This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Some very unsurprising news this morning.
Utah's most videogenic politician, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, will start showing up as a "contributor" on Fox News as soon as this Saturday, one whole day after his resignation from the House takes effect.
I am in no position to criticize anyone who prefers a gig sitting on the outside, finding fault and rendering judgment. I moved away from being a reporter to being an editorial writer and columnist because I wasn't very good at keeping my own opinions out of my copy. And intelligent, independent punditry adds a lot to the public discourse, I would argue, by stating propositions that push people to think so they can agree or disagree, but only after they have considered various arguments.
The question is whether Chaffetz will waste Fox airtime the same way he wasted time and energy in the House — Benghazi! Benghazi! Benghazi! — criticizing without knowledge, focusing all his ire and scorn on Democrats, looking so far the other way on Trump-related scandals that he finally had no choice but to quit Congress. The kind of stuff Jason was rightly ridiculed for when it came from the chairman of a powerful committee will be sausage and gravy for the crowd that watches Fox.
A good point Chaffetz raises is that the atmosphere in Congress these days — a horrid mix of toxic and inert — is nothing that a lot of people would want to stick to. Though one might well ask how much blame Chaffetz, as an elected official, and Chaffetz, as a cable TV opinionator, should take upon himself.
It is also another example of how the 24-hour news channels draw attention and save money by giving over so much of their airtime to dueling shouting heads rather than pay for expensive, labor-intensive and sometimes not-so-sexy hard news reporting.
Speaking as a pundit, I can say that what TV needs more of is something else. More real news. More real experts. Or, failing that, more me.
— Jason Chaffetz is joining Fox News, with a salary that doesn't require a housing allowance — Thomas Burr | The Salt Lake Tribune
"Rep. Jason Chaffetz will join Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin and a host of other contributors as an on-air commentator on Fox News after he leaves Congress, the network announced Wednesday.
"Chaffetz, who is leaving office six months into his fifth term to spend more time with his family and gear up for a possible 2020 run for Utah governor, will not have his own show but will appear several times a week to talk about the latest political news.
"While Chaffetz declined to say how much Fox News would pay him, he acknowledged it was an attractive enough paycheck that he wouldn't need a housing allowance.
" 'They've got that covered,' Chaffetz said Wednesday, a day after The Hill published an interview in which the Utah Republican suggested that rank-and-file members of Congress – who are paid $174,000 a year – also receive a $2,500 monthly housing allowance to defray the costs of living in Washington, one of the more expensive cities in the country. ..."
... Chaffetz had an integral role in many government investigations, including the Fast and Furious gun-running scandal, the Benghazi terrorist attack, the IRS targeting scandal and the Secret Service investigation. ..."
— Chaffetz says Fox News role just part of his post-Congress plans — Lisa Riley Roche | The Deseret News
"Utah representative says congressional inaction 'so sour' he wanted to move on"
— Politician To Pundit: Chaffetz Joining Fox News — Julia Ritchey | KUER
— Jason Chaffetz Officially Joins Fox News — Mollie Reilly | HuffPost
" ... Chaffetz criticized Trump's administration in a recent interview, claiming he doesn't 'see much difference between the Trump administration and the Obama administration.'..."
Related:
— Chaffetz calls for $2,500 legislator housing stipend — Scott Wong | The Hill
"Just days before he resigns from Congress, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said Monday that House and Senate lawmakers should receive a $2,500 per month housing allowance — something he explained would help ease housing costs for members who can't afford two mortgages or rents.
" 'I really do believe Congress would be much better served if there was a housing allowance for members of Congress,' Chaffetz told The Hill in an interview in his Capitol office, where he sleeps whenever he's in Washington. 'In today's climate, nobody's going to suggest or vote for a pay raise. But you shouldn't have to be among the wealthiest of Americans to serve properly in Congress.'..."
— No sympathy for Chaffetz. But we do need to pay public servants more. — Matt Stoller | Special to The Washington Post
" ... Chaffetz showed no indication that he cared about affordable housing when he chaired the committee that oversees the District of Columbia, and he recently mused that if families can't afford health insurance, maybe they shouldn't buy new iPhones; he deserves no sympathy.
"But he did point, however unwittingly, to a deep problem with the way we understand political corruption. ...
" ... Politicians can't help but treat powerful economic actors differently when those people make so much more than they do, a situation complicated by the fact that many politicians' real compensation is likely to occur through unofficial channels, like lobbying contracts after they leave office. ..."
— A Housing Stipend for Congress? There's a Better Way — Megan McArdle | Bloomberg View
"Lawmakers should fix the zoning that limits development and drives up DC's cost of living...."