This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah legislators do not represent everyone equally. A pecking order divided into four classes determines who gets beneficial legislation and who gets stiffed.
First-class members are granted everything they want and includes NRA gun addicts, greedy members of ALEC, coal, oil and gas companies, lobbyists with cash, and the Koch brothers (who aren't even Utahns).
Those in second class are respected, unless their demands conflict with first-class members. Included are Gayle Ruzicka, the LDS Church, tea party, the governor, Eagle Forum, billionaires and other "radical rich."
The third class receives extravagant promises from legislators who, once behind closed doors, quickly flip-off everything promised as irrelevant. Included are Republican voters, the Chamber of Commerce and religious defenders of family values.
Fourth class includes the majority with common decency and common sense whose requests are rejected automatically. They include school teachers, climate scientists, people who read books, Democrats, Unitarians, Federal agents, Pat Bagley, those demanding freedom, justice, equality and intelligent gun laws, and the poor.
Utahns are not second-class citizens because of public lands. The majority are simply disdained by gerrymandered legislators who are members of a super class, which includes only them and God.
Norma Lowe
Salt Lake City