This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
I write to voice my concerns about The Tribune's recent editorial calling for Sen. Orrin Hatch to retire. I personally hope that our esteemed senator will continue serving Utah beyond 2018.
Not only is Hatch a true statesman, he is one of the most successful legislators in history. He has passed more bills into law than any other person serving in Congress today. To toss aside his success and influence simply because he's served "too long" seems an extremely shortsighted reason to call him home.
Another concern: While I am grateful for Paul Huntsman and his willingness to step up and sustain this newspaper, I wonder if the readers of The Salt Lake Tribune know that he is also the brother of Jon Huntsman Jr., who has stated his intent to run for the Senate if Hatch retires. To me, this is a significant conflict of interest, and one that needs to be disclosed to the readers of this newspaper. Unless editors disclose this relationship going forward, readers have every right to question the integrity of this paper.
For the paper's own good, it should recuse itself from covering Utah's 2018 U.S. senatorial election.
Kathleen S. Anderson
Bountiful