Many lawmakers seem to lose their values

Utah is the capital of voluntarism, yet you couldn't tell that by the actions of our state legislative leaders. The recent report by the Corporation for National and Community Service found that Utah residents lead the nation in volunteering their time, yet state legislative leaders cannot find the time to decide whether to appropriate $2 million to provide dental care for the needy.

Utah residents volunteer more hours than their cohorts from other states, with "each volunteer working 96 hours, nearly double the national average of 51. Also, 63 percent of Utah volunteers said their work was done through religious organizations, compared to nearly 35 percent nationally" (Deseret Morning News, June 13).

Utahns are generous, compassionate and care for each other and their communities — but we already knew that. The study demonstrates that our religious organizations are able to have a significant influence in molding the values of our people.

One has to wonder why good people, who live those values in their daily lives, appear to leave them at the Capitol steps once they are elected. Many ran for office because they had high hopes, were passionate about their cause, and were convinced that they could make a difference. They would not compromise their principles like past politicians.

But unlike the private lives many of us have where we have some control over our environment, new legislators don't have that luxury. They are quickly thrown into the public arena with peers who bring their own passion and ideas, certain that they too will make a difference.

Before they can find their seat, they are captured by special-interest groups and the professional lobbyists who begin courting them and showering them with adulation and promises of helping them stay in office if they support their cause. We often accuse legislators of making compromises, but that is the essence of lawmaking in our democratic society.

Making public policy is not a matter of deciding between good or bad, rather of compromising and finding common ground. And therein is the challenge for lawmakers: How do they make public policy without compromising their basic values?

One would hope to find lawmakers who look beyond their pet project and work for the public good in keeping with the values that reflect their communities and their own lives. That requires they resist the ego massaging and campaign contributions they get from lobbyists as long as they do their bidding.