O:9:"MagpieRSS":23:{s:6:"parser";i:0;s:12:"current_item";a:0:{}s:5:"items";a:25:{i:0;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-5373875425562828924";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Wed, 12 Dec 2018 21:41:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2018-12-12T14:41:15.737-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:32:"Inequality and Stupid Presidents";s:11:"description";s:3207:"<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">The Republican Party had been on track to spit up something like Trump for quite some time. Inevitable without a course correction that never came. One party shitting the bed with their nominee usually means a brutal loss.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">I know, I know. Electoral college luck. Clinton Mehs. Clinton team too comfy.Two counties in Wisconsin that decided what the hell lets see what happens. Angry white dudes. Crazy white evangelicals. Etc.&nbsp;<a href="https://glineq.blogspot.com/2018/12/why-inequality-matters.html" target="_blank">But we shouldn't ignore this because didn't help.</a></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">High inequality has also political effects. The rich have more political power and they use that political power to promote own interests and to entrench their relative position in the society. This means that all the negative effects due to exclusion and lack of equality of opportunity are reinforced and made permanent (at least, until a big social earthquake destroys them). In order to fight off the advent of such an earthquake, the rich must make themselves safe and unassailable from “conquest”. This leads to adversarial politics and destroys social cohesion. Ironically, social instability which then results discourages investments of the rich, that is it undermines the very action that was at the beginning</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">adduced as the key reason why high wealth and inequality may be&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">socially desirable.</span></blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:78:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2018/12/inequality-and-stupid-presidents.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"1";}s:7:"summary";s:3207:"<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">The Republican Party had been on track to spit up something like Trump for quite some time. Inevitable without a course correction that never came. One party shitting the bed with their nominee usually means a brutal loss.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">I know, I know. Electoral college luck. Clinton Mehs. Clinton team too comfy.Two counties in Wisconsin that decided what the hell lets see what happens. Angry white dudes. Crazy white evangelicals. Etc.&nbsp;<a href="https://glineq.blogspot.com/2018/12/why-inequality-matters.html" target="_blank">But we shouldn't ignore this because didn't help.</a></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">High inequality has also political effects. The rich have more political power and they use that political power to promote own interests and to entrench their relative position in the society. This means that all the negative effects due to exclusion and lack of equality of opportunity are reinforced and made permanent (at least, until a big social earthquake destroys them). In order to fight off the advent of such an earthquake, the rich must make themselves safe and unassailable from “conquest”. This leads to adversarial politics and destroys social cohesion. Ironically, social instability which then results discourages investments of the rich, that is it undermines the very action that was at the beginning</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">adduced as the key reason why high wealth and inequality may be&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18.6667px; text-indent: 48px;">socially desirable.</span></blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1544650860;}i:1;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-7355276260394580391";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Dec 2018 19:32:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2018-12-11T12:32:12.719-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:15:"Art of the Deal";s:11:"description";s:980:"Others have said <a href="https://twitter.com/BillinPortland/status/1072541193320443904" target="_blank">hilarious and insightful things</a> about this already. I'm posting it for ease of reference. If you haven't seen it, you should. The White House put out a statement about a "constructive conversation" shortly after this and I can't do a thing but laugh. Democrats, ignore the "tone" police. This is perfect.<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kUrqMTP7nDc" width="560"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:57:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2018/12/art-of-deal.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:980:"Others have said <a href="https://twitter.com/BillinPortland/status/1072541193320443904" target="_blank">hilarious and insightful things</a> about this already. I'm posting it for ease of reference. If you haven't seen it, you should. The White House put out a statement about a "constructive conversation" shortly after this and I can't do a thing but laugh. Democrats, ignore the "tone" police. This is perfect.<br /><br /><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kUrqMTP7nDc" width="560"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1544556720;}i:2;a:11:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-8262901761429509479";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Wed, 28 Nov 2018 22:13:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2018-11-28T15:26:46.648-07:00";}s:8:"category";s:54:"Climate ChangecommunicationIPCCNOAASciencesocial media";s:5:"title";s:31:"Communicating Science: Politics";s:11:"description";s:5313:"While everyone was out Black Friday shopping <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/11/most-chilling-parts-2018-climate-assessment/576598/" target="_blank">this dropped</a>.<br /><br />The holiday weekend timing of this report surely wasn't accidental. There are great takes out there already on that, and the fact that it's 13 federal agencies agreeing climate change has 1) already wreaked havoc and 2) will have cast economic impact while President Deals shakes his head and "just doesn't trust it." FiveThirtyEight upped a conversation between their own editors' today on the experience on the press call Friday morning and exploring the role of science in a debate (world?) ruled by politics.<br /><br />It reminded me that the day of my own presentation to USU researchers and staff on communicating science in a social media world -- two days after the release of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/oct/15/theres-one-key-takeaway-from-last-weeks-ipcc-report" target="_blank">IPCC climate change report</a> -- administrators had emailed a warning to staff reminding them of rules on lobbying and encouraging the avoidance of staking out political ground. Since, someone slipped me one of those emails and I was surprised to read this sentence:<br /><br /><i>"Talk about and promote your research. Let the science speak for itself. The politics of the day don't matter. Your work does."</i><br /><br />In my presentation I challenged this very strategy without knowing everyone in the audience had received this email. Afterward I had a chance to discuss the concerns researchers had. Many expressed "walking a fine line" between defending or discussing research that by it's very nature could be construed as choosing a political side. I wasn't sure how to respond then.<br /><br />From the FiveThirtyEight discussion today:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I think it’s obvious to most people, at this point, that the politics are important. At least as important as the scientific findings. Because we already know the science — “we” being the public, I mean. There’s not a lot in the assessment that is really going to surprise anybody who knows the basics of climate change. What matters most at this point is what we do with the findings. And if the political reality is that we’re ignoring it …</blockquote>This is a very urgent and legitimate question researchers and entire academic institutions are going to have to grapple with. I get the need for rules on staff and lobbying for policy on the university dime or reputation. But USU also has the Koch funded "Center for Growth and Opportunity" out lobbying, literally, in op-ed pages and elsewhere using university's rep and even official seal advocating for aviation regulation changes. They want an Uber, but for airplanes something. Could this not also be construed as staking out a political policy position? Hell yes it could.<br /><br />But aviation regs haven't been quite as politicized as climate science. The Republican Party and a vast majority of conservative enablers have reduced climate science to a partisan chew toy so successfully that scientists at Utah State University are afraid to say "Oh, bullshit" when Utah House Rep David Lifferth points and a snowflake and says something ignorant.<br /><br />At Friday's press conference, NOAA reps were fielding reasonable and predictable questions from the few journalists not off for the holiday like political campaign hacks. Not by their choice, to be sure. But it was clear the science itself wasn't speaking. I'm not sure I agree with the FIveThirtyEight editor consensus that the public already knows all the basics. Not here in my neck of the woods.<br /><br />But I get what they're getting at. The science has been secondary to the politics for a while now and that isn't going to change. Researchers and schools of science staff are going to be silenced by institutional guidelines seeking an apolitical position. They only way this is going to be achieved is if Universities and their researchers sit it out. But they can't. Rock and a hard place?<br /><br />Nah. It's just time Universities recognize what the New York Times still hasn't: Kissing the asses of these right wing lunatics gets you no where. You're going to be accused of bias unless you start producing results they agree with. I'm not talking about scientists locked arm in arm blocking the office doors at state legislatures in protest (though I'm not opposed to that and we might get there anyway). I'm talking about universities giving their researchers free-enough reign and backup to communicate, effectively, their research into the public policy environments at the state legislative level.<br /><br />That's going to be perceived as political because they've politicized the science. There's no putting that back in the tube.<br /><br />There isn't an alternative.<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:76:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2018/11/communicating-science-politics.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:5313:"While everyone was out Black Friday shopping <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/11/most-chilling-parts-2018-climate-assessment/576598/" target="_blank">this dropped</a>.<br /><br />The holiday weekend timing of this report surely wasn't accidental. There are great takes out there already on that, and the fact that it's 13 federal agencies agreeing climate change has 1) already wreaked havoc and 2) will have cast economic impact while President Deals shakes his head and "just doesn't trust it." FiveThirtyEight upped a conversation between their own editors' today on the experience on the press call Friday morning and exploring the role of science in a debate (world?) ruled by politics.<br /><br />It reminded me that the day of my own presentation to USU researchers and staff on communicating science in a social media world -- two days after the release of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2018/oct/15/theres-one-key-takeaway-from-last-weeks-ipcc-report" target="_blank">IPCC climate change report</a> -- administrators had emailed a warning to staff reminding them of rules on lobbying and encouraging the avoidance of staking out political ground. Since, someone slipped me one of those emails and I was surprised to read this sentence:<br /><br /><i>"Talk about and promote your research. Let the science speak for itself. The politics of the day don't matter. Your work does."</i><br /><br />In my presentation I challenged this very strategy without knowing everyone in the audience had received this email. Afterward I had a chance to discuss the concerns researchers had. Many expressed "walking a fine line" between defending or discussing research that by it's very nature could be construed as choosing a political side. I wasn't sure how to respond then.<br /><br />From the FiveThirtyEight discussion today:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">I think it’s obvious to most people, at this point, that the politics are important. At least as important as the scientific findings. Because we already know the science — “we” being the public, I mean. There’s not a lot in the assessment that is really going to surprise anybody who knows the basics of climate change. What matters most at this point is what we do with the findings. And if the political reality is that we’re ignoring it …</blockquote>This is a very urgent and legitimate question researchers and entire academic institutions are going to have to grapple with. I get the need for rules on staff and lobbying for policy on the university dime or reputation. But USU also has the Koch funded "Center for Growth and Opportunity" out lobbying, literally, in op-ed pages and elsewhere using university's rep and even official seal advocating for aviation regulation changes. They want an Uber, but for airplanes something. Could this not also be construed as staking out a political policy position? Hell yes it could.<br /><br />But aviation regs haven't been quite as politicized as climate science. The Republican Party and a vast majority of conservative enablers have reduced climate science to a partisan chew toy so successfully that scientists at Utah State University are afraid to say "Oh, bullshit" when Utah House Rep David Lifferth points and a snowflake and says something ignorant.<br /><br />At Friday's press conference, NOAA reps were fielding reasonable and predictable questions from the few journalists not off for the holiday like political campaign hacks. Not by their choice, to be sure. But it was clear the science itself wasn't speaking. I'm not sure I agree with the FIveThirtyEight editor consensus that the public already knows all the basics. Not here in my neck of the woods.<br /><br />But I get what they're getting at. The science has been secondary to the politics for a while now and that isn't going to change. Researchers and schools of science staff are going to be silenced by institutional guidelines seeking an apolitical position. They only way this is going to be achieved is if Universities and their researchers sit it out. But they can't. Rock and a hard place?<br /><br />Nah. It's just time Universities recognize what the New York Times still hasn't: Kissing the asses of these right wing lunatics gets you no where. You're going to be accused of bias unless you start producing results they agree with. I'm not talking about scientists locked arm in arm blocking the office doors at state legislatures in protest (though I'm not opposed to that and we might get there anyway). I'm talking about universities giving their researchers free-enough reign and backup to communicate, effectively, their research into the public policy environments at the state legislative level.<br /><br />That's going to be perceived as political because they've politicized the science. There's no putting that back in the tube.<br /><br />There isn't an alternative.<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1543443180;}i:3;a:11:{s:4:"guid";s:57:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-880713632014189020";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Fri, 26 Oct 2018 21:56:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2018-11-28T15:26:59.936-07:00";}s:8:"category";s:54:"Climate ChangecommunicationIPCCNOAASciencesocial media";s:5:"title";s:43:"Communicating Science: "Benefits of change"";s:11:"description";s:2485:"Presentation was received well. Video of it should be available somewhere soon.<br /><br />Literally, though, the day of my presentation to a decent sized group of researchers, scientists, and PR flacks for the respective schools invited, <a href="https://medium.com/wealth-of-ideas/the-ipcc-report-is-a-wake-up-call-for-scholars-advocates-and-philanthropists-36415d4882f" target="_blank">someone much more experienced than I wrote this.</a> I'm even more proud of my presentation, feeling validated I reached similar conclusions and tried for the same message.<br /><br />Focus shift from "avoiding catastrophe" to "benefits of change." Less focus on changing public opinion or engaging in good faith arguments with bad faith actors.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">By focusing so intensively on public opinion, we have yet to even evaluate the relevant factors that influence elite-level decisions on these valuable yet below the radar bills where bi-partisan cooperation has been proven to be possible.&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">&nbsp;A place to start is to do the hard qualitative work of spending time talking to and listening to dozens of Congressional staffers from both parties, noting the assumptions and priorities that they and their bosses bring to energy innovation policies, the sources of information they rely on, who they judge trustworthy or authoritative on the topics, how they communicate their positions, and the conditions under which agreement might be reached.</blockquote>More influencing of decision maker minds at the state local level in place of engaging on broad scales or via public campaigns/events, the option with the most immediate potential -- something I stressed in my own presentation at USU.<br /><br />Dr. Nisbet isn't arguing for an end to engaging and entertaining dissent. The opposite, he says, is most productive. His argument rests on the idea that the value of debate, public opinion, and exposure to scientific fact isn't enough. Researchers must campaign. And city, county, and state legislative leaders may prove more valuable for their time.<br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:84:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2018/10/communicating-science-belated-epilogue.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:2485:"Presentation was received well. Video of it should be available somewhere soon.<br /><br />Literally, though, the day of my presentation to a decent sized group of researchers, scientists, and PR flacks for the respective schools invited, <a href="https://medium.com/wealth-of-ideas/the-ipcc-report-is-a-wake-up-call-for-scholars-advocates-and-philanthropists-36415d4882f" target="_blank">someone much more experienced than I wrote this.</a> I'm even more proud of my presentation, feeling validated I reached similar conclusions and tried for the same message.<br /><br />Focus shift from "avoiding catastrophe" to "benefits of change." Less focus on changing public opinion or engaging in good faith arguments with bad faith actors.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">By focusing so intensively on public opinion, we have yet to even evaluate the relevant factors that influence elite-level decisions on these valuable yet below the radar bills where bi-partisan cooperation has been proven to be possible.&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">&nbsp;A place to start is to do the hard qualitative work of spending time talking to and listening to dozens of Congressional staffers from both parties, noting the assumptions and priorities that they and their bosses bring to energy innovation policies, the sources of information they rely on, who they judge trustworthy or authoritative on the topics, how they communicate their positions, and the conditions under which agreement might be reached.</blockquote>More influencing of decision maker minds at the state local level in place of engaging on broad scales or via public campaigns/events, the option with the most immediate potential -- something I stressed in my own presentation at USU.<br /><br />Dr. Nisbet isn't arguing for an end to engaging and entertaining dissent. The opposite, he says, is most productive. His argument rests on the idea that the value of debate, public opinion, and exposure to scientific fact isn't enough. Researchers must campaign. And city, county, and state legislative leaders may prove more valuable for their time.