The winners and the losers

Loser: Nearly a half year after state lawmakers voted to ban any gift worth more than $50 from a lobbyist, some of them are complaining they didn't intend to do that. Others, including some lobbyists, seem confused by other, tougher reporting requirements for gifts, according to a story published in this newspaper. The gift ban makes it virtually impossible for a lawmaker to take a Utah Jazz ticket other than one that would get them a nose bleed. It's hard to feel sorry for these folks. First of all, do they really vote for things they don't understand? Second, and most important, lawmakers have yet to explain why they need to accept expensive gifts from people trying to buy influence.

Winner: It wouldn't hurt members of the Governor's Commission on Strengthening Utah's Democracy to consider carefully what Andrew Jensen has to say. The executive director of the Utah Student Association, Jensen spoke to the commission Friday about what he sees as a need to move voter-registration deadlines up and to increase the number of early voting booths in the state. Moving the registration date would take an act of the Legislature. Normally, we're leery of ideas to improve voter turnout merely by making voting more convenient. Democracy isn't about convenience. It's about hard work and commitment on the part of the governed to involve themselves and make informed choices. However, given Utah's dismal voter turnout last year (second lowest in the nation), and the success of limited early voting, it might not hurt to be a bit more flexible.

Loser: For one clue as to why America spends so much on health care, look no higher than the waistline. A report this week in the journal Health Affairs concluded that obese people spend on average $1,400 more per year on health care than people of normal weight. This has to be one of the top preventable health risks of modern times.