A gun rights group says a citizens initiative to reform legislative ethics would require lawmakers to disclose whether they own guns. [More]On the surface it sounds kind of like a satisfying poke back, but if you can gore one group's ox using the force of the state, yours is next.
I really don't know anything about this effort, so I'm hoping they're promoting this just to make that point. Somehow, I think they're serious. Is it just me, or do Utahns for Ethical Government make the actual text of the petition so damn hard to find on their website that we just stop trying? I see how to sign, where to sign, FAQ's, setting the record straight...where's the great big impossible-to-miss headline link or click-though graphic that says "READ THE PETITION HERE"?
GoUtah! has more.
[Via The Bitter Clinger]
PDF with the full petition text:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.utahnsforethicalgovernment.org/finalversion.petition.pdf
The above link can currently be found on said website by clicking the "BALLOT INITIATIVE" menu item along the top of the page.
This would be the offending text, and expletive offending it is:
ReplyDelete) the location, nature of, and fair market value of any property, real or PERSONAL, tangible or intangible (other than a primary personal residence), in which the legislator or spouse, directly or indirectly, holds an interest which IS or IS PROPOSED or LIKELY TO BE the subject of acquisition, trade, or regulation by ANY PUBLIC BODY;" (emphasis added-CB)
OK, they want to identify potential conflicts of interest; I get that. But given that I haven't seen ANYTHING from dildoes to garden-tilling that someone doesn't try to regulate, that language would require the legislators to publicly inventory all their possessions, not just guns. Got a refrigerator? Don't forget to list it because appliance energy efficiency is regulated. And your car/truck. The FCC regulates use of the RF spectrum, so remember to list your TVs and satellite dish. Toilet tank capacity is regulated. I mean, the feds claim the power to regulate everything from wheat to wolf-watching that might somehow influence interstate commerce.
Maybe they mean well, but they have their heads so far up...
And boy, will the burglars appreciate the detailed inventories, complete with estimated value and location.
OK, now I see--the drop-down under "Ballot Initiative" says "Fiscal Impact," so I didn't think to look further.
ReplyDeleteThey could still use a nice, obvious banner picture or text link on the front page that points directly to the text/pdf - I thought that the provided menus were less than intuitive, myself.
ReplyDelete