A MAJOR MILESTONE...

...that I missed.

I was so busy with life that I didn't notice that the latest statistics show this blog to have had over 10,000 Visits and 19,000 page views.

This blog has given a little person like me the opportunity to express my opinions and views that would not be able to be expressed otherwise.

I appreciate all my loyal readers and the tons of encouraging e-mails I receive.

I will be leaving town for some time, and will not be able to respond to anything until I return.

Cheers,
Utah Conservative

Will Utah County get the transportation funding it deserves?

After helping Salt Lake rebuild I-15, it is imperative that the favor be returned and the reconstruction of I-15 in Utah County be moved along. Hopefully with the leadership of the Senate from Utah County, the funding will happen.

For those policy people, does the transportation proposal that was passed in November help Utah County do this, or is it strictly mass transit?

The Importance of Blogging

The Daily Herald had an interesting article about lawmakers and their use of blogging. Article

Some interesting tidbits:

"I think what I really want to create is an image out there that we're human
beings. Although we have some awesome responsibilities, we each bring with it
our own personal background and life experiences," said Sen. Lyle Hillyard,
R-Logan.

Regardless, by the time the 2006 legislative session was over, the Senate Site became a must read for lawmakers, lobbyists and journalists. The site now gets
up to 4,000 hits a day. (to visit this site, go to www.senatesite.com)

Perhaps one of the best blogs is Representative Craig Frank's, www.underthedome.org.

As the House and the Senate begin to bicker over taxes, funding, etc. it is interesting to read these accounts on the blogs.

P.S. Senators, please be open to the tax cuts proposed by the House, tax cuts are good.

The Mitt Romney Deception

There is a great analysis of old comments that Mitt Romney made while he ran for the Senate and as Guv of Mass.

The Mitt Romney Deception

Let me quote a few instances:


"Romney ran against Senator Edward M. Kennedy in 1994. During a debate, Romney declared: 'I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a US Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years we should sustain and support it.' "(NOTE: Romney has supported abortion since before the 1972 Roe v. Wade ruling!)- Boston Globe, 3/2/2006

In 2002, Romney responded to the National Abortion Rights Action League's candidate survey: ''I respect and will protect a woman's right to choose. This choice is a deeply personal one. Women should be free to choose based on their own beliefs, not mine and not the government's. The truth is, no candidate in the governor's race in either party would deny women abortion rights." Notably, Romney refused to answer the candidate questionnaire sent to him by Massachusetts Citizens for Life.- Boston Globe, 7/3/2005

"In seeking the support of the Log Cabin Republican Club, Romney wrote them a letter promising that 'as we seek to establish full equality for America's gay and lesbian citizens, I will provide more effective leadership than my opponent.' " [His opponent at the time was Sen. Ted Kennedy, perhaps the foremost advocate of homosexual rights in the U.S. Senate.] - Boston Globe, 10/17/1994

And finally, The infamous Gay Letter

I cancelled my subscription

Have you?

Cannon to be editor of Morning News

A wise choice

Rolly is reporting that Steve Urquhart is the new rules chair! What a wise choice!

A Great Cause...

That Republicans and Democrats can agree on:

http://www.letssaythanks.com/Home1024.html

State Legislature Hall of Fame

Well, they did it again. The Republican controlled Legislature has deemed it necessary to try to spend more of our hard earned money. This time to the tune of about $6 million dollars for an election to elect one Congressman (admit it, our three current ones would win again).

However, there is a bright point of some brave legislators who voted against this stupid idea.

I present the 2006 December Special Session Hall of Fame:
Senators:
Bell
Peterson
Stephenson
Waddoups
Representatives:
Adams
Dayton
Hardy
Morley
Barrus
Ferrin
Hendrickson
Oda
Buttars
Fisher, Julie
Johnson, B.
Ure
Buxton
Frank
Kiser
Wyatt
Cox, D.
Gowans
Morgan

*Note: Perhaps the Legislature should spend that $6 million on expanding the parking garage and naming it the Greg Curtis Political Graveyard Parking Wing.

President Valentine breaks GOP bylaws

Members of the Granite School District received the following e-mail:

Dear fellow board members, I met with Senator John Valentine last Monday and among other things he asked me to contact the board members in your district 12 to vote for Democrat Brent Goodfellow over Republican Christy Achziger. He said that Brent would help us out and Christy would be intertwined so much with Margaret Dayton that it would head the Senate down a path he does not want to go. I hope this helps . Thanks for all you do. JoDee Sundberg - Alpine School District

This is a clear violation of the GOP bylaws by Senator Valentine. The bylaws state:

After the Utah County Republican Party has a nominee, any elected office holder or candidate who supports (i.e. money or in-kind contributions, posting signs, public endorsements, etc.) or runs as a non-Republican Party candidate will be ineligible to run as a Republican during the next election cycle for any Utah County Republican Party office or partisan elected office nominated by the Utah County Republican Party. (http://www.utahgop.org/documents/2005_Bylaws_as_amended_April_30_2005.pdf)

So, are the County GOP leadership finally going to get a backbone and follow the bylaws? John Valentine should not be eligible to run for office next cycle as a Republican. I strongly urge the GOP to follow their own rules!! Additionally JoDee Sundberg, Alpine School District President, endorsed the Democrat as well; and she is a GOP delegate. Although the bylaws do not prohibt a delegate from openly endorsing a Democrat, it is bad form.