THE UTAH AMICUS

President Obama Signs Utah Disaster Declaration

2012-02-01T16:05:00.001-07:00

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2012

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Utah and ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by a severe storm during the period of November 30 to December 1, 2011.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storm in Davis County.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Gary R. Stanley as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT: FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@DHS.GOV

Fear Factory & Gimme Sugar Gourmet Donuts

2011-10-26T16:53:00.001-06:00

On October 25, 2011 Utah's newest haunt, FEAR FACTORY, opened for business after struggling to open their gates earlier in the month due to permit issues with Salt Lake City. Fear Factory owner Rob Dunfield who was interviewed by KSL.com said, " It originally began as a dream, but in the last few months it's become a nightmare."

Thank goodness for haunted house geeks like me that Rob's permit nightmare is over because Fear Factory is now my favorite for-profit haunt in Utah.

Fear Factory is located at 666 West 900 South in the old industrial section of Salt Lake City.

From the Fear Factory website: "Deep in the industrial trenches of downtown Salt Lake City, lies an old forsaken factory that was built in the 1900′s. This decrepit concrete factory that crawls across an entire city block was used and abused for decades before being abandoned and left for dead. Since then, many unsolved violent crimes have been committed here by wandering trespassers. The owner still refuses to disclose what was found when the underground tunnel system was excavated earlier this year.During its use, the combination of extreme heights, rock crushing conveyor belts and underground tunnels led to an accident rate that was so high the factory had an on-site infirmary. To this day, those who pass by can still hear the blood curdling screams from the tortured souls of those factory workers who clocked in… but never clocked out.Prepare yourselves for Industrial Grade Fear!"

From City Weekly: "While the old-guard haunted houses remain, they’ll have to keep looking over their shoulder at a new crop of attractions popping up. Fear Factory has taken a decrepit, abandoned cement factory and turned it into one of the most exciting new haunts. The building was already creepy, and Fear Factory has captured that essence—as well as added to it—by utilizing every available area of almost an entire city block in a run-down industrial zone. Fear Factory is also able to move visitors inside and outside, making sure they never get too used to one area; one of its greatest strengths is being able to take advantage of just how tall certain parts of the building are. Be warned, though: If heights aren’t your thing, you might want to consider staying outside in the safety of lurkers from the graveyard—who might just be some of the building’s former employees. 666 W. 900 South, $25 or $35 VIP, FearFactorySLC.com"

Another great reason to visit Fear Factory is the concessions. The atmosphere created by the Fear Factory crew should keep you entertained while you wait in line to pay the piper, but it was the gourmet donuts that kept me happy as I waited to purchase our V.I.P. wristband.

Gimme Sugar Catering has a stand featuring their gourmet donuts. My suggestion is to ignore the price and try their caramel apple pie gourmet donuts. At first I purchased three cinnamon and sugar donuts which are made fresh as you order. While waiting for my treat I started a conversation with the owners of Gimme Sugar Catering and told them if their donuts where as good as Boopie's Donuts in Sparks, Nevada, that I would mention them on this blog. Understanding that word of mouth is worth it's weight in donuts they also handed me a caramel apple pie doughnut (Spelled donut). Well, their sample worked because minutes later I was back at their stand buying two more caramel apple donuts for my friends.

Here's to Fear Factory and Gimme Sugar Catering! Halloween is now better and tastier in SLC!

REDISTRICTING: UTAH DEMOCRATS BLAST TODAY'S GOP CLOSED CAUCUS

2011-10-17T13:32:00.002-06:00

SALT LAKE CITY: Once again, Utah's Republican legislature has gone behind closed doors to discuss the congressional map. "This is the type of arrogant, pretentious, and disdainful behavior Utahns have come to expect from Utah's Republican leadership," said Utah Democratic Party Chair Jim Dabakis. "The state spent nearly $1 million , sat through dozens of public meetings, and heard hundreds of comments begging for fairness and transparency. Thousands of people signed petitions, hundreds drew maps, dozens wrote letters to the editors. With this move today, Republican leadership has shown that the public process has been, at best, a waste, at worse, a complete and utter sham!"

"Today's closed caucus is an insult to the people of Utah and the Constitution. Utah's Republican power brokers are determined to tear asunder the founding principles of our great country. They've dropped all pretense of bipartisanship and transparency; all in favor of infighting over raw political power,"charged Dabakis.

Dabakis issued a challenge to Utah voters: "Next time you vote, send a message about the secrecy and back room deals. Tell the Republican power brokers that you won?t stand for it, that you won't allow Utah to operate in the dark. The solution is this: elect more Democrats! We?ll open up government. We'll stand for integrity."

Vile - a warning to Utah's public employees

2011-10-14T19:10:00.000-06:00

This comment is being circulated by e-mail to Utah residents: "Anyone who works for ANY government agency should receive 60% or less of what a comparable private sector employee would make because of the stability of the source of the income not subject to the vagarities of the "free" market and the fact that they never have to provide any of the capital to the creation of that job which someone in the private sector has to provide."

Hatch’s Disgrace? A Bankruptcy Two Months After Federal Grant

2011-10-14T18:12:00.000-06:00

Salt Lake City — Over the past month Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) has been attacking federal loans to solar energy company Solyndra, going so far as to call it a “disgrace” on national television. What Hatch failed to mention is his shepherding of a $33 million grant to his solar pet project, Raser Technologies, that recently went bust. The company filed for bankruptcy just two months after pocketing the federal cash.

Utah State Democratic Party Chair Jim Dabakis said the real disgrace is the Senator’s glaring hypocrisy. Dabakis asks, "Senator Hatch, is this use of the taxpayers' money due to your influence 'disgraceful', too?""In order to please the far-right wing Patrick Henry/Tea Party elements, Senator Hatch, seems to be willing to say anything – attacking Obama when he has done the same thing and his flip-flop on the Dream Act are just two examples. The Senator is displaying an abundance of hypocrisy. The Senator’s ‘do as I say, not as I do’ arrogance is duplicitous."The record shows that Hatch has been involved in direct communication with Raser’s leadership for years and championed tax incentives that directly benefited the company.

“Being so heavily involved with a company that secured millions in taxpayer grants while criticizing the current administration for supporting loans for a similar company shows a glaring lack of integrity and consistency,” said Dabakis.Dabakis concluded, “In a time when the federal deficit is soaring, it is maddening that Senator Hatch cares more about currying favor his past donors than he does about stopping the federal money hemorrhaging. We suggest the Senator stop worrying about winning a popularity contest with the far-right wing and instead come to the table offering substantive solutions to create jobs for Utah workers.”

Utah Democrats File GRAMA Request on Behalf of People of Utah

2011-10-12T14:33:00.002-06:00

Democrats Charge that Republican Leadership is Taking a 2x4 to the Democratic Process

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah State Democratic Party filed an official GRAMA request today with the Utah State Legislature regarding the closed door, secret conversations leading to the current "fiasco" over Utah’s congressional maps.

“Utah’s Republican leadership is forcing our hand. The Utah Democratic Party has been compelled to demand transparency and fairness on behalf of all Utah citizens,” said Jim Dabakis, Chair of the Utah Democratic Party.

“The poster children of closed cronyism in government – Representatives Dave Clark and Carl Wimmer – are working backroom deals to support their selfish political ambitions. They're throwing out months of work and hundreds of thousands of dollars of public money," continued Dabakis. "Someone must speak for the people of Utah. Someone must smash a battering ram through the closed doors. Moral and public pressure has not worked so far -- so today -- the Utah Democratic Party is being forced to file a GRAMA request to ensure our government is acting in a fair, open, and transparent manner.”

“This is not a decision we are making lightly. We don’t want to tie up the legislature and drag on an unnecessary process. BUT THE REPBULICAN PARTY BOSSES ARE TAKING A 2X4 TO THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AND THEY MUST REPENT!" Dabakis proclaimed. "They must open the doors, come to the table, and develop a compromise. We are willing to compromise - are they?”

Dabakis concluded: “The GRAMA request is the first step towards preparing a lawsuit on behalf of the people of Utah. We do not want to go the next step of subpoenas, affidavits, depositions, testifying under oath and official legal claims, but today, we feel we have no choice but to begin moving in this direction and we are reluctantly taking this step to ensure that ALL Utahns are represented.”

UTAH DEMOCRATIC STATE PARTY CONDEMNS PERRY SUPPORTER CALLING THE LDS CHURCH A CULT

2011-10-07T19:42:00.002-06:00

SALT LAKE CITY -- LDS Dems Interim Chair Senator Ben McAdams and Interim Vice-chair Crystal Young-Otterstrom issued the following statement in response to Robert Jeffress's comments calling The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a cult. Jeffress is a pastor at the First Baptist Church in Dallas and made the comment to reporters following an event for Governor Rick Perry.

"As Latter-day Saints -- and Democrats -- we are appalled and disappointed by Jeffress' statement that Mormons are not Christian," stated McAdams and Young-Otterstrom. "As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we know that the foundation of our belief is the divinity of Jesus Christ. Members of the LDS Church are compassionate, caring individuals who seek to follow the example of Christ to love our neighbors as ourselves."

Utah State Democratic Party Chair Jim Dabakis added, "On behalf of all Utah Democrats, I heartily condemn Jeffress' insult. Mormon-phobia should have no place in America. Latter-day Saints are good, honest, and hard working people! I love Mormons. The Democratic Party is welcoming to followers of all faiths and creeds and I invite those who feel unwelcome in the Republican Party -- because of their faith -- to join us."

A message from USDC Chair Jim Dabakis on redistricting

2011-09-26T18:25:00.002-06:00

Dear Utah Resident,

I am outraged by the Republicans in the Utah Legislature. Before our very eyes, Republican Party bosses are drawing ridiculous districts to protect their incumbents, putting petty political interests ahead Utah citizens, and presenting terribly flawed maps that hurt all Utahans for the next TEN years.

DEMOCRATS WILL NOT stand silently and watch our freedoms be seriously eroded! Will you join us?All over the state, Republican manipulators are damaging our democracy. Ogden and Weber County are fractured into four Senate districts. Tooele City and County are split to protect Republican incumbents. Summit County is yanked to all corners of the state to divide the Democratic stronghold. Southern Utah and rural residents HAVE BEEN CLEAR – they want a Southern Utah Congressional District – but THEY ARE BEING IGNORED.

Don’t believe us? It’s not just the Democratic Party that is outraged.

The Deseret News recently called this year’s redistricting, “Legal, but not Ethical.”
The Provo Daily Herald attacked the proposed congressional maps, stating the “justifications are really shaky”.
The Associated Press described the process as akin to The Godfather.
And even the Tooele County Republican Chair stated “To slap the people…with a map like this shows that the public has no place in the process”.

Fair minded people like you need to step up to this arrogant bullying! Today, we are taking the stand and we URGENTLY need people all over Utah to BE BRAVE, lend your voice to the cause, and join the fight!

We have no time to lose. Utah’s State House, Senate, and Congressional Districts are being GERRYMANDERED RIGHT NOW! You can stand up to their abuse and STAND WITH US by doing the following:

1. Tell EVERYONE how shameless and BLATANT the Republican gerrymandering is. Tell your neighbors, tell your mailman, tell your clerk at the grocery store!
2. Sign our LETTER OF PROTEST and join us by standing with the people of Utah for fair minded redistricting.Then FORWARD THIS EMAIL TO YOUR FRIENDS by clicking here. Proudly add your name so that THIS TIME, Republican bosses know we will not stand for this blatant political power brokering – not at the expense of ourrepresentation, our communities, and our voice.
3. Attend the OCTOBER 3, 2011 RALLY. Good government groups from across the state are joining forces to oppose this corrupt process. Come to the State Capitol at 11:00 a.m. on OCTOBER 3, 2011, and let the Republicans know we will not stand silent as they blatantly disenfranchise Utahans.
4. SEND YOUR STATE DEMOCRATIC PARTY A CONTRIBUTION NOW! Or better yet, SIGN ON AS A MONTHLY DONOR. Putting a halt to this arrogant abuse of power is not cheap! The domination of our State Legislature by untouchable, closed-caucus Republican Leaders is damaging Utah's ability to create jobs, attract tourists, and create the quality of life we all desire.

We have a legion of fabulous volunteers that contribute their time, enthusiasm and effort. Rest assured, that they are certain every dollar you donate is stretched to its absolute limit. But make no mistake, THIS BATTLE NEEDS CASH!

Any amount helps - from $5 to $1,000 – but HELP US TODAY. 100% of your donation will go to fight the fight – even if it means TAKING THE REPUBLICANS TO COURT! Utah Democrats do not have the long lists of lobbyists and special interests that bankroll Republicans. We DEPEND on your grassroots support. Without your help---we simply cannot fight our fight.

GERRYMANDERING IS HAPPENING NOW! It is URGENT that you act IMMEDIATELY. Tell your friends, come to the rally, JOIN OUR EFFORT and CONTRIBUTE TODAY. Pass this message on so we can fight together!

Jim DabakisState Party Chair

Utah State Democratic Party Announces Launch of LDS Dems

2011-09-26T17:35:00.002-06:00

Utah State Democratic Party

Announces Launch of LDS Dems

Kick-off Event will be a Pre-General Conference Breakfast in Murray Park

Prepared by LDS Democrat Elected Officials

SALT LAKE CITY -- Newly elected USDC chair Jim Dabakis has repeatedly stated that he wants more Latter-day Saints to feel welcome in the Utah State Democratic Party. Party organizers today announced the formation of LDS Dems which will soon be an official caucus of the Utah State Democratic Party.

“For far too long, too many of my fellow Latter-day Saints say that you must be a Republican in order to be a good Mormon. That’s just not true!” states Senator Ben McAdams, interim chair of LDS Dems. “We’re here as LDS Dems to show you that can be a good democrat and a good Latter-day Saint.”

Steve Olsen, chair of the Weber County Democratic Party and an LDS Dems member, agrees: “No official statement from the First Presidency is more ignored by Latter-day Saints in Utah than the counsel: ‘All major American political parties have values consistent with gospel.’ Our main purpose is to help our fellow Latter-day Saints wholeheartedly accept this counsel from the Brethren.”

The caucus’s first event will be a pre-General Conference Breakfast. The breakfast will be from 8:00 - 9:30 am on Saturday, October 1st at Pavilion #3 in Murray Park. Former Representative Trisha Beck is chairing the breakfast. Pancakes, bacon, and fruit from the local Murray Farmers Market will be prepared by currently elected democrat officials who are also LDS.

“I am truly excited for LDS Dems. I'm a democrat because I feel that democrats best reflect the values of charitable love, family, and community that are the basis of my faith,” states Utah Common Values Executive Director and LDS Dems member Craig Janis.

“Whether you’re a conservative, moderate, or progressive Democrat -- or you’re a moderate and belong to no party -- you’re welcome and invited to join LDS Dems!” says LDS Dems member Diane Stewart.

LDS Dems will host activities that allow its members to get to know each other and provide a means to introduce moderates to democratic ideas in a comfortable, LDS-based setting. It will also conduct a comprehensive outreach effort.

“As I prayerfully and seriously consider the issues facing our State and Country today, I'm convinced that as a ‘good Mormon’, I must be a Democrat. The values that I hold dear as a Latter-day Saint -- agency and accountability, charity, defending this promised land of America while respecting our role in the world, and respecting everyone's God-given rights -- are all more at home in the democratic platform than any other political party,” states Doug Hawks, chair of the Iron County Democratic Party and an LDS Dems member.

Concludes Erika Munson, also a member of LDS Dems, “My commitment to the Democratic Party answers the question ‘Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?’ One of the great blessings of democracy is that citizens can do more good for more people by working and sacrificing together than they can alone.”

To become a member of LDS Dems, go to ldsdems.org/join. The complete website will be launched on October 1, 2011.

LDS DEMS’ STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES:

Utah has a rich heritage and a bright future. Our families are the basic units of society, and their success determines the success of our communities. For this reason, our mission is to reduce economic stress, create safe neighborhoods, and provide quality educational and community resources. We take our stewardship over the natural world seriously. We strive to make our communities welcoming and safe for all of Utah's people without regard for when they first came to our great state. We recognize the hand of Divinity in the US Constitution, and we seek to ensure that the rights and freedoms it provides are available to everyone.

UDP Press Release: Another attack on Utah’s teachers by Republican Leader Greg Hughes

2011-09-14T21:05:00.000-06:00

Utah Democrats responded today to a statement made by Representative Greg Hughes, R—Draper, who in response to the House and Senate Democrat’s unveiling of their “Best Schools Initiative” called it “fiction” for Utah to have both small class sizes and great teachers.

