Category Archives: Blog

Thought jewels from Washington, D.C.

Originally published in the Deseret News.

I’ve been fortunate this week to spend time in Washington, D.C.. with a delegation of community leaders from the Salt Lake Chamber. The Chamber puts on an amazing program, including face time with each member of the Utah congressional delegation, Gov. Gary Herbert, cybersecurity experts, the speaker of the House, prominent senators, and a leading pollster. There were several thought jewels shared for those interested in politics and public policy. I thought I’d share a few.
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A plea for bridges not a wall

    Originally published in the Deseret News.

    I have a vivid memory of my first visit to the D-Day beaches on the coast of France. The white tombstones at the American cemetery, the bombed-out and pitted grassy hills of the Pointe du Hoc, and the quiet waves rushing ashore at Omaha Beach created a powerful sense of patriotism and national identity for me. I have never been so proud to be an American.

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Adapting to the future

Originally published in Utah Business.

I recently attended Sen. Mike Lee’s Utah Solutions Summit. The focus was Utah’s workforce and economy. The program not only included a who’s who of education, business and economic leaders, but keynote presentations by Indiana governor and Donald Trump running mate Mike Pence, and former presidential candidate Carly Fiorina. I left the conference thinking about the Utah economy and Utah’s future and want to share a few thoughts.
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Make gentle the life of this world

Originally published in Utah Business.

My husband and I ride our bikes together along the Jordan River Parkway several times a week. We love cycling because you see and feel things in a different way. The Wasatch Range, sunsets, wildlife, and other details feel closer and more real. There is a depth of feeling that you just can’t find when you are behind a windshield or on a city street.
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Rio 2016: Learning from the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games

Originally published in Utah Business.

Hosting the Olympic Games is not for the faint of heart. The spotlight is bright, the logistics are complicated, and the cost is substantial.

Nobody knows this better than Rio de Janeiro, the host for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The Rio Olympics have been beset by extraordinary challenges, including the Zika virus, doping scandals, serious crime, environmental problems, political mayhem, and the nation’s worst recession since the 1930s.
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Drift v. Mastery: Finding a path forward in difficult times

Originally published in Utah Business.

The American intellectual Walter Lippmann warned in 1914 that the United States had entered a period of drift. He recognized rapidly changing forces in society and suggested the country should address tensions by creating more balance. Extremism brings drift, moderation brings mastery. There’s something about his thesis that deserves attention today.

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Making the most of life’s messes

Originally published in the Deseret News.

Summer is off to an unsettling start. A series of events have caused us to feel ill-at-ease. The presidential election hasn’t helped. Many find the choices unfathomable. But it’s more. The long security lines at airports remind us people still want to harm us. Our smartphones ping almost weekly with yet another college campus, military base or workplace shooting. And closer to home, we have witnessed unthinkable crimes to a transit worker, a mother in Magna and a beloved community leader and restaurateur.

In times of need I find comfort in great thinkers and writers. I frequently turn to Harry Emerson Fosdick for inspiration. He was a highly acclaimed theologian, pastor and writer who delivered sermons in the mid-20th century. He died in 1969 but left behind brilliant insights for people of all belief systems. In a sermon titled “Making the Best of a Bad Mess” he made observations applicable to today.

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Minimum Wage Debate: Utahns should consider alternative ways to lift families out of poverty

Originally published in Utah Business.

Many times in public policy we share a common goal, but choose a different path. This is the case with the minimum wage debate. Utahns share a sincere interest in helping low-income families secure a more stable future. Some policy makers choose the minimum wage policy path to lift these families out of poverty. Other people, like me, choose a different path. I favor enhanced training opportunities and the earned income tax credit as superior policy interventions.

With California, New York and other jurisdictions pursuing a $15 minimum wage, it’s time to consider the right policy intervention for Utah.

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A plea for a more policy-oriented governor’s race

Originally published in the Deseret News.

I pay a lot of attention to the Utah governor’s race because of the importance of the chief executive to the success of our state. I want to make a plea for a more policy-oriented governor’s race.

My plea is born of experience. Governors matter. They set the direction for the state and lead in times of crisis. In the 2016 election we have three accomplished and talented candidates vying for office. We need to learn more about their policies and vision for the state.

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The soul of our city

Originally published in Utah Business.

I’m a native Salt Laker, so I should know how to describe Utah’s capital city to someone new to our state. Still, when I’m asked by a non-Utahn to describe Salt Lake City, I struggle with the right response. Salt Lake City, for all its stereotypes, is difficult to fit in a box.

The British poet John Betjeman invented a word that captures my feelings about this place. He combined the words topos, which means “place,” with the Greek word philia, which means “love of,” to coin the term topophilia or “love of place.” For me, it’s the combination of love and place that makes me so proud to be a Salt Laker.

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