We have 101 reasons to get rid of Chris Buttars.  I’m sure you can think of 101 more.

On issues that really count, I wish I could line them all up and check off their answers.

It’s tough to say which issue counts the most, given that the economy, debt, health care and other big issues threaten to crowd out the rest. On a state level, the issue that counts the most for me right now is ethics. In order to set things right and do what is best for this state, I think we need to see ethics reform.

Deseret News published biographies of each of the Utah Senate District 10 candidates. Only John Rendell and Steve Maxfield responded.

I’m so glad to see that Steve Maxfield responded. Finally! I wish I had a chance to learn more about him. It looks like he didn’t quite get around to creating an online presence, but I’m really interested in his answers to the Deseret News questions.

In particular, I am glad to see that he seems interested in the actual content of the bills that move through the legislature. When asked “What issues has the Legislature handled poorly during the same time? What would you do to improve the situation?” He responded:

The legislature may be too lenient on its lawmaking. It is doubtful that every legislator reads and understands the consequences of all the bills that are passed. I will vigorously work to reduce the volume of bills coming out of the Senate, as well as revoking obsolete laws.

Chris Buttars already admitted that he doesn’t read the bills before voting. Remember Chris Buttars’ comment, “There’s a lot of things we vote on that we don’t understand, but I would rather stand on the principle of ‘let’s go for it.’”? Read the whole story. It almost seems like he insists that no one should read or understand bills before they vote. Why does Chris Buttars hate research, understanding, and education so much?

I digress.

Steve Maxfield says he will reduce the volume of bills so legislators have a chance to understand what they are voting on. It only makes sense to me. Mr. Maxfield, thank you.

John Rendell answered that same question: ” I will build a coalition with other Senators on both sides to pass legislation regarding ethics reform, campaign finance reform. . . .” Then, he listed several important education issues. I’m stopping there, though, because first of all I want to see a firmer foundation for all that the legislature does. I think the rules that govern the body should get attention before all else.

The Deseret News also asked:

Ethics. There has been much discussion over the years about tightening up laws dealing with lobbyists’ gifts to legislators. Do you favor or oppose further restricting lobbyists’ gifts?

If so, how should that be done — an outright ban on lobbyists’ gifts, or naming lawmakers who take a gift valued at under $50 (the current naming threshold), or another way?

Mr. Maxfield?

If so, how should that be done — an outright ban on lobbyists’ gifts, or naming lawmakers who take a gift valued at under $50 (the current naming threshold), or another way?

Did he really just repeat the question? That’s what they listed as his answer.

Mr. Rendell?

Utah citizens deserve ethical, open and balanced government. Democracy depends on open and accountable government which includes at least the reporting of all lobbyist gifts, declarations of conflicts of interest, and independent ethics commission. We must put an end to legislators accepting gifts from lobbyists and special interests and then voting against stronger campaign finance and ethics reform. We must also put a stop to legislation that benefits the industries in which the sponsoring legislator works.

Mr. Buttars?

[no answer]

Mr. Buttars? Mr. Buttars? MR. BUTTARS! Why won’t you give me an answer about ethics reform? What are you afraid of?

Do you really want to know what he’s afraid of?

• If legislators couldn’t sponsor legislation in their own industries, that would mean no more tuition tax credits and vouchers for Chris Buttars, since he’s still tied to Westridge Academy, the latest version of Utah Boys Ranch, of which he was Director until his unfortunate campaign violation of the rules that govern public charities. Westridge / Boys Ranch would benefit if Buttars managed to pass that legislation.
• If there were closer scrutiny of lobbyists and their connections to legislators, Buttars would get in even more trouble for doing favors for special friends like Dr. Wendell Gibby, health care reformer and land speculator.
• If more people were paying attention, Chris Buttars might not dare to let his special friends lobby the legislature from his own office the way Wendell Gibby did last session. (Chris Buttars doesn’t quite seem to understand that who FUNDS the office, whatever office that may be, actually matters according to the rules that govern that entity.)
• If there were tighter ethics rules, a Senator would get more than a slap on the wrist for threatening a judge whose decision he didn’t agree with.
• If we see ethics reform in the Utah Senate with the help of Senator John Rendell, we won’t have to fight a loose-cannon Senator like Chris Buttars again — and anti-Senator websites will become a thing of the past. (I do have hope for a better day.)

Remember the Dan Jones poll in September that showed Chris Buttars up by nearly 30 points? The latest poll shows Buttars up by 2 points, well within the 5.6% margin of error. In September 214 registered voters were called; in October 319 voters were called. All this does is tell us how .5% of the registered voters in the district with land-line phones will vote. Other polls have shown either another statistical tie or Rendell ahead.

