Senator Curt Bramble: Standard-Examiner Editorial Board Missed Points on Ethics Reform

Bonus reader query: Is there anyone amongst our savvy and politically battle-weary WCF readership who's buying Senator Bramble's lame excuses?

Laughable and self-serving guest commentary from Utah County's State Senator Curt Bramble this morning, responding to Friday's hard-hitting Standard-Examiner editorial, Our View: Unethical enablers, also the subject of our own 8/3/12 WCF writeup:

• Standard-Examiner editorial board missed points on ethics reform

"My central focus has always been to protect the integrity of the political process from the buffetings of self-interested parties. I believe we’re on the right path," sez Senator Bramble, with a completely straight face.

That settles it, right?  The state legislature's coincidental efforts to (temporarily?) ban electronic petitions, and to "raise the goalpost after the ball was in the air", during the heroic grassroots 2010 UEG ethics reform petition drive had nothing whatsoever to do with either making a mockery of the provision in the state Constitution that enshrines the right of the people to propose, adopt and repeal laws, or with thwarting UEG's efforts to allow a chance for the Utah lumpencizens to put a serious ethics reform measure on the ballot.

We'll file this one, of course, under the topic label "Alternate Reality Department," folks.

Bonus reader query: Is there anyone amongst our savvy and politically battle-weary WCF readership who's buying Bramble's lame excuses?

Standard-Examiner Editorial: Our View: Unethical Enablers

Bravo, Doug Gibson and the S-E Editorial Board.

The truth has always been that the dominant political force in our state does not want real ethics reform. They have crafted "baby-steps" ethics laws that allow them loopholes to freeload food and gifts and also retain their ability to gobble up all the campaign cash they can beg for and maintain elite relationships with lobbyists.

Standard-Examiner Editorial
Our View: Unethical Enablers
August 3, 2012

Voters, please remember when you go to the polls, which of your legislators support real ethics and which legislators are enablers of the current imperfect system.

Standard-Examiner Editorial
Our View: Unethical Enablers
August 3, 2012

Top notch editorial in this morning's Standard-Examiner, saying everything that needs to be said, in the wake of this week's Utah Supreme Court decision in the UEG legislative ethics reform initiative matter, about the current state of Utah legislative ethics:

• Our View: Unethical Enablers

Bravo, Doug Gibson and the S-E Editorial Board.

Salt Lake Tribune: Push for Ethics Initiative Will Continue, Backers Say - Updated

Fascinating political sideshow developing in relation to this matter, too, as sharp-eyed  UEG officials catch a bogus 2010 electronic signature originating from Utah House of Representatives computer

Encouraging news for supporters of the UEG Ethics Reform Initiative who were disheartened by last week's Utah Supreme Court ruling, which "snuffed out" any hope that this landmark measure would be placed before Utah lumpencitizens on the 2012 General Election ballot, as the Salt Lake Tribune reports this morning that the fight to put the Utah legislature's ethical feet to the fire ain't over yet:

• Push for ethics initiative will continue, backers say

Yesiree, the dedicated and stalwart folks of the UEG plan to pick up the pieces and start all over again, with a goal of qualifying this measure for the 2014 ballot. And why not, we ask, inasmuch as the UEG probably has pretty much of its 2010 petition-gathering apparatus still  in place?  "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again," according to the old folk ax, right? Hopefully this planned second effort will finally get it right.

Fascinating political sideshow developing in relation to this matter, too, as it seems that the folks of the UEG caught "somebody" red-handed, filing a bogus signature on a UEG 2010 electronic petition via a Utah House of Representatives computer, of all places.  House Speaker Becky Lockhart, R-Provo of course knows "nuttin' from nuttin'" about this criminal act, which is pretty much par for the course with our corrupt Utah legislature, don'tcha think?

It gets interesting and interestinger, dunnit?

So who wants to throw in their own 2¢, O Gentle Readers?

Update 8/2/12 12:45 a.m.: Considering the circumstances, UEG has a relatively upbeat post-mortem on their website; and it comes as no surprise that they're already looking for volunteers:

• We Lost the Court Case. What's next?

Your blogmeister has already notified UEG officials that he's "ready to roll" as a petition gatherer this next go-round. Howbout vous?

