Also, Utah's redistricting committee getting underway, AAP recommends masks for all students and staff, Sean Hannity believes in science | | | 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 | July 20, 2021 Hello Tuesday. It's National Moon Day in honor of "one giant leap for mankind" that happened on this day in 1969. Also, with just days to go before the Opening Ceremonies, the Tokyo Olympics organizer won't rule out a last-minute cancelation. ð³ Be in the Know The Legislative Redistricting Committee will travel across Utah and hold public hearings to gather input, listen to constituents and receive feedback. All are encouraged to attend. Speaker Lockhart used to say "it's easy to draw one perfect district. It's a lot harder to draw 75." The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children and school staff wear masks when returning to school this fall because most elementary age children will not be vaccinated and because of the continuing emergence of new variants. Fox News talk show host Sean Hannity was blunt yesterday: "Please take COVID seriously, I can't say it enough. Enough people have died. We don't need any more deaths. I believe in science, I believe in the science of vaccination." Another Fox host, Steve Doocy, said âIf you have the chance, get the shot. It will save your life.â Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin will try to travel deeper into space than Richard Branson as today's flight includes both the oldest and the youngest humans to go into space. Today's lift-off is scheduled for 7 am Mountain Daylight Time. | | |
Utah Headlines General Pride flag stolen from home of Neon Trees lead singer's family in South Jordan (Fox13) Bettye Gillespie, who fought for equity and civil rights in Utah, leaves a âlong,â âdeepâ legacy. Gillespie, who died this month at 92, fought for equity and made sure âeveryone had a voice,â according to her granddaughter. (Salt Lake Tribune) IN FOCUS Discussion: Civil rights and John Lewisâ legacy (ABC4) Utah governor back in the saddle to kick off Days of â47 events (Deseret News) Pioneer Day is a chance to look at Utahâs many layered history. Native Americans in Utah illustrate the diversity and unique cultures that still exist today (Deseret News) A pandemic surprise: Utah bankruptcies actually fell during COVID-19. Turns out, those government relief programs really worked, but filings are starting to tick up again. (Salt Lake Tribune) âWeâre going to tell our storiesâ: Diné victim advocates are overcoming stigma and limited resources to develop a community-based response to sexual violence (Salt Lake Tribune) Politics Is BLM nominee an âecoterroristâ? Romney, Lee weigh-in on Bidenâs pick to oversee public lands (Deseret News) Salt Lake City Council candidate claims to be target of politically charged vandalism (ABC4) Utahâs Burgess Owens threatens to dissolve Olympic committee over recent protests (Daily Herald) COVID Corner 1552 new cases over the weekend, 3 new deaths USA gymnast Kara Eaker, a Utah commit, tests positive for COVID-19 in Tokyo. Eaker, who was vaccinated, is the first American to test positive for the coronavirus prior to the Olympics but nearly 60 people linked to the Olympics have tested positive since July 1. (Salt Lake Tribune) Judge upholds COVID-19 vaccine mandate in victory for Indiana University. (Reuters) Mask mandates make a return â along with controversy. A growing number of experts call for a resumption of measures, citing hyper-transmissable delta variant (Washington Post) Twitter suspends Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for 12 hours for spreading COVID-19 misinformation (Washington Post) Indiaâs true pandemic death toll is likely to be well over 3 million - nearly 10 times the official figure â making it one of the worst human tragedies in the nationâs history, according to a comprehensive new study. (New York Times) Drought/Wildfires/Heat One of Utah's largest water districts is proposing a property tax hike to pay for about $180 million in infrastructure to deal with growth and drought. (Fox13) Another sign of deepening drought: Sugar House Parkâs pond is being drained (Salt Lake Tribune) "Fire clouds" explode more than a mile high in Oregon wildfire now bigger than New York City (The Hill) How bad is the Bootleg Fire? Itâs generating its own weather. Unpredictable winds, fire clouds that spawn lightning, and flames that leap over firebreaks are confounding efforts to fight the blaze, which is sweeping through southern Oregon. (New York Times) Economy Moab locals say tourists, newcomers are running them out of their own community. The communityâs dearth of affordable housing is hitting the populationâs workforce hard. (Salt Lake Tribune) Snowbasin Resort cancels summer concert series over severe staff shortage (Fox13) Energy In partnership with Utah Clean Energy, the Calvary Baptist Churchâs leadership and congregation members recently completed energy efficiency upgrades to the Church facility as well as the homes of 15 congregation members (Utah Clean Energy) Housing