With campaign reform in general, if a politician holds himself to a higher standard he is never going to get into office in order to make that higher standard the rule of law.

Just like with health insurance company’s that use rescission, the one’s that didn’t do them went out of business or where bought out, or had their executive staff fired and replaced by people who are willing to preform them.

I am very supportive of the reforms proposed, I would actually like to see more reforms. Saying we shouldn’t pass a reform based on the fact that someone is doing what the reform would ban seems a bit silly(image that argument being used for health insurance rescission).

Mr. Taxpayer to spell Hypocrite without the “e” and Actually without the “y” are not the same thing and you know it. The first could be considered a “misspelling”, the second would be a “typo” since no one would ever “misspell” actually – actuall. Am I making sense?

All this nit picking about the single issue of the UEA hiring Mr. Holdaway right out of the legislature which under the current law is perfectly legal and ethical is nothing more than a SMOKESCREEN. The two year waiting period for a legislator to become a lobbyist is but ONE of dozens of ethics guidelines contained in the initiative that the UEA, the League of Women’s Voters, the AARP and apparently everyone outside of Utah County think is a good idea.

The fact that you folks continue to harp on this one singe issue tells me that you really have no substantiative arguments against the provisions of the proposed ethics bill itself.

Mr. Taxpayer your arguments are specious at best. If the folks you know who used to make over 100 K have lost their jobs or have taken cuts in pay then they wouldn’t be subject to the progressive income tax brackets I proposed in the first place, would they?

“What Mr. Holdaway has done is perfectly ethical and legal at the present time. ” …. If it is perfectly ethical to do it now WHY RUN/SUPPORT THE INITIATIVE? Why then, did your buddies in the liberal media call attention to it?

“still sad to see you continue to decline to address or respond to any of the issues I raised”

Who died and made you judge and jury? I know plenty of folks including at least 5 legislators who are struggling right now to feed their families and keep their homes. This economy has hurt everyone, including those who used to make over 100K, who have mortgages to pay, that have lost their jobs or have been significantly cut.

Go talk to all your educrat cronies, Mr. Newbold who makes 237K and ask him to donate some of that to his own district. Republicans aren’t the only ones that make over 100K

To Mr. (anonymous) Taxpayer. There is nothing to be indignant about. What Mr. Holdaway has done is perfectly ethical and legal at the present time. The UEA, AARP, League of Women Voters have all thrown support behind the citizen’s initiative. I believe there will be many more organizations added to this list as time goes on.

This leaves 29 states that tax their wealthiest citizens at a higher rate than Utah. Of the 44 states which have a state income tax this means that 2/3 of those states tax their wealthiest citizens at a rate higher than Utah. The rates could kick in at 6% for AGI over $100,000 7% over $250,000 8% over $500,000 and 9% over $1,000,000. Adding $40,000 per each million earned in the state would go a long way to replacing the revenue lost through tax cuts and the $27 million tax credit given to Goldman Sachs over the next 20 years.

Funding of state programs and services including education are already cut to the bone, in part due to the several tax cuts passed by the legislature during the past several yeas that showed a surplus. Real people are hurt by the legislature cutting back state services.

You Rep. Frank and the other well to do members of the Utah Legislature with your nice homes, you comfortable incomes, and your cadillac health insurance will not “experience significant discomfort” as you call it, but other citizens of the state who are less fortunate will certainly feel it in their lives on a daily basis. It is not an “intellectual or political policy” issue with them. It impacts their health and the quality of their life.

Remember the saying “the true measure of a society is how treats the weak and needy”. Rather than cut state programs, there are some other very logical and workable alternatives to increasing the funds available to meet the needs of our state until such time as the economy recovers. I direct you to this piece by Alison Roland of the “Voices for Utah Children” for this enlightening information.

http://www.utahchildren.org/documents/IssueBriefonRevenuefor20119-21-09_000.pdf

Still no indignation about you’re HYPOCRITICAL cronies? (I went to publik school)