Aman who calls himself the un-Rocky and who rails against "extreme environmentalism" has entered the crowded race for Salt Lake City mayor.
Rainer Huck, whom many capital residents know through his frequent letters to the editor demanding more access for off-road vehicles, filed paperwork last week to succeed Mayor Rocky Anderson.
"There's a conservative vacuum among the candidates that are running right now," Huck says. "None of them seem to be willing to reverse the abuses of the Rocky regime."
On his Web site, huckformayor.com, the retired engineer says, "If you love Rocky, you'll hate me." On global warming, for instance, Huck insists humans "don't cause it and couldn't stop it."
A former president of Utah Shared Access Alliance, Huck filed a voluntary declaration to limit his personal campaign contribution to $75,000. He also said he won't accept campaign cash from a soul and vowed to serve only one term, if elected. But don't expect to see lawn signs, billboards or junk mailings for Huck. He plans to campaign strictly on the Internet and by word of mouth.
The filing period ends July 16. So far, the candidates who have filed include Ralph Becker, Dave Buhler, Rainer Huck, J.P. Hughes, Robert Muscheck and Jenny Wilson. Keith Christensen and John Renteria have declared but not filed.
Championing rights from the left
Democratic Rep. Ralph Becker has outlined his list of human-rights initiatives, arguing that "discrimination has no place in a great American city."
The Salt Lake City mayoral candidate, who has spent a decade in the Legislature, most recently as House minority leader, says his administration would do the following:
* Transform the Office of Diversity into the Office of Human Rights.
* Implement a comprehensive nondiscrimination municipal ordinance.
* Require companies that contract with the city to implement nondiscrimination policies.
* Champion a hate-crimes ordinance.
* Develop bullying and equal-access policies for city schools.
* Establish a city registry for domestic partnerships.
* Require the extension of benefits equally to registered domestic partners.
* Change the city's retirement policy to allow an employee to name a domestic partner as a beneficiary.
* Ensure the continued vitality of the Civilian Review Board.
* Emphasize the importance of diversity training in every city department.
In recognition of the worldwide effort to fight climate change, Becker also has signed the "Live Earth Pledge," created by former Vice President Al Gore. Becker drives a car that runs on biodiesel, and he frequently walks or bikes to work.
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