Also, the Jazz won game 2, free fishing in Utah tomorrow and check out some of the 'ring of fire' photos! | | | The Utah Policy newsletter is your one-stop source for political and policy-minded news. Send news tips or feedback to editor@utahpolicy.com. | | |
Situational Analysis | Jan. 1, 2021 It's Friday! Welcome to the weekend - enjoy the cooler weather before we head into triple-digits temps next week. Tomorrow marks the anniversary of the 1967 Loving v. Virginia case when the US Supreme Court ruled that laws banning interracial marriage are unconstitutional, a court case that is especially meaningful in our multi-ethnic, multi-racial family. â¤ï¸ð Be in the Know State Street is currently closed between 900 South and 1300 South due to a gas leak after a car crashed into a building early this morning. We weren't able to catch the "ring of fire" solar eclipse in Utah, but holy wow. You need to check out some of these pictures. Stunning. Jazz win game 2! Donovan Mitchell scored 37 points in the 117-111 win. The Jazz have never lost a best-of-seven series when leading 2-0. The North Visitor's Center at Temple Square is being torn down and will be replaced by a "contemplative garden." The famous Christus statue has already been moved to storage but will be reinstalled on Temple Square at the end of renovations. Don't forget - free fishing in Utah tomorrow! | | |
Utah Headlines General Bryce Canyon to temporarily close recreation sites; visitors asked not to ruin resource protection efforts (St. George News) Visit Salt Lake announces new brand: "West of Conventional." (Utah Business) Politics How much Utah spent in federal COVID-19 money in 2020 â and why the state auditor is concerned (Deseret News) Utah County commissioners clash over Recorderâs Office staffing proposal (Daily Herald) Rep. Burgess Owens weighs in on white supremacists and crime in Black communities (Deseret News) COVID Corner 313 COVID-19 cases, 1 new death, over 9K vaccinations Thursday in Utah; Lt. Gov. Henderson provides update (KSL) Lt. Gov. Henderson asks businesses to incentivize vaccines for workers (Deseret News) G-7 nations expected to pledge 1B vaccine doses for world (AP) Global COVID-19 deaths this year have already eclipsed 2020âs toll. As wealthy nations vaccinate, the growing death tally underscores worsening divide between rich and poor countries (Wall Street Journal) Drought/Wildfires Utah County Commission approves irrigation water conservation measures (Daily Herald) Firefighters battle record wildfires in Arizona, but theyâre still growing. 150,000 acres now burned. (Deseret News) Weekly Utah Drought Guide: Water restrictions, drought conditions, and resources (ABC4) Water waster website flooded with complaints (Fox13) Washington County Water Conservancy District hikes fees for excessive water use, asks cities to conduct audit of public facilities (St. George News) 'Bone dry conditions' in Utah are hindering fire suppression efforts (KUER) East Canyon Fire now 90% contained as Bear Fire - now at 5500 acres and 0% contained - keeps U.S. 6 closed (Salt Lake Tribune) How bad is the Western drought? Several states just had the driest year since record-keeping began in 1895. (NPR) Economy Utah farmer calls for changes to help immigrant workers (KSL) Elections Blaming âmiscommunication,â Utah Dem. county chairs retract voter suppression claims (Daily Herald) Environment There are officially now 5 oceans. The National Geographic Society identified the new "Southern Ocean" which surrounds Antarctica. (Deseret News) Park City cancels bidding for construction of contaminated soils facility. The decision about the controversial project has been delayed amid public-information effort (Park Record) Health âDivine interventionâ: Complete stranger helps save suicidal BYU football player Chaz Ah You from over 2,000 miles away (ABC4) Housing âNobody has my backâ: Utahâs housing crisis pushes many renters to a financial breaking point. Nearly one in five renters spend at least 50% of their income on housing. (Salt Lake Tribune) Do you spend more than half your income on rent? Here are resources that can help. (Salt Lake Tribune) Counties with the lowest home prices in Utah (ABC4) Salt Lake City's new homelessness policy director, Andres Johnston, calls for more money for affordable housing (KUER) Senator Sherrod Brown is asking why a corporate landlord has filed to evict Black renters at 4X the rate as white renters (NPR) Legal This one hurts my heart. Taylorsville teenager charged with killing and dismembering his friend. ð¥ (Salt Lake Tribune) Officials knew of neglect in tribal jails in 2004. People are still dying in them. (NPR) Local Communities Looking for a Utah farmers market near you? Here are 11 from Logan to St. George. (Salt Lake Tribune) Manti city council considers rule changes to encourage residents to clean up (Sanpete Messenger) From a potluck to parade, everyone welcome at wide range of activities for Cedar Cityâs Pride Week that begins Monday and runs through June 19. (St. George News) Service On the border of Texas and Mexico: How churches and charities are providing room in a makeshift inn. (Deseret News) National Headlines General Dr. Bernice King: Racial justice activism must focus on strategy (AP) Third member of U.S. FDA advisory panel resigns over Alzheimerâs drug approval (Reuters) Three Percenters militia members charged in U.S. Capitol attack (Reuters) Politics Message in a jacket: Jill Biden offers âloveâ during UK trip (AP) UKâs Johnson hails Biden as âa big breath of fresh airâ (Reuters) Bipartisan group of U.S. senators says it has a deal on infrastructure framework (Reuters) Lawmakers in Oregon vote 59-1 to expel Rep. Mike Nearman who let violent, far-right