More on Mitt from UPD

At The Politico, Terry Michael says: "[E]very bone in my libertarian Democrat body tells me the presidency is Mitt Romney's to lose. The images and sounds of the 'savior' of the Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympics bring to mind former White House press secretary Dee Dee Myers' observation about Bill Clinton: He seduces women, he seduces men, he seduces pets. Mitt Romney is Bill Clinton with his pants up. And he'll very likely be cast in 2008 ('nominated,' if you prefer the political science verb) against Clinton's wife, who has all the seductive qualities of John Kerry in a pants suit. ... [G]o to Mitt TV and see what I mean. I scared myself. I believe the Iraq war is a nearly criminal enterprise. I'm a social-cultural leftie who wants the government out of my bedroom and away from my body. But I was nearly mesmerized by a guy whose religion I consider akin to a cult, whose Iraq war support angers me and whose posturing against gays I find obnoxious. So, I find it kind of appalling that I find him appealing. Political seduction is a powerful drug" (see also UNCoRRELATED and Political Spyglass).

Rep. Bishop's floor speech on troop resolution

Rob speaks for Utah

http://www.sltrib.com/utahpolitics/ci_5233000

The Spyglass

Top 10 Reasons to Elect Romney

Top 10 reasons to put Mitt Romney in the White House

10) The National Cathedral could be renamed the National Tabernacle

9) NASA could commission a satellite to 'hie to Kolob'

8) The Secret Service could be renamed the Sacred Service

7) All official government prayers could include the phrase 'that we >all can get home safely'

6) Napoleon Dynamite could get someone other than Pedro elected

5) The President could not only explain things in Layman's terms, but >also Lemuel's terms

4) The President could issue pardons in exchange for 100% home teaching

3) Not only could he pronounce 'Nuclear' but also 'Mahonri Moriancumer' and 'Maher Shalal Hash Baz'.

2) At his inauguration he would swear on the Bible 'as far as it is >translated correctly'

1) Finally a first family large enough to fill up the White House

What's going on down in Beaver?

Does anyone know about this project?

http://mthollyclubtruth.blogspot.com/

The Spyglass

How congress spends our money

I stumbled across this website on how congress spends our money in a really cool poster. I was amazed at the complexity and the detail.

Everyone should check this site out
http://thebudgetgraph.com/view/

The Spyglass

Vouchers: By the Numbers

Here is a recent Post from The Senate Site about the actual numbers regarding vouchers.

http://senatesite.com/blog/2007/02/vouchers-by-numbers.html

Mark Towner,
The Spyglass

Utah Economy running on all cylinders, what could cause a misfile?

Utah Economy running on all cylinders, what could cause a misfire?

They tell us the State will receive an additional $150 million more than they first thought, so what is the one thing the Legislature can do to kill the golden goose. Not address the transportation problems we are and will continue to have here in Utah. I want to see more roads, TRAX, and commuter rail moved to the front burner, and the feet of each Legislator held over the flame.

I think I have a solution. Rep. Wayne Harper is sponsoring HB158 which would increase the tax on gasoline a couple of cents per year. This is a small first step, but it doesn’t resolve the problem of huge growth, and less ground to build on.

The Democrats in the Legislature keep saying that the Utah Taxpayer is not screaming for a Tax cut, and this is just a bunch of rich Republicans who don’t want to pay their fair share.

OK Rep. Harper, lets call their bluff, and solve this transportation problem once and for all. Whatever number the Legislature plans to cut in income taxes, lets increase the same amount in the gas tax. Lets tie these two together.

Here is an article from the Utah Taxpayers http://utahtaxpayer.blogspot.com/2007/02/day-29-gas-tax-increase.html that talk about the gas tax. I wonder how many projects we could get done quickly, if transportation received an additional $150-300 million each year.

What do you think?

The Spyglass

Trolley Square Massacre

Trolley Square Massacre
A gunman has rampaged through Trolley Square and killed several people. I live just down the street.

Voucher Legislation Signed, Group Ready to defend in Court.

INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICEARLINGTON, VAHOME PAGE: http://www2.blogger.com/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 12, 2007CONTACT: Lisa Knepper, (703) 682-9320Institute for Justice Pledges to Defend Universal School Choice in Utah.

Governor Signs Nation’s First Universal School Choice BillArlington, Va.—Today, the Institute for Justice, the nation’s leading legal advocate for school choice, pledged to defend in court the first-ever universal school choice program should it come under legal attack. Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. signed legislation today providing every family in the state the right to choose their child’s school.“The right to choose something as important as your child’s school should be a fundamental right,” said Chip Mellor, president and general counsel of the Institute for Justice.

“Today, that right becomes a reality in Utah, and we will vigorously defend parental choice against any legal challenge.”IJ has successfully defended choice programs in Cleveland—resulting in the landmark 2002 U.S. Supreme Court victory for school choice—Milwaukee, Arizona and Illinois.

The “Parent Choice in Education Act” provides scholarships ranging from $500 to $3,000, based on family income, for parents to use at any eligible private school. All current public school children are eligible, as well as children in private school whose families qualify for the federal free and reduced price lunch program.Even before the bill was signed, opponents of school choice such as the Utah Education Association suggested that a legal challenge could be in the works. If opponents file suit, IJ will intervene in the litigation on behalf of parents who wish to use the program in order to ensure their rights are protected.“Utah precedent is very favorable to school choice, and we are confident this program will withstand legal challenge,” said Dick Komer, an IJ senior attorney.

“School choice is perfectly consistent with the Utah and U.S. constitutions.”School choice opponents claim that the program violates the Utah Constitution’s Blaine Amendments—remnants of anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant bigotry that swept the country in the 19th century—because parents could choose religious as well as non-religious private schools. (About 59 percent of Utah private schools are non-religious.)

But the Utah Supreme Court has never read its Blaine Amendments as broadly as opponents suggest.Indeed, Utah already has multiple school choice programs, including higher educational assistance programs that allow students to choose public, private or religious colleges, in addition to Carson Smith scholarships for K-12 special needs students. But under opponents’ misguided theories, those programs should be unconstitutional as well.

Fight over voucher program may not be finished

When will these guys get it? Lest they forget who can put a constitutional ammendment on the ballot.

JUST Move on UEA and address the needs of our kids.

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5205610

Congratulations to Todd Weiler

A run for the Vice Chair:

It’s always hard to see someone you love lose an election, and you second guess why you bother in the first place.

