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Show the CMTCPPP1QC to PRAGMATIC DOGMATICS The Hutchinson charges Kent Shearer Cleared somewhat is the imbroglio Enterprise, Jan. 30) surrounding Salt Lake County Commissioner William L. Hutchinson. County misAttorney Paul Van Dam has filed two demeanor charges against the Commissioner. They allege that Hutchinson, in violation of a county ordinance, (A) laundered his report of a $6,000 campaign contribution to reflect, falsely, that it was a loan from himself, and (B) did not report campaign expenditures and obligations of over $8,000. It is uncertain whether these counts constitute the total of Van Dams efforts against Hutchinson. Other matters are under investigation, the County Attorney says, and the possibility remains that the Commissioner will be forced to defend himself against a succession of complaints filed piecemeal over the next six months or more. As to the current charges, little can be said from an ethical standpoint for Hutchinsons reminded that President Carter pledged to selection appointed depoliticize judicial little brother to the Congressman McKay's federal bench. The Commissioners legal posture may, however, be more formidable even assuming he did falsify. This is so for two reasons: First, the ordinance in question may be invalid. Counties are creatures of the state legislature and cannot pass effective ordinances relative to spheres not granted them by statute. Whether campaign disclosure is such There is no explicit an area is dubious. delegation of the topic, and very activist judicial interpretation would be required to imply authority on that subject. To the contrary, the legislature in 1973 repealed a 1971 act which, for a two year period, had required financial reports by county candidates. It is unlikely that the county can do, by - (R-Idah- I WHAT 1H5 TERM Him), R1 ordinance, that which the state undid by statute. Second, conviction does not mean removal. Suppose, though, that the ordinance is upheld and Hutchinson is found guility. Will he then lose his office? Not necessarily. Van Dam still would have to institute a proceeding to remove him for high crimes, misdemeanors of malfeasance in office." And mere misreport or nonreport of campaign finances might not be such a high crime, misdemeanor or malfeasance." Former County Auditor David P. Jones withstood removal, although he was in jail for failure to file a federal income tax return. Congressman Hansen despite conviction George and sentence for federal campaign finance reports violations, still sits in Congress. As noted, there may be other raps against Hutchinson yet to be brought. If, however, they do not pack more punch than the charges now filed, Hutchinson, a Republican, could well survive and Van Dam, a Democrat, find himself accused of conducting a political vendetta at taxpayers expense. conduct if in fact he did mislead the public about his campaign income and outgo. But campaign misstatements are not in themselves criminal, and Hutchinson would not be the first One is politician to lie to the electorate. M6A0 wens' mb" o), 1$ COHfVmjT, OAKIFI- - MAUAOeRlAW T&zo-ets- CATO). e dUP&STBQ WHAP , RIGHTS. r wm ACYI6E OUR cinzeus TO fX Asopfosep 50 TO HS-RUPJ- VERIFICATION), PL&S6 CHECK W6 WITH AWP Be SU& Tvev mr CY VAUCS OP' H0MAU RIGHTS. ookmto WlAP. RIGHTS - OR TW SKAH OF hepprm- - SUPPORT ME, -- IRAN). 2 sEC9B z o CL DC zD UJ I- o o Legislation around the clock by Parker M. Nielson The clock in the House of Representatives Chambers showed a few scant hours until midnight. Speaker Glade Sowards confronted the tasks of appropriating millions of dollars, determining which programs should be funded and which should not and setting the level of taxes, which may in turn dictate if the poor or elderly will have adequate food or shelter. These, and many other, monumental decisions must be made in the few hours which remained. Earlier in the y budget session it was not possible to give these questions the attention they deserved. Then, Rep. he always talks about Sellencit had to talk about abortion abortion. Speaker Sowards also likes to talk about abortion, and while he may not understand better than Selleneit that; morality may not and should not be legislated, he docs n bills are not budget matters. recognize that the The clock had become all important. Legislators who could not be persuaded earlier by a sense of integrity or goodl conscience to direct their attentions to the matters that were the proper business of the legislature were now forced to do so by the clock. Vain persons, with grandiose notions of their importance, were now forced to do what reasonable voices had been unable to persuade them to do earlier. That unthinking mechanical device on the wall, the clock, prevailed where 20-da- - anti-abortio- reason could not. Speaker Sowards contemplated the clock. It would require all of his parliamentary skills to fit the decisions which must be made within the time that was available. In fact, it would develop that all of the decisions would not be made, and millions of dollars of badly needed federal funds would likely be lost, possibly because Sellencit demanded his time to talk about abortion. But Speaker Sowards wondered, now that it was dictating his and every other legislator's actions, who is it that sets the clock? Who determines that the clock is correct, or that it is synchronized with the one in the Senate Chamber? While Sellencit wasted the time and resources of government in his efforts to make essentially religious beliefs an article of legislation, responsible people dustmop in hand -were at work in the chamber and, among other duties, looked after the clock. There are those who feel we would be better served if the likes of the janitor or the chambermaid were entrusted to make other of our decisions for us, rather than those who insist on misusing and abusing the processes of government. I do not propose to enter that thicket, at least not now', but I do have confidence that if the custodial employee, whoever he or she may have been, happens to .have a teenage daughter, or one who is a student or welfare recipient, and is inadvertently pregnant, they could better decide what should bills. happen to Selleneit s But Selleneit apparently does not consider destroying other peoples lives to be a moral issue. - anti-aborti- on |