In an AP newswire quote, Hughes called the two proposals “diametrically opposed,” and said it would be a “lie” to claim that Utah could have better paid teachers and smaller class sizes with more individualized attention.

Utah Democratic Party Chair Jim Dabakis called Hughes’ comments “an insult to the greatest teachers in America. I am appalled that GOP leadership continues its relentless attack on Utah’s underpaid, overloaded, and under appreciated teachers,” said Dabakis.

“Representative Hughes and others in the Republican caucus do not seem to want Utah’s school children have great teachers, or be in an environment where learning can thrive,” he said. “They want to starve the system so that they can advance their own ideology and dismantle neighborhood schools altogether. Quite frankly, Republican domination has failed Utah's school system, failed Utah teachers, and most importantly, failed Utah's children. Our schools continue to rank 30th in the nation in student achievement and we're dead last in per student funding. Representative Hughes and the negative Republican legislators continue to say 'we can't fix this" but Utah Democrats say 'we can, and we will bring a great education, using neighborhood schools, to every child in the State.' Utah's teachers are not the problem. Representative Hughes, Republican leadership and their defeatist rhetoric is the problem. Until we have 'real' leadership who will make Utah's public schools the top priority, we will continue to fail Utah's children. Utah Democrats will not accept this defeat."

UDP Press Release: Utah Democratic Party Blasts Senate Redistricting Proposal

2011-09-13T12:40:00.000-06:00

Utah Democratic Party Blasts Senate Redistricting Proposal

Proposed Utah Senate Map is a clear example of gerrymandering and incumbent protection

(Salt Lake City, UT) - Earlier today, the Utah State Legislature's Redistricting Committee recommended a Utah State Senate map. The map is clear example of gerrymandering and incumbent protection. The map divides Tooele County and draws a narrow peninsula to make a seat for Senator Thatcher and prevents a Tooele voice. Ogden City is fractured - splitting a community that has been working hard to build its economic base and define itself as an outdoor recreation hub - so that Senators Reid and Christensen will not need to face each other in an election. Springville is thrown into a district with Bluff, two cities separated by nearly 300 miles, so that Senators Hinkins and VanTassell can keep their seats.

In response, Utah State Democratic Party Chairman Jim Dabakis issued the following statement:

"Today's Senate map is clear example of politicians choosing their voters instead of voters choosing their representatives. Like the last 20 years and against the strong voice of its residents, Tooele is divided nearly in half, preventing its residents from having strong voice in the Senate. Ogden, a growing city with a unique identity, is divided so Reid and Christensen can avoid opposing each other in an election. What could be the rationale for combining Springville and Bluff, two cities separated by over 300 miles? Utah needs representation that protects Utah voices, cities, and communities - not one that is made to protect politicians.”

Lindsay Barenz of Centerville, Utah appointed 2011-2012 White House Fellow

2011-09-08T18:54:00.002-06:00

WHITE HOUSE APPOINTS 2011-2012 CLASS OF WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the President’sCommission on White House Fellowships announced the appointment the 2011-2012Class of White House Fellows. The Fellows come from diverse backgrounds,varied professions, and all have shown a strong commitment to public serviceand leadership. The 2011-2012 Class of Fellows and their biographiesare included below.

The White House Fellows Program was createdin 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson to give promising American leaders“first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the Federalgovernment, and to increase their sense of participation in nationalaffairs.” This unique opportunity to work within our nation’sgovernment is designed to encourage active citizenship and a lifelongcommitment to service. The Fellows also take part in an education programdesigned to broaden their knowledge of leadership, policy formulation, andcurrent affairs. Community service is another essential element of theprogram, and Fellows participate in service projects throughout the year in theWashington, DC area.

Selection as a WhiteHouse Fellow is highly competitive and based on a record of professionalachievement, evidence of leadership potential, and a proven commitment topublic service. Each Fellow must possess the knowledge and skillsnecessary to contribute meaningfully at senior levels in the Federalgovernment. Throughout its history, the program hasfostered leaders in many fields, including leaders in government, business,media, medicine, education, diplomacy and the military. Additionalinformation about the White House Fellows program is available at www.whitehouse.gov/fellows.

2011-2012Class of White House Fellows

Lindsay Barenz, Centerville, UT. Lindsay Barenz most recently served as an Associate withthe law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in New York City. She was responsible formanaging complex corporate transactions and counseling clients on mergers andacquisitions, cross border transactions, private equity investments and securitieslaw matters. During her time with Cleary Gottlieb, she served on thefirm’s Diversity and Mentoring Committees and provided pro bono legalservices to the New York City Investment Fund, the Middle Eastern DocumentaryFilm Foundation and the Name Change Project with the Transgender Legal Defense& Education Fund. From 2004-2005 she served as a law clerk to the HonorableBetty Binns Fletcher on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Lindsay is agraduate of Yale Law School,where she was a senior editor of the YaleLaw Journal, Coker Fellow and Co-Chair of Outlaws, the LGBTQ lawstudent association. Prior to attending law school, she was a union organizerwith the Service Employees International Union. Lindsay received her B.S. withhonors in Political Science from the University of Utah. Lindsaygrew up in Centerville, Utah. Placement: Office of Management and Budget

Reggie Chambers, Harlem, NY. Reggie Chambers mostrecently served as an Investment Executive with 3i Group plc, a $20 billioninternational investment firm in New York and London. At 3i, he helpedfound and lead its North American infrastructure team and served on the boardof a multi-billion dollar UKrail company. Before 3i, Reggie was a Vice President with Citi InvestmentBanking, executing cross-border mergers, acquisitions and financings forFortune 500 energy infrastructure companies. Reggie’s transactional workbegan as a corporate lawyer with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in New York and Uría Menéndez Abogados in Madrid, Spain.Reggie has dedicated himself to creating educational opportunities for othersby teaching entrepreneurship and small business as an Adjunct Professor atBrooklyn College, using his teaching salary to fund the class’s businessplan competition, and by serving as one of the youngest trustees ever on theboards of the Graduate Center of CUNY, the Bogliasco Foundation in Italy, andthe Teachers Network. Reggie earned his J.D. from HarvardLaw Schooland his A.B. in Political Science, Spanish and Markets & Management from Duke University.Reggie is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and grew up in Mequon, Wisconsin. Placement: The White House

Albert Cho, Tempe, AZ. AlbertCho mostrecently served as an executive at Cisco Systems, where he directed environmentalinnovation projects and led development of a new approach for monitoring globaldeforestation. Prior to Cisco Systems, Albert was an Engagement Manager atMcKinsey & Company, where he helped found the Sustainability and ResourcesPractice and advised clients in the aerospace, industrial, high tech andfinancial sectors on strategy and risk management. He has also worked at theUnited Nations with Jeffrey Sachs on a global plan for achieving the MillenniumDevelopment Goals. Albert volunteers as a strategic advisor to the NobelPrize-winning Green Belt Movement in Kenya and as a consultant to theWorld Resources Institute. He serves on the board of the Telluride Association,an educational non-profit, and is a trained crisis hotline counselor and hospicevolunteer. Albert has lived, worked or traveled in over 70 countries, includinga year supporting financial sector reform in north Africa. He is a Rhodes and aTruman Scholar, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and was aVisiting Business Fellow at Oxford.He received an M.Sc in development economics and an M.B.A. with distinctionfrom Oxford, and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College. Placement: U.S. Department of State

Elizabeth Coté, Bangor, ME. Elizabeth Coté most recently served as a resident physicianin Anesthesia at Brigham and Women's Hospital. She completed an internshipin Pediatrics at Massachusetts General Hospital. In2010, she provided medical assistance to earthquake victims in Haiti and workedin a relief camp to deploy a mobile medical record system that tracked patientsand prevented family separation. While in medical school, Elizabeth started a training program inChennai that empowered orphanage caregivers to prevent and detect newborndisease. In 2004, she served in the Coalition Provisional Authority as aspecial assistant to the Iraqi Ministry of Health and volunteered at the maincombat support hospital. Working at the OECD in Paris, she managed a study that comparedhealth quality among 20 countries. As an AmeriCorps Fellow, Elizabeth established aprogram that linked enrollment in the school meals program with access toMassHealth. Raised in Bangor, Maine,Elizabeth earned a Foster Scholarship at Harvard MedicalSchool (M.D. '09) and a ZuckermanFellowship at the John F. Kennedy School Government at Harvard University(M.P.A. '09). She is a magna cum laudegraduate of Wellesley College (B.A. '99). Placement: U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices

Kisha Davis, Gaithersburg, MD.Kisha Davis most recently served as a family physicianat Chase Brexton Health Services, Inc. She practiced primary care at aculturally and socioeconomically diverse community health center. In additionto routine primary care, she has special interest in HIV/AIDS, women’shealth, and diabetes. She has taught medical students from both Johns HopkinsUniversity and the University of Maryland.She earned an M.P.H from Johns Hopkins Universityand is a member of the Delta Omega public health honor society. Her publichealth research includes studying health care costs and utilization amongMaryland Medicaid new enrollees. She completed residency at the University of Maryland and served as Chief Resident.Kisha is on the board of the Maryland Academy of Family Physicians. She is alsoactive in the AmericaAcademy of Family Physicians (AAFP), representing the voice of new familyphysicians within the AAFP and American Medical Association. She has sponsoredhealth fairs, diabetes groups, and an HIV/AIDS prayer breakfast through herchurch. She has travelled to Zimbabwe,Honduras, and New Orleans on medicalmission trips. Kisha received her M.D. from the University of Connecticutwhere she received the Lyman Stowe Award for humanitarianism in medicine. Sheholds a B.S. in Biological Anthropology from Duke University. Placement: U.S. Department of Agriculture

Felice Gorordo, Miami, FL. LeonardoFelice Gorordo most recently served as co-founder, chairman and CEO of Raícesde Esperanza (Roots of Hope), a national non-profit focused on youthempowerment in Cuba.He founded Raíces while in college. In 2009, Felice served as an advisor to17-time Grammy winner Juanes and helped organize the historic "Peacewithout Borders" concert in Cuba, with 1.2 million inattendance. Previously, he led government sales for Liberty Power, thefastest-growing Hispanic-owned business in the U.S., generating $14.7 million inrevenues annually. Prior to that, he worked as a trade specialist at the U.S.Department of Commerce, managing a cross-sector caseload valued at $1.5 billionin export content. Felice was featured on CNN’s“Young People Who Rock,” and Latinos in Information ScienceTechnology honored him with the “Rising Star Award.” Felice servedas a strategist for the CEO of Jackson Health System and as a member of the University of Miami’s Energy Task Force. Hefrequently appears as a commentator in the media, including CNN, BBC, NPR, CNBC, and The Economist. Felice is a Georgetown University graduate. Placement: The White House

Ziad Haider, Washington, DC. Ziad Haiderrecently earned anM.P.A. and J.D. from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard Universityand Georgetown University. He previously served as aForeign Policy Advisor to U.S. Senator Chris Dodd and Professional Staff on theHouse Committee on Homeland Security. He previously served as a ResearchAnalyst at the Henry L. Stimson Center developing conflict resolution measures inSouth Asia, a Fulbright Scholar in Malaysiaworking on Muslim women’s rights and studying Islamic law, and a Fellowat Human Rights Watch’s China Program and the Human Rights Commission ofPakistan, conducting field work on governance reforms in Pakistan’stribal belt. He has also worked at leading internationallaw firms in the United States,India, and Singapore.Haider is the author of The Ideological Struggle for Pakistan(Hoover Institution Press) and a foreign affairs columnist for The Sun (Malaysia). Heis the Director of the Truman National Security Project’s Asia ExpertGroup and a member of the Groton School’s AlumniCommittee. He received his B.A. withdistinction in Political Science from Yale University.He is fluent in Urdu and proficient in Mandarin and French and has lived in Bahrain, China,India, Malaysia, Pakistan,Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. Placement: U.S. Department of Justice

Theodore Johnson, Raleigh, NC. Theodore Johnson is a Lieutenant Commander andinformation warfare officer in the United States Navy. He most recently servedon the faculty at the U.S. Naval War College where he was a cyberspace andinformation operations military professor. His thirteen years of commissionedservice include numerous afloat deployments throughout Asia and the MiddleEast, cyberspace operations supporting major combat operations, and asaide-de-camp to the Director of the National Security Agency, Generals KeithAlexander, USAand Michael Hayden, USAF. In 2007, Ted deployed with Expeditionary Strike GroupSEVEN in support of Operation Sea Angel II, the disaster relief response toCyclone Sidr in Bangladesh.In 2009, he conducted research in Africa, Asia, and South America that led to official U.S. Navy publications on theatersecurity cooperation and in the historic U.S. Naval Institute’s Proceedings. His military decorationsinclude the Defense Meritorious Service and Humanitarian Service medals.Theodore holds a Bachelor of Science from HamptonUniversity and a Master of LiberalArts with an International Relations concentration from Harvard University. Placement: U.S. Department of Energy

Debra Kurshan, Brooklyn, NY. DebraKurshan mostrecently served as a consultant with the RecoverySchool District in New Orleans, Louisiana.She worked directly with the Superintendent to develop the strategic vision forthe district. Prior to that, she served in a variety of leadership roles at theNew York City Department of Education, including the Executive Director of theOffice of Portfolio Planning, the office responsible for opening new schools,closing under-performing schools and planning the portfolio of the city’s1,700 schools. She also served as Chief Operating Officer for the Office ofInnovation, the office responsible for the District’s first large scaleonline learning platform. Debra served on the board of Minds Matters, anonprofit dedicated to preparing low-income students for college and is also amember of the Columbia Business School Social Enterprise Program Alumni Circle.She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana where she worked with thecommunity to create and implement a technology center. Debra received herM.B.A. from Columbia Business Schoolwhere she was honored with the Board of Overseers fellowship, and her B.A., PhiBeta Kappa, in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. Placement: National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration

Jennifer Lee, Fairfax, VA. JenniferLee mostrecently served as a practicing emergency medicine physician and AssistantProfessor of Emergency Medicine at The George Washington University, with ajoint appointment in the Department of Health Policy. She directed theEmergency Medicine Health Policy Fellowship Program, where she taught andmentored medical students in health policy. Her research focuses on the impactof health reform on ER utilization and how medical schools can train sociallyconscious physicians. Jennifer is on the board of the Arlington Free Clinic,where she volunteers and chairs a health reform planning committee. She wasalso co-chair of the Northern Virginia Access to Health Care Consortium, acoalition of safety net providers that advocates for the uninsured.Additionally, Jennifer was board chair of the Hepatitis B Initiative, anonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating liver disease caused by hepatitisB. In 2008, Jennifer was appointed by Governor Tim Kaine to the Virginia Boardof Medicine. She was a health fellow on the Senate Health, Education, Labor andPensions Committee from 2002-2003. Jennifer completed her residency training atJohns HopkinsUniversity, received her B.S. from Yale University,and her M.D. from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Placement: U.S.Department of Veterans Affairs

Rodney Lewis, Oklahoma City, OK. RodneyLewis isa Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force and an Air Force C-17Apilot. As Commander of the 4^thAirlift Squadron, he was directly responsible for the Department ofDefense’s only Prime Nuclear Airlift Force, which handles our nation'smost sensitive cargo and provides tactically qualified C-17A crews who standready to airdrop combat troops and supplies anywhere in the world. In 2008 and 2009, he was the McChord AFB Chief of Safety andhis office was awarded Air Mobility Command Safety Office of the Year. Previously, he was assigned to the Office of Legislative Liaison, Secretaryof the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, DC where he served as theExecutive to the senior General officer, supervising the internal coordinationof Air Force legislative proposals and issues. In 2004 he received the Bronzestar for his service in Iraq.In 2010 he was awarded the Air Force Association National Medal of Merit forhis work supporting medically challenged children in the Pilot for a Dayprogram. Rodney earned a Systems Management M.S. with Honors from the University of Southern California, and a B.S. in HumanFactors Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy. Placement:The White House

