What Have YOU Got To Hide?

Wow. The schools are underfunded, the air is a mess, we increased the tax on FOOD, or all things, while making sure the rich don't pay any more taxes. But what piece of legislation got through committee, House and Senate in 48 hours? Even though it was opposed by such a level headed guy as, Chris Buttars? I shit you not, Chris Buttars OPPOSED this law.

The one to keep the public from being able to access public records. Wow. What ARE these folks, meaning the Legislature, afraid of?

Well, for one thing, they don't want the public to be able to see the UHP video when the Speaker of The House gets arrested for DUI. It makes it tough for him to go back to his district and claim to be a good, Mormon, Republican when he's been arrested for DUI, doesn't it?

I spent 20 years working for the State, and was being held to a higher standard in my public behavior because for the majority of the time, I was a sworn, Peace Officer. Only once did I get accused of doing something OFF the job that might have affected my job, but it was totally made up, and went nowhere. On the job? Oh, I got accused of a LOT of stuff. That will happen if you're a Probation/Parole Agent, and actually doing your job. You tend to piss people off. Goes with the territory.

When you piss them off, they will complain. On time, I got accused of, "being scary". True story. I was cover to my partners contact on a home visit. I didn't even open my mouth, because she did all the talking, it was her case. I just stood behind her, being backup. The next morning, my boss called me into his office to ask me about it. Then we had a good laugh about it.

And of the things I really did do that I screwed up on? Mostly, I got a letter in my, "file" that told me not to do it again. We all screw up.

But many times, I got that letter after the same supervisor had praised my performance for doing exactly the thing he had to write that letter about later.

Working for the state is tough. You should be on your best behavior. But you should NOT be ten feet tall and bullet proof, with no one being able to see what you are doing while you're doing, "The Peoples Business"!

I don't care what my Representative, "tweets" on his personal account. But if he's using the State's phone, and doing the STATES business while he's being totally inappropriate about a constituate? Yeah, I think we should have the right to know about it.

And as far as dash cam video from Police or Highway Patrol goes? Even if it's of a Legislator? Oh, HELL YEAH, you better give that up, and FREE for any news agency that asks. Why should it be secret when our Cops do it, but it would sure be on TV if, "COPS" was here and did it? Makes no sense.

Unless you don't want the public to know what you're doing in their name. Or on their dime. Or with the phone they bought you.

All public records should be open, and free to any media that wants it. That's how we have a free society. That's why the media has always been known as, "The Fourth Estate". The fourth part of Government. Because they keep government honest.

But, here in Utah, it appears that some don't want it open. And that's WRONG! There should be NO charge for public records, it's part of having government that you RELEASE your records so people who vote have ALL the information they need.

I'm betting that, Governor Herbert, who has no college education, and has to cater to the, Tea Party Right Wing to keep his job, will NOT veto this bill. Because if he does, they will toss him out at the next Republican Convention when he has to run again in four years.

But if he had any integrity, he would. Of course, he has no integrity. He's a Republican in Utah. And any guy who shows he's not as smart at Chris Buttars, which is a pretty low bar to jump over, is lacking in education, common sense, AND integrity.