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Supreme Court Ruling Ends Ethics Initiative Bid

"If a grassroots group like ours couldn’t qualify this initiative for a statewide ballot, I don’t think it can be done." - David Irvine, Utahns For Ethical Government attorney

Devastating news for supporters of the UEG citizens ethics reform initiative the morning, as the Salt Lake Tribune reports that the Utah Supreme Court has ruled in favor of corrupt business as usual in Utah government, and aids and abets the state legislature in making a mockery of the provision in the state Constitution that enshrines the right of the people to propose, adopt and repeal laws.  Here's the gist:

The Utah Supreme Court tossed a bid by Utahns For Ethical Government to get their rigorous ethics initiative on the November ballot, apparently dooming the effort for this election cycle.

The Court, in a one-paragraph order issued Tuesday, said that the district court should have granted the request by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office to dismiss the lawsuit.

The high court’s decision ends a protracted battle that began in August 2009, pitting the Utah Legislature against a group of former lawmakers and good-government crusaders who argued that the Utah Legislature lacked the necessary ethical guide rails and oversight.

The order, signed by Chief Justice Matthew Durrant, said a full opinion on the case would come later.

 Check out the full story here:

• Utah Supreme Court ruling ends ethics initiative bid 

"This is a huge disappointment, because the practical effect of the ruling … is that the statewide initiative right written into the [Utah] Constitution has pretty much been erased by statute," said David Irvine, an attorney for Utahns For Ethical Government and former Republican legislator. "We had hundreds of volunteers put thousands of hours into this effort and if a grassroots group like ours couldn’t qualify this initiative for a statewide ballot, I don’t think it can be done."

"It's a bad day for ethics in Utah. But what's new?" - Trib Reader

The floor's open for you post-morten comments, O Gentle Ones.

Deseret News: Utah High Court to Decide If Legislative Ethics Initiative Gets on November Ballot

Justices question lawmakers' motives in tightening signature requirements

What happened here was the goal post was raised after the ball was in the air.

Utah Supreme Court Justice Thomas Lee
Utah high court to decide if ethics initiative gets on November ballot
July 26, 2012

Listening to the debate, what we needed was a Urim and Thummim to interpret this statute.

UEG Attorney Alan Smith
Utah high court to decide if ethics initiative gets on November ballot
July 26, 2012

Just to keep Weber County Forum readers abreast of developments in the Utahns for Ethical Government legislative ethics reform citizen initiative petition matter, we'll link to Thursday's Deseret News story, which reports on this week's oral arguments before the Utah Supreme Court:

• Utah high court to decide if legislative ethics initiative gets on November ballot

While this D-News story doesn't really provide any reliable clue about how the full five-member Utah Supreme Court panel may be leaning with respect to its ultimate decision in this matter, we do believe it's important to inform our readers that the case has now been argued before the Utah Supreme Court, and that all parties to this proceeding are hoping for an expedited ruling "as early as next week."

We'll be keeping our fingers crossed, eh folks?

Update 7/30/12 8:00 a.m.: More on this story from the Salt Lake Tribune:

• Utah Supreme Court weighs fate of 2010 ethics initiative

ACLU of Utah Files Amicus Brief In Utah Supreme Court Arguing That Ban On Electronic Signatures In the Initiative Process Is Unconstitutional

It's about time that the ACLU got involved in this landmark litigation, wethinks

Encouraging development in the Utahns for Ethical Government citizens initiative case.  

Yesterday, the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah, along with cooperating attorneys David C. Reymann and Chad R. Derum, filed an amicus curiae brief to the Utah Supreme Court in the case of Utahns for Ethical Government v. Clerks for All Counties in the State of Utah. In its brief, the ACLU of Utah argues that a ban on counting electronic signatures in the initiative process violates the Utah Constitution.

“We are heartened by the Utah Supreme Court’s willingness to hear from the ACLU of Utah on this critical issue,” said John Mejia, Legal Director of the ACLU of Utah.

“A ban on electronic signatures in the initiative process is not just a burden for some out-of-state Utahns, but a complete exclusion from participation.“

Click the link below for full details, including links to the ACLU's amicus curiae brief (it's a humdinger):

• ACLU of Utah Files Amicus Brief In Utah Supreme Court Arguing That Ban On Electronic Signatures In the Initiative Process Is Unconstitutional

It's about time that the ACLU got involved in this landmark litigation, wethinks.