Yesterday morning the Republican State Central Committee met for its quarterly meeting and one of the action items was to elect replacements for party leadership. Running for party office is always hard, because you are pitted up against friends within the party seeking the same positions and those that will do the voting are torn between these same friends and supporters who have helped them get elected or have supported them in the past.

Carrie and I showed up early to set up a table and meet the committee members as they were receiving their credentials and ballots. It became clear early on that Legislative leadership had “chosen” who they wanted to see elected, as friends and elected officials who in the past had come to Carrie and I for support would not make eye contact or were non committal about who they planned to elect. This is always the hardest part about these kinds of elections, because it’s so personal.

Carrie was nominated by Lora Miller who recently won a very close race for Salt Lake County District Attorney, and who Carrie had volunteered for her campaign in the past two elections. The Vice Chair race was very tough as there were 4 very qualified candidates, and because of the small group of voters 107 total, it would be very easy to tell who did and who did not support you.

As the poll watcher for Carrie I watched as each ballot was counted and could see the pattern develop early on. This is always the most heart breaking time for a spouse, and we both have been in this position several times for each others races.

I want to extend a heartfelt congratulation’s out to Todd Weiler who is our new elected vice chair, and Carrie Dickson our new party Secretary.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660194620,00.html

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5207463

The Spyglass

Vouchers get the Thumbs Up

Emotion charged debate, but the end result was a forgone conclusion. Now maybe we can move on. This issue has been like the Bank / Credit Union fight, or the Hadfield and McCoy war.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660194371,00.html

The Spyglass

For Every Action there is an equal and opposite reaction

Newton's Third Law of Motion:

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This law is exemplified by what happens if we step off a boat onto the bank of a lake: as we move in the direction of the shore, the boat tends to move in the opposite direction (leaving us facedown in the water, if we aren't careful!).

So if you piss off enough people, over and over and over again, until finally they can't take it anymore, they will turn and stomp the crap out of you.

Well it looks like the Salt Lake County Executive Committee applied the Third Law of Motion to a party dissident.

Party Pooper?

http://blogs.sltrib.com/politics/

The Spyglass

Utah Legislature approves the nation's most expansive school voucher program

Utah Legislature approves the nation's most expansive school voucher program

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5195365


The Spyglass

Photo journal of Carrie and the Party she loves

Dear State Central Commitee Members. There will not be a more dedicated person to fill the position of Vice Chair for our Party.

Make it Happen, Vote for Carrie, and God Bless this Great State of Utah.

Let's Roll Up Our Sleeves and Work Together

Political sweeps are generally understood when
looking backward . . .

Successful politics only take place when
planned forward.

Vote Carrie Towner State Vice Chair

Let’s Roll Up Our Sleeves and Work Together

● GOTV Action Plan ● Expand Fundraising ● Recruit

An Invitation for Change

An invitation for change

Political sweeps are generally understood when
looking backward . . .

Successful politics only take place when
planned forward.

Vote Carrie Towner State Vice Chair

● GOTV Action Plan ● Expand Fundraising ● Recruit

Political Sweeps are Generally Understood When Looking Backward...

Political sweeps are generally understood when
looking backward . . .

Successful politics only take place when
planned forward.

Vote Carrie Towner for State Vice Chair

● GOTV Action Plan

● Expand Fundraising

● Recruit

Let Them Eat Cake!

This is actually Air Force Two, or the plane usually taken by Dick Cheney. Nancy stepped in it already, "Let them eat Cake" The last lady that said that had her head chopped off.....

House GOP blast Pelosi for plane request. Murtha tells Airforce, get her what she wants or your budget will be cut.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070209/ap_on_go_co/pelosi_plane_18&printer=1

Strike One!!!!

The Current State of Our Utah Republican Party

I just read a post from another blogger I have great respect. I will post his entire comments below, however I want to make a point or two about the condition of our Republican Party here in Utah. Because outside of Salt Lake County the Republican Party is in effect “The Utah Political Party” we tend to over look what is happening within our own ranks. Unlike other states where the population tends to define themselves by affiliating with a particular political party, the vast majority of Utah’s population elects not to affiliate with any party. This independence streak goes back to the pioneers who settled this state. But lately we have had some very heated battles being waged between what I would call the establishment Republicans and the fringe element's of our party. Many in these fringe groups claim you cannot be a Republican unless you agree 100% with their issues or platform. Also because many of the other political parties (other than the Democratic) are so small and unorganized that many have become involved in our Party and then try to manipulate their issues into our governing documents.

What I want to communicate here is we as a party need to realize not everyone will agree with our own personal belief system, or morality stances. This however should not disqualify anyone from participating in our Utah Republican Party. We have pro-choice Republicans, pro-Gay Republicans, pro-economic development Republicans, pro-school choice Republicans, as well as anti all the same. What is most important is that we are all Republican. We should have a large enough tent to allow everyone who believes in less government control, and personal responsibility to sit at the table.

With that said, here is one of the finest commentaries on the subject I have ever seen putting electrons to screen. This is a reply from the Blogger http://www.alienatedwannabe.blogspot.com/

"I have tremendous respect for you. And, I think I understand your position. My roots are also in the conservative wing of our party, so I see you as being a kindred spirit.In the limited time I have here, I will try to supply an answer to your question:I am a Republican, not a Libertarian, for a good reason. Just as I do not believe in the "maximum" government of the Socialists and Democrats, I do not believe in the "minimum" government of the Anarchists and Libertarians either. Rather, I believe in the "optimum" government of the Republicans.For me, that is what the divinely inspired Constitution is all about--finding that right balance? As you remember, the original government of the United States, the Articles of Confederation, was too weak. It didn't work. The founding fathers replaced it with one that gave more power to a central government--they recognized the need for balance, "optimum" rather than "minimum."Too many of my fellow Conservative Republicans fail to seek this same balance. They start idealizing "minimum" government as if they were Libertarians instead of Republicans.No one understood the need of limited government more than Thomas Jefferson, but he also understood this principle of balance. He further understood that "limited" is a different concept entirely than "minimum." And, because of that, he was able to act in his country's best interest at a crucial moment in history.When France offered to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States, Jefferson wisely jumped at the opportunity, even though doing so seemed to require that he use authority not explicitly granted to him in the Constitution.Thank goodness he had the intelligence to do what he did! His actions have proven themselves over time to have been a tremendous blessing to our nation. Indeed, one wonders how dangerously handicapped and stunted our country would have been if he had not the vision and wisdom to do the right thing instead of the simple thing.Too often we conservative political junkies fall into the trap of being intellectually lazy. We gravitate toward a simple direction, right, instead of toward actually doing the "right" thing.I have learned in my life that doing the "right" thing requires balance--effort and judgment. Following a simple direction requires no effort and no judgment; we simply turn off our brain and say either "more government programs!" (left), or "less government programs!" (right)In the past, some who have famously fallen into a similar trap have declared such things as "It is wrong to heal on the Sabbath!" These folks couldn't get past the direction of following the letter of the law, so they failed to understand the balance of the spirit of the law.The spirit of our national and state constitutions is to provide for the common good. As a conservative Reagan Republican, I believe that often requires government to get off the backs of the people, so that their creative energies can be unleashed. But, sometimes it means that the government needs to step in, as appropriate, to build such things as the Eerie Canal--all for the common good.For me, Real Salt Lake's stadium falls into this category. I am convinced that it will produce benefits for our state that are just as vital to the common good as schools and highways. That is why I enthusiastically support the state chipping in a small portion to help make it a reality.I hope this, in some way, does justice to your excellent question."

