Divisive but refreshing, old Rocky is back

It's good to have the old Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson back.

Well, "good" is probably relative in this case.

No doubt many Anderson supporters both in and out of the city are smiling these days as Anderson, once again, takes on the Utah Legislature and members of his own City Council.

Republicans, Davis County residents, conservatives, gun-rights advocates and some others are probably not so glad that Anderson is again calling for reforms on several fronts — asking for action on what he calls his "seven freedoms."

After participating in one of the most polarized city elections in years in 2003 — Republican Mormons voted against Anderson, Democratic non-Mormons voted for him — Anderson had been relatively quiet in 2004, the first of his second term.

He wasn't in the media all that much and looked to be trying to heal some rifts with non-Salt Lakers.

But he let loose several weeks ago, taking out after some Bush administration policies and then firing back at the GOP-controlled Utah Legislature during a national conference of state lawmakers hosted by our state legislators.

Now Anderson says he'll hold a series of town hall meetings this fall, inviting residents and legislators to discuss what he calls the "seven freedoms" that lawmakers and City Council members are, in his opinion, taking away from all Utahns.

He says it is "outrageous" that some juvenile weapons violations are just Class B misdemeanors, on par with littering and growing weeds too tall in one's yard.

He says the Legislature refuses to join the 21st century by keeping "antiquated and bizarre" liquor laws.

His own City Council is a bunch of fuddy-duddy kill-joys (my definitions) for not allowing dancing after 2 a.m.

The Legislature won't allow adequate information to be taught to schoolchildren about AIDS and pregnancy prevention. And so on.

Yes, the mayor may be getting a little grayer in the hair (aren't we all), but these past weeks Anderson is showing he's once again in the fray.

Now, I've written before that it is never wise for politicians to try to separate people; driving wedges is not conducive to good government.

But at the same time, while not a product of the major Utah societal groupings, I was born and raised here. And, like many Utahns, I've seen the get-along, come-along tendencies of this society.

In the 104-member Legislature, especially, dissent is not an admirable quality.

Dissent?

Hey, I've seen both Democratic and Republican legislators slapped down not only for speaking against a majority issue or bill but for even quietly voting against it even though it passes.