Buttars used 'black baby' remark again, officials say
"We did get the message it was saber rattling," Brady said.
At an earlier legislative session Buttars said in referring to a bill, "this baby is black ... it's a dark and ugly thing."
Buttars referred to his remark at least three times during the meeting with the Mapleton officials as a way to say it didn't hurt him and he would remain in power, Brady said. Democrat John Rendell is attempting to unseat the West Valley senator in the November election.
However, developer Wendell Gibby said Buttars referred to the remark just once and only as an example that he had had a tough year because of it, but survived the political attacks it spawned.
The city's lobbyist, David Spatafore arranged the meeting with city officials Brady, her husband, former mayor Jim Brady, City Planning Director Cory Branch, City Administrator Robert Brandshaw and City Attorney Eric Johnson with Gibby, his wife and Buttars.
Gibby has been fighting with the city for years to build as many as 60 homes on Maple Mountain, which would block the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. However, the city has said he could build 47 homes, but have so far failed to grant him the necessary subdivision approval and permits to move forward, Gibby said.
The meeting was called to discuss eminent domain issues that could make their way to the state legislature and result in laws that could hurt Mapleton, Laurel Brady said.
"We wanted to head off state legislation that could impact us," she said.
She said Gibby has told them that he has powerful friends in the state legislature, Buttars among them, who could step in and help him. Gibby lost the use of a 10-foot wide swath through his property more than a year ago from a judicial ruling using eminent domain. He said Buttars cautioned the group that emminent domain could be a "monster" if used improperly.
Gibby said the city may have set up the meeting as a "political hatchet job to neuter (Buttars)."
He accused the Mapleton contingent of leaking the meeting and Buttars' reference to the black baby remark to the media. Laurel Brady denied that and said she didn't know who contacted the press.
E-mail: rodger@desnews.com
Recent comments
Denz,
When reason is applied and facts discovered, these...
re:Denz | Sept. 3, 2008 at 9:16 a.m.
Senator Chris Buttars is a good man. One of the few left in our...
Denz | Aug. 28, 2008 at 3:02 p.m.
I am a minority and I find Senator Buttars to be the epitome of a...
Minority | July 6, 2008 at 11:24 p.m.
