If there is one thing our Utah State Legislature is good at, it is talking out of both sides of its mouth.

Take, for example, HB 87, Billboard Revisions, as proposed by Representative Melvin Brown (R-Coalville, District 53).

It seems that every year we hear the legislature complain about how there is too much government interference with the state, yet they (as the state) are all too eager to interfere with local governments when they do something that they don’t like.  The big example last year was Wayne Niederhauser’s bill that was a knee-jerk reaction to Salt Lake City attempting to stop McMansions in certain neighborhoods (more on that coming up in another post). This year, Brown is the one attacking Salt Lake City after Mayor Becker pushed to cap the number of electronic billboards in his city. Now the billboard companies didn’t like this much, but Mayor Becker stood firm.

Oooh, also, funny story: in his last election, Brown received $689 in campaign contributions from Reagan Signs – the sign company primarily affected by such a ban.

The decision to limit advertising in a municipality is the municipality’s decision – not the states. But Brown, apparently attempting to appease a donor, has thrown that idea out the window.  Utah legislators don’t want the Fed’s telling them what to do, but they are more than happy to dictate certain minutia to the cities.

This is a unnecessary and hypocritical law that was designed to please the interests of campaign donors and not the citizens of Utah.

To contact Rep. Brown, Click Here or call 435-647-6512

Impact: 2

Need: 0

Overall: -4

Questions about the rating system? Click Here

To view other bills in the 2012 Bills to Watch series, Click Here

In what appears to be an ongoing theme of hypocrisy this legislative session I present to you SB 243 – Historic Areas or Sites Amendments as proposed by Senator Wayne Niederhauser (R – Sandy, District 9). I know you may be shocked at this, but let me explain.

You know how Republicans have been hooting and hollering about how they feel the federal ‘guvment is encroaching on the states right to govern itself? And do you remember how they feel that government should be as local as possible, saying that the people have the right to govern themselves without outside interference? Yeah, I remember the protesters and the current proposed resolutions talking about such issues.

That is why I find it odd that Republicans such as Niederhauser would support such a bill because, after all, this bill seems to completely ignore that.

For those of you who have not been paying attention, Salt Lake City is looking to make portions of the Yalecrest neighborhood an historic district, the result being that it is difficult for owners to make modifications to their homes in an attempt to make sure the area maintains its charm and not suffer from McMansion Syndrome. Some property owners balk at the idea while others embrace it – I, as a Salt Lake City resident, think that the area should be maintained the way it is. Senator Niederhauser (again, from Sandy) thinks that the state should step in to prevent such an atrocious affront to property rights.  That is why his bill would prevent any city from “designat(ing) an historical area or site on or after May 10, 2011 and before May 8, 2012.”

But, if you truly believe in local control of government, why would Senator Niederhauser (again, I want to point this out, who is from Sandy) want the state to interfere with what is almost the definition of a city issue. The state has nothing to gain one way or the other. Now if it property rights Senator Niederhauser (did I mention he was from Sandy?) cares about, why allow the creation of historical districts on May 9, 2012?

It is almost as if Senator Niederhauser (from Sandy) does not really care about either of these things. Rather he wants the state to stick its nose into Salt Lake City’s business. But why, esteemed Senator from Sandy, do you want to do this? What do you have to gain?

If you care about the protection of local rights, you should not like this bill – even I, the bleeding heart liberal from Salt Lake City that I am, know that this is an infringement on local control. This bill should be abandoned like the many mammoth homes I am sure Senator Neaderhauser sees around his Sandy neighborhood.

Urgency Score:

Click here to contact Senator Nedierhauser (email works in Sandy).

It is very rare, being a Democrat in Utah, to help on a campaign that is successful. When you do work on a campaign, successful or not, you often do it because you believe in the candidate and think that they are the best person for the office. Oftentimes, however, citizens (and campaign workers) become upset when the candidate becomes the office holder and they fail to deliver on what they have promised.

Well, I am happy to report that Mayor Ralph Becker is quite the opposite, he was a candidate who not only delivered on what he promised, but he has even gone above and beyond what I thought he could do as a first term mayor of the largest city in Utah.

