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Commentary: In Draper, the developer is king

We need to put an end to this Draper Kingdom.

Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune While state Rep. Brad Wilson was serving on the panel that recommended moving the prison and then led the group responsible for picking a new location, his company, Destination Homes, was building townhouses slightly more than a mile North from the aging state lockup in Draper. That 29-unit project, Sunflower Crossing, center, never came up during the contentious and often cynical debate about relocating UtahÕs main prison, where critics lobbed allegations that the effort was driven by the profit motive of developers. The Salt Lake Tribune only learned about the connection recently from an upset homeowner who called about a chronically leaky window. An unapologetic WIlson said thereÕs a good reason Sunflower Crossing never became an issue. There was no conflict of interest, he insists, because he sold the last of the homes months before the Prison Relocation Commission he led as co-chairman released any details on potential new prison sites and years before the prison will actually move.

The United States of America is more than just a group of the Red States and the Blue States. Our country has always been more than that. We are a country that is still a beacon of light for truth, justice and freedom for all. We have always stood for the freedom of the press and freedom of religion. These are the values that make us uniquely American. No other country has shed more blood, treasure or tears defending these rights.

Two hundred and forty-two years ago our forefathers decided they no longer could live under the yoke of the king. They gave their lives to ensure that we never had to be subject to one man’s rule. We need to be as diligent today and protect our freedoms from all those people, political parties, and corporations that want to be king.

Closer to home, in Draper, we are already ruled by a king. That king is not the mayor. In Draper, the developers have become king. We have allowed our city to be controlled by the obsession to develop over every inch of buildable land. The codes and code enforcement is meant for the people of Draper but not the developers. Codes can be creatively interpreted when it comes to a developer but strictly enforced when involving a citizen. Developers are allowed unlimited time to speak at city council meetings but the people are only allowed three minutes. If you go over three minutes it is off to the dungeon.

The council is afraid to act because they might get sued by the king. They can’t have an upset king! The king can be a benevolent king to those who serve him. The king is always generous at election time and can be counted on to share some of his treasure with his trusted servants.

We need to put an end to this Draper Kingdom. We need to hold our local government more accountable to the people. We need to let our mayor and City Council know they work for the people and not the developers. We need them to be willing to battle the king even if it means spending money to go to court. We need to vote and send a message. We need to make sure that candidates and elected officials that are crowned by the king are voted out.

This Fourth of July week, every citizen of Draper should take a moment to be thankful that we have the ability to vote and shape our future. We have a shared American heritage and our constant quest for freedom and truth remains strong. Many of my friends have proudly fought for this country and some did not make it back! All Americans have sacrificed so much for this experiment we call American democracy. We must always remain diligent and protect this great country.

We must also protect our city from the threats that face it. We can choose to ignore the threats and continue to live under the king, or we can choose to fight and vote to free ourselves from this unique form of Draper tyranny. Enough is enough!

Tony Nelson

Tony Nelson, Draper, is the author of Point of the Mountain Politics Facebook page.