3 Women could be running the Utah State GOP

How’s the old saying go, “when you want something done right, on time, and within a restrictive budget you call in the Relief Society” Well for the first time in Utah Republican History, 3 women could be running the Utah State GOP.

Here’s what we know for sure, Enid Greene will be the next State party chair because she is running unopposed. And Carrie Dickson who most recently made a run at Sheri Swenson for Salt Lake County clerk is the odds on favorite for party secretary.

So the real question is who will be elected to fill the Vice Chair role. The candidates in the running are Patrick Reagan who has run for party office before, Jay Collier who is from Toolee County, long time Republican operative Jack Powers has thrown his hat (something he wears to Republican events) into the ring, Todd Weiler who is the current Davis County GOP Chair, and Carrie Towner is the fifth candidate of the group.

In 2002 Carrie was the one female among 12 candidates seeking the Republican nomination for congress, so this is familiar territory.

Carrie’s work and participation in Salt Lake County and at the State Party level are legendary. She worked together with Carrie Dickson when they were both Salt Lake County party officers, and they are good personal friends. Enid Greene, Carrie Towner. and Carrie Dickson are all involved with the law with Enid and Carrie practicing Law, and Carrie Dickson who just recently retired as a professional legal secretary with 20 + years of experience.

With the last election results still clearly in our minds, it’s more important than ever that the Republican Party reach out to independent voters who in the next decade will decide the elections in Salt Lake County, and eventually the rest of the state. What better signal than to elect three of the brightest, professional, and completely dedicated women to these positions in the Republican Party.

Electing Carrie Towner as vice chair will set in place someone who will focus on the needs of our party and deliver results.

Just like how Gary Herbert works in concert with Governor Huntsman, Carrie would work with Enid Greene and develop a long term plan to better organize communication, volunteer efforts, and fund raising to a level not seen before in our party history.

These are just a few of Carrie’s Republican Credentials

2002 Ran for Congress, Utah 2nd congressional district
2002 Elected as Salt Lake County party treasurer
2003 Lincoln Day dinner with Sean Hannity committee
2004 Business Advisory Council, RNC
2004 Elected to State Central Committee
2004 Volunteer for Lora Miller for DA and Mark Shurtleff for AG
2004 Finance Chair for Salt Lake County party
2004 Full time advance and volunteer coordinator for Mark Crockett, county counsel race
2004-2007 a full time Law student at the University of Utah, will graduate May 2007
2006 Elected as Salt Lake County delegate
2006 Elected as Senate Chair for district #2, elected to county executive committee
2006 Volunteer for Dr. Joe Jarvis for Senate District 2, Lora Miller for DA, and Carrie Dickson for County Clerk
2007 Proposed the creation and now chairs the Salt Lake Action Plan (SLAP) committee to organize Salt Lake County efforts for 2008 elections
2007 Lincoln Day committee
2007 Seeks your vote for vice Chair position for Utah Republican Party.

Talk about the Wrong Stuff!

Astronaut charged with kidnap attempt , now they have added 1st degree murder attempt.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070206/ap_on_re_us/astronaut_arrested_7

What was she thinking?

And she flys the space shuttle?

It's time to recruit some need blood in the Astronaut corps.

The Spyglass

Gary Herbert, the Real Deal says put me in Coach!

Gary Herbert is the real deal. I take you back to 2004 to a debate held at the Old Historic Provo Library. My wife Carrie and I were actively working and supporting Marty Stephens who like all the rest was seeking the GOP nomination and eventual crown as Utah’s next Governor.

As we were setting up for the event, Gary Herbert came up to me and said we need to talk. I was stunned, I said what about. He said Database and technology, knowing this was a passion of mine. I had met Gary a couple of times at State Central Committee meetings, and to me he was just another Utah County SCC member. He was usually very quiet and very low key.

As the debate proceeded several things came into my mind. #1 was Olene Walker was not going to get the nomination. She stumbled on her words, and seemed ill prepared for the event. #2 Marty and Fred commanded the group. They both sat upright and focused and when asked a specific question, not only had a specific answer, but backed it up with facts. #3 Jon Huntsmen didn’t belong on the same stage with these guys. #4 where did Gary Herbert come from, and that this guy like Marty commanded the facts, and could deliver a speech. I said to myself right then and there, Gary Herbert would make one heck of a Lieutenant Governor, and why was Marty not talking to him about joining his campaign. After the event, I talked with several of his campaign staff who by the way occupies many of the positions in his office now what kind of person Gary really was. The answer was profound. Gary is Gary plain and simple. Peel back any number of layers and it’s still the same guy.

Well somebody else must have figured this out as well on the Huntsman team, because shortly after that event, then candidate Jon Huntsman announced that Gary would be joining his campaign. Gary possessed all the things Huntsman did not have at the time. These included a total grasp of local politics and how government actually works, and was well connected to the political insiders of Utah County and around the state. I feel 100% certain that had Jon Huntsman not convinced Gary to join his campaign, Jon would not be our current governor.