Becker has astutely handled a major budget crisis without harming major public goods, he has pushed for a much needed Public Safety Building and a Athletic Complex on the West Side, reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the city, enticed Goldman Sachs to move downtown, signed a Nondiscrimination ordinance with the churches blessing, responded quickly and decisively to both oil spills in Red Butte Canyon, has made city hall more open, expanded glass recycling, and secured funding for a streetcar in Sugar House just to name a few! For a more complete list, check out the Trib’s article on the matter by clicking here.

Now, some of Becker’s critics have tried to chisel away at the Mayor’s success – and some of these objections are worthy of note. But, to date, I can count on one hand the number of issues that have caused any sort of dust up in the city, with the most recent regarding his veto of the Parleys Historic Nature Park plan; but despite a very vocal minority, his overall job approval is at an astounding 84 percent…84 percent! Find 20 people and 17 of them like the guy. This, despite the fact that he has done an efficient job in creating a very progressive city – progressive policies that, if done in the wrong hands (Rocky *cough, cough*), could easily draw negative attention towards the city.

Although the path to reelection looks clear for Reserved Ralph, that does not mean that he will simply assume that this one is in the bag. I saw him walk door to door all across this city, and I am sure he will do the same again.

And, yes, Blueprint Man appears to be back…I will let you stew on that one for a bit.

As many of you may have heard, Utah will officially be receiving a fourth congressional seat in time for the 2012 election. First, though, the Utah Legislature must meet during a special session to decide what these new districts look like, in a process called redistricting.

You may also recall that I was the Executive Director for a little outfit known as the Fair Boundaries Coalition. Fair Boundaries was specifically set up to ensure that the redistricting process is taken out of the hands of those who could benefit most due to favorable districts, and put the power in the hands of a commission - all in an effort to make things a little more fair.

Well, when the numbers came out early last week, I thought I would have a little fun and create a few districts of my own. First I created a “fair” district that focused on a few basic criteria: 1) They are as compact as possible, 2) they attempt to keep communities as together as possible, 3) a greater emphasis was placed on ensuring that large cities were not divided, 4) the maps “make sense” in that they don’t wander in all sorts of directions, picking up voters here while excluding voters in another location.

After some admittedly crude number crunching and rounding, this is the map I came up with:

A Fair Utah

Salt Lake County After Fair Redistricting (Click to Enlarge)

Utah County After Fair Redistricting (Click to Enlarge)

Now, as you can see, these districts follow the basic rules I set out to begin with. Salt Lake City would have its own congressman, having to share with the central and western part of the valley. Orem and Provo too, get their own legislator, sharing with the like-minded members of the southern end of the valley. Ogden has to share with Davis county and Brigham City, and the rest of the state gets its own legislator, sacrificing only Herriman and Bluffdale to the process (though one could argue that these semi-rural locations are still similar to those in Iron and Washington County).

But where is the fun in that? Having fair boundaries and what have you. Let us suppose you want to minimize the little power liberals have in this state by ensuring that their votes get diluted as much as possible by more conservative voters.  Well I created a map of what this might look like too:

Utah After Questionable Redistricting

Salt Lake County After Questionable Redistricting (Click to Enlarge)

Utah County After Questionable Redistricting (Click to Enlarge)

Davis County After Questionable Redistricting (Click to Enlarge)

Wheeeee! Look how fun those maps look! I basically took the same logic the legislature used ten years ago when they split Salt Lake City up into three districts, claiming that it was important to have an “urban-rural” divide. I took the same logic and split Salt Lake into four and attempted to create as much of an “urban-rural” divide as possible while taking into account that the majority of the growth has occurred along the Wasatch front, forcing more compact districts.

As you can see, liberal Salt Lake gets screwed with districts that stretch to Lehi, Provo, Bever, and Saint George. West Valley, Midvale, and the Millcreek area also get carved up nicely, as they have had the gall to vote for Democrats as well – so we should just nip that one in the bud as well.

Well, lets see what happens later in the year when we start discussing this one. But I will tell you this now: I am willing to bet the final map looks like the bottom set more than the top.

AP Photo/Jim Urquhart

So, rather than talk about the protest that took place and if was effective way to improve relations or awareness, I would like to draw your attention to an interesting little tidbit.

