Salt City Sinner

posted on 10/2/2013 by the Salt City Sinner Usually, when I want low-quality local news, I watch Biff and Becky Chucklehead and the Morning Yuk-Yuk Crew (coloquially known as KUTV's "2News This Morning”). I'll gnaw on the grey and fleshless bones of the Salt Lake Tribune if I feel like reading a newspaper, but I generally get that inclination about as often as I feel like indulging in a bit of falconry or maybe some hurdy-gurdy music. After following local coverage of the impact of the Federal clown orgy's decision to shut down the U.S. Government on WIC, however, I may have to add the Trib to my hate-read list. The barest minimum of background: due to two political parties' inability to cut a deal in Washington, the federal government has temporarily “suspended operations” (read: they will still spy on you and blow things up, but good luck visiting Yellowstone or, if this keeps up long, getting your food stamps). Incidentally, C-SPAN covered the negotia...

Posted 9/15/2012 by Law Nerd Remember Rep. Sumsion from American Fork, who not long ago threatened to kick the federal government's toys out of the Utah public lands sand box?  Well I thought I'd check in on our friend, follow up on the bill, and stick a thermometer in the armpit of the nation to gauge the reaction, or lack thereof.  Survey says: Utah's attempt to wrest control over federal public lands within its borders is either being ignored, or has fallen on deaf ears. When last I wrote  about Rep. Sumsion, he had sponsored a bill demanding that the federal government either sell off its public lands in Utah or cede control of them to the Utah government.  This was based on language in the Utah Enabling Act dictating that the federal government would pay to Utah 5% of the proceeds from the sale of public lands within its borders.  Since then, Sumsion's bill, H.B. 91, morphed into First Substitute H.B. 91  (H.B. 91 S. 1).  Now the Utah Legisla...