This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Thirty-two years ago this month, I visited Canyonlands for the first time.
I'm now lucky to live in southeast Utah. And now, I'm represented in Congress by men with whom I couldn't have less in common. And these men continue to threaten our environment and public lands.
Because the so-called Utah delegation caters to its big money donors, it favors donors over the people they are sworn to represent.
Here's a quick summary of the top campaign donors of my "representatives" in 2016 and where the money came from (source: opensecrets.org):
Sen. Orrin Hatch: Pharmaceutical and investment industries; 89 percent of funds from outside Utah.
Sen. Mike Lee: Conservative and law industries: 88 percent of funds from outside Utah.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz: Pharmaceutical and internet industries.
Rep. Rob Bishop: Oil/gas and casino industries (nice combination don't you think?): 92 percent of funds from outside Utah.
So, does your congressperson represent you or their big money donors? If it's donors, support someone else in the next election. In the meantime, find an organization that shares your values and join in wholeheartedly. Now is the time for all of us to participate as citizens to make sure our government represents us. Democracy is not a spectator sport.
Harry Holland
Castle Valley