Paul Rolly: Legislators Flip-flop on Their Own Intent

Feast your eyes on the desperation of  the ethically corrupt GOP dominated Utah legislature, folks

As a followup to yesterday's UEG Citizens Ethics Initiative Petition update, we'll now highlight Friday's Paul Rolly story, which proves that our lumpencitizen unfriendly Utah state legislature continues to play all the mendacious angles to prevent the 100,000+ citizens of Utah who signed the petition from ever seeing this landmark legislative ethics reform measure appear on the Utah ballots.  Rolly reports that legislative leaders want lawmakers to weigh in on the suit at the Utah Supeme Court level with an amicus curiae brief, clarifying that it was the Legislature’s intent to impose an April 15 petiton deadline, which would technically operate to disqualify the initiative measure from the November 2012 ballot, contrary to Judge Shaugnnessy's earlier 3d District Court ruling:

• Rolly: Legislators flip-flop on their own intent 

Feast your eyes on the desperation of  the GOP dominated legislature, folks, as "legislative leadership" (so-called) pulls out all the stops to thwart the apparent public will to impose robust and and pervasive ethics reform upon our ethically-corrupt Utah legislature.

Kinda makes you proud, dunnit, O My Utah GOP Friends?

So who'll be the first to throw in  their own 2¢?

Utahns for Ethical Government News Update: Our Appeal to the Utah Supreme Court

First, a big and heartfelt thanks to all those who responded to our request for financial help... And now it's on to the Utah Supreme Court

By: Utahns for Ethical Government

Dear Supporters,

First, a big and heartfelt thanks to all those who responded to our request for financial help. Thanks to you, we actually exceeded our $15,000 goal and can proceed to fully pay for our survey as well as pay our current and upcoming court filing fees and minimal operational costs, as we prepare our appeal to the Utah Supreme Court. Your response was heart warming and very much appreciated.

Second, you may have read an account in the newspaper of the final lower court ruling by Judge Todd Shaughnessy of Utah's Third District Court. We mentioned in our earlier communication that the Judge ruled a few weeks ago that UEG had one year in which to gather signatures ( :-), while at the same time ruling that e-signatures could not be used for our initiative (:-(. A surprising third ruling was issued after a subsequent hearing before the Judge on certain facts remaining in dispute. The ruling states that the count of eligible signatures must be based on the number of votes cast for President of the U.S. in 2008 rather than on the number of votes cast for Governor in that election. This is a significant difference because several thousand more people vote for President than for Governor. The judge's decision was based on a 2011 Utah law that stiffened the requirements long after our actual signature gathering effort had been completed. We believe that we collected enough signatures under the old requirement but not enough if we are bound by the new requirement.

We were surprised and dismayed to discover that all of us could work so hard to gather signatures believing that one standard existed, and then learn after we have completed our work that the standard was changing! We, of course, think that applying the 2011 law is fundamentally unfair, but it has a basis in law that we will be challenging on appeal as inapplicable in our case.

The Utah Supreme Court decision will be very interesting and important to all Utahns. We are finalizing our appeal at this moment, requesting an expedited decision because of the time pressure as the election approaches.

We will continue to keep you posted.

Yours in solidarity,

Kim Burningham, Chair
Utahns for Ethical Government

Dixie Huefner, Chair
UEG Communications Committee

Open Letter From Our Friends At Utahns For Ethical Government

COURT RULES: UEG NEEDS YOUR HELP

Last week, Judge Todd Shaughnessy of Utah's Third District Court ruled that UEG had one year in which to gather initiative signatures (a win for us), while also ruling that e-signatures were not valid for initiative purposes (a win for the State). The judge held a status conference with both sides last Friday, and both we and the State will appeal the decision to the Utah Supreme Court within four weeks. This means UEG needs money now and is asking you to give (you can use PAYPAL on our website (Press the "Donate" button in lower right sidebar) or you can send a check to Kim Burningham at the address below). Please keep reading, because we're at an exciting turning point.

