Utah State Republican Party Chairman Stan Lockhart responded yesterday morning (12/30/07) in the Tribune to last week’s little blurb by Paul Rolly (Gerrymandering Protects Legislators from the Consequences of Their Actions, 12/23/07).

In his commentary, Stan points out some of the dilluted and misleading statistics Mr. Rolly used to try to flush out the perceived gerrymandering , which allegedly took place during the 2001 redistricting process.  A process, which according to Paul, disadvantaged a number of Democrats from overtaking their political counterparts during their bids in subsequent General Elections or never give them the opportunity to run in the first place.

Here’s a couple of other ideas to chew on regarding the results of “unfair” redistricting practices (supplied by someone other than me):

Yesterday’s assertion by Paul Rolly in the Tribune (Conservative Wing of the Legislature Marginalizes Moderate Republicans, 12/30/07), that “the conservative caucus…has grow into the dominant force on the Republican side of the aisle,” (italics added) does nothing less than warm my heart.

(A side note: Because 55 members of the Utah State House are Republican, 17 Republican members of the House must sit on the left side of the Chamber, which is traditionally the Democrat side. So, 46 percent of those sitting on the left side are Republicans [nearly half]…a mixture of Republican moderates and conservatives…Oh, maybe he was just speaking figuratively.  But I digress…)

As a conservative thinker and co-founder and Vice-Chair of the House Conservative Caucus, with Chairman Greg Hughes (R-Draper) in 2004, I’ve seen the real benefits of allying myself with others in the state legislature who think and vote like me…votes which reflect the values and principles of the people in my community who elected me to this representative office.  These good, politically active citizens of my district (House District 57) have sent me to Capitol Hill over the past five years for a number of reasons…including my conservatism.

So, to suggest that I, or any other conservative become more like “Sheryl Allen…Mel Brown…(K)orey Holdaway…Kay (McIff)…and Steve Mascaro,”  (all wonderful people, less conservative than me) would be a disservice to myself and those who elected me to represent them.  (Korey’s name is spelled with a K, not a “C” and Judge McIff’s name is not spelled M-c-K-i-f-f., I’m sure the Tribune will want to apologize for these mistakes)

With Referendum 1’s defeat in District 57 by 54 percent (plus or minus), I also recognize that 46 percent of active voters are looking for me to address changes in public education.  (Even a simple guy like me recognizes that 46 pecent is nearly half.)  Oh, and by the way, I voted for many of the issues that injected $500,000,000 new money into the Utah State Educational System last session–including the $2500 teacher raise and $1000 bonus…just like Rep’s Allen, Brown, Holdaway, McIff and Mascaro.  Not bad for a tight-fisted conservative, huh?!  In fact 100 percent of all House members present, including conservatives, voted to finalize (concur) with the final draft of the Teachers salary bill. [Click HERE to see vote]

In his article, Mr. Rolly makes it sound anti-Utahn to support the mitigation of the growth of government  and government sponsored programs.  “Pro-voucher, anti-tax, pro-privatization and pro-traditional marriage” are the marks of a conservative. OMGosh…did he really write that stuff?!  Educational choice, tax minimization, smaller government, and marriage between a man and a woman (democrat votes for 2004 House Resolution on marriage were: E. Anderson, P. Jones, and K. Morgan) are all planks in the Utah State Republican Platform and tenets in most Utah State County Republican Platforms.  Oh, sorry, I forgot…these platforms are all driven by a zealot-right-leaning delegation.

The fact is, each legislative district (Senate and House), through a constitutional and statutory process, defines who their representatives will be.  If you don’t like it…change it.  George Washington said it best this way:

The power under the Constitution will always be in the People.  It is entrusted for certain defined purpopses and for a certain limited period to Representatives of Their own choosing.  And, whenever it is executed contrary to Their interests or not agreeable to Their wishes, Their servants can and undoubtably will be recalled.

Brilliant!  There you have it from our first elected US President.  Don’t like your representatives?  Take your opinion to the ballot box…and bring a few friends…who agree with you…and “fix” it.  That’s how a Representative Republic was designed to work.  And, it’s still the best system around.  The People ultimately decide.

For eight years now (that’s before John was elected to the House), Sandy Dougall, with the assistance of a few volunteer helpers has provided Christmas morning activities and presents for over two hundred residents at the American Fork Developmental Center.  This photo above is a rare snapshot of the Dougalls with Santa and Craig Frank’s wife, Kim.

