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‘March to the Ballot’ launches UEG’s homestretch push
Press Release and Press Conference Remarks
March 3, 2010SALT LAKE CITY – Utahns for Ethical Government today announced the launch of its “March to the Ballot” drive, an aggressive campaign to complete its signature gathering in the coming weeks before the April 15 deadline.
By the end of the current week, it will be unveiling a revamped and informative Web site (http://www.utahethics.org ) and will be launching a TV ad designed to stimulate dinner table conversation about the ethics initiative. Electronic signature gathering will continue, as will efforts to overturn the opinion of the attorney general. “With signature gathering teams planning to fan out across the state, we believe that we will be successful in gathering the 95,000 signatures needed to get our initiative on the November 2010 ballot,” said UEG chair, Kim Burningham.
Commenting on the current legislative session as it enters its final week, Burningham said “although the Legislature has initiated reform efforts in a few limited areas, they have been marginalized by attempts to thwart citizen initiatives.”
“Most legislative attempts at reform have been piecemeal and some have actually been counterproductive,” Burningham added, calling the efforts “half a loaf or worse, just a crust.”
Communications committee chair Dixie Huefner echoed earlier remarks of former Gov. Olene Walker and former congresswoman Karen Shepherd saying “elected officials cannot be expected to police themselves effectively. Citizen input is part of what makes a democracy strong.” Rob Ence, AARP director and UEG supporter, said “citizen efforts elevate democracy. UEG’s is one of the most earnest and heartfelt.”
UEG spokespersons also commented on the lack of civility of some legislators, referring specifically to those who have accused UEG of being “hucksters and” “bamboozlers” who use “subterfuge and deceit” in asking people to sign the petition. “It reflects fear on the part of legislative opposition,” said Huefner.
The initiative drive moves into high gear this month, and UEG will continue to solicit volunteers.
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Remarks of Kim R. Burningham
Chair, Utahns for Ethical Government
News conference at Utah Capitol
Good afternoon. It is the beginning of March, and we are pleased to be announcing the Utahns for Ethical Government “March to the Ballot.” Signatures are multiplying on the initiative all over the state—and this March, we will pushing hard to finish collecting the signatures needed to place our initiative on the ballot. The citizens deserve a real opportunity for real ethics reform.
Today we will also be introducing our redesigned website and a new cable TV ad that will be airing around the state. Today we also offer our assessment of legislative efforts so far as the 2010 session heads into its final week.
We recognize that we have some good legislators.
But the Legislature as a whole has given the public only “half a loaf.” Less than half a loaf, it is a crust.
Legislators say we will have an ethics commission, but they make that commission the creation of the legislators themselves and they deny citizen input. The fox is guarding the henhouse.
And when they create that ethics commission, they make sure most of what they do is done in the dark. Meetings are held behind closed doors. They won’t even consider a measure unless 4 out of 5—not a majority vote—but 4 out of 5 of their own self-selected commissioners believe there is a problem. They set up a standard of evidence so high that all but the most obvious violations will be ignored.
This is a pretense at reform. We want real reform.
They say they will improve the disclosure of conflicts of interests. That is good, but they still let legislators be lobbyists. They still allow legislators to divvy out thousands of dollars to other legislators to literally purchase leadership positions.
And perhaps most frighteningly they still allow the highway of money to flow from lobbyists to legislators in a conduit of control that inhibits unfettered examination of issues.
They put limits on gifts and travel from legislators—a move in the right direction—but include loopholes so large that a truck could get through. For instance, lobbyists can still pay for that trip to Florida—as long as it is associated with some legislative purpose.
The citizens of Utah and of this nation are tired of a system where money blatantly buys influence. There is a need for real ethics reform, and the “crust” of reform being offered up by the legislature is not enough…not nearly enough.
So it is now that we call on all Utahns to join us in our final push, our March to the Ballot. We invite everyone to visit our website for information on signing our petition: http://www.utahethics.org.
Not for a crust, not for half a loaf, but for REAL reform NOW.
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Remarks of Dixie Huefner
Communications Committee Chair, Utahns for Ethical Government
March 3, 2010 Press Conference
Following up on Kim Burningham’s remarks, I’d like to elaborate on the Legislature’s attempts to thwart citizen efforts to get an independent ethics commission and strict code of conduct on the November 2010 general election ballot:
Among the obstacles placed before UEG supporters have been the following:
1) Senator Stephenson’s Senate Bill 275, which makes it easier for opponents of the petition to pressure signers into submitting requests to remove their signatures. With an immediate effective date and longer timelines for opponents to pressure signers into removing their signatures, this is clearly an obstructionist and unfair tactic, one that changes the rules in the middle of the contest and allows one side to keep playing after the other side can’t gather any more signatures.