protestors into the Capitol on Dec. 21. He was unapologetic. (KPTV, New York Times, Washington Post) Trump Justice Dept. secretly subpoenaed records of two Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, their current and former staffers and family members, including a child. Rep. Adam Schiff, then the ranking member and now its chairman, and Rep. Eric Swalwell were the targets. (New York Times, Washington Post) Trump dismisses climate change, calls on Biden to fire joint chiefs of staff (The Hill) "You and your family will be killed very slowly," reads one text message sent to Tricia Raffensperger. There were more. Trump-inspired death threats are terrorizing election workers. Election officials and their families are living with threats of hanging, firing squads, torture and bomb blasts, interviews and documents reveal. (Reuters) Matt Gaetz, under investigation by the FBI, questions the FBI director (The Hill) Courts Senate confirms first federal Muslim judge in U.S. history (Reuters) Economy Initial jobless claims fall for a sixth consecutive week (Bloomberg) Meager rewards for workers, exceptionally rich pay for CEOs (New York Times) Education Spring numbers show dramatic drop in college enrollment (NPR) Energy After years of controversy, the Keystone Pipeline is officially dead (Deseret News) International Israelâs Netanyahu lashes out as end of his era draws near, says he is the victim of a âdeep stateâ conspiracy. (AP) Famine looms in Tigray region of Ethiopia as food is being used as a weapon of war (NBC, Reuters, AP) New report details firsthand accounts of torture from Uyghur Muslims in China (NPR) Security The ruthless hackers behind ransomware attacks on US hospitals: 'They do not care' (Wall Street Journal) As US withdraws, Afghan interpreters fear being left behind (New York Times) Business Headlines Reopening U.S. economy heat up inflation; labor market recovery gaining traction (Reuters) S&P 500 closes at record high as long-term inflation fears abate (Reuters) 10-year Treasury yield falls below 1.45% as bond market shrugs off inflation concerns (CNBC) Another jump in prices tightens the squeeze on US consumers (AP) Fresh COVID-19 outbreaks in Asia disrupt global shipping and chip supply chain (Wall Street Journal) | | |
Policy News Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced three bills to repeal and reform the Passenger Vessel Services Act of 1886 (PVSA), an outdated, protectionist law that harms American jobs and American tourism. âThe PVSA is bad news,â said Sen. Lee.âThis arcane law benefits Canada, Mexico, and other countries who receive increased maritime traffic, at the expense of American workers in our coastal cities, towns, and ports. Reducing demand for jobs and travel opportunities here in the U.S. is the opposite of âAmerica First.â And in the context of ocean liners, this âprotectionistâ law is literally protecting no one, as there hasnât been a cruise ship built domestically in over half a century. The PVSA is bad economics and bad law, and itâs far past time that Congress reconsider it.â âUtahâs economic metrics continue to impress, most notably when it comes to job gains these past two years â even through the pandemic â as well as the stateâs consumer confidence, which is significantly higher than national trends,â said Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance. âWith unemployment this low there is a battle for talent and challenges associated with growth. But challenges related to progress are always better than challenges associated with decline, and I could not be more pleased about the progress Utah is making.â Zions Bank is inviting the public to nominate homes for its employees to spruce up with a fresh coat of exterior paint during its annual Paint-a-Thon service project. Entering its 30th year, Paint-a-Thon benefits low-income elderly, disabled, and veteran residents in communities across Utah and Idaho. Typically, homes are referred to Zions Bank by city and state housing agencies, aging services, community organizations and local churches. This year, the public is invited to nominate up to 20 of the 41 homes employees will scrape, paint and landscape. U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.) issued the following statement: âOur group â comprised of 10 Senators, 5 from each party â has worked in good faith and reached a bipartisan agreement on a realistic, compromise framework to modernize our nationâs infrastructure and energy technologies. This investment would be fully paid for and not include tax increases. We are discussing our approach with our respective colleagues, and the White House, and remain optimistic that this can lay the groundwork to garner broad support from both parties and meet Americaâs infrastructure needs.â Democratic U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (CO) and Republican Rep. Mike Simpson (ID-02) joined agricultural, business, education, and civic leaders from Utah, Colorado, Idaho and Arizona to urge Senators Mitt Romney and Mike Lee, other members of the regionâs Senate delegation to support bipartisan immigration solutions at Intermountain Rising: Strengthening Our Workforce Through Bipartisan Immigration Solutions. They discussed how immigration solutions, including the bipartisan farm workforce bill being developed by Senators Bennet and Crapo, the bipartisan Durbin-Graham Dream Act, and the SECURE Act, will help expand our workforce, bring certainty to employers and families, and help the region roar back from the pandemic. | | |
