It was somewhat fitting that I finished my formal job duties for Fair Boundaries yesterday at the Davis County Clerk – frantically rushing in to ensure that the petitions we had gathered over the past weeks and months were officially submitted before 5:00 PM.

You see, back in 2006, one of the first real campaign job responsibilities I  ever had was to submit paperwork to the Davis County Clerk.  At the time I was the Campaign Manager for Beth Holbrook (now a Councilwoman for Bountiful) and I needed to submit some sort of financial paperwork to ensure that she had met a deadline.

I was a Senior in college at the time, just back from an internship in Washington DC, and was finishing up my degree in Political Science. I had been looking for some real world experience, and the opportunity to work as a real campaign staffer excited me right from the start.

Sadly, we lost that race, but the bug had bitten me.

Since then I have worked full time on three races and part time on at least five more. Sadly, I have never really tasted victory, though I do claim the Becker primary win as a sort of conciliation prize.

Campaigns are unique in their ability to turn really bad, really fast.  And the emotional and social toll sometimes makes me wonder if all of it has worth it. But, sure as the sun rises, I seem to fall back into it and I always find myself enjoying the job more than the last year. In the end, I regret nothing.

Furthermore,  campaigns are not designed for people who want to settle down.  It is no secret to those who know me personally that I am ready to settle down and, amongst other things, turn My Republican Girlfriend into My Republican Wife very soon (well, get engaged at the very least). I have often joked that I like to work on campaigns because I enjoy long hours and terrible pay – but campaign wages  simply can not sustain a Democrat in Utah who wants to eat more than ramen.

And, so, I made the commitment to myself to finish out the Fair Boundaries campaign and work my hardest to see if I couldn’t get at least one victory.  Sadly, it appears that we only gathered around half of the total signatures we would have needed to get on the ballot. But it was a personal victory as I have had trouble of the past years with other campaigns – I needed to prove to myself that I could, at the very least, see something to the end.

So, it is with a heavy heart that I need to announce, at the very least, my hiatus from campaign work.

I will still be writing, of course, and I have been kicking around the idea of a Liberal Think Tank (though I must admit that I haven’t had the foggiest idea where to start – serendipitously,  I received a text from someone else late last night who has had a similar thought). Furthermore, I will be refocusing my efforts back to the Young Democrats, an organization that has always been near and dear to my heart. Furthermore, I am happy to announce that I will be a co-host for Drinking Liberally, helping to set up events.

And so, as I was exiting the Clerks office, I felt the need to sit back and reflect on where I was and where I have come.  Who knows, perhaps it is nothing, but for me it really did feel that I had come full circle.

Hey everyone, trying out a new layout in an attempt to make things look less squished together! Plus, I figure the start of the “Bills To Watch” series is as good of a time as any.

Please let me know what you think and praise or punish the change!

Don’t forget that there is, in fact, an election tomorrow.  Though there are hundreds of municipal elections around the state, I am going to focus on the races in Salt Lake City proper.

If you don’t know where to go to vote, click here.  Remember, you now need two forms of identification to vote.

Public Safety Building

Endorsement: For

Some members of the blogosphere *Salt Lake Crawler cough, cough* have been all too eager knock the PSB every chance they get.  For some reason people simply can’t understand the need of a consolidated emergency response building in the heart of Utah’s most populous city and county.  Yes, Mayor Becker’s introduction of the PSB was not the smoothest, however we must see the bigger picture.  Not only are improvements desperately needed to our infrastructure, but a PSB is needed as our city continues to grow.

www.slcgov.com/psb

Salt Lake City Council – District 1

Endorsement: Carlton Christensen

As I have stated before, Carlton is the only choice in my mind for Salt Lake’s west side. Not only does he bring experience to the table, but he has the sorely lacking ability to reach across party lines to get the job done. Furthermore, Carlton’s opponent did a fine job offending me when she stated that LDS candidates fair far better in elections because they have “built-in get out the vote mechanism(s).” Statements like that show that Carlton’s opponent is out of touch with the district.

