Ethics refers to the system of moral principles that govern the behavior of individuals and groups. The study of what is considered right and wrong, good and bad and just and unjust. Ethics is not only about personal beliefs but also involves societal norms and values that influence how people interact with one another and make decisions.
For some reason, ethics evaporate or are somehow changed when you become an elected politician, whether a citizen politician as we have in Utah or the national politicians. A case in point is the recent court order for the Legislature to redraw congressional maps.
The Better Boundaries initiative passed, which should have told our esteemed legislators that we as citizens had had enough and wanted boundaries that represent the citizens (all citizens). Yet they decide we the citizens don’t know what is best for ourselves.
The only option for the citizens is to sue in the courts to rectify an inequity. The judge in the case is not the only one to side with the citizens and the Constitution. Remember the Utah Supreme Court already stated the Legislature overreached on their change.
Now our legislators are stating the judge should be removed from the bench for “doing her job.”
Sen. McCay states he has heard from several colleagues who have “concerns that the judiciary feels it is entitled at the moment” given some of its recent decisions. He later commented in a Tribune article, “I think there needs to be a conversation about where we are going and what is the court’s purpose here.”
It seems the courts’ purpose is to represent us the citizens when the Legislature gets so full of itself that it cannot or will not see what it has become. Ethics seem to go out the window the more power the legislators obtain.
Senate President Adams didn’t seem to remember that several years ago the vouchers issue got voted down. Yet several years later he claims he heard from constituents that they wanted it back — so here comes Utah Fits (vouchers for private schools).
Our former Speaker of the House, Greg Curtis — when the inland ports were created on the last day of the session — appointed himself director, until the Tribune noted it in the paper the next day and all heck broke out about it, and he reversed the decision. Legislators seem to forget ethics are or should be part of their job no matter how long they have been in office, they were elected to serve the citizens of the state, not the lobbyists that provide the bribes.
Floyd Bergener, West Valley City
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