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Campaign finance rules earn Utah an F

Mike Ridgway | 12:15 a.m. June 26, 2009

But wait! Utah's Republ-I-cans remind us perpetually that Utah is the best managed state in the nation.

Apparently someone forgot to factor into that measure our loosey-goosey campaign finance disclosure laws.

All you have to know about Utah's campaign finance laws can be summed up in the reporting Bob Bernick did in November on Senator Curt Bramble's PAC, the Utah County Legislative PAC.

Talk about obscene.

Utah fraud rampant | 4:28 a.m. June 26, 2009

And now we know why and how our elected officials are so open to fraud and corruption. Our legislators response, "I am not a crook", to quote a notable leader of this country. Utah citizens have the answers to a lot of questions with this report and it only proves that we cannot believe them, believe in them, or trust them. The Utah legislation is in a constant battle with itself to fight any disclosures about their financial and conflicts of interests while serving in government. We already know they don't serve the people, that right of citizens has been legislated out of the state and federal constitutions.

Anonymous | 7:14 a.m. June 26, 2009

One can put a "we're righteous" stamp on the forehead, but it doesn't make it so. I've felt for a long, long time that Utah politicians and businessmen have no concept of ethics. They think by going to church on Sunday that they have it covered. Not so. I left Utah in part because of the lack of ethics in the business and legal community. And whenever someone invoked their religion, I knew I was going to get ripped off. My "religious", office-holding clients expected something for nothing, while my non-religious clients paid promptly. So when the ethics issue comes up, I expect Utah to be near the bottom.

Comments continue below

justin Credible | 7:26 a.m. June 26, 2009

This story is something that everyone except the members of the legislature already knows.

The Rock | 8:06 a.m. June 26, 2009

Here is my idea of campaign finance reform:

1. You can't give money to candidates or issues that you can't vote for. A elected official represents the people of his district. There is nothing good that can come from people outside that district buying influence.
2. In as much as only people can vote, non-people, such as labor unions and corporations cannot make campaign contributions.
3. No limits on the amount of money that can be given. If a politician is for sale, it will show when he takes a $100,000 check.
4. Require 100% reporting of all contributions weekly until the last 4 weeks of a campaign. Require 100% of all contributions on a daily basis for the last 4 weeks.
5. All reporting must be 98% accurate or the candidate will be removed from the ballot or office.
6. Prohibit anyone from using a doner list to retaliate against political opponents. No prop 8 crap please.

The easiest way to comply with an accuracy requirement is to require a special deposit slip for campaign accounts. The deposit slip would include the name, address of each doner. Then just disclose the deposit slip. Walla!

Straw man | 8:25 a.m. June 26, 2009

The Center for Public Integrity is a leftish advocacy group to start with.

They can use whatever criteria they want for their "grade", but ignore the reality of how well states are run, or how crooked the politicians actually are.

Utah ranks 47th on their criteria. Illinois ranks 36th or 37th for governor and legislature.

Anyone think that the Utah politicians are worse than those in Illinois?

Gov't = conflict of interest | 9:26 a.m. June 26, 2009

I do think that Utah could improve the transparency and speed of reporting. However, like Straw man said, look at how Illinois ranked. Few things in America are as corrupt as Chicago politics, and yet they rank higher than Utah?!

Part of the problem with this report, like so many, is that it measures inputs, which is an easier task than measuring outputs.

The whole conflict of interest thing doesn't really bother me because government, by its nature, is nothing but a conflict of interest. Democratic representation, however better it is than any other form of government, is electoral black mail ("Legislator, vote this way or else I won't vote for you"). The real key to decreasing political corruption is to decrease government.

Well, duh. . . | 9:55 a.m. June 26, 2009

It's okay that they got an F on this report. Legislators don't care about public education in this state, so what does a failing grade matter? They keep saying they spent more money on it when the PERCENTAGE they spend each year keeps going down. If your budged increases each year and the PERCENTAGE goes down, that'll tell you where the priorities are.

Hypocrisy | 10:04 a.m. June 26, 2009

"Dave Hansen, state GOP chairman. . . We have legislators of the highest integrity, who report honestly." But, at the same time, government is the enemy. So which is it? The people in office are the government. Until there are full disclosure laws for every penny a legislator gets and every possible conflict of interest he or she could have, then there will be problems. I don't care how time consuming and difficult it is to disclose these things. It should be part of the job. You don't like it, don't run for office.

wallofvoodoo | 10:08 a.m. June 26, 2009

And you expected.....?

Good or Bad? | 11:14 a.m. June 26, 2009

When a left-wing organization comes up with it's own "study" that shows you to be "bad," is that really a bad thing? I would start from the premise that being "bad" on their list is a good thing, and go from there.

At the same time, what would FDR have ranked? How about LBJ? Or the entire Kennedy clan, much less Pres Kennedy?

I cannot understand how otherwise thoughtful people knee-jerk at reports like this. Utah has it's problems, to be sure -- who doesn't? But taking the word of a leftist organization that customized their own "research study" designed around their own philosophy isn't something you need to take seriously.

As the saying goes: figures never lie, but liars can figure.