<br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1540590960;}i:4;a:11:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-5646069383964184372";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 11 Sep 2018 21:31:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2018-11-28T15:27:10.931-07:00";}s:8:"category";s:54:"Climate ChangecommunicationIPCCNOAASciencesocial media";s:5:"title";s:43:"Communicating Science: "It's Peer Reviewed"";s:11:"description";s:3296:"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RA4DrR5-77Y/W5gz3HzUoCI/AAAAAAAAiKQ/MHFrX4mqjaAmXUVttq2JcAgwtWx0vACOwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180908_160549_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RA4DrR5-77Y/W5gz3HzUoCI/AAAAAAAAiKQ/MHFrX4mqjaAmXUVttq2JcAgwtWx0vACOwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20180908_160549_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Why Science Works" panel, SLC FanX, Sept 2018</td></tr></tbody></table>Interesting <a href="https://register.growtix.com/schedules/view/232959" target="_blank">Why Science Works</a> panel at the SL Comicon, er, FanX... whatever, Nerdfest. Before I could ask a question the conversation veered organically into communicating science, denials, and politicization.<br /><br />Moderator and Weber State University professor Eric Swedin steered the panel through some great topics, from the value (for others) in engaging and climate deniers to the wave-like nature of anti-science sentiments.<br /><br />Directly, the topic of scientists communicating science to the public was broached in the context of fighting anti-science pols and a better educated electorate. One of the male panelists (I was looking for an outlet) sort of shrugged, almost as if the question was already answered.<br /><br />"Credible science is peer reviewed, and the public has access to that," he said.<br /><br />The panel ended and I was halfway into my next when the weight of that answer really set in. I mean, the panelist isn't wrong. But the question was about fighting back against misinformation and bad faith "debate me" trolls or pols. Is this how researchers and scientists think about this question?<br /><br />If it is, do they have a responsibility to rethink it? Do they have a responsibility (or opportunity?) to be a bit more engaged than that in our current situation? I know universities put a lot of effort into press releasing or even spotlighting important research with campus or community events, but is that enough?<br /><br />I keep thinking about Princeton historian Kevin M Kruse 's willingness to engage uber-troll and not-so-bright-person Dinesh D'Souza on twitter and that exchange <a href="https://newrepublic.com/minutes/149554/dinesh-dsouza-gets-history-lesson-twitter" target="_blank">making it's way into publications with a broad audience.</a>&nbsp;Kruse fed the troll and anyone exposed to the exchange was better informed (also, it was hilarious). That seems valuable. Maybe more valuable than a press release to local media when researchers and scientists have something important, useful, and urgent to convey?<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:85:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2018/09/communicating-science-its-peer-reviewed.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:3296:"<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RA4DrR5-77Y/W5gz3HzUoCI/AAAAAAAAiKQ/MHFrX4mqjaAmXUVttq2JcAgwtWx0vACOwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180908_160549_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RA4DrR5-77Y/W5gz3HzUoCI/AAAAAAAAiKQ/MHFrX4mqjaAmXUVttq2JcAgwtWx0vACOwCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_20180908_160549_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Why Science Works" panel, SLC FanX, Sept 2018</td></tr></tbody></table>Interesting <a href="https://register.growtix.com/schedules/view/232959" target="_blank">Why Science Works</a> panel at the SL Comicon, er, FanX... whatever, Nerdfest. Before I could ask a question the conversation veered organically into communicating science, denials, and politicization.<br /><br />Moderator and Weber State University professor Eric Swedin steered the panel through some great topics, from the value (for others) in engaging and climate deniers to the wave-like nature of anti-science sentiments.<br /><br />Directly, the topic of scientists communicating science to the public was broached in the context of fighting anti-science pols and a better educated electorate. One of the male panelists (I was looking for an outlet) sort of shrugged, almost as if the question was already answered.<br /><br />"Credible science is peer reviewed, and the public has access to that," he said.<br /><br />The panel ended and I was halfway into my next when the weight of that answer really set in. I mean, the panelist isn't wrong. But the question was about fighting back against misinformation and bad faith "debate me" trolls or pols. Is this how researchers and scientists think about this question?<br /><br />If it is, do they have a responsibility to rethink it? Do they have a responsibility (or opportunity?) to be a bit more engaged than that in our current situation? I know universities put a lot of effort into press releasing or even spotlighting important research with campus or community events, but is that enough?<br /><br />I keep thinking about Princeton historian Kevin M Kruse 's willingness to engage uber-troll and not-so-bright-person Dinesh D'Souza on twitter and that exchange <a href="https://newrepublic.com/minutes/149554/dinesh-dsouza-gets-history-lesson-twitter" target="_blank">making it's way into publications with a broad audience.</a>&nbsp;Kruse fed the troll and anyone exposed to the exchange was better informed (also, it was hilarious). That seems valuable. Maybe more valuable than a press release to local media when researchers and scientists have something important, useful, and urgent to convey?<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1536701460;}i:5;a:11:{s:4:"guid";s:57:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-744378406189811047";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Wed, 29 Aug 2018 21:08:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2018-11-28T15:27:22.481-07:00";}s:8:"category";s:54:"Climate ChangecommunicationIPCCNOAASciencesocial media";s:5:"title";s:33:"Communicating Science: Narratives";s:11:"description";s:6081:"Exploring some of the more complex arenas of science communication and public engagement. Beside concern of formats, engagement tools, framing and breaking out of information silos, there are also legitimate questions about passive vs. formal engagement, and with who and when? Would scientists at a public university accomplish more working with local city, county, and state governments to inject in or even create conversations tied to local issues? Where passive (traditional PR/press release) styles fail, would formal and direct engagement succeed?<br /><br />What is the value of a sparsely attended panel event in contrast with a noted researcher getting down in the Twitter mud to challenge a poorly informed elected official? What crashes gates and what reinforces tribal political walls? Because part of the problem here is ignoring the politics of science talk. It may not originate in or because of political circles but that is most definitely where it's being heard and discussed most.<br /><br />And...<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Furthermore, people with lower numeracy are more likely to rely on these heuristics when engaging in complex judgments and decisions such as those that involve science, and especially scientific uncertainty (</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz132-7" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Peters et al., 2006</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">;&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz121-1" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Sinayev and Peters, 2015</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">). They also rely more on narratives and the way information is presented in particular lights (discussed below) instead of applying the probabilities and other numbers critical to understanding science (</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz132-3" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Peters, 2012a</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">). Of course, highly numerate individuals also sometimes misunderstand numeric information and use heuristic processing, but to a lesser degree (</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz118-10" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Chapman and Liu, 2009</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">;&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz132-8" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Peters et al., 2007</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">). Careful attention to how scientific uncertainty and other numbers are presented can reduce the use of heuristics and increase understanding and use of provided numbers, especially among the less numerate (</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz124-11" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Institute of Medicine, 2014</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">).</span></blockquote>...what is the narrative? Is it too often an apolitical "You might find this interesting"? If you (like journalists) are going to be perceived through a partisan and tribal lens in the end, could you more effectively communicate scientific ideas and foster deeper understanding among traditionally marginalized or non-engaged groups by, if not owning, at least ignoring that?<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:78:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2018/08/communicating-science-narratives.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:6081:"Exploring some of the more complex arenas of science communication and public engagement. Beside concern of formats, engagement tools, framing and breaking out of information silos, there are also legitimate questions about passive vs. formal engagement, and with who and when? Would scientists at a public university accomplish more working with local city, county, and state governments to inject in or even create conversations tied to local issues? Where passive (traditional PR/press release) styles fail, would formal and direct engagement succeed?<br /><br />What is the value of a sparsely attended panel event in contrast with a noted researcher getting down in the Twitter mud to challenge a poorly informed elected official? What crashes gates and what reinforces tribal political walls? Because part of the problem here is ignoring the politics of science talk. It may not originate in or because of political circles but that is most definitely where it's being heard and discussed most.<br /><br />And...<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Furthermore, people with lower numeracy are more likely to rely on these heuristics when engaging in complex judgments and decisions such as those that involve science, and especially scientific uncertainty (</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz132-7" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Peters et al., 2006</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">;&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz121-1" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Sinayev and Peters, 2015</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">). They also rely more on narratives and the way information is presented in particular lights (discussed below) instead of applying the probabilities and other numbers critical to understanding science (</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz132-3" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Peters, 2012a</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">). Of course, highly numerate individuals also sometimes misunderstand numeric information and use heuristic processing, but to a lesser degree (</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz118-10" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Chapman and Liu, 2009</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">;&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz132-8" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Peters et al., 2007</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">). Careful attention to how scientific uncertainty and other numbers are presented can reduce the use of heuristics and increase understanding and use of provided numbers, especially among the less numerate (</span><a href="https://www.nap.edu/read/23674/chapter/8#backmatter01_pz124-11" style="background-color: #faf8f6; border: none !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #446cb3; font-family: Lora, Cambria, Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-decoration-line: none; text-indent: 17.3714px;">Institute of Medicine, 2014</a><span style="background-color: #faf8f6; font-family: &quot;lora&quot; , &quot;cambria&quot; , &quot;georgia&quot; , &quot;times new roman&quot; , serif; font-size: 17.3714px; text-indent: 17.3714px;">).</span></blockquote>...what is the narrative? Is it too often an apolitical "You might find this interesting"? If you (like journalists) are going to be perceived through a partisan and tribal lens in the end, could you more effectively communicate scientific ideas and foster deeper understanding among traditionally marginalized or non-engaged groups by, if not owning, at least ignoring that?<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1535576880;}i:6;a:11:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-5987131371509267315";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Thu, 23 Aug 2018 21:51:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2018-11-28T15:27:32.369-07:00";}s:8:"category";s:54:"Climate ChangecommunicationIPCCNOAASciencesocial media";s:5:"title";s:21:"Communicating Science";s:11:"description";s:2328:"In October, I'll be speaking to USU Quinney College of Natural Resources and the College of Science graduate students and faculty on communicating science to "the media" as part of their Climate Adaptation Science project.<br /><br />It's a topic I've developed a personal interest in previously, so I'm excited and have thoughts. Scientists sit out too many city and state level policy debates. Universities have too many "gatekeepers," even in USU's decentralized PR model. Three pages press releases. Why?<br /><br />In prep I've been delving into recent science related public policy debates from Florida to Arizona, looking at the quality and quantity of coverage. Some obvious questions arise frequently. What's the real value in filling valuable newspaper real estate or evening news minutes with "man on the street" reactions or, worse, statements from elected partisans? Am I missing something? They aren't informative or even interesting, yet they make up a good 30% of the reporting on, for example, the 2017 debate in Florida over a bill dealing with science curriculum and school texts.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"Scientists say the textbook in question presents an accurate and comprehensive look at the relevant science, and educators defend the curriculum as an important engagement opportunity with students. But Bob, retired electrician and television owner says it's all bulls**t written by Latte Libruls and a left-wing conspiracy to make the President look stupid.&nbsp; Congressman [X] says it's important we give both sides an opportunity to be heard in this important debate."</blockquote>I'm barely exaggerating the average local story. Who is benefiting from this kind of coverage?<br /><br />Anyway, <a href="https://climateadaptation.usu.edu/communicating-science/" target="_blank">here are some previous presentations</a> from the same communicating science series. I don't see how I can leave politics out of my own, but we'll see.<br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:67:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2018/08/communicating-science.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:2328:"In October, I'll be speaking to USU Quinney College of Natural Resources and the College of Science graduate students and faculty on communicating science to "the media" as part of their Climate Adaptation Science project.<br /><br />It's a topic I've developed a personal interest in previously, so I'm excited and have thoughts. Scientists sit out too many city and state level policy debates. Universities have too many "gatekeepers," even in USU's decentralized PR model. Three pages press releases. Why?<br /><br />In prep I've been delving into recent science related public policy debates from Florida to Arizona, looking at the quality and quantity of coverage. Some obvious questions arise frequently. What's the real value in filling valuable newspaper real estate or evening news minutes with "man on the street" reactions or, worse, statements from elected partisans? Am I missing something? They aren't informative or even interesting, yet they make up a good 30% of the reporting on, for example, the 2017 debate in Florida over a bill dealing with science curriculum and school texts.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"Scientists say the textbook in question presents an accurate and comprehensive look at the relevant science, and educators defend the curriculum as an important engagement opportunity with students. But Bob, retired electrician and television owner says it's all bulls**t written by Latte Libruls and a left-wing conspiracy to make the President look stupid.&nbsp; Congressman [X] says it's important we give both sides an opportunity to be heard in this important debate."</blockquote>I'm barely exaggerating the average local story. Who is benefiting from this kind of coverage?<br /><br />Anyway, <a href="https://climateadaptation.usu.edu/communicating-science/" target="_blank">here are some previous presentations</a> from the same communicating science series. I don't see how I can leave politics out of my own, but we'll see.<br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1535061060;}i:7;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-4735226365346259815";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 21 Aug 2018 20:59:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2018-08-21T13:59:53.346-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:28:"Bruce Sterling ruins my day ";s:11:"description";s:3776:"One of my least favorite science fiction writers <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/02/stupid-cities/553052/" target="_blank">wrote a thing on "smart cities."</a><br /><br />Sterling seems like a smart man, despite being a boring writer. But I've spent several years now working voluntarily with coalitions and cities in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming on transparency standards and "smart city" ideas to engage and understand residents. So, a little defensive at his dismissive tone as I read.<br /><br />But he's right, the bastard.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">If you look at where the money goes (always a good idea), it’s not clear that the “smart city” is really about digitizing cities. Smart cities are a generational civil war within an urban world that’s already digitized. It’s the process of the new big-money, post-internet crowd, Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft et al., disrupting your uncle’s industrial computer companies, the old-school machinery guys who ran the city infrastructures, Honeywell, IBM, General Electric. It’s a land grab for the command and control systems that were mostly already there.</blockquote>If smart cities don't exist -at least not in the "ground up" and "citizen driven" way they're talked about in transparency, open gov, and city planning circles- what happens to all this energy and increasing interest in being "smart" sprouting in small to mid-size cities of the west?<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">The GAFAM crowd isn’t all that well suited to the urban task at hand, either. Running cities is not a good business fit for them because they always give up too easily. America’s already littered with the remnants of abandoned Google Moonshots. Amazon kills towns by crushing retail streets and moving all the clerks backstage into blind big-box shipping centers. The idea of these post-internet majors muscling up for some 30-year urban megaproject—a subway system, aqueducts, the sewers—seems goofy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">These Big Tech players have certainly got enough cash to build a new, utopian town from scratch, entirely on their own software principles—a one-company Detroit for the Digital Initiative. But they won’t do that because they’re American. The United States hasn’t incorporated a major new city in almost 70 years.</blockquote>Sterling barely touches on the philosophy or ideology of "smart city" agendas except to brush them off, but he's right about the futility and cynicism of "ground up" mythology built around such agendas. If "smart cities" are to actually be grassroots oriented and citizen driven it has to be, paradoxically, somewhat severed from "tech." Not technology itself, but the world of "tech" as most of us understand it via GAFAM.<br /><br />Really smart cities won't be built around Silicon Valleys or Slopes, tech hubs, innovation corridors or Amazon warehouses, but, as Sterling is trying to say in too many words, very few "smart" cities are making the distinction. The danger for cities now is becoming yet another data funnel rather than savvy data consumer, the declared goal of a "smart city."<br /><br />[<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/dec/17/truth-smart-city-destroy-democracy-urban-thinkers-buzzphrase" target="_blank">Another take on the matter via the Guardian</a>. Interesting, but always read Poole skeptically.]