Clay Pell, Providence, RI. ClayPell isa JAG and Lieutenant in the United States Coast Guard. He has served asAdmiral’s Aide, Appellate Government Counsel, and Adjunct Faculty for theDefense Institute of International Legal Studies. Clay executes regular CoastGuard exchanges with Chinato improve military diplomacy, instructs courses on human rights and militaryjustice, and has prosecuted crimes for the U.S. Marine Corps. Prior to militaryservice, Clay worked for the CIA, State Department, and the international lawfirms of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Baker & McKenzie, and UríaMenéndez. He helped lead a national campaign to increase funding forinexpensive, lifesaving medicines for children under five. In Rhode Island, Clay supported ProgresoLatino, the International Institute, and the China Working Group in their driveto instruct foreign languages in local schools and provide critical services tocommunities of new Americans. Clay is fluent in Chinese, Spanish, and Arabicand studied law in China andArgentina.He graduated first in his class from the Coast Guard Direct Commission OfficerSchool, earned his J.D. from GeorgetownUniversity, and graduated from Harvard University with high honors in SocialStudies and a Citation in Modern Standard Arabic. Clay is a recipient of theCIA’s Exceptional Performance Award. Placement: The White House

Wizdom Powell, Norfolk, VA. WizdomPowell mostrecently served as an Assistant Professor of Health Behavior and HealthEducation (HBHE) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Gillings Schoolof Global Public Health and a UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Centerfaculty member. Her community-based domestic research examines the impact ofneighborhood, healthcare, and socioeconomic resources on racial healthdisparities, with an emphasis on vulnerable Black males. She has published over15 scientific articles and book chapters. In 2009, she gave invited experttestimony to the President’s Cancer Panel about racial/ethnic minorityhealthcare experiences. Prior to her positions at UNC, she was a Robert WoodJohnson Foundation Health and Society Scholar at the Universityof California, San Francisco and Berkeley.She is an American Psychological Association (APA) Minority and Ford FoundationPredoctoral Fellow who received a Ph.D. and M.S. in Clinical Psychology andM.P.H. in HBHE from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. In recognition ofoutstanding dissertation research, Wizdom received APA’s Division 51Loren Frankel Award. Wizdom obtained her B.A., summacum laude, in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of CriminalJustice where she received the Thurgood Marshall, Malcolm-King Leadership, andRonald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program Alumnae of the Yearawards. Placement: U.S. Departmentof Defense

Jaron Wharton, Birmingham, AL. JaronWharton isa Major in the United States Army. He most recently served in the Office of theSecretary of Defense where he was a Special Assistant to the Under Secretary ofDefense for Policy. In this capacity, he focused on Afghanistanand served as a liaison to the President’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. His military assignmentsinclude four combat deployments to Afghanistanand Iraq.He graduated with honors from the United StatesMilitary Academywith a B.S. in International Relations and earned an M.P.A. from the John F.Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Jaron is alsoa term member at the Council on Foreign Relations. His military awards anddecorations include three Bronze Star Medals (including one for valor), the MilitaryOutstanding Volunteer Service Medal for supporting multiple projects forwounded warriors, the Ranger Tab and the Combat Infantryman’sBadge. Placement: United States Agencyfor International Development

Tony Woods, Fairfield, CA. TonyWoods mostrecently served as the Director of ServiceNation’s “Service as aStrategy” initiative. In partnership with Mayor Bloomberg’s Citiesof Service coalition, Tony managed a program that develops volunteer-drivensolutions for American cities. Before joining ServiceNation, Tony campaigned in2009 to represent California’s10th congressional district in the US House of Representatives. Tony has alsoserved as an aide to New York Governor David Paterson and as an officer in theUS Army. While in the Army, he deployed twice to Iraq as a platoon leader and earnedthe Bronze Star for his service. Tony’s extensive community serviceactivities include leading reconstruction trips to New Orleans and Haiti,bicycling across Americato raise money for Habitat for Humanity, and mentoring low-income studentsthrough the college admissions process. Additionally, Tony has written op-edsfor The Washington Post, Daily Beast, and Huffington Post. Tony received anM.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy Schooland a B.S. in Economics and American Politics from the United States Military Academy at West Point. Placement: U.S. Office of Personnel Management

State Rep. Patrice Arent to be honored for public service

2011-09-08T17:25:00.001-06:00

Salt Lake City, UT – The Utah State DemocraticParty is pleased to announce the 2011 Eleanor Roosevelt Award recipient will beState Rep. Patrice Arent.

DemocraticState Party Chair Jim Dabakis praised the selection saying,“Representative Patrice Arent is a modern example of the courage andvalues we saw from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt was a womanahead of her time, a warm, loving, sincere, kind, wise, strong, disciplined,and very human person who used her talents and position to help bring aboutmuch needed social change for which she will never be forgotten and will alwaysbe treasured. We think the same can be said for Patrice.”

Firstelected in 1996, Patrice served for a decade in the Utah House andSenate. After completing her term in 2006, Patrice moved out of herSenate district to the Millcreekcommunity. During her legislative tenure, the Deseret News repeatedlynamed Patrice as one of the five “Most Effective” members of theSenate and House. She was elected to the State House in her new district in Millcreek in 2010 and currently serves as a member of theDemocratic National Committee where she has been nominated to serve on thepowerful DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee.

As alegislator, Patrice worked hard to increase support for education, health andhuman services, and preservation of open space. She helped lead efforts to stophigher-level nuclear waste from being stored in Utah. She also worked to amend ordefeat legislation that wasted tax dollars.

Patriceworks with her husband David Mock in a small family business and teachespart-time at the University of Utah's S.J. QuinneyCollege of Law. She is the proud mother of Sarah and Josh,fifth-generation Utahns. Patrice is a graduate of the Universityof Utah and Cornell Law School. She was adivision chief in the Utah Attorney General's Office, Associate General Counselto the Utah Legislature, and practiced in a private law firm.

Patrice hasbeen actively involved in community service for most of her life. She hasvolunteered on several boards including the University of Utah Hospital, RonaldMcDonald House, AARP, and committees at Skyline and Olympushigh schools. Patrice volunteers at the homeless shelters and in thepublic schools, and is active in Rotary International. She has won many awardsfor her community and legislative service.

Patriceworked as a parking lot attendant, gift wrapper, buyer, and sales clerk for herfamily business, “Arent’s Doorway to Fashion.” Workingin her family's business taught Patrice the value of hard work, the importanceof listening to your customers, and providing good, honest service. She hasalso worked as a waitress, substitute teacher, and law clerk in federalcourt.

In theirfree time, Patrice and her family enjoy exploring Millcreek Canyon, music, skiing,theater, and hiking in Boulder, Utah. Patrice's wonderful father, MarvinArent, often joins them on vacations.

PatriceArent was selected by a committee of past award winners from nominationssubmitted by members of the public and party activists. Special recognitionwill also be given to the Utah Democratic Women’s Club, the longestcontinuing Women’s Democratic Club in the nation at over 100 years ofactivity.

The awardwill be presented at the eighteenth annual Eleanor Roosevelt Award Luncheon tobe held on October 27, 2011 at the Garden Place at This is the PlaceHeritage Parkin Salt Lake City, Utah.

Past awardwinners include former Congresswoman Karen Shepherd; Utah First Ladies LucyBeth Rampton and Norma Matheson; former Attorney General Jan Graham; Salt LakeCounty Clerk Sherrie Swensen, former State House members Judy Ann Buffmire andBeverly White; State Senator Karen Mayne and former State Senators Karen Haleand Paula Julander; Party activists Fae Beck, Rosa Vida Black, ShaRon Nelson,Louise Henson and Helen James; former Executive Director of the Utah EducationAssociation Susan Kuziak; former Utah AFL-CIO political director BeverlySaathoff; well-known community activists Annette Cumming, Esther Landa, RobynMatheson and Peggy Swenson.

For specificquestions regarding arrangements for the Eleanor Roosevelt Award Luncheon,please contact Matt Lyon at 801-328-1212 x 207.

More than 55,743 Job Losses in Utah would Result From GOP’s Extreme Policies

2011-09-08T17:21:00.001-06:00

Salt LakeCity, UT – In advance of tonight’s GOP Presidential debate, UtahDemocratic Party Chair Jim Dabakis released an estimate of the number of jobswhich would be lost in Utah as a result of the Republican Party’spresidential candidates support for extreme economic policies, including abalanced budget amendment to the Constitution like that which is included in theTea Party budget plan passed by the U.S. House of Representatives thissummer.

The analysisfound that just the balanced budget amendment called for in the plan, if inplace in 2012, would result in the loss of 9.5 million American jobs and 55,743jobs right here in Utah.The loss of so many jobs could sink the U.S. into a depression the likes ofwhich the country hasn’t experienced since the Great Depression.

This newanalysis looked at the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO)August deficit projections for 2012 ( $991 billion deficit with CBO options forIraq drawdown, extension of all tax provisions and Alternative Minimum Taxindexing and accounting for the so-called “Doc” fix), and using theconservative Romer-Bernstein rule of thumb that 1 percent of GDP equates to 1million jobs, concluded that if the plan were fully phased in in 2012 andnearly a trillion dollars in federal spending was slashed, the balanced budgetamendment would cost 9.5 million jobs nationwide.

Because ofthe balanced budget amendment’s strict requirements for deep cuts, hardspending caps and a two-thirds majority to raise revenue, Congress would bevirtually helpless to reverse the negative effects of these Tea PartyRepublican policies. Despite these negative consequences, everyRepublican presidential candidate, courting the extreme Tea Party vote, hascome out in favor of a balanced budget amendment to the constitution or the TeaParty plan which contains one.

Prior to theRepublican debate, State Chair Jim Dabakis released the following statement onthe report:

“The plans advocated by the GOP could cost as much as 9.5million American jobs and 55,743 jobs here in Utah. It could possibly bring on a secondGreat Depression and devastation for the middle class, small businesses,students and seniors. Ending Medicare as we know it and slashing SocialSecurity is the price Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul arewilling to pay to appeal to the most extreme and narrow elements of the TeaParty. There’s not a Democrat or Republican in this country whodoesn’t think we need to get our fiscal house in order, but what thiscrop of Tea Party-loving Republicans has signed on to would lay ruin to ourcountry and is beyond irresponsible.

The drastic cuts to education, health care, infrastructure,research and development, higher education, Social Security, Medicare and jobtraining supported by Republicans would cost us millions of jobs if the planwere fully implemented in 2012 and would ensure that we aren’t making thevery types of investments we need to create jobs and be globally competitive inthe 21st Century. The Republican approach is like setting dynamite toyour home to fix a leaky faucet – and these wrongheaded policy choicesare the result of a Republican Party which has turned over an increasing amountof power to its Tea Party fringe.

“Americans want real solutions to the problems we faceand they want a plan to create jobs in the short term and lay a foundation forlong term economic prosperity. What Republicans are proposing fallsdevastatingly flat on all fronts.”

Link toReport: http://my.democrats.org/DNC-report

Democrats offer an Idea for Congressman Chaffetz

2011-08-17T14:32:00.000-06:00

Salt Lake City, UT— The “Chaffetz is Considering a Campaign for the U.S. Senate” summer tour continued this week in Emery County – the congressional district he lives in but not the one he represents.

Pasty Stoddard of the Emery County Progress, a local weekly newspaper, reported Congressman Chaffetz as saying, “”Just because you are born here, doesn’t make you a United States Citizen . . . I hope to be part of the solution. I need help and support and your ideas.” (see full story at http://www.ecprogress.com/index.php?tier=1&article_id=11347)

Utah Democratic Party Chair Jim Dabakis agreed that the congressman needs help saying, “Congressman Chaffetz please read the Constitution – particularly the 14th Amendment. It starts out by saying that all persons born in the United States are citizens.”

Dabakis added, “Since he asked, our idea is that Congressman Chaffetz learn the basic facts about citizenship or, at the very least stop this intentional effort to mislead the public and incite the far right-wing. His statement makes clear that like too many members of Congress, Chaffetz is more interested in getting attention – even to the point of appealing to bigotry — than solving the real problems faced by Utah and our country. We believe that in the end, Chaffetz will learn that Utah wants a Democratic Senator who values common sense solutions not destructive political rhetoric and posturing.”

Utah Democrats announce “The Red Rock Tour on Redistricting – Springville to St. George” – a four day tour covering over 1100 miles through Southern Utah communities.

2011-08-17T14:27:00.000-06:00

SALT LAKE CITY, August 15, 2011 - On Monday, August 22, 2011, Utah Democrats will begin a week-

long tour through Southern Utah to discuss the plans for redistricting being presented by the Utah Legislature. The road trip is part of a broader strategy to engage rural and members of the LDS Church in the Democratic Party. Newly elected state party chairman Jim Dabakis will travel over 1100 miles with other members of the Utah Democratic Party to meet with Southern Utah residents, elected officials, political activists, members of the media, and other interested parties to urge the Utah Legislature to give Southern Utah its own Congressional district.

“The 2011 redistricting process may be the most important event of the decade. Current proposals by the Legislature suggest that Southern Utah communities should be combined with Northern Utah interests. This is the wrong approach. Southern Utah has uniquely different needs when it comes to issues such as natural resources, public lands, agriculture, and economic development,” said Dabakis. “Utah Democrats firmly believe that a congressional district should be created specifically for Southern Utah, and represented by a member of congress who is familiar with the characteristics and values of the communities represented,” he said.

Dabakis and others will kickoff the event in Springville and over the course of four days will visit the communities of Price, Castle Dale, Moab, Kanab, Mt. Carmel, Boulder, Torrey, Richfield, Delta, Cedar City, Springdale and St. George. A Grand Finale Breakfast will be held in St. George on Thursday, August 25, 2011, with Minority Whip Senator Karen Morgan as the keynote speaker. All events are open to the public. More information and an upd-to-date schedule may be found by visiting the Red Rock Tour website at http://redrocktour.utahdemocrats.org.

For further details or media requests, please contact The Red Rock Tour Event & Media Coordinator, Emily Bingham Hollingshead, at 435.590.9961 or by email at emily.hollingshead@gmail.com.

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Jim Dabakis for Utah Democratic Party Chair 2011 Convention Nomination Address

2011-07-26T17:23:00.000-06:00

Rob Miller for Utah Democratic Party Treasurer 2011 Convention Nomination Address

2011-07-26T17:21:00.000-06:00

Utah's Working Families -- Part of the Solution -- Careers for Veterans

2011-07-22T01:21:00.001-06:00

2011 USDC Convention Endorsement Video

2011-07-21T23:31:00.001-06:00

This is the video that played in the background during my nomination and presentation for USDC Treasurer at convention.

Thank you!

Utah State Democratic Chairman Wayne Holland's Farewell Address

2011-07-19T09:19:00.000-06:00

Wayne Holland Tribute from 2011 USDC Convention

2011-07-18T08:23:00.000-06:00

Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie Addresses Utah Democrats at the 2011 USDC Convention

2011-07-18T08:19:00.001-06:00

First Lady Michelle Obama to visit Utah

2011-06-28T22:07:00.000-06:00

Dear Rob,

Please reserve the afternoon of Tuesday, July 26, 2011 for what will be a fabulous event with First Lady Michelle Obama.

Although the Utah State Democratic Party is not the host, we want to make you aware of the event and will provide more details in the next couple of weeks.

Thank you,
Wayne Holland

Utah Democratic Party Announces Keynote Speakers for 2011 State Convention and Jubilee Weekend

2011-06-28T14:30:00.000-06:00

Salt Lake City, Utah – Utah Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Holland announced today that two top national Democratic speakers will be joining Utah Party delegates for Party festivities on July 15 and 16, 2011.

Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, current chair of the Democratic Governor’s Association will keynote the Party’s annual jubilee event traditionally held on the evening before the State Party convention. Holland said, “Governor O’Malley is widely viewed as a potential presidential candidate in 2016 and has traveled the country extensively.”

Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie will keynote the 2011 convention.

Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley

According to Holland Governor Abercrombie is one of the premier convention speakers in the Party’s recent history. “This guy can really light the fire and I am certain that Utah delegates will see why Governor Abercrombie is one of the most highly sought after speakers in our Party.

Both events will be held at the Salt Lake City Hilton (255 South West Temple).

Holland said, “This will be a weekend to remember for all those who participate.”

The Utah Democratic Jubilee will be held on the evening of July 15, 2011 and the 2011 Utah Democratic Party Convention will be held on July 16, 2011 at 9 a.m. Both events are being held at the Salt Lake Hilton located at 255 South West Temple.

Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie

Learn more on both events at utdem.org.

More on Governor Neil Abercrombie can be found online at http://www.neilabercrombie.com/index.php.

More on Governor Martin O’Malley can be found online at http://www.martinomalley.com/.

Who: Utah Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Holland announces keynote speakers for the 2011 convention weekend.

What: Maryland Governor O’Malley to keynote 2011 Utah Democratic Party Jubilee and Hawaii Governor Abercrombie to keynote 2011 Utah Democratic Party Organizing Convention.