| By LaVarr Webb Many years ago when I worked for Gov. Mike Leavitt we reviewed Utahâs tax system with top tax experts and made a long list of tax incentives, tax credits, tax deductions, etc., that had obviously outlived their original purpose and, in some cases, gave certain businesses or industries a competitive edge. We endorsed the general principle that the best tax system utilizes a broad base with low rates. Loopholes narrow the base and push the tax burden to others. Gov. Leavitt worked incredibly hard for several months, trying to convince interest groups and stakeholders, holding many meetings with numerous legislators, and engaging in a communications campaign to close these tax loopholes. It was a tough legislative session. For every tax loophole an army of lobbyists and interest groups exist to protect it. Closing a tax loophole is a tax increase for those affected. Still, the Leavitt administration managed to win significant tax reform with several tax credits and incentives rescinded. We thought it was a big victory, and it was. However, a funny thing happened. Over the next five or six years, almost all of those tax loopholes sneaked back into existence, perhaps in a somewhat altered form â most in the name of tax cuts. Despite an immense amount of work, it was almost impossible to kill those tax loopholes. Thatâs why Iâm highly skeptical that Congress can reform the national tax system to force wealthy people to pay higher taxes, even though I absolutely believe that wealthy people, especially multi-millionaires and billionaires, should pay their fair share of taxes. Recently ProPublica released the (illegally stolen) tax returns of a bunch of wealthy people that revealed many of these billionaires paid very little income tax. That has caused a lot of outrage and provided impetus to the crusade of Pres. Biden, along with Democrats and liberal interest groups to tax the rich at higher rates, along with higher taxes for businesses. Biden claims he can fund a lot of his enormous spending priorities via such taxes. The problem is, all the tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, all those methods to avoid taxes, were approved by Congress at one time or another and are going to be incredibly difficult to change. Just raising rates wonât eliminate the loopholes. For every credit and loophole, there is an army of lobbyists, industries and beneficiaries who will fight for it. Thatâs especially true with non-profits, many strongly supported by Democrats, that receive much of their revenue from wealthy people trying to avoid taxes. Buy a Tesla, get a tax break. Install solar panels, get a tax break. Contribute to a charitable institution, get a tax break. Make certain equipment purchases, get a tax break. Itâs all legal. Many environmental groups and other really excellent non-profit organizations that do great work employ tax specialists who work exclusively with wealthy people and their foundations showing them how to avoid taxes while contributing to good causes. In fact, a Wall Street Journal article pointed out that while ProPublica noted that billionaire George Soros âpaid no federal income taxes three years in a row,â one of the reasons he paid no income taxes was that he contributed so much to liberal groups like ProPublica. Under current tax law, wealthy people can donate shares they own in businesses to qualified non-profits and then pay very little income tax. There are dozens, maybe hundreds, of tax credits, incentives and deductions that wealthy people use to avoid paying taxes. Iâm not opposed to eliminating a lot of those tax loopholes. But I worry that the end result of federal tax reform will hit the moderately well-off people hard, those who canât employ all the tax loopholes, and wonât touch the ultra-wealthy. Itâs far harder to effect meaningful tax reform at the federal level than the state level. The federal tax code is voluminous, convoluted and byzantine. Fixing one thing causes problems elsewhere. Wealthy people figure out ways around tax increases. The entire non-profit sector, which does important work all across the country, is entirely dependent on wealthy people avoiding taxes. Good luck trying to raise taxes to generate the hundreds of billions of dollars needed to pay for Bidenâs programs. | | |
Upcoming Utah Elder Abuse Awareness Day Virtual Conference â June 15 @ 10 am. Register here Zions Bank Community Speaker Series: LGBTQIA+ panel â June 22 @ noon â Register here Utah Democratic Party Organizing Convention â June 26 Utah Foundation Annual Luncheon with Shaylyn Romney Garrett â Sept 23 @ 12 pm â Register here | | |
On This Day In History From History.com 1880 - Jeannette Rankin is born. An American politician, she was the 1st woman elected to US Congress (R-Montana), a women's rights advocate and pacifist. She was the only member of the US House to vote no to the US entering both WWI and WWII. 1913 - Women in Illinois celebrate passage of a state woman suffrage bill allowing women to vote in presidential elections 1963 - Buddhist monk ThÃch Quảng Äức immolates himself at a Saigon intersection, creating one of the Vietnam War's most iconic images. 1963 - Facing federalized troops, Gov. George Wallace ends his blockade at the University of Alabama and allows Vivian Malone and James Hood to enroll. 1964 - Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment 1979 - John Wayne dies 2004 - Napoleon Dynamite comes out. Vote for Pedro! 2009 - The World Health Organization declares H1N1 swine flu to be a global pandemic, the first such incident in over forty years. Wise Words "You take people as far as they will go, not as far as you would like them to go."
-Jeannette Rankin Lighter Side âOK, Biden just proved heâs Irish. Heâs on vacation, heâs feelinâ good, and heâs buying shots for everybody.â â STEPHEN COLBERT | | |
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