Reader comments
An ethics probe needed

...and the hits just keep on rolling.

This issue has now been reviewed twice, and in both cases it has been acknowledged that no laws were broken, and that no policies were violated. What is left is simply a bad taste in ones mouth. So now we need to do more probing to find what the other two found?

One note on Mr Christensen, while he stated something to the affect that he 'was under tremendous pressure' he later recanted on that, and admitted that it was a simple two or three sentence conversation. The most basic explanation is that he did so, thought very little of it, told the legislators that the GOP would not need to pay, and then when the pressure hit he has gone over the top to blame the legislators.

And to think the Democrats wouldn't get a float built is pretty weak. If what we are dealing with is a desire by the college to please people, some of the most respected people around are the Democrats. They would have gotten a yes, other than the Democrats haven't even bothered since Nancy Jane Woodside ran the Utah County party.

In short, move on to the next subject. It has been reviewed twice. Are we hoping that with a third and fourth, then fifth something will turn up? Enough is known already to tighten up policies and if felt to do so tighten up legislation. The Deseret News is waising time with this. They should stop whinning, which this editorial does, and proposed the changes they want. And then write to editorials espousing those changes.

Until then, they are just whinning and adding nothing to good government. We know what happened. Now tighten up the reins of government.

Why doesn't this editorial go one step farther and name names? Who are the legislative people involved? Political ethics have taken a real beating since the Bush/Rove team took office, and unfortunately it appears that these unseemly tactics have trickled down to Utah County (the reddest county in the country!). Why am I not surprised?

James says that no laws have been broken nor policies violated. That dear sir, is not the way I see it at all. But then, the spin doctor has been alive and well in this country and state the last several years. Whatever happened to morality and ethics in this, our own state?

Bush/Rove did it! They came to Utah and took our ethics away! Waaaah!

Bart, if laws have been broken then why have we not heard about this? No news source is reporting how prosecutors are lining up to take'em down. Not even the Deseret News editorial board claims they broke the law. What they are suggesting is that maybe something else has taken place that has not been discovered yet and once uncovered...then something. And yet the Auditor has already looked into every nook and cranny and nothing. No misappropriation of funds, no broken arms or pictures of naked people. Nothing but what has been reported.

This is why I say it leaves an unpleasant taste, and no doubt a good policy or two could be written to ensure no more casual convesations of this nature take place.

With what has been given thus far, that is the next step. And if the Deseret News is going to opine about it, fine. Let them also serve some good and suggest something that would prevent this in the future. The absence of this tells me that they like to whine, not solve.

As a tax payer I am getting tired of this lack of accountability. I don�t want someone in a position of responsibility that doesn�t have the back bone to say no to a sleazy politician. Especially when your accountant tells you that the actions are illegal.

It makes me wonder how much additional money has been wasted to gain favor with others. The Gov needs to throw the bums out - send a message to these clowns that they can�t waste public dollars.

If he thinks he was "under tremendous pressure to get the (float) project done," he should think of the tremendous pressure that he will face in prison.