Comments about ‘Pass meaningful ethics laws’

How about corporal punishment for miscreant legislators?

I think the ethics initiative is downright scary. It will limit far too many in the private sector from ever participating in government simply because they work for a company that has hired a lobbyist.

Let's be careful of jumping on board the bandwagon just because we've put a nice name on something. Who isn't in favor of ethics reform, health americans, economic stimulus, or no child left behind. All nice titles, but let's look at what is contained underneath.

This initiative is creating a problem that few people realize how serious it will be.

We have NO ETHICS problem in UTAH.

Well, if we do have an ethics problem;

Let's wait until we have a PERFECT SOLUTION to the ETHICS PROBLEM.

Let's DITHER awhile.

PERFECT

Here's a straightforward bill that legislators should be able to understand:

Accept nothing from lobbyists.

It would be better to accept nothing from anyone, and restrict electioneering to a statement of your promises available at your local library and public meetings also held at public libraries. Put everyone on an equal footing.

If anyone breaks the rule they should be eliminated from government and excluded from all public offices in future.

Not so. The proposal will not limit anyone from participating in government. Read it carefully and listen to the intent, and you'll see that no reasonable person could see it that way. Kevin Garn and others are trying to scare people away from this initiative by raising these ridiculous claims.

But don't we already have a way -- the ballot box -- to impose ethical rules on our elected officials? Why create another method?

Leaving it to the ballot box just allows the Incumbents to garner more special interest money and hold on; that has been the case for the past 15 years plus. Get on with the Initiative, sign the petition now.

Why does every chain email from the Eagle Forum have part of their call to action list "I am a concerned citizen" as the opening line? Trust me - those on the receiving end of these email/phone blitzes knows where it came from.

Why not just tell everyone you are doing what you are told and following the script?

How do you legislate ethics? Are you implying that we can legislate someones sense of right and wrong? The farther down this road we go the more excuses we give to politicians to say "its not against the law!" Throw the bums out.
We need responsible citizens to vote responsibly. Our problem is that most people have no moral compass either. We vote for who will give us the most money. Just think, 40% of people pay no fed income tax. WHAT HAVE THEY GOT INVESTED BESIDE GETTING MORE FOR NOTHING?

If we wait for the State Legislature to pass ethics reform on themselves; Satan will have been bound, loosened and cast into outer darkness by then. Unless citizens take action by voting for the proposed initiative, nothing will ever happen on this issue.

It is SO SIMPLE!
Why are UTAH POLITICIANS making it SO DIFFICULT?
Tells us something about them, doesn't it?