Situational Analysis | November 16, 2021

It's Tuesday and National Fast Food Day. You know what to do.

Be in the Know

1. Congrats to Ken Ivory on returning to the legislature after winning the special election to replace Steve Christiansen and congrats to Henrie Walton on becoming Senator Mitt Romney's new state director.

2. President Biden has signed the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, praising it as a bipartisan win. “Folks, too often in Washington, the reason we didn’t get things done is because we insisted on getting everything we want. Everything,” Biden said. “With this law, we focused on getting things done. I ran for president because the only way to move our country forward in my view was through compromise and consensus.”

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Utah Headlines

General

• Becky Edwards: Here's what LaVell Edwards taught me about personal relationships (Deseret News)
• Ryan Smith is rebranding the Jazz. The state of Utah might be next (Deseret News)
• There are more jobs than jobless in Utah, says new report (ABC4)
• Utah sues over Biden vaccine mandate for health care workers (Fox13)
• Study: More than 100K Utah families are food insecure; Poverty rates among the highest in Iron County (St. George News)
• How you can be a hero this Thanksgiving (ABC4)
• Tim Shriver: Moving from a culture that divides is to one that unite us (Inside Sources)

Politics

• Mitt Romney joins President Joe Biden for infrastructure bill signing (Deseret News)
• New federal infrastructure package to positively impact Utah's roads, Navajo Nation's water (Fox13)
• Did Utahns like ranked choice voting? Survey shows Utahns who used ranked choice voting want to see it expanded. (Deseret News)
• Redistricting, Dixie name change, inflation (Political as Heck)
• Pignanelli & Webb: How Virginia and New Jersey elections affect Utah (Deseret News)

COVID Corner

• Weekend numbers: 4502 new cases, 26 new deaths
• 10% of Utah kids ages 5 to 11 have received a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Study finds ‘very concerning’ rates of depression in Utah as COVID-19 rages on (Deseret News)
• How Navajo culture helped these communities beat back COVID (Deseret News)
• Despite high vaccination rates, Utah State Prison experiences another COVID outbreak (KUER)
• Pfizer to allow generic versions of its COVID pill in 95 countries (Reuters)

Environment

• The West-wide drought and the struggles of Idaho, Utah (Deseret News)
• The infrastructure bill could make Utah a leader in alternative fuels (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Utah legislature considers incentives to ditch turf, ban cities and HOAs from requiring lawns (Fox13)

National Headlines

General

• Steve Bannon turns himself in on contempt of Congress charges. (New York Times)
• Americans ramped up retail spending a strong 1.7% last month (AP)
• Judge in Arbery case rebukes defense lawyer, calls comments 'reprehensible' (The Hill)
• Amazon ordered to pay $500K in California for 'concealing COVID-19 case numbers' (The Hill)

Politics

• Biden signs $1T infrastructure deal with bipartisan crowd (AP)
• Biden, Xi stick to their positions but turn down the heat in three-hour talk (Reuters) 
• Here's what's included in the bipartisan infrastructure law (NPR)
• Racial Equity in Infrastructure, a U.S. Goal, Is Left to States (New York Times)
• Wyoming GOP says it will no longer recognize Liz Cheney as a Republican after she criticized Trump (Washington Post)
• Midterm gloom grows for Democrats (The Hill)

Policy News

Sen. Romney, colleagues applaud signing of bipartisan infrastructure bill into law

U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), with Senators Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), Rob Portman (R-OH), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Mark Warner (D-VA), released the following statement after the President signed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law. The law represents the largest investment in infrastructure in our nation’s history.

“Today’s signing of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a victory for all Americans. When Congress puts America’s needs over politics, we make genuine progress. We were proud to work together on this historic investment in our nation’s core infrastructure to modernize roads and bridges, strengthen rail and transit systems, upgrade ports, expand broadband access, improve water systems, and increase the resiliency of the nation’s energy grid. It strengthens our economy without raising taxes or increasing inflation. This legislation will positively impact every American.” (Read More)

Reps. Curtis, Peters introduce legislation providing long-term access to substance use disorder treatment

This month, Representative Curtis (R-UT) introduced legislation with House Energy and Commerce Committee colleague, Representative Scott Peters (D-CA), to permanently provide tele-behavioral healthcare to those suffering with substance use disorder. The legislation specifically allows Medicare providers to prescribe Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) through telehealth without an initial in-person visit.

