This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

We said:

Utah County voters should be able to vote once — Tribune editorial, posted Aug. 24

"Five cities in Utah County have taken the wise step of allowing their citizens to vote by mail in local elections.

"Yet that boost to democracy, which has successfully increased voter turnout there and just about every other place it has been tried, stands to be seriously undermined this November because some other municipalities in that area are behind the curve.

"The likely result, unless the Utah County Commission steps in, will be an Election Day where those who should have the easiest time voting will instead have the most difficult. And through absolutely no fault of their own. ..."

They did:

Whew! Utah County residents won't have to vote twice — Lee Davidson | The Salt Lake Tribune, posted Aug. 31

"After mediation by Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, Utah County and five cities reached a compromise Monday that will avoid asking some voters to cast two different ballots — one in person and one by mail — in the Nov. 3 election.

" 'It's a good win all the way around for the voters,' said Mark Thomas, the state's elections director for Cox.

We said:

Choosing lobbyists over American Legion is messed up — Tribune editorial, posted Aug. 26

"Good for Gov. Gary Herbert for erasing part of the embarrassment from an effort to throw the American Legion out of the Capitol so corporate lobbyists could move in.

"Remaining is the reality that the people who steer money to elected officials got exactly what they wanted, just like always. ..."

Because they already did:

— After Utah Capitol scuffle, American Legion will move from office — to a bigger one — Salt Lake Tribune, posted Aug. 25

"Old veterans may remember that the World War II battle for Iwo Jima in the Pacific stretched for 33 days. But in Utah this week, the battle of the American Legion vs. lobbyists and state officials lasted less than 24 hours.

"And the Legion came out largely victorious. It accepted a peace offer of bigger space and continued free rent in the basement of the Utah Capitol — if state officials proceed with plans to rent the organization's current office to lobbyists for an expansion of their posh hideaway.

"The office of Gov. Gary Herbert issued a news release essentially declaring peace with honor, and a quick end to a potentially embarrassing conflict. ..."

We had already written a draft of an editorial excoriating the state for kicking the Legion out of the capitol. Based on what they had done:

But Herbert and company stepped in and fixed the problem before we even had a chance to post that editorial online.

See how powerful we are?!?