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Show SUNDAY/September 7, 1997 Utah Ghe Salt Lake Tribune OBITUARIES Page B-7 » Section B WEATHER Page B-8 WhyDon’t More Utahns Speak Out? When you want something, don’t bother with official city machinery. Go to the man who can give you what you want and make him hurt until he gives in. To hell with charity. The only thing you get is what you are strong enough to get — so you had better organize. BY PATTYHENETZ bunchof activists from Chicago, that Alinskyite breeding ground. THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE In Illinois, the birthplace of Saul Alinsky and his radical grass-roots politics of confrontation, Deeda Seed’s gentle brand of protest pro- voked noone. — Saul Alinsky, Chicagosocial activist, 1909-1972 a Activists tend to suffer from personality excesses. These are not nor- mal people. Duringoneof thestate's perennial welfare-reform debates, Seed and other anti-povertyactivists had made a big heart emblazoned with the message ‘Have a heart for the sake of the children.” Womenand children con- verged on the governor’s office, pre- pared to stay until he granted them — BudScruggs, retired Utah activist an audience. He never did. Why should he? They were just another But when Seed and Justice, Economic Dignity and Independence for Women, the Utah anti-poverty group she helpedestablish, tried the same tactic during the 1994 Legislature,it was a different story. Angered that Goy. Mike Leavitt had refused to dis- cuss a welfare-reform proposal with them because they didn’t go through proper channels, the women vowed to camp in the governor'soffice until he met with them. A daylater, he grant- ed them a 15-minute audience that included a scolding about what coastitutes appropriate behavior. one would break a rule,” Seed recalls. Adds JEDI member Annie Boone, “The perception here is you shouldn't rock the boat, that it’s not ladylike.’ No doubtaboutit — political activism in Utah is unique. Resemblingthe elite insider system of New England morethan the populism ofits West- ern neighbors, Utah’s protest politics are remarkable for their restraint: Here, wherecitizen-ballotinitiatives pass about as often as Halley’s Com- et, social change tends to come from the top down. Here, where excess is defined as anythingt! makes any- See SPEAKING OUT,Page B-6 “They were just aghast that some- ... One Does, But Is Claire Geddes a Rebel or Rabble-Rouser? BY DAN HARRIE She wasa relentlesscritic of the $1 million con- THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Claire Geddes’ spleen runneth over. She is revolted, appalled, shocked and chagrined. Those are the high-octane emotions driving the communityactivist-homemaker to storm the formidable walls of governmentto champion “little guy” issues such as tougher conflict-of-interest laws for public officials and elimination of special-interest tax breaks. “Lwork on pure outragea lotof times,” acknowledges Geddes. id She is Utah director of United We Stand, the government watchdog group founded by Texasbil- Treat Nelsou/The Salt Lake Tribune Claire Geddes, Utah's director of United We Stand, is a vociferous activist, speaking out on someofthe state’s most high-profile issues. lionaire Ross Perot. Her face and voice have becomea staple ontelevision and in newspapers. During August alone, Geddes popped up dozens of timesin the thick of the state’s most high-profile controversies, taking on the establishment on behalf of what she says is a mostly silent majority. “My observation is that she has become a gadfly,” says lobbyist and Republican Party activist Ron Fox. ‘Wherever two or morepress[reporters] are gathered, Claire will be found.” sulting and retirement package awarded to Tom Welch, whoresigned as Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee president after his no-contest plea to a domestic-violence charge. She verbally flogged Salt Lake County District Attorney Neal GunnarsonandAtty. Gen. Jan Graham for refusingto prosecute Salt Lake City Mayor Deedee Corradiniin the so-called “Giftgate” scandal. Andshe blasted Lt. Gov. Olene Walker — whois charged with overseeing lobbyist laws — for going on a tobacco-companyfinancedtrip to Costa Rica without asking who paid thetab. Like Woody Allen’s characterZelig in thefilm of the same name, she seemsto be everywhere. Skeptics question how one person can muster such righteous indignation over so many diverse issues — let alone whether she can be well in- formed aboutall of them. Among some legislators and lobbyists who have felt the sting of her barbs, “Thave to wonderin the back of my mindif she is tryingtoestablish a political platform for herself to run for futurepoliticaloffice.” Geddes never has run for elected office and in- sists she has no plans to do so. Democrats tried unsuccessfully to recruit her — along with just about everyone else with a pulse — to run for governorlast year. But she may have poisoned any future bid for public office by using a sometimes caustic style that does not go over well in Utah political circles. Republican Party Chairman and former House Speaker Rob Bishop says “distanceis a nice word” to describehis relationship with Geddes. To successfully lobby legislators, Bishop says, “You cannotconstantly be telling somebody what sheis referred to as the “rebel withouta clue.” See CLAIRE GEDDES,Page B-6 Armin Arm, Wrestlers Hunters Flex Sport’s Fear a Bad Reputation Status at Fair BY JOAN O'BRIEN THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Robert Baxter's friends could not un- BY crashing thugs like the group whokilled an Arizona couple in a gunbattle last week, say bail bondsmen. “To put on body armor and attack a house — it’s like something out of a bad his arm during a match. But Saturday at Utah State Fairpark, the Sandy businessman did not have to explain himself. Baxter was among more than 200 people who understand quite well the appeal of arm-wrestling. Steven Seagal movie,” said Gary Walton of Beehive Bail Bonds in Salt Lake City. “In 30 years, we've never fired a firearm. Not once.” The Utah State Louis Sanone, of