This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Leading state legislators wrote an op-ed for the April 3 Tribune complaining about the tyranny of federal bureaucrats controlling Utah land from 2,000 miles away. This is a stunning complaint coming from leaders of a single party, Soviet-style dictatorship in bed with the National Rifle Association and greedy members of the American Legislative Exchange Council.
And pleas for changes by the majority of citizens are simply dismissed. Special interests come first. Carbon is king despite toxic air. Open carry is now allowed on public transit. Public schools are the poorest in the nation, and poor people are denied health insurance.
If authentic democracy were suddenly to replace the current state tyranny, these four legislators, spawned by gerrymandering, would be history, and Utah would have a carbon tax and cleaner air, a universal background check on all gun sales, dynamic growth in wind and solar energy, well funded public schools and health insurance for the poor, while our public enemies, the Koch brothers, would be banned from the state.
So please, gerrymandered legislators, don't warn us about a federal tyranny when you have created a malevolent dictatorship right here at home.
Ron Molen
Salt Lake City