Reader comments
Utahns not so happy with legislators

Dan - Are you sure that the Govs rating isn't just 86% of Illegal Immigrants rather than 86% of registered voters? Must be a mistake!

Finally my old neighbors in South and West Jordan are realizing that Buttars is a bad person to represent them. I've known it for years...it's too bad it has taken them that long to figure it out.
No more Eagle's Forum pawns, please.

Fifty-three percent republican and 25% democrat? The actual distribution of elected officials is no where near that distribution...why? Immoral gerrymandering by an autocratic, monolithic one party system. That's why.

I think they should all be replaced before they get to powerful. I'm voting for new people. They can't do any worse than the ones in there now. The problem with fellow utahn's is they are all sheep. Afraid to make chages. Changes can be good rather than follow the good old boys all the time. I also agree with tenx's comment above. Good for you.

I'm sure Sen. Buttars and his buddies considered this fallout when they met at Grand Teton Lodge to plan his current campaign. Nice excuse to take your business and campaign funds out-of-state. (see campaign disclosure statements on file with Lt.Gov.)

Throw the bums out!
Every one.
A revolving door.
Do this every election.
Maybe then they will get the hint.

I can't believe this headline.
Is it true?
I'm shocked.
.....
Now hopefully the State Government will get it, we are sick & tired of the "tax-them-into-submission" mentality.
Vote new reps. into office.

AIMHO

Cliff,

It is easy to claim immoral gerrymandering, but the truth may be a little more complicated. If every area in the state were truly 53% Republican to 25% Democrat, then you'd have only Republicans in the Legislature, because 25 never beats 53. The truth is that there are a few democrat strongholds in the state, and a lot of Republican strongholds. The only way to get Republican representation down to only 53% would be to go with proportional representation, or to gerrymander the state in order to guarantee proportional representation. I'm not sure why that would be less immoral than any other type of gerrymandering.

I might point out that all of this ignores the Independent vote. I imagine a lot of them are, like my father, conservative, but that they hate the idea of parties and party loyalty, so they vote for the Republican most times. If that's the case, then the real balance might be closer to 75% to 25%, and then the balance of power in the legislature seems not quite so "immoral," does it?

It is easy for me.

Did you vote for vouchers?

If yes, you do not get my vote.

If no, you get my vote.


The only real good or harm the legislature does is with public education and illegal immigration.

They have failed on both accounts for many years now.

Time to get rid of the slackers that serve their own self interests and vote in someone that cares about our children and their future.

I think we'd have better "representation" if we took pages out of the phone book and threw darts at them to pick legislators. I really do.

Then factor in no campaign finance rules, low or non-existent ethics standards, closed meetings, no application of government records disclosure laws to the legislature, one of the most impossible voter referendum laws in the nation, and on, and on, and on, not to mention the crass attempts to profit personally from everything from property development to nuclear power generation, the whole system is terrible.

I am not a far-right or left wing nut -- I am a middle-of-the-road voter who thinks we need some balance if only to slow down the craziness.

And, this is not to mention the number of bills passed where little or no homework is done to understand the real issues (committee hearings have become virtually meaningless). Find something you know a lot about and research what happens when the legislature makes a decision on that matter and you will see what I mean.

Worst of all -- we get exactly what we deserve!

An 12% of the public actually know who their representatives are. Voters aren't happy with Butters...what's new! Nice non-story there Bob!

I think the majority of the 104 elected representatives are good, honorable people that share my conservative family values. However, many of the decisions are made by a small group of people and if you don't fall in line bad things can happen, such as having your bills held up in Rules and never being considered or voted on. I think the process is even more important than the people because the majority (in my opinion) will make the right decisions if allowed to. In my opinion, the legislature needs to 1) re-adopt term limits (which they rescinded in 2003) so we can get some new faces with fresh ideas, 2) institute real ethics reform (such as stricter conflict of interest laws and bans (or limits) on gifts to legislators), and 3) cap the number of bills a legislator can introduce to avoid the temptation of introducing a bill that will personally benefit the legislator thinking that no one will find time to read it. Add to this list repealing the exception to the Open and Public Meetings Act the legislature carved out for itself.

Jeremy, never mind that the MAJORITY of voters in SL, Summit or Tooele Counties are Independents or Democrats, the GOP majority Gerrymandered these areas into pieces to protect their one-party status in this state. It went down as one of the worst examples exhibited in the entire country. But never mind that, the important thing is to maintain One-Party Rule, One-Party State, Now and Forever. Amen.

If the rest of the state reps and senators were as good as mine, the whole state would be better. Don't throw them all out!

Sorry arc -
your reps and senators are just going to have to bite the bullet.
Sort of a sacrifice for the greater good.
The only way to strike fear into their hearts is to throw them all out.

I don't get it. Why the magic with the capital "R" next to candidate names? How blind Utah voters are!

It is unfortunate that most voters do not know or care to find out how their legislators vote on issues. If they actually did this one thing I believe most legislators would be replaced. The goofy laws we have would not be on the books without being passed via a majority of the legislature voting for them and a governor signing them into law. Hold these folks accountable. Why do we not have ethics reform? (If the majority of the legislature wanted it, we would have it.) Why did we have an omnibus education bill which included bills previously voted down? (It took a mjority of the legislature to pass that bill.) Why do we have a watered down immigration bill which most Utah voters find objectionable? (It took a majority of the legislature to pass it.) These issues would still have a differnent outcome if our governor had actively worked the opposite side of these issues. He does have veto power. Even if a bill is 'veto proof' he could veto it to send a message to the legislature that he disapproves it. Wake up Utah voters! It is past time for a big change.

No surprise that Buttars didn't return calls. I've e-mailed him and the Legislative Leadership repeatedly to no avail. Its easier to simply ignore the media and constituants.

Maybe voters are wising up and realizing they must get rid of a percentage of these self-serving clowns. Hopefully, we will see people like Curtis, Bramble, and Buttars replaced. It is healthy to have 25% of the Legislature cleaned out and turned over each election.

All the talk in the world won't make a difference if we don't go to caucuses tonight. Republican or Democrat, it's equally important. Be sure that YOUR voice is heard tonight when delegates are elected to represent your neighborhood at the party conventions. Those delegates will decide which names go on the ballot in Novemeber for the rest of us to choose from. That's how Chris Buttars has be allowed to return every year, it's the delegates, not the voters. And, if you want REAL choice, become a delegate yourself. You'll be every candidate's best buddy for the next 8 months!