www.votecarlton.com

Salt Lake City Council – District 3

Endorsement: Stan Penfold

The Avenues can’t go wrong in this election as both candidates offer bright ideas for the district.  What sets Stan apart in my mind is his desire to update the neighborhood plans for the Avenues while still keeping in mind the unique feel of the district. Furthermore, Stan is a more progressive voice in the district, something that will serve the areas GLBT community well in City Hall.

www.friendsofstan.com

Salt Lake City Council – District 5

Endorsement: Jill Remington Love

This is a bit of a no brainer endorsement, if only because Love is not actually being contested in her race.  Though I do value a choice in all elections, it does speak volumes that no one on the east bench wanted to challenge Love in the first place.  Love is often the power player on the council as her decisions are often makes or breaks tie votes on crucial decisions regarding the welfare of our city; the lack of a challenger shows that she really does vote with her heart, and her city, in mind.

(no website)

Salt Lake City Council – District 7

Endorsement: Soren Simonson

Simonson is, by far, the most proactive member on council.  His proactive approach towards problem solving means that he is often at the forefront of both praise and criticism when he introduces new ideas and programs to the council.  Sugar House, in many ways, is a district in transition.  Simonson fought hard against “the crater” and for increased mass transit in the traffic clogged district. Furthermore, Simonson’s planning mind melds well with Mayor Becker, and his dogged push for alternative transportation make him a vital part of Salt Lake’s future.

www.sorensimonson.com

This video was obtained by the Salt Lake Tribune through an open records request.  It does not include the kiss leading up to the arrest, but it does show the confrontation between Aune and Church officials:

It should also be known that the trespassing charges have been dropped by City Prosecutor Sim Gill, saying that it was a “misunderstanding” and that the couple did not know they had a public right of way.

Admitting that I am bias, it does appear that the Church police were more forceful than they needed to be, though it is also obvious that Aune was being argumentative.

Well the blog is entering the terrible twos…Soon all it will do is say no and refuse to get into the car when we really have to go somewhere.  Strap in and enjoy the ride!

Here are the ten most viewed blog posts over the last year:

10 – Are they High?
9 – Official Endorsement – Jeff Bell for Utah Democratic Party Chair
8 – Our Actual Footprint
7 – Um…Why Have Gas Prices not Gone Down?
6 – Bills to Watch – SB 187 – Alcohol Amendments – J. Valentine
5 – Election Predictions – Part III – Utah State Senate
4 – Curt Bramble – D bag and Total Friend of the Common Person
3 – Election Predictions – Part I – Salt Lake County Elections
2 – Election Predictions – Part II – State House of Representatives
1 – All You Need is Love

Last Years Top 10

http://doihaveswineflu.org

http://doihavepigflu.com

Perhaps I should see a doctor.

For those of you who don’t know, today is Earth Day. I remember, as a child, schools would take this opportunity to talk about things like not letting the water run when you brush your teeth, turning off the lights when you leave the room, and, oddly enough, why we should walk or bike to get around (how else did kids get around when their moms did not want to drive!?).

But, as both I and Earth Day get older, I see the value in what those tree-hugging hippies were trying to pound into our head – it is not so much that we change our quality of life, it is that we are aware of our impact and hope that we choose to do the environmentally friendly thing.

So, we flash-forward to today. I drive a fuel efficient scooter to work and I want my next car to be more environmentally friendly than 35 miles per gallon. The computer I am typing on took advantage of recycled plastic, a fact that entered into my purchasing of the product. My breakfast in a few weeks will come from the farmers market so that there is a smaller carbon footprint to ship the food. And, naturally, I turn off the lights and don’t let the water run at home.

Now, I do not feel that I have any lower a quality of life than my parents did at my age. What I do feel is that my lifestyle is dramatically different than theirs. For better or for worse, my generation is keenly aware of the issues facing our Earth.

In the end, I know that much of the damage will be done. But what I also know is that we are on the right course to at least mitigate the problem. I feel that, thanks to the progress made over the past 30 years, we are entering a new area of practical environmentalism that will have as big of an impact on our lives as the industrial revolution.

And some food for thought