Reader comments
Legislature can't handle its own ethical challenges

Let's understand why Walker is pleading guilty. He doesn't have the money to fight this in court. He's out of work and he has a wife and several children to support.

I hope you church-going people are happy about this.

Walker wants to avoid prosecution by a grand jury, and consequently is begging for a plea deal (not yet accepted by prosecution) to testify against others. The prosecution didn't offer the plea deal. It is Walker's attorney's idea because of the results of the investigation and the fact Walker could face bribery charges from the grand jury.

What is the Deseret News going to do to clean up its ethical challenges? Easy to point out the sliver in your neighbor's eye when you have a mote in your own.

We need to hold our elected officials to a higher standard. Why have Greg Curtis and Valentine not brought up any significant ethics reform in the last ten years? I know why. They like their power that comes from being bought and paid for by Special Interest monies. Ethics reform and good open government would not support their style of back room, special interest bought politics. We need to vote out Curtis, Morley, Hughes, this fall. Vote Democratic and bring about good open government and ethics reform. Let's send Curtis and Hughes packing.

Our leggies don't want ethics reform. They want to continue to take campaign contributions and then use them anyway they want... like adding on to the old homestead or buying a boat. "I'll give you $50K if you'll vote my way...think of what you could do with $50K, Susan!" Nowhere in the USA except in Utah is this sort of criminal behavior tolerated. Hughes should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, not just slapped on the wrist by his fellow Republicans at the trough.

"Anonymous" (or should I say Walker??) - you brought this on yourself. Why are you bringing "church-going" people into this? So, if you go to church, you should look the other way? I thought all churches taught honesty and integrity! Oh, so if I go to YOUR church, I should just pretend you did nothing wrong and "love" my neighbor - lies and all. Karma is a real wench, isn't she?

Save the Utah Republican party from itself and vote Democrat or moderate. It needs the competition to remain healthy and keep its members out of jail.

The legislature only meets 6 weeks of the year. Why is Walker unemployed and what was his job while a legislator?

Walker resigned his job with Zions Bank to run for State Treasurer. He thought it was a conflict of interest to work for Zions while campaigning for a position that issue bonds to banks, including Zions.

To Baloney, you are rather naive if you think this kind of conduct happens only in the Utah Legislature. Corruption at various levels goes on in every state. Doesn't excuse these morally bankrupt clowns in the Utah Legislature. It just shows they are not alone.

The Deseret News has it right. Our GOP Leadership cannot police themselves. Government Man has it right when he suggests that if the GOP Leadership believed in ethics reform they would have proposed it years ago. Greg Curtis has not brought one piece of Legislation forward to deal with Ethics Reform. He supported the Legislation that allows Politicians to keep their campaign money. There needs to be an independent body to oversee this task. The ideas put forward by Seegmiller during his debate last week with Curtis would be a good starting point. The best starting point will be to send Curtis packing in November. Vote for Seegmiller and bring about ethics reform and good open government.

The fact Walker is saying he made a mistake and is willing to move on is what most "churches" want you to do. Also most churches tell you not to judge others so I guess you should just love your neighbor.
Now the fact that ellis and empey have not also done the same is the shameful part, but who am I to judge.

Have you endorsed your Republican opponent for the State Treasurer?

"If you see the world as us against those who don't stand with us � and stand with us all the time � then you may see the world as some in the Utah Legislature do."

This is the most insightful comment I've seen about the true workings of the Utah State Legislature. It explains so much about the blind loyalty and vicious counterattacks practiced by those currently in power. Note, too, that it is an inherently undemocratic p.o.v., since this kind of absolutism cannot possibly claim to be "representative" of any group of voters. It is about loyalty to the Party, not to the people one represents.