Ah, Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Utah. A day for Republican lawmakers state and federal to tweet a few "safe" quotes from King, and applaud his "message of unity."
King wasn't a unity guy. He was a radical fighting injustice. Some crossover there, but a lot of daylight too. The only "unity" he spend his final months talking about was the intersection of racism, inequality, war, and power. There are some great reads out there I wish everyone would spend time with. King's own words, of course. But also the history of the times he lived and worked in. Learning about the times he lived and worked in, and the very human and flawed person he was made his words even more meaningful for me. The books and docs are out there and easy to find and please do.
King is most inspirational as a person when broadly understood but his words have the impact when applied specifically, immediately. In 1967 King wrote:“We aren’t merely struggling to integrate a lunch counter now. We’re struggling to get some money to be able to buy a hamburger or a steak when we get to the counter.”
Utah lawmakers, Governor Herbert, during the work of the tax task force last year you, all of us, heard from a teacher keeping a make-shift food pantry for students in her classroom closet. You closed out the task force debate and passage of tax "reform" patting yourselves on the back with a WSJ op-ed by a Club for Growth hack based on an ALEC state ranking.
Spare us the MLK Jr memes.
In case I one day feel like writing again
Just under a decade from now, the redistricting process will be underway again in Utah and much will be the same. Republicans will have a legislative majority only slightly smaller than today's. There will be a Republican governor.
Ah, Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Utah. A day for Republican lawmakers state and federal to tweet a few "safe" quotes from King, and applaud his "message of unity."
King wasn't a unity guy. He was a radical fighting injustice. Some crossover there, but a lot of daylight too.
King wasn't a unity guy. He was a radical fighting injustice. Some crossover there, but a lot of daylight too.
In all the excitement of a potential war with Iran with President Hamberder at the helm, I missed this new year Noonan nugget:
Speaker Nancy Pelosi made herself look ridiculous this year when she backed lowering the voting age to 16.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi made herself look ridiculous this year when she backed lowering the voting age to 16.
A legislative staffer friend long ago suggested I write something about my experience as a transparency activist in Utah. It's a cool story. Every time I try to tell it I'm reminded it isn't about me or any I have skills I bring to the table.
The Republican Party had been on track to spit up something like Trump for quite some time. Inevitable without a course correction that never came. One party shitting the bed with their nominee usually means a brutal loss.
I know, I know. Electoral college luck. Clinton Mehs.
I know, I know. Electoral college luck. Clinton Mehs.
One of my least favorite science fiction writers wrote a thing on "smart cities."
Sterling seems like a smart man, despite being a boring writer.
Sterling seems like a smart man, despite being a boring writer.
Eco.
Fascism became an all-purpose term because one can eliminate from a fascist regime one or more features, and it will still be recognizable as fascist. Take away imperialism from fascism and you still have Franco and Salazar.
Fascism became an all-purpose term because one can eliminate from a fascist regime one or more features, and it will still be recognizable as fascist. Take away imperialism from fascism and you still have Franco and Salazar.
Appalling must-read from a columnist touring Louisiana's poorest industrialized communities.
Can't shake these paragraphs:
But the most tragic story involves the schools.
Can't shake these paragraphs:
But the most tragic story involves the schools.
The Donald's education secretary pick is... what you'd expect. Teachers, keep your eyes open.
Recent NYTimes editorial on potential Trump pick for DHS:
Mr. Kobach is pushing the myth that voter cheating is rampant. But he has utterly failed to document that, despite his Javert-like zealotry as secretary of state.
Mr. Kobach is pushing the myth that voter cheating is rampant. But he has utterly failed to document that, despite his Javert-like zealotry as secretary of state.
Pro-Brexit voices have succeeded in creating two monstrous scapegoats in the public mind that supposedly congregate around London: the rootless, wealthy cosmopolite and the shifty, job-stealing foreigner.
Halfway through 2015 before it dawns on me this blog is 10 years old this year.
It's been pretty quiet here lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been mouthing off elsewhere.
It's been pretty quiet here lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been mouthing off elsewhere.
Been following the Ferguson, MO shooting and aftermath (on Twitter, since it seems below the radar of cable news). The whole situation is unimaginable for those of us in the quiet, homogenous naivety of Utah and the west.
The hidden history of prosperity:
The war was, first, a massive macroeconomic stimulus. Unemployment was still more than 14 percent in 1940.
The war was, first, a massive macroeconomic stimulus. Unemployment was still more than 14 percent in 1940.
UPDATE: Slightly tweaked final version, as submitted to legislative management, here.
Final (draft) report of the 2013 Utah Transparency Advisory Board to legislative management.
Final (draft) report of the 2013 Utah Transparency Advisory Board to legislative management.
As I mentioned in my previous post, there is far less disagreement -- in my experience -- in Utah legislative circles over "transparency" and "openness" than sometimes seems the case.
Dusting this thing off.
I meant to start writing again this time last year as work began on what would become SB283. Then I meant to write about the process as SB283 was drafted and passed.
I meant to start writing again this time last year as work began on what would become SB283. Then I meant to write about the process as SB283 was drafted and passed.
The full cost-benefit report on Utah expanding Medicaid is out. And the Salt Lake Tribune has a thorough breakdown of key details.
During the 2011 GRAMA work group, created in response to public outcry over HB477 and proposed changes to Utah's GRAMA law, I learned three things:
Utah has an amazing FOI law in GRAMA, defining public data.
Utah has an amazing FOI law in GRAMA, defining public data.
Ran across an interview by KUED as part of their Healthcare: Facing the Barriers documentary. Contrast today's staunch opposition to Obamacare and the Medicaid expansion with Sen. John Valentine, 2007:
By making it more affordable, you have a way to be able to get insurance.
By making it more affordable, you have a way to be able to get insurance.
I'm sure this RINO making all this hoity-toity smart sounding talk is soon to be purged and sanitized. Still, smart:
I’m not the biggest fan of Eisenhower or Nixon, but they (and Reagan) are clearly preferable to this post-Reagan Republican Party.
I’m not the biggest fan of Eisenhower or Nixon, but they (and Reagan) are clearly preferable to this post-Reagan Republican Party.
Because I'm still on Cherilyn Eagar's mailing list and I don't want to bogart the hilarity:
Dear [Reactionary Moron],
Thank you for being a strong supporter of liberty in a dangerous time in our nation's history.
Dear [Reactionary Moron],
Thank you for being a strong supporter of liberty in a dangerous time in our nation's history.
As we reflect on the GOP nomination battles, it would only be natural to ask WTF?! are the crazies getting crazier? No, says Rick Perlstein, they're just more concentrated in one party.
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