When: The Utah Democratic Jubilee will be held Friday July, 15 2011. The Utah Democratic Party Convention will be held on July 16, 2011 at 9 a.m.

Where: The Salt Lake City Hilton – 255 South West Temple, SLC, UT 84101.

The next step

2011-05-23T18:16:00.000-06:00

Rob Miller likes

Rob Miller for Utah State Democratic Party Treasurer

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Utah Democratic Party Chair Wayne Holland Announces Future Plans

2011-04-04T23:15:00.000-06:00

Utah State Democratic Party Chair Wayne Holland announced today that he will devote his time and energy for political work to helping President Obama’s reelection campaign following the conclusion of his current and third term as Chair of the Party. Holland’s decision to forego a fourth term as Chair is based on his desire to return to activities involving national and regional politics.

Just months prior to his election as the Chair in 2005, Holland had spent much of the 2004 campaign organizing political activities in Western battleground states like Colorado and Arizona. Holland said, “The Rocky Mountain region has become fertile ground for Democrats at all levels, and I am looking forward to hitting the campaign trail once again. I am convinced that the higher voter turnout surrounding a Presidential campaign will have a positive impact on Democrats both in Utah and throughout the Western United States.” Holland said, “I’ll see everyone on the campaign trail.”

Wayne Holland (State Party Chair from 2005 until 2011) has provided stability to Utah Democratic leadership and is among the longest serving Democratic Party Chairs in Utah history joining John Klas (1968-1976) and Meg Holbrook (1997-2003) in serving three or more terms. There have been five State GOP Chairs during Holland’s terms in office including Joe Cannon, Enid Greene, Stan Lockhart, Dave Hansen and Thomas Wright.

Since taking office in 2005, Holland has been appointed to serve on the Democratic National Committee’s powerful Rules and Bylaws committee by DNC Chair Tim Kaine, and was recently elected to the DNC Executive Committee. Holland has helped the National Party implement DNC Chair Howard Dean’s “50 State Strategy” and DNC Chair Kaine’s “Organizing for America” in Utah.

Holland is well-known in political circles for his fundraising prowess and his unprecedented success in consistently out-raising the Utah Republican Party over the past two election cycles. He has increased the number of staff, the size and capabilities of the Party’s headquarters, and managed to take the Party successfully through the Great Recession that has been devastating to many non-profit organizations in Utah.

Under the leadership of Holland, Congressman Jim Matheson has won three re-elections, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon was re-elected, nine of the 17 Democratic members of the State House were elected for the first time to their current State House seat, as were six of the seven Democratic members of the State Senate, and Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker was first elected to his current job. Democrats had their best showing in a U.S. Senate race in 18 years and a Presidential contest in 12 years with a majority of Utah voters in Salt Lake County supported a Democratic presidential candidate in 2008 for the first time since the 1960’s. At the high point Democrats briefly controlled the Salt Lake County Council for the first time in its short history, and there were 22 Democratic members of the State House. Women now make up the majority of Democrats elected to the legislature with 53% in the House and 57% in the Senate.

“Serving as Chairman of the State Party has been one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had. The past six years have been eventful working on public policy issues like the school voucher fight, and building relationships with great leaders like Jim Matheson, Peter Corroon and Ralph Becker. I have to thank the United Steelworkers for providing me with the flexibility to do this work. I owe a debt of gratitude to the working men and women of Utah that are a part of organized labor. They were constantly in my thoughts as I tried to make a better community for all of us,” remarked Holland.

Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker said, “Wayne has had incredible successes over the past six years. He has built a party infrastructure, which puts Utah Democrats on the right path for success in our future.”

Nikki Norton, State Director for the President’s grassroots organization Organizing for America said, “Wayne has been instrumental in the success of Organizing for America here in Utah. His support of the President has been unwavering – it has helped provide important resources to Utah candidates.”

The filing deadline for candidates for Democratic State Party office will be the “Call to Order” of the first county convention of the year. This is currently scheduled for April 19, 2011 at 5:30 PM with the commencement of the Washington County Democratic Party Organizing Convention. The Utah State Democratic Party will be selecting new officers -- including a Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary and Treasurer -- at the organizing convention to be held on July 16, 2011. The location has yet to be determined.

HB 477 Rally - Meet the future, meet Abby Miller

2011-03-11T00:54:00.000-07:00

Davis County Democratic Party Blog: Service -- The Heart and Soul of the Davis Democrat

2011-02-21T22:56:00.000-07:00

Click on the photo below to learn how Organizing for America and the Davis County Democratic Party is making change happen one step at a time.

CONGRATULATIONS! Senator Karen Morgan names Emily Bingham Hollingshead as Chief of Staff

2011-01-06T19:12:00.002-07:00

From the Office of
Senator Karen Morgan
Utah State Senate

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Emily Bingham Hollingshead
Chief of Staff to Senator Karen Morgan, Utah State Senate
Ph: 435.590.9961
emily.hollingshead@gmail.com
http://www.karenmorgan.org

SALT LAKE CITY, January 6, 2011 -- It was announced today that Senator Karen Morgan, the Minority Whip in the Utah State Senate, has named Emily B. Hollingshead as her new Chief of Staff for the 2011 Legislative Session and beyond. This appointment is effective immediately.

“I am absolutely delighted to have Emily working as my Chief of Staff. Her expertise, vast experience with the legislative process, and ability to work well across party lines will be a tremendous asset to my office,” said Senator Morgan in a statement.

Hollingshead will be primarily responsible for Senator Morgan’s constituent services and press activities. She will also act as the primary spokesperson for the Senator during the 2011 legislative session and will work closely with the Senator on key legislative issues.

Hollingshead had previously served as the Communications Coordinator in the Utah House of Representatives Democratic Caucus. In 2008, she was Karen Morgan’s Senate campaign manager, and played a key roll in Morgan’s senate victory. Hollingshead has been active in Utah politics since 1988, where she a theatre arts / liberal studies student at Utah State University. She is the owner of a marketing, design, and PR firm which provides PR and marketing services to small businesses. She is also a political consultant to state legislative candidates in the mountain west, and currently resides with her husband and two children in Cedar City.

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Wimmer won't run voucher bill

2010-12-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

SLTrib: Wimmer won’t run sponsor-a-student bill

Who got to him? Madame Speaker?

They're BAAAACK...

2010-12-28T00:07:00.004-07:00

Is Representative Carl Wimmer's latest bill private education funding and tax credit bill actually a voucher bill in disguise? He says no...

But I think this is one of those slippery slope things that changes the game for Utah's schools. I especially hate the Representative's justification for this bill... he says it is needed so that we can help failing students and failing schools. First, show me which "failing" schools this will help... and second, why doesn't the legislature actually do something that is helpful for teachers and school children... more money into the classroom, perhaps?

Tonight, Representative Wimmer asked the Utah Amicus if we support "allowing kids to fail," and said it is "morally reprehensible to oppose legislation that helps children." To answer your question, Representative: The answer is no. We absolutely do not support allowing kids to fail, and your "spin" to characterize us as people who don't care about Utah's school children is low, indeed. The truth is, we believe that anything short of helping teachers to help kids succeed in the classroom is what really fails them.

The bottom line is that we don't like the sounds of your bill. We don't like slippery slope policies that will take money out of the pockets of kids. Period. At the Amicus, we believe that Utah needs a world class education system, not a second rate afterthought. We also believe that it is not government's job to elevate private enterprise. From the looks of it, we don't get the impression that this will help kids as much as it helps private schools with public money. You can call it a tax credit all you want, but we both know where this is going.

Here we go again..., VOUCHERS!

2010-12-27T23:44:00.002-07:00

ABC 4 EXCLUSIVE: New Utah school voucher bill being drafted

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC 4 News) - ABC 4 News has learned Utah is headed for another potentially bruising debate over school vouchers.

A key republican state legislator is now drafting a new bill which would create a voucher program for some Utah students.

In early 2007, the Utah legislature approved a school voucher program.

But later that same year, voters rejected it.

Now, however, the school voucher debate is back.

Under the the new voucher idea, students from failing Utah schools could be given scholarships.

These scholarships could then be used at private schools.

Rep. Carl Wimmer, the bill’s sponsor says,

“There are students who are simply falling through the cracks. Probably more than we actually care to mention."

Wimmer also says he has an interesting way to pay for this.

He wants the legislature to let individuals or businesses donate money to pay for the vouchers or scholarships.

In return, the donors would get tax credits.

Wimmer told ABC 4,

"A non-refundable tax credit is the least the state can do to help that individual donate that money."

But then Wimmer said something unexpected.

Given how high profile this voucher bill may be (and how controversial), ABC 4 wanted to know what the incoming speaker, Becky Lockhart, thought about it.

ABC 4: “Does the Speaker know what you are up to?”

Wimmer: “Not yet. She will tonight after she sees the news."

Wimmer says it may take two bills and two legislative sessions to get his scholarship plan passed.

The Utah legislature begins its 2011 session in one month.

Two Don Johns

2010-12-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Return of the Jedi

2010-11-04T23:53:00.003-06:00

Inspired by Mark Hymas on Facebook. Happy Birthday Mark!

2008 was "A New Hope"

2010 is "The Empire Strikes Back!"

2012 will be "Return of the Jedi!"

You ain't seen nothing yet!

It is about personal responsibility

Historical perspective for Utah Democrats

2010-11-04T19:25:00.000-06:00

Utah Democrats had their best performance in a first-term Democratic presidential mid-term in sixty years.

1950 Truman – Utah Democrats lost a US Senate seat, and eight seats in the legislature (-11 House, +3 Senate)

1962 Kennedy – Utah Democrats lost two Congressional seats, and eight seats in the legislature (-6 House, -2 Senate)

1966 Johnson – Utah Democrats lost one Congressional seat, and 39 seats in the legislature (-29 House, -10 Senate)

1978 Carter – Utah Democrats lost eighteen seats in the legislature (-11 House, -7 Senate)

1994 Clinton – Utah Democrats lost one Congressional seat, and seven seats in the legislature (-6 House, -1 Senate)

2010 Obama – Utah Democrats lost six seats in the legislature (-5 House, -1 Senate)

Here is the record for first-term Republican presidential mid-terms. The result is mixed because of redistricting in 1982 and 2002. (NOTE: There was not likely redistricting in 1952 or 1962 in the modern sense which instead would have taken place in 1956 and 1964.)

1952 Eisenhower – Utah Republicans lost five seats in the legislature (-6 House, +1 Senate)

1970 Nixon – Utah Republicans lost a Congressional seat, and 23 seats in the legislature (-19 House, -4 Senate)

1982 Reagan – Utah Republicans gained three seats in the legislature (+1 House, +2 Senate), Redistricting played a factor

1990 Bush 1 – Utah Republicans lost a Congressional seat, and six seats in the legislature (-3 House, -3 Senate)

2002 Bush 2 – Utah Republicans gained seven seats in the legislature (+5 House, +2 Senate), Redistricting played a factor

Utah State Senate Democratic Caucus elects new leadership team

2010-11-04T18:42:00.001-06:00

The State Senate Democratic Caucus held their leadership elections today and the Utah Amicus wants to congratulate what I believe is a great leadership team!

Ross Romero, Leader

Karen Morgan, Whip

Pat Jones, Assistant Whip

Ben McAdams, Caucus Manager

D News: New Democratic leadership elected in Utah Senate

Commissioners for Granato

2010-10-27T18:35:00.001-06:00

Commissioners for Granato

Chad Johnson, Beaver County Commissioner

John Jones, Carbon County Commissioner

Bill Krompel, Carbon County Commissioner

Mike Milovich, Carbon County Commissioner

Henry Gutz, Daggett County Commissioner

Ron Winterton, Duchesne County Commissioner

Gary Kofford, Emery County Commissioner

Laurie Pitchforth, Emery County Commissioner

Val Jones, Juab County Commissioner

Bart Whatcott, Millard County Commissioner

Rick Blackwell, Piute County Commissioner

Kay Blackwell, Piute County Commissioner

Joe Hatch, Salt Lake County Council Chair

Randy Horiuchi, Salt Lake County Councilman

Jim Bradley, Salt Lake County Councilman

Phillip Blomquist, former Salt Lake County Commissioner

Gordon Topham, Sevier County Commissioner

Derae Fillmore, Wayne County Commissioner

Kenneth Bischoff, Weber County Commissioner

Mayors for Granato

2010-10-27T18:31:00.000-06:00

Mayors for Granato

Mark Yardley, Mayor of Beaver

Joe Johnson, Mayor of Bountiful

John Cushing, former Mayor of Bountiful

Bob Linnell, former Mayor of Bountiful

Gerald Sherrat, former Mayor of Cedar City

Gayle K. Bunker, Mayor of Delta

Dean Armstrong, Mayor of Helper

Jim Truett, Mayor of Huntsville

Randy Watts, Mayor of Logan

Keith Butler, Mayor of Marriott-Slaterville City

JoAnn Seghini, Mayor of Midvale

Connie Tatton, Mayor of Midway

Dave Sakrison, Mayor of Moab

Dan Snarr, Mayor of Murray

Lyn Pett, former Mayor of Murray

Dana Williams, Mayor of Park City

Brad Olch, former Mayor of Park City

Joe Piccolo, Mayor of Price

Ralph Becker, Mayor of Salt Lake City

Cherie Wood, Mayor of South Salt Lake

Russ Wall, Mayor of Taylorsville

Gary Showalter, Mayor of Vernal

Bountiful City Mayor endorses the Better candidate

2010-10-27T18:18:00.000-06:00

Standard Examiner

Bountiful mayor endorses (shudder) a DEMOCRAT!

Last updated

Tuesday, October 26, 2010 - 10:03pm

BOUNTIFUL -- Joe Johnson isn't on the ballot this year, but that isn't stopping the nonpartisan Bountiful mayor from being a topic of conversation when it comes to the Nov. 2 general election.

Johnson has verbally endorsed Democratic candidate Richard Watson in his bid for the open House District 19 seat. His endorsement is an irritant to the Davis GOP.

"I'm very disappointed," Davis County GOP Chairwoman Shirley Bouwhuis said upon hearing Johnson had endorsed a Democrat.

Johnson, who is in China representing the city of Bountiful in connection with the International Organization of the Preservation of Folk Art, confirmed via telephone he has endorsed Watson in his race for a House Seat.

"Absolutely correct," Johnson said.

"I have a right to make an endorsement," he said of his backing Watson. "(Watson) has been really engaged in what is happening in Bountiful."

Watson has provided the city with many volunteer hours serving on its Community Services Council, Johnson said. Besides that, Watson is a friend, he said.

However, Johnson's endorsement of his Democratic friend has dropped some Republican jaws.

Based on county voting records, Johnson is a registered Republican, Davis County Clerk/Auditor Steve Rawlings said. Johnson is not the first nonpartisan elected official in the county to endorse a candidate in a partisan contest, Rawlings said, a right Johnson gets to exercise like any other individual regardless of party affiliation.

"I'm a Republican, and I support the Republican nominee in every race," Bouwhuis said.

Watson is facing Republican Jim Nielsen and Constitution Party candidate Reldon White to fill the seat being vacated by Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful. Allen also crossed party lines, as she's running for lieutenant governor with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Peter Corroon.

Watson said that, over a lunch with Johnson, he did receive the verbal endorsement of the mayor. That resulted in Watson's placing a campaign sign in the front yard of one of Johnson's rental properties.

Watson, a longtime Democrat who has made unsuccessful bids for other offices, said Johnson's endorsement of his campaign means everything, since he has been working with the mayor on Bountiful city's Community Service Council.

Supporting a Democrat in what is a county heavily dominated by the GOP, Watson admits, takes a strong personality, a trait Johnson is known to have.

"When (Johnson) stands for something, he will let you know. He says what he thinks," Watson said.

The much-talked about endorsement surfaced at recent meet-the-candidates nights, Watson said.

Councilwoman Beth Holbrook, who attended the same luncheon in which Johnson gave Watson the endorsement, said Johnson indicated he would endorse Watson because for two years Watson has performed voluntary community service as chairman of Bountiful's Community Service Council. That council oversees activities such as concerts in the park and the emergency preparedness fair.

Johnson indicated he felt that service should be taken into consideration, Holbrook said.

In addition to Johnson, two members of the Bountiful City Council also have endorsed his candidacy, Watson said. Holbrook said she is one of those council members.

