A bit of light summer reading for Utah politicians
Pignanelli & Webb
Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. will get cozy with "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" (Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner) which is a huge best seller explaining how sociological quirks can lead to important opportunities. Huntsman hopes he can learn how to promote economic development by leveraging Utah's unique dynamics: polygamy, multilevel marketing and high consumption of green Jell-O.
Congressman Rob Bishop will be reviewing "How to Talk to a Liberal If You Must" (Ann Coulter). Bishop has yet to encounter a true liberal in his district, but you never know when one might pop up at the beach and need talking to.
The Salt Lake City Council voted to require Mayor Rocky Anderson to memorize the popular manual "Self-Defeating Behaviors: Free Yourself From the Habits, Compulsions, Feelings, and Attitudes That Hold You Back" (Milton R. Cudney). They are disappointed their contribution to last year's reading list — "How to Win Friends and Influence People" — was never opened.
Huntsman's chief of staff Jason Chaffetz will spend his vacation learning how to eliminate unneeded state employees by reading "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." Oh, wait. That was a movie! Actually, he'll be reading "In Cold Blood" (Truman Capote).
Sen. Orrin Hatch will be rereading his favorite book — "Square Peg: Confessions of a Citizen Senator" (Orrin G. Hatch) — to relive his past glory and search for good lines for his re-election bid. He'll also study "The Bourne Ultimatum" (Robert Ludlum) to get some tips on how to end filibusters.
Susan Kuziak, executive director of the Utah Education Association, will be taking notes from "If You Don't Feed the Teachers They Eat the Students" (Neila A. Connors) to learn novel ways to reduce class sizes.
Attorney General Mark Shurtleff is perusing "The Official Handbook of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy" (Mark W. Smith) for tips on how he can be loved once again by ultraconservatives. (Note to General Shurtleff: This book attempts to debunk the notion of a right-wing conspiracy. But we know better. Hillary Clinton confirmed it's out there.)
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