<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:73:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2018/08/bruce-sterling-ruins-my-day.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:3776:"One of my least favorite science fiction writers <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/02/stupid-cities/553052/" target="_blank">wrote a thing on "smart cities."</a><br /><br />Sterling seems like a smart man, despite being a boring writer. But I've spent several years now working voluntarily with coalitions and cities in Utah, Idaho and Wyoming on transparency standards and "smart city" ideas to engage and understand residents. So, a little defensive at his dismissive tone as I read.<br /><br />But he's right, the bastard.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">If you look at where the money goes (always a good idea), it’s not clear that the “smart city” is really about digitizing cities. Smart cities are a generational civil war within an urban world that’s already digitized. It’s the process of the new big-money, post-internet crowd, Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft et al., disrupting your uncle’s industrial computer companies, the old-school machinery guys who ran the city infrastructures, Honeywell, IBM, General Electric. It’s a land grab for the command and control systems that were mostly already there.</blockquote>If smart cities don't exist -at least not in the "ground up" and "citizen driven" way they're talked about in transparency, open gov, and city planning circles- what happens to all this energy and increasing interest in being "smart" sprouting in small to mid-size cities of the west?<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">The GAFAM crowd isn’t all that well suited to the urban task at hand, either. Running cities is not a good business fit for them because they always give up too easily. America’s already littered with the remnants of abandoned Google Moonshots. Amazon kills towns by crushing retail streets and moving all the clerks backstage into blind big-box shipping centers. The idea of these post-internet majors muscling up for some 30-year urban megaproject—a subway system, aqueducts, the sewers—seems goofy.&nbsp;&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">These Big Tech players have certainly got enough cash to build a new, utopian town from scratch, entirely on their own software principles—a one-company Detroit for the Digital Initiative. But they won’t do that because they’re American. The United States hasn’t incorporated a major new city in almost 70 years.</blockquote>Sterling barely touches on the philosophy or ideology of "smart city" agendas except to brush them off, but he's right about the futility and cynicism of "ground up" mythology built around such agendas. If "smart cities" are to actually be grassroots oriented and citizen driven it has to be, paradoxically, somewhat severed from "tech." Not technology itself, but the world of "tech" as most of us understand it via GAFAM.<br /><br />Really smart cities won't be built around Silicon Valleys or Slopes, tech hubs, innovation corridors or Amazon warehouses, but, as Sterling is trying to say in too many words, very few "smart" cities are making the distinction. The danger for cities now is becoming yet another data funnel rather than savvy data consumer, the declared goal of a "smart city."<br /><br />[<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/dec/17/truth-smart-city-destroy-democracy-urban-thinkers-buzzphrase" target="_blank">Another take on the matter via the Guardian</a>. Interesting, but always read Poole skeptically.]<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1534885140;}i:8;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-6376138008918171594";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Mon, 20 Aug 2018 21:37:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2018-08-20T14:39:30.746-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:43:"Trump, fascism and action for action's sake";s:11:"description";s:6505:"<a href="https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1995/06/22/ur-fascism/" target="_blank">Eco</a>.<br /><div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">Fascism became an all-purpose term because one can eliminate from a fascist regime one or more features, and it will still be recognizable as fascist. Take away imperialism from fascism and you still have Franco and Salazar. Take away colonialism and you still have the Balkan fascism of the Ustashes. Add to the Italian fascism a radical anti-capitalism (which never much fascinated Mussolini) and you have Ezra Pound. Add a cult of Celtic mythology and the Grail mysticism (completely alien to official fascism) and you have one of the most respected fascist gurus, Julius Evola.<span style="background-color: transparent;">&nbsp;</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">But in spite of this fuzziness, I think it is possible to outline a list of features that are typical of what I would like to call Ur-Fascism, or Eternal Fascism. These features cannot be organized into a system; many of them contradict each other, and are also typical of other kinds of despotism or fanaticism. But it is enough that one of them be present to allow fascism to coagulate around it.</blockquote><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">For most people questions of definition don't arise all that often. Maybe it's an instinctual "Ick" or a more thoughtful "this is bad," upon recognition. But not many people are watching the news and pondering the label or definition of what they're seeing and hearing. Thoughtful or emotional responses are limited (in time, not influence) to "I like" or "I dislike," with an occasional "WTF? Oh hell no." Once in a while, we're prodded, poked, guilted, or accidentally stumble upon a ballot and cast a vote and if asked at the polls, <i>well, of course</i> we're against fascism (and racism and tyranny and authoritarianism). But fascism, authoritarianism, tyranny, and to a large extent even racism are understood as a negative to be avoided, but not understood enough to recognized in subtle form. Throughout history fascists, authoritarians, racists, idiots, cynics, douches, and that one loud contrarian guy who reads CATO have their most crazy ideas and opinions elevated by this lack of depth to understanding. "Fascists" are things from history books and impoverished countries. "Real Racists" predate the 1960s. Dictators and authoritarians only rise to power in Central America and Africa. There will never be another Nazi rise or Hitler. Don't believe me? Ask around your workplace or bus ride home. Sure Trump is scary and crazy, but the next election is coming soon and the majority of Americans are wealthy <i>enough</i>, and comfy.&nbsp;</div><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">This isn't an elitist criticism of those with better things to do than immerse themselves in politics, history, or theory. Just an observation. Nor is this some extreme warning we're on the doorstep of Nazi Germany. We ain't. So far. Still, Eco's writing of the Ur-fascist and fascism's constant elements amid it's variations seems important to understanding what's happening today and, most specifically, what the morons still cheering this president on are embracing and responding to in their excitement. His proposed definition offers a chance to really ruin your own afternoon spotting hints and elements of Ur-Fascism in the halls of state houses, Congress, and the words of President Stable Genius.</div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">Action being beautiful in itself, it must be taken before, or without, any previous reflection. Thinking is a form of emasculation. Therefore culture is suspect insofar as it is identified with critical attitudes. Distrust of the intellectual world has always been a symptom of Ur-Fascism, from Goering’s alleged statement (“When I hear talk of culture I reach for my gun”) to the frequent use of such expressions as “degenerate intellectuals,” “eggheads,” “effete snobs,” “universities are a nest of reds.” The official Fascist intellectuals were mainly engaged in attacking modern culture and the liberal intelligentsia for having betrayed traditional values.</blockquote><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">Know anyone thinking this way? Of course you do. We all do.&nbsp;</div><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">I recommend reading Eco's entire article. His distillation of fascism to a cult of tradition embedded in a rejection of modernism, embracing irrationalism as action for action's sake, and feeding on misplaced (or benefiting from misplacing) social frustrations and fear rooted in social identity will make it even <i>more </i>fun to read the news each day.</div><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">You're welcome.</div><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;"><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:82:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2018/08/trump-fascism-and-action-for-actions.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:6505:"<a href="https://www.nybooks.com/articles/1995/06/22/ur-fascism/" target="_blank">Eco</a>.<br /><div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">Fascism became an all-purpose term because one can eliminate from a fascist regime one or more features, and it will still be recognizable as fascist. Take away imperialism from fascism and you still have Franco and Salazar. Take away colonialism and you still have the Balkan fascism of the Ustashes. Add to the Italian fascism a radical anti-capitalism (which never much fascinated Mussolini) and you have Ezra Pound. Add a cult of Celtic mythology and the Grail mysticism (completely alien to official fascism) and you have one of the most respected fascist gurus, Julius Evola.<span style="background-color: transparent;">&nbsp;</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">But in spite of this fuzziness, I think it is possible to outline a list of features that are typical of what I would like to call Ur-Fascism, or Eternal Fascism. These features cannot be organized into a system; many of them contradict each other, and are also typical of other kinds of despotism or fanaticism. But it is enough that one of them be present to allow fascism to coagulate around it.</blockquote><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">For most people questions of definition don't arise all that often. Maybe it's an instinctual "Ick" or a more thoughtful "this is bad," upon recognition. But not many people are watching the news and pondering the label or definition of what they're seeing and hearing. Thoughtful or emotional responses are limited (in time, not influence) to "I like" or "I dislike," with an occasional "WTF? Oh hell no." Once in a while, we're prodded, poked, guilted, or accidentally stumble upon a ballot and cast a vote and if asked at the polls, <i>well, of course</i> we're against fascism (and racism and tyranny and authoritarianism). But fascism, authoritarianism, tyranny, and to a large extent even racism are understood as a negative to be avoided, but not understood enough to recognized in subtle form. Throughout history fascists, authoritarians, racists, idiots, cynics, douches, and that one loud contrarian guy who reads CATO have their most crazy ideas and opinions elevated by this lack of depth to understanding. "Fascists" are things from history books and impoverished countries. "Real Racists" predate the 1960s. Dictators and authoritarians only rise to power in Central America and Africa. There will never be another Nazi rise or Hitler. Don't believe me? Ask around your workplace or bus ride home. Sure Trump is scary and crazy, but the next election is coming soon and the majority of Americans are wealthy <i>enough</i>, and comfy.&nbsp;</div><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">This isn't an elitist criticism of those with better things to do than immerse themselves in politics, history, or theory. Just an observation. Nor is this some extreme warning we're on the doorstep of Nazi Germany. We ain't. So far. Still, Eco's writing of the Ur-fascist and fascism's constant elements amid it's variations seems important to understanding what's happening today and, most specifically, what the morons still cheering this president on are embracing and responding to in their excitement. His proposed definition offers a chance to really ruin your own afternoon spotting hints and elements of Ur-Fascism in the halls of state houses, Congress, and the words of President Stable Genius.</div><blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">Action being beautiful in itself, it must be taken before, or without, any previous reflection. Thinking is a form of emasculation. Therefore culture is suspect insofar as it is identified with critical attitudes. Distrust of the intellectual world has always been a symptom of Ur-Fascism, from Goering’s alleged statement (“When I hear talk of culture I reach for my gun”) to the frequent use of such expressions as “degenerate intellectuals,” “eggheads,” “effete snobs,” “universities are a nest of reds.” The official Fascist intellectuals were mainly engaged in attacking modern culture and the liberal intelligentsia for having betrayed traditional values.</blockquote><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">Know anyone thinking this way? Of course you do. We all do.&nbsp;</div><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">I recommend reading Eco's entire article. His distillation of fascism to a cult of tradition embedded in a rejection of modernism, embracing irrationalism as action for action's sake, and feeding on misplaced (or benefiting from misplacing) social frustrations and fear rooted in social identity will make it even <i>more </i>fun to read the news each day.</div><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;">You're welcome.</div><div class="initial" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 30px;"><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1534801020;}i:9;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-4899501774157213426";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sat, 15 Jul 2017 17:49:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2017-07-15T11:05:21.845-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:38:""The kids know how to look out for it"";s:11:"description";s:2375:"<div align="left"><div dir="ltr">Appalling <i><a href="https://longreads.com/2017/07/13/the-louisiana-environmental-apocalypse-road-trip/" target="_blank">must-read</a></i> from a columnist touring Louisiana's poorest industrialized communities.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Can't shake these paragraphs:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>But the most tragic story involves the schools. Not only are Reserve children being poisoned with a known carcinogen but, “they’re not teaching our black boys anything except sports,” says Taylor. “They’ve taken out shop, they’ve taken out home economics, they’ve taken out music!” Remember, Wilma Subra had said, “the industries in these community become partners in education and have total control over the topics that are taught. If you have a student who wants to do a project about plant emissions, they get told, ‘No.’ And the school board members need money to run for election, and where do you think their money comes from…?”</i>&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i></i><i>Louisiana is intentionally raising a generation devoid of the knowledge necessary to comprehend their own toxic situation. Not only is the state poisoning its people, but it is taking away their means of being able to understand that they are being poisoned. And it doesn’t stop there. Louisiana State University and many reputable institutions across America receive large sums of money from the petrochemical industry, so who, Subra asks, is going to do the research that actually critiques these corporations?</i></blockquote></div><div align="left"><div dir="ltr">A lot of legitimate panic now over the Trump administration's deregulation without thought, but this <i>political </i>cancer is rooted in decades (centuries?) of federal, state, county and city policies in the name of industry, infrastructure, blind capitalism and the cruel convenience of ignoring those most effected by the consequences.</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:78:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2017/07/kids-know-how-to-look-out-for-it.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"2";}s:7:"summary";s:2375:"<div align="left"><div dir="ltr">Appalling <i><a href="https://longreads.com/2017/07/13/the-louisiana-environmental-apocalypse-road-trip/" target="_blank">must-read</a></i> from a columnist touring Louisiana's poorest industrialized communities.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Can't shake these paragraphs:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>But the most tragic story involves the schools. Not only are Reserve children being poisoned with a known carcinogen but, “they’re not teaching our black boys anything except sports,” says Taylor. “They’ve taken out shop, they’ve taken out home economics, they’ve taken out music!” Remember, Wilma Subra had said, “the industries in these community become partners in education and have total control over the topics that are taught. If you have a student who wants to do a project about plant emissions, they get told, ‘No.’ And the school board members need money to run for election, and where do you think their money comes from…?”</i>&nbsp;</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i></i><i>Louisiana is intentionally raising a generation devoid of the knowledge necessary to comprehend their own toxic situation. Not only is the state poisoning its people, but it is taking away their means of being able to understand that they are being poisoned. And it doesn’t stop there. Louisiana State University and many reputable institutions across America receive large sums of money from the petrochemical industry, so who, Subra asks, is going to do the research that actually critiques these corporations?</i></blockquote></div><div align="left"><div dir="ltr">A lot of legitimate panic now over the Trump administration's deregulation without thought, but this <i>political </i>cancer is rooted in decades (centuries?) of federal, state, county and city policies in the name of industry, infrastructure, blind capitalism and the cruel convenience of ignoring those most effected by the consequences.</div></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1500140940;}i:10;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-2758447872022442042";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Wed, 23 Nov 2016 20:41:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2016-11-23T13:41:40.318-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:7:"DeVosed";s:11:"description";s:1734:"<div class="p11 tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">The Donald's education secretary pick is... <a href="https://griid.org/2016/11/21/what-betsy-devos-as-education-secretary-might-look-like/" target="_blank">what you'd expect</a>. Teachers, keep your eyes open.</div><blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><i>Rob Boston of Americans United for Separation of Church and State described Betsy DeVos as the “four-star general” of the school privatization movement shortly after DeVos announced the formation of the “new” American Federation for Children (AFC) in March 2010. As Boston noted, the American Federation for Children was not new, but a rebranding of an organization called Advocates for School Choice.</i></span><span class="s1"><i>The American Federation for Children is now the umbrella organization for two nonprofits that have been at the center of the pro-privatization movement for over a decade. In addition to the renamed Advocates for School Choice, it includes the Alliance for School Choice, formerly known as the Education Reform Council.</i></span></blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:53:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2016/11/devosed.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"4";}s:7:"summary";s:1734:"<div class="p11 tr_bq" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;">The Donald's education secretary pick is... <a href="https://griid.org/2016/11/21/what-betsy-devos-as-education-secretary-might-look-like/" target="_blank">what you'd expect</a>. Teachers, keep your eyes open.</div><blockquote style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="s1"><i>Rob Boston of Americans United for Separation of Church and State described Betsy DeVos as the “four-star general” of the school privatization movement shortly after DeVos announced the formation of the “new” American Federation for Children (AFC) in March 2010. As Boston noted, the American Federation for Children was not new, but a rebranding of an organization called Advocates for School Choice.</i></span><span class="s1"><i>The American Federation for Children is now the umbrella organization for two nonprofits that have been at the center of the pro-privatization movement for over a decade. In addition to the renamed Advocates for School Choice, it includes the Alliance for School Choice, formerly known as the Education Reform Council.