Before our appeal can be submitted, the State must give us a complete count of qualified and disqualified signatures and counting procedures used by county clerks in (1) the three Senate Districts where validity of some e-signatures (or some disqualified handwritten signatures) would have enabled qualification, and (2) the other 23 Senate Districts where the State has already indicated unofficially that we had sufficient handwritten signatures. We will be "auditing" the counts, and part of our argument on appeal is likely to be that counting procedures across counties lacked uniformity and therefore denied voters the equal protection of the laws. We are confident of ultimate victory and a place on the November ballot.

Our funds are depleted from our earlier signature drive and minimal operational needs. Our attorneys donate their time at no cost, but we must immediately raise $15,000 for court costs (we believe they won't be extensive) and initial preparation for a late summer and fall campaign, including a survey to assess voter perceptions and clearly identify our message (the bigger ticket item).

If each of the 1,000 supporters who read this memo would give $15, we would have what we need. We know that this is an unlikely rate of return, but please prove us wrong! If only 300 of you would give $50, we'd also make our goal. We leave it up to each of you to do the math, but please do not ignore this request. No Super PACs have asked if they could adopt us - we're strictly grassroots.

Please give as generously as you can. You may pay by using PAYPAL on our website, or mail a check to Kim Burningham at 932 Canyon Crest Drive, Bountiful, UT 84010. Make checks out to Utahns for Ethical Government. Contribute what you can NOW.

As ever, we appreciate your support in time, money, and understanding of the need for legislative ethics reform. This is a critical time to combat inertia and demonstrate citizen support for our efforts. We must prepare our appeal and be ready to move forward when the Supreme Court rules. Your help now will be important to improved ethical safeguards in the future.

Sincerely,

Utahns for Ethical Government

Kim R Burningham, Chair

Executive Committee: Sheryl Allen, Vik Arnold, Rob Ence, Dixie Huefner, David Irvine, Craig Johnson, Tom Sakievich, Alan Smith, Carmen Snow, Karl Snow

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Judge Weighs Arguments on Ethics Initiative

It'll be fascinating to find out  whether 3rd District Court Judge Shaughnessy will be willing to tell 130,000 Utah Citizens Ethics Petition signators to "go to hell," wethinks

As a followup to our 4/15/12 article, wherein we reported that Utahns for Ethical Government's (UEG's) court case had been assigned to 3rd District Court Judge Shaughnessy for oral argument on 4/27/12, we learn from the Salt Lake Tribune this morning that this case was indeed argued yesterday as scheduled.  Read the full SL-Trib story here:

• Utah judge weighs arguments on ethics initiative

Naturally we'll be keeping a close eye on this, and will be johnny-on-the-spot to report on Judge Shaughnessy's ultimate ruling in this matter, once this decision is issued.

According to this morning's story, UEG attorneys seem to be hanging their hats on the constitutionally-based principal that "[i]f there is a question, it should be read liberally in a way that furthers the citizens’ right — their constitutional right — to petition their government for redress."

It'll be fascinating to find out  whether 3rd District Court Judge Shaughnessy will be willing to tell 130,000 Utah Citizens Ethics Petition signators to "stickit in their bottoms" wethinks.

Who'll be the first to throw in their own 2¢?

Utahns for Ethics Reform Update

UEG hearing date established; National study gives Utah low ethics grades

By: Kim Burningham, UEG Chair
Dixie Huefner, UEG Communications Chair

Court hearing scheduled for April 27th. We thought that you would want to know that Utahns for Ethical Government's (UEG's) court case has once again been reassigned to another 3rd district court judge--from Ryan Harris to Todd Shaughnessy. We do not know why the reassignment was made, but we now have an April 27th hearing date with Judge Shaughnessy. We hope that we will have his ruling not too long after the hearing, and, of course, we hope that our citizens ethics initiative will be on the 2012 ballot. We will keep you posted.

National study gives low grades to Utah ethics laws and practices. In the meantime, the Center for Public Integrity has issued its 2012 report on integrity standards and enforcement of those standards by the 50 states. The report is based on information collected in 2011 and reflects relevant laws as well as practices to enforce those laws. Utah's overall grade, along with 17 other states, was a D. Eight states received Fs. Nineteen states got Cs, and 5 states received Bs. No state received an A. To be in the bottom half of the states is not something of which to be proud. On ethics issues of major concern to UEG, Utah's scores were dismal. (On other issues like "internal auditing" and "procurement," Utah's grades were higher--A and B+, respectively.) For more information, you can visit the Center's website.