I must disclose I really like Gary Herbert both as our Lieutenant Governor, and on a personal basis. So with that disclaimer, let me explore the political crystal ball for the next several years. When Governor Huntsman announced his support of John McCain, this signaled to my feeble brain the following scenario. If John McCain becomes the next President, Jon Huntsman will likely be called to his cabinet either as the Secretary of State, or Ambassador to China. In that event, Gary Herbert would then take the reigns of Governor in 2008 after he and Jon win re-election. Under a Romney administration Jon Huntsman would have no role for several different reasons. Should McCain not win the Presidency in 2008, you can take it to the bank that Jon Huntsman will be seeking the Republican nomination for US Senate in 2010. For Bob Bennett this would be a campaign he doesn’t need nor could he afford and I see his retirement assured. Again Gary Herbert would assume the remaining two years, and then run again himself in 2012.

I can honestly say that the state of Utah has the most qualified Lt. Governor in the United States, and it will be a pleasure to call him Governor when the time comes.


Mark E. Towner,
The Spyglass

Article from the Tribune about Gary

http://www.sltrib.com/utahpolitics/ci_5159807

Lab Disaster may lead to cure for some cancers

It's often a mistake in the lab that has produced unexpected medical advances. Here is an example of one recently: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070204/sc_nm/cancer_drug_dc_3

Is Utah Valley University going to be derailed? http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660192790,00.html

Is affordable health care a right? Senator McCoy delivers on a campaign promise to bring healthcare to every Utah citizen, but what about the undocumented Scott?
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660192873,00.html

I don't get it? Republicans and light bulbs http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660192281,00.html

The Spyglass

Public school choice will curb mediocrity

Public school choice will curb mediocrity

By Randy Smith
Thanks to some truly outstanding teachers, the Davis School district is one of the top districts in the state. Four of the district high schools were listed among Newsweek's top high schools in the country. However, the $4.3 million Title I scandal reminds us how easy it is to become complacent when we trust people. And just as it was naive for a superintendent to fail to put in place reasonable controls over the district's use of Title I funds, parents are similarly naive when we fail to require that the administration justify its actions. As someone who was very involved in the recent boundary debate but unaffected by the boundary changes, I would like to share some questions I have after reading hundreds of e-mails sent to DavisParents.org. Why is the Davis School District fighting parents in an expensive legal battle over their open meeting violations? Why ignore the opinion of the 2nd District Court, the editorial boards of all three local daily papers, the Davis County Republican chairman and the Democratic chairman who have all been critical of the district's failure to comply with the letter or intent of this law? What public benefit can result from fighting to resist open government? Even though Bountiful High School had 170 empty seats this school year, the district denied 70 of the 90 students requesting a variance to Bountiful High. When the Sunset Hollow community petitioned to move out of the portables at Woods Cross High and into the empty classrooms at Bountiful High, why did the district deny this request in favor of plans to expand Woods Cross and bus students away from the 300 empty seats at Davis High? How many more teachers could we hire, or textbooks could we buy, if we simply filled our current school buildings rather than busing children away from empty classrooms? I recently met one family that applied for a variance to Bountiful High so their daughter could attend the same school as her older sister. Unfortunately, the administration believes that variances hurt the resident school, and so this variance request and numerous appeals were denied. The family even offered to send their senior from Bountiful to Woods Cross so their children could be together, but the athletic programs wouldn't allow that to happen. Only after six months of persistent pressure through letters, phone calls and personal visits did the district allow this distraught family to stay together. When did it become appropriate to hold children hostage to protect programs rather than using programs to benefit a child? We applaud the Salt Lake School District for its open enrollment policy. In that district 25 percent of the high school students choose their school. The Davis School District limits school choice to 2 percent. As public educators mobilize to fight vouchers, would they consider speaking up to help the children in the Davis School District get "public school choice?" If public educators are truly fighting for our children, public school choice should be easy to support. In the real world, if a supplier could force its customers to buy only from it, there would be no motivation to improve or even maintain the quality of the product or service. As a father who will have children in the public school system for another 14 years, I fear the mediocrity that is sure to follow if our public school administrators have no accountability and patrons have no choice.

Randy Smith, a father, is the spokesman for DavisParents.org

Overstock sues brokers for $3.48 billion

Chief Executive Officer Patrick Byrne, is seeking $3.48 billion in damages

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660192260,00.html

A Victory for Choice in Education

A Victory for Choice in Education:

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660192201,00.html


THANK YOU UTAH HOUSE!!
A big thanks to the Utah House for passing the voucher bill. 38 Yea votes:http://le.utah.gov/~2007/status/hbillsta/hb0148.001h.txtAndersen Barrus Buxton Clark, D. Clark, S. Curtis Daw Dee Donnelson Dougall Draxler Fowlke Frank Froerer Garn Gibson Grover Harper Herrod Hughes Hutchings, E. Kiser Last Lockhart Morley Neuenschwander Newbold Noel Oda Painter Sandstrom Sumsion Tilton Urquhart Walker Wheeler Wimmer Wyatt
posted by Utah Conservative @ Friday, February 02, 2007 0 comments

Tide may be turning for School Choice

Fifty-seven years later, Sumner Elementary School in Topeka is back in the news. That city's board of education is still wrongly preventing the right people from getting into that building. Two educators wanted to use Sumner for a charter school, a public school entitled to operate outside the confinements of dictated curricula and free from many work rules written by teachers unions.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660191901,00.html

Interesting Perspective on Voucher Funding

"The educrats are saying the voucher bill would cost more than $50 million if this were fully implemented in year one instead of being phased in over several years. Here's why they're wrong There are approximately 16,000 private school students in Utah. If all of them are "rich" (which is what voucher opponents claim), then each one would receive $500 if the voucher were fully phased in. This would amount to $8 million. If ZERO students switched, the worst case scenario would be $8 million. Any students that switched would save tax dollars. Therefore, the number of switchers multiplied by the difference of the spending average per student minus the average voucher amount would be the savings and this would be deducted from the $8 million."

Mike Jerman, Vice President
Utah Taxpayers Association

Vouchers Would Save Millions

Press Contact:
Nancy Pomeroy
801.361.5284



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Utah Study Indicates Significant Savings
From School Vouchers
Empirical Research Proves Millions Would be Saved

Salt Lake City, UT — February 1, 2007 — A study of the fiscal impact of school choice in Utah shows that a state school choice program could save approximately $26 million each year. Released today by The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy and the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, (founded by Nobel laureate in economics, Dr. Milton Friedman) and Parents for Choice in Education (PCE), the study provides credible evidence that no local school district would suffer a net loss of funds as a result of the introduction of a school voucher program. It also identified the potential additional savings from school vouchers for each district throughout the state and suggests that as the percentage of children using vouchers increases education expenditures and tax rates decline. "The detailed analysis completed by Dr. Susan Aud, senior researcher, and professor teaching Quantitative Methods in Political Science Research at the Paul H. Nitze School for Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University shows that a statewide choice program won't hurt schools financially. In fact, quite the opposite is true.