</i></span></blockquote><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1479933660;}i:11;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-3825187954694786069";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Mon, 21 Nov 2016 20:48:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2016-11-23T13:34:06.176-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:8:"Kobached";s:11:"description";s:1747:"<div dir="ltr">Recent&nbsp;<a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/07/18/opinion/kansas-zealot-helps-shape-the-gops-right-wing-platform.html">NYTimes editorial</a> on potential Trump pick for DHS:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Mr. </i><i>Kobach</i><i> is pushing the myth that voter cheating is rampant. But he has utterly failed to document that, despite his </i><i>Javert</i><i>-like zealotry as secretary of state. In fact, the federal ruling against him said there was evidence of only three instances across 18 years in which </i><i>noncitizens</i><i> voted in Kansas.</i><i>Mr. </i><i>Kobach</i><i> has not stopped at his state’s borders. He has been a principal contributor to the Republican Party platform. He wrote two pages of hard-edged immigration policy centered on Mr. Trump’s hateful fantasy of a wall that the plank trumpets “must cover the entirety of the southern border.” He helped write a plank </i><i><u>condemning</u></i><i> the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. He also helped write another setting the Republican Party squarely against any ban on assault rifles and large-capacity ammunition magazines.</i></blockquote><div align="left"><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://twitter.com/kansasdems" target="_blank">@KansasDems</a> have been documenting this guy for a while. Follow.<br /></div></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:52:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2016/11/kobach.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"1";}s:7:"summary";s:1747:"<div dir="ltr">Recent&nbsp;<a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2016/07/18/opinion/kansas-zealot-helps-shape-the-gops-right-wing-platform.html">NYTimes editorial</a> on potential Trump pick for DHS:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Mr. </i><i>Kobach</i><i> is pushing the myth that voter cheating is rampant. But he has utterly failed to document that, despite his </i><i>Javert</i><i>-like zealotry as secretary of state. In fact, the federal ruling against him said there was evidence of only three instances across 18 years in which </i><i>noncitizens</i><i> voted in Kansas.</i><i>Mr. </i><i>Kobach</i><i> has not stopped at his state’s borders. He has been a principal contributor to the Republican Party platform. He wrote two pages of hard-edged immigration policy centered on Mr. Trump’s hateful fantasy of a wall that the plank trumpets “must cover the entirety of the southern border.” He helped write a plank </i><i><u>condemning</u></i><i> the Supreme Court’s 2015 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. He also helped write another setting the Republican Party squarely against any ban on assault rifles and large-capacity ammunition magazines.</i></blockquote><div align="left"><div dir="ltr"><a href="http://twitter.com/kansasdems" target="_blank">@KansasDems</a> have been documenting this guy for a while. Follow.<br /></div></div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1479761280;}i:12;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:57:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-816864853671622172";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Thu, 10 Nov 2016 18:24:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2016-11-10T11:24:51.624-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:22:""Monstrous Scapegoats"";s:11:"description";s:879:"<p dir="ltr"><i>Pro-</i><i>Brexit</i><i> voices have succeeded in creating two monstrous scapegoats in the </i><i><u>public</u></i><i> mind that supposedly congregate around London: the rootless, wealthy cosmopolite and the shifty, job-stealing foreigner. If that </i><i>funhouse</i><i> mirror rhetoric doesn&#8217;t ring a bell to American readers, I suggest you try cleaning your ears.</i></p><p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.citylab.com/politics/2016/11/the-view-from-brexitland/507137/?utm_source=SFTwitter">More</a>.<br></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:56:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2016/11/scapegoats.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:879:"<p dir="ltr"><i>Pro-</i><i>Brexit</i><i> voices have succeeded in creating two monstrous scapegoats in the </i><i><u>public</u></i><i> mind that supposedly congregate around London: the rootless, wealthy cosmopolite and the shifty, job-stealing foreigner. If that </i><i>funhouse</i><i> mirror rhetoric doesn&#8217;t ring a bell to American readers, I suggest you try cleaning your ears.</i></p><p dir="ltr"><a href="http://www.citylab.com/politics/2016/11/the-view-from-brexitland/507137/?utm_source=SFTwitter">More</a>.<br></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1478802240;}i:13;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-8357632782480235137";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Fri, 19 Jun 2015 06:56:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2015-06-19T12:05:56.563-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:9:"10 years?";s:11:"description";s:3984:"<p dir="ltr">Halfway through 2015 before it dawns on me this blog is 10 years old this year.</p><p dir="ltr">It's been pretty quiet here lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been mouthing off elsewhere. You can hear me warping hearts and minds two hours daily on <a href="http://Facebook.com/kvnuftp">KVNU's For the People</a>, and I write sometimes at <a href="http://UtahPoliticoHub.com">Utah Politico Hub</a> (where long time readers will find a lot of familiar names writing). And less frequently than I like, I contribute to JM Bell's media empire at Defenestrate Media and <a href="http://theleftshow.com">The Left Show</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">Realizing the ten year mark had come, I also realized how many of us making noise then are still making noise now. Holly still fires up <a href="http://HollyontheHill.com">HollyontheHill.com</a> regularly, and is now a member of the State Records Committee. JM Bell, mentioned above, has a whole team of podcasters doing his evil wishes. John Dougall has gone legit as a lawmaker and State Auditor but still builds as much space to debate on Facebook as his blog did then. Ric "It's just a webcam, Mr. President" Cantrell's baby <a href="http://SenateSite.com">The Senate Site</a> is still full steam ahead and much more than just a blog now. Connor's Connundrums has morphed into a group effort at <a href="http://libertasutah.org">Libertas Utah</a>. Jesse Harris is active at Utah Politico Hub, Coolest Family Ever and FreeUtopia. Curtis Haring, of Blue in Red Zion fame, is now writing (for money!) at Utah Political Capital. Bob Aagard still peddles his wit and insight at The World According to me. I even see Frank Staheli, The Third Avenue, and Jeremy Manning pop up in comments here and there still. [Update: I forgot the most important one! After a few year hiatus working for The Man -- or in this case, The Woman -- Joe Pyrah's The Sausage Grinder is returned, in <a href="http://utahpoliticohub.com/?s=Midday">UPH's Midday Commentary</a>, with all the links and wit you've missed.)</p><p dir="ltr">Utah Amicus is silent. Ethan Millard has forsaken SLCSpin (and Twitter! Why, cruel world, why? That guy cracked me up in 140 character zingers.) but you can still hear him nightly on Nightside. Weber County Forum is still buzzing. Dave Fletcher's Gov and Tech is still a fun read. Paul Mero never had a blog that I remember, but he was at every Blogger Brunch, and once debated with Vince of Wasatch Watcher (now gone, with Vince living in Colorado) through an entire meal at Roosters.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr">For some reason Utah Rattler still exists, and still goes on about all those illegal immi-gants and their identity thievery, or something. &nbsp;<a href="http://utahbloghive.org">UtahBloghive</a><a href="http://utahbloghive.org">.org</a> is still up, and even has a "Memories" section (Davis Didjeridu!), but One Utah is gone, and I'm not sure anyone misses it.</p><p dir="ltr">I'm sure I'm forgetting many more either still around or lost to careers or political frustrations. There are also a lot of new faces, like Chris Herrod's new outfit "Unconconunicorns" or some such, if you've run out of glass to chew.</p><p dir="ltr">I've met most of these folks mentioned IRL over the years, and even count several of them close friends. Everyone of us has a long history of debate, activism, failures, successes, and a hell of a lot of fun. It's interesting to see how everyone's involvement has evolved, but even more interesting to realize how many of these folks are still around since I first started reading and writing here back in 2005. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:54:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2015/06/10-years.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:3984:"<p dir="ltr">Halfway through 2015 before it dawns on me this blog is 10 years old this year.</p><p dir="ltr">It's been pretty quiet here lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been mouthing off elsewhere. You can hear me warping hearts and minds two hours daily on <a href="http://Facebook.com/kvnuftp">KVNU's For the People</a>, and I write sometimes at <a href="http://UtahPoliticoHub.com">Utah Politico Hub</a> (where long time readers will find a lot of familiar names writing). And less frequently than I like, I contribute to JM Bell's media empire at Defenestrate Media and <a href="http://theleftshow.com">The Left Show</a>.</p><p dir="ltr">Realizing the ten year mark had come, I also realized how many of us making noise then are still making noise now. Holly still fires up <a href="http://HollyontheHill.com">HollyontheHill.com</a> regularly, and is now a member of the State Records Committee. JM Bell, mentioned above, has a whole team of podcasters doing his evil wishes. John Dougall has gone legit as a lawmaker and State Auditor but still builds as much space to debate on Facebook as his blog did then. Ric "It's just a webcam, Mr. President" Cantrell's baby <a href="http://SenateSite.com">The Senate Site</a> is still full steam ahead and much more than just a blog now. Connor's Connundrums has morphed into a group effort at <a href="http://libertasutah.org">Libertas Utah</a>. Jesse Harris is active at Utah Politico Hub, Coolest Family Ever and FreeUtopia. Curtis Haring, of Blue in Red Zion fame, is now writing (for money!) at Utah Political Capital. Bob Aagard still peddles his wit and insight at The World According to me. I even see Frank Staheli, The Third Avenue, and Jeremy Manning pop up in comments here and there still. [Update: I forgot the most important one! After a few year hiatus working for The Man -- or in this case, The Woman -- Joe Pyrah's The Sausage Grinder is returned, in <a href="http://utahpoliticohub.com/?s=Midday">UPH's Midday Commentary</a>, with all the links and wit you've missed.)</p><p dir="ltr">Utah Amicus is silent. Ethan Millard has forsaken SLCSpin (and Twitter! Why, cruel world, why? That guy cracked me up in 140 character zingers.) but you can still hear him nightly on Nightside. Weber County Forum is still buzzing. Dave Fletcher's Gov and Tech is still a fun read. Paul Mero never had a blog that I remember, but he was at every Blogger Brunch, and once debated with Vince of Wasatch Watcher (now gone, with Vince living in Colorado) through an entire meal at Roosters.&nbsp;</p><p dir="ltr"><br></p><p dir="ltr">For some reason Utah Rattler still exists, and still goes on about all those illegal immi-gants and their identity thievery, or something. &nbsp;<a href="http://utahbloghive.org">UtahBloghive</a><a href="http://utahbloghive.org">.org</a> is still up, and even has a "Memories" section (Davis Didjeridu!), but One Utah is gone, and I'm not sure anyone misses it.</p><p dir="ltr">I'm sure I'm forgetting many more either still around or lost to careers or political frustrations. There are also a lot of new faces, like Chris Herrod's new outfit "Unconconunicorns" or some such, if you've run out of glass to chew.</p><p dir="ltr">I've met most of these folks mentioned IRL over the years, and even count several of them close friends. Everyone of us has a long history of debate, activism, failures, successes, and a hell of a lot of fun. It's interesting to see how everyone's involvement has evolved, but even more interesting to realize how many of these folks are still around since I first started reading and writing here back in 2005. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1434696960;}i:14;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-6609674592637196077";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 12 Aug 2014 19:59:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2014-08-12T13:04:32.416-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:21:"Other America. Still.";s:11:"description";s:2669:"<p dir="ltr">Been following the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-michael-brown-ferguson-missouri-shooting-20140811-story.html">Ferguson</a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-michael-brown-ferguson-missouri-shooting-20140811-story.html">, MO shooting and aftermath</a> (on Twitter, since it seems below the radar of cable news).&nbsp; The whole situation is unimaginable for those of us in the quiet, homogenous naivety of Utah and the west.&nbsp; The clip that has stuck with me from weekend coverage most is the <a href="http://www.colorlines.com/archives/2014/08/police_officer_calls_ferguson_protestors_animals.html">police officer on camera, heard clearly, speaking to protestors, growling</a> "Bring it on, you fucking animals."</p><p dir="ltr">A lot hasn't changed.&nbsp; MLKjr, 1967, <a href="http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32068.htm">The Other America:</a></p><p dir="ltr"><i>Let me say as I've always said, and I will always continue to say, that riots are socially destructive and self-defeating. I'm still convinced that nonviolence is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom and justice. I feel that violence will only create more social problems than they will solve. That in a real sense it is impracticable for the Negro to even think of mounting a violent revolution in the United States. So I will continue to condemn riots, and continue to say to my brothers and sisters that this is not the way. And continue to affirm that there is another way.</i></p><p dir="ltr"><i>But at the same time, it is as necessary for me to be as vigorous in condemning the conditions which cause persons to feel that they must engage in riotous activities as it is for me to condemn riots. </i><i><b>I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard.</b></i><i> And what is it that America has failed to hear?</i></p><p dir="ltr">Vox has a <a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/8/11/5988925/mike-brown-killing-shooting-case-ferguson-police-riots-st-louis">collection of Twitter coverage</a> if you're just catching up. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:65:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2014/08/other-america-still.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:2669:"<p dir="ltr">Been following the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-michael-brown-ferguson-missouri-shooting-20140811-story.html">Ferguson</a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-michael-brown-ferguson-missouri-shooting-20140811-story.html">, MO shooting and aftermath</a> (on Twitter, since it seems below the radar of cable news).&nbsp; The whole situation is unimaginable for those of us in the quiet, homogenous naivety of Utah and the west.&nbsp; The clip that has stuck with me from weekend coverage most is the <a href="http://www.colorlines.com/archives/2014/08/police_officer_calls_ferguson_protestors_animals.html">police officer on camera, heard clearly, speaking to protestors, growling</a> "Bring it on, you fucking animals."</p><p dir="ltr">A lot hasn't changed.&nbsp; MLKjr, 1967, <a href="http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article32068.htm">The Other America:</a></p><p dir="ltr"><i>Let me say as I've always said, and I will always continue to say, that riots are socially destructive and self-defeating. I'm still convinced that nonviolence is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom and justice. I feel that violence will only create more social problems than they will solve. That in a real sense it is impracticable for the Negro to even think of mounting a violent revolution in the United States. So I will continue to condemn riots, and continue to say to my brothers and sisters that this is not the way. And continue to affirm that there is another way.</i></p><p dir="ltr"><i>But at the same time, it is as necessary for me to be as vigorous in condemning the conditions which cause persons to feel that they must engage in riotous activities as it is for me to condemn riots. </i><i><b>I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard.</b></i><i> And what is it that America has failed to hear?</i></p><p dir="ltr">Vox has a <a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/8/11/5988925/mike-brown-killing-shooting-case-ferguson-police-riots-st-louis">collection of Twitter coverage</a> if you're just catching up. </p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1407873540;}i:15;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-2370768119945167104";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Wed, 04 Jun 2014 17:13:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2014-06-04T10:13:10.947-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:30:"WWII policy remade the economy";s:11:"description";s:2055:"<p dir="ltr"><u>The</u> <a href="http://prospect.org/article/hidden-history-prosperity">hidden history</a> of prosperity: </p><p dir="ltr"><i>The war was, first, a massive macroeconomic stimulus. Unemployment was still more than 14 percent in 1940. Thanks to more than $100 billion of war-production orders in the first six </i><i><u>months</u></i><i> of 1942&#8212;more than the entire gross domestic product of 1939&#8212;joblessness vanished. The war also recapitalized industry that had languished during the Great Depression, and it gave government a central place in developing science and technology. The war was not just a huge jobs program but an unprecedented job-training program. President Franklin Roosevelt also chose to use war production to increase the power of unions as full social partners. A company that wanted defense contracts had to recognize its unions. So the war transformed labor markets.</i></p><p dir="ltr"><i>Second, the war altered incomes. Steeply progressive income taxes with marginal rates as high as 94 percent, limits on executive compensation, and strict controls on the bond market led to a compression of the income distribution that lasted more than a quarter-century. The need to finance the war led to emergency measures pegging the rate on government bonds at a maximum of 2.5 percent. The Federal Reserve simply bought whatever quantity of bonds the war effort required. This meant that a major category of financial industry profit&#8212;buying, selling, and speculating in Treasury bonds&#8212;was eliminated, at the expense of the rentier class. Economists even have a name for this process: repression of finance. We could use some of that today.</i></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:72:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2014/06/wwii-policy-remade-economy.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:2055:"<p dir="ltr"><u>The</u> <a href="http://prospect.org/article/hidden-history-prosperity">hidden history</a> of prosperity: </p><p dir="ltr"><i>The war was, first, a massive macroeconomic stimulus. Unemployment was still more than 14 percent in 1940. Thanks to more than $100 billion of war-production orders in the first six </i><i><u>months</u></i><i> of 1942&#8212;more than the entire gross domestic product of 1939&#8212;joblessness vanished. The war also recapitalized industry that had languished during the Great Depression, and it gave government a central place in developing science and technology. The war was not just a huge jobs program but an unprecedented job-training program. President Franklin Roosevelt also chose to use war production to increase the power of unions as full social partners. A company that wanted defense contracts had to recognize its unions. So the war transformed labor markets.</i></p><p dir="ltr"><i>Second, the war altered incomes. Steeply progressive income taxes with marginal rates as high as 94 percent, limits on executive compensation, and strict controls on the bond market led to a compression of the income distribution that lasted more than a quarter-century. The need to finance the war led to emergency measures pegging the rate on government bonds at a maximum of 2.5 percent. The Federal Reserve simply bought whatever quantity of bonds the war effort required. This meant that a major category of financial industry profit&#8212;buying, selling, and speculating in Treasury bonds&#8212;was eliminated, at the expense of the rentier class. Economists even have a name for this process: repression of finance. We could use some of that today.