Legislature flawed but doesn't deserve contempt

By Frank Pignanelli & LaVarr Webb

Webb: It's quite remarkable how perfectly normal, upright, intelligent Utah citizens, respected in their communities, are magically transformed into stupid, insolent, partisan hacks and right-wing ideologues when they are elected to the Legislature. Or so it would seem reading some of the harsh criticism leveled at the Legislature, mostly from people who could never get elected to anything themselves and who are mostly out-of-touch with reality. The latest anti-Legislature diatribe came from Morning News columnist Don Gale on Oct. 7. His way-over-the-top harangue accused legislators of "neglect, stupidity and greed." He charged that they operate with secret deals, that lobbyists run the place and that they are biased and absolutists. He said they are cruel and heartless with a majority consisting of "ultraconservative, reactionary, head-in-the-sand quasi-Republican ideologues." And there was a lot more. I talked to good, honest, hard-working Utahns, who also happen to be legislators, who were genuinely hurt by Gale's sweeping rant. These are typical Utahns, chosen in free and open elections by their neighbors and community peers, who sacrifice enormously to serve. They are business people, educators, retirees, farmers, attorneys, homemakers, engineers, etc., who spend most of their time like the rest of us, working and supporting their families. Then they go do their legislative duties and somehow become monsters. The truth is that the vast majority of lawmakers serve with honor and distinction. Most of Gale's criticisms are both unfair and unfounded. Worse, he adds to the incivility, disrespect and harsh rhetoric that poison our political process and breed cynicism and apathy. The Legislature is certainly not a perfect institution. Sometimes mistakes are made. To people who don't understand the process, it appears chaotic and undisciplined. At any given time a silly bill might be introduced or a silly speech might be delivered. But you judge a Legislature by its final product, what is passed by both houses and signed by the governor, not by any single occurrence along the way. And no one should be surprised that the Legislature is political. That's the system created by the founders of our country and state. The reality is that the political process works very well in Utah, far better than at the national level. Utah's 104 citizen lawmakers deal forthrightly with the big issues facing the state. They prioritize carefully and spend wisely. They balance the budget. They reflect the opinions and desires of a majority of Utah citizens. They deserve praise and support, not derision and scorn.

Pignanelli: The Legislature invokes the same emotions as your in-laws. You whine and moan about their boorish and crude behavior. Their exhibition of entitlement and/or superiority is infuriating. You harbor hope that a family member gets smart and dumps an obnoxious spouse. However, you enjoy many of them on an individual basis and are thankful for the process that produced them. I entertain audiences with the antics of Capitol Hill (no shortage of laughs), but respect the institution. Intermixed with my jokes is strong encouragement to improve the process through participation in elections and citizen lobbying. To underscore my objectives, I provide some observations:
• In public relations, legislators are incompetent. They make boneheaded moves (i.e. denying $2 million for Medicaid but funding $12 million for a garage). Further, caucus dynamics prevent leaders from securing too much exposure. Lawmakers hire good PR assistants, but they do not use them. (Which explains why, when I was Minority Leader, capturing good media was akin to "shooting fish in a barrel.") Utah Governors since 1993 have excelled in this arena, thereby exacerbating the problem for legislators.
• Most lawmakers sacrifice professional careers and monetary gain to serve. (Insiders know the limited few who are benefiting in a proprietary manner.) Unlike sports or entertainment figures, they receive all the criticism free.
• Because of LaVarr's beloved precinct caucus system, extremists in both parties wield extraordinary influence early in the election process. Good politicians have to throw red meat at the hungry activists, thus all the right-wing rhetoric.
• The part-time Legislature is structured to react, not lead. The governor is imbued with responsibility to provide vision. (So do not expect monumental changes in government from lawmakers.)
• The ridiculous "message bills" (which also infuriate me) garner most of the publicity during the session — but rarely pass.
• The majority caucus closes too many meetings from public scrutiny — breeding conspiratorial conclusions. (From what I gather, these assemblies rarely produce results. Insiders and the media learn of the juicy bits anyway.)
• More than 2,000 lobbyists swarm Capitol Hill every winter (signs of a healthy democracy) to push and pull 104 lawmakers in various directions. But the most influential lobbyists are the neighbors, co-workers and outspoken constituents of a legislator.
The Legislature is not imposed upon us from above. The public, by selection or omission, determines its composition. I encourage those who are angry and frustrated to participate in the elections and make a difference.
Republican LaVarr Webb was policy deputy to Gov. Mike Leavitt and Deseret News managing editor. He now is a political consultant and lobbyist. E-mail: lwebb@exoro.com. Democrat Frank Pignanelli is Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser. A former candidate for Salt Lake mayor, he served 10 years in the Utah House of Representatives, six years as House minority leader. Pignanelli's spouse, D'Arcy Dixon Pignanelli, is a Utah state tax commissioner. E-mail: frankp@xmission.com.