Sources close to the investigation by Weber and Davis county investigators to determine if criminal charges should be brought against former State Rep. Mark Walker for allegedly offering a job and pay raise to his Republican Primary opponent in the State Treasurer's race say a determination is expected soon.
The sources don't know whether the investigators will recommend charges go forward or not, but one thing that has surfaced during the probe is the investigators' curiosity over the number of Zions Bank employees who are in the State Legislature.
That part of the investigation developed, and sort of took on a life of its own, as the investigators interviewed Zions Bank employees since Walker was hired by Zions after he was elected to the Legislature (he resigned from Zions after he filed to run for Treasurer) and one of his chief accusers is an executive for Zions.
During the course of the interviews, investigators discovered that besides Walker, Zions employees include House Majority Leader David Clark, R-Santa Clara; Rep. Ross Romero, D-Salt Lake City; and Sen. Kevin VanTassell, R-Vernal. Also, former Speaker of the House Marty Stephens, R-Farr West, was a Zions Bank employee while he was in the Legislature, and Senate President John Valentine, R-Provo, was
given a lucrative appointment to Zions' Board of Directors after he became the Senate's leader.
There is nothing legally amiss about that, or any whiff of wrongdoing by anybody. The investigators just have mused on the number of legislators employed by one company and wondered, somewhat tongue in cheek, how the bank can get anything done during the legislative session with so many officers and executives having to
spend all their time doing the public's business during those two months.

Cheers,
Paul

In the latest episode of "Utah Officials Pretending to Curb Alcohol Consumption While Actually Doing Nothing to Curb Alcohol Consumption," some state liquor commissioners and at least one legislative leader wants to consider a policy that could create a whole new criminal enterprise: fake out-of-state tourist I.D.s
While the Utah Liquor Commission voted Wednesday to have its staff draft legislation to do away with the private club fee requirement for imbibers, Commissioner Kathryn Balmforth wants to consider a two-week hospitality card for tourists who could use it to go into any establishment that serves liquor without paying a club fee. The proposal has the tentative backing of House Speaker Greg
Curtis, R-Sandy.
But like liquor commission rules and legislative liquor law enactments of the past, it doesn't seem the idea has been thought through very thoroughly.
You remember the old mini-bottle laws that forced consumers to drink 1.7 ounces of alcohol per drink rather than the 1 ounce measured squirt that was the custom at the time. That was passed because Utah officials didn't want any appearance of
liquor-by-the-drink. But it actually forced drinkers to get drunk faster.
Now, with Balmforth's proposal, how would the distributors of the hospitality cards know who is an out-of-stater, who qualifies for the cards that would get him or her into clubs with no fee, and who is a Utahn, who now would be discriminated against by still having to pay the fee.
In the custom of manufacturing fake I.D.'s for folks in the country illegally, a cottage industry could emerge to manufacture fake I.D.s for Utahns, making them look like Missourians, or Texans, or New Yorkers.
The underground could flourish in a new criminal enterprise just for Utahns.

Cheers,
Paul Rolly

Once again the Days of '47 Parade wended through downtown Salt Lake City to celebrate the arrival in the valley of the Mormon pioneers in 1847.
And once again, in the parade committee's earnest quest to be non-political, the parade, in a sense, became political by favoring some candidates over others.
The long-standing policy has been to deny participation in the parade by political candidates. Most of the other cities in Salt Lake County allow candidates to have cars in their parades, most of which are held around July 4.
But the Days of '47 committee has always wanted to be above all that and not be political.
The only problem is that elected public officials are invited to ride in the parade, including elected public officials who are> running for re-election.
So, Gov. Jon Huntsman is in, his opponent is out. Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon is in, his opponent is out. Same for Congressman Jim Matheson and the County Council members who are up for re-election this year. That is exposure to tens of thousands of potential voters.
And to the hapless opponents: Buy an ad.
Cheers,

Paul Rolly

Robbie Russo and Beau Babka have something in common.

Both were one-time highly respected members of Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder's administration who somehow lost favor with the Democrat who ousted long-time Sheriff Aaron Kennard in the 2006 election by promising a better way.

Now, they could be teaming up in a fledgling police department that is in the final stages of its weaning from the sheriff's office to independently provide law enforcement services for the county's newest city.

Russo was Winder's designated director of the law enforcement the Sheriff's Office provided through contract with the city of Cottonwood Heights, on Salt Lake County's east bench. But one day he suddenly was relieved of his duties and placed on paid leave. He had no assignments, was told not to discuss his situation publicly and the sheriff would not comment on the apparent punishment.

