Sunday local round-up

Here's the stories that caught my eye this morning (after idiots with fireworks kept me up at 3 AM last night)...

1. Chris Cannon is an idiot...again. Because he has been taking a beating on the immigration issue from his base, the sage of Provo came up with this:
   

   His idea: show the public that the immigrant-blocking fence along the U.S.-Mexico border is going up, and soon workers will not just be able to stroll into New Mexico, Arizona, California or another border state.
   "When millions map their trips online or view their own neighborhoods on Google Earth, making it possible for concerned citizens to see for themselves where the fence has been completed, where it is being built and where it is scheduled to be built, updated in real time, is not a Herculean task," Cannon said.
   If the all-knowing search engine isn't going to create Google Border, you can always create your own visual map of the immigration problem. The directions will come back something like, "Leave Mexico City, head north," 500 miles. "Climb fence," 12 feet. "Enter Arizona."

   
   Don't you think Mexicans could use "Google Boarder" to know where NOT to cross the border and where they could better avoid detection? This would be the very definition of a waste of money, since it could only make the problem worse. Oh and why would Google do this and put their butts on the line if the Senate won't?


2. Keith Christensen realized that the Republican brand in toxic in Salt Lake City in the mayor's race, so he is adopting the Monty Python approach: RUN AWAY!
   

   Suggesting his Republican status is a stigma and pronouncing Utah's GOP "scary," Keith Christensen is jettisoning his Republican label and abandoning the state's predominant party in a bid to win the Salt Lake City mayor's seat.
   ...
   "I'm sick and tired of being labeled as a Republican. I've always been fiercely independent," Christensen said...
   
   Political observers say Christensen's move is a desperate attempt to court Democrats in left-leaning Salt Lake City - some tag it a "Mitt Romney flip-flop" ...
   Christensen, who has been leading in fundraising but lagging in the polls, says even though the race officially is nonpartisan, it seems to be "the most fiercely partisan race in the state."

   HAAHAHAHA


3. The Utah Republican Party Morning News say that you are too stupid know how to vote judges out of office. "Some lawmakers worry many voters aren't even bothering to look at the information on judges." Yet, they sure don't want voters to know about how they are in the pocket of lobbyists. And our system is far better than say Texas.
   "Since 1988, Utah's judges have run in uncontested retention elections. Legal experts say this was the best solution to avoid having judges run in contested elections where they may be influenced by people or groups who contribute to their election campaigns. National studies show there are indications of bias among judges in states where they run in contested elections."


4. Ethan is back blogging. I have to say thank you to Freddy Adu for dogging it at RSL games so that we get to hear more from this local voice. If only we could get Ethan more pissed off about other things...