It is particularly disheartening to see that Weber County fell far short of reaching the 10 percent plateau. Achieving positive change is more than mere talk. It requires action and taking time to stand against those who oppose reform.
Standard-Examiner Editorial
OUR VIEW: Walk the ethics talk
April 25, 2010
• OUR VIEW: Walk the ethics talkAmong other things, the Std-Ex editorial board zeroes in on our own Weber County, wherein Utahns for Ethical Government sponsors inform us that that citizen inititiative petition volunteers have succeeded in gathering only a mere 40% of the requisite signatures necessary to qualify the initiative for the November 2012 ballot. Putting it all in context, we're informed that UEG volunteers have managed to gather more that the necessary number of signatures in Salt Lake, Davis and other counties, where there have been hordes of volunteers who've stepped up to circulate petitions. What's needed in Weber County... more UEG petition volunteers, we are informed.
In that connection, we've had discussions with our friends at the Ogden Valley Forum blog; and we've decided to join forces with the UEG organization, and try to help rustle up a cadre of Weber County volunteers to gather the 4,000 or so signatures necessary to put the UEG petition over the top in our own county.
As a matter of fact, our friend Larry, over at OVF, already took the first step in getting the ball rolling toward the effort this morning:
• Ethics Initive In BriefNobody will be looking for anyone to drop everything and make a full-time commitment here. All we'll be asking is that Weber County citizens within our respective readerships volunteer to put in a couple of hours manning a table at the library or a local shopping center, or to circulate petitions among your friends or other social networks.
We spoke with UEG organizer Dee Burmingham yesterday, who informed us that these petitions almost sell themselves. In a political atmosphere where a high percentage of Utahns favor robust ethics reform, the limiting factor in areas where EUG organizers have fallen short in their signature obtaining efforts has been demonstrated to be the relative shortage of volunteer boots on the ground, we are told.
We thus request that those ethics reform-minded readers send us an email via the upper contact link, in the event that you'd like to be involved in a new and re-energized Weber County petition gathering effort, folks. Your level of participation can be tailored to your own calender and level of commitment. If you'd like to have blank petitions and informational documents delivered to your door, we'll coordinate with the UEG people to make that happen.
Remember what the Std-Ex Editors said this morning:
Achieving positive change is more than mere talk. It requires action and taking time to stand against those who oppose reform.Let's get crackin,' O gentle Ones.
6 comments:
The trouble with trying any kind of ethics reform in this state is the same people (The Legislature) are going to have to take the action on any rec-
ommendation on an ethics violation.
As painful as it may be, the legislature must be involved on this issue as a positive contributor to the ethics reform process and not in an adversarial role.
Is there not some common ground that could be reached between UEG and the Legislature on ethics?
Some may feel that the gummint will clean up it's own act, or that it's hopeless.
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History has shown that neither of these is is true.
Some may feel that elections can cure the problem. Yet the results of elections are often that the status quo continues.
But circulating petitions is one way a single person CAN make a difference. Initiative petitions are often the only thing that does make a difference.
And it starts with people putting a petition in their business for people to sign, with getting a petition and asking friends to sign, and with taking a petition around the neighborhood and asking for signatures.
This is one petition that volunteers should find it easy getting signatures for.
While gathering signatures on your petitions, be sure to pick and eat some of the dandelions growing in people's yards. The leaves are much more tasty than lettuce, with a mild tang like watercress. And the flowers themselves are sweet and nutty. Personally, I don't eat the stems or roots.
Eat Your Dandelions
Ethics reform is something everyone should support, no matter what their political affiliation. I was told that the existing ethics committee in the legislature just met in 2008 for the first time in 10 years. Is it any wonder that we have been embarrassed by some of our elected representatives in Salt Lake City?
If you would all elect a person on their values of integrity you would not have to worry about ethics. But it is a shame that ethics now comes before integrity. I guess that is what happens when you vote a one party into power and you eliminate the checks and balances out of the politics. With Hansen being the only elected Democrat north of Salt lake city, I can see why he is the only one to take on the issues of dishonesty amongst his own colleges. Could you imagine no democrats to take on the corruptions that are taking place on capitol hill. Good for Neil to stand up and for being that Check and balance on the hill.
We will never see true ethics in Utah, until the Democrats win a majority!
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