Guv is pleased so far

Utah's governor has just called himself a dweeb.

Jon Huntsman Jr.'s somewhat surprising self-assessment came during an interview about his first year in office, when he attempted to pull out a trio of laminated cards from his shirt pocket to show reporters.

"This is terrible. I look like such a dweeb," Huntsman laughed as he fiddled with the cards.

He may be a former U.S. ambassador and the oldest son of one of the state's wealthiest and most philanthropic families, but the governor seems to enjoy making it clear he can poke fun at himself.

Huntsman, 45, described his first year in office as a success while sitting in his cozy private office, decorated with a portrait of the now-defunct Bill and Nada's diner — a favorite hangout when he played in a rock 'n' roll band in his youth — and dominated by a muted television tuned to CNN.

The cards help make his case. During the campaign, he famously carried just one that listed his major goals, including boosting economic development and improving education in the state.

Now, the three cards that he regularly updates are filled with details such as the number of new jobs that have been brought to Utah, his economic development agenda and the "education building blocks" announced as part of his $9.6 billion budget plan.

There is also a detailed breakdown of his budget, as well as "fingertip facts" about the state's public education system. The average state salary? $18.33 an hour. The number of students in Utah? 510,682.

"All of the key statistics that it's important for a governor to know about," Huntsman explained.

Accomplishing his updated list of goals no doubt became easier as the state's tax revenues continued to grow and grow. The budget surplus, combined with projected growth in tax collections, adds up to about $1 billion.

But don't try to tell Huntsman he got lucky by taking office during an economic upswing.

"I don't think there's such a thing as luck in politics. I think there are cycles . . . but the cycles also come back to bite you," the governor said, claiming he often made his own luck since being sworn in on Jan. 3, 2005.

Tackling big issues

Many victories the Republican cites from the past 12 months are environmental. There was the state ban on accepting higher-level nuclear waste, labeled B and C, and his firm "No" to the expansion of the state's only nuclear waste disposal facility, Envirocare.