OK folks. It's late in the a.m.; and after extensive slow news morning Googling, we've finally stumbled upon something to stimulate a little WCF reader discussion today. Remember way back last summer, when your blogmeister was intensively flogging the UEG Ethics Petition ? Well... this morning's SL-Trib carries a marvellous and eye-opening Robert Gehrke piece, revealing once again why the GOP-dominated Utah Legislature needs to have robust (butt-kicking), UEG-style Legislative Ethics Reform Bill shoved down its throat, prontito:
Gotta say this is one of the most bizarre conflict of interest stories your blogmeister has ever stumbled upon. Here's the lede:
A Utah lawmaker wants changes to the state’s child care laws, which he says give school-based, nonprofit day care programs an unfair advantage over private providers.Believe it or not, this GOP Legislator (Anderson) "doesn't believe" he has a conflict of interest, even while he unleashes the legislative dogs to devour his (and his employer's) direct competition.
“It isn’t right and I think we should change this as a Legislature,” Rep. Johnny Anderson, R-Taylorsville, told lawmakers Wednesday during a committee meeting.
Anderson didn’t mention that he is the owner of ABC Great Beginnings, which owns and operates seven private child care facilities.
Not only that, Anderson draws a paycheck as executive director of the Utah Private Child Care Association, the trade group for the private day care industry.
He'd prefer to say he has "an area of expertise.”
And what's particularly distressing is that under current Utah ethics rules, he can continue to beat down what he perceives to be his business opposition/competitors from his legislative "bully pulpet," (without sanctions) so long as he merely "declares" that he has a conflict of interest.
That's it for now, O gentle Ones.
Who'll be the first to chime in with their own 2¢?
