Just do it!
The Deseret News and Tribune are clogged with columns and stories on the Legislature's ethics controversy that includes allegations of bribery and sexual harassment.A Tribune analysis by Robert Gehrke says Rep. Kevin Garn is trying to mediate between the factions on the Hill before the public is exposed to the shabby side of their lawmakers. Says Rep. Steve Urquhart, who has emerged as the House leaders' attack dog:
There's a philosophical rift [between those in power and the outsiders]. They're wanting to reshuffle the deck at any cost.DNews political editor Bob Bernick says the backbiting over ethics could tear the House apart:
Cooler heads may prevail — but as of this week there are hard feelings, political retribution, and some public careers may end this November because of the infighting.
The latest: Both House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, and Rep. Steve Mascaro, R-West Jordan, could face separate House Ethics Committee investigations this summer.
Blogging Tribune political editor Dan Harrie rips Legislative apologist LaVarr Webb (a former DNews political editor-turned-lobbyist) for downplaying the ethics problems on the Hill.
Regular DNews commentator, John Florez, puts a large part of the blame on House Speaker Greg Curtis:
It's a dark time for Utahns when a legislative leader, rather than encouraging openness and debate necessary for making public policy, seems more concerned about wielding and keeping his political power. The speaker gives credence to the perception of how legislative leaders control legislators by punishing and retaliating against them when they dare to speak contrary to leadership positions. . . .Curtis flatly denied to KSL being involved in offering a bribe to a candidate to drop out of the Treasurer race. The allegation has become a catalyst to a spreading ethics scandal.
Such action by a legislative leader creates a chilling environment that stifles honest debate. It reinforces why the public has a lack of trust in its government. It should not then be surprising to see Utah leads the nation in low primary voter turnout.
In a guest column in the Tribune, it almost sounds like pious Rep. Dave Clark, the House Majority Leader who is on the short list of suspects for the unsavory tactics in the state Treasurer race, is calling for an ethics investigation:
All this focus on gossip and titillation does not serve the greater good. We don't believe in trial by media. Yes, I believe bad actors should be exposed, tried for their crimes and punished, but we must not let that detract from the important work elected officials do and the work that still must be done.So why don't Curtis, Urquhart and Clark end the gossip and titillation by signing ethics complaints — against themselves if necessary —and get the probe rolling.
7 Comments:
"DNews political editor Bob Bernick says the backbiting over ethics could tear the House apart." Gods, we can only hope! I'd love nothing more than to see this pack of pious criminals at each other's throats. No one remembers Thomas Nast but this cartoon, about Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall, fits this situation perfectly:
http://tinyurl.com/5nl48l
What a sad state of affairs that the speaker of the house has to use a lame excuse that everyone else is out of step except him. He should be made to review all of the times he has called for a close caucaus everytime a vote was called for and it didn't go the way he wanted it to. In the current legislature, if you don't vote the way they want you to, you can be certain that the next time you try to get a bill passed, you won't even be called. If you would like to be on a certain committee and you did't vote the speakers way, forget the committee assignment.
To Anon:
Speaker Curtis has held open caucuses for the last 4 years and members of the media have sat in each of those caucuses.
To Glen:
They should call for an ethics investigation to investigate themselves for what? It's a no win from guys like you. They say they are innocent and the media doesn't believe them, they investigate themselves and are found innocent and the media says the process was flawed.
Bernick is a corrupt and lazy journalist. He lies and doesn't check facts. Then hides behind his pious media excuse.
The Tribune wants to bring "balance to the force" by any means possible.
Perhaps we should demand an ethics investigation of the media. Front page headlines of the allegations. Back page footnote when exonerated.
Controversy sells papers. Facts don't. As they say: If it bleeds, it leads!
to biased media: typical rethug response, it's that mean old lib'ruhl media! It can't be our saintly, chosen by God, sustained REEpublican leaders because why they would never do such a thing, so it's that media bias. Horsewallow. The only way the media is biased is against the progressive, liberal side of the body politic. The media in this country is bought and paid for by big corporations like, well hey! Fox News. To blame the TRIB for reporting on the excesses of the power-lustful in the state lege is just See No Evil! Hear No Evil! Speak No Evil!
rdale: Have you ever worked with the media? Have you ever tried to have them correct an error? Have you ever watched the all run like lemmings after the same story, regardless of it's merits?
Wake up!
I think the media does a decent job here in Utah of covering the government.
Unfortunately, some of the reporters (print and radio, mostly) lack the requisite IQ or abstract thought processes in order to cover the minutiae that is government operations in general.
It's not the reporter's fault - it's ours for not buying enough papers to secure decent salaries for decent reporting.
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