Comments about ‘Race for state treasurer sparks rumors and accusations’

The Treasurer's office has been exceptionally well managed, which speaks well of those who work there. But I bristle when those who work in appointed positions somehow think they have a right to continued employment if the boss changes. Merit employees have protection, but the appointed positions are intended to be changed with a new treasurer. Now, after so many years of status quo, we have a great chance to retain stability with the permanent employees, but infuse the office with new breath from the new leadership. We lose that opportunity if no changes are made.

It seems like every time someone looks like they are losing they allege wrong doing. Come on Mr. Ellis run a campaign and don't use the media to attack your opponent. Shame on you.

I think Andrew Kirk got a little confused while writing this article. Walker did NOT win the Republican nomination at the state convention with 58% of the vote. That's why there's a primary between Walker and Ellis.

He did win by 58%, you have to have 60% to get out of convention without a primary.

Expect problems if Walker wins. Besides the extravagance of his pre-convention campaign, unseemly for someone running for treasurer, what was more unseemly was the gleefulness of the legislators who nominated him. Although perhaps no technical violation of the republican principle of separation of powers, their excitement on stage for Walker gave me the impression that these older legislators were looking forward to telling Walker, their junior, what to do if he is elected.

Mr. herewegoagain, have you seen the evidence? I don't think so. So don't go spouting off about nothing you know about.
Watchdog, Have you looked at Walker's background? You wouldn't hire him with after looking at his resume. His website is just a bunch of lies.

I have an Idea vote for the Democrat Mr. Clark he is well qualified and not an insider

Walker was going to loose his house seat to Laura Black so he decided he needed a bigger paycheck.

He has no experience and he is known to be lazy.

But, he's a "good conservative" because he hates gays so lets vote for him.

It is a 3rd degree felony to offer a bribe regarding elections. This is serious allegation and should be investigated. I hope the AG's office will do so even though Mr. Shurtleff has supported Walker. I commend anyone who had anything to do with the reporting of the allegation. It must be thoroughly investigated.
All voters need to consider this office seriously. Experience and competence are critical to the fiscal soundness of many investment funds with the Treasurer controls. In my opinion, Mr. Ellis is the only candidate with the necessary experience and competence.

Considering the scope of this job, having a highly qualified candidate is very important.

I would almost support ending this one from being elected. It is a very technical position where having the oversight of the Governor, and the ability to quick change department heads if something goes wrong is something to consider. Imagine, if the politically well heeled get's elected and blows it, it would cost Utah tens of millions and we wouldn't be able to do anything about it for four more years.

In any case, I have also heard the stories about Walker being less than enthused about hard work. And his background does not lend to essentially being a Fund manager on Wall Street controlling hundred of millions of dollars. Nice guy though.

This is about experience not a popularity contest. Lets do what is best for the tax payers and not feed the self-serving cronies in the legislature. It will be interesting to see if the AG has the courage to properly investigate this matter.

I was struggling with who to vote for at the convention because Ellis is obviously more qualified and capable, yet Walker better reflects my conservative family values. Then someone explained it to me that an incompetent conservative is actually perfect for the Treasurer's job. An excellent Treasurer will just generate more interest income for the government to waste and spend on programs that take away our freedom. An incompetent Treasurer will make less interest earnings on state funds, and may even squander huge sums of principal. Good. That's less taxpayer money for schools and bureaucrats and other government monopolies.

Anyone who knows what Mark Walker did at Zions will know his website it a huge fabrication of his abilities. So, it doesn't surprise any of us that he is now denying offering Ellis a job. Interesting how he told the D.News he wanted to assure the employees in the Treasurer's office they wouldn't lose their jobs, but told the Trib Ellis was getting desperate. But hey, if you can scrape $500 bucks together you can go to a Walker fundraiser sponsored by Shurtleff, Valentine and Curtis. Need I say more. And you really believe Herbert is going to look into the complaint? Ellis is a man of integrity,too bad the same can't be said of this group. Hey Mark, are you sure there wasn't a fly on the wall when you visited the Tresurer's office?