“Local schools would receive more money to educate fewer students—bottom line" said, ________________ of The Josiah Bartlett Center.
Key Findings

Utah public schools receive $6,325 in revenue per student, including $3,508 from the state, $2,220 from local sources, and $597 from federal sources.
A universal voucher program that allowed Utah parents to use a portion of their state education funding to attend schools of their choice, public or private, would reduce the need for more teachers and classroom space in the public school system, or, alternatively, help the state reduce teacher-student ratios.

If 2 percent of public school parents participated in the voucher program — a participation rate well below the 5 percent rate achieved by Ohio’s new voucher program in its first year of operation in 2006 — it would remove about 9,662 students from the public school system in the first year.

Such a universal voucher program would result in a net fiscal savings of about $700,000 in the first year, and the savings would grow as the program grew.


—more—
Study Proves Vouchers Could Save State Millions Page 2

Because not all school revenue varies with enrollment levels, local Utah school districts would retain about $2,674 in revenue for each student who left with a voucher — a financial windfall that would total about $26 million per year.

"We’ve always known that school vouchers would be a net gain for Utah public schools, Utah taxpayers and Utah’s children," said Elisa Peterson, executive director, PCE.
"Now we have research that proves it." For a copy of the study's results, methodology and conclusions please visit:
About the Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy
http://www.jbartlett.org The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy is a non-profit, non-partisan, independent think tank focused on state and local public policy issues that affect the quality of life for New Hampshire's citizens. The Center has as its core beliefs individual freedom and responsibility, limited and accountable government, and an appreciation of the role of the free enterprise system. The Center seeks to promote policy that supports these beliefs by providing information, research and analysis.
About the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation http://www.friedmanfoundation.org The Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, dubbed "the nation's leading voucher advocates" by the Wall Street Journal, is a non-profit organization established in 1996. The origins of the foundation lie in the Friedman's long-standing concern about the serious deficiencies in America's elementary and secondary public schools. The best way to improve the quality of education, they believe, is to enable all parents to have a truly free choice of the schools that their children attend. The Friedman Foundation works to build upon this vision clarify its meaning to the general public and amplify the national call for true education reform through school choice.

About Parents for Choice in Education
www.choiceineducation.org
Parents for Choice in Education (PCE) is dedicated to the improvement of education in Utah through meaningful parental choice. We believe that publicly supported education is vital to the strength of our state and that real options should be made accessible and available to everyone regardless of income or geography. We believe in parents and their ability to make the best education choices for their children whether through public, charter, or private schools. We envision and work to achieve a vibrant education system, offered through diverse, competitive providers focusing on the child, not the system.
Since its founding in November 2000, PCE has taken the lead role in advocating for school choice reforms in Utah

Voucher bill jumps first hurdle

As expected, Greg Hughes delivered a passing commitee vote for Choice.


http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660191518,00.html

As Paul Rolly now agrees, it's a done deal.

http://blogs.sltrib.com/politics/


Mark Towner,
The Spyglass

My Position on Education Funding

My response to James Cone and others,

My position has not changed on this issue at all. Maybe you confuse my support for public education would also suggest I do not support vouchers. That would be wrong. I never, ever supported Tuition Tax credits, and I took a lot of heat and likely lost a State School Board race because of this position.

My position is the same as that of LaVarr Webb of Utah Policy Daily. I want to see more (not less) funding of public education. But I also want to see parents have options like charter school's, and private schools as well.

The problem with funding public education is how we currently calculate resources. Teacher salaries and class size is a local school board issue, not the Legislature's. Am I 100% happy with this legislation, the answer is NO. However we need to take baby steps to make sure our kids are not hurt in the process.

What would be a perfect solution regarding Educating our children?

1. Eliminate the Department of Education, and send it's budget directly to the states.

2. States to provide a voucher to each child that can be used for a private or public school. If the student chooses to attend a public school, the voucher would go directly into the account of that local school and administered by the principle as they see fit, including providing merit bonus and specialty teaching (math and science) incentives.

3. The Legislature would provide funding to each district to cover costs associated to maintaining buildings, infrastructure, books, and a baseline budget.

4. Implement the A.P.P.L.E. in congress.

If both sides would just get off their high horse and see how they both could benefit, we might actually get somewhere.

Mark Towner,
The Spyglass

Steve hits a grand slam on vouchers

steve u. said...
It is an odd leap to conclude that this bill is hostile to public education. Along with helping families seek educational options that they believe are best for their children, the bill pushes increased money to public education, which will be accompanied by historic levels of overall funding. Hardly the barbarians at the gate.I look forward to the proposals the first commentor promised. Public education officials seem to be spending far too much time looking over the fence at the way 3 to 7% of Utah children will be educated elsewhere and not nearly enough time on the 93 to 97% of Utah children for which they have direct responsibility. If Chairman Burningham has innovative ideas for improving public education – other than guarding the status quo and fighting against anyone leaving the system – I’d like to hear them.

Webb hits nail on the head

Webb: This is an exciting year for public education in Utah — in more ways than one. On the funding side, the Legislature is poised to dish out the largest public ed increase, by far, in Utah history, by any measure. The governor has recommended $320 million in new money. The House is talking about $300 million and the Senate an almost unbelievable $400 million or more. That's an eye-popping amount to boost teacher salaries, reduce class sizes and fund special programs. And all of it is needed and deserved. Good teachers who want to make teaching a career ought to be able to support a family. However, funding isn't the only exciting public education story in the Legislature this year. Equally dramatic is the likelihood that, along with shelling out the big bucks, lawmakers are going to demand more accountability and impose significant reform on public education. And they are absolutely right to do so. Now is the time for education reform, including voucher scholarships, merit pay and higher pay for in-demand teachers. And that ought to just be the beginning. I have been a strong supporter of our public schools my entire life. I am a product of Utah's public schools and all my children have exclusively attended public schools. There is no more important mission than making our public schools better so they prepare our children and grandchildren for professions in a vastly different world than that of my generation. It's hard to overestimate the changes in the global economy, the incredible international competition, the need for our children to excel in math, science, languages, critical thinking and innovation. We have mostly terrific teachers and administrators doing the best job they can in a culture and system that is badly outdated and highly bureaucratized. It is unfortunately a culture that fights change and innovation, that wants to keep doing things the way they've been done for a century or more while the rest of society has long since undergone dramatic change. I am a big supporter of voucher scholarships because it is fundamental, structural reform that will leave more money in the public schools and foster a public school climate of improvement, competition and innovation, better preparing our children and grandchildren for the world they will enter. The free market does not tolerate mediocrity. It is incredibly unfortunate that the public education establishment is so averse to change and fresh thinking that they won't even engage in a modest pilot project featuring school choice. It is almost like a religion, and they are fanatics. So the Legislature is going to have to take some leadership. This is the year: big bucks and real reform.

