Daily news roundup, Jan. 28, 2008
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Jan 29, 2008 Posted by Bill Luckett
The weekend's big news, of course, was a new Casper Star-Tribune poll which says that, in a head-to-head matchup, Gary Trauner would get 41 percent of the vote, while GOP front-runner Cynthia Lummis gets 40 percent. This is big news, because there has been a false perception out there that a generic Republican would fare better against Trauner than the unpopular Barbara Cubin did. Now we know that Trauner does better against the current Republican front-runner! Or at least statistically tied. Either way, this is surprising news to some, and it should dispel the outlandish fantasy some partisan Republicans had about winning this race solely due to party affiliation. Here is the link:
Trauner leads Lummis 41 to 40 percent in latest poll
Really though, the Casper Star confuses me. First of all, I understand that they polled Trauner against at least a couple other candidates – and he polled better against them than against Lummis – but that part was left out of the story. And then there’s this poll in today’s paper:
What’s the use of doing a poll on the Republican presidential candidates, AFTER they’ve already had their caucus? Why don’t they just go ahead and do a poll on the 2006 U.S. House race (my prediction: Trauner 80, Cubin 10, Rankin 10)? How about Thomas Dewey vs. Harry Truman?
Two notes on the presidential poll: McCain, the GOP favorite, won exactly zero Wyoming delegates in the Republican caucuses earlier this month. And the top three candidates in terms of name recognition are Democrats.
One last polling story from the Star-Tribune from Sunday, on our congressional delegation:
51 percent deem Cubin’s performance ‘poor’; 46 percent rate delegation’s voice ‘weak’
Gov. Freudenthal told the UW Board of Trustees on Friday that Wyoming’s researchers and academics need latitude to present their ideas and opinions without fear of political retaliation, and lawmakers need to refrain from targeting UW programs and faculty members who espouse unpopular or controversial beliefs. “The tradition has been that if you don't like their book, we call for the faculty member to be fired,” Freudenthal said:
Gov: UW academic freedom suffers
The Gillette News-Record reports on a local shortage of obstetricians/gynecologists:
Citing frustration with a system that refuses to change treating troubled juveniles as if they were adults, instead of trying to point them onto a better path, Ric Paul, chairman of the State Advisory Council on Juvenile Justice announced his resignation Friday:
The Laramie Boomerang has this related story on juvenile justice in that community:
Prosecutors: Trick is finding balance
For the second year in a row, University of Wyoming trustees have opted to hold tuition steady for resident undergraduate students:
While the trustees hope to put up a new building at Laramie County Community College:
UW wants state funding to expand in Cheyenne
International coal giant Peabody Energy announced a joint partnership Friday for plans to construct more than one coal-to-natural gas facility in Wyoming's Powder River Basin:
Peabody revives Wyo’s advanced coal ambitions
On a different note, Houston-based Plains Exploration and Production wants to develop its oil and gas leases in the Upper Hoback River Basin of the Wyoming Range, while local sportsmen and wildlife enthusiasts are trying to fight the northern expansion of drilling operations:
Company takes drilling plan to public
The Gillette paper looks at coalbed methane potential … in Carbon County:
The state Game and Fish Department started providing food for elk at three state feedgrounds in northwest Wyoming about three weeks later than usual this winter, but conservationists still question the wisdom of the practice:
Wyo begins elk feeding in Gros Ventre
Thanks in large part to the energy boom, commercial airports across the state are reporting dramatic increases in traffic:
Wyo airport traffic takes off in 2007
Wyoming Public Radio reports that Cheyenne officials say their curbside recycling program is working well:
Officials pleased with recycling participation
Also from Public Radio: The Wyoming Infrastructure Authority and PacifiCorp found that it would not be feasible to move forward with a coal gasification project without federal funding: