By Paul Revere
Despite the finality implied by this morning's Standard-Examiner headline and story, this is not over.
We need to continue to be vigilant and bring pressure on all of our legislative representatives. If we are not, they will slip in the most onerous parts of HB 477's provisions and get a new bill passed in a special session.
Update 3/26/11 9:13 a.m.: From an examination of yesterday's House and Senate vote tallies in connection with the HB477 repeal bill (HB1001), here's a list of our Weber County legislative delegation, broken down by their postures regarding HB1001:
1) Voted "Yes" (to repeal HB477):
- Brad J. Galvez (R) - House District 6
- Ryan D. Wilcox (R) - House District 7
- Gage Froerer (R) - House District 8
- Jeremy A. Peterson (R) - House District 9
- Dixon M. Pitcher (R) - House District 10
- Brad L. Dee (R) - House District 11
- Richard A. Greenwood (R) - House District 12
- Scott K. Jenkins (R) - Senate District 20
3) Missing in Action (Absent/No Show/Voted with Feet):
Hopefully all Weber County political wonks will be carefully keeping notes.
8 comments:
PR:
Absolutely right, PR. The most shameless of the pro HB 477 bitter enders are still peddling nonsense about it. Here for example [from today's story in the SE] is Ogden's Own Sen. Reid, explaining why he voted against repealing HB 477:
"I do not believe, with the pressure of the media and their perspective about this, that we will fairly address the concerns and issues (of) legislators and others who are communicating with them, believing those communications are private and personal. I don't believe their interests will be protected at all."
Of course, he offered no examples of purely private information contained in emails or letters legislators that have been released through GRAMA requests. We've had emails for years now, and letters to legislators for much longer than that, so he should have a basketfull of examples. He offered none. He seems as unaware as Sen. Hillyard was that there is a State Records Commission that reviews GRAMA requests to, among other reasons, make sure purely personal and private information is not released.
I suspect for FOM Reid, HB 477 was in fact the Protect Mayor Godfrey From Public Scrutiny Bill.
Meanwhile, back in Ogden, the Records Review Board declined to go along with the city attorney's latest stunt:
Decision to release Ogden Field House donor list stands
I bet Mayor Godfrey is simply distraught. What will he do now?!
Can't wait to see if Blain Johnson is on the donor list.......seems like he would have discretionary money laying around.
Well, with this verrrry stupid vote at least Stu cleared up one big mystery around town - just who the hell are Stuart Reid's constituents?
He of course has been a career long Democrat, first in Salt Lake, and then later as Godfrey's brain trust, spiritual adviser and main all around guru on matters pertaining to policy, empire building and ethical standards skirting.
So Stu decides to once again run for state senate in Ogden and given his recent past political efforts knew that would be more problematic as a "D" than a "R". So he once again publicly posed himself as intending to run as a "D", and then at the last minute before the filing deadline registers as the "R" candidate. Extremely treacherous behavior to his life long supporters in the "D" world and a wicked surprise to the naybobs in the "R" gang. Bottom line he stiffed all the faithful in both Weber County parties so he certainly does not have any constituents on either side of that fence.
As to the people? Well, his basic attitude all along has been "screw the small people" He was at the heart of all of Godfrey's nefarious actions against the poor, disenfranchised and especially brown folks in Ogden. He was in Godfrey's ear with every one of the sneaky lies the mayor told the people in order to justify building his bowling alley/penny arcade empire on the tax payer's backs. He is the genius behind the mud flats - AKA "River Project". His finger prints are all over every looney failure, every little scam and every big lie of the Godfreyites.
So as to the people being his constituents - well once again you can forget that.
That pretty much leaves the Republican Party Legislative leadership - who he so resembles in almost any measurable way - as his true constituents. With this vote he removed any doubt.
His heart and soul (assuming he has either) is fully committed to that small out of touch, arrogant, pedantic, patriarchal circle of jerks who really control the main events in Utah. He is true to them and no one else.
How the hell did Ogden ever elect a person of this low and traitorous character to represent them in those marble lined halls of power? The fool is such a hubris laden dick head he can't even stick his finger out the door to see which way the politic wind is blowing!
Don't get complacent because the original HB477 was repealed. Several Representatives and Senators, including our own Stuart Reid, are already blaming the evil liberal media for misrepresenting the pure purposes of the bill. Since they couldn't rid themselves of GRAMA in one revamp they will attempt to gut the bill by bits and pieces. The reality is that they do not want oversight. The power brokers are not responsible too the general populace but only to paid lobbyists. Any input by the media or citizen groups in the review procvess will be attacked as unnecessary or too intrusive.Find a petition and sign the recall petition. We cannot trust elected politicans to do the right thing.
I don't think Utah has recall for state legislators. There are provisions to remove them if they're convicted of crimes in office. But there is not popular recall provision in Utah law. I think.
Saturday's S-E, p. 3-A, carried a photo of Scrupulous Stu Reid who voted not to repeal HB477.
Same issue, p. 5-A, featured this headline: "Is Religiosity a Factor in Obesity?"
Any subliminal connection, S-E?
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