Incredible Op-Ed on Vouchers, Gotta Read This!

I stumbled on this while scanning the Bloghive. The title did'nt register at first so I passed over it. Later just for kicks I though I would see what the fuss was and WOW, what a great article.

Everyone should really take a deep breath on both sides, sit down and calmly ready this post from Frank Staheli

http://economicspolitics.blogspot.com/2007/01/pull-up-drawbridge-were-under-attack.html

The Spyglass

Partisan races for school boards?

SB194 would let political parties pick candidates

The Brambo flexes his muscles

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,655191730,00.html

The Spyglass

No Go for REAL

Looks like Curtis was right. Soccer is Dead in Utah

http://deseretnews.com/dn/print/1,1442,655191591,00.html

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_5094415

Checketts responds:

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,655191601,00.html

Stadium deal doomed?

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,655191742,00.html

The Spyglass

Maybe the SL County Clerk will start removing some of these dead people

There is an ongoing problem with the Salt Lake County Clerk's office. Dead people keep showing up to vote. When will this Elected official finally admit that there are hundreds if not thousands of Registeres voters in Salt Lake County that are dead, or moved to another county or state and registered there. The voter registration database should be cross matched with Drivers License, death records, tax records, and phone directory databases and purge these people.

This is 2007, please fix this problem. Here is a start

http://www.utahopinions.com/index.php/2007/01/26/utah-death-certificates-1905-1954-online/

The Spyglass

Senate Dems learn Photoshop

Well I guess my little post this morning sparked somebody in the Senate minority to get some quick lessons in PhotoShop and correct their Oooops. www.amicus.com interesting site.

Well done..... http://utahdemsenate.com/

The Spyglass

Chris Cannon gets ripped in Utah Senate

Ouch!

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_5091610

The Spyglass

Utah Democratic Senate Website OOPS!

Well several weeks ago I posted a comment on a blog site wondering why the Senate Democrats didn’t have a website to post their positions on bills that were getting shoved down their throats.

Well it looks like somebody in their caucus realized they didn’t have anything better to do so why not learn a little Dreamweaver and put a site together.

Only thing is folks they have broken the law right off the bat. You see nobody but the Lt. Governor can authorize the use of the State seal. OOOPS….. http://utahdemsenate.com/

67-1a-7. Use and custody of great seal. Except as otherwise provided by law, the lieutenant governor, or the lieutenant governor's designee, is authorized to use or affix the Great Seal of this state to any document whatever and only in pursuance of law, and is responsible for its safekeeping. Any person who illegally uses the Great Seal of this state, or such seal when defaced, is guilty of a felony. Enacted by Chapter 68, 1984 General Session

So whoever mocked this up had better change it quick, or Gary will send his enforcer Mr. Demma to have a talk with you.

The Spyglass

Voucher Bill has the Votes!

Voucher Bill has the Votes

Well according to my sources, when push comes to shove vouchers legislation will pass the House with 40 or 41 votes, not 38.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,655191416,00.html

Another interesting tidbit of information in this annual slugfest is the revelation that Vic Arnold, the UEA lobbyist, is the Chair for the Democrat State Party Education Committee.

This should eliminate any doubt that the UEA is a direct extension of the Utah Democratic State Party. So let’s quit kidding ourselves folks.

The Spyglass

Nicole Stricker posts update on vouchers

Here is an update on Vouchers

By Nicole Stricker The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 01/23/2007 01:04:22 PM MST

http://www.sltrib.com/Search/ci_5060104

The Spyglass

Urquhart, draws back the curtain on Voucher bill

Legislator posts a draft of voucher bill on blog
Rep. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, has released a draft of his voucher bill on his blog, steveu.com/blog/. The blog also provides answers to questions about the bill. Urquhart hopes to gather public comment on the measure, and says he might change the bill based on that input.

The Spyglass

Quote of the Day from UPD

Quote of the Day
“It sort of makes the debate at this year's Legislature seem like a food fight over baby steps. But if Utah won't even take baby steps in parental choice among its poorest citizens, what chances do our kids have against other nations?”
-- Editorial page editor and columnist Jay Evensen, writing about a report from the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, which calls for changes in the nation’s public education system far more radical than school choice vouchers (Morning News).

Do Vouchers belong in Utah?

The Salt Lake Tribune chimes in:

http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_5060104

Mark Towner,
THe Spyglass

Voucher would empower all families

By Greg Hughes, Bill Colbert and Mark Cluff

A recent My View column (Jan. 10) called upon parents, grandparents and citizens to take a hard look at the issue of making education vouchers available for Utah's schoolchildren. We agree that serious scrutiny is needed on the issues facing public education and how we deliver education to children. We are convinced that as we peel back the layers of misinformation and rhetoric, what is left is a powerful argument for increased funding for our public schools and more options and opportunities for all of Utah's children.

As this debate has raged, the misperception that is hardest to overcome is the notion that affluent families are the target of an educational voucher. The opposite is true. The voucher bills in recent legislative general sessions all included means testing — providing families with the fewest resources a voucher in the greatest dollar amount. A voucher would empower all families — but particularly the underprivileged. An existing scholarship program called Children First Utah that targets families whose children qualify for free and reduced lunch is meant to mirror the financial assistance that a voucher would provide. The demand for these scholarships is three times greater than available resources, without any program advertising. We have met some of the families who have benefited from this exceptional opportunity, many of whom struggle with English as their second language, and the excitement and gratitude speaks volumes.

