of rural issues. She very much reminded me of my late grandmother Helen Romney (who was at one time the Vice Chair of the State Republican Party). I once asked my grandmother why she was able to pass partisan lines. She explained that she never discounted anyone's thoughts, "I understand your viewpoint, I just happen to disagree." This was how my conversation was with Suzanne. Open, honest, real, and friendly.
Just as we were finishing lunch Candace Daly, secretary of the Utah Republican Party walked up to our table. We were inroduced, but until she announed her position I
was sure that she was an old neighbor. I asked Candace, "how do know you?" When the light came back on I was a bit embarrassed, but she did not know me either. Candace won her second term at convention by the highest margin of all the candidates, and I can see why. She has a fun personality. She really should be a Democrat.After lunch Art and I walked back to the House and Senate lobby were we ran into another officer of the Republican Party. Mr...
Nichole Adams Dunn
Opposing SB 200
Inter-governmental Relations for Salt Lake County
Former Salt Lake County Democratic Chair and current staff member for SL County Mayor Peter Corroon, Nichole A. Dunn was on the hill opposing SB 200.
The flyer Nichole handed to me explains that SB 200 will disenfranchise a great number of legitimate citizens who have the right to vote.
SB 200 requires everyone to show ID at the polls. This will slow down the process at the polls considerably, creating even longer waiting lines to vote. Counties will have to split into smaller precincts to accommodate this, costing counties thousands of extra dollars.
This legislation will cause an inconvenience to the masses, in fact "punishing" them to solve a problem that does not exist. There has been no public confirmation that any non-citizens have voted in recent elections.
Since current voter registration laws are already working, and since there is no reason to suspect that non-citizens are voting, then my question is why has Senator Mark B. Madsen sponsored this bill? Maybe he just likes bigger government, maybe its just another tactic to promote fear of "illegals" in Utah. Whatever the reason, without a good debate forced by a balanced legislature, this bill, if it passes, will most probably be challenged in court thus wasting even more tax payers dollars.
"There They Go Again!"
HB 250
Allows rental owners the right to charge application fees with no limitations. In theory, an applicant could pay a large lump sum of money just to apply. If twenty applicants apply then the rental owner is happy. However, what about the 19 applicants who now need to apply with another landlord, and pay another application fee? This can go on and on.
I can see why Paul Smith, Executive Director of the Utah Apartment Association is so happy. Once again it is all about business without any consideration on how it will affect low income Utahns.
Senator Fred Fife tried to make an amendment to protect low income applicants. So did Senators Ed Mayne and Patrice Arent, but in the end, all that truly matters is that the landlord can make a profit on the applicant without ever signing a lease. Maybe a percentage cap over the landlord's cost would have been a reasonable idea. Processing applications does have a cost (I have a small rental in Holiday), but due to an overwhelming republican majority in the legislature, the proper debate that might have forced a better bill was instead ignored.
I can also see how this bill could be a used as a means of keeping certain less desirable applicants from even applying (legal prejudice).
This is just another example as to why Utah is selling itself short by not having some balance in the legislature. Understanding why apartment owners desire an application fee does not overide my concern that this bill provides no protection for the applicant.
Utah should be concerned that there just isn't any debate, a tool which I believe promotes smarter legislation.
Allows rental owners the right to charge application fees with no limitations. In theory, an applicant could pay a large lump sum of money just to apply. If twenty applicants apply then the rental owner is happy. However, what about the 19 applicants who now need to apply with another landlord, and pay another application fee? This can go on and on.
I can see why Paul Smith, Executive Director of the Utah Apartment Association is so happy. Once again it is all about business without any consideration on how it will affect low income Utahns.
Senator Fred Fife tried to make an amendment to protect low income applicants. So did Senators Ed Mayne and Patrice Arent, but in the end, all that truly matters is that the landlord can make a profit on the applicant without ever signing a lease. Maybe a percentage cap over the landlord's cost would have been a reasonable idea. Processing applications does have a cost (I have a small rental in Holiday), but due to an overwhelming republican majority in the legislature, the proper debate that might have forced a better bill was instead ignored.
I can also see how this bill could be a used as a means of keeping certain less desirable applicants from even applying (legal prejudice).
This is just another example as to why Utah is selling itself short by not having some balance in the legislature. Understanding why apartment owners desire an application fee does not overide my concern that this bill provides no protection for the applicant.
Utah should be concerned that there just isn't any debate, a tool which I believe promotes smarter legislation.
Remington Johnson
Rep. Roz McGee's Intern (District 28)
Remington is a student of the Hinckley Institute at the University of Utah. Remington is also president of Young Democrats of Utah.
I actually first met Remington the same day I met Art Douglas. Remington came to me after I had addressed his caucus at the Salt Lake County Convention. I believe the question he asked was "how do we get high school students involved. I cannot tell you if I gave a worth while answer or not. .
There are two reasons I am mentioning Remington. The first being the fact that he is always one of the first people I go to when I spend time at the Capitol. I always ask, "what should I be watching for." He always sends me in the right direction. The second is because I believe in Remington. He wants to be involved in public service, he has a great countenance, and he will make a great legislator. He is a great example for all Utahns.
Arthur L. Douglas
Utah Farmers Union
Art is from Box Elder County. I first met Art and Jan Douglas last spring. Art keeps me up to date on Rural Utah. Art is an admired friend and colleague. I appreciate his council.
Art believes that parity (an equivalence between farmers' current purchasing power and their purchasing power at a selected base period maintained by government support of agricultural commodity prices) is a big problem for the farmer, a problem that is being ignored. Being from a small community Art is also concerned with the removal of the sales tax on food. He is concerned about how small communities that depend on this revenue will be compensated.
"UFU policy states we support the present tax on food. This is primarily because of the potential negative impact to rural communities from the loss of sales tax revenue as well as the potential shift of tax losses to the business community which could impact current exemptions that agriculture benefits from."
I agreed to meet Art for lunch and ran off to the House Democratic Caucus office.
Friday on the Hill
He was supposed to meet me for breakfast. He called at 7:15 to change our time to 8:00am. No problem.