Walker's memory of the chat with Ellis seems to be changing. In a Trib article Walker said "We discussed our campaign plans and if we were really committed. We wished each other luck, agreed to run clean campaigns and go afer it." In this article it says his meeting was to dispel rumors that he would fire Ellis and his office if elected. Seems like he is changing his story around a bit.
In any case, Ellis is the only qualified candidate for this job. On June 24th I will be voting Ellis!

As an Independent voter; and one that believes honesty is the best policy. Walker should bow out of the race. From my analysis, after reviewing all of the literature from both camps, he is unqualified to perform the duties as State Treasurer. I do not want my tax dollars being invested by a novice.

I am deeply concerned that the republican leadership has completed missed the boat and is willing to entrust billions of our hard earned tax dollars in someone who is as unqualified as Walker. If Walker is interested in finance or accounting to this magnitude, I would suggest an advanced level degree in finance may be a good starting point. A Political Science degree will not help in this office as the treasurer does not pass legislation. It is a completely independent branch of the government. Cronyism and religion aside, Walker is not the most qualified for the position. If you were selecting a CFO for your company, wouldnt you select the candidate with the most financial experience? Edge to Ellis

So,what is really going on in this treasurer's race?
Driving home tonight I saw a Walker billboard on i-15. Are you kidding me? Where is he getting his money? Who is pushing so hard to get him in the treaurer's office? He had more than one booth at the state convention, costing 1,000 each. Ask the question, why are Shurtleff, Curtis, Hughes, Bramble, Clark excited to get him in the treasurer's office, could it be they really want to promote charter schools, raid the School Trust Fund for their pet projects? Some pretty deep pockets are behind this, there is something rotten in Zion. Fiscal conservative? I think not.

Attorney General Mark Shurtleff, you disgust me, how can you honestly support someone who is a Lair. I am so very disappointed in you. I will no longer be a republican because of the people who represent me (curtis, valentine, shurtleff). They are all greedy, power hungry, men who need to be stopped.

The issue is not who is the most experienced. Of course, a lifelong bureaucrat will have tons of experience. What I want to know is who can lead the staff with new ideas and who can get the tough political work done. State Treasurer is a political job. He or she hires staff for the details. The mistake Walker made was not going to the papers from the outset, after the filing, and stating unequivocally that if his opponent ran a dirty race that he would absolutely not work with him in the Treasurer's office. Why should anyone be forced to work with a malcontent? If there is evidence that Walker actually did something wrong, and I'm not talking about what Ellis or one of his supporters said he did, then lets hear it. I've read everything and talked to insiders and it seems to me that the Ellis supporter started this by visiting with Walker at Zions bank and then ran to Ellis. Grade school politics! Was that the plan from the beginning? Ellis is not lilly white in this thing. He was behind and desperate. Enough said. Unless there is hard evidence, no more whining!! Let's vote!!

Why is Walker saying that back in March he was trying to assure the State Treasurer's employees that they will still have a job if he's elected? In March he didn't have the job that starts in January, 9 months later. He had not gotten through the hurdles of the Republican State convention, the primary election or the general election. He's either lying now or was so smug to think that the position was his before the delegates and the voters decided. Either way, he's not worthy.

(and to theboyz: good questions! I'd like to see Walker answer your questions. Maybe he'll answer them differently each time he's asked.)

How can you look people in the eye and say this is "dirty politics" and "slinging mud" when you know you did it? How do you hold a $500/plate fundraiser with Curtis, Shurtleff, and Valentine when you know the only way you could ever win the election is if Herbert/Shurtleff take so long to open an investigation that nothing is public when people vote on June 24th?

Be a man! Own up! Don't make a mistake and then repeatedly lie about it! Show some courage by doing the right thing!

Also, you paid to put up a freaking billboard??? Have you no shame?