More Political Mud

I could grouse some more about latest round of gutless, anonymous political ads that have again run in the local paper and been taped to the doors of residents in my town slamming those running for mayor and city council. But why do that when there's a great article sums it up the junior high school election atmosphere in this town or a local news broadcast can show you the clowns that want to run this town. Did I mention that I can't wait until this election is over?

Never mind.  That won't end anything. No doubt the side that loses will have their claws out for the new mayor and city council members as soon as they take office.

Jury Duty

For the first time in my life I received a jury summons in the mail. Not just any jury summon, mind you. This was a federal jury summons.

According to the paperwork that arrived, I'm put in a pool of potential jurors to hear federal cases for a four month period of time. During that four month period I can be called to go through the jury selection process (with advance notice given when I need to show up, of course). There's a list of exemptions or hardship excuses you can petition the court to get out of it but since I don't qualify for any of them I guess I'll be calling a phone number once a week to see if they need me down at the federal courthouse.

Though I can't say I look forward to actually sitting on a jury, I think it would be interesting experience to see how cases are actually prosecuted and defended and then have to weigh the evidence. A friend of mine sat on a sexual harassment case a couple years back and had some interesting stories to tell about the legal system and the case itself.

In any case it's out of my hands when or if I'm summoned. The required paperwork has been mailed back to the courthouse. All I can do is wait and see what happens.

Being a Dad

One of the things that make being a dad absolutely worth it is spending a fun weekend with your kids taking them places they want to go, doing things that they want to do, and having an great time just being with them and watching them have so much fun. The icing on the cake is when you tuck the oldest (and most talkative) kid into bed Sunday night, ask him what he enjoyed doing this weekend and he rattles off everything the two of you did together. Then he looks at you and tells you not to go to work the next day so he can do the same fun things all over again.

Moments like this make me so happy I choose to become a dad and are some of the happiest of my life.

Gutless Political Ads

A surprising political ad appeared in the October 18 edition of The Crossroads Journal, a small, bi-weekly community paper that's mailed to the residents of Eagle Mountain and other rapidly growing communities of northwest Utah County. Well, it's not too astonishing if you know what politics are like in the small, bedroom community I've called home for the last three years. Politics in Eagle Mountain can get downright nasty.

Since moving to Eagle Mountain, anonymous "informational" pamphlets have been left on my door by political groups targeting candidates and encouraging me to find out the "truth" about individuals or issues being discussed by the city council. Candidates for mayor and city council have refused to attend "meet the candidates" nights because they feared bias from the group sponsoring the event and decided to hold their own events on the same night. Recently, a member of the city council was charged with accepting $10,000 from a developer to finish her basement. The complaint against the councilwoman was initiated by a member of the city council who has acknowledged double-dipping into city funds in 2005 by using a city credit card to buy a hard drive for his laptop [and] then asking for city reimbursement. The money was paid back and charges were never filed.The advertisement that appeared in the local newspaper was a perfect example of the toxic political atmosphere that exists in what is otherwise a pleasant city. Under the headline "Know Before You Vote" the ad listed the tally of public records found for the last 15 years on the two mayoral candidates and six people running for city council. It also gave a website where these records could be viewed.

And what did those public records reveal?While one candidate for city council had a bankruptcy in his background, another had a divorce and two others each had a pair of traffic tickets. One of the mayoral candidates had three bankruptcies, two divorces, a disbarment from the Utah State Bar, a reinstatement to the Bar, a slew of small claim collections and lawsuits and four traffic tickets. (The same day the ad ran in The Crossroads Journal, the Provo Daily-Herald ran a story on this mayoral candidate stating that his real estate license had been revoked by the state's Real Estate Commission on Wednesday over loan fraud.)

Compiling public records on those who seek public office and putting them on display for all to see is a good idea. Public records can be informative as to the integrity and honesty of those seeking office. Someone with a personal life so out of control that he has had multiple bankruptcies, divorces and other problems should make voters wonder how effectively this person can run a city.

But public records are not the final indication of whether or not someone is going to act with integrity while in public office. It's doubtful that a public records search would have indicated that a previous mayor of Eagle Mountain, Kevin Bailey, would have lied about being abducted or another mayor, a former Utah highway patrol officer, Brain Olsen, would have been charged with seven third-degree felonies for misusing public funds.

Results of the public records search aside, what was truly bothersome about the ad is that those who paid for it remain anonymous. A visit to the website reveals that it was funded by concerned builders, developers and entrepreneurs --some of whom claim to live in Eagle Mountain --but no names, businesses or organizations are listed.

In short, it's politics as usual. Eagle Mountain style.

It's easy to disseminate politically damaging information -- even if the information is true --so long as it's done behind a cloak of anonymity. That way you don't have to justify why you ran it or what you were really hoping to accomplish with the ad.

Those who ran the ad claim "this public information is presented for the sole purpose of informing the electorate and is not a statement for or against any political candidate or issue."

If that's true, then why not put your name on it?

