Daily Herald, October 11, 2010
Richard Davis

LOCAL OPINION

There's a popular line: Politicians are like diapers. Both need to be changed frequently, and for the same reason.

An election is an opportunity for voters to change politicians. And the one coming up on Nov. 2 is no different. In fact, in Utah County it's time for voters to take matters into our own hands and show politicians who is really in charge.

All over the country, this year voters are saying they want change. And here in Utah County it is certainly time for change. The same old party and legislators have been governing Utah County politics for far too long.

Voters are probably not aware how long some of these legislators have been in office. Did you know Margaret Dayton has been there since 1996 and Becky Lockhart since 1998? (Bill Clinton was president when they were elected.) John Dougall has been there for eight years and Craig Frank has been a legislator since 2003. Worst of all, Howard Stephenson has been at the capitol since 1993. He was elected when George H.W. Bush was still president!

When legislators serve for too long, they have the potential to become arrogant. They take their positions for granted. They assume that they deserve all the special attention they get from lobbyists, state agency officials, and the media. They often forget they serve the people.

Unfortunately, many Utah County Republican legislators have become just that way. They are out of touch with their constituents.

They oppose measures their constituents want, such as the ethics initiative and the fair districting initiative, while they support other legislation voters oppose, like vouchers for private schools. Our Utah County delegation is slow to help UVU become a world-class university. (UVU's president had to appeal to the public to convince legislators to endorse funding for a new science building). And consistently they have opposed more funding for K-12 education.

This is why frequent rotation in office is healthy. When long-time politicians are defeated for re-election, they become regular citizens again and a new group of citizens, not encumbered by gifts from lobbyists and attachment to power, get to bring new ideas and fresh perspectives to government. This is particularly important at the local level where elected office should not become a career.

Of course, a call for change doesn't mean just voting for anyone who isn't an incumbent. Some bad elected officials can get in office that way. Fortunately, Utah County voters don't have to worry about that. This year, they can replace incumbents with other candidates who are competent as well as less arrogant and more responsive to voters' concerns. The Utah County Democrats are fielding an impressive group of candidates who can step into public office easily because they have so much civic experience.

For example, for the county commission, voters can choose Lane Henderson and Ted Barratt. Lane is a former mayor and city council member from Salem. Ted is a former mayor and city council member in American Fork. Neither is in office now, so they understand the citizens' perspective, but both have had extensive government experience that qualifies them to serve as county commissioners.

For the Utah Senate, voters can replace Dayton and Stephenson with Linnea Barney, a former member of the state school board, and Dave Hogue, a former state representative. Voters will get citizen-candidates rather than long-time, out-of-touch politicians.
At the Utah House level, Democratic candidates feature people who have been active in community service. They include, for example, Steve Baugh, former school superintendent and expert on public education; Deon Turley, former president of the Provo Council PTA; and Hal Miller, current president of the Utah National Parks Boy Scout Council and founder of the Sons of Utah Pioneers Chapter.

Nor are these candidates national Democrats. They are Utah County Democrats, which means they are fiscally and socially conservative and are in favor of gun rights. But, unlike their Republican incumbent opponents, they also support devoting more resources to public and higher education, enacting real ethics reform in government, and working to create jobs for Utahns.

All over the country, voters are choosing to put new faces into public office, particularly when the incumbents have become tired, arrogant, and out of touch. This is the public's right. Voters need to do that in Utah County. It's time for a change.

• Richard Davis is the chair of the Utah County Democratic Party.