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Outsiders fund Utah incumbents' campaigns

This is why our govt. is no longer "by and for the people". Now it's "bought and paid for by corporate America"

I got a letter from Dew saying he is putting in another $250,000 when he gets the nomination. Looks like he is serious.

There should be a term limit on state representatives, like 3 two year terms. Lifer representatives do more harm in government with complacency with the same bills and battles always on the agenda. Change in representaion means good government that is not beholding to corporate america with lifer donations always coming from the same corporations. Government is meant to represent people, not corporations. Our lifer representatives are CEO's in disguise being paid and funded to do the bidding of corporate america. This term limit law should not be voted on by those in Washington but put on the ballots for the american people to vote on during presidential elections. This should be a decision of the people and not those sitting in the seats that are the subject of the change. A change in government in Washington means real power of the people and real government and put an end to lawmakers constantly battleing on personal likes or dislikes of each other. We need a constant change with new people with new ideas and current needs of states in Washington. A 40 year veteran lifer state representative has no idea of his/her states and peoples needs.

Money is the mother's milk of politics and Utah is no different than any other state. Sad, but true.

Fed. financing is the answer. The only people who constantly oppose with money the idea of federal financing is... yup, lobbyists who give money to the candidates now.

Cannon at 7.5% is an embarassment, no? That number, for an incumbent in Utah, is... unreal. What in sam hill does he do with the surplus? 7.5% is raised locally? Holy corruption.

The reality is that most people do not pay attention to what is going on, and I am talking about those that actually vote.

Candidly, candidates shouldn't have to raise but a few thousand dollars. With todays technology they should have to build a very comprehensive website and all of the voters go to it, get informed and vote based on that. Facts are most voters are incredibly lazy. Just think if every voter donated $10 to the candidate of their choice. There would be no need for PACs, millionaires, any of it.

What do voters do? Almost nothing. So to fill the void for what We the People do not do, PACs and special interest groups step in. How many of the people on this group have donated money or time to the candidate of their choice?

On State Legislators needing term limits. An average state legislator serves 6 years and moves on. There is one who is leaving this cycle, Dmitrich, who began serving in 1968. After that you have a few that have served 20 years or more. Then a few who have served 10 plus years, then 2/3s who have served 10yrs or less. No problem.

People often talk about term limits for representatives. However, term limits were set up by the original founders in both the US and Utah Constitution. They are called elections--they take place evey two years and give the public the chance to end a representative's term.

The problem is that we become so obsessed with trying to blame the government for our own problems that we overlook the major cause of the problems--the people. We need to take responsibility for who we elect into Congress and the means by which they are elected. It is only a money game because we make it a money game.

To change the system we must vote, of course, but there is much more to it. We need to be involved and start a change in politics. We can be the agents of change. But until more people seem to have the strong opinions as those in the blog, the system will stay the same.

Keep the power with the people and do not give it to the government to decide when my representative is done or from where he funds his campaign.

Interesting article!

I often wondered why Cannon and Matheson voted against the best interests of the people of Utah more often than Bishop.

Calling these guys "representitives" from Utah is a bad joke. They represent the people who fund them. Cannon and Matheson need to go!

What is really amazing is that these guys, who are often wealthy to begin with, get richer while they are supposedly working in the public interest. Why do we keep voting for these turkeys? The key to good politics has to be in high turnover among office holders, but we foster exactly the opposite by voting for the familiar name who is almost always the incumbent.

The answer is not federal financing of elections but it is campagain finance reform. Why don't we make it so all money has to be raised and accounted for in the boundries of the district. Make it so no money from outside the district can be spent, that way those within the district would have a say and if the representative doesn't represent, then he wouldn't get money. But alas I don't think that will happen so people will just have to get the representative they get, after a word from his sponsor.

It is a shame, but slick political ads work, and they cost money, especially for TV. Anyone with the right message and who is willing to work should be able to get out and meet the people in a congressional district and give them more than slick advertising. Anyone spending over $100,000 to run a congressional campaign is beholding to outside interests. The more money they seem to spend the more suspect the voters need to be.

I agree with Instereo, money should not be allowed from outside of the voting area of the candidate, but if that were the case our two senators would be easy to remove.