08/12/08 Wyoming Democratic Party Daily News Roundup
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Aug 14, 2008 Posted by Lauri Elbing
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EDITORIAL: House hopefuls: Focus on vision for Wyoming by the Star-Tribune Editorial Board
“Wyoming's Republican U.S. House primary is in danger of deteriorating into a "he said, she said" debate about candidates' records. With only a week to go before the Aug. 19 election, we urge both Mark Gordon and Cynthia Lummis to refocus their efforts on how they each plan to serve Wyoming if they win their party's nomination and the general election….But we'd like to remind both candidates that it's their party's nomination they're seeking, and Republicans already have their work cut out for them in the general election. Democrat Gary Trauner, who lost to incumbent Rep. Barbara Cubin by only about 1,000 votes in 2006, doesn't face any opposition in this year's primary. He's effectively been running for the office for four years, and he has built a solid campaign network. Trauner also has an advantage over his eventual GOP opponent: He'll be a member of the majority party in the House. A freshman in the minority party won't be operating from a position of strength. Wyoming Republicans have occasionally shot themselves in the foot in past primaries, emerging so divided that pleas for unity from party leaders have been ignored. Negative campaigning might be effective in the short term, but there's a bigger election for the GOP at stake. We encourage Lummis and Gordon to show the courage in this final week to mount forward-looking campaigns to earn their party's nomination.”
Lummis, Gordon still differ on her vets vote
Three Wyoming politicians threw their support behind Republican U.S. House candidate Cynthia Lummis during a press conference Monday in Casper.
Candidates differ on smoking ban, fuel tax
Becket Hinckley, a senior assistant district attorney in Cheyenne, wants more stringent laws for people convicted of driving while under the influence.
Veteran senator faces challenger again
Tom Walters, 32, is taking a second chance at running against incumbent Sen. Charles Scott, R-Casper, to represent Wyoming Senate District 30 in Natrona County.
Report examines needs for Casper's baby boomers
Aging shouldn't matter. It should be about how you want to live your life.
LTE: Candidate works for mutual benefits by RALPH HERBERT, Sheridan Supporting Mark Gordon
LTE: Values stretch thin during campaign by RICHARD WALL, Cheyenne OPPOSING Cynthia Lummis
“Congresswoman Barbara Cubin tirelessly champions the full spectrum of Republican values contained in her party's state and national platforms..…This means that if Barbara Cubin's Republican legacy of social conservatism is to extend into a future Congress, it does not appear that Cynthia Lummis is the person to carry it there.”
LTE: Idealism resurrects party stagnation by DAVE CLARENDON, Banner Supporting Mark Gordon
“…If the old definition of a Wyoming Republican is someone who blindly follows a secretive party leadership, believes in the power of corporate rights over those of the individual, and is willing to sacrifice quality of life on the altar of corporate socialism, then Mark Gordon is a new kind of Republican. If that is a sin, then the Republican Party no longer stands for the moderate and compassionate social values of Lincoln, nor the fiscal restraint and environmental stewardship of Teddy Roosevelt. And it sounds like Mr. Woodward suffers from the schizophrenia brought on by being a radical right extremist having to suffer through a "liberal" eastern education. Mark Gordon can help end political gridlock in Washington brought on by such views and bring back true Republican ideals.”
LTE: Candidate builds house of sticks by MATT MICHELI, Cheyenne OPPOSING Mark Gordon
“…Mr. Gordon has never acknowledged that he served on the board of the Sierra Club when wolf reintroduction was a key goal of that group. Nor has Mr. Gordon acknowledge that he continued to contribute to the Sierra Club after the Sierra Club brought a lawsuit to remove control of the wolf management from the state of Wyoming. How is it that a politician that was so involved in this process can now condemn the fruits of the group that he led? Perhaps before Mr. Gordon misrepresents his opponents in shameful attacks, he should address his own history.”
LTE: Consumption drives energy crisis ROBERT P. PALMER IV, Gillette
“We've heard lots of talk about energy lately. But when it comes to action, there's not much to report….In a year when "change" has become a refrain, let's make sure they know what real change looks like.”
