On a related front, the love-hate (well, actually, it's mostly just a hate relationship) between Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and Republicans in the Legislature continues. If I were a more cynical person, I might just imagine that Rocky and GOP leaders meet privately over breakfast every couple of weeks to decide how they will criticize each other next.

Both Anderson and GOP lawmakers get political capital out of the continuous snipping. Anderson plays to his city voter base: Democratic or independent non-Mormons.

The GOP legislators play to theirs: Non-Salt Lakers, conservatives and members of the LDS Church.

Both sides see this as a win-win situation. But as the rhetoric rises, the losers could be Salt Lake City residents who might actually need something out of the Legislature — like a decent wage.

The latest fight has Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, introducing a bill that would ban Salt Lake City (and other local governments) from adopting rules that say any contractor doing work for the city must pay what's called a "living wage." Setting wages is the job of the federal government, not cities, says Stephenson.

I know the old argument: The state created the cities and towns, so they can control what the cities and towns do.

But Utah conservatives always scream loudest when the federal government adopts laws that make the states do what they don't want to do. Apparently, what's good for the goose is not good for the gander.

And what good Republican doesn't just love to stick it to Rocky, anyway?

Kind of makes the crowded, difficult days on Capitol Hill go down a little smoother.

---

E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com