eSituational Analysis | December 10, 2021

It's Friday and the snow finally made it to the valley floor. UHP responded to almost 200 crashes before the evening commute. Be safe out there.

Today is also Human Rights Day. It marks the day 73 years ago that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the UN. We have a ways to go.

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US consumer prices are up 6.8% in November, compared to prices last year, the most since 1982. Prices are up 0.8% from October to November. “These are frighteningly high inflation numbers, the likes of which we haven’t seen for decades,” said Allen Sinai, chief global economist and strategist at Decision Economics, Inc. Despite the high rate, he said the main driver of inflation is a good thing: a booming economy. “We have tremendous spending by consumers. A lot of people are getting hired. Demand is huge. Monetary policy remains very easy and fiscal stimulus has no precedent in history,” Mr. Sinai said.

A UK appellate court has ruled that Julian Assange can be extradited to the US. Home Secretary Priti Patel, who oversees law enforcement in the U.K., will make the final decision on whether to extradite Assange. The U.S. has indicted Assange on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of thousands of leaked military and diplomatic documents.

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Gov. Cox orders flags to be left lowered in honor of Sen. Bob Dole’s life and legacy

Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox has ordered that the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the state of Utah be left lowered on all state facilities in continued recognition of the life and legacy of Sen. Bob Dole.

Flags should be left in the half-staff position until midnight on Saturday, Dec. 11, 2021. Private citizens and businesses are encouraged to participate as well.

Read the President’s proclamation here.

Sen. Lee grills Instagram CEO

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) questioned Instagram CEO, Adam Mosseri, in a Senate Commerce Committee hearing today regarding the platform’s algorithm providing and even recommending dangerous content to children.

Sen. Lee had staff create an account for a fictitious thirteen-year-old girl which, after following a recommended celebrity account, recommended content on plastic surgery, sexualization of women, and body dysmorphia-promoting content. He also questioned Mr. Mosseri on a Tech Transparency Project report that kids can use Instagram to find drug dealers in just two clicks. This questioning follows a report from Sen. Lee’s Joint Economic Committee highlighting the impacts of Instagram on teen girls’ mental health. (Read/Watch More)

Salt Lake Chamber Statement on the Cox-Henderson FY2023 budget proposal

Derek Miller, president and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber and Downtown Alliance, issued the following statement regarding Governor Spencer J. Cox’s fiscal year 2023 budget proposal:

“Utah’s economic success story is one of strength, resilience, opportunity and prosperity. We are frequently known as the best state for business, and for this to continue we must remain focused on our future. Governor Cox’s One Utah Roadmap and budget priorities align with some of the state’s biggest challenges and provide the opportunity to renew Utah’s success. (Read More)

Research tackles barriers for adult Utahns pursuing college degree, career change

Western Governors University (WGU) believed there was a gap between what prospective adult learners saw as barriers to education and what institutions saw the barriers to be. To better understand those questions, WGU, in partnership with the Utah System of Higher Education (USHE), commissioned in-depth research from Utah-based Cicero Group.

“It is important to hear perspective straight from those who know it best,” WGU Director of Utah Operations Ismar Vallecillos said. “Education is a personal journey unique to every learner, and we can’t make a change or help without the data.”

The polling reinforced affordability and other time commitments as hurdles for re-entry adult learners. It ranked family and work responsibilities as the top reasons (47 percent) that prevent students from completing their degree or certificate. (Read More)

Voices for Utah Children released the 2021 Children’s Budget Report

Voices for Utah Children, the state’s leading children’s policy advocacy organization, released its biennial Children’s Budget Report. The report, published every other year, measures how much (before and after inflation) the state invests every year in Utah’s children by dividing all state programs concerning children (which add up to about half of the overall state budget) into seven categories, without regard to their location within the structure of state government. The seven categories are as follows, in descending order by dollar value (adding state and federal funds together): education, health, food and nutrition, early childhood education, child welfare, juvenile justice and income support. (Read More)

Sen. Lee seeks to preserve Research Park

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced the University of Utah Research Park Act to protect and preserve Research Park, a center for research and development serving both the University and the local workforce. Research Park is situated on a parcel of land which was transferred to the University by the Bureau of Land Management in 1965. Sen. Lee’s bill would remove an encumbrance from that transfer agreement to ensure Research Park remains productive and thriving.

Sen. Lee’s University of Utah Research Park Act is cosponsored by Sen. Mitt Romney & was sponsored in the House by Rep. Chris Stewart and cosponsored by Reps. Curtis, Owens, & Moore. (Read More)

Kentuckiana Curb Company expanding in Utah

The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah) is pleased to announce that Kentuckiana Curb Company, Inc. (KCC) will expand in Tooele, Utah, bringing up to 120 new high-paying jobs in the next 12 years.
“This expansion will allow KCC to establish a West Coast presence for manufacturing,” said Dan Hemmert, the Office of Economic Opportunity’s executive director. “The company will be a great addition to Utah’s manufacturing industry, and we’re excited for the number of jobs they’ll bring to Tooele.”

KCC is a 40-year-old employee-owned company dedicated to providing complete design, manufacturing, installation, and service for commercial and residential heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). (Read More)

Number of the Day

Opinion: Gov. Cox proposal on food sales tax is the right way to help low-income people

By LaVarr Webb

Gov. Spencer Cox hit a political home run with his approach to the sales tax on food in his budget proposal. It makes a lot of sense.

It will help low-income families and individuals a lot more than simply eliminating the sales tax on food for everyone. Wealthy people – who can afford it — will continue to pay the tax.

The best tax system is broad-based with low rates. Utah already has too many tax exemptions and other tax breaks. That’s why it would be a big mistake to further narrow the sales tax base by taking the tax off food.

There’s also a lot of concern in this country about wealthy people not paying their fair share of taxes. So why eliminate a tax when the biggest beneficiaries of the tax cut would be wealthy people?

I remember a few years ago when a smart and rather wealthy state legislator questioned the wisdom of taking the sales tax off food in a discussion on tax reform. “I sometimes spend $120 to buy a big chunk of prime rib for a Sunday dinner with my expended family,” he said. “I can afford to pay the sales tax on that delicious beef. Why do progressives want to give me that tax break? Let’s find a better way to help low-income people.”

That’s exactly what the governor is trying to do. His plan is to provide $160 million in tax relief to low-income Utahns through a grocery tax credit. That’s a much smarter approach than eliminating the sales tax on food for wealthy people. (Read More)

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Wise Words

“If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.”

-Emily Dickinson

Lighter Side

Q: Why do reindeer like Beyoncé so much?

A: She sleighs.

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