Dewey's Bail Bonds, Armwrestling ChamPionship, staged by Fun Tent, drew 59 agrees; A good quality bonding company is not going to have some renegade working for them.” But in most states, nothing prevents a person without training from becoming a bounty hunter competitors and another 150 cheering the powers that make bountyhunters so the American Armwrestling Association at Fairpark’s Family The potential for trouble stems from fans. After nearly effective. Unlike police, bounty hunters four hours of neck- may cross state lines to pursue bail jumpers. And they do not need a warrant to enter a home and apprehend a bail bulging, face-reddening competition, there were victorsin 10 divisions. And no broken arms. Arm-wrestling is taking hold in Utah, competitors said Saturday, adding it is jumper. arrest a bail jumper “anytime” and“any Three years ago Brzenk persuadedhis sion also upholds the right of bounty year later, Baxter broke his right arm ina dia! nerve, leaving his right hand disabled ject of Sylvester Statlone’s movie “Over the Top.” So he competed left-handed. Arm-wrestling is not just a one-arm match, At the sametime he severeda rafor months. (Today's schedule ofevents @ Winners offirefighter competition Bd 4 ed contest, the left hand must grip a peg on the table. And the right elbow must stay on the table pad at all times. Vice versaif it is a left-handed match. sport, however. Some can involve just about every other part of their body ina matchup, includingvoice. The competitor's face and shoulder can get close, but can never touch the hand But therearerules. If it is a right-hand- See FAIR, Page B-4 Wounded W t Valley Detective Eager to Return to Work BY GREG BURTON TRIBUNE Twenty-five days after a gun- man's outburst punched him full of holes, West Valley City police Det. Robert Idle urged temperancefor his colleagues in thefield “Obviously if T had to do it place” within the state A dusty 1873 U.S. Supreme Courtdeci- neighbor Baxterto give the sport a try. A Its popularity here can be attributed in part to John Brzenk of Sandy, the world arm-wrestling champion. He won the in- ternational tournamentthat was the sub- Utah state lawallows bounty hunters to Danny La/The Salt Lake Tribune Robert Sutton of Blackfoot, Idaho,left, and Kevin Beller of Ogden arm-wrestle on Saturday at the State Fair. not unusual for tournaments in the Rocky Mountain West to draw several hundred competitors and fans. THESAL STEPHEN HUNT THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE Most bounty hunters are not door- derstand his drive to compete in armwrestling tournaments. They were even more uncomprehending after he broke day from his home. “To be honest with you, if we could figure out how to stop the problem we wouldn't have the problem," he said. "We need to tem r our response, We definitely need to dea) with the gang members appropriately and if the circumstances warrant an over again, | wouldn't get shot, but there's really nothing I armed responsethen absolutely, would change,” Idle said Satur- tion appropriately.” but we need to treat each siua- Idle's near-fatal Aug. 15 attack maybethefirst time a gang member deliberately shot and critically wounded a policeoffi- cer in Utah — an act that Salt Lake County Sheriff Aaron Kennard said warrants rearming law enforcement. “That kid got out of the car knowing full well that was an offiver he was going to shoot," Kennard said immediately fol- lowing the shooting. “All of a sudden, they think they're mean and bad enough to do drive-by shootings and shoot at innocent people and at the last line of de- fense — atofficers." Kennard is in the process of arminghis officers with semiau- tomatic rifles that have the same rapid-fire capability of the weaponused against Idle. Idle had taken no more than hunterstocross state lines andarrestbail jumpers without a warrant Bounty hunters may pursue suspects “into anotherstate; may arrest him on the Sabbath; andif necessary may break and enter his house for that purpose,”’ ac- cording to the 19th century case, Taylor ys. Tainter. OnlyIndiana, Nevada and North Caro- lina license bounty hunters. That needs to change, according to somebail bondsmen, Fearingtheir reputations may be harmed by the actions of overzealous and unprofessional bounty hunters, bondsmen are discussing the four steps away from his un marked patrol car when the gunman launched a yolley of rounds, purportedly while vowing, ‘I'mnot going to go back to tion,” said Larry DeMartini, of American Bail Bonds in Provo. “We can't have slumped to the ground. Police later recovered nearly agents should be licensed and undergo background checks.” Layton bounty hunter Jeff Lewis said he wants to start a training and certifica- See DETECTIVE, Page B-4 See BOUNTY, Page B-4 prison.” Idle — struck at least five times — returned fire and then need for regulation. “Every industry needs some regula- people out there doing astheyplease. All UTAH QUOTES “Our local political leaders have tried as much as they can, But the higher lev- ‘It’s not a thinking period, If I have to stop andthink about it, [ better not be els of government have taken citizen in put andput it into file 13. They will put things wherever they damn well in the game.” — Marty Martak, of Price, on his job please.” — Aaron Richards, a Farmington dairy farmer, on six massive government projects that threaten the peaceful ‘suburb tn Davis County os rodeo bullfighter to assist and protect bullriders “She was so full of light andlove you | felt absorbed by her presence. — Marquita Christianson, a Provo nurse, on meeting Mother Teresa “Tt might be cruel, but it’s fair, Let's “T guess I won't be cracking that joke all suffer together,” | anymore. — Parent and PTA leader Becky Nellsen on asking Salt Lake City school board members to turnoff air conditioning in district offices until the problem of 100-degree classroom temperatures can be solved — Davis County sheriff's Deputy Jeff Payne, after his badge deflected a bul- let, He used to Joke, “Cops have to be a little crazy because they pin a target on their chest, and then go to work.” |