Campaign Finance Complaint Filed against Philpot

2010-10-27T17:43:00.000-06:00

Utah State Democratic Party
Press Release

Campaign Finance Complaint Filed against Philpot

Questions concern possible in-kind funding of billboard rentals

Salt Lake City, UT—Utah Democratic Party Chairman Wayne Holland said today he is asking election attorneys to file a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) regarding questions about a discrepancy on 2nd Congressional District candidate Morgan Philpot’s campaign filing regarding billboard rentals.

Holland said that Philpot’s FEC report shows a payment of $2,854 on October 1 for billboard rentals. Based on what other campaigns are paying for billboards and the number of signs Philpot has displayed, Holland says the campaign disclosure is off by a significant amount.

“Federal campaign law is clear. In-kind donations from companies are not allowed. Mr. Philpot is on leave from his job with an outdoor advertising company. He must pay the going rate and whether he has done so is the focus of our complaint,” said Holland.

Holland said the Philpot campaign has several freeway “bulletin” signs, which rent for roughly $1,000 a month each, plus at least nine “30 sheets” around the 2nd Congressional District. Similar billboard rentals by Utah Democratic candidates in state and local races have totaled between $28,000 and $30,000.

Holland said the complaint will be filed with the FEC, triggering a formal investigation by that agency.

“As someone seeking to hold the public trust of elected office, Philpot needs to be held accountable to the law,” said Holland.

From the Philpot Philes

2010-10-14T18:14:00.009-06:00

Part Two... In a series...

Think you know where Politician Morgan Philpot

stands on the important issues?

Think again.

Did you know that when Politician Morgan Philpot was in the Utah legislature …

He likened the 2002 education budget and those who benefited from it, as fat and lazy from ingesting "pork rinds and soda pop" years.

We're as fat as can be," he said in the Jan. 20, 2002 Deseret News. "The fact we're even worried (about revenue shortfalls) is ridiculous. And you as opinion leaders shouldn't be selling this garbage...it's political posturing and a joke. I'm sick of it."

And look at this voting record on behalf of Utah's Children:

Philpot said NO to funding education, he said NO to providing children the tools for financial literacy, and he said NO to school bus safety.

The proof is in his votes:

Voted against H.B. 3 Substitute, the Minimum School Program Act Amendments, which provided $24,785,000 in one-time educational appropriations.

Voted against HJR 15 to urge Utah school districts to promote financial literacy, from basic budgeting to financial investments, among school students. (49 Yes-13 No -13 Not present / not voting)

Voted against H.B. 85, requiring Utah school buses to meet federal safety standards. (41 Yes - 30 no - 4 not present/ not voting)

Voted against SB 156 to allow each local school board to adopt an emergency response plan for treatment of sports-related injuries, and provide implementation of the plan in each secondary school that has a sports program. (64 Yes -9 No -2 not present/ not voting)

Voted against HB 190 to restrict the use of cell phones by school bus drivers. (48 Yes -26 No -1 Not present / not voting)

What does Morgan Philpot have against Utah's children?

Philpot=Phailure

Vote NO on Morgan Philpot

Mike Lee and The Number of the Beast!

2010-10-14T15:25:00.000-06:00

No, I don't think Mike Lee is the Antichrist, but maybe four of his contributors do. While I was browsing through Mike Lee's FEC report I noticed that Dennis Albers, a self employed investor from Piedmont, CA contributed $666 to Mike Lee's campaign. I giggled at the thought but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have written a blog post on the contribution if I had not noticed that Amy Friedkin, a self employed activist from San Fransisco, CA, Russ Holdstein, a self employed investor from Kentfield, CA and Amnon Rodan, CEO of Rodan and Fields from Oakland, CA had made the same $666 donation.

So, what does this mean? Absolutely nothing, but why would anyone give a candidate a contribution for $666? Maybe the know something I don't.

To be fair, I also checked Sam Granato's FEC report, but I was unable to find any contributions from Sam's supporters for exactly $666 bucks.

Maybe those particular contributors really gave $999 dollars and the number was input wrong. Maybe they are just simply Iron Maiden fans. But, what ever the case may be, I leave it in your capable hands to decide what the link is between four Mike Lee supporters and The Number of the Beast!

From the Philpot Philes..

2010-10-13T09:11:00.003-06:00

Think you know where Politician Morgan Philpot
stands on the important issues?

Think again.

Did you know that when Politician Morgan Philpot

was in the Utah legislature …

He said NO to retirement benefits for Utah’s public employees?

He voted to urge Congress to risk Social Security in the stock market?

He refused to give seniors a break on their insurance co-payments,
insisting they should pay more!

One has to wonder…

what does Morgan Philpot have against Utah’s seniors?

Philpot=Phailure

Say NO to Morgan Philpot.

Introducing... The Philpot Philes

2010-10-12T20:40:00.004-06:00

Think you know where Politician Morgan Philpot stands on the issues?

Think again...

coming soon... The Philpot Philes.

Richard Watson for House District 19

2010-10-09T03:43:00.001-06:00

Be honest, who would you rather visit in our Nation's Capitol?

2010-10-07T20:06:00.002-06:00

The Return of James...

2010-10-07T19:37:00.000-06:00

Roofff.

KUED Vote Utah: Corroon v. Herbert Gubernatorial Debate - Why wait till Monday?

2010-09-23T23:12:00.000-06:00

Corroon - The Realist

2010-09-23T22:46:00.000-06:00

Take a minute and watch Mayor Peter Corroon's post debate comments on ksl.com.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Mike Lee - Gut it!

2010-09-22T22:57:00.000-06:00

Post 2001* From the last issue of the Thursday Davis County Clipper: Party Lines - Should changes be made to the 14th Amendment? If so, how?

2010-09-09T17:15:00.001-06:00

Despite my strong objections to those who break our law and come here illegally, punishing babies for the transgressions of their parents seems wrong to me. I happen to believe that people will be punished for their own sins, and not for the sins of their fathers.

The American consensus for 142 years has been that it is wrong to deny citizenship to people born in the United States because you don’t like their parents. The argument that the 14th Amendment is a magnet for illegal immigration is a gross exaggeration at best and cynical political pandering at worst. The Pew Hispanic Center estimates 51,000 of 4.3 million babies born in the U.S. in 2008 were born to people who had been in the country for less than a year. Most were born to tourists and people who came here to buy better health care services. This fight is not about deporting, jailing, or considering as property 51,000 babies.

There is a strong and bipartisan consensus on what needs to be done. The first and most important job of government is to protect its people, and you can’t protect your people if you can’t protect your borders. It is unbelievable that nine years after 9/11, we still haven’t secured our borders.

There is nearly unanimous agreement that securing the border is not simply a matter of building a wall between us and Mexico. There are more than 7,200 miles of water between Hong Kong and Los Angeles and still we have illegal crossings. The wall is a symbol.

What we agree on is that every person who is in America should be here legally — no exceptions. To do this, we need to hire more border guards, create natural entry points, and crack down on employers who violate the law and undercut American jobs with cheap labor.

But true leadership also calls on us to acknowledge a hard truth: Politicians who tell you that we can find and deport 12 million illegal immigrants aren’t being honest.

We are going to have to restore the rule of law by requiring those who came here without our permission to gain some legal status, register and get in line, obey our laws, work hard, pay taxes, and, at the very least, pay a fine for breaking the law.

As religious leaders remind us, human decency also requires us to prevent splitting families apart and to stop sending away people who have known no other home but ours. It is cruelty in the extreme to do otherwise.

True leadership calls on us to tell another hard truth to immigrants who want to stay here. They must adopt our core community standards: be a good neighbor, get involved in the local community, and learn our language because those who don’t speak English will likely never achieve the American Dream.

True leadership isn’t about scoring political points — it is about solving problems. We should direct our anger where it belongs: at the special interests that exploit cheap labor and drive down American wages, and on the politicians who would rather stoke the flames of division than solve our problems. But solving problems is difficult if we get caught up in a wave of anti-Hispanic hysteria.

Read more: Davis County Clipper - PARTY LINES Should changes be made to the 14th Amendment If so how

Post 2000* From the last issue of the Thursday Davis County Clipper: Party Lines - Should changes be made to the 14th Amendment? If so, how?

2010-09-09T17:06:00.004-06:00

Ben Horsley, Davis County Republican

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as part of the Civil War reconstruction amendments. The intent of the amendment was to allow slaves born in the United States full citizenship and constitutional rights. What is so controversial about this amendment? Read it for yourself.

Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.

Does automatic citizenship of the children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants create an “incentive” for illegal immigration? Is the problem so significant that amending the Constitution is the answer?

I am of the strong opinion that our Constitution is a divinely inspired document and the less we change it the better. While I abhor the ongoing problem with illegal immigration, changing our Constitution to impact less than 1 percent of our nation’s births is not the answer.

I spent six years handling immigration issues and policy for Congressman Rob Bishop. In that experience, I reviewed in detail the amnesty type legislative proposals that were proposed under the Bush administration. None of these proposals ever addressed the core issue of the problem and neither does eliminating this provision in the Constitution. The bulk of illegal immigrants are coming here to work, not for citizenship. The rest are typical criminals participating in drug and human trafficking activities.

They are not interested in citizenship either. The almighty dollar is the motivation for these individuals while the rights and privileges of our great nation are a secondhand thought.

It is easy to assess blame in blanket terms and easier to assess solutions in the same manner. However, this proposal does nothing to solve the real problem of illegal immigration. Amending the constitution in this manner is akin to killing a mosquito on your arm with a crop duster full of pesticide. The solution to the problem continues to be enforcing our borders to prevent the issue from occurring in the first place. Republicans have been pushing for strong border protection and immigration reform in a piecemeal fashion. While there is a comprehensive problem with our immigration system, there is no comprehensive solution.

Congress must allocate the appropriate amount of resources and manpower to lock down the border. Once this is accomplished, changing our current system to ease the process of legal immigration is something both parties can agree on and accomplish with ease.

While I appreciate the motivation and intent for making this change, I fear any proposal to amend the Constitution in this culturally and politically unstable environment.

A constitutional convention at this point in history could incite additional short sighted solutions that will have long-term implications for our nation. Creating an opening for such changes is dangerous and irresponsible in this period of time when partisanship and extremist political agendas are rampant.

Changing the Constitution will not stop illegal immigration from occurring. Only strong border protection and hiring enforcement can do that.

Read more: Davis County Clipper - PARTY LINES Should changes be made to the 14th Amendment If so how

*Best estimate

Utah Senate pokes Summit County - again

2010-09-07T09:51:00.000-06:00

The Utah Senate has asked for an investigation of development rulings in Summit County, claiming "political influence" may have effected decisions. That is rich coming from a body that specializes in taking corporate donations and doling out goodies to their friends. The planning commissions in Summit County are volunteer, unpaid positions, Senate leaders receive 10's of thousands of dollars in contributions. Who do you think is playing the political influence game?
What are the most dangerous 5 words to Summit County residents? - "The Legislature is in session"

From the DCD Blog: Real stories from the campaign trail

2010-08-31T17:24:00.000-06:00

I love knocking on doors and meeting people. And it’s always amazing to me how quickly some people open up and bare their souls to you.

This past Saturday was one such instance.

I was knocking doors in Layton when I met a woman who is raising a disabled son. I quickly let her know that I was concerned about the rights of the disabled and how I’d represent those less fortunate than I on Capitol Hill.

You see, I am a twin, and my brother Bruce was born with cerebral palsy. I have no idea why I wasn’t born with CP instead of my brother. It has been a question I’ve had all my life. Read the rest of Chris Williams story here!

Straight Talk

2010-08-26T20:09:00.001-06:00

Bipartisanship

2010-08-26T20:07:00.000-06:00

Mosque

2010-08-18T19:57:00.000-06:00

When we choose to be offended, we certainly will be.

I think I'll move past my personal bias and emotion and uphold the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Liberty is fragile. Let's not be fooled again and fall into the trap of blanket condemnation.

Frank Layden on U.S. Senate Candidate Sam Granato

2010-08-11T22:37:00.000-06:00

Mac Christensen on U.S. Senate Candidate Sam Granato

2010-08-11T22:35:00.000-06:00

"Hey Mr. Lee, why won't you debate your opponent Sam Granato?"

2010-08-11T17:30:00.000-06:00

"BAWK!"

"Nevermind Mr. Lee, I think I get it."

From Political Cornflakes:

Senate race: So far Mike Lee has rejected debates proposed by Intermountain Healthcare and KCPW, which isn't sitting well with Democrat Sam Granato. KCPW's Jeff Robinson explains that Lee's camp is only planning a few face-offs before November's big vote.

- Candidates stake out issues on nuke reduction treaty and test ban. Lee against, Granato for.

Davis County Democratic Party: Utah OFA Director to address the Davis County Democrats Saturday the 14th

2010-08-05T12:54:00.001-06:00

Utah's Organizing for America Director Nikki Norton Nelmark will address the Davis County Democrats Saturday, August 14th at Granny Annie's Restaurant located at 286 North 400 West in Kaysville, Utah at 8:30am.

Nikki will speak on organizing and voter outreach for Davis County and how these efforts can help Davis Candidates but also our state and federal candidates.

DCD Chair Rob Miller will also introduce information on the state and counties coordinated campaign, the districts where these efforts will be mobilized and how Davis Democrats and concerned voters can be involved and assist in this unprecedented effort to elect Davis Democrats.

This is possibly the most important breakfast meeting of this election cycle so please do all you can to attend this Saturday.

Questions? 801.896.4673

Above photo of Nikki Norton Nelmark with DNC Chairman Tim Kaine

Eleanor Roosevelt Award Luncheon to honor Salt Lake County's Sherrie Swensen

2010-08-03T16:58:00.000-06:00

The Utah State Democratic Party’s Chair of this year’s Eleanor Roosevelt Award Luncheon, Salt Lake County Community Services Department Director Erin Litvack, is pleased to announce the 2010 Eleanor Roosevelt Award recipient will be Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen.

Ms. Litvack said, “Sherrie Swensen is a modern example of the courage and values we saw from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor Roosevelt was a woman ahead of her time, a warm, loving, sincere, kind, wise, strong, disciplined, and very human person who used her talents and position to help bring about much needed social change for which she will never be forgotten and will always be treasured. We think the same can be said for Sherrie.”

Democratic State Party Chair Wayne Holland praised the selection saying, “The level of participation in Utah’s elections has fallen to such a low level that Governor Huntsman created a commission to find ways to encourage participation. I know of no person in Utah who has done more to fight the tide of apathy or more to encourage positive participation than Sherrie Swensen. She has truly been a great public servant, doing her best to get us all involved and doing it with such competence and style. Utah’s election system is highly trusted by the voters in our state. That is due in no small part to the efficiency and hard work of Sherrie and the staff of her office.”

Sherrie Swensen was born in Murray and resided in Midvale for 28 years prior to moving to Sandy in 1998. She has two sons and eight grandchildren. She enjoys all sports including bowling, tennis and rollerblading, but particularly loves water skiing. She was involved in little-league sports programs for over ten years. Ms. Swensen served on the Executive Board of the Ute Conference and was both president and secretary of the Hillcrest Little League Football program.

Ms. Swensen did volunteer work for youth baseball and basketball programs as well. She served on the Board of Directors for the Advocates for People with Mental Retardation (ARC) and numerous civic boards and is involved in many community organizations.

Sherrie Swensen serves the community with integrity and, as the Salt Lake County Clerk, sticks to her mission of running accessible, fair, honest elections in Salt Lake County. She has coordinated and established several successful programs to make voter registration more convenient for residents in Salt Lake County. Swensen proposed and successfully lobbied for the passage of House Bill 488, "Emergency Absentee Ballots," which allows votes to be cast by people who have been hospitalized or confined to a care facility after absentee ballots have been mailed out.

Sherrie Swensen was selected by a committee of past award winners from nominations submitted by members of the public and party activists. Other nominees this year included wonderful people truly deserving of the Eleanor Roosevelt Award such as Kay Christensen, the former Chief of Staff to Congressman Wayne Owens and Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradini; Gwen Larsen; wife of the later Congressman Wayne Owens and educator Marlene Owens; State Senate Democratic Leader Pat Jones; educator and longtime Iron County Party officer Georgia Beth Thompson; Maria Garcia; Meg Averett; former Box Elder County Party Chair Jan Douglas; State Senator Luz Robles; Stonewall Caucus Chair Nikki Boyer; former State Party Treasurer Susie McHugh; congressional candidate and educator Claudia Wright; and, the recently deceased party activist Bettina Rothman Black.