He finally arrives at 9:30am (and without a tie), but before he arrived, and before I made fun of his hair, I watched Senate President John L. Valentine(R), and House Speaker Greg J. Curtis(R) entertain a group of realtors and members of the Utah Apartment Association. As I sat waiting I ran into Paul Smith, Executive Director of the UAA. He was bragging about how the UAA was able to pass House Bill 250.
"None of your people voted for it," Smith said, He then added that "my people" had some kind of problem with HB 250 because of low income housing.
I will look deeper into HB250 and report back.
Here is a series of photos and captions describing my adventure on Friday.
Thank You Primary Children's Medical Center!
Dr. Mary Saunders and our special nurse Gloria.
Once Michelle arrived Sami would have no more of me. Late that evening I brought Sami a stuffed pony. "Ugh Ugh!" he said when I tried to give him the pony.
"Can daddy hold you Sami?"
"My momma!"
After all the test were in it was determined that Sami had a virus. He was dehydrated and after they hydrated him through a I.V. he was allowed to go home.
when these situations happen all you care about is your child. Why can't every family have the opportunity to receive great healthcare?
Dr. Mary Saunders and our special nurse Gloria.
Once Michelle arrived Sami would have no more of me. Late that evening I brought Sami a stuffed pony. "Ugh Ugh!" he said when I tried to give him the pony.
"Can daddy hold you Sami?"
"My momma!"
After all the test were in it was determined that Sami had a virus. He was dehydrated and after they hydrated him through a I.V. he was allowed to go home.
when these situations happen all you care about is your child. Why can't every family have the opportunity to receive great healthcare?
Sami Boy is Sick
My 3rd and youngest child Samuel is not feeling well. He was up vomiting all night. He struggled to keep anything down. The next morning his condition was alarming.
We went to Dr. Ward and he said, "Sam's Dehydrated. Take him to
PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER to see what they say."
I explained the situation to a tearful mom and was off the the emergency room. We were quickly greated, checked in and evaluated. All my one year old wanted was for me to hold him.
My 3rd and youngest child Samuel is not feeling well. He was up vomiting all night. He struggled to keep anything down. The next morning his condition was alarming.
We went to Dr. Ward and he said, "Sam's Dehydrated. Take him to
PRIMARY CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER to see what they say."
I explained the situation to a tearful mom and was off the the emergency room. We were quickly greated, checked in and evaluated. All my one year old wanted was for me to hold him.
February 15, 2006
A Cancer Drug Shows Promise, at a Price That Many Can't Pay
By ALEX BERENSON
Doctors are excited about the prospect of Avastin, a drug already widely used for colon cancer, as a crucial new treatment for breast and lung cancer, too. But doctors are cringing at the price the maker, Genentech, plans to charge for it: about $100,000 a year.
That price, about double the current level as a colon cancer treatment, would raise Avastin to an annual cost typically found only for medicines used to treat rare diseases that affect small numbers of patients. But Avastin, already a billion-dollar drug, has a potential patient pool of hundreds of thousands of people — which is why analysts predict its United States sales could grow nearly sevenfold to $7 billion by 2009.
Doctors, though, warn that some cancer patients are already being priced out of the Avastin market. Even some patients with insurance are thinking hard before agreeing to treatment, doctors say, because out-of-pocket co-payments for the drug could easily run $10,000 to $20,000 a year.
Until now, drug makers have typically defended high prices by noting the cost of developing new medicines. But executives at Genentech and its majority owner, Roche, are now using a separate argument — citing the inherent value of life-sustaining therapies.
If society wants the benefits, they say, it must be ready to spend more for treatments like Avastin and another of the company's cancer drugs, Herceptin, which sells for $40,000 a year.
"As we look at Avastin and Herceptin pricing, right now the health economics hold up, and therefore I don't see any reason to be touching them," said William M. Burns, the chief executive of Roche's pharmaceutical division and a member of Genentech's board. "The pressure on society to use strong and good products is there."
Studies show that Avastin can prolong the lives of patients with late-stage breast and lung cancer by several months when the drug is combined with existing therapies. Genentech expects to seek federal approval later this year to sell it specifically for those diseases. But even now, doctors, who are free to prescribe the drug as they see fit, are using Avastin for some breast and lung cancer cases — and finding its cost beyond the means of some patients.
"Avastin is a superb drug, but its cost is already discouraging patients and doctors from using it," said Dr. David Johnson, who heads the cancer unit at Vanderbilt University and is a former president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. "I wish it were one-tenth the cost, and if it were I would be giving it to almost everybody."
With colon cancer, a year of Avastin treatment costs about $50,000. But the drug will be used at higher doses for lung and breast cancer, and Genentech does not plan to reduce the unit price, even though the additional cost of producing a higher dose is minimal. Roche executives described the pricing plans were described in a recent interview.
Because Genentech is a leading developer of cancer therapies, some doctors also fear that the company's pricing plans for Avastin — around $8,800 a month — may encourage other companies to charge more for their own oncology drugs. That could potentially drive up the overall cost of cancer treatment to unsustainable levels, they say.
Right now, one of the few cancer drugs with a higher monthly price than the level planned for Avastin is Erbitux. The drug, used for colon cancer, sells for $9,600 monthly, but is not as widely prescribed as Avastin and is typically used only as a last-resort treatment for a few months.
Dr. Susan Desmond-Hellmann, the president of product development of Genentech, which is based in South San Francisco, Calif., said that Genentech had set Avastin's price based on "the value of innovation, and the value of new therapies." Genentech, which had more than $6 billion in sales last year, has many programs to help patients afford its medicines, and last year contributed $21 million to charities that help patients with their insurance co-payments, she said.
Genentech intends to file an application later this year with the Food and Drug Administration to expand the drug's label to include treatment for breast and lung cancer. While nothing stops doctors now from prescribing Avastin for those diseases, F.D.A. approval would let the company promote and advertise it for such treatments and make insurers more likely to pay for the treatments.
For now, insurers are deciding case by case whether to cover Avastin for breast and lung cancer, and in many instances they are rejecting coverage or at least delaying decisions.
"Insurers may say, 'It's not approved for that indication, so we're not paying for it,' " said Dr. Paul A. Bunn Jr., the director of the University of Colorado cancer center.
In those cases, patients must sign a waiver agreeing to reimburse the hospital for the price of treatment if the insurer will not agree to do so. And some patients are afraid to sign the waivers, Dr. Bunn said. "A couple of patients have refused to sign or take treatment."
