SandBoxBlogs: Red State "Election Year Barometer: Watch Sens. Dick Lugar & Orrin Hatch"

'scorpio0679' Diary:
"For those who have written-off the TEA party as having lost influence or worse yet, dead, will have their first real test coming up in a few weeks. Not long ago, Orrin Hatch, the long-time senator from Utah, was narrowly prevented from walking away with the GOP nomination when the TEA party prevented him from achieving 60 percent of the vote at the state’s nominating convention. He will now face challenger Dan Liljenquist in a primary election this June. Orrin Hatch is a long-time Washington insider with moderate tendencies who once stated that he wished to punch conservative activists in the mouth and that the TEA party was filled with radical libertarians.

Similarly, Dick Lugar, the 36-year incumbent senator from Indiana, has been in the TEA party’s cross-hairs for a long time. After a conference of 70 TEA party groups declared their unanimous opposition to his re-nomination, conservative Richard Mourdock declared his candidacy to take him on. The most recent indicators suggest that Lugar is at serious risk of losing in the May 8 primary. The Washington Post reports that some Lugar supporters may be bailing on him in the homestretch. Remember that Lugar is the guy that takes money from George Soros, refused to sign a letter supporting the lawsuit against Obamacare, voted to confirm both Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor, and has a horrible record on gun rights.

Taking on and defeating entrenched incumbents is nothing new to the TEA party. If, as some claim, the TEA party’s day has come and gone, well-funded establishment moderates like Sens. Lugar and Hatch should easily dispatch their insurgent opponents. On the other hand, if the coming electoral season will be another TEA party bloodbath (ala Fall 2010), these two primaries may well be the warning bells....."
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SandBoxUtah: Deseret News "Utah vies for China's outsourcing"

Blaze Bullock:
"When Gov. Gary Herbert went to China in 2011, there were five other governors there, Salt Lake Chamber spokesman Marty Carpenter told KSL.

So clearly, Utah isn't the only state vying for money from China, but it does have some things other states don't. For example, the former governor of Utah was the U.S. Ambassador to China, and Salt Lake City and Beijing have both been home to the Olympics. These give Utah a leg up on the competition, Carpenter told KSL..."  (Read more?  Click title)

SandBoxUtah: Salt Lake Tribune "Good for Shea"

Lakshmi Johal-Dominguez, Orem:

"Thank you, Pat Shea, for being a truth-teller ("Utah: A beehive of corruption," Opinion, April 21). Last week, I heard Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, give a legislative update, and what a noble spin he gave to the federal land-grab issue.

As a taxpayer, I want a list of the legislators and lobbyists who will make money if this "indefensible legislation" goes through. How many conflicts of interest, wrapped up in patriotism, are involved in this "fantasy claim" of state ownership of RS2477 roads?

I want a published list of the campaign contributions given in exchange for pushing this agenda. Which oil and gas companies will benefit? Which land developers and realtors will benefit? How much secret money will change hands behind closed doors?

How clever and corrupt to have us taxpayers foot the legal bill for a losing proposition! I’m with Shea — we need to get rid of the extremist poison of the connivers, the manipulators and the greedy.

We must elect responsible leaders to serve Utahns in a open and nonpartisan environment. Let’s remove those from office who think they can set up their personal financial kingdoms and "who believe that they alone know the truth of things...."  (Read more?  Click title)

SandBoxUtah: CBS "Utah: Chronic homelessness down 9 percent"

(See related stories here and here)

"SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Chronic homelessness continued to drop in Utah despite an overall increase in the homeless population, state officials said Monday.

Overall, there are an estimated 540 chronically homeless people living on Utah's streets, according to an annual population count. That is 9 percent fewer than in 2011 and the seventh year in a row that the number has dropped, said Gordon Walker, director of the Division of Housing and Community Development.

The homeless population did increase by 13 percent, from an estimated 14,351 to 16,642, which Walker said is expected during a weak economy.

But because of the continued reduction in chronic homelessness — when a person has been homeless for more than a year, or multiple times within the past five years — there is more room at housing shelters for those who are temporarily homeless.

Homeless outreach groups have conducted the annual census since 2004. Walker said they do the count on the same night in January, which provides consistency, and have a statistical model that accounts for the homeless they miss...."  (Read more?  Click title)

SandBoxUtah: Salt Lake Tribune "Utah governor scolds UDOT boss, but backs him "

Robert Gehrke:
"Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said Thursday he supports John Njord, although he criticized the state transportation boss over the way the high-profile reinstatement of a fired employee has been handled.

"He already knows my displeasure," Herbert said during his monthly KUED TV news conference, referring to a meeting he had Wednesday with the Utah Department of Transportation director.

Njord fired employee Denice Graham more than a year ago, accusing her of leaking information about a $1.1 billion contract to rebuild Interstate 15 through Utah County. A judge ordered her reinstated earlier this year, but Graham’s attorneys and UDOT have been at odds over her back wages...." 

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