Posted: 30 Apr 2008 01:40 AM CDT
WASHINGTON -- What to do about oil? First it went from $60 to $80 a barrel, then from $80 to $100 and now to $120. Perhaps we can persuade OPEC to raise production, as some senators suggest; but this... 
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Bernick still can't seem to get the story straight.
I will make it a policy to never speak with Bob Bernick again when asked about anything. It appears he only wants to hear, what he wants to hear and what can generate controversy. In 2006 he called me about the Ridgway stalking injunction, and I could have not been more clear. My wife Carrie was standing right next to me when I was talking with him on the phone. The Deseret News did publish a correction weeks later, but Bernick's name was nowhere to be found, and it was not prominently printed.
Now again we have another Bernick inflammatory article published without all the facts. I asked for a correction and after several days a correction was published, however the correction was more inaccurate than the original article. Here is the published comments from the person's involved in the article.
Rob Alexander | 1:11 p.m. April 29, 2008
I just realied a mistake Bob Bernick made in his corrections to this article, a mistake that is contrary to what I told him on the phone. The main concern I had with Carrie Towner's calling me originally was that I felt she wa trying to deceive me into believing that I was in Senate District 2, thus making her my SD Chair (which is two levels higher in responsibility than Precinct Chairs like myself). I knew that I live in SD 3.
It was later brought to my attention that my Legislative District (35) isn't entirely within SD 3. Part of it (the part in which Rick Taylor lives) is in SD 2. So I apologized to Carrie Towner once I realized that it was a misunderstanding rather than deceipt.
It was later brought to my attention that my Legislative District (35) isn't entirely within SD 3. Part of it (the part in which Rick Taylor lives) is in SD 2. So I apologized to Carrie Towner once I realized that it was a misunderstanding rather than deceipt.
Carrie | 2:43 p.m. April 29, 2008
I appreciated receiving Rob Alexander's call. He was very gracious and I believe he is a fine candidate. I have committed to remaining neutral in the race, which I will continue to do. I wish both candidates the best.
It would be wonderful if everyone in our community cared enough to be involved in politics, despite the misunderstandings and negative publicity.
It would be wonderful if everyone in our community cared enough to be involved in politics, despite the misunderstandings and negative publicity.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Candidate concedes mistake on GOP rules
It took real courage for Rob Alexander to correct this. Additionally a thank you to Bernick for actually getting it corrected in the Deseret News prominently enough to matter.
Deseret News
Published: April 29, 2008
A Salt Lake County GOP candidate for the Utah House now says he was mistaken about several Republican Party rules when he was "encouraged" to drop out of the House District 35 race by another party officeholder.
In his original posted comment on a Deseret News online article, Rob Alexander asked that GOP state chairman Stan Lockhart resign because of a number of conflicts of interest. Alexander then went on to write that he thought it wrong that a Senate district chairwoman, Carrie Towner, had called him and asked if he wanted to drop out of the intraparty race against Rick Taylor.
Alexander thought the phone call inappropriate at the time. But in following postings Alexander says he mistakenly believed that Towner was not his Senate district chairwoman and so had no business calling him and asking if he wanted to drop out.
But it turns out Towner was, indeed, his Senate district chairwoman. And considering that Towner also called Taylor and asked if he wanted to drop out — to avoid a convention fight and perhaps even a primary — Alexander says he doesn't see where any laws were broken. Alexander apologized to Towner in a posting "for this misunderstanding getting escalated to the point it has."
Alexander faces Taylor in Saturday's Salt Lake County Republican convention. If one candidate gets 60 percent of the House District 35 vote, then he is the party's nominee. If neither get 60 percent, then Alexander and Taylor face each other in a late June GOP primary, the winner to face Rep. Mark Wheatley, D-Murray.
© 2008 Deseret News Publishing Company | All rights reserved
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Energy Independence "IS" National Security
Allow the military to once again refine their own fuel needs. Place strategic state of the art refineries on military bases. These refineries would generate a standard gas, and Diesel/JP5/JP7 to address all the needs of the military, especially the air force. Allow the airlines to own and refine their own Jet-A production facilities like in North Pole Alaska. This will remove the pressure on domestic use.
Allow companies like COSTCO and Sams Club to purchase and build refineries to produce gas for its members utilizing US supplies of Oil, Coal, and Bio fuel (NOT CORN) Just watch the price drop like a rock for everyone.
The Energy Department be tasked to develop clean nuclear plants on both coasts where ready access to seawater is available. These plants would generate electricity and hydrogen in sufficient quantities to supply both coasts for Electric and Hydrogen fuel cell passenger cars.
Eliminate all subsidies for oil companies and redirect these to companies that will develop Solar energy complexes like out in the Mohave desert, and wind generation on a meaningful scale.
The Captain
Salt Lake County Democrats don’t have horns, but can they party!
I just returned from my first Democrat convention as an elected delegate. I will say they were very organized during registration with their paperwork looking very much like the poll rosters. I wonder if the clerk’s office helped out.
The one thing I can say is these folks know how to have fun. The energy was very high and it seemed like everybody and their brother is running for national delegate to go vote for Obama.
What struck me as amazing was how many people looked at my credentials, recognized my name, and then looked me right in the eyes and asked what the heck a Republican was doing there.
I had long conversations with Sim Gill, Peter Corroon, Jenny Wilson, Pat Jones and on and on and on. What impressed me most was the openness and genuine feeling of service these elected officials had.
So here is my professional analysis of the Democrat candidates and the likelihood of victory in November.
County Council 2 candidate Paul Pugmire delivered one of best convention speeches (but very long, too long in fact) I have ever heard. This guy is polished, good looking, and has the political chops from previous experience in Arizona politics. If he can get the money he needs, he will give Michael Jensen a real problem. If these two debate, Pugmire will clean his clock. I project a very close race here, but Jensen will be re-elected. Look for Pugmire in the future of Democrat politics.
County Council 4 candidate Jani Iwamoto is a political novice and it showed. She has the education and the community involvement background, but she will be up against one of the best debaters on the County Council. This is the race that will determine who will control county government. I was surprised at the hatred against Mark Crockett by Joe Hatch and the other Democrat council members. Funny it seems both sides have issues with Mark. The Republicans call him a RINO, yet the Democrats call him a Southerland Institute hack. This poses a real problem for Mark because if he cannot raise money, he can’t win. And clearly Hatch, Bradley and especially Horiuchi want him gone. I project this race to be the tightest. I think the Democrats will win this seat and take the council majority.
County Council 6 candidate Roger Harding seems like a nice guy, but the Sandy Republican Party machine will not allow this seat to a democrat. Look for lots and lots of money to materialize for the Republican, and simply overwhelm Harding.
At-Large Randy Horiuchi will win again with the help of the Sandy Republicans and developers.
Peter Corroon is the most popular elected official in Utah, easy win. Maybe the Democrats might want to convince him to run for US Senate in 2010 to see if his popularity goes beyond Salt Lake County.
Joe Hatch and Jenny Wilson were all excited about a 7-2 majority on the council. Won’t happen but it looks like they will get a majority.
A final note was how well I was treated. Official after official, and Democrat bigwigs like Scott Matheson introduced me around to several mover and shakers in the party. I know Scott from the U law school when Carrie (my wife) was the President of the Women’s Law caucus.
What a day…….
The Captain
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The title still is misleading, though. To me, this was never an issue of GOP rules, it was a question of ethics. Also, I didn't apologize to Mrs. Towner in a post; I posted a comment saying that I telephoned her, discussed this with her, and apologized. I also asked her on that phone call if she would like me to request an article retraction, and she said no.