Good morning! I've just awakened from a 40-year slumber....and started reading the world news for myself! Wow! I guess I'm starting to think for myself, rather than voting according to what I'm told to do. I'm also getting rid of my AM radio.

It's about time Republican feathers started to fly. I for one am excited to think the people of this county are feed up with politics as usual.

Is this headline a joke?

Over the years I have been told the story of a county in Virginia that was as Republican as Utah County. I think it was Fairfield County. I'm sure someone will correct me if that is wrong.

In any case, this county become rooten with good old-boyism, big government and little corruptions all over town. In time the voters rose up and dumped the party and began electing Democrats.

Could this be happening here?

If some of these credible Democrats went door to door, knocked on every one and looked the voters in the eyes I would bet you they have an outside chance. Who knows.

I despair of living in a county with only one party in power. I'm glad to see that the Democratic party has put forward many more viable candidates this year, though I think it's a shame that John Valentine, of Senate District 14, is running unopposed this year, as is the pro-voucher Patrick Painter in House District 67.

With all the talk of conflict of interest with the apparatchiks of the Republican legislature (Aaron Tilton, the Nuclear Man, whom even the Republican Convention had the sense to throw out, comes to mind), it's time to sweep out the old and bring in the new. Congratulations to the Democratic candidates! You will provide a moderate answer to the right-wingers such as Mark Madsen, who are out of touch with their constituents. Madsen is the man who doesn't feel safe unless he has a loaded gun with him going to and from work. Beware other drivers when the mood hits him! Ken Peay, the former Utah Highway Patrol member, provides a great antidote for such an enemy of public schools and an out-of-control proponent of gun-toting.

Let's elect a lot of Democrats in Utah County to bring real debate to the legislature.

Why do we discount the Constitution and Libertarian parties?? The news services in the state could do a to to help the "one party problem" by showing that there are a lot of options. It's not just the Rebulicrates.

It's about time we had a two-party system in this county! I'm pleased to see so many moderate Democratic candidates to take on the super-right-wing Utah County Republicans who hold so much of the power in our legislature. Because of their one-party conservatism, we are only now going to get improvements, long overdue, to I-15.

I'm pleased to see Ken Peay, a perfect antidote to the extreme gun-toting Mark Madsen, outraising funds for Senate District 13. Peay represents the sort of sensible law and order that a longterm Highway Patrolman could bring to Senate District 13 rather than the maverick Madsen.

Of the 38 majority Yeas in favor of last year's Education Vouchers in the House, Sandstrom (Dist. 58), Clark (Dist. 63),Dougall (Dist. 27), Frank (Dist. 56), Daw (Dist. 60), Morley (Dist. 66), Lockhart (Dist. 64), Tilton (Dist. 65), Herrod (Dist. 62), Grover (Dist. 61), Fowlke (Dist. 59), Painter (Dist. 67), and Sumsion (Dist. 56) all voted in favor of vouchers along with our two Utah County Senators, Valentine and Madsen�the whole Utah County one-party Republican legislators voted in lock step.

Let's get some debate back in the Legislature for Utah County and for Utah.

Is it any wonder that the Dems are gaining strength in the county? The present Republican party is in the hands of the Brambleharts, not the general population.

Soon, they will be standing alone. They already stand apart from the rest of us.