Standard-Examiner Editorial: Our View: Taxpayer-funded ATV Defense (Insulting)

Utah: "the most fiscally responsible state" (except when it's not)

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In the inerest of kickstarting some possible Weber County Forum discussion, we'll shine the spotlight on this morning's strong editorial from the Standard-Examiner.

Here's the lede:

The Utah Commission for the Stewardship of Public Lands made a big mistake when it supported using taxpayers’ money to assist the legal defense of San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman, who was convicted last year of a misdemeanor when he drove an ATV in Southern Utah’s Recapture Canyon, which is federally protected. The commission wants a legal analysis of the case.
However, the commission’s Republicans, which include Plain City State Sen. Scott Jenkins, are angling to have Utah’s Constitutional Defense Council spend as much as $100,000 to defend Lyman, who faces sentencing later this summer. The council, which will meet later this year, decides money to be allocated for states’ rights tussles with the feds.The 6-2 party-line vote by the commission is an insult to Utah taxpayers, who should not be given the legal tab for a county commissioner’s instance of political activism. If lawmakers want to pay the court bills of Commissioner Lyman, pass the hat among legislators, or pursue assistance from an interest group that sympathizes with Lyman.

Check out the full editorial, Peeps:

• Our View: Taxpayer-funded ATV defense

Remember, folks, Mr. Lyman has already been convicted at trial by a jury of his peers; so whatever taxpayer money that is wasted on this fool's errand will be devoted to a possible appeal:

• Jury: San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman guilty of conspiracy for ATV protest ride

The Standard deftly "nails it," in this "thumbnail" summary:

We respect that Utah lawmakers have an interest in states rights and any potential conflicts with the federal government. But that should not extend to paying the tab for law-breakers, which Lyman is. A Democratic member of the commission, State Sen. Jim Dabakis, Salt Lake City, has it right when he said, “He (Lyman) made the decision to have a public protest. Now he has to face the music.”

This is an editorial board "firing on all cylinders," wethink.

Utah: "the most fiscally responsible state" (except when it's not.)

Poll: Support for Caucus System is Below 20%

We'll be standing by with great interest during the upcoming 2015 legislation session, as extremist and ham-fisted Utah GOP legislators set the stage to thwart the"will of the people."

Concerning Utah's new dual-track political nominations system, we're delighted to present more startling Dan Jones polling data made available this morning, via UtahPolicy.Com,  Here's the lede, peeps:

The Utah State Republican Party has sued state government over a new law that provides a dual-track process for candidates to get on a party’s primary ballot, yet a new poll shows that only 19 percent of rank-and-file GOP voters want to keep the old caucus/convention system, favored by Republican insiders.
The new Dan Jones & Associates survey was discussed Friday morning at the 6th annual pre-legislative conference sponsored by the Exoro consulting group and Zions Bank.
Utah State University also participated in the new survey, which next week will be detailed in a number of UtahPolicy stories. So stay tuned.

Check out this morning's eye-opening story, O Gentle Ones:

• Poll: Support for Caucus System is Below 20%

That's right, folks!  Even rank and file Utah Republicans do not support the Utah GOP's SB54 Bait&Switch.

Put that in your pipe and smoke it, reactionary Utah GOP crackpots.  We do believe the Salt Lake Tribune capably called it, with last week's strong editorial:

• Editorial: Effort to undo SB54 shows why it’s needed

We'll be standing by with great interest during the upcoming 2015 legislation session, as extremist and ham-fisted Utah legislators, such as Weber County's own Senator Scott Jenkins set the stage to thwart  the "will of the people."

Breaking: Utah Republican Party Poll Shows Public Support for Delaying SB 54 - Updated

Republican "Bait-and-Switch"?  "It’s starting to feel that way."

Hot off the press this morning, we learn from Utah Policy.com and the Salt Lake Tribune, that the Utah Republican Party, eager to reneg on the on the 2014 SB54 legislative compromise which modified the process for Utah election nominations, and established a dual-track system for picking Utah political party election nominees, is working like a demon to toss a monkey wrench into the modified process which Utah's Republican Party-dominated state legislature enacted just last spring.  On the heels of December's UtahPolicy.com poll, which revealed that a majority of Utahns support 'Count My Vote,' and oppose GOP effort to Stop SB 54, it seems that (surprise of surprises,) the Utah GOP has now come up with a "contrarian" poll of its own.

According to the [Utah GOP's most recent] survey, when asked if political parties should be given more time to comply with the law, 56% of Utahns support that idea as do 56% of Utah Republicans.
The survey also shows Utahns support that lawsuit against SB 54, insofar as allowing the courts to sort out any constitutional questions surrounding the legislation. 59% of Utahns and 67% of Republicans say they support letting the courts have their say about the law before it goes into effect.

Read up, folks:

• Utah Republican Party Poll Shows Public Support for Delaying SB 54
• GOP wages rare Sunday fight against law passed by its own members

Within each the above stories we find references to the the ongoing efforts of Weber County's own Senator Scott Jenkins, who'll be fighting like a badger during the upcoming 2015 legislative session, to retroactively "gut" or "kill" the SB54 compromise legislation.  And in that connection, we'll helpfully link yesterday's Salt Lake Tribune story, which fleshes out Senator Jenkins's obstructive efforts planned to date:

• Senator proposes bill to close Utah primaries

Here's a telling quote which we've plucked from the SLTrib story, folks, which neatly summarizes the Utah GOP's efforts in re this issue, wethink:

Does [Rich McKeown, executive co-chairman of Count My Vote, think Republican leaders are attempting a bait-and-switch to get Count My Vote to withdraw its efforts by passing SB54, with leaders now pushing to revoke that law? "It’s starting to feel that way," McKeown said.

The Utah GOP: You can trust 'em just about as far as you can throw 'em.

Don't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Readers.

Update 1/6/15 10:15 a.m.:  Utah Political Capitol provides further analysis and discussion of Senator Jenkins's above-referenced bill:

• Flagged Bill: SB 43 – Closed Primary Amendments – Sen. Scott Jenkins