By Curmudgeon
Paul Rolly, of the SLTrib, has up on its website today a fine piece punching holes in the claims of Utah legislators that taking monetary "gifts" from lobbyists in no way affects their voting:
Lobbyists' lamentation: Utah's legislators insist that taking gifts, accepting Jazz tickets and enjoying free meals from lobbyists play no role in the decisions they make on legislation that may affect those lobbyists' clients.Sure. Right. To believe our legislators, we'd have to believe lobbyists and the companies that hire them are happy to expend all that money with no expectation of getting anything back for it. Nobody's that dumb. I hope.
They sure expect those lobbyists to be wherever they want them to be, at the appointed time they want them there to do whatever they ask them to do, even though the lobbyists know that with all that hoofing they do for the lawmakers, there's nothing in it for them....
It's the same group of lobbyists, representing deep-pocket clients, who are pressed to cough up dough for campaigns and pet projects over and over. But they should expect nothing from the lawmakers for their good will.
Update 7/6/09 11:51 a.m. MT: News is slow once again in Emerald City, which is what normally happens in The Best City in The World after a long holiday weekend. Treat this as another open-topic thread, if you like; and let's see if we can rustle up a little reader discussion. It's time to blow out those 4th of July holiday cobwebs, people.
11 comments:
That shows how far gone these people are - that they would think all this money is being paid to them - for what - because the lobbyists just like these individual legislators so much?
That is real corruption - beamed up to the mother ship corruption.
Offtopic-
Is Ogden City this flat ass broke, is the love affair over or nothing at all? The city has cancelled all subscriptions to the Standard Examiner except for the city recorders and city council offices.
Interesting paradox:
Upwards of 66% of Utah voters want to see the corruption rooted out of Utah politics.
Nevertheless, the same pool of voters continue to elect the same self serving scoundrels back into office time and time again.
Weird.
It makes you wonder whether Utahns are logically capable of democratic self government.
Confused
Some Utahnians may be capable of "democratic self government", but the concept is rather foreign to the dominant religion. In that religion people are taught to not question nor challenge their leaders. Those teachings spill over into civic affairs and thus explain the paradox you point out.
Oz, Better watch out Stephen Cook will call you bigoted, a Nazi, prejudiced, a Klansman, a Crystal Nacht participant, Brown shirt, cracker, and worse. Another out of stater who knows everything but has "no clue".
I see ole Jack Nicholason in the role of a Marine Defense Attorney shouting "Some people just cant HANDLE the TRUTH!"
Ozboy has it right. Whatever you want to call it in
Utah, the dominance of the culture or religion in this state is eroding the rights of Utah's citizens. They circle the wagons when any issue surfaces that points to the poor job that they have been doing as public servants and they resist any change to correct the problems.
We need meaningful changes in our government structure in our Counties and state. The next election would be a good starting point.
Comment moved to the front page
The SE is reporting this afternoon that two of those fine upstanding citizens of Blanding who were outraged to have been charged with theft of antiquities from public land have pled guilty. To multiple counts.
Imagine that....
The SE has the story here,
I know we read every so often about some legislators receiving freebies but does anyone know where, if anywhere, we can see a complete list, such as it is?
Just ask Greg Hughes or Greg Curtis, or Dave Clark they will be glad to give you the list. NOT
Well Don, If Mr. Cook does say any or all of those things about me he just might be right - except the last part. I am actually an in-stater who knows nothing but does have a clue.
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