Chuck | 11:37 a.m. June 26, 2009

Interesting that the most corrupt states have high ratings and the LEAST corrupt states have the lowest ratings. Does that tell you something about the value of this "study" and of "campaign finance reform"?

Who Is This Group? | 11:52 a.m. June 26, 2009

The paper publishes the view of this unknown group pompously named "Center for Public Integrity." Who are they? Never heard of them and I have degree in Political Science and a JD degree. Are they funded by George Soros? Ralph Nader? Is it a Joe Schmo production operated out of his garage? Why should the Deseret News or anyone give this group credibility to pass judgment as if they "were the authority" ont he subject, jsut because their name says "Center for Public Integrity." Sounds pretty self-promoting to me. Maybe the paper ought to have a more critical lens to have a more balanced and view..

One-party state | 12:35 p.m. June 26, 2009

A major cause of Utah's dismal political ethics is simply because we're a one-party state. When conservative Republicans run everything for so long, and consistently get elected to almost every important political office by a largely unthinking, naive, sheep-like electorate, corruption is bound to occur. The Republicans think they can get away with anything, because in fact they do. There's too few of the opposing party to effectively call them on it. And Utah Republicans are also susceptible to the "anything-we-do-is-right" rationalization, because after all the people keep electing them, right? One party rule gives far too much power to the ruling party, whichever party they are, and too much power corrupts even the most admirably religious office holders. Believe it or not, it is possible to be a faithfully practicing member of the LDS Church and a Democrat. I ought to know, as I am both. Theyre not mutually exclusive in fact, they enhance and complement one another. With some exceptions (which both parties have), Democratic ideals are much more in line with religious ideals than Republican ideals are.

Who the CPI Is | 12:58 p.m. June 26, 2009

Answer to Who Is This Group?: Well, if you wouldve taken the trouble to simply look up their website, you wouldve discovered this: The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit organization dedicated to producing original, responsible investigative journalism on issues of public concern. The Center is non-partisan and non-advocacy. We are committed to transparent and comprehensive reporting both in the United States and around the world. And also this: The mission of the Center for Public Integrity is to produce original investigative journalism about significant public issues to make institutional power more transparent and accountable. Theyve been around for many years, and theres a lot more information on their website (too much to detail here) that could enlighten your uninformed mind about who they are and how they operate. Surely as a person with such an education, you should know better than to go spouting off without becoming informed by doing your homework first. Its apparent the Center does their homework and, as a result, their conclusions are credible while its also apparent you dont do your homework and, as a result, your unfounded conclusions are not credible.

What a shame! | 1:17 p.m. June 26, 2009

If the Utah Republican party chairman thinks Utah has good campaign disclosure, then I have a bridge I'd like to sell him.

Not only does Utah lag far behind other states in terms of campaign finance, the legislature has exempted itself from the majority of laws designed to let the public know what goes on in government and to protect the public from government abuses.

Let's see.... Open Public Meetings Act? The legislature is exempt! Government Records Management Act? Exempt! Public Employees Ethics Act? Exempt!

That list goes on, and the effect is made worse because republican legislators don't seem to know the first thing about separation of powers.

Every Boy Scout knows about the three branches of government and how each is independent. But, not necessarily in Utah.

Oh yea, and then there is the little matter of those darned citizen initiatives.

Utah lawmakers, jealous of their power, have made Utah one of the most difficult places in the nation to get such an initiative passed.

And, if you do manage it, look out! PTA beware!

If power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

It's a shame, too. We deserve better.

Chuck | 1:36 p.m. June 26, 2009

It also seems apparent that the Center hasn't done their homework when the most corrupt states score high and the least corrupt score low. They seem to be promoting something that doesn't work!

Anonymous | 2:10 p.m. June 26, 2009

Americans love to talk democracy. Then we sit back and let political parties pick their voters using redistricting. You whine about ACORN as you're silent about Young Political Majors.

Re: Who the CPI is 12:58 | 2:17 p.m. June 26, 2009

If you would look at a more independent assessment of the group, such as the one on wikipedia (which has sources), you would know how ridiculous their claim of being non-partisan is. A large portion of their funding comes from such notable donors as George Soros, Bill Moyers, and Barbara Streisand.

High standards | 2:43 p.m. June 26, 2009

When my state legislators took thousands of dollars from banks to defeat my credit union, I knew these politicians (and banks)were corrupt. So much for the religious "high standards" many Utahns boast about.

I never vote for these legislators, yet they keep being reelected. Obviously people in this state vote in knee-jerk fashion without any forethought.

Utah legislators keep trying to hide their activities in the dark like rats.

We must demand open government.

Careful reader | 3:41 p.m. June 28, 2009

The study wasn't about whether the politicians were ethical or not. It was about how transparant their campaign contributions were. Many here have pointed out that the study seems to rank states "backwards" (more corrupt politicians ranked higher), and that probably isn't an accident. With Louisiana's political history, I'd expect there to be tougher campaign laws in effect now. The pollyanna claim that "We have legislators of the highest integrity, who report honestly" is exactly the kind of thinking that doesn't lead to tough reporting laws and transparency.

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