So far, insurers are generally covering Avastin's use in colon cancer, and they say they will probably cover its F.D.A.-approved use with other cancers.
Other medicines as expensive as Avastin are typically prescribed only for rare conditions affecting small numbers of patients, and their makers justify the costs as necessary for getting a return on their up-front investments in the drugs. A few medicines, like Ceredase, a treatment for Gaucher disease (pronounced go-SHAY) from the biotechnology company Genzyme, can cost as much as $500,000 a year for some patients. Gaucher disease is a rare metabolic disorder whose symptoms include anemia.
Avastin is currently used mainly in cases of late-stage colon cancer, a disease that affects about 50,000 Americans annually. On average, those patients take the drug for 11 months and it extends their lives an average of 5 months, compared with other treatments.
Genentech and Roche are also testing Avastin for use in earlier stages of colon cancer, lung and breast and cancer, which collectively are diagnosed in almost 500,000 Americans a year. Genentech and doctors hope that if the drug is used earlier in treatment it can extend lives much longer — although that would require patients' finding the means to pay for it longer, too.
Earlier this week Roche stopped recruiting patients for one clinical trial that included Avastin, while researchers try to explain the deaths of several patients. But doctors generally view Avastin as one of the safest cancer treatments. About 200 clinical trials including Avastin are taking place worldwide.
With Avastin's expanded use, analysts expect the drug's sales to soar to $7 billion in the United States alone by 2009, compared with $1.1 billion last year. Over the same period, Genentech's overall profits are forecast to triple, to $4 billion in 2009, as sales — $6.6 billion last year — climb to $18 billion.
"They are certainly blazing new ground with the price of the drug," said Geoffrey C. Porges, an industry analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Company. "They're saying, we think this is fair value, at least on a relative basis."
Genentech has always been aggressive in pricing its therapies, Mr. Porges said. But insurers and government agencies have eventually accepted Genentech's terms, because its treatments, which include Herceptin, its current breast cancer treatment, have been shown to prolong life.
When they were originally discovered, drugs like Avastin, which aim at the blood vessels that tumors use to grow, were expected to replace traditional chemotherapy, which directly fight tumor cells. Instead, the drugs have been found to work best when used in conjunction with chemotherapy. That has caused the overall cost of cancer treatment to soar, said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society.
"The financial resources are not limitless," he said. "There are tremendous pressures on the cost of cancer therapies today."
The high prices are especially discouraging for patients who have been told that the new drugs may have only marginal benefits for them.
Ellis Minrath, who has pancreatic cancer, said he had chosen not to take Tarceva, a drug from Genentech that is approved for lung cancer and has shown promise in pancreatic cancer. He did so after learning that it would cost him about $1,000 a month in co-payments, even though he is covered by Medicare.
"If anybody came out and said, 'By God, this is the stuff. You want to get well, find a way to buy it,' that would be one thing," said Mr. Minrath, who is 87. "But that isn't the case. The forecast of how much it's going to do is not that wonderful."
But Dr. Desmond-Hellmann, the Genentech product development chief, said she would recommend that Mr. Minrath be treated with Tarceva. "I don't think any patient should go without a Genentech drug for an inability to pay," she said. "If this is about money, that would disturb me."
The higher cost of using Avastin in breast and lung cancer, compared with colon cancer, is a result of cancer drugs' being priced on the basis of weight. In colon cancer, Genentech tested Avastin at a dose of 5 milligrams of the drug per kilogram — or 2.2 pounds — of the patient's body weight. But in lung and breast cancer, the company tested the drug at a dose of 10 milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
Because the actual cost of producing Avastin is a fraction of what Genentech charges for it, some analysts and doctors had expected the company to lower Avastin's price per milligram for use in lung and breast cancer.
Dr. Leonard Saltz, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, noted that Genentech had not tested the Avastin at the dose level for colon cancer in large-scale trials of lung and breast cancer. As a result, no one really knows whether the lower dose might turn out to be equally effective in lung and breast cancer, he said. Besides costing less, he said, a lower dose might have fewer side effects.
"There are no meaningful data to allow us to address that question," he said.
Dr. Desmond-Hellmann said that Genentech was assuming that some cancer doctors might, in fact, use Avastin at the lower dosage to treat breast and lung cancer. That is a reason the company does not want to lower Avastin's per-milligram price, she said, because doing so would cut too deeply into revenues if doctors do not prescribe the higher doses that were used in the breast and lung cancer trials.
"We don't actually know whether physicians will actually use Avastin as was used in the clinical trials," she said.
But Dr. Saltz and other doctors said that they would almost certainly stick to the higher Avastin dose that was tested in the clinical trials, for fear that a lower dose might not be as effective.
Submitted by Christine B. Helfrich, CCRP
Monday, February 20, 2006
Why Most Utahns Are Democrats (but just don't know it yet)
By Steve Olsen"The first chink in my Republican armor was the career of Congressman Bill Orton. I’m a shirt-tail cousin to Rep. Orton, so I was especially interested in what he had to say. His election in one of the most Republican districts in the nation was impressive. More impressive was his performance in Congress.
I remember listening to an interview with Rep. Orton during his first re-election campaign. One of the questions the interviewer asked was, “Why did you run as a Democrat? Wouldn’t it make more sense in Utah to run as a Republican?” When I heard that, I sat up and listened. Good question! I mean, the man did not advocate killing unborn babies, and he wasn’t a socialist, secular humanist, or worst of all, a “liberal”. He was just a normal, good Utah guy. Of course he should be a Republican! I’ll never forget his answer. Bill Orton looked at the interviewer like he had a third eye poking out of his forehead and said simply, “But I’m a Democrat.”
That simple statement floored me. Was it possible I had misunderstood what being a Democrat was all about? That event started me on a journey of re-examination of where I stood on the important issues our state and nation faced."
Highly recommended! To obtain this transcript in its entirety write to: democratamicus@comcast.net
Update from Rep. Sheryl Allen
Let me apologize up front if some of you are receiving multiple copies of this email. There appeared to be a glitch this morning when I sent this out and I am not sure who got the email and who didn't. I wanted to err on the side of you all receiving the email...even if twice. Hopefully this will go through without any problems, this time. Cheryl Phipps, Intern to Representative Sheryl Allen)
Well, here we are at the last week and a half of the 2006 General Session. I am sending the weekly update of some of the issues considered by the House in this last week. Also, I have told you that I would send you the statistics garnered from the survey that you participated in before the session began. I also have about 500 comments that I am not including with the data. I appreciate all the input I received from you concerning these issues. I will continue to vote according to the input of my constituency.
