Elected clowns | The Salt Lake Tribune

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Ever since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, letters to the editor have understandably and rightly been obsessed with guns, guns and guns. However wearisome, it's an important topic and, sadly, I don't see a consensus forming before the public's attention moves on (until the next mass shooting).

For Utah, that shift in focus will happen when the Legislature convenes on Jan. 28. Then our attention will be drawn to our damn entertaining elected clowns who dazzle us each year by topping the previous year's idiocies.

I always doubt our legislators' ability to come up with new zany material, but they never fail. How can they top an official state firearm, spending millions to foolishly sue the feds and banning sex ed? Stay tuned and see.

For me, I'd be happy if our representatives did two boring things:

1. Ban all use of cell phones while driving, and make it an offense you can be pulled over for.

2. Fully fund education so every elementary child is at grade level for reading, writing and arithmetic. If not, at least fund schools with the same zeal you fund highways; that'd be a start.

Gwen Miner

Salt Lake City