Search query: utah

Driving around Lake Tahoe communities you see snow piled up everywhere.  Ten, twenty foot high mountains of snow that have been pushed off of streets, parking lots and driveways.  Snow is plentiful this season, which has not been the case for the past three winters when disappointing amounts of powder have led to water shortages throughout the state. The snow is so good this year that record numbers of skiers are braving chain controls and black ice to reach Tahoe area ski resorts for the chanc

In 1995, Congress addressed this issue with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, sponsored by Republican Senator Kempthorne of Indiana and signed into law by Democratic President Bill Clinton.  The purpose of the bill was “to curb the practice of imposing unfunded Federal mandates on States and local governments..." and "to end the imposition, in the absence of full consideration by Congress, of Federal mandates on State, local, and tribal governments…”  The problem: the Act so narrowly defined wha

Corporate America embraces Earth Day for its symbolism, but California’s ski industry takes its role in the protection of our planet far more seriously.  Why?  Because bumps along the Earth’s surface create their product; therefore, stewardship of the planet’s environment makes good business sense. Following a series of water quality issues in the Sierras over the past decade that brought public criticism and steep fines to the industry, an effort was undertaken by a consortium of ski resorts,

In a tart response to the Proposition 8 controversy, writer and web manager John Marcotte has made a tongue in cheek effort to encourage Californians in taking all measures to protect marriage, including outlawing divorce in California. He is currently gathering signatures outside of California's Walmarts, hoping that the same logic of protecting marriage will extend to support his initiative. While it is unclear whether Mr. Marcotte’s efforts are serious in nature, Californians have to approve

Legislators who want to be true leaders should follow the example of Sen.Abel Maldonado and not only refuse pay raises any time the state's ina deficit, but also agree to cut their pay immediately. Of allthe demands from all the Republicans in all the California Legislature, this onesounds so imminently sensible that it should happen even if it doesn't make itinto the final budget legislation, assuming the state some day reaches thatpoint. That'snot proposed as a form of punishment, because wo

Like a spare peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the California government has spread itself too thin. That is where the similarities stop, as the aforementioned sandwich is a much more delightful subject than the state government, which appeared to be twiddling its thumbs while February 1 approached. Yes, February 1, 2009: the boogey day, named by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as that magic point at which the state will basically be broke… not that the state wasn’t already heading that way, any

Around this time of the year, there are several seasons that come to mind, like the holiday season, the football season or even winter vegetables.  But thanks to resourceful party planners for our beloved state legislators, we now renew the time-honored tradition of the fundraising season. Both parties spent tens of million of dollars generated by contributions to defend an incumbent seat or gain a new one in June and November.  Of the 100 races in the Assembly and Senate, only a handful of con