"Not all opinions are created equal. Some are a great deal more robust, sophisticated and well supported in logic and argument than others." Douglas Adams
If you’re in Utah, today is inauguration day. That means state officials will take the oath of office to some fanfare and probably a speech or two, and a new set of public officials (and some of the old ones) will start their work.
Only one won’t–former state legislator John Dougall, recently elected state auditor, is skipping the pomp and circumstance in favor of an early morning swearing-in at his new office so that he can get right to work.
Sometimes you need a Democrat to explain why Democrats do what they do.
So I turned to a friend, Curtis Haring, a Democrat and coincidentally one of the delegates who participated in the special election that chose Utah Democratic Party Chair Jim Dabakis to replace Salt Lake County Mayor Elect Ben McAdams in the Utah Senate, for his take on what happened and why. As a blogger at Blue in Red Zion (add it to your reader!), Curtis often impresses me with insightful analysis and a civil tone. He avoids the inflammatory rhetoric that is all too prevalent in politics, and so even when we disagree, it’s hard not to like him.
With that in mind, I asked Curtis two questions, and he was gracious enough to answer them:
Why was Jim Dabakis selected over others? And what should we expect from him during the 2013 legislative session?
Last night I found myself at the Utah Senate District 2 debate watching a bunch of bleeding heart Democrats try their best to convince the 160 Democratic delegates who will vote in the special election that each is the most liberal candidate.
It was like watching the Republican primary debates in reverse. Instead of trying to be the most conservative, they were trying to be the most liberal. I had to pinch myself to see if I was still awake. This is Utah, right?
It’s a contrast that is impossible to miss: one government faces growth and another is struggling to compensate for spending beyond its ability to afford.
The following is a profile I wrote about Derek Brown, representative to the legislature from Utah’s 49th district, for Examiner.com (Please click on over and read it there!). Truth be told, a lot more could be written about Derek than I was able to squeeze in to the profile. He’s got an infectious good humor about everything, and it’s easy to talk to him about almost anything under the sun. I hope he’s able to win reelection this fall because we need more like him in public service.
In what Utah Policy has called a “battle royale,” Utah’s 37th legislative district is shaping up to be a race between a political insider and a grassroots supported campaign.
Where Lampropoulos has raised 65% of her donations from individuals, Moss has raised 60% of hers from special interests, corporations, and other politicians.
Given the choice between accepting Republican help and continuing a public temper tantrum, Utah Democrat Jim Dabakis prefers a tantrum.
In the end, Utahns can tell the difference between grand standing and good public policy. On one hand we have Litvak, who represents the image of a consistent, fair public servant. On the other hand, we have Dabakis, more interested in a headline, in smearing his opponents than seeking compromise and the public interest.
We need public servants more like Litvack, willing to stand by his oath to the public over short-term interest and party loyalty. Politicians like Dabakis are savvy with the media, and he makes for great copy, but his grandstanding does little for the public interest. [cont…]
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