Among Utah's worst subscores were the following areas of special interest to UEG:

• Political Financing - F
• Legislative Accountability - F
• Lobbying Disclosure - D
• Public Access to Information - D+
• Ethics Enforcement Agencies - F

You can see that, in spite of various bills passed by the 2010 Legislature, which the legislative leadership asserted took care of their ethics problems, the Center for Public Integrity concluded that Utah's ethical standards and practices remained extremely poor. We agree and hope that UEG and the public will be able to do something about this appalling record.

Added Bonus: Gentle Reader Ozboy has transmitted to us the below-linked speech transcript, in pdf format, submitted with the introductory comment, "I thought you and your WCF readers might be interested in this speech by David Irvine, the ethics in Utah major drum beater, given to the league of old broad voters in Salt Lake the other day."

Mr. Irvine also happens to be UEG's "silver-tongued" lead attorney, the lawyer who'll be arguing UEG's case before Judge Shaughnessy on April 27, btw. Check out Mr. Irvine's most recent public statement, which addresses the pending lawsuit, and eloquently describes the pathological ethical morass which continues to infect our Utah body politic even unto this very day:

• Ethical Reform and the Capital Crossroads of Money, Power, Ambition and Opportunity

That's it for now, O Gentle Ones. We'll definitely keep you posted as this case progresses.

Saturday Morning Weber County Forum News Roundup

Several items in the Northern Utah print media news item morning queue, just to keep the local political news discussion going here at Weber County Forum

1) As a followup to last week's Ogden Redevelopment Agency Board Work Session, wherein the RDA Board discussed "a proposed purchase contract and development agreement for The Four Foods Group, LLC, in connection with the opening of a new Kneaders Bakery And Café at 1951 Washington Blvd.," The Standard reports on the outcome of this week's RDA Board seession, wherein the Ogden RDA applied the finishing touches, and "approved a property sale and development agreement with The Four Foods Group LLC, which will bring a Kneaders Bakery & Café to Ogden as part of the river project":

• Kneaders Bakery coming to Ogden

We'll chalk this up as a feather in the cap of new Ogden mayor Mike Caldwell, and as additional circumstantial proof that Ogden voters who wisely rejected mayoral candidate Brandon Stephenson's 2011 mayoral bid, didn't need an Godfreyite Ogden City Council retread to maintain the Ogden River Project's "momentum" after all.

2) Fine editorial from the Standard, duly noting that the commencement of "another legislative session in Utah brings another needed call for better ethics."

"Utah legislators have made tiny, baby steps toward ethics reform within the past couple of years, but they still fall short," the editorial board aptly observes.

• OUR VIEW: Strange 'ethics' for Utah pols

The Standard editorial reels off a short list of Utah Legislators' documented ethical misdeeds, including Rep. Jack Draxler's spending of "$500 of campaign cash for a condominium in Salt Lake City," and former Utah House Speaker Greg Curtis's slimy diversion of "more than $31,000 of his leftover campaign cash to other legislators."

While we're pretty much in agreement with the overall message of this morning's editorial, we will make one slight exception: We do believe that it's probably perfectly ethical for a political candidate who's loaned personal dough to his own campaign to reimburse himself from his campaign fund, once later donations have rolled in, so long as his disclosure forms properly disclose that that such personal monies are clearly designated as "loans" at the outset, and additionally, so long as these reimbursements don't include "accrued interest."

We'll also opine that we probably won't have to endure editorials similar the one linked above, once the UEG Citizens Ethics Reform Initiative is placed on the November 2012 ballot. We have a high degree of confidence that Utah Lumpencitizens possess the common sense and ethical integrity to set Utah campaign ethics rules aright, even though their elected representatives often don't exhibit these noble character traits themselves.