Closing the housing gap: Good for our economy (SL Chamber) Legal Parents sue a Utah treatment center after their daughter from Bermuda died by suicide (Salt Lake Tribune) Thousands of images of child pornography allegedly found on Logan school employeeâs phone, after a search warrant was executed. Ivan Gabriel Cardona Davila was arrested the same day. (Salt Lake Tribune) St. George man arrested after allegedly entering Latter-day Saint chapel completely nude (St. George News) Local Communities Singing Pleasant Grove police officer vocal about making connection with youth (Daily Herald) Young boy, UHP sergeant continue friendship years after rescue from near-drowning (Fox13) Flood damage closes down amphitheater for 6-8 months; Zion Canyon Music Festival fate in doubt (St. George News) National Headlines General US, allies accuse China of global cyber hacking campaign (Reuters) Jury awards $125 million after Walmart fires woman with Down Syndrome but Walmart said the verdict would be reduced to $300,000, which is the maximum amount allowed under federal law for compensatory and punitive damages. (New York Times) Wally Funk was one of 13 women who went through a rigorous astronaut-training program in the 1960s. Like the others, she was ultimately denied the opportunity because of her gender. She will finally get her trip to space today, in Jeff Bezosâ rocket. (New York Times) 'We lost': Some U.S. veterans say blood spilled in Afghanistan was wasted (Reuters) How an Unproven Alzheimerâs Drug Got Approved (New York Times) Olympics Female surfers overcome sexismâs toll to earn Olympic berth (AP) With just days to go, Tokyo 2020 chief Muto doesn't rule out cancelling Games (Reuters) Wipeout of an Olympic dream: A godfather of modern Japanese surf culture had high hopes for the Games, but the pandemic had other plans (Reuters) Politics The Texas Senate has voted to remove required history lessons on civil rights, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. (Bloomberg Law) Unlikely Senate alliance aims to claw back Congressâ foreign policy powers âbefore itâs too late.' Sens. Chris Murphy, Mike Lee and Bernie Sanders introduced legislation to give Congress a larger role in U.S. foreign policy. (Politico) Negotiators struggle to finish infrastructure deal with clock ticking (The Hill) Senior House Dem trashes Senate's bipartisan infrastructure talks
The âwhole thing falling apart is probably the best thing,â Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) said, according to two sources. (Politico) Courts Proud Boys leader pleads guilty to vandalism of historically Black church in DC (The Hill) Economy Markets stabilize after worst fall for stocks in months. Dow futures rise and oil prices edge up, injecting some calm into markets. (Wall Street Journal) Education New academic center aims to 'strengthen' democracy in U.S. UC-Irvine law professors Rick Hasen and David Kaye are co-directing the new center, called the Fair Elections and Free Speech Center. (Politico) Elections Poll: Most Arizona Republicans say election audit will show Trump won (The Hill) International Pedro Castillo is declared Peruâs President-Elect. The far-left union activistâs victory was certified by election officials more than six weeks after the vote. (Wall Street Journal) Security New Capitol Police chief chosen in wake of Jan. 6 riot (The Hill) | | |
Policy News Developing your diversity and inclusion playbook Many organizations want to create diverse and inclusive workplaces, but donât know where to start or what steps are permissible under the law. The Salt Lake Chamber, in partnership with SixFifty Technologies, will host a webinar on how organizations can get diversity and inclusion programs off the ground while complying with the law. Read More When: Wednesday, July 21, 2021, 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. Register here 9th annual Utah Pacific Island Heritage Month kickoff The Annual Utah Pacific Island Heritage Month festivities will kick off on the evening of July 31, 2021, with a return to an in-person, live event at the Pacific Heritage Academy at 1755 West 1100 North Street in Salt Lake City. âThe excitement for this annual event has never been higher,â said organizer Susi Feltch-Malohifoâou, Pacific Island Knowledge 2 Action Resources executive director. âWe are grateful that vaccinations allow us to return to an in-person event.â Feltch-Malohifoâou was recognized earlier this month by Forbes as one of the worldâs 50 women over 50 having impact. She was recognized for her work on âcultural preservation, economic impact and wellbeing for Pacific Islanders,â especially during the pandemic. (Read More) Department of Education reverses critical race theory program after Sen. Lee and others object After receiving pressure from Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and many other Americans, the Department of Education announced a reversal of previous plans to require teaching of Critical Race Theory and the 1619 project for schools to be eligible for certain government grants.