</i></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1401901980;}i:16;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-5879155595854112675";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sun, 24 Nov 2013 21:08:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2013-12-02T13:56:41.556-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:60:"Utah TAB Report: Portals, Priorities and Open Data Standards";s:11:"description";s:1428:"<b>UPDATE:</b> Slightly tweaked final version, as submitted to legislative management, <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/188701154/Utah-Transparency-Advisory-Board-Report-Final-As-submitted">here</a>.<br /><br />Final (draft) report of the 2013 Utah Transparency Advisory Board to legislative management.  <br /><div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/186770042/Utah-TAB-Report-11-13-2013-2" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Utah TAB Report 11.13.2013-2 on Scribd">Utah TAB Report 11.13.2013-2</a></div><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_84795" scrolling="no" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/186770042/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:84:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/11/utah-tab-report-portals-priorities-and.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:1428:"<b>UPDATE:</b> Slightly tweaked final version, as submitted to legislative management, <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/188701154/Utah-Transparency-Advisory-Board-Report-Final-As-submitted">here</a>.<br /><br />Final (draft) report of the 2013 Utah Transparency Advisory Board to legislative management.  <br /><div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">&nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/186770042/Utah-TAB-Report-11-13-2013-2" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Utah TAB Report 11.13.2013-2 on Scribd">Utah TAB Report 11.13.2013-2</a></div><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="undefined" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_84795" scrolling="no" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/186770042/content?start_page=1&amp;view_mode=scroll&amp;show_recommendations=true" width="100%"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1385327280;}i:17;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-3754034801131773512";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Thu, 12 Sep 2013 02:09:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2013-09-11T20:43:03.955-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:30:"What is an Open Data Standard?";s:11:"description";s:7351:"<div dir="ltr">As I mentioned in my previous post, there is far less disagreement -- in my experience -- in Utah legislative circles over "transparency" and "openness" than sometimes seems the case. &nbsp;Often what sounds like disagreement results from talking 'around' each other (in this case data geeks, activists, and lawmakers) when discussing these ideas.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">One of the first things I learned in the process that led to SB283 and the Transparency Advisory Board's new tasks was that when I said "Open Data Standards" I got blank stares, but when I said "format standards and consistent practices," I got nods.&nbsp; So what is open data?</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">As <a href="http://opendatahandbook.org/en/what-is-open-data/">The Open Data Handbook</a> defines it:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Open data is data that can be freely used, reused and redistributed by anyone - subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and </i><i>sharealike</i><i>.</i></blockquote><div dir="ltr">Added to that definition are the concepts and attributes of data that can be intermixed with other data and other systems to maximize the usefulness of data in discovering better understanding, services, and even products.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">There are easy go to examples of the benefit of open data or "format" standards.&nbsp; One of my favorites to tell is a city, right in your back yard, where PDFs were being printed for long term storage.&nbsp; When a request for any of these PDFs was made, the files were scanned and emailed or delivered on a disc.&nbsp; Great example of where a "format" standard would save some time and money, right?&nbsp; And probably just the tip of the iceberg statewide.&nbsp; But this type of story alone (and there are many) doesn't fully grasp the importance of Open Data Standard policy.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">During the legislative session, Sen. Henderson spoke about "one stop shopping" for public access to public data in her Senate floor speech before the first vote.&nbsp; The concept being better format standards from all levels of government (eventually... our conversations stayed limited to state agencies, to keep the scope in check) producing better and more easily "intermixed" data, and the ability to make that data accessible for reuse and redistribution via a single online portal.&nbsp; Additionally, data retrieved from this portal could then be "intermixed" and reused in countless ways by the end user.&nbsp; </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">So far then, we've covered formatting standards (efficiency, consistency, longevity, and "intermix" effect), and building a portal (ease of access, "one stop shopping").&nbsp; And the best part?&nbsp; I learned during the GRAMA Work Group study that due to some foresight, planning, and even luck, Utah is in a perfect position with already existing technology at most state government levels to put this concept into action now.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">But there's still one final piece to include for fully understanding Open Data Standards and their role in managing and accessing public data in Utah.&nbsp; Okay, honestly, there are dozens more pieces to the puzzle.&nbsp; Just a few from the Sunlight Foundation's <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/opendataguidelines/"><i>Open Data Guidelines</i></a> publication (just updated, but we drew heavily on version 1.0 in writing SB283): Safeguarding private data, provisions for contractors and quasi-government agencies, publishing in bulk when possible, just to name a few.&nbsp; But one specific step Utah could take upon recommendation from the TAB and legislative approval: publishing code.&nbsp; From those same Open Data Guidelines:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Not only the data, but the code used to create government websites, portals, tools, and other online resources can provide further benefits, as valuable open data itself. Governments should employ open source solutions whenever possible to enable sharing and make the most out of these benefits. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) began publishing open code on the social code site GitHub in 2012, citing that doing so helped them fulfill the mission of their agency and facilitated their technical work. (More information is available in the announcement blogpost on the </i><i><a href="http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/the-cfpbs-source-code-policy-open-and-shared/">CFPB’s</a></i><i><a href="http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/the-cfpbs-source-code-policy-open-and-shared/"> website</a></i><i>.)</i></blockquote><div dir="ltr">Removing the "gatekeepers" from code from tools and online resources opens the doors is where easily accessible, consistently formatted public data can really take off.&nbsp; It's a very limited example, but recently someone at a Utah company, in their spare time, used Sunlight Foundation API code shared on their webpage to pull data from le.utah.gov and build a highly customizable legislation tracker that could even be manipulated to send you reminders on your smartphone.&nbsp; Now imagine if someone with very limited coding skills, working in real estate, manufacturing, the NSA building in Bluffdale... okay bad example, let's just say any industry or organization in Utah could access public data and public data manipulation and presentation code, and turn it into whatever they want or need?&nbsp; The possibilities are endless, and little explored to date. <br /><br />The <i>New York Times</i> called this discovery of uses for public data in both government and private markets<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/sunday-review/big-datas-impact-in-the-world.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0" target="_blank"> the "Moneyball" revolution:&nbsp;</a><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">The story is similar in fields as varied as science and sports, advertising and public health — a drift toward data-driven discovery and decision-making.</span></blockquote></div><div dir="ltr">Formatting consistency (efficiency, intermix), one stop shopping (single portal), and access to data and code for tools (innovation, multi-use), while not a full picture, are a great starting point for understanding what an Open Data Standard is, and why it's important.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Next up, what the TAB <i>shouldn't</i> do.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Recommend reads:</div><div dir="ltr">- The full <a href="http://opendatahandbook.org/en/introduction/">Open Data Handbook</a>.</div><div dir="ltr">- Sunlight's <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/opendataguidelines/#section-how-to-implement-policy">How to Implement Open Data Policy</a> (with references to SB283 and Utah's TAB!)</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:72:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/09/what-is-open-data-standard.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"1";}s:7:"summary";s:7351:"<div dir="ltr">As I mentioned in my previous post, there is far less disagreement -- in my experience -- in Utah legislative circles over "transparency" and "openness" than sometimes seems the case. &nbsp;Often what sounds like disagreement results from talking 'around' each other (in this case data geeks, activists, and lawmakers) when discussing these ideas.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">One of the first things I learned in the process that led to SB283 and the Transparency Advisory Board's new tasks was that when I said "Open Data Standards" I got blank stares, but when I said "format standards and consistent practices," I got nods.&nbsp; So what is open data?</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">As <a href="http://opendatahandbook.org/en/what-is-open-data/">The Open Data Handbook</a> defines it:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Open data is data that can be freely used, reused and redistributed by anyone - subject only, at most, to the requirement to attribute and </i><i>sharealike</i><i>.</i></blockquote><div dir="ltr">Added to that definition are the concepts and attributes of data that can be intermixed with other data and other systems to maximize the usefulness of data in discovering better understanding, services, and even products.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">There are easy go to examples of the benefit of open data or "format" standards.&nbsp; One of my favorites to tell is a city, right in your back yard, where PDFs were being printed for long term storage.&nbsp; When a request for any of these PDFs was made, the files were scanned and emailed or delivered on a disc.&nbsp; Great example of where a "format" standard would save some time and money, right?&nbsp; And probably just the tip of the iceberg statewide.&nbsp; But this type of story alone (and there are many) doesn't fully grasp the importance of Open Data Standard policy.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">During the legislative session, Sen. Henderson spoke about "one stop shopping" for public access to public data in her Senate floor speech before the first vote.&nbsp; The concept being better format standards from all levels of government (eventually... our conversations stayed limited to state agencies, to keep the scope in check) producing better and more easily "intermixed" data, and the ability to make that data accessible for reuse and redistribution via a single online portal.&nbsp; Additionally, data retrieved from this portal could then be "intermixed" and reused in countless ways by the end user.&nbsp; </div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">So far then, we've covered formatting standards (efficiency, consistency, longevity, and "intermix" effect), and building a portal (ease of access, "one stop shopping").&nbsp; And the best part?&nbsp; I learned during the GRAMA Work Group study that due to some foresight, planning, and even luck, Utah is in a perfect position with already existing technology at most state government levels to put this concept into action now.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">But there's still one final piece to include for fully understanding Open Data Standards and their role in managing and accessing public data in Utah.&nbsp; Okay, honestly, there are dozens more pieces to the puzzle.&nbsp; Just a few from the Sunlight Foundation's <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/opendataguidelines/"><i>Open Data Guidelines</i></a> publication (just updated, but we drew heavily on version 1.0 in writing SB283): Safeguarding private data, provisions for contractors and quasi-government agencies, publishing in bulk when possible, just to name a few.&nbsp; But one specific step Utah could take upon recommendation from the TAB and legislative approval: publishing code.&nbsp; From those same Open Data Guidelines:</div><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Not only the data, but the code used to create government websites, portals, tools, and other online resources can provide further benefits, as valuable open data itself. Governments should employ open source solutions whenever possible to enable sharing and make the most out of these benefits. The Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) began publishing open code on the social code site GitHub in 2012, citing that doing so helped them fulfill the mission of their agency and facilitated their technical work. (More information is available in the announcement blogpost on the </i><i><a href="http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/the-cfpbs-source-code-policy-open-and-shared/">CFPB’s</a></i><i><a href="http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/the-cfpbs-source-code-policy-open-and-shared/"> website</a></i><i>.)</i></blockquote><div dir="ltr">Removing the "gatekeepers" from code from tools and online resources opens the doors is where easily accessible, consistently formatted public data can really take off.&nbsp; It's a very limited example, but recently someone at a Utah company, in their spare time, used Sunlight Foundation API code shared on their webpage to pull data from le.utah.gov and build a highly customizable legislation tracker that could even be manipulated to send you reminders on your smartphone.&nbsp; Now imagine if someone with very limited coding skills, working in real estate, manufacturing, the NSA building in Bluffdale... okay bad example, let's just say any industry or organization in Utah could access public data and public data manipulation and presentation code, and turn it into whatever they want or need?&nbsp; The possibilities are endless, and little explored to date. <br /><br />The <i>New York Times</i> called this discovery of uses for public data in both government and private markets<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/sunday-review/big-datas-impact-in-the-world.html?pagewanted=all&amp;_r=0" target="_blank"> the "Moneyball" revolution:&nbsp;</a><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">The story is similar in fields as varied as science and sports, advertising and public health — a drift toward data-driven discovery and decision-making.</span></blockquote></div><div dir="ltr">Formatting consistency (efficiency, intermix), one stop shopping (single portal), and access to data and code for tools (innovation, multi-use), while not a full picture, are a great starting point for understanding what an Open Data Standard is, and why it's important.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Next up, what the TAB <i>shouldn't</i> do.</div><div dir="ltr"><br /></div><div dir="ltr">Recommend reads:</div><div dir="ltr">- The full <a href="http://opendatahandbook.org/en/introduction/">Open Data Handbook</a>.</div><div dir="ltr">- Sunlight's <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/opendataguidelines/#section-how-to-implement-policy">How to Implement Open Data Policy</a> (with references to SB283 and Utah's TAB!)</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1378951740;}i:18;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-3488185343693281096";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Tue, 10 Sep 2013 22:29:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2013-09-10T17:06:08.038-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:5:"TABed";s:11:"description";s:5796:"<p dir="ltr">Dusting this thing off.</p><p dir="ltr">I meant to start writing again this time last year as work began on what would become <a href="http://le.utah.gov/~2013/bills/static/SB0283.html">SB283</a>.&#160; Then I meant to write about the process as SB283 was drafted and passed.&#160; Then I meant to write about the Transparency Advisory Boards new tasks under SB283 and what Open Data (and open data) mean.&#160; Then I meant to write about SB283, Sunlight Foundation's Transparency Camp '13 in DC, Neal Stephenson's "information as power" novels, and what Open Data (and open data) mean.</p><p dir="ltr">And somehow it is now September.&#160; You know how it goes.&#160; We can't all be Holly Richardson, who's raised 2,314 children, cans everything that grows, serves on the State Records Cmmte, runs campaigns, and still finds time to write on her blog.&#160; I'd hate her if she wasn't a good person on top of it all.</p><p dir="ltr">I've written about it before here but the reverse process from my recent appointment to the TAB, back to passage of SB283, before that the 2011 GRAMA Work Group, and before that the nefarious HB477 is an amazing trip that -- forgive my sappiness -- really reminds you that good things can come from bad, and that overall, Utah lawmakers, legislative staff, and activists alike have common goals.&#160; Differences and disagreements more often come from talking around each other than they do from actually disagreeing when it comes to transparent government.</p><p dir="ltr">That's not to say there aren't some who don't care, or even prefer closed doors.&#160; It's not to say there isn't a time to shout "What do you have to hide?!"&#160; Shouting can be useful and fun.&#160; I'm a fan.&#160; But from the stories we heard during the Governor's GRAMA work group to the warm response I've more often than not received from lawmakers to my questions, confusion, and even naivete, it seems like better conversations can and do lead to better things happening.&#160; And as I've also written here before, more members of our legislature are open to that better conversation than not.&#160; None of this would be going forward if Sen. Niederhauser hadn't entertained my half crocked ideas, or if Sen. Henderson hadn't bravely put her name (and patience with me) on this.&#160; </p><p dir="ltr">Sometimes, believe it or not, our electeds, cities, and agencies don't want to bury information or access.&#160; They just don't understand what you mean with your fancy JSON files this and your high-falutin' open source that.</p><p dir="ltr">I think that's where SB283 and the coming work of the TAB on tackling Open Data Standards comes in.&#160; Utah is already ahead of the curve on technology use and records law.&#160; The board has a lot of ground to cover in an already short period of time.&#160; It probably won't go all of the places I want it to go.&#160; And as Jesse Harris, Phil Windley, Sen. Henderson, Holly Richardson, Patricia "Walking Institution of Knowledge" at the state archivists' office (who's testimony at the GRAMA work group hearings really opened my eyes) and everyone else involved with getting this process off the ground will probably tell you, I struggle with that whole pragmatic thing.&#160; But this board will go some amazing places, and if you <a href="http://le.utah.gov/~2013/bills/static/SB0283.html">take a close look at the final 1/3 of SB283</a> (the "shall" part), this is just the start of a really important discussion.</p><p dir="ltr">I have a lot of things I plan to write about.&#160; Open Data vs. open data.&#160; What the board shouldn't try to do.&#160; What the board is doing (of course).&#160; How this one time I called Sen. Bramble mid-session with a question about my notes from the GRAMA work group and -- get this -- he <i>still</i> hasn't called me back.&#160; Like he was busy at the time or something.&#160; I know, right?!