If politicians would keep to the legitimate functions of government there wouldn't be this "crisis" of the level of participation. When politicians deliver benefits to special interest groups rather than being concerned about maintaining greater freedom for all they lose the respect of the people. Why vote when one politician is much like another, they usually just differ in the matter of the degree to which they give govenment largess and to which group. Utah could be a magnet for all kinds of businesses and workers if they only spent public funds on the legitimate funtions of govenment thus reducung taxes and the administrative burden of complying with state regulations. Remember, taxes are collected throught the use or threat of force and taxes should only be used for functions that protect life, freedom and property. Utah needs to do away with many departments and fuctions and set an example on good governance.

Governor Huntsman wants to know why turn out was low. Well the state is predominately Republican, and the Republican Party's Pres. candidate did not campaign in the state. No push, no turn out, how tough is that to figure out.

Utah has the least problems with elected leaders' ethics compared with other states. We also have the least amount of laws regarding it. I don't think more laws will make them more ethical.

Could the low turn out be related to the dismal prospects that Voters had in their choice for President? A Presidential race typically has a higher "draw" factor, but this race was particularly disappointing to many - the differences between the two candidates really were not significant enough to translate to interest and passion for most Utahns.

Doubt a commission led by a Mormon and composed of Mormons will figure out that the problem is Mormons. Whether it is a legislative or executively appointed "Commission".

Legislators who are legendary for Nanny politics and trying to force their versions of moral ethics while failing miserably at their own.

As we face what both the legislative and executive branches of State government told and swore to us was a tax reduction is now proving to be a 26% INCREASE in already the highest taxed State in the intermountain West. Yet they are not even addressing the current property tax and now income tax gross increases.

This is simply outrageous at every level. Getting the Ward members out to vote to pad the statistics is not an answer. Getting rid of the RINO legislators is.

To state that "...a commission led by a Mormon and composed of Mormons will figure out that the problem is Mormons" implies that all Mormons are not ethical. I'm sorry, but I will call that comment what it really is. It is Mormon-bashing and I will dismiss it as such. This issue has nothing to do with religion.

What a travesty it would be if His Excellency, The Speaker, and his buddies would have to be actually accountable for ethical behavior! (Here I repeat my comment about a related article-) With the multitude of exceptions, exemptions, special rules and treatment that politicians benevolently grant themselves, it's crystal clear that those who govern make their own rules.
It's not any big mystery why government - local, state and national inclusive, has completely lost touch with the regular citizenry of this nation. We regular folks are NOT their constituents; they pander exclusively to the rich, powerful and influencial so as to ensure a cozy future for themselves.
Our state legislators continue to distance themselves from the voters by passing measures that restrict our access the them and to the legislative process. This trend allows them to limit the annoyances that distract them from their real business, which is to be at the beck and call of lobbyists and power-brokers, and to advance personal agendas. It's little wonder that our beloved nation is circling the drain in a death-spiral which will surely lead to our ultimate destruction as a nation and a people.

Just because Utah doesn't appear to have ethical problems is no excuse for not having ethical reform. If it's not regulated, monitored, or watched you don't know if their are problems or not. In Utah it's not regulated, monitored or watched and with one single party so entrenched in power you can be sure there are problems even if they aren't published. I'm all for the governor using his office to promote reform. The legislature should but they won't and someone needs too. So if the legislature wants the governor to keep his nose out of it then they need to pass meaningful ethical reform legislation and eliminate any cloud of suspicion for their ethical conduct.

This is overreaching by governor, something that he has attempted in various ways. The legislature was foolish to not override his veto last year.

Speaker Clark says the Governor is out of line to address the issue of ethics in government; and in the same discussion, he says the legislature will likely NOT pass ethics reform this session. Of course SOMEONE has to address it. Clark said he hopes the people will be "patient" on the issue. My sense out here among the people is that we will NOT be patient. The legislature has had plenty of time over the past years to address the issue effectively, and they have failed. We out here don't understand why it is so hard to write, as an example, "Legislators will not receive gifts." I just wrote it -- legislators can write it too. If the legislators are concerned about school children who want to give one of them a small gift, know that it is good for the children to know that it is not acceptable, and WHY it is not acceptable. They could certainly be encouraged to write letters of thanks to visiting legislators. The stubbornness of legislators to follow the lead of 46 of our 50 states and adopt a strong ethics policy, is very transparent, and very disappointing.