This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
About 20 lobbyists were summoned to a meeting Monday by legislative leaders who urged them to roll up their sleeves and help save the voucher law.
The meeting was held at the Utah Board of Realtors office and the lobbyists were put in the position of either committing to the pro-voucher campaign or rejecting a request from the very lawmakers they need to help pass their legislative agendas each year.
The legislators hosting the meeting were House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy; House Majority Leader Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara; House Assistant Majority Whip Brad Dee, R-Ogden; Senate Majority Leader Curtis Bramble, R-Provo; and Senate Majority Assistant Whip Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse.
Those summoned to the meeting were asked to help defeat the November referendum that would repeal the voucher bill passed earlier this year. Most were lobbyists for business associations representing manufacturers, mining, homebuilders, small businesses, real estate agents, food retailers, trucking, the Chamber of Commerce, utilities and others.
The legislators explained to the captive audience that they were invited because their organizations were part of former Gov. Mike Leavitt's Business/Education Coalition, which issued a report in 2002 recommending various ways to improve education, including tuition tax credits for private schools.
Because their groups had already endorsed the voucher concept, the legislators said, they need to step up and help defeat those who want to repeal the law that provides up to $3,000 toward private school tuition.
They were asked to raise money for the effort and lend the names of their institutions in support of vouchers.
The lobbyists have been summoned to a follow-up breakfast meeting Thursday at the Board of Realtors to report on their fund-raising progress.
Your government at work: On July 13, a fisherman at Deer Creek Reservoir snagged a small hook in his finger and couldn't get it out.
He went to the Heber County Hospital emergency unit where a doctor injected the finger with pain reliever and inserted a small needle to remove the hook. Total time: 90 seconds. A nurse gave him a tetanus shot and a bandage.
The bill: $687. Medicare paid $550, and a supplemental insurance company paid the remaining $137.
The man tried to call Medicare to complain about approving that much for such a little procedure. After several fruitless calls that failed to connect, he finally got a recording, which informed him the wait would be over 60 minutes.
Stamping out socialism: Salt Lake City's utility-services folks continue to get complaints about the constant lawn watering during the hottest times of the day at the Franklin Covey baseball field.
But guess what. It's been privatized.
When Larry H. Miller bought the Salt Lake Bees a few years ago, maintenance operations were assumed by the new owners. Now, through subsequent deals made by Miller, the operations, including the watering, are handled by (drum roll please) EnergySolutions.