Gotta be the Economy

When the Utah Foundation surveyed Utahns for a list of prioritized issues last spring, there were a lot of items to choose from--transportation, the environment, education. I'm sure there were some who had financial worries but the worries didn't seem to be wide-spread.

There had been talk of a housing bubble. There were a lot of "no down payment" loans being pushed. There was even news of unprecedented consumer debt. Still there was definitely a feeling of being blind-sided when the financial melt down began a month or two ago.

Now, there are predictions of doomsday and comparisons being made to the stock market crash of 1929. While the Congress and the feds fuss and fume about what is to be done to mitigate the trouble, it is clear that there is no way to avoid it altogether. Both presidential candidates are blaming deregulation, so it seems that "trickle down" economics has turned into a deluge of debt that we will all be swimming in, whether we were wise in our own money management or not.

The State of Utah has a great challenge ahead of it. We will be in better shape than many states but the problems in the stock market and banking industries will have repercussions here as well as everywhere else. The decisions that will be made as budgets are cut and appropriations examined will be extremely important and will require prioritizing needs. Everyone will be wanting a larger slice of an ever-smaller pie.

As I have walked from house to house in my legislative district, I have discussed with many people the needs of individuals and families. The incentives to business must take a backseat in times like these. Lobbyists may holler but the voices of hundreds of my neighbors have my ear.

As I continue to walk door to door, the conversations with the voters are showing their concerns about future economic stability.
"My retirement is disappearing."
"I may get laid off."
"I'm worried about my mortgage."
What issues are you watching in the next year or two?
It's gotta be the economy.

Happy Constitution Day!

I want to take a break from campaigning to acknowledge a document that has changed the world. The Constitution of the United States was signed by a majority of the participants at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on this day in 1787.

I love this country. I love that it was founded on the concepts that "small people" can govern themselves. I love that this document was made to live, breathe, and grow with a country that would change rapidly in the subsequent 221 years. I love that the rights outlined in the First Amendment have challenged Americans to examine themselves and better their own instincts.

Despite its bumpy history I remain an optimist about the future of the United States. The Statue of Liberty has welcomed tired, poor, huddled masses and continues to do so. Of still greater impact is the attitude of the American people that, whatever his or her beginnings, the individual is worthy of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Americans are generous people; charitable giving and volunteerism are strong impulses. Americans have a sense of justice but love to see signs of mercy mixed in.

I agree with the observation that Alexis de Tocqueville made over a hundred years ago: "America is great because she is good." I also acknowledge the corollary that-- "If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

The greatest service we can give to our country is to make a commitment to goodness. The Constitution has a physical structure; it is our goodness that enlivens this document and gives it longevity.

Happy Birthday and long live the Constitution of the United States!

Lipstick Quick-draw

When Geraldine Ferraro and Shirley Chisolm were national political candidates, the country was not at all ready to welcome a woman into the White House. Now in 2008, it has been interesting to see the excitement generated on diverse ends of the political spectrum, by the entrance of Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin into the national spotlight.

Sarah Palin is rousing support by her socially conservative convictions that fit so well the culture of Utah and much of the western United States. At the same time, she is praised for the courageous handling of entrenched political power brokers in her own party and the special interests who were accommodated in Alaska state government.

Whether or not she is a candidate prepared for presidential responsibilities, her history should be looked at with interest in the state of Utah. She came to her office as governor describing herself as a "Hockey Mom", doggedly dedicated to ethics reform in state government. She saw closed door deals, politicians enjoying campaign gifts and financing from Big Oil or other special interests, and various ethical problems in the state. Her success in handling these problems is making national news. This should send chills through the Utah Republican Party.

Moderate republicans, as well as democrats, have been calling for ethics reform in the Utah legislature for years. Well-managed leadership in the State Republican Party has, however, held them at bay. As long as incumbents could recruit enough friends to become delegates to the county conventions, voters would have no say about their party nominees. The Democratic Party, hobbled by progressive national politics, could not elect a legislator in Utah County as well as much of the state, and the republicans ceased to worry about campaigning against them. As a result, the ethical questions have gone unanswered.

Unable to heal the Party from within, many traditional republicans and unaffiliated voters are looking to the Democratic Party for a "bulldog" to stir up the questions.

Thank you, Sarah Palin, for making this cause a popular one in Utah! Women's ability to take on this problem is certainly now proven. Now I just need to get a little more consistent with wearing lipstick.