Utah House District 4: Reelect Rep. Tiara Auxier. As a freshman, Ms. Auxier was advised to sit back, listen and learn. Instead, she dug into the mess. Her day job is as a tax accountant, which equips her with the sleuthing ability to find waste, fraud and abuse. She has halted the automatic tax increases that were enacted even when a county didn’t require additional revenue for its operating budget. She introduced H.B. 332, School District Project Financing Amendments, which will require districts to seek voter approval for general obligation financing before pursuing lease revenue bonds for school construction. Currently, school boards can form a building authority, which is much like a shell company to raise funding and circumvent a bond issue that depends on voter approval. Her next battle plan addresses the Military Installation Development Authority and public infrastructure districts. Unelected boards administer these entities, which are flagrant examples of taxation without representation, crony capitalism and corporate welfare. Summit County Clerk Malena Stevens, once heir apparent and now county clerk, is seeking election following her appointment after the abrupt early retirement of former Clerk Eve Fuse.  Opposition to the Dakota Pacific over-development project was the galvanizing issue for both sides of the Summit County political spectrum. When our elected representatives at the state and county level chose to favor the developers, we the people sought to override the poor decision with a petition initiative. The number of gathered signatures exceeded the mandated threshold and was bound in an Avery Sheet D-Ring Binder, Black: Sku No. 400. However, Ms. Fuse’s edict was that the signatures must be in the Avery 3-Ring Binder Black: Sku No. 09300. For the want of a binder…, the entire exercise was nullified. The clerk serves as a check and balance of the council. She is not to be in cahoots with council. These checks are accurate recording and reporting of council meeting transcripts and easily searchable, time/date stamped video.  The light of transparency is the cornerstone of honest government. Suni Woolstenhulme represents a new and independent perspective in contrast to an entrenched career politician. As for judges, the jury is still out. I have heard two schools of thought from friends and even on KNRS from the co-hosts of the “Rod and Gregg Show” pertaining to the retention of judges: Vote “no” to all. The reasoning is that the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission does not provide an accurate assessment of the situation. Some contend that the high scores are not unlike participation trophies. (judges.utah.gov/). Yet others exhibit confidence in the JPEC recommendations and vote accordingly.  There is one certain “Do Not Retain” vote. And that distinction goes to Supreme Court Justice Jill Pohlman. She allowed for the newly redrawn District 1. This neighborhood is such an untypical representation of Utah that it could be called Red Square.  The two proposed constitutional amendments are straightforward decisions. Amendment A will require posting on the lieutenant governor’s website proposed amendments. The current protocol is to publish in newspapers around the state. This requirement is often overlooked, and notifications don’t get published. Publishing the advertisements runs at an annual cost of $1.4 million. Amendment B increases the threshold for ballot initiatives that result in a tax hike to 60%. Currently, the standard is 50% + 1. That isn’t consensus. It’s mob rule.  From ABC 4, Utahans Protecting Our Constitution has raised over $200,000 to launch a campaign against Amendment B. According to their disclosures, in addition, they have received nearly $23,000 from the Democratic Policy Institute and $25,000 from Utahans for Responsive Government, a political and ballot-measure organization closely tied to Better Boundaries (Soros money). Leave it to the opposition to spend almost a quarter of a million dollars to make raising taxes easier. Jerry Heck Oakley The post Election considerations appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less