Last night I noticed that Channel 2,4, and 13 stated that there were upwards of 4,500 protesters who “circled Temple Square” and Channel 4 said they circled it twice. Organizers stated that it was three and a half times. Ok, impressive, but I found it interesting that KSL trotted out Carole Mikita who stated that there was around 600 protesters.

Hrm, quite the difference there… As an added note, for the two of you who don’t know, KSL is owned by the LDS church, the target of the protests.

So who is correct?

Assuming news outlets mean the area from State to West Temple and from North to South Temple, to circle Temple Square, you would need to travel 4400 feet (thank you Google Earth). Assuming that some people sat while others laid down, it is safe to say that the average person took up 5 feet. 4400/5 = 880. Double that and you have 1,760. At the high end, 3 1/2 “circles” would equal 3080 protesters.

The picture above shows multiple people, however, in the same “spot” – a trend probably repeated around Temple Square. But we can also assume that organizers will probably over estimate, so a number of 2,000 - 3,000 protesters is probably close to accurate. Still very impressive but not quite as high as they stated.

But 2,000 is a long way away from 600, even for the worst of estimators. Now I am not saying that KSL didn’t do an accurate job of reporting, I am saying that KSL out and out lied to downplay the protest.

Shame on KSL. They have a commitment as newscasters to report the news as accurately as possible and they violated the public trust for private interests. I know why they did it, but their position of influence places them in a special position, a position the organizers simply don’t hold. I admit that the protest organizers likely overestimated by 1,500 while KSL underestimated by the same amount, but, again, their position as a news source puts their error in a different classification.

For what it is worth, the Tribune stated that there were “thousands” of protesters and the AP quoted the police as stating there were ”roughly 1,000″ protesters, but cited the 4,500 number as well.

Salt Lake City Councilmember J.T. Martin clearly does not care about Salt Lake’s West Side; well, at the very least, he does not care enough about his fellow Salt Lakers to actually understand the complaints of his fellow citizens.

You see, Martin seems to be under the impression that the area west of I-15 has streets made out of gold and that his east bench community is suffering because these petulant children refuse to pay an incie-wincy $2.3 million to improve North Temple for the upcoming TRAX line – “improvements” that are standard on almost 90 percent of the current system in Salt Lake City proper – “improvements” that the whole city, county, state, and even every American, paid for.

But this time around specific residents are being approached by the city to pony up. This, despite the fact that this line, more than any other, will benefit the city. The Airport line literally connects UTA and the Wasatch Front to the rest of the world and would be the first thing many visitors will see when entering the city, but now we decide to be stingy.

I really do understand that the city is in a cash crunch, but we are seeing several examples of how rails equate to growth and growth, obviously, equates to higher revenues. Now, more than ever, the city needs to invest in the future of the western half of its population, yet the council seems hesitant to do on the west side what it has been so eager to do on the east side for years.

The anger that Councilmember Martin showed just proves that the east side fundamentally does not understand the west side and its issues. Year after year the west side gets overlooked because of more ”sexy” projects on the east. The one time west siders dare to raise their head and complain, Councilmembers cry foul and complain that they are being ignored. Indeed, Councilwoman Remington-Love added to this feeling by pointing out that multiple east-side projects were put on hold for the North Temple project. Almost as if the council begrudgingly gave up their pet projects and they are appalled that the citizens on the west side citizens would be upset at having to pay a special fee that no other community had to pay.

 I support mass transit, and I support the TRAX line to the Airport, and I even support paying a tax to pay for these projects, but it is fundamentally unfair for the businesses along to pay an additional $110 per foot of property on North Temple every year for the privilege of having a service that no other property owner has to incur.

The council has done a great job of adding insult to injury by acting as though their districts are the ones that are being ignored. Year after year the west side has improvements that go by the wayside as east siders flex their political muscle, and year after year animosity grows. It is one thing to have this feeling come from the citizens, but it is quite another for civic leaders to enforce this idea. Mayor Becker, I feel, has worked to reverse this trend, but much more work clearly needs to be done.

This time last year I discussed how Senator Luz Robles (D – Salt Lake, District 1) was sponsoring a bill to designate the portion of Redwood Road in Salt Lake City the “Pete Suazo Memorial Highway.” Sadly, the bill had the enacting clause struck and made it nowhere.

