Monthly Archives: October 2015

If my memory serves me correctly, my first administrative meeting for the World Congress of Families (WCF) was May 1998 in Rome, Italy. The WCF is a project of The Howard Center for Family, Religion and Society and I was The Howard Center’s first executive vice-president. In other words, I was involved with the World Congress of Families from its early formation.

So it’s with some interest that I watch its most recent event here in Salt Lake City this week, especially how its critics treat it. Though I’m not involved in this event, I remain involved in the broader movement and, actually, I am the main person responsible for bringing the gathering to Salt Lake City and to the United States for the first time. read more

Quite humorously, Hillary Clinton recently confessed that she’s really a robot, constructed in the garage of a Silicon Valley techie. A reporter had commented to her about why she didn’t seem to sweat in the heat of Iowa on the campaign trail and then asked, “What deodorant do you use?” – such is the high level of journalism these days. Another news outlet attempted an explanation that she doesn’t sweat because she’s a robot. Mrs. Clinton took the silly bait and then confessed, “You guys are the first to realize that I’m really not even a human being. I was constructed in a garage in Palo Alto a very long time ago…you can’t tell anybody this. I don’t want anybody to know this. This has been a secret…I’m just spilling my electronic guts to you.” read more

Medicaid has been thoroughly debated in Utah for nearly three years now and its conclusion seems a bit anti-climatic. As I share these thoughts, the House Republican Caucus will have voted whether to accept the latest compromise to extend eligibility to more Utahns. I would be shocked if the House Republican Caucus voted anything other than no.

Of course, I’ve followed this debate along the way. Actually, my interest in finding sound solutions to helping our neighbors in need pre-dates, by many years, the current debate – and, frankly, I’m saddened by the lack of true concern to find lasting solutions in this most charitable of states. Peel away the layers of ignorance, partisanship and self-righteous blathering, and Utah still has people in need of medical care who cannot afford it and, in doing nothing, we still have an inefficient and counterproductive delivery system to help only some of them. read more

Years and years ago, during my first official public speech in Utah, I mentioned, “I don’t envision Utah for anyone.” My remark was a not-so-subtle jab at Envision Utah, perhaps the largest private-sector government-planning group in the state. Back then, in its early stages, it was run by Jon Huntsman Jr.

Today, I am much less suspicious of its objectives than I was 15 years ago. Let’s face it, for a variety of social and economic reasons, Utah’s population will grow dramatically over the next few decades – with limited natural resources, along with the unnatural limits to potential land use placed upon Utah by the federal government, somebody is going to have to figure out future growth and how we entertain perhaps doubling the state population. read more