If you're going to list the public records of candidates for mayor and city council don't hide behind an anonymous website. Instead, have the courage to declare the names, organizations, businesses and individuals who sponsored the ad and/or paid the private investigator for his work in compiling the records.

The voters of Eagle Mountain should know who's paying for the advertisement containing a public records search so they can see what candidates these people have supported in the past. This gives the voters the chance to learn what political motivations, if any, were really behind the ad. It's not secret that developers have funneled large amounts of cash into Eagle Mountain's political campaigns. What if those who bought the ad turned out to be supporters of the candidates with big zeros next to their name in the public records search? Is it not reasonable to ask if the ad would have run if their candidate of choice would have had multiple bankruptcies and divorces?

While it may be legal for someone to run an anonymous advertisement, the ad itself is reminiscent of anonymous hit-and-run political tactics that are so often used to silence those who find themselves on the wrong side of a political issue. Those who profess so much concern for Eagle Mountain should be able to rise above the anonymous mud slinging and deal with the truth and facts.

If Eagle Mountain is going to stop being the political laughingstock of the state, it should not only demand more honesty and integrity from those who are running for office but also from those who use their resources to buy political ads in newspapers and otherwise work to influence the election.

Random Thoughts October 2007

Is it really a good idea to have traffic reporters thanking and encouraging drivers to send text messages about traffic conditions to the radio station? Every time I visit my family in the house I grew up in I better understand the saying: "You can't go home again."

I love kids but they're very distracting when parents bring them to work and let them run around the office.

If you're going to run a politically damaging political ad, you should have the courage to put your name on it. Sadly anonymous hit pieces are not only legal on the local level in Utah, they're common practice in the small town I live in.

I one thing my home lacks is an office for me to do most of my writing. I guess that means it time to finish the basement.

This has been on of the most pleasant autumns I've ever experienced in Utah. The only downside is that it's rained the last five weekends. So much for repainting the fence.

All the rain our area had received the last few weeks has made me stop and consider whether or not I'd enjoy living in a rainy place like Seattle.

Nothings is more frustrating than having someone come to you for your expertise in a particular subject then have them ignore your advice and tell you that you really don't know what you're talking about.

If anyone wants some ideas on how to make your writing focused and concise, check out the article titled "The Corrections" in the Oct. 22 issue of The New Yorker.

If I had any talent at drawing, I'd combine those with my writing ability and create comic books.

My favorite emails are from strangers who happened to come across Room for Two and then let me know how much my story made them appreciate their spouse and kids more.

Gov. Huntsman is Mr. Fantastic

One of the top local news stories on the drive home on Friday was that Hanna Montana added a second Salt Lake show to her tour to the delight of teens and parents throughout the Beehive State. Since I didn't know who Hanna Montana was, I did a Google search that night and discovered that she's a Disney Channel show about a character named Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus), who lives a double life as an average teenage girl at school during the day and a famous pop singer, Hannah Montana, at night, concealing her real identity from the public other than her close friends and family.

This weekend Marathon Girl and I watched The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. (Horrible movie, in case you were wondering. Bad acting, terrible screenplay, cliched plot, etc.). The one thing I did glean from the movie is that like Hanna Montana, Utah's governor, Jon Huntsman Jr., also lives a double life. However instead of being a pop star, he's a superhero named Reed Richards (a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic).

Here's my proof:

Photo of Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

Photo of Reed Richards (a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic)

The similarity is striking, don't you think?

I don't know how the govenor manages to govern this state as well as save the world, but my hat's off to such a public figure who can lead a double life and not have the press know about it. :-)

PDF of Room for Two

I've posted a PDF of Room for Two's cover and first chapter if anyone would prefer to read it that way or send it on to someone who might be interested in the book.

He Arrived

My mom called me last night to inform me that my brother's plane was landing and, due to a serious lack of communication, no one was at the airport to greet him. She was hurrying on her way and wanted to know if i wanted to go up and see him since I'd probably arrive before her. I live an hour from the airport but drove as fast as I could through a driving rainstorm to get there and found my brother upbeat, cheerful, and very happy to finally see a familiar face.

I arrived home late and tired, but it was really nice to see him again after two years.

Welcome home, brother. I look forward to catching up with you this weekend.

My Poor Brother

Greek Flag 

I feel bad for my brother. He should be home after spending the last two years living in Greece.

He's not.

For the last two days he's been stuck in the Athens airport. Fights have been canceled or delayed.

This morning I received short email this morning saying he had been at the airport for six hours waiting to know the status of his flight. He has no idea when he'll leave or when he'll arrive home. His life, for the moment, is in some sort of limbo until the airlines can get their act together and get a flight home.

I replied to his email telling him he's going to be like the Tom Hanks character in the movie Terminal and live at the airport for the rest of his life.

I shouldn't have told him that. Had I gone through the same ordeal when I was trying to leave Bulgaria, I don't think I would have been too happy at the comparison.

Thankfully my brother is very good natured and will be so happy to be home that we'll all laugh about the delays when we finally see him.

I just hope that's sooner, rather than later.