It is very entertaining, though, to see the Eagle Forum and Buttars’ emailer with their undergarments in a twist over the polls.  The Buttars person wrote to the Eagle Forum a couple of weeks ago (hey, wait, didn’t we figure out that isn’t allowed?):

“We are speculating this may have been intentionally done to lull his constituents and supporters into a feeling of safety.“

I think the only people who see a conspiracy under every rock are the people who lurk under rocks dreaming up conspiracies.  Why would KSL and the Deseret News have any interest in intentionally skewing poll results in favor of a Democrat?  Yet again, the truth is in the research, but they aren’t people who are particularly interested in truth or research.

One of my relatives got the call for the first poll.  She said that the caller didn’t even know the name of the person he was calling about, calling John Rendell “Wendell.”  She corrected him; he persisted in the mispronunciation.  There could be part of the problem right there.

In such a volatile race, I doubt any of these polls is giving us a broad enough sample to show us a reliable result. Only one poll counts in the end: the poll that ends in three days’ time.

Nonprofits are for Chris Buttars’ benefit only as much as they are for the benefit of all citizens. 501(c)(3) public charities are exempt from paying taxes BECAUSE they benefit all citizens.

The problem comes, of course, when Chris Buttars uses nonprofit organizations for his own benefit. There are two examples of Chris Buttars using nonprofits for his own benefit.

1. The Eagle Forum, a 501(c)(3) public charity, has been sending out many messages in the past month to benefit ONE candidate specifically: Chris Buttars. The story won’t go away. It was in the paper again this morning when Paul Rolly mentioned it in his Salt Lake Tribune column. This doesn’t surprise people, if I go by the comments on the story, but responses should go beyond, “Ah, those crazy Eagle people love that Chris Buttars.” But, using a charity to support a specific candidate is a no-no. The IRS doesn’t look kindly on this.
2. Utah Boys Ranch, the former public name for the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Children and Youth Services, was the former employer of Chris Buttars. Chris Buttars was the Director from 1991 until he retired October 2004. According to people I’ve spoken to, Chris Buttars wasn’t just the Director, he was the Emperor. He oversaw the move of Boys Ranch from its former location to the western edge of West Jordan where its new incarnation, Westridge Academy, is now.Chris Buttars had a shot-gun retirement from Utah Boys Ranch when he acknowledged his guilt in running his 2004 Utah Senate campaign from that office. Complaints were filed with the IRS, since this kind of personal benefit is another no-no.
   

   “Yeah, guilty,” Buttars said.

   “I didn’t know that was against the law. If it is, they’re going to have to tell me because I’m not aware of it,” said Buttars. “I thought what was wrong was to use Boys Ranch to promote a candidacy of some type. I don’t do that.”

In the case of the Boys Ranch, Buttars admitted to having a box of brochures delivered to his office before he took them home that night. Someone, some nice person who wants me to talk about it, noticed that he had an open box of brochures in his office four years ago. This wasn’t at the door or on the desk, where you would expect a just-delivered box to be. The box of brochures was open in the far corner of the room. Testimonials at the time acknowledged that Buttars used his office phone to make campaign fundraising calls and to recruit volunteers.

Need proof? My source sent me photos.

The open box of brochures in the corner of the office.

The corner of the office where the chairs above can be seen.

Buttars’ desk in his Boys Ranch office.

But, keep in mind that Buttars using Boys Ranch for his 2004 campaign is old news. I use the example to show that filing an IRS complaint, even when the complaint falls short of the full story, can lead to results. In that case: 1. IRS complaint filed, 2. Buttars retired, and 3. public charity Boys Ranch no longer being used for personal gain.

The Eagle Forum issue is still current. They are actively, crazily jeopardizing their IRS status as a public charity because they are afraid of losing their guy, their favorite guy that does everything they want him to do.

Why do they do it? Why do Eagle Forum and Chris Buttars use nonprofit charities for their own benefit? Because they think they can get away with it. They will stop when the IRS stops them.

If you are a U.S. citizen, public charities are meant to function for YOUR benefit. This includes the public charity portion of Eagle Forum. Are you OK with that? If not, complain. That’s how the system works.

You can read about the IRS complain process for tax exempt organizations here.

This is the form to use when you submit information: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f3949a.pdf

I thought I knew my neighbors.  I grew up here and didn’t think they could hold any surprises for me.

I don’t live in a neighborhood that you could call liberal.  Given that only less than 10% of area voters are registered as Democrats and even most of the Democrats are conservative, you probably understand what I mean.

