Remember the Antiquated Idea of Democracy?
Sometimes, the best way to monitor the attitudes and actions of our government officials and politicians is to pay attention to what they don't say.
A case in point is the announcement Tuesday that Utah House Majority Leader Jeff Alexander was resigning from the Legislature to take a part-time, unpaid position in Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s Economic Development office and to spend more time on his printing business in Utah County.
Alexander is unopposed on the ballot in next month's election, but he seemed to think everything was great because he is resigning in time for Utah County Republican delegates to pick a replacement, which would eventually be approved by Huntsman.
What is not said is that if Alexander needed to spend more time on his business, he could have made that decision last spring, before the candidate filing deadline so a field of candidates from the Republican, Democratic and other parties could file for the seat and go through the convention, primary and general election process to win the seat.
"It's now left up to the delegates, not just the voters, so I can help the governor in this advisory position," Alexander said in regard to his leaving the Legislature.
Not just the voters? Isn't is supposed to be up to the voters? Alexander was a 16-year veteran in the House and was majority leader. When he filed for re-election last spring, the Democrats felt they had no chance and didn't field a candidate. But if he had not filed for re-election, chances are the Democrats would have felt at least a chance of fielding a candidate in a race for an open seat.
Alexander's decision to file for re-election, then resign a month before the election robs the voters in his Provo district of deciding for themselves who they would choose to replace him.
His implication that it is better to leave it up to the Republican delegates is a reminder that the leaders in this one-party state have forgotten completely the concept of a democracy.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
A case in point is the announcement Tuesday that Utah House Majority Leader Jeff Alexander was resigning from the Legislature to take a part-time, unpaid position in Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.'s Economic Development office and to spend more time on his printing business in Utah County.
Alexander is unopposed on the ballot in next month's election, but he seemed to think everything was great because he is resigning in time for Utah County Republican delegates to pick a replacement, which would eventually be approved by Huntsman.
What is not said is that if Alexander needed to spend more time on his business, he could have made that decision last spring, before the candidate filing deadline so a field of candidates from the Republican, Democratic and other parties could file for the seat and go through the convention, primary and general election process to win the seat.
"It's now left up to the delegates, not just the voters, so I can help the governor in this advisory position," Alexander said in regard to his leaving the Legislature.
Not just the voters? Isn't is supposed to be up to the voters? Alexander was a 16-year veteran in the House and was majority leader. When he filed for re-election last spring, the Democrats felt they had no chance and didn't field a candidate. But if he had not filed for re-election, chances are the Democrats would have felt at least a chance of fielding a candidate in a race for an open seat.
Alexander's decision to file for re-election, then resign a month before the election robs the voters in his Provo district of deciding for themselves who they would choose to replace him.
His implication that it is better to leave it up to the Republican delegates is a reminder that the leaders in this one-party state have forgotten completely the concept of a democracy.
Cheers,
Paul Rolly
1:27 PM
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1 Comments:
Voters don't have a choice because the Democrats failed to give voters a candidate in that district.
How to win in this or any other state: Appeal to at least 51% of the voters. If the Democrats or any other party refuse to do that, then they have brought their irrelevance upon themselves.
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