Word had it that Russo was, in Winder's mind, working too closely with Cottonwood Heights officials who had some different ideas than Winder about what was best for their city. Russo has now been named chief of the newly formed Cottonwood Heights Police Department, which will be completely autonomous in about six weeks.

Then there was Babka.

When Winder was elected, he hired Babka as his undersheriff, a move highly praised by the law enforcement community because of Babka's extensive law enforcement, administrative and political experience.

Then, suddenly, Babka was gone. The department would not say why he left, but the inside scoop is that Winder got mad when he found out Babka had applied for a sheriff's job in southern California.

Now, Babka, could be part of Russo's administration in Cottonwood Heights. Russo confirmed the department has made a firm offer to Babka for a job that, if he accepts, would entail numerous administrative and public outreach assignments.

As they say, sort of: One county's loss could be one city's gain.

Cheers,
Paul Rolly

For Utah Democrats, perhaps the next best thing to John McCain
picking Mike Huckabee
as his running mate is evangelical leader James
Dobson strongly endorsing McCain in the presidential election.
The first possibility is remote at best. The second is getting
closer to reality.
The reason a Dobson face featured prominently in the McCain
campaign would be a good thing for the long-suffering Democrats in
the Beehive state is that Dobson and his wife have shown anti-Mormon
sentiments in the past.
Dobson and his Focus on the Family organization are part of the
fundamental Christian base that showed skepticism toward Mormons and
whether or not they were "true Christians" during Mitt Romney's run
for the presidential nomination.
But Dobson and his Christian followers didn't have much
admiration for McCain either, particularly over his earlier positions
on stem cell research and gay marriage and stories about his temper
and foul language.
But Dobson was reported in the Christian newspaper CR Daily's
online edition to be warming up to McCain.
The Christian leader, whose wife a few years ago banned Mormons
from participating in her National Prayer Council's National Prayer
Day, said considering the two evils of McCain and Barack Obama,
McCain is better "by a long shot."
He is very concerned about Obama, he said, and doesn't believe
Obama understands the true Christian values and Christians' issues.
Gee. That gives Obama something in common with the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, doesn't it?

Cheers,
Paul Rolly

In case you didn't know, Utah Republicans rock.

At least that's the claim in an invitation for Republicans to attend a fund-raising rock 'n' roll concert Monday sponsored by the Conservative Caucus of the Utah House of Representatives and organized by that wild and crazy guy, LaVar Christensen, who is running for his old House seat in Draper.

The 7 p.m. concert at the Sandy Amphitheater will feature stars of the Broadway hit "Beatlemania" singing Beatles songs and Phil Dirt and the Dozers performing top hits from Motown and "Flower Power," (we all know how much Utah conservatives are into flower power).

The concert costs $15 per person and will be dedicated to Utah soldiers and vets (although you can bet the money will go to the re-election efforts of Conservative Caucus members and not to soldiers or veterans).

Here's the kicker. The invitation from Randy O'Hara of the Salt Lake County Republican Party says that because of significant donations already made, if you are a Salt Lake County Republican Party officer, GOP Executive Committee or Central Committee member, you and a guest are invited to attend for free.

It's just the rest of those schmucks who have to pay.

Cheers,
Paul Rolly

Developer Gary McDougal, whose prospects of getting top dollar for his 10 acres of foothill property vastly improved after he hired Utah House Speaker Greg Curtis as his attorney, has finalized the deal and now will get $400,000 more than the appraised value.

Not bad negotiating, huh?

Oh, and who is paying him nearly a half million dollars more than the appraiser says it is worth? You, the taxpayer.

I wrote in April about the Salt Lake County Council preparing to approve a $1.8 million appropriation to buy the property from McDougal, with another $500,000 kicked in by Sandy City to meet his asking price of $2.3 million dollars.

The property was appraised at that amount based on what some council members felt was an unrealistic assumption that five lots could be developed on the steep, craggy property if it was not purchased by the government and kept as open space.

Council member Jim Bradley complained that McDougal himself had claimed the property was worth much less during the years he was protesting his tax assessments and for several years he successfully got the county to lower the assessment to just a fraction of the $2.3 million he was now claiming it was worth.

McDougal was unsuccessful in his attempts to get that kind of money from the government for his property in the past, until he hired Rep. Curtis, R-Sandy, as his attorney. Then, suddenly, Sandy City was more than anxious to move the sale along.

But based on complaints by Bradley and others, Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon asked for a second appraisal and that one came in at $1.7 million.

Still, the County Council voted Tuesday to pay $1.6 million to go along with Sandy's $500,000 and pay McDougal $2.1 million, $400,000 above the new appraised value.

Cheers,
Paul Rolly