Over two hundred helpers passed out donated gifts to the cheery “girls and boys.”

Way to go Sandy!  (Oh, and John, too.)

With the completion of the Utah State Capitol renovation just around the corner, and the Formal Re-Dedication Ceremonies scheduled for January 4th (Statehood Day), it’s no wonder why the Lt. Governor Gary Herbert is a wee bit concerned.  Link HERE for news article.

During a relatively “slow” portion of the Republican Caucus meeting (all day, last Monday), I took the opportunity to do a brisk walk-through on the four main levels of the Capitol.  I’ll add my concern to that of the Lt. Guv’s.  With just two weeks remaining until the grand re-opening (the Holiday two weeks remaining) there ain’t no way it’s gonna be finished in time.

Skeptical?  Yup.  Realistic?  Yup.  Optimistic?  Nope.

Look, I’m in the construction industry, professionally I mean, and two things happen to a project at this point.  First, the closets and ancillary office spaces get loaded up with all kinds of stuff crap junk (equipment and materials), stuff that doesn’t belong there and the builder tapes a sign on the door–”No Public Access.”  Voile!  And, second, the “necessary” work quickly and sometimes sloppily is accomplished (not to specification or anticipated quality).  (That’s why “punchlists” are necessary.)

DON’T GET ME WRONG.  What I saw, in completed work, was nothing less than SPECTACULAR!!!  A true WORK OF ART!!!  Dave Hart, AIA and crew have done A REMARKABLE JOB!!!  It’s a building the people of Utah should BE PROUD OF!!!  Really!!!

Just don’t look under the tarps during the Open House.

A million used to sound like a lot of money…and to some of us it still does.

Pleasant Grove’s newest millionaire is Todd Herzog, the little kid who grew up around the corner from my family.  The brother of my daughter Kirsten’s good friend Brandi and the son of the guy who helped me with my sprinkler system.  Wow, who’da thunk it.

I’ve watched Survivor here and there a bit, and I gotta tell you, Todd played this game better than anyone else I can remember (and I’m not fishing for a contribution)…top three, at least.

Now, Todd’s also smart enough to know that a million dollars isn’t really a million dollars…after taxes!  Right Rich?!

One of the reasons why teachers actually received the raise and bonus appropriated for them was that the appropriation for that raise was specifically called for in an entirely separate RAISE & BONUS BILL passed last General Session.  HB 382 Amendments to Education Funding (Sponsor Rep. Brad Dee) was drafted so teachers actually saw the full effect (or nearly full effect) of the INTENT of the Legislature and not some bureaucratic top -down skimming strategy.  Legislative leadership knows if the money isn’t “earmarked” this specific way, THE MONEY DOESN’T GET TO THE TEACHER.  Otherwise, we (the Legislature) would have accomplished the same thing through normal appropriation channels.

In an effort to stop history from repeating itself (i.e. $50 million in textbook funding that never found its way into the classroom a few years back, and countless other examples)  the Legislature has to play hardball with the Office of Education and the Districts by making the appropriation so visual, so politically unpalletable if the Office of Education or the Districts spend the money on anything else beside a raise/bonus it makes them look like…well…a Bunch of Big Dopes!

Lumping this coming year’s (FY08-09) much anticipated teacher raise into the generic machanism of the WPU (Weighted Pupil Unit), in my opinion, could have a regressive effect on the intent of the Legislature.  That intent…getting the money to the teachers.  The WPU is divided between countless other “important” public education expenditures (a big chunk of them administrative).  And, sometimes the target for these funds are temporarily misalligned by administrators as the money works its way through the System.

Clearly, the way to make sure the new “teacher raise” money gets into the hands of the teachers is to do what we did last session and take a dollar out of the bank and hand that dollar to the teacher (minus, of course, taxes and benefits, etc.). 

Makes sense to me.  link HERE for Salt Lake Trib article.

Over the past couple weeks I have received a number of Thank You cards and e-mails from local public school teachers for the teacher pay raise and bonus that I (the Legislature) authorized for “direct” payment to our great educators.  The nearly $2500 salary increase and the one-time $1000 bonus has been a “blessing” to her family explained one teacher.  Another expressed a “brighter” Holiday Season because of the bonus.  Well…to be honest…one of the great blessings we (and our children) recieve throughout the year comes from dedicated, hardworking educators who love our children, too.

