This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
This could be a "careful what you ask for" moment as I feel nothing but joy regarding Jason Chaffetz's departure from the House of Representatives. His job as Utah's congressman has never been a true representation of Utahns. His performance reveals a long list of self-serving days in Washington.
Though I'm glad to see him go, he is just another of Utah's elected officials who decided to abandon positions in which they were entrusted. We watched as Michael Leavitt left Utah and a job that he had been elected to perform, as well as Jon Huntsman, who took a job in China. Being elected should be a responsibility to fulfill an obligation of service, in both time and deed.
Jockeying has now begun to fill Chaffetz's seat by players who crave this serendipitous opportunity. In a state where the rights of many are quashed by the power of the few, balance is lost. It was not fame that George Washington sought as he accepted the role of president. It was a sense of duty to the people he represented.
Nancy Starks
Salt Lake City