3) The Salt Lake Tribune this morning reveals that the Richard Burwash lookalike, West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder, the serial Utah civil defendant who's running under the GOP banner this year for the Office of Salt Lake City Mayor, continues to play the role of the "political loose cannon," as his county-wide mayoral campaign now sparks an internecine battle within the Salt Lake County Republican Party:

• Winder’s candidacy sparks GOP dispute

Weirdly, Winder is now attacking Salt Lake Republican Party Chair Julie Dole, who had the temerity to write Winder a letter (at Winder's original request) proposing that he keep out of the SL County Mayoral race, so that the reeking stench of his "dirty political laundry" wouldn't taint all the other 2012 GOP races. Winder contends that in doing her (unpaid volunteer) job, and trying to protect the best interests of other Utah GOP candidates, and the Salt Lake County GOP as a whole, she's "violating a party bylaw requiring officers to be neutral until delegates select candidates for office."

We'll continue to keep our eye on this story, O Gentle Ones.

Weird, innit, that a nice-looking young feller like Winder, who appears to be so danged clean-cut and acceptable (by Utah standards) could actually harbor such a warped "me, me, me" mentality and turn out to be such a self-centered and self-delusional "political dork?"

Go figure...

Surprize of Surprizes: Utah Politicians Find Major Loophole in Ethics Law

One more reason for Utah lumpencitizens to insist on forcing Lt. Governor Bell to place the UEG Citizens Ethics Initiative on our 2012 Utah Ballots

Sorry to be so late with what was originally intended to be "this morning's" WCF post; but sadly we experienced a technical WCF "hardware 'won't talk to software' problem" on and about WCF which we couldn't quickly "fix," without first going out for a good long lunch, takin' a long breather and then thinkin' a little more about how these pesky problems could be more easily fixed upfront, if Microsoft magnate Bill Gates would merely deign to regularly talk to people like Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Eric Schmidt

However belatedly however, O Gentle WCF Readers, we are nevertheless back into "Here's the all-time Best O' the 1/23/12 Day Red Meat News Story of the Day" from today's Northern Utah Print Media news-cycle, posted to WCF despite the tech-glitches which we rather painfully experienced earlier today:

It's definitely a very good one down below from the Salt Lake Tribune which we highlight now, tipped to us from yet another sharp-eyed and alert WCF Reader who quite sagely prefaced his heads-up missive with "This is a must-see article in the Trib":

Here's the most excellent SLTrib story upon which our reader tipped us, wherein it becomes obvious, that despite all legislative the hoopla, that there's no manner in which Utah legislators might seemingly stand restricted under current Utah Law, from expending campaign contributions money. The truth is that Utah legislators can spend their campaign contributions money on ANY DANGED PERSONAL EXPENSES for which they dang well please:

• Gym fees? Utah politicians find loophole in ethics law

Let's put this one in political context, folks. During last year's 2010 Utah Legislative legislative session, the Utah GOP majority made a big deal about passing a law which was purportedly designed to "ban" state officials and candidates from spending campaign donations for personal use. This is the proof in the pudding... how it finally worked out folks, with loopholes in this legislative ethics-remedial bill (so-called) that crooked Utah legislators, in their ultimate wisdom, designed to be wide enough through which to fly a Boeing 747 straight through.

And here's the so-called "personal use banning" 2010-enacted Utah statutory rule, which somehow still permits Utah legislators to spend almost-unlimited campaign donation money on personal expenses:

• 20A-11-104. Personal use expenditure -- Authorized and prohibited uses of campaign funds -- Enforcement -- Penalties.

One more reason for Utah lumpencitizens to insist on forcing Lt. Governor Bell to place the UEG Citizens Ethics Reform Initiative on our 2012 Utah Ballots, don'tha all think?

We'll stand by for your ever-savvy comments, folks.

Salt Lake Tribune: 2012 Utah Legislative Preview

Added bonus: The latest news from our friends at Utahns for Ethical Government

The Utah Legislature convenes for its regular 2012 session tomorrow morning; and we know all Weber County Forum political wonks are sitting on the edge of their seats, awaiting this year's wacky Capitol Hill hijinks. In that connection, The Salt Lake Tribune is running an informative 2012 legislative preview article series this morning, which we'll reel off in no particular order:

• Top issues to watch in the upcoming legislative session
• Utah Legislature’s actions on open government will be graded
• Utah Legislature: Who’s in charge?
• New faces on Utah’s Capitol Hill
• Utah lobbyists, by the numbers

As an added bonus, here's the latest update from our friends at Utahns for Ethical Government, who are gearing up to seek a court order from Utah's 3rd District Court to force a very recalcitrant Lt. Governor Bell to place its UEG Citizens Ethics Reform Initiative on the upcoming 2012 Utah General Election Ballot, (among other things):

• UEG Saturday, January 21, 2012 Update

That's it on the Utah legislative front for now, folks.

