Loser: Americans can argue all day long about how many people truly are uninsured and how to solve the problem, but one thing seems clear — excessive government regulation isn't helping matters.
According to a committee chaired by Utah Sen. Bob Bennett, these regulations increase the cost of insurance enough to squeeze out 4 million Americans. We all want hospitals that are clean and safe, but it makes little sense for government to be agonizing over solving an insurance problem that it, in part, is creating.
Winner: In a world where fashion and trends are important, it never hurts to be considered hot. Right now, Park City is hot. EscapeHomes.com, an online listing service, has ranked the Utah city as the second hottest place for a second home in the country, right behind Asheville, N.C. St. George also made the list of "emerging" hot spots.
Of course, Utahns have known for a long time that those are good places to live, regardless of what others think. But, in addition to being a world of fashion and trends, this is a world where perception counts for a lot. Just making the list will be enough to boost real estate prices a little, and to keep these Utah cities growing.
Winner: Utah Valley State College doesn't have the money to build the kind of traditional library needed for its rapidly expanding student body. So officials there are designing a smaller digital center that would take advantage of computer technology, combined with traditional books.
Funny how need often drives innovation. UVSC may be doing this out of necessity, but it also may well be pioneering the university library of the future.