</p><p dir="ltr">And one last very important thing for me to get down personally, ahead of what will be my first TAB meeting as an official board member: The Sunlight Foundation.&#160; L(e), Zubedah (The Secretary), "StereoGab," Rebecca with the Cool Last Name, and anyone else near Dupont Circle maybe using a stack of boxes as a desk (by choice) as I type this, this has been a crash course education for me, and you all are great teachers.&#160; The Sunlight Foundation is an understated and irreplaceable resource for cities, states, and even countries working toward healthy government and informed citizenry.&#160; Fun fact: an unexpected meet up and conversation with L(e) thousands of miles from Utah on the Rhode Island waterfront was the first time I'd heard the words "open data standard" and realized how well the very concept answered the questions left in my head after the GRAMA work group wrapped.&#160; How random is that?</p><p dir="ltr">I encourage everyone to follow and support their work.&#160; Start with <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/">their blog</a> and extensive <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/tools/">tools</a> pages.</p><p dir="ltr">I never meant to be a "transparency activist."&#160; I was intent and happy with being a loudmouth.&#160; I'm most qualified for the latter, and I honestly have no idea what I'm doing.&#160; But I am really looking forward to writing about and participating in the TAB and the (hopefully) ongoing Open Data Standards discussion.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:51:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/09/tabed.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:5796:"<p dir="ltr">Dusting this thing off.</p><p dir="ltr">I meant to start writing again this time last year as work began on what would become <a href="http://le.utah.gov/~2013/bills/static/SB0283.html">SB283</a>.&#160; Then I meant to write about the process as SB283 was drafted and passed.&#160; Then I meant to write about the Transparency Advisory Boards new tasks under SB283 and what Open Data (and open data) mean.&#160; Then I meant to write about SB283, Sunlight Foundation's Transparency Camp '13 in DC, Neal Stephenson's "information as power" novels, and what Open Data (and open data) mean.</p><p dir="ltr">And somehow it is now September.&#160; You know how it goes.&#160; We can't all be Holly Richardson, who's raised 2,314 children, cans everything that grows, serves on the State Records Cmmte, runs campaigns, and still finds time to write on her blog.&#160; I'd hate her if she wasn't a good person on top of it all.</p><p dir="ltr">I've written about it before here but the reverse process from my recent appointment to the TAB, back to passage of SB283, before that the 2011 GRAMA Work Group, and before that the nefarious HB477 is an amazing trip that -- forgive my sappiness -- really reminds you that good things can come from bad, and that overall, Utah lawmakers, legislative staff, and activists alike have common goals.&#160; Differences and disagreements more often come from talking around each other than they do from actually disagreeing when it comes to transparent government.</p><p dir="ltr">That's not to say there aren't some who don't care, or even prefer closed doors.&#160; It's not to say there isn't a time to shout "What do you have to hide?!"&#160; Shouting can be useful and fun.&#160; I'm a fan.&#160; But from the stories we heard during the Governor's GRAMA work group to the warm response I've more often than not received from lawmakers to my questions, confusion, and even naivete, it seems like better conversations can and do lead to better things happening.&#160; And as I've also written here before, more members of our legislature are open to that better conversation than not.&#160; None of this would be going forward if Sen. Niederhauser hadn't entertained my half crocked ideas, or if Sen. Henderson hadn't bravely put her name (and patience with me) on this.&#160; </p><p dir="ltr">Sometimes, believe it or not, our electeds, cities, and agencies don't want to bury information or access.&#160; They just don't understand what you mean with your fancy JSON files this and your high-falutin' open source that.</p><p dir="ltr">I think that's where SB283 and the coming work of the TAB on tackling Open Data Standards comes in.&#160; Utah is already ahead of the curve on technology use and records law.&#160; The board has a lot of ground to cover in an already short period of time.&#160; It probably won't go all of the places I want it to go.&#160; And as Jesse Harris, Phil Windley, Sen. Henderson, Holly Richardson, Patricia "Walking Institution of Knowledge" at the state archivists' office (who's testimony at the GRAMA work group hearings really opened my eyes) and everyone else involved with getting this process off the ground will probably tell you, I struggle with that whole pragmatic thing.&#160; But this board will go some amazing places, and if you <a href="http://le.utah.gov/~2013/bills/static/SB0283.html">take a close look at the final 1/3 of SB283</a> (the "shall" part), this is just the start of a really important discussion.</p><p dir="ltr">I have a lot of things I plan to write about.&#160; Open Data vs. open data.&#160; What the board shouldn't try to do.&#160; What the board is doing (of course).&#160; How this one time I called Sen. Bramble mid-session with a question about my notes from the GRAMA work group and -- get this -- he <i>still</i> hasn't called me back.&#160; Like he was busy at the time or something.&#160; I know, right?!</p><p dir="ltr">And one last very important thing for me to get down personally, ahead of what will be my first TAB meeting as an official board member: The Sunlight Foundation.&#160; L(e), Zubedah (The Secretary), "StereoGab," Rebecca with the Cool Last Name, and anyone else near Dupont Circle maybe using a stack of boxes as a desk (by choice) as I type this, this has been a crash course education for me, and you all are great teachers.&#160; The Sunlight Foundation is an understated and irreplaceable resource for cities, states, and even countries working toward healthy government and informed citizenry.&#160; Fun fact: an unexpected meet up and conversation with L(e) thousands of miles from Utah on the Rhode Island waterfront was the first time I'd heard the words "open data standard" and realized how well the very concept answered the questions left in my head after the GRAMA work group wrapped.&#160; How random is that?</p><p dir="ltr">I encourage everyone to follow and support their work.&#160; Start with <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/">their blog</a> and extensive <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/tools/">tools</a> pages.</p><p dir="ltr">I never meant to be a "transparency activist."&#160; I was intent and happy with being a loudmouth.&#160; I'm most qualified for the latter, and I honestly have no idea what I'm doing.&#160; But I am really looking forward to writing about and participating in the TAB and the (hopefully) ongoing Open Data Standards discussion.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1378852140;}i:19;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-2799757294198713652";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Fri, 24 May 2013 18:01:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2013-05-24T11:48:50.094-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:39:"Medicaid expansion a question of values";s:11:"description";s:2560:"The <a href="https://twitter.com/UHPP/status/337663612233592832">full cost-benefit report</a> on Utah expanding Medicaid is out. <a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">And the </a><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">Salt</a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp"> </a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">Lake</a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp"> </a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">Tribune</a></i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp"> has a thorough breakdown of key details.</a>&nbsp; One big takeaway sure to challenge the political narrative we've heard from state lawmakers so far:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Both full expansion and no expansion scenarios project a boost to Utah's economy, including the creation of new jobs. Without expansion the projected economic benefit is about $516 million. A $2.9 billion economic lift,and 4,160 new jobs, are projected under full expansion.</i></blockquote>For advocates, the projected 123k+ insured is enough. But with projected economic benefits like $2.9b in economic growth, those lawmakers focused only on bottom lines and price tags will have a much harder time justifying their opposition. <br /><br />Lincoln Nehring of Voices for Utah Children is quoted saying now that the state can't say we can't afford it, this is a question of values.&nbsp; Can lawmakers and Governor Herbert put more insured Utahns at a higher priority than the politics of insisting Obamacare is the worst thing ever to happen in the history of things that happened while a Democrat was in the White House? And also: <i>Death</i><i> </i><i>Panels</i>!&nbsp; <br /><br />We'll see.&nbsp; All I can predict with certainty is that Rep. Anderegg's inevitable passionate speech in opposition to all this math will be priceless.<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:83:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/05/medicaid-expansion-question-of-values.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:2560:"The <a href="https://twitter.com/UHPP/status/337663612233592832">full cost-benefit report</a> on Utah expanding Medicaid is out. <a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">And the </a><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">Salt</a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp"> </a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">Lake</a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp"> </a></i><i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp">Tribune</a></i><a href="http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56354898-219/state-utah-million-expansion.html.csp"> has a thorough breakdown of key details.</a>&nbsp; One big takeaway sure to challenge the political narrative we've heard from state lawmakers so far:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Both full expansion and no expansion scenarios project a boost to Utah's economy, including the creation of new jobs. Without expansion the projected economic benefit is about $516 million. A $2.9 billion economic lift,and 4,160 new jobs, are projected under full expansion.</i></blockquote>For advocates, the projected 123k+ insured is enough. But with projected economic benefits like $2.9b in economic growth, those lawmakers focused only on bottom lines and price tags will have a much harder time justifying their opposition. <br /><br />Lincoln Nehring of Voices for Utah Children is quoted saying now that the state can't say we can't afford it, this is a question of values.&nbsp; Can lawmakers and Governor Herbert put more insured Utahns at a higher priority than the politics of insisting Obamacare is the worst thing ever to happen in the history of things that happened while a Democrat was in the White House? And also: <i>Death</i><i> </i><i>Panels</i>!&nbsp; <br /><br />We'll see.&nbsp; All I can predict with certainty is that Rep. Anderegg's inevitable passionate speech in opposition to all this math will be priceless.<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1369418460;}i:20;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:57:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-554399495221300208";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Fri, 22 Mar 2013 04:53:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2013-03-21T21:55:31.036-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:7:"HOTHie!";s:11:"description";s:901:"<p>Thank you <a href="http://hollyonthehill.com/first-annual-holly-on-the-hill-awards/">Holly</a><a href="http://hollyonthehill.com/first-annual-holly-on-the-hill-awards/">.</a><br></p><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zdctRBNoHXw/UUvjzqFmyeI/AAAAAAAAEf0/c7WrnezcaNk/s1600/BF71fMBCMAA3GB-.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zdctRBNoHXw/UUvjzqFmyeI/AAAAAAAAEf0/c7WrnezcaNk/s320/BF71fMBCMAA3GB-.jpeg' /> </a> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:52:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/03/hothie.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:901:"<p>Thank you <a href="http://hollyonthehill.com/first-annual-holly-on-the-hill-awards/">Holly</a><a href="http://hollyonthehill.com/first-annual-holly-on-the-hill-awards/">.</a><br></p><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zdctRBNoHXw/UUvjzqFmyeI/AAAAAAAAEf0/c7WrnezcaNk/s1600/BF71fMBCMAA3GB-.jpeg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/-zdctRBNoHXw/UUvjzqFmyeI/AAAAAAAAEf0/c7WrnezcaNk/s320/BF71fMBCMAA3GB-.jpeg' /> </a> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1363927980;}i:21;a:10:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-3743846445302785830";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Wed, 30 Jan 2013 01:24:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2013-01-29T20:07:02.644-07:00";}s:5:"title";s:44:"From HB477 to an Open Data Standard for Utah";s:11:"description";s:5661:"During the <a href="http://www.gramarevisited.com/" target="_blank">2011 GRAMA work group</a>, created in response to public outcry over HB477 and proposed changes to Utah's GRAMA law, I learned three things:<br /><br /><ul><li>Utah has an amazing FOI law in GRAMA, defining public data.</li><li>An aggressive online infrastructure is already in place, but not being fully utilized in the availability of public data as defined by GRAMA.</li><li>Despite the image HB477 created, most of our lawmakers have high respect for transparency, being held accountable, and public access to information.</li></ul><br />After we had made our recommendations as a work group -- almost all of which were enacted in <a href="http://curtbramble.org/2012/03/19/senator-bramble-earns-media-coalitions-201-shining-light-award/" target="_blank">Sen. Bramble's SB177 in 2012</a> -- I continued my conversations with state agencies, cities, counties, lawmakers, and transparency advocates here in Utah. &nbsp;I had long conversations with the Sunlight Foundation (who, surprisingly, never stopped answering my constant questions) and open data leaders in other states regarding the implementation of public data policy. &nbsp;The questions I had:<br /><br /><ul><li>Are we getting the most out of our FOI laws? &nbsp;</li><li>Is there waste, inconsistency, or even unnecessary cost for both the state and the public regarding the release of public data?</li><li>Could improvements be made easily?</li><li>Do the necessary tools exist already?</li></ul><br />The answers were always: Yes, yes, yes, and yes.<br /><br />The next step became obvious. &nbsp;To borrow the words of the sponsor of the bill resulting from these many conversations, Sen. Deidre Henderson in a KNRS interview last Friday: In Utah "the wheel has already been invented, we just need to streamline the process."<br /><br />In December, all of this talk became a reality when Sen. Henderson agreed to head the effort up. &nbsp;A small brainstorming group came together quickly, including <a href="http://www.utahsenate.org/aspx/senmember.aspx?dist=7" target="_blank">Sen. Henderson</a>, former lawmaker (and troublemaker) <a href="http://hollyonthehill.com/" target="_blank">Holly Richardson</a>, myself, <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/people/lmccann/" target="_blank">Laurenellen McCann</a> by phone from the <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2013/01/24/utahs-introduces-open-data-bill-invites-public-into-the-drafting-process/" target="_blank">Sunlight Foundation</a>, and two people who know more about IT and data processes than anyone I know, <a href="http://opinionated.coolestfamilyever.com/" target="_blank">Jesse Harris</a>, and <a href="http://www.windley.com/" target="_blank">Phil Windley. </a><br /><br />A skeleton bill was drafted, and our group expanded to include representatives from state archives, records, the Chief Information Officer's office, and additional members of the original GRAMA work group. &nbsp;I've been told Sen. Todd Weiler wants in, but he doesn't know the secret knock, so... &nbsp;Kidding! &nbsp;Sen. Henderson has made it known she wants the process behind possibly changing the process of how data gets to the public to be open, and has even asked for your feedback via <a href="http://www.senatesite.com/home/utah-open-data-standards/" target="_blank">her post at The Senate Site.</a><br /><br />Personally, I'm hoping for a robust discussion and passage, followed by what will surely be a continued refining of the data policy, streamlined by this bill.<br /><br />So why am I writing this? &nbsp;Two reasons. &nbsp;I want to start a conversation about the importance of an open data standard in ensuring we get the most -- both in efficiency and effectiveness -- out of an already impressive environment surrounding public data in Utah. &nbsp;More on that coming soon. &nbsp;I also wanted to highlight this entire process. &nbsp;From HB477 two years ago, to the work group, to the openness and sincerity and <i>excitement</i> of Senate leadership, staff, and of course Sen. Henderson herself in making this come together has been amazing. <br /><br />On KVNU's <i>For the People</i> I get calls all the time from Utahns who feel their government doesn't listen. &nbsp;"They don't care what we think." &nbsp;"They don't listen to the little guy." &nbsp;"They're out of touch." &nbsp;Maybe this is a fair criticism, sometimes. &nbsp;But in Utah, it's also true and important to recognize that anyone -- even an unapologetic lefty activist/blogger/heckler, like me -- can still get the ear of lawmakers and be a part of the process armed with nothing more than their email address, phone numbers, and an idea.<br /><br />That is very cool.<br /><br />I'll write more about the usefulness of an open data standard in the coming days, but I wanted to tell this story first. &nbsp;I think it's easy to take for granted, or even get caught up in our (admittedly fun, equally important) partisan differences or the very "western" innate (and somewhat healthy) mistrust of government. &nbsp;But it's nice to have a reminder that here in Utah anyone willing to jump in, through lawmakers eager to engage, can be a part of the process.<br /><br />Thanks to Sen. Niederhauser and Sen. Henderson for engaging.<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:82:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/01/from-hb477-to-open-data-standard-for.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:5661:"During the <a href="http://www.gramarevisited.com/" target="_blank">2011 GRAMA work group</a>, created in response to public outcry over HB477 and proposed changes to Utah's GRAMA law, I learned three things:<br /><br /><ul><li>Utah has an amazing FOI law in GRAMA, defining public data.</li><li>An aggressive online infrastructure is already in place, but not being fully utilized in the availability of public data as defined by GRAMA.</li><li>Despite the image HB477 created, most of our lawmakers have high respect for transparency, being held accountable, and public access to information.</li></ul><br />After we had made our recommendations as a work group -- almost all of which were enacted in <a href="http://curtbramble.org/2012/03/19/senator-bramble-earns-media-coalitions-201-shining-light-award/" target="_blank">Sen. Bramble's SB177 in 2012</a> -- I continued my conversations with state agencies, cities, counties, lawmakers, and transparency advocates here in Utah. &nbsp;I had long conversations with the Sunlight Foundation (who, surprisingly, never stopped answering my constant questions) and open data leaders in other states regarding the implementation of public data policy. &nbsp;The questions I had:<br /><br /><ul><li>Are we getting the most out of our FOI laws? &nbsp;</li><li>Is there waste, inconsistency, or even unnecessary cost for both the state and the public regarding the release of public data?</li><li>Could improvements be made easily?</li><li>Do the necessary tools exist already?</li></ul><br />The answers were always: Yes, yes, yes, and yes.<br /><br />The next step became obvious. &nbsp;To borrow the words of the sponsor of the bill resulting from these many conversations, Sen. Deidre Henderson in a KNRS interview last Friday: In Utah "the wheel has already been invented, we just need to streamline the process."<br /><br />In December, all of this talk became a reality when Sen. Henderson agreed to head the effort up. &nbsp;A small brainstorming group came together quickly, including <a href="http://www.utahsenate.org/aspx/senmember.aspx?dist=7" target="_blank">Sen. Henderson</a>, former lawmaker (and troublemaker) <a href="http://hollyonthehill.com/" target="_blank">Holly Richardson</a>, myself, <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/people/lmccann/" target="_blank">Laurenellen McCann</a> by phone from the <a href="http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2013/01/24/utahs-introduces-open-data-bill-invites-public-into-the-drafting-process/" target="_blank">Sunlight Foundation</a>, and two people who know more about IT and data processes than anyone I know, <a href="http://opinionated.coolestfamilyever.com/" target="_blank">Jesse Harris</a>, and <a href="http://www.windley.com/" target="_blank">Phil Windley. </a><br /><br />A skeleton bill was drafted, and our group expanded to include representatives from state archives, records, the Chief Information Officer's office, and additional members of the original GRAMA work group. &nbsp;I've been told Sen. Todd Weiler wants in, but he doesn't know the secret knock, so... &nbsp;Kidding! &nbsp;Sen. Henderson has made it known she wants the process behind possibly changing the process of how data gets to the public to be open, and has even asked for your feedback via <a href="http://www.senatesite.com/home/utah-open-data-standards/" target="_blank">her post at The Senate Site.</a><br /><br />Personally, I'm hoping for a robust discussion and passage, followed by what will surely be a continued refining of the data policy, streamlined by this bill.<br /><br />So why am I writing this? &nbsp;Two reasons. &nbsp;I want to start a conversation about the importance of an open data standard in ensuring we get the most -- both in efficiency and effectiveness -- out of an already impressive environment surrounding public data in Utah. &nbsp;More on that coming soon. &nbsp;I also wanted to highlight this entire process. &nbsp;From HB477 two years ago, to the work group, to the openness and sincerity and <i>excitement</i> of Senate leadership, staff, and of course Sen. Henderson herself in making this come together has been amazing. <br /><br />On KVNU's <i>For the People</i> I get calls all the time from Utahns who feel their government doesn't listen. &nbsp;"They don't care what we think." &nbsp;"They don't listen to the little guy." &nbsp;"They're out of touch." &nbsp;Maybe this is a fair criticism, sometimes. &nbsp;But in Utah, it's also true and important to recognize that anyone -- even an unapologetic lefty activist/blogger/heckler, like me -- can still get the ear of lawmakers and be a part of the process armed with nothing more than their email address, phone numbers, and an idea.<br /><br />That is very cool.<br /><br />I'll write more about the usefulness of an open data standard in the coming days, but I wanted to tell this story first. &nbsp;I think it's easy to take for granted, or even get caught up in our (admittedly fun, equally important) partisan differences or the very "western" innate (and somewhat healthy) mistrust of government. &nbsp;But it's nice to have a reminder that here in Utah anyone willing to jump in, through lawmakers eager to engage, can be a part of the process.<br /><br />Thanks to Sen. Niederhauser and Sen. Henderson for engaging.<div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1359509040;}i:22;a:11:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-1824486847329973699";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:04:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2013-01-08T17:08:16.267-07:00";}s:8:"category";s:59:"Health Care CostsmedicaidObamacareUninsuredUtah Legislature";s:5:"title";s:62:"Before Obamacare, Utah Lawmakers Singing a Very Different Tune";s:11:"description";s:3969:"<p dir="ltr">Ran across an interview by KUED as part of their <i>Healthcare: Facing the Barriers</i> documentary.&#160; Contrast today's staunch opposition to Obamacare and the Medicaid expansion with <a href="http://www.kued.org/productions/healthcare/interviews/johnValentine.php">Sen</a><a href="http://www.kued.org/productions/healthcare/interviews/johnValentine.php">. John Valentine, 2007:</a></p><p dir="ltr"><i>By making it more affordable, you have a way to be able to get insurance.&#160; Let&#8217;s use an analogy of a car.&#160; Not everyone can afford an Expedition--a large SUV.&#160; But most people can afford a smaller car.&#160; If they can't afford a smaller car then perhaps they have to take public transit.&#160; Now some of us will go in and out of the various different systems.&#160; For example, I'll take my large SUV up to 106th South and get on tracks to go down to a Jazz game or go down to the Symphony or to go to Temple Square because it's more efficient to take that, it's faster oftentimes and I don't have to find a place to park.&#160; So you use various different aspects of the system based upon what is going to work for you on that particular day.&#160; Well healthcare can do the same thing.&#160; You can have a healthcare program that has a basic system and if you want to afford add-</i><i>ons</i><i>, you can buy the add-</i><i>ons</i><i>, but everyone should be able to afford a basic system--that's the view that Utah would like to put forward</i>.</p><p dir="ltr">The view 2007 Utah would like to put forward sounds a lot like a public option, and exactly like Romneycare in MA, a program Obamacare borrows heavily from especially regarding expanding access to reduce costs associated with a high number of uninsured.&nbsp; An idea 2007 Valentine also endorses: </p><p dir="ltr"><i>I would start with a basic policy that could be affordable for all Utahans.&#160; It would be a basic policy.&#160; It would not have a lot of the bells and whistles that we keep mandating to insurance carriers.&#160; On that basic policy, the premium on it would be means tested, in other words, depending upon your income would be dependent on what you'd have to pay for that policy.&#160; That policy would be available to everybody above the poverty line.&#160; People at the poverty line would be covered by Medicaid--that's a federal program that the state participates in.&#160; I wouldn't change that part of it.&#160; But it's for those uninsured Utahans above the poverty line, but not able to obtain insurance through their own employer.&#160; That basic coverage would be just that--it would be very basic.&#160; It would not have a lot of the things on it that people expect with insurance when they have expectation of full indemnity, in other words it covers everything.&#160; But that basic policy would provide a basic coverage for everyone to be able to afford</i>.</p><p dir="ltr">Sen. Valentine also endorses a collaborative effort between states and the federal government to expand access and reduce premium costs.&#160; While true to his conservative nature opposing mandates and "Canada-care," 2007 Valentine draws a stark contrast with the position of Gov. Herbert and many legislators expressed today.&#160; "The states can't go it alone," 2007 Valentine says, without hesitation.</p><p dir="ltr">Is the takeaway here that, uninsured be damned, a good idea is only a good idea if "our guy" is in the White House?&#160; If expanding Medicaid was a good idea in 2007, it's only a <i>better</i> idea in 2013 as costs have continued to more than triple in Utah.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:85:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2013/01/before-obamacare-utah-lawmakers-singing.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"2";}s:7:"summary";s:3969:"<p dir="ltr">Ran across an interview by KUED as part of their <i>Healthcare: Facing the Barriers</i> documentary.&#160; Contrast today's staunch opposition to Obamacare and the Medicaid expansion with <a href="http://www.kued.org/productions/healthcare/interviews/johnValentine.php">Sen</a><a href="http://www.kued.org/productions/healthcare/interviews/johnValentine.php">. John Valentine, 2007:</a></p><p dir="ltr"><i>By making it more affordable, you have a way to be able to get insurance.&#160; Let&#8217;s use an analogy of a car.&#160; Not everyone can afford an Expedition--a large SUV.&#160; But most people can afford a smaller car.&#160; If they can't afford a smaller car then perhaps they have to take public transit.&#160; Now some of us will go in and out of the various different systems.&#160; For example, I'll take my large SUV up to 106th South and get on tracks to go down to a Jazz game or go down to the Symphony or to go to Temple Square because it's more efficient to take that, it's faster oftentimes and I don't have to find a place to park.&#160; So you use various different aspects of the system based upon what is going to work for you on that particular day.&#160; Well healthcare can do the same thing.&#160; You can have a healthcare program that has a basic system and if you want to afford add-</i><i>ons</i><i>, you can buy the add-</i><i>ons</i><i>, but everyone should be able to afford a basic system--that's the view that Utah would like to put forward</i>.</p><p dir="ltr">The view 2007 Utah would like to put forward sounds a lot like a public option, and exactly like Romneycare in MA, a program Obamacare borrows heavily from especially regarding expanding access to reduce costs associated with a high number of uninsured.&nbsp; An idea 2007 Valentine also endorses: </p><p dir="ltr"><i>I would start with a basic policy that could be affordable for all Utahans.&#160; It would be a basic policy.&#160; It would not have a lot of the bells and whistles that we keep mandating to insurance carriers.&#160; On that basic policy, the premium on it would be means tested, in other words, depending upon your income would be dependent on what you'd have to pay for that policy.&#160; That policy would be available to everybody above the poverty line.&#160; People at the poverty line would be covered by Medicaid--that's a federal program that the state participates in.&#160; I wouldn't change that part of it.&#160; But it's for those uninsured Utahans above the poverty line, but not able to obtain insurance through their own employer.&#160; That basic coverage would be just that--it would be very basic.&#160; It would not have a lot of the things on it that people expect with insurance when they have expectation of full indemnity, in other words it covers everything.&#160; But that basic policy would provide a basic coverage for everyone to be able to afford</i>.</p><p dir="ltr">Sen. Valentine also endorses a collaborative effort between states and the federal government to expand access and reduce premium costs.&#160; While true to his conservative nature opposing mandates and "Canada-care," 2007 Valentine draws a stark contrast with the position of Gov. Herbert and many legislators expressed today.&#160; "The states can't go it alone," 2007 Valentine says, without hesitation.</p><p dir="ltr">Is the takeaway here that, uninsured be damned, a good idea is only a good idea if "our guy" is in the White House?&#160; If expanding Medicaid was a good idea in 2007, it's only a <i>better</i> idea in 2013 as costs have continued to more than triple in Utah.</p><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1357689840;}i:23;a:11:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-8299852106721593703";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Wed, 28 Nov 2012 18:30:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2012-11-28T11:30:51.530-07:00";}s:8:"category";s:33:"income inequalityMiddle ClassUtah";s:5:"title";s:19:"Utah's Lost Decade ";s:11:"description";s:1055:"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hIGiGUBin94/ULZXvJ2IbCI/AAAAAAAAEXw/S7NeanXOi9c/s1600/UtahLostDecade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hIGiGUBin94/ULZXvJ2IbCI/AAAAAAAAEXw/S7NeanXOi9c/s400/UtahLostDecade.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&amp;id=3860" target="_blank">(Source)</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:63:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2012/11/utahs-lost-decade.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"1";}s:7:"summary";s:1055:"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hIGiGUBin94/ULZXvJ2IbCI/AAAAAAAAEXw/S7NeanXOi9c/s1600/UtahLostDecade.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hIGiGUBin94/ULZXvJ2IbCI/AAAAAAAAEXw/S7NeanXOi9c/s400/UtahLostDecade.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&amp;id=3860" target="_blank">(Source)</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1354127400;}i:24;a:11:{s:4:"guid";s:58:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773.post-4373917817987589372";s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Fri, 28 Sep 2012 18:59:00 +0000";s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:7:"updated";s:29:"2012-09-28T11:59:24.009-07:00";}s:8:"category";s:21:"Election 2012GOPRINOs";s:5:"title";s:25:"The worst of both worlds.";s:11:"description";s:1868:"<div><p>I'm sure this RINO making all this hoity-toity smart sounding talk is soon to be purged and sanitized.&#160; Still, <a href="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/is-the-gop-still-a-national-party/">smart</a>:</p><p><i>I&#8217;m not the biggest fan of Eisenhower or Nixon, but they (and Reagan) are clearly preferable to this post-Reagan Republican Party. Those presidents won national majorities for a reason. They weren&#8217;t strict conservatives, but they certainly weren&#8217;t any less conservative than the Bushes, McCain, or Romney. They didn&#8217;t pretend they were going to abolish the welfare state &#8212; often, they didn&#8217;t even pretend they would cut the welfare state &#8212; unlike so many of today&#8217;s Republicans, who don&#8217;t follow through but do use their rhetoric to polarize. That gives us the worst of both worlds: big government plus the delusional sense within one party that it represents the antithesis of big government and may freely hate other Americans who don&#8217;t mouth the mantra. And what goes for big government goes for Judeo-Christian values, a strong national defense, and all the rest: the GOP&#8217;s rhetoric occupies a separate mental compartment from its actions, even as its voters and ideological apologists continue to believe that there is a profound moral difference between them and the rest of the country. It&#8217;s a losing strategy, and worse, it&#8217;s made the country ungovernable even as government grows.</i></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:4:"link";s:70:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-worst-of-both-worlds.html";s:6:"author";s:31:"noreply@blogger.com (Jason The)";s:3:"thr";a:1:{s:5:"total";s:1:"0";}s:7:"summary";s:1868:"<div><p>I'm sure this RINO making all this hoity-toity smart sounding talk is soon to be purged and sanitized.&#160; Still, <a href="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/is-the-gop-still-a-national-party/">smart</a>:</p><p><i>I&#8217;m not the biggest fan of Eisenhower or Nixon, but they (and Reagan) are clearly preferable to this post-Reagan Republican Party. Those presidents won national majorities for a reason. They weren&#8217;t strict conservatives, but they certainly weren&#8217;t any less conservative than the Bushes, McCain, or Romney. They didn&#8217;t pretend they were going to abolish the welfare state &#8212; often, they didn&#8217;t even pretend they would cut the welfare state &#8212; unlike so many of today&#8217;s Republicans, who don&#8217;t follow through but do use their rhetoric to polarize. That gives us the worst of both worlds: big government plus the delusional sense within one party that it represents the antithesis of big government and may freely hate other Americans who don&#8217;t mouth the mantra. And what goes for big government goes for Judeo-Christian values, a strong national defense, and all the rest: the GOP&#8217;s rhetoric occupies a separate mental compartment from its actions, even as its voters and ideological apologists continue to believe that there is a profound moral difference between them and the rest of the country. It&#8217;s a losing strategy, and worse, it&#8217;s made the country ungovernable even as government grows.</i></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">____________________________________________________
<p><!--freepress.net link--->
<a href="http://www.freepress.net/" target="_blank">
<img border="0" width="468" alt="media is the issue: www.freepress.net" src="http://www.freepress.net/files/468x80-red.gif" height="60"/></a>
<!--end freepress.net link--></p></div>";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1348858740;}}s:7:"channel";a:10:{s:4:"atom";a:1:{s:2:"id";s:33:"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8993773";}s:13:"lastbuilddate";s:31:"Thu, 10 Jan 2019 04:11:03 +0000";s:8:"category";s:25796:"Campaign 2008Barack ObamaBat-Shit RepublicansIraq WarJohn McCainGeorge W. BushHealth Care ReformFISAGOPPresident 2008Warrantless WiretapsUtah PoliticsSarah PalinstimulusJim MathesonGovernment SurveillanceMainstream MediaDemocratic MajorityUtah LegislatureTelecom ImmunityNet Neutralityscreaming tea-baggersEconomicsFox NewsHillary ClintonRacismBlue DogsJournamalism2010 MidtermFake NewsTea BaggingDemocratic Party of UtahMark ShurtleffMitt RomneyPrimary ElectionsEconomyForeign PolicyRetro-Active ImmunitySchool VouchersChris ButtarsIranImmigrationProgressive MovementChris CannonOrrin HatchHealth CareRob BishopBloggersGlobal WarmingU.S. Senate110th CongressBailoutsDOJMediapublic optionBush DogsWar on TerrorwingnutsBroadbandDick CheneyFCCIraqJM BellMorgan BowenTortureClimate ChangeConstitutionDemocratic PartyPolitics and TechnologyBob BennettGlenn BeckLiberal IdentityRudy GiulianiYouTube'08 ElectionBipartisan BullshitCivil RightsEconomic InequalityGlenn GreenwaldGrass RootsOnline Journalismtax policyAlberto GonzalesGOP War MongersGary HerbertOpen GovernmentPaul KrugmanPeter CorroonRNCReligious Nut CasesDNC ConventionDebateFree MarketKVNU's For The PeopleLobbyistsMedia ConsolidationNewspapersRocky AndersonStandard ExaminerTroop WithdrawalUS SenateUtahCampaign ContributionsChris DoddCongressDNCEducated VotersGay MarriageGoogleJason ChaffetzLies and The Lying LiarsReligious RightRight-Wing Noise Machinepolitical discourseActBlueHarry ReidOffshore DrillingOnline FundraisingPolitical IdentityPolitical RealignmentProgressive IdentityTwitterUS EconomyUtah Bloggers2010 Utah LegislatureEthics ReformEzra KleinHistoryIdeologyIllegal ImmigrantsMichele BachmannPropagandaState BudgetsWhite Houseeconomic meltdownwingnut propagandaAfghanistanCable NewsCarl WimmerFundraisingGOP Temper TantrumHabeas CorpusMichael SteeleMilitaryMoveOn.OrgRichard NixonSean HannitySurgeSutherland InstituteTax DollarsThe Senate Sitehoward dean111th Congress2012GuantanamoLocal RadioMedia LapdogsOpenLeftTerrorismUtah CandidatesXenophobia9/11Bill O'ReillyBush LegacyFederal BudgetGas PricesJoe LiebermanNational SecurityPentagonRNC ConventionRepuclicansRon PaulScientific ResearchThe Utah AmicusWar FundingWashinton Postfaux newsACLUBig OilBigotryComcastFear CampaignsLocal NewsOnline ResourcesPlanned ParenthoodPollsPunditryRush Limbaughprop 8recession2010 UT Gov50 State StrategyBad PolicyCaliforniaCongressional OversightFederal DeficitGayle RuzickaInsurance CompaniesJohn BoehnerJohn EdwardsJournalistsMedicareMisinformationNancy PelosiNewt GingrichOil PricesPolitical ActivismReligionRepublican PartyRepuclican PartyRonald ReaganSalt Lake TribuneSmear CampaignsSocialismSundance Film FestivalTelCo'sUniversal Health CareUtah Democratsgay rightsAT+TActivist ToolsAttorney GeneralBill ClintonCorporate BailoutsDavid SirotaEarmarksEmailsEnergy CrisisFiscal ResponsibilityGreen EnergyImmigration ReformKarl RoveMark TownerMike HuckabeeParanoid Conspiracy TheoryPig SexPodcastsPopulismShale OilUnemploymentUnion WorkersUtah GOPWayne Hollandcivic engagementfilibustermedia reformBennion SpencerBlackwaterBush/McCain SurgeCampaign AdsCitizen ActivistsConservative AmericaDemocracy for AmericaEndorsementsEnergy SolutionsEnvironmentalismExecutive PowerFailed LeadershipGovernment SpendingMitch McConnellMittensNational DialogNew MediaPublic DiscoursePublic OpinionSave The InternetState Blogger CorpsSupreme CourtSwift BoatThe InterTubesTodd TaylorTransparencyUtah Republican PartyVietnamYoung Votersal-Quaedaanti-tax moronsfederal spendinglive bloggingonline activismsocial mediavoter registrationAbortionAl FrankenBlog FightBlogger EthicsCIACNNCandidatesCherilyn EagerChildren in PoliticsChildren on the InternetCivil WarCredit IndustryDeath PanelsDeregulationDeseret NewsDumb IdeasExecutive PrivilegeFact-CheckingFannie and FreddieFred ThompsonGOP IrrelevanceGeneral PetraeusGerrymanderGovernment TransparencyGreen JobsImpeachmentJim DemintJob MarketJon Huntsman Jr.MandateMike LeeMilitary VeteransModerateMormonsMortgage CrisisNSANew York TimesPakistanPatriot ActPrivatizationProgagandaReagonomicsRestore the Rule of LawSCHIPSam GranatoSmall Government RepublicansSocial SecuritySoutherning of the GOPState LegislatureTalk RadioTechnologyVoter SuppressionWall Street JournalWithdrawal Timelinehypocrisyjohn kerrymitt-flopsex education100 Years in Iraq2011 Utah LegislatureACORNAccountabilityAggressive MessagingAlcohol LawsBLMBig Brother is WatchingBobby JindalBorder FenceCache ValleyCampaign '12Campaign ReformCivil DisobedienceCompassionate ConservativesCongressional ElectionsDemocracyDepression 2.0DiplomacyDonald RumsfeldEPAEagle FoumElectoral CollegeEqualityEric CantorEthicsFOIAFamily ValuesGRAMAGitmoGreg CurtisHuman RightsI Threw Up In My Mouth A Little BitIPCCIncomeIntellectual ConservativesInternet LegislationJean HillJoe BidenJoe the PlumberJohn BoltonJohn ValentineJon SwiftLiberalismLibertarianLow-Information VotersMA-SenMax BaucusMedia HackeryMilitary ContractorsNOAAOgden MayorOil Company SubsidiesPCEParty of No (Ideas)Pervez MusharrafPoliticized DOJRenewable EnergyRep. Craig FrankRupert MurdochRuss FeingoldScienceSteve UrquhartStock MarketSubprime MortgagesTARPThe OnionTim KaineUT - 3Uneducated VotingUnionsUtah