Don't let the cat get your tongues.

Salt Lake Tribune: Utah Election Reformers Pull back From 2012 Target

Added Bonus: Year end greetings and and a status update from our friends at Utahns for Ethical Government

Late last month we breathlessly linked this Bob Bernick story and reported that "there's now a movement afoot to alter the rules regarding the nomination process in Utah, a movement which would avoid the predictable intransigence of the Utah Legislature altogether, and bring Utah into conformity with other "caucus/primary" nomination states through a more "grass roots" oriented means."

According to this morning's hot-off-the-press Salt Lake Tribune story, our enthusiasm may have been a mite hasty, as the Trib is now reporting that the "push to change Utah’s nominating process... is being put on hold for now, but backers say it could be back in 2014.":

• Utah election reformers pull back from 2012 target

The University of Utah's Kirk Jowers, provides the gist:

Kirk Jowers, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah, said his group remains convinced that something needs to be done to boost Utah’s voter participation, and that changing Utah’s unique convention system for nominating candidates could do that.

But looming deadlines and tough standards to get on the ballot make it difficult to get the ballot initiative before voters in the coming election year.

“It seems the most prudent course is to give ourselves enough time to see if the Legislature can take some actions to help our state get back to where it should be” in terms of voter participation, Jowers said. “If not, we’ll obviously keep all options open for 2014.”

As we said in out earlier article on this topic, "We'll be standing by. This one will be fun [and interesting] to watch."

Added Bonus: And speaking of citizen-driven ballot measures, here's a link from our friends at Utahns for Ethical Government, the last grassroots group to successfully engineer a statewide citizen initiative petition drive to place grass-roots oriented legislation on Utah ballots:

• Holiday Wishes and Year-End UEG Update

Gotta add that we're pleased to observe that the folks at UEG and Jowers' Alliance for Good Government organization seem to be cooperatively pulling in tandem.

Update From Our Good WCF Friends at Utahns for Ethical Government

Get ready in November 2012 to vote in favor of the most significant improvement in Utah ethics/election law EVER!

News is a mite slow again today, so we'll fill up the info gap with an update from our good WCF friends at the completely awesome Utahns for Ethical Government (UEG) website:

• August: End of Summer update

The UEG definitely has the very most top-notch litigation lawyers in Utah, so poor ole Gary Herbert and his crooked neoCON buddy Greg Bell will be definitely screwed, if they continue to try to thwart the "Will of the People."

Get ready in Novenber 2012, people, to vote in favor of the most significant improvement in Utah ethics/election law EVER!

As an added bonus, check out this eye-opening YouTube video:

• Utahns for Ethical Government - The Fight isn't Over

Don't be sleepy schmucks, Utah voters!

Put our sleazy current so-called Utah GOP legislative "leadership's" feet to the fire!

Keep on fighting!

Salt Lake Tribune: Campaign Cash

One more reason for enactment of UEG Ethics Reform Citizens Initiative in November 2012

From the Weber County Forum back burner we'll focus in this eye opening 11/29/10 editorial from the Salt Lake Tribune for those readers concerned about the corrupting influence of special interest campaign donations on the Utah legislative process. Here's the lede, which breaks out some startling figures:

To many Utah legislators, local is better — except when it comes to campaign donations. One-third of the lawmakers who will take their seats on Capitol Hill in the next general session didn’t raise a dime in campaign donations from their own district. Half raised less than 1 percent from constituents.
Overall, only $1 of every $20 in campaign donations came from the folks in the district. That means all the rest came from corporations, labor unions, political action committees, individuals outside the district, political parties, lobbyists, other politicians. In other words, special interests.
This is worrisome because these contributors don’t give money out of the goodness of their hearts. They give it to buy influence.

The editorial goes on with several recommendations to "encourage candidates to raise money from more sources, making them less beholden to any one."

