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¢?
4 comments:
Well Rudi, Taylorsville's numb skull legislator Anderson doesn't have a damn thing over our very own legislative idioticus Peterson who also this day embarrassed intelligent politicians everywhere with some real stupid pap about Lagoon rides and illegal immigration.
I'm tellin ya, somebody ought to write a book about the lunacy that passes for statesmanship here in the land of Zion. A good follow up would cover the subject of the complete lack of any ethical bearings on the part of most GOP legislators in. I mean this Anderson guy most likely really doesn't see anything wrong with what he is proposing, just like Godfrey doesn't see anything wrong with lying to the council and the citizens about most every thing he comes up with. There is a great barren wasteland around here in the honest politician department, that's my opinion and I'm stickin to it...
The lack of ethical behavior runs rampant throughout our country and our state and local legislators are no exception. Even more reason to support the Ogden Ethics Project.
www.ogdenethics.org
It is a amazing show of contempt for the process of conflict of interest show by Mr. Anderson. The legislator did not even attempt to get another legislator to submit the bill for him.
Wow
I just noticed that the Weber County Forum went past the one million hit mark today! Not bad for a bunch of naysaying losers with nothing better to do with their worthless asses than sit around carping about our wonderful and ethically gifted political leadership here in the land of truth and enlightenment.
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