Show House hopeful Riesen speaks with COMM 1500 Kathryn Jones Campus Editor He worked as a news anchor and managing editor on Channel 4 has been successful in Touched by byan byan byan an Angel and was Rocky Andersons Anderson's publication manager at one time Today Phil Riesen is running for the Utah House of Representatives District 36 Im a Jack of all trades he told the COMM 1500 class at a recent presentation Though I like politics and decided to run for office I still consider myself a journalist As a journalist Riesen says he received varying assignments through the years not all of them easy Take Gary Gilmore convicted murderer shot by firing squad in 1977 I 1 covered it at arms amis length after the execution Riesen said Years later another convicted murderer Arthur Gary Bishop sentenced to death by lethal injection tion in 1988 consented to an interview by Riesen I was the only interview he granted said Riesen emotionally shaken by the event It was the hardest thing I ever did Riesen spoke of the man looking like your next door neighbor and how difficult it was to write the piece I went home and cried for two days he said Today Riesen has a few more reasons for covering the streets And like his earlier days when the facts were important to any story Riesen believes in getting the facts straight in politics politic Enough is enough Ite he said when speaking of the imbalance the legislation has experienced the last few years We must win the seat back for the Democratic Party and serve the people of the district Riesen is shocked by bya a Utah study that shows between and people 17 percent of Utah's population without health insurance He is concerned about the working poor those who cant afford to insure their families and feels the education system is severely broken Ive walked the district once already and Im I'm doing a second walk Riesen said sp speaking aking of his campaign I want to reach touch and shake hands with as many manyas as I can I want to get people energized about this election Riesen believes politics are local and that people must stand up and disagree You have ultimate power and the power is the vote he said The best way to communicate is one-on-one one to s share h are your concerns And Riesen has done just that losing 20 pounds in the process One of my volunteers unable to keep up with me mc calls me the Energizer Bunny he said But that energy is not just skin Riesen looks for something more meaningful in the news TV has turned cosmetic he said and not very in Riesen says he about the show business of TV which deals with how your hair looks over what some might see as more important important- investigative people in TV news Because of this differing view Riesen says he lost his jobI job I wasn't warm wann and fuzzy enough he said Still like the Energizer b bunny Riesen keeps keeps' going He believes in what hes he's doing He is humbled by bythe bythe bythe the many people who have supported his candidacy and he is looking forward fOr to the future I just want to be a good representative he said |