Read the full editorial here:

• Campaign cash

As regular WCF readers are well aware, the UEG Ethics Initiative, which would impose reasonable individual campaign contribution limits for our state legislature, and would ban corporate contributions entirely, among other things, has technically qualified for the ballot for November of 2012. In the meantime however we believe the above-linked SLTrib editorial provides one more reason for enactment of this important citizens initiative.

Utahns For Ethical Government Survey Responses

Find out how the candidates in YOUR Senate and House districts responded

Interesting data this morning from the Utahns For Ethical Government website.

UEG has posted the responses of the 191 Utah State Senate and House candidates to its just completed September, 2010 Ethics Initiative Survey. Of the 191 candidates, 69 responded, for a 36% return. Of interest is the fact that only twenty-nine percent of the respondents were incumbents while seventy-one percent were challengers.

Responses to the survey questions are tabulated in numerical order by Utah Senate Districts, followed by Utah House Districts. Find out how the candidates in YOUR Senate and House districts responded. The responses were collected between September 7th and 28th. To see the complete results, click on this link:

• Legislative Ethics Survey Results

We urge Weber County Forum readers who consider legislative ethics reform to be a top 2010 General Election campaign issue to carefully review these data as you prepare to cast your November 2, 2010 votes.

For the convenience of WCF readers, we've also added this link to our right sidebar 2010 General Election Module.

Who will be the first to comment about this most illuminating survey data?

Salt Lake Tribune: UEG Says Ethics Code Will Be On Ballot

Time now to fry the imperial legislative right wing socialist foot-draggers in court

Eureka folks! To the complete dismay of the right-wing socialists in the Utah legislature, it looks like massive Utah Legislative Ethics/Campaign Finance Reform will be on the ballot in 2012:

• Group says ethics code will be on ballot

Of course there will be many battles ahead, as the UEG Lawyers fight on to place the matter on the ballot in 2012.

Here's just another example of the kind of crap Utah GOP legislators are placing in the path of THE PEOPLE, who are merely trying to clean up the Pay-to-Play Cesspool which currently exists in our Utah Legislature:

• UEG’s Creative New Deadline

It'll be a long battle even yet to get this initiative on the ballot, with backguard B.S. like this. Nevertheless we do believe it's time for the lumpencitizens of Utah to take a short pause, at least for the moment for celebration, and then to thereafter gird our loins for the inevitable court fights which will be necessary to bend the backs of our arrogant and fascist GOP dominated legislature to the people's will.

The important thing, Utah Lumpencitizens... we've accomplished the hard part, and gathered the requisite signatures to put the matter on the ballot.

Time now to fry the imperial legislative right wing socialist foot-draggers in court.

Update 8/13/10 7:00 a.m.: Here's a video clip on the subject, courtesy of Fox 13 News:

• UEG says it has met requirements for 2012 ballot

David Irvine (UEG Attorney): "They do not want this initiative to be voted on by the people."

Paul Nuenschwantzwanker (Lt. Governor's Chief of Staff): "If he's got some way to prove that, other than just some grandiose statement, I'd like to hear it."

Hah!

UEG Press Conference Tomorrow @ 12:00 p.m.

Tantalizing news from the the Utahns for Ethical Government facebook wall:

Join UEG at a press conference at noon, Thursday, August 12th, in the rotunda of the state capitol for the encouraging results of our year-long signature gathering effort. Please show up at this important event and share your enthusiasm!

Whoa! Do you think UEG is calling a press conference tomorrow to annoumce they didn't collect the requisite signatures by the August 12, 2010 deadline?

Do you think they're calling a press conference so they can kiss Lt. Governor Bell's right wing socialist butt?

We don't think so!

And what about you?

Update 8/12/10 7:00 a.m.: Here's the latest good news from UEG's Facebook wall:

Our goal was to get 95,000 signatures from registered voters in 26/29 Utah Senate districts, to be able to get the Ethics Initiative on the ballot in 2012. As of midnight last night, we have carried 26 of the 29 counties with a 20% buffer. We may make it in another district (St George) by tomorrow. This has been an amazing effort by a small dedicated group of volunteers. Utahns overwhelmingly want ethics reform!

Next up... the noon press conference in the state capitol rotunda, where we presume UEG organizers will be running a very well deserved victory lap.