Utah needs ethics reform laws

The new Salt Lake County Mayor-elect Peter Corroon will be a breath of fresh air after the scandal-plagued administration of Nancy Workman. Corroon has already eliminated many of the patronage jobs that taxpayers were footing the bill for in the previous administration, as well as promising to implement ethics reform.

So many times I have heard people defend official corruption by saying "they didn't do anything that others weren't doing" or "that's the way business is run."

Voters should demand strong ethics reform laws not only at the county level but at the city and state level. The Utah Legislature refuses to pass ethics reform laws preferring the "how dare you insinuate that we are not working in your interest" approach. And yet they continue to not only vote on, but actually sponsor, legislation where they have direct conflicts of interest. I can see where the "everybody else is doing it" defense comes from with the ethically challenged Utah Legislature setting the standard. Write your elected representatives today and insist that they vote to enact ethics reform laws.

Richard Stone

Salt Lake City