Commission candidates take low-key approach

PROVO — Joseph Brierley may not be a household name, but the Democratic county commission candidate says he's running a "closet" campaign, hoping to win November's election by spreading the word about his views and overcoming a Democrat "label."

"I've lived in this county all my life," Brierley said. "There's tons of people I've met who would vote for me, but because of the social stigma, they wouldn't let anybody else know."

So he says he's taken a person-by-person approach to spread his message.

Incumbent county commissioner Steve White, a Republican, says he has taken a low-key approach this year, forgoing littering the county with campaign signs. Instead, White has sent out mailers and put up a few billboards along I-15.

On his Web site — www.not1redcent.com — White pledges to "maintain my philosophy of conservative government and fiscal responsibility." White also says he's not worried about losing the race.

For his part, Brierley has been writing opinion pieces that run in a local newspaper as advertisements. The ads have been published every week since March.

A Web site, www.yesjoseph. org, is Brierley's other method of spreading information about his platform, which supports small businesses and objects to flat "regressive" taxes that benefit the rich. "The love of money is the root of all evil, but economic development has to be managed wisely," Brierley says. "You can't just throw all the money to those who have all the money and expect things to get better."

Brierley, who says he doesn't want to have a "broad" Democrat label placed on him, also has scriptural references and quotes from religious leaders on his Web site.

He emphatically says he does not support the "homosexual political lobby" in the Democratic party and equally condemns the "rich political lobby" of the Republicans.

"We're not baptized into political parties," Brierley says on his Web site. "Political parties, no matter x, y or z, are tools for the delivery of a basic mechanical and human infrastructure."

White says he couldn't agree more, which is why he takes issue with Brierley's approach to making scriptural references in his campaign.

"Why would you even bring religion into it?" White said. "What has that got to do with anything?"

White also says some of Brierley's suggestions — such as changing flat taxes and not charging property tax on local business owners — are not entirely within the control of the county commission, but fall under the scope of the Utah Legislature.

If the county did not charge business owners property tax, then residents would have to make up the difference with increased property tax, White said.