By Curmudgeon
Since the topic of poor government is a near constant on Weber County Forum, the Standard-Examiner has a story today that fits.
Here's the lede:
SALT LAKE CITY — A state lawmaker who once called for a ban on gifts from lobbyists received Billy Joel concert tickets worth $388. Sen. Patricia Jones, D-Holladay, accepted four tickets to the November concert given to her by Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield lobbyist Jennifer Cannaday, according to disclosure reports.Damn right, it's a good question. And how does Sen. Jones answer it? Here's how:
In 2006, when Jones was a House member, she sponsored a bill that would have outlawed gifts from lobbyists worth more than $5.
So why the contradiction?
“Good question,” Jones said Friday.
“Typically, what I do is reimburse them — and I will be doing that.”Not good enough, Sen. Jones. Not by a long shot. Not for a delegate from my party. That kind of sophistry may play well in the party of "fiscal conservative" George Bush who has doubled the national debt in his seven years in office; it may work in the offices of the Republican wing-nut troika in Utah [Curtis, Bramble and Buttars]. But it is sophistry and, being a Democrat, Sen. Jones knows it. Or should.
Even if she has [without being outed by the press] reimbursed lobbyists for such "gifts" [aka bribes] in the past, and does again this time, that still won't do it. If the concert for example was sold out, the "gift" --- even if she reimbursed the giver --- includes access to the tickets at all. And I'm betting Sen. Jones didn't have her fanny planted in the cheap nosebleed seats when the curtain went up.
Her taking the tickets involved a truly Republican level of hypocrisy. Listen to what she had to say when she was oh-so-righteously campaigning for a gift ban:
“Name one good reason why elected officials should receive gifts,” Jones said during House debate in 2006. “And what public good does giving gifts to elected officials serve? That’s the ultimate question....”Oh, give me a break. Sen. Jones, that last bit is a steaming pile of bull. And you know it. Or should. It's not at all "difficult to keep track of" if you just say "no" when the lobbyists offer you tickets, or dinners, or golf trips or whatever. Just say no and there is nothing to keep track of at all. This "Oh, my, it's just so confusing, I didn't even notice I took the tickets and went to the concert. Oh, I'm so confused! Won't my colleagues help me and ban such gifts so I don't become confused and take them again?" is nonsense.
On Friday, Jones, a member of the Senate’s Democratic leadership team, said she still believes a gift ban is necessary. “We definitely need to look at ethics — sometimes things slip by,” she said. “If it were the same for everyone, it would certainly make it easier for everyone. … It’s difficult to keep track of, to be honest.”
If Sen. Jones is not embarrassed by that, she damn well should be. And if she truly means, as she seems to, that she can't be relied upon to act ethically in office with a law to prevent her doing otherwise, she should resign, change parties and run for her seat as a Republican.
I expect this kind of sophistry from Republicans, Sen. Jones. But I won't tolerate it from Democrats. Ever. Nor should the Utah Democratic Party. And no, it doesn't matter to me in the least that of the five legislators who took the tickets, three [a majority] were Republicans. From Democrats, I expect... I demand... better conduct in office.
How should Sen. Jones and the other Democrat who took the baksheesh have handled it? Here's how:
I took the tickets. I screwed up. It was a mistake. I'm going to pay the company back for the tickets I took, but that won't make what I did OK. It was wrong and I should have said no. I apologize to my constituents for the lapse, and I can guarantee them that from this point forward, I will accept no gifts from any lobbyists for any reason. Not so much as a cup of coffee. Again, my apologies to my constituents, and my promise that nothing like this will happen again.Everybody makes mistakes. When you do, you fess up, apologize and make sure you don't do it again. What really rankles in re: Sen. Jones is her attempting to dodge responsibility with that "oh, the rules are just so confusing" crap.
You're a Democrat, Sen. Jones. From you, because you are a Democrat, I expect better. Much much better.
Update 1/13/08 1:44 p.m. MT: The Deseret Morning News published story about a new poll on the general topic of legislative gifts on Saturday. We accordingly link it here for our readers' attention. The article also includes a link to a pdf file listing lobbyist gifts to Utah legislators in 2007.
Update 1/13/08 3:35 p.m. MT: Great editorial and companion story, each from the Salt Lake Tribune. We thank gentle reader Ozboy for these submissions.
15 comments:
Curm, we must have been posting at the same time, I just caught your rant. Good fellow, I won't excuse Jones for her transgression but, you seem to be blowing a fuse over something less grievous than short decks criminal mischief.
Yes hypocricy annoys all of us, but we're running headlong into the greatest display of hypocricy on the planet. Haven't you been following the Presidential primary process?
Settle down just a bit Curm, you ain't seen nothin yet.
Bill:
As to "blowing a fuse": People in a party should be much much harder on their own who drop that ball. I'm not responsible in any way for what Republicans do. I am not one and have no say about how they run their party. Keeping them straight is Rudi's job. And the job of other Republicans.
