Chalk one up for the public. Salt Lake County residents stopped County Councilman Randy Horiuchi's proposal to raise council members' pay. It shows what residents can accomplish when they speak out.

It caused Horiuchi to withdraw his plan that would have almost doubled County Council members' current pay to more than $80,000. He said it was needed because of the increased workload they have to handle. They are already paid more than other local and legislative officials. One might wonder if a "comparable-worth study" on what they produce now would show they are overpaid and call for a cut in pay.

It looks like this was one of Horiuchi's trial balloons to see if it would fly or if anyone would speak out against it; spinning a pay raise for County Council members as though it would not cost anything doesn't give us taxpayers much credit; that savings would come by reducing their assistants to part time with no benefits. One has to wonder why a seasoned and astute politician would propose such an idea at a time when people are losing their jobs or struggling to make ends meet. He said that he would not take the pay increase but was doing it for others who put in so many hours of work.

Heard that before. Why would politicians whose party is supposed to be for working people propose cutting the pay and benefits of employees to fill their own pockets? Is that what happens to some politicians who have been in office too long and acquire a sense of entitlement?

A 1998 citizen study of Salt Lake County's form of government called for a separation of powers that would eliminate council members meddling in the operation of government and the "backroom deals" some felt were going on in the old form of government. In its current form, council members in essence become the board of directors to the corporation. They were to become part-time, citizen elected officials and leave the administration of day-to-day operation to the mayor's office. The council is supposed to approve the budget, pass ordinances and ensure their policies are being carried out as intended. When elected, each of the council members knew his or her position was part time, in keeping with the idea that they were citizens willing to perform public service, not a full-time job with benefits.