'Guzzlegate' erodes trust

House majority leader Greg Curtis said an "oversight" on his part resulted in his receiving a mileage reimbursement from the state when he was driving a county-owned vehicle.

In Curtis' leadership position in the Utah Legislature, it is not beyond the pale that a few details could slip through the cracks as he shepherds hundreds of bills and other legislative business during the hectic 45-day general session. Curtis said he had routinely completed mileage forms before he had a county-owned vehicle, and he mistakenly continued to do so after the county provided the SUV in June 2003.

Although Curtis has apologized and has returned $767 in mileage reimbursement to the state, most Utahns are incredulous that after six months of driving a Ford Explorer owned by Salt Lake County and fueled using a county charge card, it didn't occur to Curtis that mileage reimbursement he sought from the state had already been paid for by the county.

Obviously, Curtis' "oversight" is not in the same league as the alleged misdeeds of former Salt Lake County Auditor Craig Sorensen, who was charged Thursday with misuse of public funds for allegedly purchasing $10,139.81 worth of gas, or 7,641 gallons, that were not used for his county-assigned vehicle, a 2001 Ford Expedition, between Jan. 1, 2001, and April 30 of this year. Sorensen resigned from office earlier this week.

Still, Curtis' actions, just like Sorensen's, represent a disregard for taxpayers' resources. Given record-high gasoline prices, Curtis' "double dip," Sorensen's alleged gasoline theft and chief financial officer Randy Allen's two personal trips to Lake Powell in a county vehicle (he has also resigned) are especially irritating to drivers who struggle to make ends meet each time they fill up their gas tanks or pay higher prices for goods and services resulting from record gas prices.

While the financial aspects of these matters are maddening, what is most infuriating is the sense of entitlement that contributes to this type of conduct.

While the Deseret Morning News has never championed term limits, there is something to be said for the notion that people with long careers in public office may lose sight of their masters — the public. If nothing else, "Guzzlegate" should be a cautionary tale to other public officials who haven't brushed up on reimbursement policies or who may be tempted, on occasion, to cut corners while doing the public's business.