Speaker Curtis, listen up!

Curtis refuses to listen to the people
By Wayne Holland

In his column (June 5), Doug Robinson refers to House Speaker Greg Curtis as "Mr. Twenty" in reference to the speaker's narrow 20 vote victory last November. Most of the remainder of his column is dedicated to why "Mr. Twenty" is so willing to buck the will of his constituents on issues like vouchers and the Real Salt Lake stadium deal in spite of his obvious growing unpopularity.

Robinson concludes Curtis' willingness to stick his neck out on issues unpopular with the voters, particularly vouchers, is an indication he is attempting "to make someone happy." Otherwise, his actions "make no sense." I respectfully disagree. Curtis' actions make perfect sense when you take into account the arrogance that comes with a long stretch of single-party dominance. This dominance itself, perpetuated through the nation's most egregious example of gerrymandering, institutionalizes arrogance and unaccountability.

Since the voucher referendum received sufficient signatures to be placed before the voters, we have seen more arrogance on display than at any time in recent memory. Within days of telling the State Board of Education they must implement a voucher program "immediately" on the grounds "All legislation is presumed valid until it is stayed or overturned by a court. ...," Attorney General Mark Shurtleff announced he had sent Utah's gasoline retailers "a letter well over two years ago that I wasn't going to enforce (The Motor Fuel Marketing Act)." Apparently our attorney general is of the opinion he gets to decide for himself which laws need to be reviewed by the courts and which ones he just gets to ignore.

Utah Democrats have joined with some Republican legislators to support letting the people have their say on vouchers. In a letter sent to the governor's office on June 6, House Minority Leader Ralph Becker and Senate Minority Leader Mike Dmitrich endorsed a plan offered by two House Republicans to repeal HB174 until the voters have spoken. "In the event that the referendum fails, the Legislature can then re-enact HB174."

This is a fair solution that forces both sides of the controversial voucher question to defer to the voters. Unfortunately, arrogance and ideology continue to trump people power in Utah's Legislature. What the people decide is beside the point for Speaker Curtis, Sen. Bramble and others more committed to vouchers than the citizens of Utah they are sworn to serve.

In signing the referendum petition, Utah voters said "yes" to the democratic process and should demand their leaders do the same. This November Utahns will have the opportunity to say "yes" to public education, and we deserve legislators who are willing to hear us when we do.
Utah's Democratic legislators are willing to set aside their views on the voucher question and allow the people to be heard. Speaker Curtis, Sen. Bramble and others have made it abundantly clear they intend to ignore the will of the people regardless of the outcome of the vote on the voucher question. Utah's Constitution recognizes the people as a co-equal branch of state government. We deserve legislators who are not too arrogant to defer to the people when they exercise their rights through the referendum and initiative process. "Mr. Twenty" would do well to remember that come November 2008 voters will remember his refusal to listen to them.