For those of you who don’t know, the enacting clause is the portion of any bill that basically says that it is a law if passed, specifically it says “be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah.” If it is removed, it means that it is not enacted and is not, therefore, a law. To have an enacting clause struck is, quite possibly, one of the most dishonorable ways to kill a bill, as it is worse than just not voting on it – having the clause struck it is sort of like the legislature saying to the bill sponsor “we don’t like this idea so much, we are going to spend extra time just to kill it.”

Thankfully, Senator Robles is back with SB 117 – Pete Suazo Memorial Highway. The bill, again, would make Redwood road (from 2100 South to 1700 North officially the Pete Suazo Memorial Highway (see below).

I went to school with the Suazo children, and I remember how vivid the events of his tragic death were to the west side – a strong and passionate leader was removed from us so quickly.  Senator Suazo was the first Hispanic legislator and was a great inspiration to those who often felt disenfranchised – he truly represented what government could and should be about.

I hope this bill passes, it has already made it out of the Senate at the time of writing, and I hope it makes it to the Governors desk.

Click here to contact Senator Robles.

7:12 – festivities get underway

7:14 – Salt lake has a great responsibility to not only the city, but also the region and it is hoped that the 2010 will continue to be the “centerpiece of the region”

7:15 – The city must focus on the environment, efficiency , equality and engagement.

• Environment: Our air quality is unacceptable, downtown streetcars and to Davis County. We have wonderful natural resources.  Half of the energy in Salt Lake is used by commercial buildings and we have funds from federal sources to increase efficiency. The city too has made efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. Glass recycling is going to take place in downtown businesses and new LED street lights will save energy and maintenance costs for the cities 15,000 street lights – this is just one of many new efforts.
• Efficiency: City services have become more open through online website usage with real time access to the planning process (as an example). Macy’s and Nordstroms used this, and they did not need to print massive blueprints and fly them in – it saved them both time and money and it is a sign of Salt Lakes progressive future. The city has been able to cut 6.2% percent of its budget without ever loosing a single job, all because of its gains in efficiency.
• Equality: a cities livability can be defined by its ability for its citizens to have opportunities for success. Work has been done to reach out to the Salt Lake City School District to ensure that all of Salt Lake’s school children to succeed. We have also made efforts to improve the lives of those who are experiences homelessness. The Office of Diversity and Human Rights were responsible for the passage of a nondiscrimination ordinance, and this year they will launch the Mayor’s human rights campaign to educate employers about the new laws. The city is also working aggressively to ensure that all citizens of the city are counted fairly through the census.
• Engagement: We are growing our downtown though the arts and culture of the Leonardo as well as a world class theater. Downtown is filling with life as City Creek expands with a “soon to be announced” tenet. Many companies are thriving because of the efforts of the city to brand itself as a Western distribution hub. Local businesses are not forgotten, however, as efforts have been made to expand business in local neighborhood businesses. Furthermore crime is down and accidents with injuries are down, and the city has been engaging with the county and state to plan for the inevitable “big” earthquake.

A year ago, the city launched an open government initiative, and the city is continually working to improve this process – as demonstrated by the public safety building. The change in the 2 bar per block law is also proof of this, as a bill was drafted and passed into law with no objections from the council.

7:48 – Livability is the main theme, and the work on North Temple is proof of this. The city will improve sidewalks, expand bike lanes, ground power lines, add green space, and improve business and residential access. the new project is now known as the  The capitol city boulevard project on North Temple.

7:51 – Over the past two years, Mayor Becker has worked hard to ensure that “Blueprint Man” is fulfilling its goals, and as he enters the second half of his first term, there are many campaign promises kept and much more work still to be done. He will be calling on the leaders and residents of the city and state to recognize the disproportionate number of residents the city serves. The city is a capitol city, a economic hub, and a cultural center – and tax revenues from outside sources should reflect this reality.

7:54 – Other cities have inquired about the nondiscrimination ordinance and how they too can implement it. The city must lead with the emphasis on livability, if only because that is where the new world economy is headed.

7:55 – Mayor Becker calls on all citizens to support him in this process.

Analysis coming soon.