When families choose to send their children to a private school using an educational voucher, it saves public education real dollars, since the voucher would only provide 10 percent to 60 percent of what it would cost to educate their children in public schools. Vouchers would leave more dollars in our public schools. This isn't just a rosy prediction; it is exactly what has been happening over the past decade in the Milwaukee public schools. Many policymakers from Utah have been to Milwaukee and have had the privilege to witness their voucher program firsthand. Only a hardened skeptic would refuse to see how the rising tide has lifted all ships in a town that was once sinking fast.

Another misconception is that public dollars could be spent for "any conceivable private school." Yet closer scrutiny of past proposals would demonstrate accreditation requirements for any private school receiving an educational voucher.

Constitutional arguments about the prohibition of public dollars landing in private institutions are comical when you consider the amount of public funding provided to students attending schools such as Notre Dame and Brigham Young University in the form of Pell Grants. Also, when a low-income family can't afford food, the government will provide them with food stamps or a Horizon Card — a government voucher spent at a private business of their choice. Even traditional public schools pay private schools to help educate special education students.

The reality is that Utah has more children per capita than any other state. The duty to provide an education for Utah's children requires a Herculean effort from all of us. With a projected 20 percent increase in our student population in the next eight years, there are no silver bullets available to accomplish this task. An education voucher program would offer us another arrow in our quiver. We must prioritize the needs of our children over the protection and care of the current status quo. There is an economy for education in Utah. If we empower large swaths of our population with increased educational options, those in the business of educating children will invest their dollars to meet this demand. The time has come to adopt a voucher bill. Join us as we make this a banner year for education and Utah's children.

Rep. Greg Hughes, R-Draper, chairs the House Education Standing Committee. Bill Colbert and Mark Cluff are members of the State Board of Education

Senate Gets Jump on the House

Senator Brambo and company lays down the numbers.....

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650224763,00.html

The first punch has been thrown.

Mark Towner,

The Spyglass

Vouchers GOT the MO

Article, after article says this is the year we get choice for parents. Here is another interesting article that our legislators need to read, read again, then without emotion, read it again.Finally please lets knock off the rhetoric, and look past the mud slinging and smell the roses. Our kids today are not just competing with each other for college and high paying jobs, now with the internet, Voice O/IP and the bandwidth available, we now have call centers in India, and china where you have College graduates with engineering degrees are taking support calls.The sooner the Education machine realizes that what they are producing is giving our kids a completive disadvantage, the sooner we can get on a global road of improvement.Let’s see Utah take the lead.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650224076,00.html

Mark Towner,The Spyglass

Lampropoulos will not seek State GOP Helm

In a email message sent by former Campaign Chair Dave Hansen, he said "Fred Lampropoulos is NOT running for Chairman."

So this opens the field wide to many possible candidates, as Fred would have been a tough person to beat in a SCC vote. So does this mean that Enid will again seek the top spot?

The next week will be interesting to see what is in the works.

Mark Towner,
The Spyglass

I'm in to Win says Clinton

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070120/ap_on_el_pr/clinton2008_19

The Dem's list gets longer and longer. What happens if they have 25-30 people running for the nomination?

The Spyglass

The Stars are in alignment for Vouchers in 2007

This looks like the year vouchers may actually pass the legislature. We have lots of money in the bank, and the Gov wants to up the ante 18% for public education. I see a back room deal being cut here that will finally get vouchers into law. If Vic Arnold (old Queen Ann Grizzlie foe when we both lived in Seattle) and the UEA don't blow things, they may get their cake and eat it too. But if they attack any possibility of a voucher, watch that 18% get cut in half, right off the bat and go down from there. The Gov wants full time kindergarden, and increased pay for teachers. But the pay structure is in the hands of the local school districts, so this is where the pressure needs to be applied. My suggestion for both of these groups is work it out, you both win.

A new poll will be released this weekend that has some interesting numbers. Both sides in this yearly battle need to read the tea leaves. I predict that by the closing gavel of this session, Utah will follow many other states and Washington DC and make vouchers available to Utah's kids.

It appears Jennifer Toomer-Cook is getting the same vibes as I am.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650224177,00.html