Also, I am still seeking input on the governor's tax calculator and the tax reform issues. Some of you emailed me that you were having difficulty with the link. We think one problem is a misunderstanding with the address. The address is gva1.utah.gov/taxestimator. Some have incorrectly entered "gval" instead of "gva1". Be sure that you are using the #1 and not the letter "l".
Governor Huntsman's proposed state tax plan with a flatter 4.9% payment rate is now available for you online to calculate what your state taxes would be with the flatter rate. The web site to do your personal calculation is: http://gva1.utah.gov/taxestimator/.
Please go to the web site and calculate what your income taxes would be under this plan. Then, email your opinion of the site and its ease of use to my intern at cphipps@utah.gov. I would also like to hear your opinion on moving forward with the flatter tax, considering that the Utah Constitution requires that state income taxes be used to fund public and higher education. The flatter tax would mean a reduction of funds in the Uniform School Fund. What do you think of this?
I want to hear from you on these important issues. I need your opinion immediately. Tax and state funding issues will be determined very soon.
Thanks again for all your input in these critical issues and for allowing me the opportunity to represent you. I consider it an honor and great responsibility. Feel free to contact me with any concerns that you may have.
Respectfully,
Representative Sheryl Allen
Legislative District #19
Let me apologize up front if some of you are receiving multiple copies of this email. There appeared to be a glitch this morning when I sent this out and I am not sure who got the email and who didn't. I wanted to err on the side of you all receiving the email...even if twice. Hopefully this will go through without any problems, this time. Cheryl Phipps, Intern to Representative Sheryl Allen)
Well, here we are at the last week and a half of the 2006 General Session. I am sending the weekly update of some of the issues considered by the House in this last week. Also, I have told you that I would send you the statistics garnered from the survey that you participated in before the session began. I also have about 500 comments that I am not including with the data. I appreciate all the input I received from you concerning these issues. I will continue to vote according to the input of my constituency.
Also, I am still seeking input on the governor's tax calculator and the tax reform issues. Some of you emailed me that you were having difficulty with the link. We think one problem is a misunderstanding with the address. The address is gva1.utah.gov/taxestimator. Some have incorrectly entered "gval" instead of "gva1". Be sure that you are using the #1 and not the letter "l".
Governor Huntsman's proposed state tax plan with a flatter 4.9% payment rate is now available for you online to calculate what your state taxes would be with the flatter rate. The web site to do your personal calculation is: http://gva1.utah.gov/taxestimator/.
Please go to the web site and calculate what your income taxes would be under this plan. Then, email your opinion of the site and its ease of use to my intern at cphipps@utah.gov. I would also like to hear your opinion on moving forward with the flatter tax, considering that the Utah Constitution requires that state income taxes be used to fund public and higher education. The flatter tax would mean a reduction of funds in the Uniform School Fund. What do you think of this?
I want to hear from you on these important issues. I need your opinion immediately. Tax and state funding issues will be determined very soon.
Thanks again for all your input in these critical issues and for allowing me the opportunity to represent you. I consider it an honor and great responsibility. Feel free to contact me with any concerns that you may have.
Respectfully,
Representative Sheryl Allen
Legislative District #19
DCD Holds Essay Contest
8th Grade winners to receive $1000.00
February 19, 2006 http://www.davisdemocrats.org/home.htm
On Tuesday, Feb. 21 Richard Watson, Davis County Democrats Chairman, will present awards totaling $1000 in bonds and cash to the top three winners of our recent essay contest. The very talented eighth grade students will receive their prizes at the Davis School Board regular meeting Tuesday Feb. 21 starting at 5:30 PM, in the auditorium of the education building located at 45 East State (across the street north from the Courthouse), Farmington.
The public is invited.
Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com
8th Grade winners to receive $1000.00
February 19, 2006 http://www.davisdemocrats.org/home.htm
On Tuesday, Feb. 21 Richard Watson, Davis County Democrats Chairman, will present awards totaling $1000 in bonds and cash to the top three winners of our recent essay contest. The very talented eighth grade students will receive their prizes at the Davis School Board regular meeting Tuesday Feb. 21 starting at 5:30 PM, in the auditorium of the education building located at 45 East State (across the street north from the Courthouse), Farmington.
The public is invited.
Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com
Friday, February 17, 2006
Phil Riesen Announcement
District 36
Phil Riesen will officially announce his candidacy for Utah State House seat 36 Wednesday February 22, 2006 at noon in the lobby of the House/Senate building at the Utah State Capitol.
So far, this is the house race that is generating buzz. People trust Phil, they know Phil, and they are excited about his candidacy.
“TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGING”:
FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
Salt Lake City – Utah has undergone tremendous demographic changes in recent years. Ethnic minorities have assumed positions of leadership in all levels of business, government, sports and politics.
Utah reached a new first today as Rep. Duane Bourdeaux (D-SLC) became the first African American Speaker of the House of Representatives, albeit Pro Tempore. In a time honored tradition, Speaker Curtis invited Rep. Bourdeaux to the dais as this will be his last legislative session since Rep. Bourdeaux will not seek another term.
After reviewing the memories of legislature’s senior members and the Legislative Research and General Council, none could recall any previous time when an African American assumed the Speakers seat. Rep. Bourdeaux performed admirably during his time as Speaker of the House, Pro Tempore. “I really liked the view and finally felt like my opinion mattered. A guy can get used to that power.”
In the words of an old Bob Dylan song, “Times, they are a changing”, even if only temporarily.
FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
Salt Lake City – Utah has undergone tremendous demographic changes in recent years. Ethnic minorities have assumed positions of leadership in all levels of business, government, sports and politics.
Utah reached a new first today as Rep. Duane Bourdeaux (D-SLC) became the first African American Speaker of the House of Representatives, albeit Pro Tempore. In a time honored tradition, Speaker Curtis invited Rep. Bourdeaux to the dais as this will be his last legislative session since Rep. Bourdeaux will not seek another term.