The award will be presented at the seventeenth annual Eleanor Roosevelt Award Luncheon to be held on October 7, 2010 at the Salt Lake City Downtown Marriott. In addition to the award presentation, luncheon attendees will enjoy a dynamic keynote address by Joan Goldsmith. Joan has been an organizational consultant, coach, and educator for the past thirty-five years, specializing in leadership development, organizational change, conflict resolution, and team building. She has served on numerous boards of directors, and been an advisor to the Woman's International Health Coalition, Disney Institute for Women Entrepreneurs, Women's Lens on Global Issues, and Women International League for Peace and Freedom, and a speaker at national and local conferences on issues of women in leadership.

Past award winners include former Congresswoman Karen Shepherd; Utah First Ladies Lucy Beth Rampton and Norma Matheson; former Attorney General Jan Graham; former State House members Judy Ann Buffmire and Beverly White; State Senator Karen Mayne and former State Senators Karen Hale and Paula Julander; Party activists Fae Beck, Rosa Vida Black, ShaRon Nelson, Louise Henson, and Helen James; former Executive Director of the Utah Education Association Susan Kuziak; former Utah AFL-CIO political director Beverly Saathoff; well-known community activists Annette P. Cumming, Esther Landa, Robyn Matheson and Peggy Swenson.

The Forgotten Foreclosure Crisis

2010-07-27T12:41:00.003-06:00

Most of my chosen experience at Netroots Nation '09 and '10 has been in the form of campaign type training, and doesn't make for an exciting post. I did step outside of that more this year to catch panels on Social Security (more on that later, but for now: there is no crisis), immigration, and other policy issues, but due to conflicting panels, I had skipped all but the Q & A of this one. Craig attended and will probably have more to say later at The SideTrack. From the Q & A alone I learned quite a bit, so I wanted to post the entire video of the discussion.

The Forgotten Foreclosure Crisis: Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Professor Elizabeth Warren ("Godmother" of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and CPA nominee), and Firedoglake financial blogger David Dayden (DDay). Moderated by HuffPo's Ryan Grimm.

About 2 minutes swapping panelists mics, but at 19 minutes Warren is asked a question, and continues until about the 30 min mark with one of the most concise explanations of the crisis, how we got here, and what it means for the entire country going forward.

Is Glenn Beck Really Going Blind? Or Just Crazy?

2010-07-26T18:35:00.004-06:00

Last week in Salt Lake City, conservative Fox News commentator and faithful Mormon Glenn Beck told a crowd of 6600 fans that he could go blind in less than a year. Telling the audience that he had been diagnosed with “macular dystrophy,” a progressive eye disorder that can lead to blindness, Beck laughed and cried with the audience, taking the opportunity to jab at health care reform.

“I went to the best doctor I could find,” he said, “while I could still go to the best doctor I can find.”

But Beck’s mood turned more serious when he began to warn of the serious dangers in today’s world:

“Brothers and Sisters, I testify to you here and now, there will be eternal ramifications for each and every human being alive today in this country. It will have been better if we had not been born,” he told the Utah crowd.

For the whole story, click below:

http://all247news.com/is-glenn-beck-really-going-blind-or-just-crazy/2559/

That Pioneering Spirit

2010-07-25T12:35:00.006-06:00

When the Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, they had been through the ringer. Utah history teaches of their suffering: a past tainted with persecution, intolerance, and murder; a harrowing winter across the plains from Illinois; more sickness and death. Many had left everything they owned and loved behind because they were looking for a place to live and practice their religion in peace. So, in the summer of 1847, they arrived in the great Salt Lake Valley to create a better life for their families and future generations.

Their prophets had taught them to work together for the common good. Each participant was to bring something that would benefit the entire community: a talent, a resource, or a skill. It was in this spirit they built up their new community in the desert, planting crops and trees, building homes, businesses, schools and churches, and planning a community that would be their own Utopia in the west where they would live and work together in harmony.

In the 160 plus years since those first pioneers arrived, there have been many other pioneers from different religions, races, cultures and countries who have come to Utah for a better life, each bringing something that enriches the community. Today we celebrate all of them - whether they came here by handcart, covered wagon, airplane or automobile. We celebrate the pioneering spirit of every person who lives here, who work hard every day to make their faith in the things that are important to them come to fruition.

Those of us who have chosen to work in politics do so because we want to see every person's dreams become realities. As Democrats in Utah, we believe that everyone deserves the basic of human freedoms: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We choose to serve because we believe in the greater common good. We believe that every child in our state deserves a top notch education, a loving home, good food to eat, clean water to drink, and good health. We understand that every aging citizen of our state deserves to live out the last years of his or her life with dignity, and that veterans who have served our country so bravely deserve to be honored for their sacrifice, not only with medals and accolades, but with good health care, shelter, and assistance.

All Utah families have the right to pursue happiness through gainful employment that pays a fair wage. Utah students who work hard have every right to attend college and be able to afford tuition, regardless of decisions made by their parents. Those who come here legally from other nations seeking a better life deserve to be treated with respect regardless of religious beliefs, the color of their skin, or language barriers. And Utah's non-traditional families should be allowed to live in peace, hold jobs, and not be discriminated against because of personal lifestyle choices or sexual preferences.

That's what Utah's history teaches us - that we all have the right to live and work and worship and provide and create and pursue a better life. That's our pioneering spirit, and that's what we are celebrating this week.

* * *

Emily Bingham Hollingshead is a political consultant and Democratic Party activist in Utah. She serves as the Communications Director for the Utah House Democrats and has worked on several winning legislative campaigns.

In 2006, she was the Democratic candidate for Senate District 28, a 6 county seat that encompasses much of the 2nd Congressional district. (No, she didn't win and credits the race for giving her broader insight into the minds of Utah voters).

Emily lives with her very patient husband Mark, and two sons in Cedar City, Utah.

He thinks he can...

2010-07-22T18:02:00.001-06:00

Read: Mr. Granato goes to Washington — for the first time

Balance in Government

2010-07-21T08:35:00.000-06:00

By Rod Julander

For years we have heard the Democrats argue for more “balance in government” in Utah. This is not a plea for a sympathy vote, but rather a warning against the dangers of a single party government and an argument for making the electoral system more fair. There is no question that there are more Republican voters than Democrats but this disparity is greatly exaggerated by the election laws passed by Republican Legislatures or those they have refused to pass which would bring greater equity to Utah politics. It certainly is not unreasonable to expect a party to do all in its power to continue its control. Fairness is seldom a partisan value. Thus is up to the public to demand reforms that will truly re-establish the ideal of equal representation where each party has power equal to their numbers in the voting public. Currently, even if the Democrats were in the majority, voter wise, they would continue to be the minority party in state and county government. This is not Democracy.

The most egregious warping of the political system is gerrymandering which is in the hands of the majority party. Today, with census data and computer abilities, parties have the ability to fine tune district boundaries to minimize the votes of Democrats. Enough has been said of this problem and Utah voters apparently don’t care enough about fairness to object to the current system. Even the recent attempts to draw boundaries for a new Congressional district drew very little comment except for joining urban and rural communities. This problem will continue until we have a bi-partisan commission draw the boundaries rather than the legislature. But, in addition to this problem, there are others that weaken our two party system.

One of these is the very lax campaign finance laws, one of the least restrictive in the country. Although one must disclose the source of donations, the law allows ways to hide the source of campaign money. More important, nearly any one, or any group, can give any amount to any candidate. Since the Republican party receives far more money from Corporate sources, they have an enormous advantage in funding campaigns. Statistically, ignoring incumbency, Republicans outspend Democrats at least 4 to 1. This becomes more important as campaigns become less personal and more public relations battles. For open seats the candidate who spends the most money wins nearly 8 of 10 elections. In order to level the playing field, and to make legislators more responsive to you and me, we need to limit the size of donations as well as to regulate the sources of campaign funds. Campaign spending is a cancer in the system that goes well beyond giving one party an unfair advantage. Related to this is incumbency. People holding public office are in positions to do favors for lobbyists who then “donate” to that person’s reelection. In Utah this puts the Republican party at a double advantage::wealthy donors and more incumbents.

There are two other advantages the Republican party enjoys that will perpetuate its majority. By the nature of the news business, any story that breaks, reporters go first to those currently in office. Opinions of members of the Democratic party who might be candidates next year are hardly news worthy. This is just a fact of life. One more disadvantage for the Democrats in Utah. Finally the ballot used in Utah elections favors the Republicans. With our current system it is much easier to cast a straight party ballot than to scratch (going though the whole ballot to pick your choices). Democratic legislators have often tried to change the ballot limiting straight party voting, but as you might guess, the Republican majority has made sure it is never passed.

When Democrats ask for more balance in Utah Government, they are not asking for a pity vote, they are asking you to support legislation that will give them a fair shot. Those of us who really believe in the concept of one person one vote should demand that the legislature at least support three reforms. 1. Redistrict through the use of a bi-partisan committee. 2. campaign finance reform, to limit the power of lobbyists supporting incumbents, and 3. eliminate, or limit straight party voting. Many states have passed these reforms and their government is more democratic, representing all of the people

Fwd: Legislative Audit of Merit System

2010-07-20T12:15:00.000-06:00

7/19/2010 at 4:01 PM

UPEA was recently apprised of an audit that was conducted regarding the Career Service System, or Merit System. The report will be presented in the Legislative Audit Subcommittee tomorrow afternoon. According to our sources the Legislative Auditor’s Office may make recommendations to change the merit status of state employees. The report includes several options regarding implementation of a new career service system.
If you are able to attend the meeting, we would encourage you to do so on your own time.

Date: Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Time: 1:30 PM
Place: 250 State Capitol Bldg.

This will be an educational opportunity since the Audit Subcommittee has not accounted for public comment on the agenda. UPEA will also provide an update after the meeting.

This is a serious matter that affects all public employees and will be taken into account with any future political endorsements.

Kory Cox
Employee Relations Representative

Online Recipe Contest

2010-07-19T15:00:00.003-06:00

For a little change of scenery, I thought I would post this cool link. A website based in southern Utah is giving away $400 for the best recipes submitted through their website. There is no catch, and you have until August 1, 2010 to submit your vegetable garden recipes.

We're having a recipe contest!
Click here to submit your garden vegetable recipes and to win cash!
$400 to the grand prize winner!

Utah State Democratic Chairman Holland: Why won't Governor Herbert Denounce an Illegal Act?

2010-07-15T18:58:00.001-06:00

Salt Lake City- The following is a statement from Democratic Chairman Wayne Holland regarding Governor Herbert's response regarding the list of 1,300 alleged illegal immigrants:

"When it comes to immigration, it seems as though Governor Herbert is being pushed around by a small minority of the extreme interests that exist in the Tea Party. Just three months ago on April 6th, he was chosen as the keynote speaker at a Tea Party rally at the Utah State Capitol. The fact he was ambiguous about whether the recent list of alleged illegal immigrants should or should not have been publicly released begs the question: Why? It's because aggressively migrant-opposed organizations are leading him by the nose so effectively that he won’t even denounce the illegal release of private information.

"Utahns deserve leadership who know where and how to draw the line. Illegal immigration laws need to be strongly enforced, while maintaining an element of humanity. A governor who cannot manage to state a clear answer to such a simple and moralistic issue demonstrates a lack of character and conviction."

The American Dream

2010-07-13T11:59:00.007-06:00

by Emily Bingham Hollingshead

Cedar City, Utah

July 13, 2010

Happy July. In Utah, July is not only a celebration of America’s Independence, but it also is a month in which we honor the founders who came before us as we commemorate Utah’s statehood.

When I was growing up, I was reminded on a regular basis of the important heritage that came before me – Mormon Pioneers who crossed the plains and who endured incredible hardships to come to a place where they could worship as they wanted to. As they settled in Utah, they sought for freedom and the ability to live out their American dreams and built a city and community from the ground up in a barren desert.

These were my ancestors. Many of them made the pioneer trek from the eastern United States after they had immigrated from England, Sweden, and Denmark. They came to America not only to worship in a new religion, but also to follow their dreams of a better life in a new land.

Throughout my life I have thought about what it must have been like for them to come to a new country. Many of them didn’t speak English, some were single mothers with small children, others were fathers who left their families back home. Every circumstance was a little bit different, but their hardships were similar. I have always felt deep gratitude for their sacrifices. In this age of cell phones, laptop computers and air conditioned vehicles, I can’t imagine what it must have been like for them.

I was reminded of my pioneer heritage again last night. A few weeks ago I agreed to host several college-aged students at my home. They would be traveling from Southern California to Washington DC, and needed gracious people across the country to provide them with meals and lodging for a night. 12 students were making a “trek,” which they called the “Dream Freedom Ride” - they were on their way to our nation’s capitol to take part in a 3-day march on Washington. There they would join with thousands of other immigrant youth from across the country to rally and lobby United States Senators for “The Dream Act.” This national legislation would allow children of undocumented immigrants to pursue a college education and receive a clear path to United States Citizenship. They planned to lobby senators in each of the 15 states they drove through, hoping to tell their personal stories and share their own visions of the American dream.

And so, last night at about 8:30 pm, 10 young ladies and 2 young men arrived at my front door. We fed them pizza and put everyone in the backyard with their sleeping bags, laptop computers and cell phones charging in every available outlet. They marveled at the beautiful Southern Utah mountains and clear sky – many of them had never even been out of California.

The Dream-Freedom Team - CA to DC
in Cedar City, Utah with the Hollingshead Family
(Emily, Chas and Sam)

I listened closely to their stories. Most of them had come as small children with their parents, all had graduated from an American high school and had graduated from or were about to graduate from an American university. These students came from places like UCLA, UC Santa Cruz, UC Berkeley, and others. They were now either working as political activists, volunteering for non-profit organizations, or getting ready to attend graduate school. All of them were passionate about “The Dream Act” and its possibilities for future generations of undocumented immigrant youth.

Some of their parents came here legally, some did not. Whatever their parents’ current status, I didn’t think about it too much…. because, as I listened to their dreams, I could only think about what incredible people their parents must be: people who came to our country wanting to make life better for their children. They didn’t squander that opportunity, but instead they helped their children to excel.

Many times I hear rhetoric that the “illegals” are using all of our resources, taking all of our jobs, and never giving anything in return. The people who believe this to be true probably have never had the opportunity to meet people like those who slept on my back lawn last night. Whatever their parents have done, their children speak volumes about what it means to seek out the “American Dream” and what it really means to seek a better life for your children.

I wish my new friends the very best on their journey. When they reach Washington, I hope they get an opportunity to meet with Senator Hatch, who was an original sponsor of the “Dream Act.” I hope that as they travel through Denver, Omaha, and Chicago, that they get the opportunity, again and again, to tell their stories of what the American Dream means, and I hope they will change hearts and minds along the way.

I have always believed that The Dream Act was a fabulous way to offer any undocumented youth an opportunity for citizenship. I have never understood opposition to this legislation, and yet there are many who don't understand or who just don't believe that the American Dream should be available to anybody willing to seek it. Isn't hard work and giving back to country what we are all about?

In my view, these kids are definitely what America is all about. To those who say undocumented workers aren’t contributing anything to our country, I disagree. What these first-generation immigrants have given back far exceeds anything that they may have taken: they have given us their children... children who want to give something of value to their country and their communities. To many of them, the United States of America is the only home they’ve ever known, and they are passionate about making sure the American Dream is available to all who want it.

I wish them all the success in the world. Safe travels, and sweet dreams.

CA-DC DREAM Freedom Ride Begins

2010-07-12T14:56:00.004-06:00

This is a fantastic project by some committed young adults. I will skip editorial comment, as the press release speaks for itself. The young people involved will be camping out at my house in Cedar City tonight, crashing on my lawn, sharing a meal, and enjoying a campfire.

- Emily Bingham Hollingshead, July 12, 2010

CA-DC DREAM Freedom Ride Begins

Monday July 12th -Monday July 26th 2010

Following on the tradition of the Civil Rights Movement, The DREAM is Coming - a national project of autonomous students - has begun the CA - DC DREAM Freedom Ride with the goal of pushing the DREAM Act as a stand alone bill.

12 DREAMERs will travel for 15 days, through 15 states, and over 5,000 miles from Los Angeles, CA to Washington, DC, and back, to join the mass mobilization of students that will take part in the three national days of action in DC. They will be meeting with Reid in Nevada, Senators Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett in Cedar City Utah and Senator Ben Nelson in Lincoln Nebraska. They will also meet with key organizations and student groups in the states they will be stopping in.