The majority of the people in the room were stunned to hear Michael Otterson issue an official statement from the LDS Church stating that, officially, the Church had no objection to the Nondiscrimination ordinance being discussed that eventing. To be sure, this statement represented a policy shift within the Church.

It soon became clear that the discussions that took place prior to the announcement were a direct result of both the backlash created by the LDS Church’s stance on Proposition 8 and the public relations nightmare resulting from the Main Street Kiss. Both sides, despite living in the same city, had no idea how the other side felt about the issues surrounding these contentious issues; both sides felt that they had the high road; both sides refused to budge.

Now, being the filthy non-Mormon, liberal Democrat that I am, I naturally felt that the Church should be willing to bend more – but that is exactly the same thought pattern that caused these tensions in the first place.  As I discussed in an earlier post, the LDS Church and the GLBT community needed to use the heated debate surrounding these issues to talk rather than shut down, and I am happy to see that both sides did just that.

But don’t get too excited GLBT community.  The Church made it all too clear that they still feel that marriage should be between a man and a woman and that they will fight to keep the sanctity of marriage in tact.  Furthermore, they acknowledged that the issues being discussed (fair housing and equal employment) are basic rights, but they still remain silent on issues such as hospital visitation, adoption, and the grand-daddy of them all, civil unions.

Tuesday was also marked with a very vocal (and very small) minority of people opposed to the ordinance. Rich Piatt of KSL accurately noted that objections focused more on the concept of homosexuals and homosexual conduct when discussing the law, and not legal ramifications of the ordinance.  This truth echos a growing trend around the nation that either consciously or unconsciously knows that it can no longer fight laws such as the Nondiscrimination ordinance through legal means and must, therefore, appeal to peoples fears.  Though this is not new, the idea that one avenue has been closed means forces opponents to use less civilized ways to get their point across.  In short, things are going to get ugly, and I can’t discount more extreme as well.  As members of the GLBT community rightfully become recognized as a class that needs protection from hate speech and action, the more they are going to need it from hatemongers.

But please don’t become too depressed from this post. The fact that as dominant of a power as the LDS Church not only changed their views marks a huge step both locally and nationally.  Keep in mind that the Church did not have to say anything if they didn’t want to; their choice to speak shows that they are willing to focus the flock on the teachings set forth in the New Testament, rather than one line in Leviticus, when it comes to discussing homosexuality – for this, I applaud them.

Finally, I would be remiss if I did not discuss the political ramifications from Tuesdays landmark passage.  Already Park City and Salt Lake County are considering passage of similar measures.  Moderate legislators on Utah’s Capitol Hill who may personally want to vote for equal rights measures but can’t politically now have more legitimacy when reporting to their constituents while more conservative members have lost the smoke screen excuses the LDS Church used to provide.  Finally, and perhaps more importantly, large numbers of individuals within the LDS Church now have an official statement to discuss openly and honestly with other members – by removing some ambiguity on this issue, many people within this state may be more tolerant towards their fellow man.

Hit F5 to receive updates – Please note that quotes are not accurate as I don’t have a playback option, however all quotes are in the spirit of what the speaker wished to say.

7:00 – Council members greet the near packed chamber building.  All the big wigs of the GLBT community are ready to speak on the issue. Hopes are high amongst supporters.

7:05 – Meeting called into order, Soren Simonson is chairing the meeting and welcomes the large crowd.

7:08 – LDS Church weighs in “the ordinance…concern important questions for this community… The Church agrees with Mayor Becker.” These ordinance are fair and reasonable and don’t do violence to the institution of marriage.  The Church still intends to continue fighting for these rights, but this ordinance is in line with Jesus’ teachings.

7:12 – Sen. McCoy “I fully support and expect the council to fully support the ordinance…you have approached this topic with respect and zeal…Salt Like has as sizable GLBT population and that, unfortunately, they face discrimination on housing based sole on their GLBT status.  This fact, unfortunately, does not make Salt Lake unique…having discovered this truth, the Mayor and Council is trying to reverse this error…Salt Lake City is a great American City.”