After reviewing the memories of legislature’s senior members and the Legislative Research and General Council, none could recall any previous time when an African American assumed the Speakers seat. Rep. Bourdeaux performed admirably during his time as Speaker of the House, Pro Tempore. “I really liked the view and finally felt like my opinion mattered. A guy can get used to that power.”
In the words of an old Bob Dylan song, “Times, they are a changing”, even if only temporarily.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
US Senate Candidate Ashdown to Meet with Bountiful Medical Community
Bountiful native and US Senate candidate Pete Ashdown (D) will hold a meet-and-greet at Lakeview Hospital in Bountiful to discuss issues surrounding health care in the 21st Century.
The event is being organized by Ashdown's friend, Dr. Raymond Ward, a family doctor in Bountiful. "I think Pete has some great ideas about how we can extend health care benefits to more Utahns and Americans," said Ward. "I'm also glad that he's willing to listen to others ideas and bring them into his campaign."
"As a small businessman myself, I know the tremendous pressures that health care costs have on our economy, our state, and our nation," Ashdown said. Pete Ashdown is the founder and President of XMission, Utah's first Internet service provider. "I am willing to listen to anyone's ideas about how we can fix this crisis in Utah and America."The public is invited to attend and ask questions.
The media is also invited; contact the information above for information and interview requests before the event. The details of the event are as follows. Pete Ashdown, US Senate candidate (D) Friday, February 24, 2006 7 PM Lakeview Hospital Community Classroom. Enter at main entrance and immediately turn left 630 East Medical Drive Bountiful
I first met Dr. Ward (Ray) when he and his family moved into our ward. He is the great neighbor and friend. Dr. Ward believes that Pete's solid ethical character would be of great benefit for Utah in Washington D.C.
Come see what all the buzz is about.
Cheney Shooting Accident Scoots Over CIA leak Issue
Washington, DC - Today, Associated Press political reporter RonFournier writes that while the Vice President's shooting accident has dominated the headlines the past few days, the real scandal that has Republicans ducking for cover is the Vice President's involvement indisclosing classified national security information for political gainin a time of war.
See below for an excerpt from the article:Cheney mishap takes focus off CIA leak By Ron Fournier Associated Press
It's not Dick Cheney's hunting mishap that worries Republicans. It's his other scandal -- the CIA leak case and the threat it poses to the embattled vice president. ...Republicans say they are pleasantly surprised that the intense media coverage of the hunting accident has shifted attention from the case of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Cheney's former chief of staff. Libby is accused of misleading investigators about who leaked the identify of aCIA official. In documents released two weeks ago, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald said he understood that Libby's superiors authorized him to disclose to the media details of a secret report that is central to the investigation. What does Cheney know? "It's nothing I can talk about,"he said in a television interview Wednesday. "I may well be called as awitness at some point in the case and it's, therefore, inappropriate for me to comment on any facet of the case."That's the scandal to watch, Republicans said.To read this entire article, please click here
Washington, DC - Today, Associated Press political reporter RonFournier writes that while the Vice President's shooting accident has dominated the headlines the past few days, the real scandal that has Republicans ducking for cover is the Vice President's involvement indisclosing classified national security information for political gainin a time of war.
See below for an excerpt from the article:Cheney mishap takes focus off CIA leak By Ron Fournier Associated Press
It's not Dick Cheney's hunting mishap that worries Republicans. It's his other scandal -- the CIA leak case and the threat it poses to the embattled vice president. ...Republicans say they are pleasantly surprised that the intense media coverage of the hunting accident has shifted attention from the case of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Cheney's former chief of staff. Libby is accused of misleading investigators about who leaked the identify of aCIA official. In documents released two weeks ago, Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald said he understood that Libby's superiors authorized him to disclose to the media details of a secret report that is central to the investigation. What does Cheney know? "It's nothing I can talk about,"he said in a television interview Wednesday. "I may well be called as awitness at some point in the case and it's, therefore, inappropriate for me to comment on any facet of the case."That's the scandal to watch, Republicans said.To read this entire article, please click here
"There they go again !"
February 15.2006 by Bob Van Velkinburgh
Dear Utah,
To paraphrase a Ronald Reagan quote, "There they go again!" Yes, the Utah Legislature under HB 100, sponsored by Representative Aaron Tilton,R-Springville is about to repeat the debacle created when they went ahead with the building of the Legacy Highway against the advice of their own lawyers and others. The Environalmentists, true to their word, went to the courts and tied up construction of Legacy for several years costing Utah taxpayers millions of dollars in litigation and construction costs. Also by acting irresponsively the state delayed construction of the highway by several years.
Now they want to do it all over again. I am reminded of the old adage, "only a fool makes the same mistake twice." The bill, if enacted, would require nonprofit groups that want the courts to temporarily halt a new project during appeals, to post a bond that covers any costs of delay, including wages, taxes and higher construction expenses or lose their state-granted right to do business in Utah.
Ignoring an in-depth analysis by their own attorneys that noted a number of "obviously constitutional issues" and also ignoring protests from sportsman's groups, environmental groups, and civic groups Representative Tilton dismissed the advice as, "just opinions."
HB 100 passed the House Tuesday 53-18 and now goes to the Senate for consideration. There it will be sponsored by Senator Curt Bramble, R-Provo.
This bill will not stand under litigation and will probably cost the state taxpayers millions if passed into law. That would set a new record for pure boneheadedness, arrogance and stupidity.
I am indebted to one of our CWC (concerned writers club) members for bringing this to my attention. Copied below is the member's e-mail. It is not too late to stop this bill in the Senate. Write your Senator and also fire off a letter to the editor.
Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com
Here's the most recent version (2-9-06) of an incredible piece of Utah State legislation worthy of widespread NATIONAL scrutiny (rebuke?). It seeks to impose a "bond" payment on plaintiffs in advance of filing court action under 30 different federal "environmental" laws. Failure to pay up in advance will result in action by the State of Utah to dissolve your "entity", company, or nonprofit group and render it permanently unauthorized to take any action or to even exist in the State of Utah. This twisted law, if enacted would actually have victims of environmental harm, or the risk thereof, paying the perpetrators of the harm for the time and trouble they would experience by having to stop their harmful acts! Here's the link to the bill in the State Legislature:
Here's the link to find your state Legislator:Here's the link to find your state Senator :
Check it out, forward as you deem appropriate and feel free to call or write your Utah Legislator/Senator to let em know how you feel:
BW
February 15.2006 by Bob Van Velkinburgh
Dear Utah,
To paraphrase a Ronald Reagan quote, "There they go again!" Yes, the Utah Legislature under HB 100, sponsored by Representative Aaron Tilton,R-Springville is about to repeat the debacle created when they went ahead with the building of the Legacy Highway against the advice of their own lawyers and others. The Environalmentists, true to their word, went to the courts and tied up construction of Legacy for several years costing Utah taxpayers millions of dollars in litigation and construction costs. Also by acting irresponsively the state delayed construction of the highway by several years.
Now they want to do it all over again. I am reminded of the old adage, "only a fool makes the same mistake twice." The bill, if enacted, would require nonprofit groups that want the courts to temporarily halt a new project during appeals, to post a bond that covers any costs of delay, including wages, taxes and higher construction expenses or lose their state-granted right to do business in Utah.
Ignoring an in-depth analysis by their own attorneys that noted a number of "obviously constitutional issues" and also ignoring protests from sportsman's groups, environmental groups, and civic groups Representative Tilton dismissed the advice as, "just opinions."
HB 100 passed the House Tuesday 53-18 and now goes to the Senate for consideration. There it will be sponsored by Senator Curt Bramble, R-Provo.
This bill will not stand under litigation and will probably cost the state taxpayers millions if passed into law. That would set a new record for pure boneheadedness, arrogance and stupidity.
I am indebted to one of our CWC (concerned writers club) members for bringing this to my attention. Copied below is the member's e-mail. It is not too late to stop this bill in the Senate. Write your Senator and also fire off a letter to the editor.
Sincerely,
Bob Van Velkinburgh
dccwc@aol.com
Here's the most recent version (2-9-06) of an incredible piece of Utah State legislation worthy of widespread NATIONAL scrutiny (rebuke?). It seeks to impose a "bond" payment on plaintiffs in advance of filing court action under 30 different federal "environmental" laws. Failure to pay up in advance will result in action by the State of Utah to dissolve your "entity", company, or nonprofit group and render it permanently unauthorized to take any action or to even exist in the State of Utah. This twisted law, if enacted would actually have victims of environmental harm, or the risk thereof, paying the perpetrators of the harm for the time and trouble they would experience by having to stop their harmful acts! Here's the link to the bill in the State Legislature:
Here's the link to find your state Legislator:
Check it out, forward as you deem appropriate and feel free to call or write your Utah Legislator/Senator to let em know how you feel:
BW
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Introducing Christine B. Helfrich
The Utah Amicus has already had two postings inspired by Christine. I am grateful that such a quailty and dignified person would join me on this journey. My first meeting with Christine was at the Utah State Democratic Convention while adressing her caucus. I have been impressed ever since. Christine keeps me informed on health care issues and reform; it would be a shame not to share her wisdom with you.
Meet Christine in her own words.
I am a 55 year old native Utahn. Following graduation from college I worked as a child welfare worker for the state of Utah for 6 years before doing a long stint in the pharmaceutical industry (22 years). It was during my time working for Big Pharma that I developed most of my concerns about access to and cost of health care in this country. For the last 4 years I have worked in clinical research. I am currently Regulatory Administrator of Clinical Trials at Huntsman Cancer Institute, a job I love so much I would probably do it for free!
I am married to Peter Helfrich who works in bank marketing. My daughter is 37 years old and works for the State Health Department with the Utah Cancer Action Network. My 19 year old stepson Andrew is a freshman at Weber State College where he is studying to become a paramedic. I also have a delightful 10 year old grandson who is a 4th grader at Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s School.
I developed the desire to start a Health Care Reform Caucus with the State Democratic Party after noting the number of health care professionals who were energized the last election cycle to participate in county and state conventions. They have genuine concerns about the growing number of uninsured patients, sky-rocketing pharmaceutical costs and the lack of government attention to fixing either of the former. I am a novice at this and hope that fellow democrats will step forward to assist in raising public awareness of the scope and consequences of these problems.
SLCSPIN on Ethics Reform
Ethan Millard has several excellent posts on his blog SLCSPIN concerning legislature ethics reform. The first is titled Legislature and Ethics. The second is Senator John Valentine On Ethics Reform. And thats just the beginning.
I highly recommend SLCSPIN. Go and see why Ethan is the king of the Utah political blog scene.
Ethan Millard has several excellent posts on his blog SLCSPIN concerning legislature ethics reform. The first is titled Legislature and Ethics. The second is Senator John Valentine On Ethics Reform. And thats just the beginning.
I highly recommend SLCSPIN. Go and see why Ethan is the king of the Utah political blog scene.
Updated: 01:21 PM MST
Cheney Breaks Silence on Shooting
Accepts Responsibility in Fox News Interview
By NEDRA PICKLER and LYNN BREZOSKY, AP
WASHINGTON (Feb. 15) - Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday accepted full responsibility for shooting a fellow hunter and defended his decision to not publicly disclose the accident until the following day.
Updated: 03:21 PM EST
"I'm the guy who pulled the trigger that fired the round that hit Harry," Cheney told Fox News Channel in his first public comments since the shooting Saturday in south Texas.
Cheney described seeing 78-year-old Harry Whittington fall to the ground after he pulled the trigger while aiming at a covey of quail, calling it one of the worst days of his life.
"You can talk about all of the other conditions that exist at the time but that's the bottom line and - it was not Harry's fault," he said in an interview with Brit Hume. "You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend."
See, only after his silence was reported to The Utah Amicus did we see RESULTS!
Actually, responding right away is not always the best way to handle a situation. I remember hearing that patience is a virtue.
Cheney Breaks Silence on Shooting
Accepts Responsibility in Fox News Interview
By NEDRA PICKLER and LYNN BREZOSKY, AP
WASHINGTON (Feb. 15) - Vice President Dick Cheney on Wednesday accepted full responsibility for shooting a fellow hunter and defended his decision to not publicly disclose the accident until the following day.