On July 19 - 21, hundreds of immigrant youth will participate in the National Dream Act Mobilization in Washington, DC. Students and supporters will converge in the three-day action that will call for national attention to the struggles of undocumented youth and for the passage of the DREAM Act as a stand-alone bill this summer. The DREAM Act is a bipartisan legislation that would allow undocumented students who entered the U.S before the age of 16, graduated a U.S high school and completed either two years of a college education or military service to earn a path toward citizenship. Each year, over 65,000 immigrant youth graduate from U.S. high schools with the hopes of pursuing their dream, only to find a roadblock because of their immigration status.

The schedule of the DREAM Freedom Ride is as follows

Monday July 12th - Kick Off 8am

Monday July 12th - 3pm Meeting with a representative from Senator Reid's office in Nevada

Monday July 12th - 9pm Arrive in Cedar City Utah

Tuesday July 13th - will be in Denver Colorado

Wednesday July 14th - will be in Lincoln Nebraska

Thursday July 15th- will be in Chicago Illinois

Saturday July 17th will arrive in Washington D.C

July 17th-22nd - The Dream is coming team will be in DC and taking part in the national days of action

Thursday July 22nd - will be in Urbana Illinois

Friday July 23rd- will be in Lincoln Nebraska

Saturday July 24th - will be in Denver Colorado

Sunday July 25th- will be in Las Vegas Necada

Monday July 26th- Will arrive in Los Angles at 4pm

The DREAM Freedom Riders Are:

Mayra Diaz

Alumna of the University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. degree in Health Science. Embarking on this journey because it is time to give more for those in the past and present who have given her and her family the opportunity of a future.

Laura Lopez

Alumna of the University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. degree in Latin American and Latino Studies. Partaking in the caravan in order to push forward the DREAM Act which will lead a step closer to Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR).

Sophia Sandoval

As an ally to the DREAM movement and member of the The Dream is Coming, decided to partake in a Civil Disobedience in May. In that same spirit, she continues the struggle to push for DREAM Act with high hopes of it passing so that many of her undocumented friends will benefit by it and finally have the opportunity to travel the world.

Luis Martinez

Alum of the University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Computer Engineering. Long time DREAM activist, decided to partake on this journey on behalf of all the students whose future depends on passage of the DREAM Act.

Andrea Ortega

Alumna of the University of California, Los Angeles, decided to become part of the journey on behalf of all her friends and family members who are victims of the broken immigration system and believes this is the first step towards a society that doesn’t discriminate human beings.

Cyndi Bedezu

Alumna of the University of California, Los Angeles with a B.A. degree in Political Science. A DREAM activist since 2005, which lead her to partake in the DREAM “Freedom Rides” as more than ever she feels empowered to push for a great benefit for youth and families, including her own.

Alma Castrejon

Alumna of the University of California, Riverside with a B.A. in Political Science and Chicano Studies currently working on an M.A. in Education from Cal State, Long Beach. Decided to join the Freedom Rides because the time to take action is now and make the DREAM Act a reality.

Pedro Joel

University of California, Santa Cruz alumn with a B.A. in Community Studies and a Minor in Latin American and Latino Studies. Joined the Freedom Ride in believe of educational equality believing that this is the tool for unity the betterment of the community.

Neidi Dominguez

University of California, Santa Cruz alumna with a B.A. degree in Community Studies with an emphasis on Immigrant Rights, with honors. Joined the Freedom Ride convinced that passing DREAM Act will secure and protect human rights.

Oskary Arrieta

Current student at Berkeley City College majoring in Political Economy and International Affairs. Has been involved with DREAM since 2008 and joined Freedom Ride as a stance of solidarity with youth who weren’t lucky enough to regularize their status as was she right before entering college. Strongly believes that a privilege as major as this should be taken advantage of by fighting for the cause.

Blanca Hernandez

Alumna of the University of California, Davis with a B.A. in Chicana/o Studies with an emphasis on Social Policy. Has been involved with DREAM since 2006 and joined Freedom Ride with the strong believe that this journey will contribute toward the passage of the DREAM At resulting in stronger advocates for the passage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR).

Sylvia Ramos

Current student at Rio Hondo College majoring in Special Education with an emphasis in American Sign Language. Has been involved in DREAM Act work since 2006 and joined the Freedom Ride because she wants to help her friends who want to have access to higher education.

From the DCD Blog...

2010-07-07T17:19:00.001-06:00

Morgan Bowen to address the Davis County Democrats this Saturday

From State Senate Candidate Charlie Parker: "I will be there to serve the people--the people of District 22."

KSL, Sean Hannity and the Mormon Ethic of Civility

2010-07-01T20:15:00.006-06:00

In an earlier post I criticized KSL Radio for the apparent contradiction of programming Sean Hannity while adopting a mission statement that espoused civility. Today, KSL announced they are severing their relationship with Mr. Hannity. Today’s announcement comes on the heels of a new mission statement adopted by all LDS Church owned media. That new mission statement seems to be influenced by the Church's official statement entitled "The Mormon Ethic of Civility." While the official press release announcing the break up was amicable, sources tell Glen Warchol at the Salt Lake Tribune that the decision was made because the brass at KSL felt Mr. Hannity was uncivil and does not fit within the mission statement.

KSL deserves to be commended for this decision.

KSL isn’t just any radio station. It’s the Mormon news/talk station. And that’s not just because it is owned by the LDS Church. KSL went on the air in 1922 as KZN (Zion). The first voice broadcast on the station was President Heber J. Grant. KSL was first responsible for broadcasting LDS General Conference to the far reaches of the Great Basin Kingdom, a tradition it continues to this day. KSL is the flagship station for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s weekly national broadcast of Music & the Spoken Word. At the top of every hour, just seconds before ABC Network News, the Nauvoo Bell tolls across Mountain America. And of course KSL broadcasts the games of a certain polarizing sports team from Provo (who isn’t nearly as great as the Nebraska Cornhuskers ;-) ).

It’s understandable then, that people directly associate the LDS Church with what they hear on KSL.

And that’s what was so troubling about KSL programming Mr. Hannity. That choice reinforced the perceived philosophical alliance between conservative Republican politics and Mormonism. While the institutional Church remains fiercely neutral in partisan politics, Mormon culture is not. Mormons are decidedly conservative and Republican. Mormons are among the most partisan religious populations in the United States today.

This presents a problem for the LDS Church. The commission to share the gospel with the earth isn't narrowly construed to apply only to middle class, caucasian conservative Great Basin dwellers. The LDS Church cannot effectively reach out to all mankind so long as Mormonism is so tightly bound to a single political ideology.

Mr. Hannity has excaserbated this perception. Not only was Mr. Hannity broadcast in primetime on KSL, but he became a regular icon in local culture and politics. He was the Master of Ceremonies for Stadium of Fire at Church-owned (through BYU) LaVell Edwards Stadium. In response to UVSC having the audacity to invite liberal Michael Moore to speak on campus, Mr. Hannity volunteered to offer “balance” and to speak for “free.” Mr. Hannity also held a highly publicized public debate on the Iraq War with then Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson. There were many other Utah appearances by Mr. Hannity during his run with KSL.

Mr. Hannity frequently employed morally based rhetoric in his broadcast. Policy issues aren’t just policy issues in Mr. Hannity’s world- they are apocalyptic battles of good versus evil.

It is no wonder then, that when some heard Mr. Hannity’s good v. evil message on the Mormon radio station, they viewed him as a fellow foot soldier in the cause of righteousness. In fact, during the audience Q&A after Mr. Hannity’s speech at UVSC, he was asked when he was going to “take the discussions.” The McKay Events Center crowd erupted with approval.

That righteous agenda seemed to justify Mr. Hannity’s uncivil behavior. It’s OK to shout at liberals, personally attack them and call them names (socialist, Marxist, etc) because they are destroying this country. The end result is that many Hannity's audience end up seeing those who disagree with them politically as enemies to be defeated rather than friends and neighbors to be embraced. This inhibits the ability of the LDS Church to break free of Mormonism's cultural ties to conservative Republican politics.

Now, KSL’s dismissal of Mr. Hannity certainly won’t bring an end to uncivil discourse. He will still be broadcast across America every day for years to come, including in Salt Lake City (likely on KNRS). The dismissal also won’t bring an end to the strong tie between Mormon culture and conservative Republican politics (Glenn Beck, and the legacies of Ezra Taft Benson and Cleon Skousen will be sure to carry that banner for quite some time).

But the dismissal of Mr. Hannity and the shift within Church owned media does send a message. A strong message. Wholesome media is more than an absence of sex and violence. It is also the presence of civility. That means inclusiveness and respect for both sides of an argument. Just as violence and sexual content promote behaviors the corrode communities, so too does uncivil discourse.

With the exception of Mr. Hannity, KSL has already been providing compelling local, civil programming. And they have killed in the ratings doing it. Doug Wright, Ethan Millard and Alex Kirry are talk show hosts that are both entertaining and civil. The credibility of the KSL news department is second to none. There should be little doubt that KSL is capable of replacing Mr. Hannity with local programming while maintaining and extending their 2 to 1 ratings dominance of Clear Channel's syndicated programming on KNRS.

And I guess that’s a refreshing truth. Civil, entertaining broadcasts still draw an audience.

At least in Utah anyway.

Code?

2010-06-29T20:33:00.002-06:00

Tribune columnist Paul Rolly recently wrote a column about Mormon doctrine and how its relationship to political ideology wafted heavily over the Senate Republican primary race with seemingly coded messages to the LDS faithful.

"Mormons believe the U.S. Constitution was divinely inspired, that it eventually will hang by a thread and then be saved by a righteous messenger. So Lee’s message that he is needed in Washington to save the Constitution from the direction the Supreme Court and Congress supposedly have taken it since the 1930s has invited both passionate support and derision."

After reading Paul's article I remembered the car that U.S. Senate Candidate Sam Granato utilized at last year's Glendale Night Out Against Crime parade.

Sorry Connor, but you deserve to know the truth.

Read the rest of Paul Rolly's column, Mormon lore played big role in Senate race, here.

Green Jello Says...

2010-06-24T21:18:00.001-06:00

I agree with the Granato campaign:

“The answers to our nation’s toughest problems are not held exclusively by Democrats or Republicans. If we put partisanship aside, I believe we can develop common sense solutions to the important issues, including a return to fiscal responsibility, sustainable economic growth and long-term job creation. It will take every single one of us, regardless of party affiliation, to develop these sensible solutions for America’s future.”
Utahn's need to seriously look at candidates, and stop myopically voting down Republican party lines. As soon-to-be former Senator Bennett and candidate Granato suggest, we need common sense and reason in Washington rather than more partisan rancor.

Read the complete post here.

Bob says...

2010-06-23T18:31:00.001-06:00

*Mike Lee is a (DC Based) Lawyer who doesn't want Utah to have a say in whether or not they allow nuclear waste. (States rights my butt.)

*Mike Lee wants to declare that children born to illegal immigrants within the borders of the United States are no longer subject to the jurisdiction of the Unites States government. That would make them not citizens, so the Unites States (which, by the way, now has no jurisdiction over these people) can deport them. Let that sink in for a minute. (Please tell me someone out there has that exchange from the KUTV debate last Sunday)

*Mike Lee is in favor of underground nuclear testing. Except he is in favor of ratifying a treaty that bans testing of nuclear weapons. Unless a country decides they need to test to preserve their national security. (If a Democrat took that many positions, he'd be called a flip-flopper.)

*Mike Lee trusts the Utah Legislature more than he trusts Utah Voters. (See revoking the 17th amendment.)

*Mike Lee isn't just a lobbyist. Mike Lee is an illegal Lobbyist.

*Mike Lee wants to raise taxes on the poor and middle-class.

*Mike Lee wants to reduce government regulations. Lax government oversight caused the Gulf Oil Spill and the mine collapse in central Utah a few years ago.

*Mike Lee seems to forget that Article 3 of the Constitution gives the Supreme Court the authority to declare whether laws are constitutional or not.

*Mike Lee loves the constitution, with the exception of Article 3 and Amendments 14, 16, 17, and 10 (only when it is contrary to the desires of his clients).

See Bob's entire post, Defining Mike Lee, here.

Davis County Clipper: Attendees at the American Legion Boys State appear worried about world

2010-06-22T14:45:00.002-06:00

by Louise R. Shaw

OGDEN — It was clear from their questions that the young men attending the American Legion Boys State this year are worried.

They’re worried about the economy, about America’s debt to foreign investors, about the politics of gerrymandering and illegal immigration, and about the oil filling the Gulf of Mexico.

And when they’re not worrying, they’re wondering. Wondering about why the word “God” is being taken out of the phrase “God bless America,” why road construction seems to get better financing than education, why space programs are being scrapped, and why each political party blames the other.

It was left to Rob Miller, chairman of the Davis County Democratic Party, and Dave Hansen, chairman of the Utah Republican Party, to answer their questions in a debate Thursday morning at Weber State University.

And while some answers likely did little to calm their fears, both Miller and Hansen encouraged the young men, who just completed their junior years in high school, to stay involved and work to make a difference.

A recurring question came regarding funding for education.

“Public education is a right here in America, and we need to do better,” said Miller. “When times are bad we make cuts, but when times are good we make cuts too,” he said, adding that in the past 10 years, almost $1 billion has been cut from education funding. “I’m appalled at the money that is wasted not only in education but in government in general.”

“Utah ranks always first or second as a well-managed, well-run state,” said Hansen. “But we have an economic crisis now that requires cuts in state government and the budget. We’ve been able to do that without raising taxes and education has taken a hit like every other issue and every other family.

“Will there be enough? There’s never enough. We can always do more, but we are doing an excellent job without having to raise taxes on families,” he said.

When asked about road construction’s seemingly hefty funding as compared to education’s struggles, both men agreed that good roads contribute to the health of the state, and Hansen explained that there are different funding systems and that money couldn’t be taken from one to provide for another.

“We don’t want dangerous roads,” said Miller. “They’re a necessary component. If we don’t have transit, the economy goes down too.”

“Roads bring jobs and industry,” added Hansen. “Businesses looking to our state look at what kind of transportation system we have.”

At the same time, “a lot of the money for roads comes from the federal stimulus program and the state couldn’t take those dollars and put them in education, it’s designated where it has to go.”

The TARP (Troubled Asset Relief Program) was questioned by the boys as well, including one young man who said it hadn’t done any good.

Yes, it was “ugly and bad,” said Hansen, “but it was necessary.” He said Sen. Bob Bennett’s (R-Utah) vote for TARP was the main reason he was defeated in his bid for the Republican nomination at the recent state convention. “But the folks in Washington, D.C., were told we have to pass this or we’re going to face a huge financial crisis worldwide.”

Miller agreed that it was necessary, stating that, “had I been a senator I probably would have voted for it.” Further, he said, “I don’t think the gentlemen running (for the Republican nomination and election to Bennett’s seat) would have voted any differently. The country needed to do it to stop the worldwide crisis.

“I don’t think things are getting worse,” he told the young men. “I think they’re getting better.”

Miller and Hansen agreed on many issues, from supporting the flag to respecting California’s vote on Proposition 8, from keeping the word “God” in the Pledge of Allegiance to not splitting school districts.

They didn’t agree on gerrymandering, however, with Miller lamenting the failure of an attempt to establish an independent redistricting committee in Utah and Hansen saying it was better to have elected officials “that we know” drawing the lines.

Miller also pointed to the deregulation that occurred during the eight years that Republicans were in the nation’s presidency and the Legislature for criticism, while Hansen spoke negatively of the current administration’s spending patterns.

“They seem to spend like they’re printing money themselves – which they are,” he said, adding that each of the boys had a $45,000 debt on their head right now. “It’s absolutely one of the most critical issues we are facing.”

In the end, Hansen encouraged the young men to take their interest in politics “beyond this day. If you want to make a change, get involved with politics. Take the time to do something in this year’s election.”

Miller advised them to vote for the best person, not necessarily one with an “R” or a “D” by their name. He challenged them to think for themselves and not blindly follow a conservative like Rush Limbaugh or a liberal like Bill Maher.

“Don’t let the emotion of hate or fear drive a wedge or let the issues divide us. Use common sense and the good spirit that is inside you. Stay involved.”

Davis County Clipper: Meet candidates on motorcycle ride July 10

2010-06-17T22:21:00.001-06:00

Davis County residents will have a chance to meet some of the candidates for public office from Davis County and enjoy a motorcycle ride on July 10.

According to Sarah Schofield, Democratic candidate for state representative from District 21 said participants will meet at Golden Spike Harley Davidson, 892 W. Riverdale Road in Riverdale, Weber County.