So, thanks for the thanks…And, Thanks, again.

The Utah Taxpayers Association just mailed out their monthly newsletter (December 2007) with an interesting article containing current financial information regarding UTOPIA.  It’s worth a look!  Link HERE to the association’s webpage, click on the “Current Newsletter” button, and then scroll down (.pdf) to Page 6.

Former Representative and Congressional Candidate LaVar Christensen has launched a new web site for people interested in good, principled government…I hope that’s all of us!  Click HERE for the link.

Current financial difficulties being experienced by iProvo (Provo’s fiber-optic telecommunications network providing telephone, television, and internet services to every Provo home and business) may provide a glimpse into the future for cities considering the UTOPIA project.  Many of the leading indicators of success (or failure) between the two projects have some eery relationships as brought to light in a recent Deseret News article by Tad Walsh.  Link HERE to Tad’s article.

Municipalities (city councils) considering “pledging” to the UTOPIA project (those that are non-pledging and non-associative cities) should look long and hard at the realities of these types of municipally-backed non-essential services for their residents and the potential tax increase implications these concerns may require.  With a projected shortfall, this year alone, of over $2 Million ($850,000 in new shortfalls plus $1,200,000 in general funds already subsidizing the losses of the project), iProvo faces the harsh reality that they (the city council) may need to raise taxes to cover that shortfall.  That’s hard to take if you’re not currently a taker “in the system.”

Walsh’s article explains that the original financial models used to sell the fiber-optic superhighway to municipalities have fallen short of their intended projections.  Take rates (subscribership rates) were projected at 260 new subscribers a month; however, current take rates are substantially less than the projection.  Current figures are showing about 140 “takers” a month.  The network is losing about 120 subscribers a month (“churn” rate)…en mass defection, chosing to return to their private providers.

The first contracted provider of services for the iProvo project, HomeNet, is currently in bankruptcy.  HomeNet has been replaced by MStar and Veracity/Nuvont.  These two providers have shown resistance to allowing for additional private providers to enter the marketplace and provide services/access to the system.  Whether that’s because the system is currently weak and take rates are low OR because they would prefer to maintain a relative Monopoly and ”high” marketshare…who can tell.  Maybe they’d like to comment!

In the DNews article, Mayor Billings is quoted to have said that iProvo was launched because companies wouldn’t provide similar services in Provo.  Gee, I wonder why?  Why do we (politicians) think we’re smarter than the Free Market.  Maybe the reason why these services aren’t provided by the private sector is because real businessmen (who have something at stake…like profit) know going into these projects that enormous capitalization is required and until the market can financially sustain the cost of services (and initial capitalization) THEY AREN’T VIABLE.  Instead, in an effort to be immediately popular, and thinking something needs to be available right now! (sounds like my kids), government provides a private business look-alike so that their citizens…well…will like them   The unfortunate thing is the only capitalization (money) government can provide IS YOUR MONEY.  Better hold onto your wallet.

Pay me now or pay me later (Provo City General Fund dollars OR UTOPIA’s Municipal Sales Tax guarantee).  iProvo is “financed” through subscribership and general fund tax dollars.  UTOPIA is privately funded with a guarantee that if the project “goes south” pledging cities will pick up the slack (deficit) with cities general fund dollars.  And, general fund dollars are your tax dollars.  And, if a municipality sees a decrease in their general fund because they have to cover the difference…they’re gonna’ come to you to make up the differnce in their general fund.  Better hold onto your wallet…oops, did I already say that?!

Currently, UTOPIA audits and indicators are showing low take rates (lower than projected, approximately 16.6% after a little more than two years), the break-even point to show that UTOPIA is a going concern has been pushed back from 2009 to 2012, and a number of potential “takers” in UTOPIA cities are making a conscious decision to stay with their private providers.

Now, I’m not saying that UTOPIA isn’t the greatest thing since sliced bread…except…that, I’ve learned throughout the short tenure of my business-life that services made through the Private Sector are usually more viable (long-term) than those provided by government.  Why?!  Because the private sector is motivated by PROFIT!

Ronald Reagan warned us when he quipped, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

So, is iProvo and its telecommunication network problem the crystal ball for what’s in store for UTOPIA?  All lot of people a lot smarter than me think so.