The Spyglass

GOP faces tough vote on Bush's war plan

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer2 hours, 30 minutes ago
Bruised by the elections and divided on the Iraq war, Republicans will find themselves in a tough spot when Democrats force them to go on record for or against President Bush's troop strategy.
Democratic House and Senate leaders intend to hold votes to gauge GOP opposition to Bush's decision to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq. Senate leadership is expected by Thursday to propose a resolution denouncing the plan, with debate planned around the same time Bush delivers his State of the Union speech next Tuesday.
Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (news, bio, voting record) said the House will follow suit with its own resolution.
The resolutions would likely be a symbolic expression of Congress but would not affect the Pentagon's war budget or challenge the president's authority over U.S. forces. Such votes could be a shot across the bow to Bush, who said Jan. 10 that the extra troops are needed to protect U.S. interests in Iraq.
The resolutions also would help Democrats measure GOP support for more aggressive legislative tactics, such as cutting off funds for the war.
Such a vote puts many Republicans in an uncomfortable position. They will have to decide whether to stay loyal to an unpopular GOP president and risk angering voters disillusioned by the war or buck the party line.
Bush has been trying to sell his revised war plan to the public in a series of television interviews. He told PBS's Jim Lehrer in an interview broadcast Tuesday that keeping his old policies in place would lead to "a slow failure," but withdrawing from Iraq, as some Democrats and other critics suggest, would result in an "expedited failure."
"I am frustrated with the progress," Bush said. "A year ago, I felt pretty good about the situation. I felt like we were achieving our objective, which is a country that can govern, sustain and defend itself. No question, 2006 was a lousy year for Iraq."
In spite of Bush's efforts to gain support, several GOP members are offering only tepid endorsements of his plan, as well as a wait-and-see approach to the Democratic resolution.
Republican Rep. Chris Shays — who scraped by in the November elections while his GOP Connecticut colleagues Rob Simmons and Nancy Johnson lost their seats — said his vote would depend on what Democrats come up with. He said he supports the troop push if there are guarantees offered by the Iraqis that they will reach a political settlement.
"In the end, it's a difficult thing to have to say to the American people we don't succeed unless the Iraqis do their part," Shays said.
Likewise, Sens. Saxby Chambliss (news, bio, voting record), R-Ga., and John Sununu (news, bio, voting record), R-N.H. — both up for re-election in 2008 — say they think Bush's plan might work, but only if the Iraqis come up with a way to share oil and reach other political milestones.
Lining up behind Bush in the Senate are Republican stalwarts and a few members who have long backed sending more troops to Iraq, including Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), R-Ariz.
At least seven Republican senators have said they flatly oppose the troop increase: Sam Brownback (news, bio, voting record) of Kansas, Chuck Hagel (news, bio, voting record) of Nebraska, Norm Coleman (news, bio, voting record) of Minnesota, Gordon Smith (news, bio, voting record) of Oregon, George Voinovich (news, bio, voting record) of Ohio, Susan Collins (news, bio, voting record) of Maine and Olympia Snowe (news, bio, voting record) of Maine.
Acknowledging their party is divided on Iraq, Republican leaders are trying to stave off a showdown in Congress by casting Democratic efforts as a political ploy to embarrass the president. On Tuesday, House leaders offered GOP members a second day to air their concerns about Bush's plan behind closed doors.
Republicans are also discussing alternative proposals, including one House resolution promising to keep funding for troops in combat.
The White House has moved to bolster Republican support, inviting GOP members to the White House to attend a Wednesday briefing on Iraq.
Sen. Pat Roberts (news, bio, voting record) of Kansas — a conservative who ultimately backs the president's plan as the best choice in tough circumstances — said the vote puts many Republicans in a tight spot.
"I think everybody is," he said.
Senate Democrats on Tuesday tried to reach out to Republicans to endorse their proposals and negotiate precise language. With only a 51-49 margin and Sen. Joseph Lieberman (news, bio, voting record), I-Conn., backing the president on the troop increase, Democrats have to walk a fine line to entice Republicans to vote for their resolution.
"I will have nothing to do with some political thing to embarrass the president," Voinovich said.
Democratic leaders are also under significant pressure by several members, including Sens. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., and Christopher Dodd (news, bio, voting record), D-Conn., to go far enough to stop the president. Dodd said he plans to offer an amendment to the resolution that would cap troop levels at existing numbers, which is about 130,000.
House Democratic leaders say their approach will be simple: put Bush's plan in a nonbinding resolution and subject it to a vote. If it fails, the House will be on record as rejecting the additional troops.

Politically incorrect venting stands to ruin many careers

Deseret Morning News, Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Politically incorrect venting stands to ruin many careers
By Dan K. ThomassonScripps Howard News Service


WASHINGTON — This is the season of unfortunate remarks, and the remarks are likely to get worse as the bickering over Iraq policy accelerates. How could it be otherwise with seemingly half the Senate running for president and the Bush administration hunkered down to fight off those who would derail the latest solution for bringing Baghdad under control?


On Capitol Hill, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., accused unmarried and childless Condoleezza Rice of not understanding the risk that is being shared by families of U.S. forces in Iraq. Across the Potomac, a deputy assistant director of defense, Charles Stimson, suggested that major law firms representing detainees were un-American. Both remarks fall into the "I don't believe I would have said that" category of politically incorrect utterances that have ruined careers.
Boxer, of all people, should understand this, coming as she does from a political party whose stock and trade is to make mountains out of small-time verbal missteps, particularly those that show a moment of imprudence when applied to race or gender. Few groups are more sensitive to the equality of the single woman than the feminists who are an integral part of her party's base.


Although Boxer squealed that she had been misunderstood in her questioning, Secretary of State Rice seemed quite disinclined to let her off the hook. One can hardly blame her, given the grueling interrogation she received from the august Senate Foreign Relations Committee members, including nearly all of those Republicans she should have expected to provide some sympathy for her job as a spokeswoman for a difficult position.


During her career, Rice has shown she feels as deeply about the impact of her actions as if she had given birth to those she has helped put in harm's way. To suggest that a single woman could not understand the potential devastation to lives caused by the policies she is charged with promoting and defending is just stupid. To suggest this, in fact, is to accuse her of a monstrous insensitivity that makes her motives dishonest and almost inhuman. Has the incivility on the Hill reached that point?


Stimson, meanwhile, showed a woeful ignorance of the constitutional safeguards afforded anyone who comes in contact with our legal process. As the person in charge of detainee policies, he told interviewers that he was dismayed that top law firms were representing prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay and that corporate clients of those firms should think about ending their ties to them. The suggested boycott brought a round of huzzahs and support from a gaggle of conservative radio talkers, who clearly hadn't thought it out very well, and legitimate screams from the legal community far and wide.


The Pentagon was quick to disavow Stimson's remarks, saying he was speaking on his own and that his views did not represent official policy. One would certainly hope not. It would be proper, I think, to ask at this point: Why is this man still on the job, and why was he hired in the first place?


Nothing is more sacred than the judicial system, flawed as it is, that keeps us free. Legal defense is an integral part of that. Anyone who doesn't understand that should not be serving in this government, and perhaps should himself spend several nights in the hell of Guantanamo, where many are being held without charges and under only a supposition that they may have a link to terrorism.


The entire detainee policy has not been a pretty one. In fact, it has been a disgraceful twisting of the rule of law that threatens to do serious damage to the nation's reputation as the world's greatest democracy. It was a grotesque overreaction to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, and it has morphed into a miscarriage that rivals those common to the repressive, regressive cultures we so righteously denounce. Obviously, Stimson has had a hand in that policy. His remarks now reveal exactly why it has become such a detestable experience.


So from both ends of the government, the word "blight" becomes more intense. Boxer's tongue won't be the only one that will get in the way of better judgment, and Stimson won't be the only senior official to show a complete lack of understanding about America's principles. We will survive, the songwriter says. Probably. But it certainly gets scary at times.


Dan K. Thomasson is former editor of the Scripps Howard News Service.
© 2007 Deseret News Publishing Company

What Public doesn't want it Jackie?

Tribune reporters REBECCA WALSH and GLEN WARCHOL contributed to this report.

Vouchers have the support of most legislative leaders, but Republican moderates have banded with Democrats to kill the bill in the past. Salt Lake City Democratic Rep. Jackie Biskupski expects the same outcome as in years past. "The public doesn't want it," she said.

Really, I live in your district, are you speaking for me on this issue?

HUMMMMM

The Spyglass

Vouchers - Vouchers - Vouchers

From the Utah Senate Site:

http://senatesite.com/blog/2007/01/vouchers.html

The Spyglass