Deseret News | 'The people's house' — for rent to lobbyists

Reader comments
John Florez: 'The people's house' — for rent to lobbyists

Ridgerunner | 1:44 a.m. Oct. 12, 2009

When I read stories like this, I think some days it just ain't worth chewin' through the straps to get outta bed.

Mad as heck | 2:25 a.m. Oct. 12, 2009

“It looks like an uneven playing field and the score is 10 for the lobbyists and zip for the taxpayers.”

Very well said, John Florez. Our Utah legislators are insanely unethical! There is a desperate need to vote them out of office.

We expect more, John | 6:22 a.m. Oct. 12, 2009

Your article sounds more like a 7th-grade civics report. And the generalization "lobbyists" sounds like the old rant "if they are making money, they must be crooks".
Many of the people you call lobbyists represent causes paid for by blocs of voters.

Name names. Who wants to rent the space?

Citizens have always been welcome, but most are too busy elsewhere to get involved. You know, sports, soap operas, American Idol, putting opinions on these forums.

Comments continue below

Martie | 6:43 a.m. Oct. 12, 2009

I've never noticed that citizens are denied access to any area of the capitol. They hang out in the cafeteria and outside the chambers the same as lobbyists. Chairs and couches are not rented out by lobbyists, citizens sit in them too. By the way, lobbyists are Utah citizens too and they pay taxes to the state as well, so it's their House too.

BillyBob | 8:07 a.m. Oct. 12, 2009

The Golden Rule in action; those with the gold, rule.

matt | 9:29 a.m. Oct. 12, 2009

Most lobbyists represent the people. They people pay them to make their concerns heard on the Hill. If people didn't pay them, then they wouldn't have a job to do. Lobbyists are not bad people.

Den of thieves | 9:33 a.m. Oct. 12, 2009

Time to break out the whips and turn over some tables.

Ultra Bob | 9:43 a.m. Oct. 12, 2009

Conservatives tell us that local government is better than the far away big federal government. They say that since local government is closer to the people, the people have more control over it.

I say phooey. The more levels of government we have just means more opportunities for bad people to take advantage of our citizens.

I don’t want to go against the Constitution of the United States, but I think that State governments are obsolete, unneeded and redundant in our current world.

As far as citizen control over their government, I believe that the American people have more control over their national government than over their state government.

To me the State government is simply a hot-bed of special business interests who waste the taxpayer money by giving it to businesses for special favors.

Corporations because of their size and power are able to get special incentives and tax favors just by being here.

The people of America would be better off if we were to eliminate some of the levels and copies of redundant government.

wallofvoodoo | 10:01 a.m. Oct. 12, 2009

The difference is that lobbists get paid obscene amounts of money to camp out & unduluy influence lawmakers. This is yet another example of lawmakers getting cozy with the people who acually influence laws in this state. Rent half the offices for 3x that rent, turn the rmainder into a citizen's area where any citizen can come & rest, use the computer & otherwise spend time in comfort to try & get access to their legislators.

Brother Chuck Schroeder | 10:45 a.m. Oct. 12, 2009

Question is how deep are Utah's law makers pockets while these lobbists stuff them full of green-backs and at the same time get paid obscene amounts of money to camp out & unduluy influence these lawmakers, while they ignore the people that put them in those seats in the first place?. If I were Glenn Beck, right now, I would have to demand that it's time then for Obama to bring back the draft, if for anything else, to clean up our gene pool in America, of young skulls full of mush mashed couch potatoe's raised on energy drinks drug's and video games, that think they know it all because they googled it, and still all wet behind the ears. That's my view's about this.

Opinionated | 12:02 p.m. Oct. 12, 2009

My guess is Martie and Matt are either lobbyist or are supported by lobbyist.

If people paid me to hang out there and give my opinion and influence, I would. If you think the lobby power for Joe Blow is as strong as corporate lobbyists, I have some swamp land....

to: We expect more, John | 6:22 | 12:11 p.m. Oct. 12, 2009

This story about the lobbyists buying space was reported in the other paper. Haven't been able to find it here in the Dnews.

Here's what that other paper said:
"The newly formed Capitol Hill Association, created of the lobbyists, by the lobbyists and for the lobbyists, has negotiated for a 2,052 square-foot room beneath the east-entrance stairs of the Capitol. It will be used during the session so the lobbyists working Capitol Hill can do their work and communicate with clients without leaving the building during the legislative session.

The contract with the Capitol Preservation Board calls for the lobbyists' association to pay $37,000 a year for the lease. The group also will donate $97,000 worth of electronic equipment to the Capitol Preservation Board, which the lobbyists will be able to use in their office space for as long as the arrangement lasts.

The founding members of the association are lobbyists Doug Foxley, Alan Dayton, Rob Jolley, Spencer Stokes, Lincoln Shurtz and Charlie Evans. But letters have been sent to all registered lobbyists in the state (more than 500), inviting them to join."

Open to the people, right!

Lew Jeppson | 12:56 p.m. Oct. 12, 2009

If lobbyists want to schedule a room to meet with legislators I suggest they rent one at Northern X-pousure on north Beck Street. It's handy and they'd be around a higher class of people - might inspire them to do better.

Reason | 4:53 p.m. Oct. 12, 2009

My goodness, some of you certainly seem to have a low opinion of all “lobbyists.” I agree with Martie and Matt (and, no, I’m not a lobbyist, and I’m not related to any). Yes, there are some lobbyists who are corrupt (just like there are some accountants or mechanics or government bureaucrats who are corrupt). But the majority serve a useful purpose, working full-time to study the issues and represent the interests of the group of citizens who hired them.

Good Article | 5:27 p.m. Oct. 12, 2009

I appreciate this article.
Thanks for warning us about the lobbyists renting spaces in the capital. I don't appreciate Lobbyists who push the legislature and the governor into their pet projects. I think we'd all be better off without them. Where does ethics reform stand now?

Westgate323 | 6:22 p.m. Oct. 12, 2009

Out-of-line.I will be sure to vote against any politician who would even consider such a thing.That would be a corruption of the system and an unethical breach of trust of the citizenry. No lobbyists, no matter who they represent, should have that kind of access or power. Thanks for bringing this to the public's attention.

A Citizen | 9:53 p.m. Oct. 12, 2009

It it is good that I read past the headline, because I thought that it probably referred to the White House. But, then I realized that those lobbyist that infest the White House don't have to pay.

BART | 10:06 a.m. Oct. 13, 2009

lobbyists simply help groups of like minded people have professional representation on the hill. And the hypocritical deseret news even has a lobbyist. And the Church that owns the deseret news has a lobbyist. And the school teachers, and the plumbers, and the bankers, and the environmentalists....

Grow up, Florez.

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