Election Day

by Bob Henline in The Straight Line | 0 comments

Well folks, the day has finally arrived (nearly). By the time this column hits the streets the 2011 election cycle will be almost over. The actual get-your-butt-to-the-polls date is Tuesday, Nov. 8. Many of you (I hope) will have already voted by mail or through early voting. If not, get your butt to the poll or send in that vote that is hanging out in that stack of mail you’ve been ignoring.

I know, I’ve been beating this horse into the ground of late, but this is important. In Utah our state legislature is nothing but a criminal conspiracy run amok.  Look at how this redistricting process has played out. We spent a million dollars of taxpayer money to “gather public input” and then they rushed out of closed-door caucus at the 11^th hour with a “brand new” map and jammed it through.  If we want to see real change in how our government operates, we need to start with the people at the municipal level.  We need to elect people that are sympathetic to our goals and have the best interests of the people at heart.

The candidate in focus for today is Alan Anderson, running for Midvale City Council. Alan is the treasurer of the Utah Stonewall Democrats and was instrumental in working with Midvale’s existing city council to pass nondiscrimination ordinances last year. He has not only been endorsed by the incumbent, but also by the candidate that he defeated in the primary, Neil Whicker. He’s been employed by the same insurance brokerage for 25 years with a proven track record of integrity and fiscal responsibility.

When the final vote count was released, Alan came in second in total voting by roughly 100 votes. The other candidate in the general election is Paul Hunt. Hunt’s campaign Facebook page touts his Mormon and Republican credentials, but here’s the part his website and Facebook page overlook: Hunt pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor account of “misappropriating” the resources of his former employer, Infobase Media. Spin this how you will, but what it boils down to is that Hunt stole from his former employer, ended up finally copping a plea, and got off with some restitution, suspended jail time and 2 years of probation. That probation is scheduled to run until April 2013.  Yeah, he’s currently on probation and he wants the people of Midvale to put the city in his hands.

I mention the religious and political affiliations because Hunt does. This isn’t intended to be a slam on Republicans or Mormons or even Mormon Republicans, but the simple fact is that this man is going to use his religion and his “conservative” politics to attempt to win election after committing a serious crime. I would expect that rational Republicans and rational Mormons would be aghast at the actions of Hunt. Yet using those LDS and GOP credentials, he’s pushed himself into a position to possibly be elected to the Midvale City Council.

This is the kind of thing that happens, folks, when we don’t pay attention and we don’t get involved. We’ve elected many crooks in this state and in this country, simply because we haven’t paid attention to who and what they are before we cast our ballots.  Or even worse, we don’t bother to cast our ballots so our votes don’t oppose these people.

On Nov. 8 you have a chance to make a difference, even if you don’t live in Midvale. You can get out and vote in your own municipal elections. Look at the candidates closely, look at their histories and their statements, and then make an educated choice for who you think is better suited to represent you and your community.