The registration fee is $20, which includes a burger, fries, and drink at Merlin’s Drive Inn in Bear Lake. Ride begins at 10 a.m.

mwilliams@davisclipper.com

Why Matheson isn't lying about his vote

2010-06-16T15:41:00.006-06:00

So there has been an interesting debate going on today on a Facebook page of a Claudia Wright supporter, where he claims that Congressman Matheson lied about his voting record regarding defense spending in the 2011 defense budget.

I have been at this all day long so that I can clearly understand the nuance. I'm posting it here to give clarity to the issue.

I am going to say, unequivocally, that the Congressman did not lie about his vote. He may have become confused (like all of us were) on which bill was being discussed, but I don't think he lied.

I've taken the time to listen to this portion of the debate, over and over again, and encourage any readers to do so by visiting www.kuer.org and clicking on the Radio West link. I've typed some actual quotes from the KUER debate, as closely as possible, just so that I'm not accused of putting words into anybody's mouth.

The analysis of what happened is my own. But I believe we are talking about two distinct and separate things here, and for Wright's supporters to call Jim a liar is just a little bit much.

It went like this.

Doug Fabrizio asked the congressman about a proposal that would trim $160 billion in war funds from the defense appropriations bill. The Congressman has indicated that he would not support this proposal (sponsored by Rep. Grayson of Florida).

Jim went on to explain that he didn't support Representative Grayson's proposal, because "we need to look at this in a responsible way. We have got men and women on the ground... today, right now, putting their lives on the line. And to suggest that we would take funding out, just pull the funding away... I think that is irresponsible."

What was not explained here is that in late May, Matheson voted in favor of Obama's funding proposal, HR 5136. This proposal included an additional $160 billion in funding to support the troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is in addition to the $574 billion that is already being considered for the Pentagon/Military budget. Representative Matheson AND Representative Grayson both voted in favor of this funding plan. Recently, however, Rep. Grayson has presented his new proposal to remove the $160 billion in funding from the funding plan.

Evidentally, Ms. Wright supports Rep. Grayson's plan to remove the additional funding from the appropriations plan. Representative Matheson clearly does not.

The congressman went on to explain his support of President Obama's plan to end the war by enacting a drawdown, and also the President's plan for Afghanistan, reminding us that the Republicans were extremely critical of the president for taking his time and coming up with a thoughtful way to achieve these goals. The congressman said he was prepared to support the president, and to just pull funding out from under our troops would be extremely irresponsible.

And so when Claudia Wright was asked to respond to the Congressman's remarks, she explained that she would not have supported the additional funding... or she would have supported the original Pentagon funding and then would have supported Grayson's proposal to not appropriate the $160 billion additional funding for the war on the ground... or something like that.

To the expenditure, she said: "... I kind of think that the military can kind of scrape by on $574 billion. This was an additional one, and it was hidden from the public's view because it was attached to the don't ask don't tell repeal..."

She then inferred that the additional funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were tied to support of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell, in order to make the bill more palatable to Republicans (war spending) and Democrats (repealing the bad policy) alike. She also said that the bills should have been dealt with separately and not in the same "package."

The big nuance on the vote is that the Congressman *did* vote for Obama's war funding plan. It's on the record and he voted yes, and supported the additional funds for the two wars "on the ground," and that he voted in favor of the amendment to include the Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal. So, why are Wright's supporters claiming that he lied? I heard him say it.. that the bill had not been voted on yet... Was he purposely lying? Why is everyone confused about what he said?

The turning point came, I believe, when Matheson's support of HR5136 became convoluted with his position to not support Representative Grayson's proposal. When I listened to the debate again today, it very simply crossed from Jim not supporting Grayson's proposal to Jim's support of the funding plan. I won't say that Claudia Wright purposely confused voters on the issue... I don't think she realized that she even did it, and I'm going to give her credit and assume that she knew exactly what the process is. Yes, Jim voted to authorize the money in House Resolution 5136. However, no vote has been taken to appropriate the money.

I'm not sure where Jim became confused either, but I don't believe that he was lying. When he said that no vote had been taken and that his opponent was "mistaken," he was referring to a final, appropriations bill for war funding, which may or may not include Representative Grayson's proposal, which he says he will not support. He was just pointing out that there is a difference between authorizing the money and appropriating the money. Congress had done one, but not the other.

From the DCD Blog: Jay Vance from EnergySolutions to address the Davis County Democratic Breakfast Club

2010-06-08T16:12:00.001-06:00

This Saturday (June 12th) EnergySolutions spokesperson Jay Vance will address the Davis County Democrats at our monthly informal breakfast club meeting held at Granny Annie's Restaurant at 286 North 400 West in Kaysville, Utah. The breakfast begins at 8:30 a.m. and everyone is invited. This meeting is held on the second Saturday of the month, every month.

Come meet your local Davis County Democrats and become better informed on current issues.

After the breakfast we will hold an executive committee meeting that is open to all.

Perspectives on EnergySolutions – Let’s Take A Closer Look

Jay K. Vance, P.E., MBA

In his professional career, Jay has wide-ranging, industry-related experience in permitting, licensing, regulatory compliance, engineering, business administration, legal issues, legislative affairs, market research, public relations, and customer service.

He has worked as a state hazardous waste regulator and as an engineer in the environmental office for the Department of Defense, Tooele, Utah, assisting with such things as environmental audits and cleanups.

He has also worked in the chemical production industry and, while a student, was employed in research roles at the University of Utah coal macerals laboratory.

For 21 years, he has worked for EnergySolutions and predecessor companies helping with many cleanups across the nation and in Utah, making sure that the environmental remediation work is done efficiently and in compliance with all applicable regulations. He has authored permit and license applications for radioactive and hazardous waste facilities in Utah, Texas and South Carolina.

Jay has served the party as a delegate, a precinct vice chair, participant on the county platform committee, as state legislature candidate, and has worked on and contributed to many campaigns.

Jay Vance
EnergySolutions
423 West 300 South, Suite 200
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

T-ball

2010-06-02T00:45:00.000-06:00

Coming this June...

2010-05-31T23:11:00.001-06:00

Boy's State

The Dirty Business of Politics in Davis County

Davis County Democrats

Stay tuned.

Remember

2010-05-31T21:55:00.004-06:00

Mike Lee for Senate 2010 - A new standard of transparency and openness?

2010-05-28T13:56:00.000-06:00

Left on my Facebook page by Charles Monroe.

Wow, is the Lee campaign paranoid?

KEEP UTAH SAFE FROM NUKES

2010-05-25T01:53:00.001-06:00

KEEP UTAH SAFE FROM NUKES

"As Republican Senate candidates Lee and Bridgewater cavalierly endorse resumed nuclear testing, let's be clear: Nuclear testing has left Utah a legacy of lies, betrayal, illness and death. It is both unsafe and unnecessary. Utah has been safe from nuclear testing since 1992, and we're committed to keeping our air, water, land and families safe. In an age of reduced nuclear arsenals, no Utahn should suffer or die to re-prove the universally accepted fact that nuclear weapons are devastatingly powerful."

SIGN THE PETITION

Frank Pignanelli nailed it.

2010-05-23T18:15:00.005-06:00

In Today's Pignanelli and Webb column in the Deseret News, Frank Pignanelli responds to the question:

"If Republican (candidates) shift to the right, does that leave an opening for Democrats in the general election?"

Pignanelli's response is right on the money.

Additionally, his comment is the definitive answer on why many Utah Democrats will continue to support Jim Matheson as the best choice for the 2nd Congressional District and why many of us believe that he has been a good representative for Utah.

Pignanelli:

Yes, this poses huge opportunities for Democrats IF they are shrewd and alter their current trajectory.

Utah Democrats must stop carping about Matheson and instead market him as a model of how Congress should act: obsession with reducing the deficit, willingness to buck party demands, developing creative solutions, attention to constituent needs, etc.

Furthermore, Democrats must articulate inventive but inexpensive reforms to public education and health care entitlements while promoting entrepreneurial activity. Utahns are hungry for the meal that is not on the tea party menu.

The entire column can be read by clicking here.

For all of the things that are wrong with Washington today, the one thing we can and should fix is our skyrocketing national deficit. For as long as I can remember, Congressman Matheson and the Blue Dog Democrats have presented a good plan for Fiscal Reform in our nation.

Some Utah Democrats are angry because our congressman voted against health care. They don't like his record on environmental issues. They say he is not "pro-choice" enough. They don't like the way he votes some of the time and say he is not a "real" Democrat, and that his father would be "ashamed." (For the record, Norma Matheson has assured me that Scott Matheson Sr. would have been proud of Jim's votes, because Governor Matheson was also a fiscal conservative and believed very strongly in responsible government spending. I think it would be reasonable to assume that she is correct about this. It's not fair for anybody else to guess what the governor may or may not have done under similar circumstances.)

Democrats have been called "tax and spend liberals" for as long as I can remember. Accurate or not, we have not done a good job at shaking that label. After all, how many people do you know who *really* like paying taxes? Do Democrats really want to be perceived like that? Why do we allow the definition to continue, even though we all feel the same way? No matter how you look at it, nobody enjoys April 15, or paying taxes, or gets all warm and fuzzy when their tax bill goes up... not even Democrats.

I was reminded the other day by a good Republican friend of mine that when George Bush was in office, Democrats harped about the billions of dollars that were being spent at war while at the same time Republicans were promoting lower taxes. "How does he plan to pay for it," we yelled, and our battle cry was "we are bankrupting our children and grandchildren!" That was not so long ago, it should not be so far from our memory. It is still an issue. Just because Democrats control the White House and the Congress, we should not excuse them from making our budget deficit their number one priority. As a matter of fact, we should be even louder than before.

As Frank put it, Utah Democrats should have an obsession with reducing the deficit. We should alter our current trajectory and make this a major focus of our campaigns, of our platform, and in all of our political discussions. It was important to us until election night 2008. It's disingenuous for us to not like deficits only when they are created by Republicans.

I look forward to your thoughts.

Rep. Wimmer's "Operation Chaos" is already up and running and it is, "Monkey Business!"

2010-05-19T20:20:00.009-06:00

As reported earlier, Rep. Carl Wimmer (R-Herriman) recently made the call on his Facebook page encouraging all registered republicans in the 2nd Congressional District to "cross over" to the Democratic side, vote in the Democratic party primary, and vote for Claudia Wright in order to ensure a win for GOP nominee, Morgan Philpot.

Rep. Wimmer later retracted his statement and removed the offending status update stating that his plan for "operation chaos" was misguided and and that his tone was "unintentional."

However, it looks like Rep. Wimmer's "Operation Chaos" is off and running.

Take for example Cedar City resident and registered Republican, Jeff Knight. Knight owns the domain name utahdemocrats.org and has used it over the years to direct interested Democrats to sites for Mitt Romney and John McCain.

He's not breaking any laws, but he has stated his distaste for Democrat Jim Matheson. Knight has said that he would never vote for Jim Matheson, but the fact is, Knight has only voted twice since 1998 and only in the general elections in 2004 and 2008.

Although he doesn't utilize his right to vote, often, he does have his political fun. But one could conclude by his lack of interest in the voting booth that it is pretty obvious that he is just trying to make a buck by being a pain in the donkey. I make this assumption based on his e-mail address, domaincollector@gmail.com.

Knight has now linked the domain name utahdemocrats.org to the recently discovered www.jimmatheson.com which is an anonymous site claiming to be run by a group of "Conservatives for Claudia" as reported earlier in the Salt Lake Tribune.

The site is a bit illogical on it's support for Wright, but they do state, "GOP Delegates already did their job. Either GOP candidate in the senate race is a good option. We'll let voters in the 1st and 3rd Congressional decide that race."

Let me state this again, looks like Rep. Wimmer's unitentional "Operation Chaos" is alive and well, and it looks like Knight wants to profit by Rep. Wimmer's "unintentional plan.

You can contact Jeff Knight at 177 North Roundabout Way, Cedar City, Utah 84720 or by phone at 435-586-2449.

Contact Mr. Knight and make his day. Help him in his pursuit of happiness by turning a profit by being a pain in the ass to sell his product.

THE UTAH AMICUS

President Obama Signs Utah Disaster Declaration

Fear Factory & Gimme Sugar Gourmet Donuts

REDISTRICTING: UTAH DEMOCRATS BLAST TODAY'S GOP CLOSED CAUCUS

Vile - a warning to Utah's public employees

Hatch’s Disgrace? A Bankruptcy Two Months After Federal Grant

Utah Democrats File GRAMA Request on Behalf of People of Utah

UTAH DEMOCRATIC STATE PARTY CONDEMNS PERRY SUPPORTER CALLING THE LDS CHURCH A CULT

A message from USDC Chair Jim Dabakis on redistricting

Utah State Democratic Party Announces Launch of LDS Dems

UDP Press Release: Another attack on Utah’s teachers by Republican Leader Greg Hughes

UDP Press Release: Utah Democratic Party Blasts Senate Redistricting Proposal

Lindsay Barenz of Centerville, Utah appointed 2011-2012 White House Fellow

State Rep. Patrice Arent to be honored for public service

More than 55,743 Job Losses in Utah would Result From GOP’s Extreme Policies

Democrats offer an Idea for Congressman Chaffetz

Utah Democrats announce “The Red Rock Tour on Redistricting – Springville to St. George” – a four day tour covering over 1100 miles through Southern Utah communities.

Jim Dabakis for Utah Democratic Party Chair 2011 Convention Nomination Address

Rob Miller for Utah Democratic Party Treasurer 2011 Convention Nomination Address

Utah's Working Families -- Part of the Solution -- Careers for Veterans

2011 USDC Convention Endorsement Video

Utah State Democratic Chairman Wayne Holland's Farewell Address

Wayne Holland Tribute from 2011 USDC Convention

Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie Addresses Utah Democrats at the 2011 USDC Convention

First Lady Michelle Obama to visit Utah

Utah Democratic Party Announces Keynote Speakers for 2011 State Convention and Jubilee Weekend

The next step

Utah Democratic Party Chair Wayne Holland Announces Future Plans

HB 477 Rally - Meet the future, meet Abby Miller

Davis County Democratic Party Blog: Service -- The Heart and Soul of the Davis Democrat

CONGRATULATIONS! Senator Karen Morgan names Emily Bingham Hollingshead as Chief of Staff

Wimmer won't run voucher bill

They're BAAAACK...

Here we go again..., VOUCHERS!

Two Don Johns

Return of the Jedi

Historical perspective for Utah Democrats

Utah State Senate Democratic Caucus elects new leadership team

D News: New Democratic leadership elected in Utah Senate

Commissioners for Granato

Commissioners for Granato

Mayors for Granato

Bountiful City Mayor endorses the Better candidate

Campaign Finance Complaint Filed against Philpot

From the Philpot Philes

Mike Lee and The Number of the Beast!

From the Philpot Philes..

Introducing... The Philpot Philes

Richard Watson for House District 19

Be honest, who would you rather visit in our Nation's Capitol?

The Return of James...

KUED Vote Utah: Corroon v. Herbert Gubernatorial Debate - Why wait till Monday?

Corroon - The Realist

Mike Lee - Gut it!

Post 2001* From the last issue of the Thursday Davis County Clipper: Party Lines - Should changes be made to the 14th Amendment? If so, how?

Post 2000* From the last issue of the Thursday Davis County Clipper: Party Lines - Should changes be made to the 14th Amendment? If so, how?

Utah Senate pokes Summit County - again

From the DCD Blog: Real stories from the campaign trail

Straight Talk

Bipartisanship

Mosque

Frank Layden on U.S. Senate Candidate Sam Granato

Mac Christensen on U.S. Senate Candidate Sam Granato

"Hey Mr. Lee, why won't you debate your opponent Sam Granato?"

Davis County Democratic Party: Utah OFA Director to address the Davis County Democrats Saturday the 14th

Eleanor Roosevelt Award Luncheon to honor Salt Lake County's Sherrie Swensen

The Forgotten Foreclosure Crisis

Is Glenn Beck Really Going Blind? Or Just Crazy?

That Pioneering Spirit

He thinks he can...

Balance in Government

Fwd: Legislative Audit of Merit System

Online Recipe Contest

We're having a recipe contest!Click here to submit your garden vegetable recipes and to win cash!$400 to the grand prize winner!

Utah State Democratic Chairman Holland: Why won't Governor Herbert Denounce an Illegal Act?

The American Dream

CA-DC DREAM Freedom Ride Begins

From the DCD Blog...

KSL, Sean Hannity and the Mormon Ethic of Civility

Code?

We're having a recipe contest!
Click here to submit your garden vegetable recipes and to win cash!
$400 to the grand prize winner!