7:15 – First opposition to the ordinance. Main point is that this is a sexual issue and that if people don’t want to associate with someones sexual conduct, they should not have it forced upon them by the government.  “If you look at what homosexualism is, you can’t dissociated it with sex.” Homosexuals are not “like the blacks or women who can’t vote.”

7:18 – “The GLBT community wishes to overhaul America and creating a ‘Bible’ for homosexuals…Television should be used to change the minds of the people.” The GLBT community has tried to overhaul the laws by changing peoples minds and that a lot of the people in the room are victims of this.  The chamber is officially standing room only.

7:21 – “God will remove his hand from this nation (if we support this ordinace)…If you pass this law, if they have functions for Christmas and they bring their partners, what will the children in that room think?”

7:24 – Deeda Seed is “delighted to stand with the LDS Church on this issue.”

7:29 – “As a result of what you have done, the world will see us differently, and more favorably.  I urge you to pass this ordinance.”

7:30 – “It is not about discrimination, it is about respect.”

7:31 – “This ordiniance represents good policy” Gordon Storrs.

7:37 – Very somber retelling of a mans personal story of his love of another man in the Church.  “Don’t do this for me, do it for him.  May God bless you.” Very powerful. The camber has a very respectful and somber tone, however spirits continue to remain high.

7:41 – “We must move foward in fighting in justice for all.”

7:43 – “These ordinances do not create special rights or create special statuses…they give the same protections to all Utahans – you can’t be fired because you are strait or gay, you should be judged on your ability.”

7:45 – (personal note) The intolerance appears to be dripping from the Rodriguez family.  They seem to fear anything that they don’t understand… They are speaking in a way that creates the problems that this ordinance wishes to solve in the first place. They are why people are disrespected in this way.  Furthermore we have come across someone who just about whipped out the “It’s not Adam and Steve” argument.

7:54 – Gail Turpin “There have been things that have be said that hurt my heart.” We must try to come together.

7:59 – “The Bible has been used to allow all sorts of discrimination in the past.  Thankfully we don’t look at the Bible, we look to the Constitution.”

8:08 – Rep. Johnson – “I would like to publicly thank the Church Of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints…It sends a clear message that it shows that we are members of humanity.  I find it interesting that we have not heard from one single Salt Lake City employer against this bill… not one that says that they don’t want to hire people because they are gay. Only one family has objected because they are afraid that people are acting gay; let me tell you right now, before this chamber, that I am ‘acting gay’…Let me remind you that support of this bill is not supporting homosexuality, it is supporting equality.”  Also, someone in the back said “not true” to that final statement in a true Joe Wilson moment.

8:14 – “Hopefully this is the first honest step in opening a dialogue between the LDS Church and the GLBT community.”

8:16 – Public input is closed on the issue. Remington Love moves to enact the two codes, Jergensen seconds motion. Remington Love “There are rarely clear cut issues, this is not one of those issues.  We recommit tonight that Salt Lake City is committed to equality. We are a stronger, better, city because of this…I am proud to serve on a City Council where this isn’t even a contentious issue.” Jergensen – “There is specific and emperical data that shows that the GLBT community has been discriminated against in housing and employment…Someone mentioned that to pass this law was ‘morally wrong,’ someone said that the bible speaks against homosexuality.  We may disagree on what the Bible says, but nowhere in the Bible have I read that discrimination is acceptable against another person.”

8:26 – Councilman Turner – “We want to make sure everyone here is treated fairly. We all have skills and education that we can all use to make our lives and society better…We need to be fair on these things, it is the just way to be.”

8:30 – Councilman Christensen – “I am delighted to support this ordinance, and should be used to bring us together.”

8:33 – Councilman Martin – “We come from families, we have businesses, we have neighbors, and that is who we are. I think that people think that, once we are elected, something happens to us – that we become different people and forget who we are; I can tell you that that  is not the case.  What does change is that we learn, listen, and study…it is part of the job…we do come to learn that we have compassion and respect. We can not make decisions out of ignorance…Equality is the right thing.”

8:39 – Councilman Simonson – “I hope that this is an indicator that other local governments and the State may follow suit that there is a tremendous need for this sort of legislation…and that there is something we can do about to fix it.”

8:40 – Council passes the two ordinances unanimously – they receive a standing ovation.

ANALYSIS COMING SOON.