Situational Analysis | August 11, 2021

Welcome to Wednesday. It's National Presidential Joke Day so have at it.

Also, be sure to check out the "Election" section below for links to multiple stories on yesterday's municipal primary results.

Be in the Know

The US Senate passed the bipartisan infrastructure package 69-30. Republican yes votes included Senator Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader and Utah's Mitt Romney. However, it has to pass the House where Speaker Pelosi and a majority of the nearly 100-member Progressive Caucus have said they will not vote on it unless and until the Senate passes a separate, even more ambitious $3.5 trillion social policy bill this fall.

Governor Cuomo resigns amidst a growing sexual harassment scandal. Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul is set to become New York's first female governor when Cuomo's resignation becomes official in 14 days.

A new Forbes study lists Utah as the #1 state with the biggest growth in GDP in the last year. From the article: "The Utah economy has been a powerhouse in recent decades." Growth in Utah's economy over the last 20 years: 82%, from an annual real GDP of $92.62 billion in 2000, to nearly $169 billion in 2020. "What’s more," says Forbes, "for the first quarter of 2021, Utah’s GDP surged to $178.20 billion, which is the highest quarterly GDP in Utah’s history."

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Policy News

Officials release landmark plan for prison site redevelopment

The Point of the Mountain State Land Authority (Land Authority) released the framework plan for The Point, the 600 acres of state-owned land at the current site of the Utah State Prison in Draper. Widely seen as one of the most important economic opportunities in Utah history, The Point will create tens of thousands of high-paying jobs, catalyze cutting-edge technological innovation, establish a world-class model for sustainable development and ultimately enhance Utahns’ quality of life. (Read More)

Sen. Romney applauds Senate passage of bipartisan infrastructure bill

U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today applauded the Senate passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, bipartisan infrastructure legislation negotiated by Senator Romney and his colleagues. The legislation, which passed by a vote of 69-30, now heads to the House.

“As one of the fastest growing states in the country, Utah is in serious need of additional infrastructure. This bill would provide Utah the funding to construct new, and rebuild and maintain, its existing roads and highways. It would also help our state mitigate drought conditions, prepare for and respond to wildfires, expand broadband to rural communities, and fulfill critical water needs—which includes funds to bring running water to a substantial part of Utah’s Navajo Nation. I’m proud to have helped negotiate this bill because it gave Utah a seat at the table and benefits Americans across the country.” (Read More)

Sen. Lee votes against $1,200,000,000,000 bill

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement today after voting against H.R. 3684, the $1.2-trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, as amended:

“I am sorely disappointed that the Senate chose to pass this irresponsible and so-called ‘infrastructure’ bill. It drastically expands federal power; it increases spending without legitimate ‘pay-fors’; it exacerbates our already dangerous inflation; and it facilitates burdensome taxes and regulations that will hamper and harm our infrastructure. Ultimately, it will be the American people who will be forced to pay the exorbitant price. That is why I opposed this bill, and why I am deeply concerned with the $3,500,000,000,000 cost of the next spending plan before the Senate.”

Romney amendment to $3.5 Trillion reckless tax and spending bill would prevent Democrats from passing largest tax hike in American history

U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today offered an amendment to the Democrats’ fiscal year 2022 budget resolution which would ensure that Democrats do not use reconciliation to pass the largest tax increase in American history.

“The Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget proposal—the largest spending bill in American history—would expand government by creating wasteful programs and requiring excessive social spending,” Senator Romney said. “Not only would the plan blow a $1.75 trillion hole in the deficit, it would also include another $1.75 trillion in steep tax increases on hardworking Americans. My amendment would prevent Democrats from passing devastating tax increases on individuals, hiking taxes on job creators, super-charging the IRS, and eliminating the current cap on the SALT Deduction – which is nothing more than a tax cut for the wealthy living in blue states.” (Read More)

Senator Lee introduces more than 100 amendments to Democrat budget bill

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced today more than 100 amendments to the Democrats’ pending budget bill. The budget without amendments sets the course for Congress to add as much as $5,500,000,000,000 to the nation’s debt over ten years.

Senator Lee’s amendments add to the process known as vote-a-rama which is one of the Senate’s few opportunities to have unlimited amendments on legislation. (Read More)

Utah Inland Port Authority to build first private supply chain LTE/5G network

The Utah Inland Port Authority (UIPA) announced a partnership with QuayChain Technologies to build and operate the world’s first private LTE/5G network dedicated to the supply chain. The Intelligent Crossroads Network (ICN) aims to create the foundation for a more resilient, secure, and sustainable supply chain for Utah.

“Creating this new digital public-private partnership with QuayChain is the perfect way to build the digital infrastructure to achieve our goal of sustainable logistics across Utah,” said Jack Hedge, Executive Director of UIPA. “Having world-class connectivity combined with artificial intelligence solutions will enable greater operational efficiency, which is a key component to leading the transition of commercial fleets to clean energy which serves UIPA’s environmental and community objectives.” (Read More)

Number of the Day

The carbon price of wildfire smoke

By Brian Isom

The West is on fire again. Already this year over 3 million acres have been burned by wildfires, a number that is on pace to surpass last year’s nearly record-setting 10 million plus acres. The largest fire currently burning in the west has already engulfed an area of Oregon larger than New York City. And with 95 percent of the West currently in a drought, conditions are not expected to improve anytime soon. The map from the National Interagency Coordination Center highlights the challenges many western states will face in the coming month.

As these fires burn, they release millions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere. Those total emissions are difficult, though not impossible, to measure. And thanks to a report from the California Air Resources Board released at the end of 2020, we can get some idea about the carbon impacts of western wildfires.

According to the report, the 4.2 million acres of wildfires that burned in California last year released 112 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. That is the same amount of carbon dioxide emitted by 28 coal power plants over the course of a year. If you assume the same emissions for every acre burned in the US last year, then wildfires released nearly 50 coal power plants worth of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Granted, that estimate could be higher or lower depending on the type of land burned (forest fires emit more carbon dioxide than shrublands), but it is a huge amount of carbon regardless.

It is time to add climate concerns to the growing list of economic and health-related reasons we need more proactive forest management. Even prescribed burning, which more closely resembles the type of fire that western landscapes are adapted to, can reduce carbon dioxide emissions from wildfires by up to 60 percent. That is because it is burning dead and decaying biomass on the forest floor while preserving healthy, living trees that act as carbon sinks. Hopefully, this list will soon grow large enough that policymakers will take a serious approach to reforming the way we manage forests. Fire is an inescapable part of the western landscape, but the form those fires take depends largely on our approach to managing them.

Brian Isom is the research manager for the Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University

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Wise Words

"I used to think that the worst thing in life was to end up alone. It's not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel alone."
-Robin Williams

Lighter Side

“For now, Cuomo’s still governor, because, for reasons I do not understand, Cuomo’s resignation will take effect in 14 days. Evidently, he gave himself two weeks’ notice.”

— STEPHEN COLBERT

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