Updated: 03:21 PM EST
"I'm the guy who pulled the trigger that fired the round that hit Harry," Cheney told Fox News Channel in his first public comments since the shooting Saturday in south Texas.
Cheney described seeing 78-year-old Harry Whittington fall to the ground after he pulled the trigger while aiming at a covey of quail, calling it one of the worst days of his life.
"You can talk about all of the other conditions that exist at the time but that's the bottom line and - it was not Harry's fault," he said in an interview with Brit Hume. "You can't blame anybody else. I'm the guy who pulled the trigger and shot my friend."
See, only after his silence was reported to The Utah Amicus did we see RESULTS!
Actually, responding right away is not always the best way to handle a situation. I remember hearing that patience is a virtue.
Cheney Under Fire
NBC Today Show:
Matt Lauer interview with Tim Russert Video
In this interview with Tim Russert(Russert is NBC's Washington bureau chief and moderator of "Meet the Press.") Matt Lauer asked Russert the following,
Q. What are you hearing behind-the-scenes? Why the delay?
RUSSERT: "Matt, it's very straightforward when it comes to the Vice President of the United States. He never believed in the care and feeding the national press corps. He has a constituency of 1: President Bush. This Vice President is not going to run for president. He doesn't seem to worry about his image and unless the White House, the president says to him, Mr. Vice President, you must speak publicly, he will not."
Q. What is wrong with saying I feel awful about this? I wish there was something I could do?
RUSSERT: "By every indication, the Vice President is devastated by this. We obviously all are deeply concerned about Harry Whittington this morning as we talk about did. The concern is obviously the questions that will be asked. The 2 big ones: why did it take so long to report this to the American people? Was there any special consideration given to the vice-president because of his office? What was the distance involved between the vice-president and the victim? A lot of unanswered questions. They realize if there is a full blown press conference it could involve questions about Scooter Libby and the war with Iraq and Katrina and so forth."
Click on "NBC Today Show" (above) to watch this interview.
NBC Today Show:
Matt Lauer interview with Tim Russert Video
In this interview with Tim Russert(Russert is NBC's Washington bureau chief and moderator of "Meet the Press.") Matt Lauer asked Russert the following,
Q. What are you hearing behind-the-scenes? Why the delay?
RUSSERT: "Matt, it's very straightforward when it comes to the Vice President of the United States. He never believed in the care and feeding the national press corps. He has a constituency of 1: President Bush. This Vice President is not going to run for president. He doesn't seem to worry about his image and unless the White House, the president says to him, Mr. Vice President, you must speak publicly, he will not."
Q. What is wrong with saying I feel awful about this? I wish there was something I could do?
RUSSERT: "By every indication, the Vice President is devastated by this. We obviously all are deeply concerned about Harry Whittington this morning as we talk about did. The concern is obviously the questions that will be asked. The 2 big ones: why did it take so long to report this to the American people? Was there any special consideration given to the vice-president because of his office? What was the distance involved between the vice-president and the victim? A lot of unanswered questions. They realize if there is a full blown press conference it could involve questions about Scooter Libby and the war with Iraq and Katrina and so forth."
Click on "NBC Today Show" (above) to watch this interview.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
John Marlor Says:
"Any legislator who promotes and passes bills of questionable constitutionality should be required to personally pay the legal fees spent to defend said laws."
John is a lifelong Utah resident and a former Republican. I was with John when he made the prediction that if George W. Bush won the election we would most certainly be going to have a war with Irag. He made this prediction two days before election night in 2000. Why has John left the Republican Party? "I left the Party when I realized that George W. Bush was selling our country off to the highest bidder."
What do you think?
Wal-Mart accused of cheating on pay in SLC
by Steven Oberbeck 02/14/06 Salt Lake Tribune
Federal court: A former employee of a Salt Lake City Wal-Mart store has filed a proposed class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Utah that contends the giant retailer systematically shortchanged its hourly employees.
The allegations raised by Norma Jean Williams, who lives in Wyoming, mirror claims raised in more than 40 similar lawsuits filed across the country.
"Wal-Mart actually stole money from its own employees and used that money to gain a competitive advantage over its competition," said Missouri attorney R. Deryl Edwards Jr., who is representing Williams. "And this didn't just happen in Utah. It happened all over."
WHY NOT! Walmart has a long history of using unethical means to save a penny for the benefit of the corporation. This doesn't mean that these allegations are true, but if they are, I am sure that Wal-mart is not the only offender in Utah.
I prefer to shop at Target and Costco. Their employees seem so much happier. Maybe someday we will all realize that not only should a person have a living wage, but that wages earned should actually be paid.
by Steven Oberbeck 02/14/06 Salt Lake Tribune
Federal court: A former employee of a Salt Lake City Wal-Mart store has filed a proposed class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for Utah that contends the giant retailer systematically shortchanged its hourly employees.
The allegations raised by Norma Jean Williams, who lives in Wyoming, mirror claims raised in more than 40 similar lawsuits filed across the country.
"Wal-Mart actually stole money from its own employees and used that money to gain a competitive advantage over its competition," said Missouri attorney R. Deryl Edwards Jr., who is representing Williams. "And this didn't just happen in Utah. It happened all over."
WHY NOT! Walmart has a long history of using unethical means to save a penny for the benefit of the corporation. This doesn't mean that these allegations are true, but if they are, I am sure that Wal-mart is not the only offender in Utah.
I prefer to shop at Target and Costco. Their employees seem so much happier. Maybe someday we will all realize that not only should a person have a living wage, but that wages earned should actually be paid.
Gun Accidents and Guilt
My grandfather Irving Kendall loved to hunt and fish. While hunting with another youing man in Nevada, my grandfather was accidentially shot in the foot by his hunting companion. My grandfather's friend left Irving on the mountain and returned to Winnemucca.
My grandfather crawled several miles before finding help. By the time he reached a surgeon gangrene was already starting to set in, but thanks to a German Doctor who took great care of my grandfather, his foot was saved. One would not want to image the guilt one feels when these type of accidents occur.
Many years later, three or four days after my grandfather died, while emptying one of his shotguns I shot and killed the door to Irving's padded cell (a room were he kept his guns and money locked up, and where he had the only key). When the shotgun went off I turned white. I could not move. I was simply terrified. I may have only killed a door but the image that sticks in my mind still makes me cringe today.