In this context, I have a comment about remarks issuing forth from legislators. UEG is tempted to give some of them an award for undermining Utah’s reputation for civility. If we did, it would go to those legislators who called us hucksters and bamboozlers, and accused us of subterfuge and deceit as we gather signatures. To us, this is not only uncivil but wrong and an evidence of the fact that they’re afraid of our ethics reform package.
2) Another obstacle is the suspect opinion by the Attorney General stating that electronic signatures will not be accepted as valid, despite clear factual and legal arguments to the contrary;
A second line of legislative opposition is the serious attempt to reserve every bit of control over their behavior to themselves alone. Among legislative attempts to preserve the status quo and preserve current lobbying privileges and protections are the following:
HJR 15, a proposed constitutional amendment that is unnecessary and that would arguably preclude citizens from being able to establish an Independent Ethics Commission and code of ethical conduct now or in the future. If I were grading this effort, I’d give it an F
SJR 3, a proposed legislative rule establishing a Legislative “Independent” Ethics Commission with severely limited jurisdiction and limited authority to review complaints of ethical misconduct. The Legislative Commission would be able to review only those complaints that are forwarded to them by a partisan legislative ethics committee and would report to that partisan committee. Grade: D-
HB 267: so many lobbying loopholes as to be only 1 baby step better than the current rules. Grade: C-
HB 270: improved financial disclosure requirements Grade: B-
HB 124: improved limitations on personal use of campaign expenditures. (Because of a giant exception that permits contributions to other legislators and candidates from one’s own campaign fund, Grade is a C+)
HB 329: no caps on corporate (or PAC, or individual) contributions. Grade: F (Ben Ferry’s attempt to introduce some modest caps that reflected the compromise coming from the Governor’s Commission on Strengthening Democracy was gutted by Craig Frank’s substitute bill, even though as a member of the Commission he had initially agreed to introduce the Commission recommendations)
Finally, there have been no bills at all prohibiting paid lobbyists from serving simultaneously as legislators, and no bills closing last year’s loophole that allows a legislator who leaves the legislature to lobby as long as it’s for a big company and not a lobbying firm. Grade: F
UEG’s conclusion: the Legislature has made some progress in a couple of areas, coupled with major preservation of current privileges in others.
Overall, most of the bills introduced during this session pay lip service to ethics while doing a disservice to what ethics really should stand for. The bills and resolutions thus far continue to flaunt the role of big money and embrace it as the means of establishing who obtains power in the Legislature.
The public was reminded several weeks ago by Gov. Olene Walker and Congresswoman Karen Shepherd that legislators can NOT be expected to effectively police themselves and that citizen input into the ethical standards of office holders is more than appropriate; it is necessary.
As Governor Huntsman reminded us when he left office, “You’ve got 2.7 millions Utahns who don’t have a lobbyist, who don’t have a special interest representative, who just want good, competent, ethical leadership, and they’ve got voices that matter.” (S.L. Tribune, 8/11/09). We couldn’t’ agree more.
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Rob Ence, AARP Utah State Director
UEG Press Conference - March 3, 2010
South Steps, Utah State Capitol
We say that this (the Capitol) is the peoples’ house. Legislators are our guests. But when the people want to have a say in how their house is managed, some of our guests act like they own the place.
We say we want citizens to be responsible and take an interest in the process of government, to have an opinion and be sure to vote. But when the citizens exercise their constitutional rights to improve our government through initiatives or referenda – the purest forms of grassroots engagement – we are told not to meddle in the affairs of our elected officials.
I have personally worked side by side with volunteers gathering signatures along the Wasatch Front and as far south as Washington County and will continue north and east until we meet our objective. This is what I am experiencing:
- The energy & enthusiasm of our volunteers who spend countless hours from St. George to Logan are infectious. They are passionate and dedicated advocates who deserve more than the irresponsible label of “huckster” placed upon them by at least one legislator.
- The citizens we talk to know what is at stake. We want people to be informed. Even with the underhanded efforts by the opposition to circulate misinformation, individuals who are willing to take the time, do understand what is missing and embrace what needs to be done.
- There is overwhelming nonpartisan support across the state in all voting districts. For every 100 people we encounter, roughly 10 don’t want to be bothered – that is their choice; another 10 may not agree with our approach or solution – again, they have a right to their opinion; but an overwhelming 80 of every 100 – 80% - get it, support it, and sign the petitions with conviction. They want to have a chance to vote on this initiative and the Fair Boundaries initiative in November.
We all want the best for our state and believe that by creating high standards, limiting the influence of money, and adopting independent review – benefit all – especially our elected officials.
I find it ironic that our legislators trust the citizens’ voice when it comes to electing them but reject their input when it comes to accountability and good governance.
Citizens have a right and a responsibility to act and speak when our legislature fails to do so. We have a right to have our names counted – whether on paper or through proven electronic means – and to have our voices heard especially in offering guidance on how our guests should behave in our house.