This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
It's not like he drank coffee or anything like that, but one LDS Church general authority must have had a little lapse in judgment last spring when he used his LDS Church email account to solicit campaign contributions for presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
W. Craig Zwick, a member of the church's First Quorum of the Seventy, was in Las Vegas as part of a fundraising blitz for the Romney campaign when he got into an email exchange about setting up a golf date with an acquaintance in Salt Lake City.
"I'm down in Vegas helping Mitt Romney today," Zwick, whose son Spencer is Romney's finance chairman, wrote from his church email address. "How much can you contribute to the Romney for President Committee today? You can only give $2,500 max for you and your wife. Let me know — let's take zback America!"
That was sent right around the time of the church's June 16, 2011 letter restating its policy on political participation, including this admonition: "General authorities and general officers of the church and their spouses and other ecclesiastical leaders serving full time should not personally participate in political campaigns, including promoting candidates, fundraising, speaking in behalf of or otherwise endorsing candidates, and making financial contributions."
Oops.
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Better late than never? • Last year, when the Legislature was preparing for a special session to decide whether to repeal the GRAMA-gutting HB477 in the wake of a tsunami of public outrage, Bill Hooper of Taylorsville wrote an email to his senator, Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, urging him to vote for the repeal.
Waddoups, one of the most adamant defenders of the keep-government-secrets bill, had publicly stated he had not heard from any constituents who were angry about the bill's passage during the general session.
Well, now we know why he hadn't heard from constituents who wanted him to repeal the bill.
On Wednesday, 13 months after he wrote to his senator, Hooper got a confirmation from the Senate that his email finally had been opened.
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Buyer's remorse? • Two years ago, when then-U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett spoke at the Republican State Convention for his re-election bid, he was roundly booed by the tea-party crowd.
Weeks before that, at the neighborhood caucuses that elected the delegates, there were plenty of anecdotes expressing anti-Bennett sentiments. Bennett lost in the convention, and tea-party favorite Mike Lee eventually took his place in the Senate.
Saturday was a different story. At the State GOP Convention, Bennett was invited to the stage to receive a service award from party leaders. Sources say he had some reservations, not wanting to be booed again.
But when Bennett took the stage, he received a rousing ovation, many standing to show their appreciation for (missing?) him.
As he began to leave the stage, the crowed chanted, "speech, speech, speech."
So he said a few words to the appreciative delegates.
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Got spare cash? • A cursory reading of the case review form the State Department of Workforce Services sends out to verify eligibility for state-sponsored health insurance seems to indicate the state wants you to send it money.
The review form for Primary Care Network (PMC) has several questions you are to answer to determine eligibility.
It then, in large print, has this reminder: "If employed, send check stubs for the previous 30 days with completed review papers. Also send any income received for the current month."
Paul Rolly can be reached at prolly@sltrib.com.