My job is keeping Democratic office holders in line, making sure that my guys toe the ethical line. Because I am responsible, in some small way, for what my party does. So I tend to be much much harder on my guys when they get out of line than on Republicans. Because they're my guys.
I've been advocating [in three states now] that the state Democratic party adopt as a rule for all its elected officials, the "not a cup of coffee" standard. That its elected officials, or appointed ones, any level, will not accept so much as a cup of coffee a lobbyist or anyone having business before them. Not a cup of coffee. And that the Democratic state legislative delegation should push for a "not a cup of coffee" law covering elected officials as well.
My efforts, needless to say, have so far met with a truly impressive lack of success. But I intend to keep plugging at it. And if any state could use a "not so much as a cup of coffee" law, God knows Utah can. [I will accept here changing "cup of coffee" to "glass of lemonade" as a friendly amendment. I am a reasonable guy, after all....]
Curm, What's this "mine" and "yours" stuff in relation to political parties? Crimeny, some of the most corrupt people in history were Democrats. I'm a registered Republican, but I certainly expect the same standard of conduct from both parties.
That's why I quit going to Repubo conventions. All they did was bash the other party. They offered no ideas, only stone throwing. Then I attended a Demo convention and it was the same thing - could'a been the same script!
The goal is to make our society better. We must work with what we have. By definition, politicians are not the best of the best. Why would the best of the best run for office, with occasional exceptions like Dorrene and Ron Paul?
If tearing down the other guy accomplishes the goal, fine. But we have to remember the goal is to make a better society, whatever we think that is.
For a state who is so computer savy I am shocked that the Deomcratic website both state and local Weber County is so inadequate and un-informative. With Pete Ashdown as a prime Democrate and computer enabler I would think the party would tap his company to have a primo website that would appeal to the younger voters that will turnout this next election cycle as the polls suggest. A website that would let everyone know we are a minority party but with a vision and a voice. It would promote both the party and the upcoming events, as a Democrate I usually find out about events after they are over. Unless the party has totally given up on Utah voters.
Free Billy Joel concert tickets? That's on par with a free root canal AFAIC.
Perhaps we need to elect legislators with more sophisticated tastes.
well Curmudgeon, at least she ate a little Crow!
Had she been a Republican she would have just said "So what?"
Had she been a Godfreyite she would have not only said "So what?", but she would have set out on a scorched earth policy against you for even suggesting her behavior was suspect.
It is all relative, and as far as Utah Demo's go she ain't bad. You ought to be at least a little thankful she is even willing to acknowledge the ethical point. Matt Godfrey sure as shit wouldn't.
I agree with Curmudgeon on the point that we should hold our own to a higher standard. Being in the minority, even something as petty as concert tickets makes it harder to point out corruption on the Republican side.
On the other hand, we must also consider the perspective. Free concert tickets pales in comparison to oh, say, a free Nuclear Electric Plant on tax payer dollars.
It doesn't justify the hypocrisy described here. This is a problem in our state government. But a bit of perspective would help us know where to more effectively target our efforts to weed out corruption.
Also, Keisha has a point. Billy Joel tickets? Ew.
That’s "LESS GOVERNMENT" for ya. The State of Utah only pays their Legislators 7 thousand dollars a year. Crum: you act like it’s your money their spending. You seem to think its o k for Republican County Commissioners who make over 150 thousand a year to get free tickets.
Crum: you’re retarded!
Retarded:
You wrote: "You seem to think it's ok for Republic County Commissioners who make over 150 thousand a year to get free tickets."
Nonsense. I said nothing of the kind. It's wrong for any elected official to take anything free from a lobbyist or someone with business before them. Money, golf trips, vacations thinly disguised as "seminars" or "meetings" at exotic destinations, concert tickets, high-end meals. Anything. As I noted above, the standard they all should meet is "not so much as a cup of coffee."
Crum:
Why don't you investigate all the Republican Culture of Corruption!
Stop claiming that you’re a democrat.
We know you’re a Republican claiming to be a democrat.
Senator Jones is following the Republican made Law.
Where's the Outrage?
Sen. Jones is a republican!
If you all look at her voter registration she is a reg. republican.
Senator Patricia W. Jones
Minority Caucus Manager
Democrat - District 4
Salt Lake
Here is the Salt Lake Tribune Sunday morning take on this subject of slimmey politicians:
Note that the arrogance knows no party bounds. The one paragraph that I thought typifies the extreme Hubris of our Legislators is given, with a straight face no doubt, to Mr. Utah Democrat hisself Mike - I never saw a bribe I didn't like - Dmitrich:
""I go to all the Jazz games I can," Dmitrich said. "I guess ethics belong to the individual - what he thinks is right is right. I can honestly say, I don't think I've ever been swayed by anything other than what I thought was right."
See the sad tale of government for sale at:
What Me Worry?"
And then in a case of double duty the Tribune gives us the following editorial about perhaps the sleaziest of all Utah politico's - Speaker of the House Curtis - of Nancy Workman gasoline thieving fame.
More on how our precious and righteous state legislature gets bought off for a few pieces of silver.
Read it and weep here:
Slurp Slurp
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