“This sends a clear message to Americans struggling to overcome the vicious cycle of addiction that Washington has their backs,” said Rep. Curtis. “The opioid epidemic continues to be the millstone around the necks of communities across the United States, especially in rural Utah, and patients are desperately searching for resources to overcome their addiction. I have been encouraged by the telehealth flexibilities offered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue my fight to ensure some of the most critical services, like tele-behavioral healthcare and tele-MAT, remain permanently available to Americans across the country.” (Read More)

Sen. Romney names Washington County native Henrie Walton as new Utah State Director

U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) has named Washington County native Henrie Walton to serve as his next Utah State Director. Walton previously served as Senator Romney’s Western Utah Director, where he developed close relationships with county commissioners, mayors, state legislators, and other community leaders. Walton replaces Adam Gardiner, who transitioned to the private sector in August.

“Henrie understands the needs of Utahns, and I look forward to having him back on our team to help guide our state efforts and ensure that Utahns’ voices are heard in Washington,” Senator Romney said. “I am also grateful for Adam’s leadership over the last few years as he successfully worked to advance our priorities for the state.” (Read More)

Commentary: Tax the rich? It’s a lot harder than it seems

By LaVarr Webb

It seems like it would be quite easy to raise taxes on the rich. Polls show it’s popular. But Democrats in Congress have been having a really hard time figuring out how to do it. It needs to be a substantial increase that will bring in a lot of money to help pay for all the new social programs the Democrats want. It needs to pass constitutional muster. It must avoid unintended consequences that might reduce investment and job creation, or drive investment overseas, or damage the economy.

Personally, I’m not opposed to hitting the ultra-wealthy with higher taxes if there is a sensible way to do it. It should be confined to the ultra-wealthy. They can afford to pay higher taxes. Some of them arrange their finances to avoid paying personal income taxes, although some of their businesses pay substantial taxes. But the reality is that taxing the rich is harder than it looks. A variety of schemes have been floated, but each has substantial problems.

And it’s important to keep the nation’s tax structure in perspective.  

David F. Eisner, in a recent opinion column in The Hill, wrote: “Even on its face, the claim that the rich were under-taxed was always erroneous. The top 10 percent of taxpayers pay 70 percent of federal income taxes. . . . The top one percent pays 40 percent of federal income taxes, despite earning only about 21 percent of total reportable income. Is that less than “their fair share?” Since 2001, the top 1 percent’s share of federal income taxes paid grew from 33 to 40 percent. (Read More)

Upcoming

• Growth, Grit and Grace - SLC Chamber's Women & Business Conference and ATHENA awards – Nov 19, 8:00 am - 3:30 pm Register here
• Solving for Housing in the Economic Inclusion Equation - Zions Community Speaker Series. – Nov 30, 12:00 - 1:00 pm, via Zoom. Register here
• Utah Economic Outlook & Public Policy Summit 2022 - SLC Chamber – Jan 13, 2022, 8:30 am - 1:30 pm. Register here

On This Day In History

From History.com

• 1532 - Francisco Pizarro traps Incan emperor Atahualpa and thousands of his men, slaughtering 5000 in just one hour. Only Atahualpa was saved to be executed later.
• 1801 - The New York Evening Post published its first issue, after being create by Alexander Hamilton as a way to provide a Federalist viewpoint. It is the oldest continuously running newspaper in the US.
• 1899 - Mary Margaret McBride is born. A radio commentator and journalist, she conducted over 1200 interviews during her career.
• 1903 - Barbara McLean is born. A film editor, she helped cut Mary Pickford’s first talkies and then went on to Twentieth Century Fox. 
• 1961 - President Kennedy increases military aid to Saigon without committing additional troops
• 1973 - US President Richard Nixon authorizes construction of the Alaskan pipeline
• 1981 - Pam Johnson is named publisher of the Ithaca Journal, becoming the first African American woman to head a daily newspaper.
• 1985 -  President Reagan arrives in Geneva for a summit with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev
• 2001 - The first Harry Potter film opens. Happy 20th, Harry.
• 2002 - The first case of SARS (SARS-CoV)  is recorded in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, China

Wise Words

“If you’re going to ask me, then listen to me.” 

-Barbara McLean

Lighter Side

On Steve Bannon turning himself in to the FBI Monday morning:

"It really undercuts your attempt at defiance and bravado when there’s a guy right behind you holding up a sign that says ‘Coup plotter.’” 

— SETH MEYERS

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