Fewer Republicans registered in Wyo. compared to last election
When the official voting registration period for the state primary elections ended in July, fewer Republicans registered compared to the last election.
Commission candidates discuss regional water system
Nine Republicans are running for two County Commission seats in the Aug. 19 primary election. Two will advance to the November election to face Democrat candidate Robert Kothe.
Incumbents add names to list of candidates
Three incumbents added their names to the race for seats on four local boards, bringing the total number of candidates to nine.
Vote Tuesday: Democrats make surge in traditional GOP stronghold
“…Converse, one of the brightest red counties in the red state of Wyoming, is still dominated by a heavy GOP slate in the primary this year. However, bouyed by the ferocious Democratic primary for president, the Converse County Democratic Party was able to nearly fill a slate of its own. The only local contest among Democrats will be in House District 3, where Terry Jones and Laurell Marker, both of Wheatland, will battle it out for their party’s nomination. The winner among them will face the Republican nominee chosen from Douglas’ Frank Peasley and Wheatland’s Randy Stevenson and Kirby Wilson….”
City doubles its water tap fee
“The Douglas City Council members approved an ordinance Monday evening to increase the cost of water tap lines for new homes by 100 percent. In a unanimous vote, city council members moved to raise the water tap rates in what is the first increase of this kind since 2000. The cost goes toward the one-time connection of water lines in new homes as the lines attach to city-constructed and maintained water mains, Councilperson Marilyn Werner explained….”
Mineral values drive up county $
“Money, money . . . and more money. By the time the Converse County commissioners finished counting all their money for the fiscal year 2009 budget, they had about $1.1 million more to spend than they had last year due to increasing mineral development and skyrocketing sales taxes. Most of that increase in income, however, was pulled out of the general fund budget and put into a special road fund to cover Antelope Coal Mine Road, Jenne Trail, Tank Farm Road bridge, Bridger Crossing and other county roads, which will be partially paid for by state grants….”
“…The forum featured mayoral and City Council candidates. City Council Ward 1 candidate Chris Cook, Ward 2 candidates John Bigelow and Jon St. Pierre, and mayoral candidate Rollie Zempel did not attend. Letters submitted by Bigelow and Zempel were read to the audience….”
Planet Jackson Hole - News by Planet Jackson Hole
For Obama and Democrats, Wyo. remains inhospitable country
“To the north and south of Wyoming’s borders, Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential campaign is making a hard push in Western states traditionally viewed as Republican strongholds. Montana, Colorado and even far flung Alaska have become the focus of the Illinois senator’s campaign as it attempts to gain new grounds in what some have said is a shifting political landscape. So will the Cowboy State get the same attention from Obama’s camp in the lead up to November’s general election? Not likely on the same scale, various race watchers and analysts said this week. “The only thing more foolish than [the Obama campaign] spending money in Wyoming would be spending it in a conservative state like Utah or Idaho,” said Dr. Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics….The Obama campaign, though, is pushing to have some presence in all 50 states, and just last week appointed longtime Wyoming Democratic operative Michelle Sullivan to manage a state campaign office in Casper. That is as much an effort to garner some popular vote in Wyoming as it is part of a move to engage voters across the country with the allure of a more accessible candidate looking to reinvigorate public interest in presidential politics, Sullivan said. ‘It’s about making all citizens feel as if they’re important and galvanizing energy from our caucuses,’ Sullivan said. She added, ‘It’s consistent with the campaign’s interest in having a 50-state strategy.’ …For Amy Larimer, the executive director of the Wyoming Republican Party, it is now a matter of waiting to see what GOP candidates make it through the Aug. 19 primaries before the state GOP kicks into full gear the “very conservative grassroots” efforts to keep Republicans dominant at the state and federal levels. Republicans currently outnumber Democrats three-to-one in the Wyoming Legislature, and poll watchers are not expecting the Blues to take much ground after November. ‘It is more or less campaigning as usual,’ Larimer said….”