ElectionsUtah Governor 2010Utah ValuesVice PresidentWaddoupsWingnut PunditryWorking Conservative Majoritybad planningchangecommunicationcrazyeconomic recoveryiPhonemedia policytwo party systemwatchdogs of democracy'06 Election'07 ElectionAIGAbu GhraibAlternative EnergyAmy GoodmanArlen SpecterAstroturfBad IntelligenceBallot InitiativesBase VotersBlogger CivilityBooksBush Tax CutsCable TeeVeeCache DemocratsCartoonsCenter-LeftChinaChristianityChuck Freakin' NorrisCity Wi-FiCivil LibertiesCoalition BuildingCold War RhetoricComedy CentralCommunity OrganizationConservative HypocrisyCorporationsCubaDemocratic NomineeEarly VotingElectionsElectronic VotingFDRFreepressGOP agendaGetting OldGlen WarcholHank PaulsonHelen ThomasHendrik HertzbergInformed PublicInvestigative JournalismJames FallowsJaw-Dropping StupidKSLLawsuitsLeadershipLeft of the DialLiberalMichael MukaseyMichelle MalkinMiddle ClassMiddle EastMission AccomplishedMyDDNeo-Con MythologyNetroots NationNew OrleansOsama Bin LadenPaul RyanPew ResearchPolitics Can Be FunnyRaceRecord Voter TurnoutRedstateRegulationRoad Trip for Democracy 2008Robert GatesRobocallsSocial ConservativesSocialized MedicineSpeechifyingSpendingState RightsSwing VotersTPMThe Daily ShowThe Monkey CageTom DelayTownhall.comTrickle Down EconomicsUTOPIAUninformed VotersUtah CountyUtah VotersVapid DebateVerizonVoter FraudVoting ProblemsWall StreetWatergateWire-Tappinganti-government sentimentbanking industrychain emailscitizen journalismengaged publicfacebookindependent votersinvestigationsradioactive wasteredistrictingrob millertalking pointstax cutstea partieswireless broadbandwriter's strike'10 Election'12 election2009 Utah State Democratic Party Convention44538700 MHz Spectrum9/11 WorkersAction ItemAnn CoulterAnti-War ProtestsAss-HatAtriosBalance of PowerBeltway InsidersBill of RightsBushonomicsCBOCampaignCampaign EmailCampaignsCanadaCentristChildrens Health CareChris MatthewsChurch and StateCongressional VoteConservative RadioCulture WarsCurt BrambleDaily KosDana PerinoDavis County DemocratsDelegatesDennis KucinichDictatorshipDirty TricksDownticketEFCAEnergy PolicyEric HolderExtended ToursFECFTCFaux-LeadershipFlip FlopForeclosure CrisisFree PressFree SpeechGOTVGeraldo Rivera's MustacheGetting ItGlobalismGovernment ContractsGun ControlHardballHerbert HooverHigher EducationHomophobiaICE RaidsIndependent FilmJohn Conyers Jr.John YooLDS ChurchLaborLavar ChristensenLegislative PowerLimited Government My AssLindsey GrahamLyle HillyardMaliki GovernmentMatthew GodfreyMedia OwnershipMediamattersMilitary RecruitingMilitary SpendingMinute MenNPRNY-23Nate SilverNewshoundsNorm ColemanObamacareObstructionismOil DependencyOil LeasesOliver StoneParty AffiliationPatrick LeahyPatriotismPaul RosenbergPhil GrammPolarizationPolitcal SciencePolitical BurnoutPolitical GrandstandingPolitical NapalmPollPorkPrivacyPrivate ContractorsProtect America Act (2007)Racial InequalityRalph NaderRhetorical NonsenseRussiaSaddam HusseinSaintlessSatireSaudi-ArabiaSexismSeymour HershSickoSpinSpineStan LockhartSuper TuesdaySupply-Side EconomiceSupply-Side EconomicsSyriaTalibanTaxesTexasThe SideTrack StaffThink TanksTim BridgewaterTim PawlentyUT - 1UninsuredUs or ThemUtah Senate CandidatesUtan's For Public SchoolsWMD DebateWMDsWTFWar on ChristmasWes ClarkWhite House Press Corp.Wireless TechnologyWomen in PoliticsWorst President EverYouth to PowerZombie Apocalypseangry mobsbad legislationbad pollingcognitive dissonenceconventional wisdomcorruptiondeficitsdirty hippiesextremistsexxonfair boundariesfinancial marketframing the debatehollyonthehillideologueslocal activismmargaret daytonmedicaidmuslimspayday loanspolitcal activistspresidential candidatesregional partytaxationwar crimeswgayouth vote$13 Million109th Congress20092010 Senate9/11 CommissionAFL-CIOActivist JudgesAhmadinejadAl GoreAl QaidaAlan GraysonAlan GreenspanAmerican SolutionsArabsAssociated PressBYUBarry GoldwaterBenchmarksBig Tent DemocratBill MaherBill MoyersBirthersBlanche LincolnBloggers Day OffBlogpacBoredomBottled WaterBraveNewFilmsBrookings InstituteCAPCBSCPACCampaign PloysCampaing ContributionsCandidate RecruitmentCapitalism Run AmockCaptured By RobotsCensorshipCharles WilsonChristian CoalitionChristopher StoutClean CoalCollective ThinkingColoradoColumnsCondoleezza RiceConflicts of InterestConservative DemocratsConsumerismCool ToysCoolestFamilyEverCorporate Accountability InternationalCounter-InsurgencyCrimeCronyismDCCDINOsDLCDRMData MiningDave ClarkDave Matthews BandDavid BrooksDavid PlouffeDeficitDemocracy NowDemocracy for America TrainingDemocratic AgendaDemocratic ConventionDemocratic StrategyDenverDepartment of DefenseDigbyDrill Baby DrillEFFEarth WeekEducationElection PredictionsElectoral VoteElectorateElizabeth WarrenElliot SpitzerEquality UtahEvolutionExperienceFEMAFascismFemale BloggersField OfficesField OrganizersFora TVFossil FuelsFox 13Fox AlertsFrank LuntzFrank RIchFrank StaheliFreedomGDPGMGRAMA Work GroupGeorge WillGeorgiaGoogle World DominationGovernment 2.0Government ReformGreg HughesHR 811Habeas Corpus Restoration ActHannity and ColmesHarold Ford JrHarriet MiersHelen LovejoyHillbilliesHitlerHow Would a Patriot ActHuffington PostHuman EventsIdahoIndependent MediaInflationInside Utah PoliticsIowa CaucusIraq War CompromiseJay RockefellerJerome CorsiJerry FalwellJoe KleinJohn DeanJonah GoldbergJoseph StiglitzKen PollackKen StarrKennedyLA TimesLDSLeftMSNBCMark UdallMatt StollerMeet The PressMichael MooreMichael O'HanlonMike McConnellMilitary BloggersMilitary PoliticizationMonopoliesMontanaMoral MajorityMotherJonesMuppetsMusic DownloadingNRONYT Op-EdNation BuildingNational Security AgencyNationalized BanksNeil CavutoNetrootsNetroots Nation 09New DemocratsNuclear EnrichmentNuclear TreatyNuclear WasteOPECOgdenOrganizing for AmericaPR CampaignsPTAPanopticonPat RobertsonPatrick ByrnePaul MeroPhony SoldiersPolice StatePolitical JunkiePolitical VideosPoliticized MilitaryPop Culture and PoliticsPopular VotePresidential DebatesPresidential VetoProPublicaProject for Excellence in JournalismPublic ForumsPublic PolicyPublic TransitPush PollsRESTORE Act (2007)Rachel MaddowRadio DiversityRalph BeckerRevenge PostingRick DavisRick KoerberRick PerryRules and BylawsRural VotersSCOTUSSUMPSalonSalt Lake City MayorSam SederScience vs. ReligionScooter LibbySen. Howard StephensonShoe FlingingSlippery Slope ArgumentsSocial Norms and MoresSpy ProgramState PollingState of the UnionStop LossStuds TerkelStupid Legislative ActsSunlight FoundationSusan Van HooserTABORTAPTVTaking on the SystemTea Party ConventionTed KennedyTed StevensTelevisionTerror AlertThe Colbert ReportThe NationThe New YorkerTim RussertTom GroverTom TancredoUDOTUS AmbassadorUT CongressUncharged DetaineesUndisclosed Location BloggingUnited NationsUnityUtah DelegationUtah EconomyUtah NewsUtah for ObamaValerie PlameValue Voters SummitVetoVote BuyingVoteVet.OrgWashington DCWebcastWeber CountyWeird ShitWhite House CabinetWhite House Web PageWussy DemocratsXmissionabstinence onlyauto industrybackfillingbad votesbalance budget amendmentsbit-torrentbloggingheads.tvcampaign financecanvassingcap and tradecarbon taxcivil unionsclarence thomasclassified informationclimate billclimate scienceconservativismdeniersdrug policydrug ware-Governmentelections have consequencesevan bayhfaux outragefiscal policygallupgatekeepershb477hiphophostage takinginaugurationincome inequalityinfrastructure spendinginnovationlunatice fringemanufactured suffragemarijuanamilitary planningnasanational parksnationalismnominationsolympia snoweparadoxes of the presidencyparty brandingpolicy discussionspolitical humorprogressive agendaprogressive caucusrepresentationrevenuesea levelssecessionsenator dan liljenquistsharon anglesocial networkingspacespecial electionsspending cutsspinelessnessstate chair racetax daytax the richtea leavesthird party votingtownhallsundocumented immigrantsvillage idiotsvoter identificationwhistleblowerswonkishness"Dream Ticket""Law of Parties"$1'00 election(Ig)Nobel Awards000000 War100 Days10th Amendment112 Congress19942000 Census2006 Midterm2010 census20112nd Ammendment4th Amendment50 state blogs60 Minutes82nd Airborne Division9/12ersA La Carte CableA Tragic LegacyABCAEIAMTATKAdam GreggAdbustersAerospaceAir AmericaAir ForceAir QualityAlan SmithAlliant Techsystems Inc.Almananc of American PoliticsAmerican Cancer SocietyAmerican FamilyAmerican Family AssociationAnonymous CommentersAnonymous HoldsAnti-Smoking CrusadeAntonio TagubaAppleAresArizonaArizona Daily StarArizona Immigration LawArmsArmy InvestigationAspirinAttack AdsAttention Deficit DisorderAxelrodAyersB-52BAEBBC NewsBaghdadBay of PigsBeat Up 5 Year OldsBen BernankeBen McAdamsBetty SawyerBetty WhiteBill KovachBill KristolBill RichardsonBill RitterBlogger BriefingBlue MajorityBlue in Red ZionBlurring the IssuesBob SpringmeyerBob WoodwardBob's Lucky Cornflake AdventureBobby KennedyBoeingBogginheads.tvBoiled Frog MadnessBonoBoo HooBooks For BurmaBox Elder CountyBrad DawBrarack ObamaBrent BozellBribesBridge to NowhereBroaBugBullshitBureau of JusticeBurmaBurmese ActivistsBush Official ProsecutionsCBCCEOsCP80 ResolutionCache Valley IlluminatiCampaign 1972Campaign 2004Campaign CodeCampaign StaffCampingCapital PunishmentCapitalismCapitulationCass SunsteinCatfood CommissionCatfood Commission IICensus BureauCensus DataCenterChange.govCharityChartsChevronChief Performance OfficerChristine O'DonnellCitizen Whip CountClaire McCaskillClarion FundClaudia WrightClear ChannelClimate deniersClintonCoalition of the WillingColin PowellCollege DemocratsColumnists. Recommended ReadingComa Inducing PunditsComedyCommon CauseCongress MattersCongressional AddressCongressman BishopCongressman ChaffetzConnecticut for LeibermanConstitution PartyConsumer ConfidenceCooler than JesusCorporate TakeoverCorrespondents DinnerCounty ChairsCracked.comCraig AxfordCrashing the GatesCreation MuseumCricutCruelty to AnimalsCultural PhenomenonCurtis HaringCyrus NowrastehDCIDFA WirelessDHSDKR2K PollsDMVDOMADarfurDave BuhlerDavid AxelrodDavid BowieDavid DaydenDavid ShusterDavis County ClipperDead TreesDean SingletonDebbie StabenowDemocratic PresidentDemocrats with GutsDemographicsDennis MillerDenver PostDepartment of InteriorDepeche ModeDiary Rescue VolunteersDick DurbinDirect TargetingDivisive PoliticsDo Not Call RegistryDollars for VotesDolphinsDoug GibsonDoug HoffmanDraftDraw Poker PoliticsDylan's FriendsEarth DayEconomic Policy InstituteEditors and PublishersEisinhower RepublicansElection 2004Election 2012Electrical PowerElitistElizabeth EdwardsEllis/Walker InvestigationElvisEmergency ResponseEmissionsEmpireEmployee Free Choice ActEmploymentEnid GreeneEthanolExecutive OrderExit PollsExtremeEzekial EmmanuelFBIFLickrFanatic SupportersFareed ZakariaFear and Loathing in Las VegasFederal DelegationFederal JudgeFederal ReserveFederalismFight SMA.orgFireflyFishingFive Brothers BlogFlag PinsForced PatriotismFox AttackersFree PuppyFundamentalismG. Gordon LiddyGAO ReportsGPS trackingGary TraunerGay BombGazaGeeksGender and PoliticsGeneration SimpsonsGeorge J. TerwilligerGeorge McGovernGeorge SorosGeorge TenetGeorge Washington UniveristyGet Out the VoteGiftsGlue EatersGoogle Power MeterGotta Bridge I Want To Sell YaGov. SwhweitzerGovernment AideGovernment In The BedroomGrassrootsGreen TechnologyGreg BellGusterHB150HR 6304HalliburtonHamasHarmonica ArmyHealt Care ExchangesHealth Care CostsHeartland InstituteHeckuva JobHeritage FoundationHerman CainHezbollahHoping for FailureHot Air BlogHot-TubbingHouse Bill 139HousingHousing BubbleHoward ZinnHumane SocietyHunter S ThompsonHuntingIOU BudgetingIRSIllegal GamblingImperialismIncompetenceIndiaInfantile DenialInsomniaInstaputzInterrogationInvestors Business DailyIran ElectionsIran ProtestsIran-ContraIraq ReportIrrelevanceIslamIsraelJack AbramoffJames DobsonJames GalbraithJean SchmidtJeff MerkleyJeremiah WrightJerry BrownJesusJimmy McMillanJobsJoe CannonJoe DulinJoe SestakJohn AshcroftJohn BatisteJohn Birch SocietyJohn CusackJohn LennonJohn MurthaJohn Paul StevensJohn WayneJon StewartJonathan AlterJoss WhedonJuan WilliamsJuly 4thKALL 700KCPWKVNUKaganKaiser FoundationKaren HaleKathy SnyderKeating FiveKeepin it realKeith OlbermannKen SalazarKenneth FosterKerry GibsonKiller TomatosKim BurninghamKingsbury HallLaffer CurveLapel PinsLarry H MillerLas VegasLate Night VisitsLawyersLegal Defense for LegislatorsLegaleseLegendary Porch PoundersLegislative ProstitutionLeon PanettaLetters To The EditorLiberal Activist JudgesLibrary of CongressLilly LedbetterLipstick on a PigLobbying Reform BillLondon TimesLong BillsLouisianaLurkersMIsinformer of the YearMLKMPAAMagic Valley MormonMaher ArarMargin of ErrorMaria CantwellMark SanfordMarkos MoulitsasMarshall ThompsonMartial LawMartin Luther KingMatt DrudgeMax BlumenthalMcCarthyismMcClatchyMechanism Design TheoryMedia Research CenterMetered BroadbandMichael BrownMichael ChertoffMichael J FoxMichael MedvedMichael SavageMichelle ObamaMicro-ManagingMike NoelMike O'HanlonMilitant ProgressivesMilitary Commisions ActMinnesotaMobile CommunicationsMobilizationMobsMoqtada SadrMorgan PhilpotMorons with GunsMountain WestMovie IndustryMr. Seventeen PercentMuqtada al-SadrMuth of 60My Brain HurtsMyth of 60MythsNBCNIENRANYC FirefightersNYGovNational DebtNational GuardNational ReviewNazi GermanyNetroots Nation 10New DealNews Corp.Nick LampsonNoam ChomskyNobel PrizeNorth KoreaNuclear EnergyNuclear MissilesOFA UTOH - 6Obama Derangement SyndromeOccupy Wall StreetOffice of AdministrationOffice of Pulic EngagementOil SubsidiesOn WatchOopsOptimismOpusOregonOutrageOversightPBSPFAWPOWPTSDPalestinePanhandlersParent's Television CouncilParowan ProphetParty BuilderParty PurgePassing JudgementPat BoonePath to 9/11Patraeus ReportPaul ClementPeace and Human RightsPeople For The American WayPeople For Wet WaterPepsiPerptetual CampaignPeta Still SucksPete AshdownPeter BeinartPetitionsPhone ServicePissed OffPittsburghPolitcal AdsPolitcal LabelsPolitical BeliefsPolitical PositioningPolitics in SchoolPollsterPolygamyPostal ServicePowerpoint On TerrorPragmatismPresident ElectPresidential Records ActPresidents Advance ManualPress ReleasePress ReleasesPretend DemocratsPrince BandarPrison LaborPro Forma SessionsPro-Choice Film SeriesProgressProject VoteProvidence UTPseudosciencePublic BroadcastingPublic HysteriaPublic InquiryPulitzer PrizeR2-D2RIAARINOsRadicalismRalph YarroRandy SharpRank LawsuitRasmussenRawstoryRe-VotesReal AmericaReal IDReal NewsRecess AppointmentsRecovery Act 2009Recovery and Reinvestment ActRedundant MessagingReid-FeingoldReligious LeftRep GarnRep. Jason Chaffetz's billRep. Sheryl AllenRep. Stephen SandstromRep. Steve KingReproductive RightsRepublican GrandstandingRepublican ResponseResponsible PlanRevolving DoorRic O'BarryRich White PeopleRick SanchezRobert DuncanRobert GreenwaldRobert RedfordRobert WexlerRobin Hood TaxRock The NetRocky vs HannityRoe v. WadeRosie O'DonnellRoss PerotRove DogsRoy InnisRule of LawRyan GrimmRyan YonkS and PSB81SEIUSMASNPSOTUSUVsSalt Lake CountySam Weller BooksSaxby ChamblissSchool BoardSchool of Political ManagementScott MclellanScott ParkerSean ConnerySen. Jeff MerkleySenate Finance CommitteeSenate rulesSeparation of Church and StateSeparation of PowersSeriously?She Should RunShe Turned Me Into a NewtSheldon KillpackShellSheryl AllenShock JournalismShouting It Doesn't Make It TrueSierra ClubSilly ParentsSinking ShipSite ManagementSith LordsSlow News DaySmackdownSnopesSocialized InsuranceSotomayorSpecial CommentSpecial OlympicsSpencer AckermanSpiro AgnewSpoonSports IllustratedSquidooStan GreenbergStanley CupStarbucksStem Cell ResearchStephen SandstromSteve ForbesSteve KingSteve OlsenStrait of Hormuz IncidentSturgisSub-prime lendingSubpoenasSundance 2009Sundance 2010Sunday Talking HeadsSunni militiasSuper CommitteeSuper DellSupporters Gone WildTCOTTagsTaiji JapanTal AfarTeacher CertificationTechno-Libertarian HippiesTed NugentTed OlsonTemper TantrumsTent CitiesTerrorist BustersThanksgivingThe AgonistThe Assault On ReasonThe AtlanticThe BeatlesThe CoveThe CureThe ExorcistThe NaughtsThe Nixon TapesThe PandererThe PopeThe SpeechThe SunThe ToneThe TubesThe UprisingThe Wonk RoomTheocracyThey Took Our JobsThings That Piss Me OffThomas FrankTicket Purchase FiascoTime MagazineTimothy GeitnerTin Foil HatsTobacco-ControlTodd Nuke 'EmTodd WeilerToleranceTom BarberiTom BrokawTom FriedmanTony BlairTower TheaterTradeTraditional Jumbotron KissesTreasury DeptTroopergateTroopsTruth-O-MeterTucker CarlsonUEGUFO SightingsUS reputationUT/DC BillUgly PolitickingUnited KingdonUniversal Music GroupUtah CompactUtah Constitutional Defence of Marraige AllianceUtah EnergyUtah House CandidatesUtah PhillipsUtah RadioUtah State LegislatureUtah Supreme CourtUtah first congressional districtUtah mediaV for VendettaVNR'sVPValentines DayVaticanVictory SpeechesVirtual CongressVoteVote AuctioneeringVote BuilderVoteVets.orgVoter IDWCAWSU SignpostWWIIWaPo Op-EdWagesWalmartWar Inc.Washington PostWashington TimesWaxman-MarkleyWayne Allen RootWeber County DemocratsWestern Business RoundtableWhat I'm ReadingWhat's My Blog RatedWhite House DocumentsWhite House Press ReleasesWhite SupremacistsWikioWilliam BuckleyWilliam FriedkinWind PowerWired for ChangeWomen's Campaign ForumWrightX96You call this a planZogbyZoning Rulesaarpabstenance onlyabuse of powerack Obamaadults in chargeal a carte newsanthony weineranti-semitismapproval ratingsausterityballoon juicebankruptcybanned books weekbirth controlbirthright citizenshipblackmailblogosphereblue collarbook banningbrad delongcampaign coveragecampaign organizingcampus organizingcarpetbaggercartoon porncharlie christcheap shotschilli's the barclean energycloningclotureclub for growthco-op insuranceco2coffee shop wisdomcomic booksconference callscongressional indictmentsconservademsconservapediaconservative talking pointsconstitutional amendmentsconventionscopyrightscorporate influencecorporate personhoodcorporate welfarecounty partiescrooks and liarscspandarcy burnerdean bakerdeath threatsdebt ceilingdeficit hand-wringersdemocracy corpsdigital due processdirty dealsdistrationsdistrictingdomestic partnershipsdonationsdrinking waterdrunken hubrisduck and coverdui arrestsdumbing it downeditorial bullshitendagered speciesentertainment industryenthusiasm gapentitlement programsenvironmental lawsuitseric massaescalationeuropean unionexit strategyexpanding desertsfair and balancedfair usefaithfake outragefalse indignationfaux-controversyfinancial reformfinancial regulationfiredoglakeflat taxfocus on the familyfood productionfringefund raisergag ordersgas drillingglobalizationgoogle public policygov 2.0government secrecygreenhouse gaseshate crimes legilsationheadline failhealth care law suitshigh techhopehubrishurricanesiPods for VotesiTunesiconsideological purity testsintel agenciesinvestorsissue adsjack thompsonjane harmanjerome armstrongjob creationjob growthjobs reportjohn dougallkarmallearninglikely voterslocal newspapersloralee's looney tunesmaking shit upmanufacturingmarketingmathew yglesiasmedia literacymediocritymelting icecapsmichael phelpsmilitary budgetmilitary inquiriesminority partymiranda rightsmunicipal electionsnational broadband strategynativismnews cyclesnewsmaxnewsweeknot backing downnot getting itobscenityoil spillsonline privacyopposition researchorganic and localout of touchoutsourcingoverloadpanderingparty identityparty leadershipparty volunteerspension reformspiratesplush toysplutocracypointless protestspolar ice capspolicy wonkspolitical bloggingpolitical sciencepoliticized intelligenceponzi schemespopularitypopulist my asspovertypress conferenceprint newsprobability theoryprogressive narrativeprojectionspsychology and politicspublic commentpublic servicespublic spendingrahm emanuelrecords requestsresignationsreward good behaviorrhetorical bandwagonsric cantrellroadsrole of governmentsscott brownsecret ballotssecular nationself funded candidatesshut itsingle payersmall Donorssmcofcvsmugnesssoapbloxsomaliasound bytesspace shuttlespecial prosecutorsspeculatorsstate partiesstate secretsstates rightsstrange headlinesstrategy failstrip miningsubscription newssubsidiessuper majoritysuperdelegatessustainabletabloid newstax havenestenthersthe Travelerthe great depressionthomas friedmantim dechristophertoken liberaltort reformtoxic debttracking policytruth commissionstuitiontweet uput-2utah taxpayer associationviolencewaaaaaaawasatch watcherweather not climateweb adswedge issuewelfarewestern stateswhite collarwho edit's these thingswikileakswildernesswingutswisconsinworker rightszion curtain";s:5:"title";s:13:"The SideTrack";s:11:"description";s:49:"Blurring the Line Between Information and Yelling";s:4:"link";s:33:"http://thesidetrack.blogspot.com/";s:14:"managingeditor";s:29:"noreply@blogger.com (craig41)";s:9:"generator";s:7:"Blogger";s:10:"opensearch";a:3:{s:12:"totalresults";s:4:"2417";s:10:"startindex";s:1:"1";s:12:"itemsperpage";s:2:"25";}s:7:"tagline";s:49:"Blurring the Line Between Information and Yelling";}s:9:"textinput";a:0:{}s:5:"image";a:0:{}s:9:"feed_type";s:3:"RSS";s:12:"feed_version";s:3:"2.0";s:8:"encoding";s:5:"UTF-8";s:16:"_source_encoding";s:0:"";s:5:"ERROR";s:0:"";s:7:"WARNING";s:0:"";s:19:"_CONTENT_CONSTRUCTS";a:6:{i:0;s:7:"content";i:1;s:7:"summary";i:2;s:4:"info";i:3;s:5:"title";i:4;s:7:"tagline";i:5;s:9:"copyright";}s:16:"_KNOWN_ENCODINGS";a:3:{i:0;s:5:"UTF-8";i:1;s:8:"US-ASCII";i:2;s:10:"ISO-8859-1";}s:5:"stack";a:0:{}s:9:"inchannel";b:0;s:6:"initem";b:0;s:9:"incontent";b:0;s:11:"intextinput";b:0;s:7:"inimage";b:0;s:17:"current_namespace";b:0;s:4:"etag";s:70:"W/"e0c69aafb9934ed4b850724f213bd1b8ae6d682602c5eb884955f86c887d9337"
";s:13:"last_modified";s:31:"Thu, 10 Jan 2019 04:11:03 GMT
";}