Of the reversal, Sen. Lee tweeted, âThe only thing more troubling than Critical Race Theory in public schools is Miguel Cardona mandating that it be there. These decisions should be handled by states and communities not the federal government. Iâm glad to see Sec. Cardona U-turn.â (Read More) | | |
Winning the political game: How to make tough decisions and survive. By LaVarr Webb People who have a hard time making decisions shouldnât become politicians. Political leaders were elected to make tough decisions. Thatâs a big part of the job.
Columnist George Will once wrote that, âConflict avoidance becomes habitual. Risk averse politicians are constantly at risk. The rule regarding power is use it or lose it.â
However, there are right and wrong ways to make big decisions. The wrong way will leave a lot of people alienated and angry. The right way will engender respect, if not agreement, even among those disappointed in a decision.
Many major decisions are very close calls. Most have been debated for a long time, and have strong advocates on both sides. No matter what you decide, someone is going to be upset. If these decisions were easy they would have been solved long ago.
It is possible to make tough decisions and survive. The first step is to understand that making and announcing the right decision, while important, is only a part of successful positioning on big issues.
Back in the olden days, when I worked for Gov. Mike Leavitt, we followed a rule stating that only 60% of the success of a political decision or announcement is the correctness of the decision. The other 40% of success is how the decision or announcement is made â whose advice is sought before finalizing the decision, how much support is pulled together, who is informed in advance of the public announcement, and the timing and circumstances of the announcement.
Big decisions and big announcements should not be made in a vacuum or without a lot of planning. Generating support in advance, determining the right timing and setting, deciding who should be informed, and what follow-up is necessary, are all crucial components of a successful announcement or initiative.
Most reasonable people will accept the fact that you decided against their wishes as long as they feel theyâve been listened to, had a chance for input, and that the process was fair. They need to feel youâre making an informed decision after carefully weighing both sides. Most will accept that. But if people donât feel they had any input, or that the process was unfair, they will be angry and feel betrayed.
If you listen and keep the process fair, then even those who strongly disagree with the decision will feel that they at least had a chance to be heard, that the leader carefully weighed both sides, and that they were properly notified in advance. They will then be much less likely to fight the decision.
There will always be, of course, unreasonable people out there who will never be satisfied no matter what you do. Happily, while they are very vocal, they are not large in number. You canât keep them happy, so ignore them. | | |
Upcoming Developing your diversity and inclusion playbook webinar presented by the Salt Lake Chamber and SixFifty Technologies â July 21 @ 11:00 am Register here Utah Foundation Breakfast Briefing: Mental health in anxious times â Aug 26 @ 9 am. Register here Securing the American Dream: A conversation with Tim Scott presented by the Hatch Foundation â Aug 11 @ noon. Register here Utah Foundation Annual Luncheon with Shaylyn Romney Garrett â Sept 23 @ 12 pm. Register here | | |
On This Day In History From History.com 1848 - Elizabeth Cady Stanton reads the âDeclaration of Sentimentsâ at the Seneca Falls Convention 1921 - Congresswoman Alice Mary Robertson becomes the first woman to preside over the floor of US House of Representatives during a roll call vote on funding for a US delegation to attend a centennial celebration of Peru's independence. 1942 - The first class of Womenâs Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) begins at Fort Des Moines, IA. 1944 - US President FDR nominated for an unprecedented 4th term at Democratic convention 1969 - âThatâs one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.â Neil Armstrong walks on the moon. 1973 - Actor and martial-arts expert Bruce Lee dies at age 32 2012 - Aurora, Colorado shooting leaves 12 dead, 70 wounded Wise Words "Human beings lose their logic in their vindictiveness."
-Elizabeth Cady Stanton Lighter Side On the beds in the Olympic Village being made of cardboard: âThatâs nice, you finally reach your Olympic dreams and have to sleep on an Amazon box.â â JIMMY FALLON | | |
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