Lawmakers are self-serving kings of the Hill
Utah's sausagemakers have gone home — back to the comfort of their real estate development businesses, seemingly pleased that they didn't rock the boat, didn't solve the state's problems, didn't give in to citizen wishes (as expressed in statewide polls), didn't do anything visionary, didn't ask for sacrifices of any kind (except by children and the poor), didn't show any leadership whatsoever.
Most Utah citizens don't realize what a poor job their elected representatives are doing.
First, news media — especially broadcast media — focus on the crazies. . . . It's easy to "expose" silly legislative proposals offered by marginal players. It's more difficult to report about leaders who don't lead, or committee chairs who abuse their power, or lawmakers whose narrowness of vision overpowers meaningful discussion.
Second, few business leaders speak out publicly in favor of issues which will truly move the state forward. That's probably because these days we have more business followers than business leaders. (Thank goodness for the few exceptions, especially those who worked so hard for USTAR.)
Fourth, whenever the governor tries to lead, Utah's all-powerful Legislature slaps his hands.
Fifth, mayors and other elected officials show leadership through their various statewide organizations, but whenever they exhibit a little initiative, lawmakers and their toadies are sure to call them "liberals," or "environmentalists," or "intellectuals," or other appellations considered pejorative by self-serving kings of the hill.
I know our elected representatives are "nice people." I genuinely like them as individuals, even those who are six votes short of a mental majority. But as I once said in a KSL Editorial, drunken drivers are "nice people." That doesn't help the innocent citizens they injure or kill. And being "nice people" legislators doesn't help the state and its citizens if the nice legislators don't understand, care about, and deal with the needs of the state and its people — especially its young people.
Last week, we traveled out of state. We were having dinner at a restaurant when my wife struck up a conversation with folks seated at a nearby table. . . . (My wife is blessed with the gift of initiating friendships with anyone, any time, anywhere.) It turned out that our newfound friend was a doctor from California — a radiologist. Among other things, he said the neuroradiology department at the University of Utah is considered the best in the world — better than Harvard or Stanford or any other. He said if it weren't for Utah's poor public schools, he and his family might consider moving here. We also talked about the Olympics then under way in Italy, and I recalled what a great, exciting, positive experience the 2002 Olympics were for all of Utah.
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