I pray that the vice president and Harry Whittington both recover soon.
This just in. As I was re-checking Mr. Whitingham's name, it seems he has had a heart attack, possibly due to one of the bird shot pellets.
My grandfather Irving Kendall loved to hunt and fish. While hunting with another youing man in Nevada, my grandfather was accidentially shot in the foot by his hunting companion. My grandfather's friend left Irving on the mountain and returned to Winnemucca.
My grandfather crawled several miles before finding help. By the time he reached a surgeon gangrene was already starting to set in, but thanks to a German Doctor who took great care of my grandfather, his foot was saved. One would not want to image the guilt one feels when these type of accidents occur.
Many years later, three or four days after my grandfather died, while emptying one of his shotguns I shot and killed the door to Irving's padded cell (a room were he kept his guns and money locked up, and where he had the only key). When the shotgun went off I turned white. I could not move. I was simply terrified. I may have only killed a door but the image that sticks in my mind still makes me cringe today.
I pray that the vice president and Harry Whittington both recover soon.
This just in. As I was re-checking Mr. Whitingham's name, it seems he has had a heart attack, possibly due to one of the bird shot pellets.
Cousin Alex, Anna, and Abby Miller enjoy the train at the Zoo
Happenings at Utah’s Hogle Zoo
Our family loves going to Hogle Zoo! Here is a list of their "events and happennings".
Breakfast with the Bunny
Enjoy a delicious hot breakfast prepared by Hogle Zoo’s Executive Chef, plus a special Easter craft, visits from some of the Zoo’s small animals and more. Of course, the highlight of the event will be a visit with the Easter Bunny and having your kids photo taken with that "Wascally Wabbit."
When: Saturday, April 15 and Sunday, April 16
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Cost: Zoo Members General Public
Adults (ages 13-64) $14 Adults (ages 13-64) $18
Children (ages 3-12) $12 Children (ages 3-12) $16
Infants (ages 0-2) $8 Infants (ages 0-2) $8
Seniors (ages 65+) $12 Seniors (ages 65+) $16
Seating is extremely limited, so make your reservations now! Pay in advance at Guest Services or by calling (801) 584-1769. For more information visit www.hoglezoo.org.
You can protect endangered animals in the wild by taking a minute to support an important initiative.
Utah’s Hogle Zoo, along with the other 209 zoos and aquariums accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, are seeking public support for a petition asking Congress to increase the funds it allocates to protect wildlife in their native lands. You can sign the petition, now, online at http://www.hoglezoo.org/. Click on the “Two Million for $2 Million” link and follow the directions to have your voice heard.
AZA and its institutions are asking Congress for $2 million to annually fund conservation and research programs that protect wildlife species that you care about: tigers, great apes, Asian and African elephants, marine turtles and rhinos. These animals face tremendous danger in the wild from poaching, habitat loss, human-animal conflict and many other serious problems. The funding we’re seeking will help protect them through the federal Multinational Species Conservation Fund, which has a 14-year track record of making a difference to protect wild animals.
World of the Wild Art Exhibition
The Zoo’s 13th annual art exhibit is on display.
When: Now through Sunday, April 3
Time: Daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Cost: Free with your Hogle Zoo membership
This exhibit was started to provide Utah artists an opportunity to display their works of wildlife and "wildnature" in a setting complimentary to their work. This show has grown to be one of the best venues in Utah for viewing wildlife and nature art.
World of the Wild posters and T-shirts are for sale. Most of the art on display is for sale, with a portion of all sales going to help fund future art programs at the Zoo.
Would you like to work at the “wildest” place in town?Come to Utah’s Hogle Zoo’s seasonal job fair.
When: March 7th and 8th Time: Anytime between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00p.m. Positions to be filled include: Retail Food Service Admission gate Train Education – Eco-Explorers
Serious applicants must be 15 or older to apply. You must be 16 or older to work in the Admission Gate, and 18 or older to work in the Train area. Starting wage is $6.75.
Eco-Explorers: Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and must have attended at least one year of college. Applicants should be available April 1 through the end of September, and will work an average of 30-40 hours a week. Starting wage is $8.00 or more, DOE, with bonuses available.
For more information, visit us online at http://www.hoglezoo.org/about/jobs/.
Are you looking for something "wild" to do this summer?
Applications are being accepted for the Volunteer program now through March 1, 2006.
The volunteer program invites kids (age 12 and older) to learn about the zoo and its animals. Educate yourself, and others, about the fascinating world of animals.
Volunteer opportunities include:
Interpreters
Zoo Aides
Docents
For more information or to apply online, log onto the zoo's website at http://www.hoglezoo.org/ or contact Suzanne Blockburger at 582-1631 ext. 737.
Zoo Members and Friends!
To serve you better we want to know what you think about the Zoo. Please take our online survey at http://www.hoglezoo.org/. Tell us what you really think. Your answers and comments will remain anonymous.
A popup will appear or you can click on the “Take Our Survey” button. Click “Now” to take the survey. (Once per computer.)
To thank you for completing the survey, we will send you a coupon worth 25% off at our Wild Zootique!!
Thanks for taking the Survey! If you have questions write to surveycomments@hoglezoo.org.
Bountiful Post Office Could Use Improving (?)
A letter to the editor 02/05/06 Davis County Clipper
This opinion piece by Debra Garner of Bountiful states, "For the past 25 years I have tried to understand the lack of customer service, the disrespect of a customer's time, the inefficiency, and the unfriendliness of the Bountiful Post Office... I am going to send a copy of this letter to the Postmaster General and hope that he agrees. "
I disagree.
My experience with the Bountiful Post Office has only been a good experience. I am at the post office almost every other day. The wait is always acceptable and the employees are always friendly. I can't say that I have never had to wait, but I don't ever remember waiting too very long.
I believe that being impatience breeds discontent. 25 years is a long time to be mad, but that is only my opinion.
Deleted
In most circumstances I would almost never remove a post. However, in this situation I have made the decision to do so for reasons I will not reveal to protect the original author.
I also needed a place to post this photo to update my profile (truth in advertising) .
But, for the record, if your life is at risk from a stalker or from some other bizarre reason, you should not submit a post to this blog. It's my belief that once an article is posted on The Utah Amicus it should stand.
With every best wish,
Rob Miller
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