***Guest Editorial:Women’s political presence wanes
“This time of year, if you are driving through Teton County looking at the yard signs, it is easy to see who is running for elected office. Unfortunately, if you read the first names, it is equally easy to see that very few women are running for office. In fact, there is one woman running for Town Council, one woman running for County Commission, no women running for a state office and only one woman running for any of Wyoming’s three open congressional seats. In fact, in spite of this being the Equality State - the first state to grant women the right to vote - there is a dearth of female electeds and a similar dearth of female candidates….”
“As America grows painfully aware of its carbon emissions and laments the hundreds of billions it spends on foreign oil every year, politicians, voters and billionaire investors are looking to domestic wind power as a savior of America’s energy woes. And Wyoming is looking to reap the benefits of the country’s newfound push for alternative energy sources....”
The Buzz: Vogelheim appointed as new County Commissioner
“Paul Vogelheim, a Jackson businessman who also works with a number of regional nonprofit organizations, was named Teton County Commissioner on Tuesday. He will fill the seat left vacant following the death of Commissioner Bill Paddleford, who succumbed to cancer in July at the age of 56….”
Politicians Throw Support Behind Lummis
3 Wyoming politicians threw their support behind Republican U.S. House candidate Cynthia Lummis: Former Gov. Jim Geringer, Sen. Charles Scott, Rick Tempest (former speaker of the Wyoming House).
Wyoming Bucks National Trend of Women In Charge
With the number of women in state government leadership positions is on the rise; Wyoming has less than 25% of top state jobs taken by women
2 Million Acres of Wilderness Open For Off-Roading, Drilling
The BLM has proposed opening almost 2 million acres of public land previously set aside for wilderness preservation, to energy drilling & off-road recreation
Fuel Costs and the New Isolationism
Think of Wyoming as the giant ocean that it once was, with vast stretches of water between islands and atolls. Imagine traveling by boat. The more time and money it costs to reach each island, the more isolated it becomes – unless it has something singular to offer. The plain jane atolls affording nothing but tidal pools and coconuts eventually are ignored all together ...
***“Time Off to Vote” Guidelines State Capitol (State of Wyoming)
“Secretary of State Max Maxfield issued a press release reminding employers that Wyoming Statute 22-2-111 mandates that employees be given one hour off to vote on Election Day. The statute does not apply to an employee who has three (3) or more consecutive non-working hours during the time the polls are open. In Wyoming, the polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. It also does not apply to some federal agencies….Failure to allow employees time off to vote can result in a misdemeanor criminal charge being filed, with a possible fine of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000).”
Health Conf on Telehealth, Telemedicine (WYHIO)
Numerous state, regional and national leaders in health care will participate in a teleconference sponsored by Wyoming’s top health agencies to help direct the development of statewide telehealth and telemedicine services. The teleconference will take place from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Aug. 20, and is open to the public. Interested participants may attend the teleconference at one of 17 teleconference sites located throughout the state. Health experts who will lead discussions at the conference include Brent Sherard, M.D., director of the Wyoming Department of Health; Wyoming Rep. Colin Simpson; Dennis Ellis, executive director of the Wyoming Medical Society; Rex Gantenbein, director of the Center for Rural Health Research and Education at the University of Wyoming; Jim Bush, Medicaid medical director at the Wyoming Department of Health; Jonathan Linkous, CEO, American Telemedicine Association; and Larry Biggio, executive director of the Wyoming Health Information Organization. The teleconference will begin with an update on the state of telehealth and telemedicine in Wyoming, followed by a look at the state’s health needs and priorities for the future.
Matriarch of Cheyenne newspaper family dies
Anne Wright McCraken, whose family owns the Wyoming Tribune Eagle and the Laramie Boomerang, has died. She was 76.Cheyenne City Council Considering Letting 18-Year-Olds Work At Bars
Alex Hannum Reports: The Cheyenne City Council is one step closer to letting 18-year-olds staff the city's bars. The council approved the ordinance on second reading at their meeting Monday night.Over 200 wells proposed near Riverton
A company is proposing to drill more than 200 gas wells on mostly public land southeast of Riverton.