Comments about ‘Will ban on legislative gifts over $50 stand?’

What is the purpose of this "gift giving"? Could it be to buy favor with law makers? It is amazing that there is so much of this "gift giving" that a law must be drafted to control it.

I don't know anyone who is randomly offered gifts from complete strangers, someone unconnected to them. Why would this happen with elected officials? Uh, let me think?

No gifts to legislators, not for any amount.

In an effort to get honest and open government by limiting interference with our legislative system from lobbyist and bribery, this same group of legislators that passed the law are now calling it a mistake? They must be feeling the crunch of losing their freebies and paying for them is intolerable.

If they overturn this law now it will only instill the fact that our legislators are being bought and sold by lobbyists and their gifts.

This kind of reminds me of the laws that citizens voted for in an open referendum and law enforcement didn't like it so they had it removed and discarded. A voted on bill completely voided because law enforcement didn't like it.

So what does a citizens vote stand for if these laws are discarded by special interests and those in power that don't like them because it limits their powers? In effect its is saying that we no longer have a government of the people but a government of who has the most money to control our government.

When Utah State LEGISLATURE gains NATIONAL recognition for their gerrymandering, it is time for change!

The legislator's actions and lack of ethics are responsible for the citizen petitions now circulating. Hopefully the petitions will draw enough attention that some of the incumbents will lose in 2010.

Yes can we please add legislator gifts to the website Utahsright.com ?

There shouldn't be any gifts. Period.

It's sad to me that even with this law, so many Utah legislators are still being bought off. $25 for food, $50 tickets. Pathetic that it takes almost nothing to buy a politician these days.

"If people think special interests have too much influence" in the Legislature, "voters can change that." "They vote on the legislators" and seem fairly happy with what lawmakers are doing, since so many are re-elected.

Yeah, that would be since the districts are all aligned so that actively voting Republicans are the overriding factor for each district! Step away from the process, Garn, and realize it's rigged to keep the powerful in power. Look to the ultimate example, our first president George Washington, who stepped away after 2 terms and chose to retire to private life. Too bad many have not followed his example. Our founding fathers never intended for things to become this way.

Yeah what would Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry think of the legislators taking gifts?