So, my neighbors surprise me by ALL of them, every single one, supporting John Rendell.  Wow.  That is 100% excellent.  Now, make sure you all go to the polls.

Local early voting ends in half an hour.

• Gale History Center - 10300 S Beckstead Ln (1600 W), SJ
• Riverton City Hall - 12830 S 1700 W, Riverton
• Midvale City Hall - 655 W Center St (7720 S), Midvale
• WJ Fire Station #53 - 7602 S Jordan Landing Blvd (3900 W), WJ

Early voting is open tomorrow (Saturday, Nov 1st) 10:00AM - 3:00PM and Monday (Nov 3rd) 8:00AM - 5:00PM at the Salt Lake County Clerks office: County Government Center, 2001 South State Street, South Building, Room S1002.

Election day is Tuesday (Nov 4th) at local polling places.

Take your neighbors to the polls.  Vote your conscience.

I understand that a lot of Chris Buttars’ dedicated followers are pushing two culture war issues: abortion and gay marriage. What I find absolutely shocking is the way they are trying to attach these issues to John Rendell personally. Chris Buttars and his people are telling personal lies about John Rendell.

Chris Buttars’ supporters are spreading rumors about John Rendell’s family. WHAT? What is wrong with you people?  In what way does this demonstrate family values? You know this isn’t true, and anyone spreading these lies deserves all of the ugliness that comes to them because of their lies.

Chris Buttars himself is going around telling people that John Rendell is gay. Clearly, the John Rendell campaign isn’t just taking this. I got an automated phone call from John Rendell’s wife of 23 years, an elementary teacher in West Jordan, telling me that Chris Buttars is telling lies. She didn’t say what the lies were, but I had already heard the rumors, so I knew exactly what she was referring to. John Rendell is married with two children.

Tell me what Chris Buttars’ personal lies say about

• ETHICS
• FAMILY VALUES
• HONESTY
• RESPONSIBILITY
• INTEGRITY

Chris Buttars has none.

Why is Chris Buttars telling these personal lies about John Rendell? What makes Chris Buttars lie about this when he knows very well it isn’t true.

Chris Buttars is telling personal lies about John Rendell because he is afraid to run a campaign based on the truth. The truth is: people are tired of putting up with Chris Buttars. Chris Buttars is desperate enough to do anything to get back to the Utah Senate so he can hit the magic pension number — 10 years (despite his handsome $900,000 forced retirement from Utah Boys Ranch).

I’ll tell you what I want to know. I want to know why Chris Buttars is so afraid of gay people. It’s almost as if he has something to hide he’s pushing so hard. I wonder what we’d find if we dug deep into his own family. Maybe he’s projecting his own difficulties when he tells these lies.

You know I’m not the only one.  I saw this sign yesterday driving through West Jordan.

In the story about Chris Buttars paying $1,000 to a teenage Democratic campaign worker, Buttars claimed that the kid left John Rendell’s campaign

because he was disgusted with Rendell’s use of the satirical play “Saturday’s Voyeur,” which skewered Buttars mercilessly.

That’s not what the kid says, but it’s funny that Buttars should want to push the idea of Saturday’s Voyeur as disgusting. I bet he didn’t see it. If he didn’t, of course, that would mean that (YET AGAIN) he knows all without any investigation. If he did see it, he didn’t see what I did or he lacks a sense of humor.

I saw this show at the end of the run. I think I saw a dud version because — especially considering how far they could have gone — the Buttars part wasn’t that funny. Maybe they were tired? I think I saw a stand in because the actor was reading his lines from a paper. Does Chris Buttars read when he’s dancing with Gayle Ruzicka? The actor and the big Buttars number “Rehabilitation” seemed weak to me. There was the video introduction to Chris Buttars. Yawn.

For 30 years Saturday’s Voyeur makes fun of Utah. I’ve seen it a couple of times in those 30 years. Like the Deseret News review says, it’s a big funny if you’re in on the joke.

Most politicians who are satirized learn to roll with it. Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, a Democrat, thought the actor who played him was funny. (I agree.) Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan, a Republican, told the Salt Lake Tribune:

“I take it for what it is,” he said. “It’s supposed to be humorous and poke fun at people who should be poked fun of. I’m flattered that they would even consider me.”

Chris Buttars wasn’t flattered. He didn’t roll with it. Basically, he has no discernible sense of humor.

With the massive coverage of Saturday Night Live during this campaign season (satirizing politicians for 34 years), you would think that Buttars would notice what a boost a sense of humor gives to a politician that isn’t particularly well-loved in the media. It didn’t seem to hurt Sarah Palin at all to have gone on Saturday Night Live a couple of weeks ago.

People find it endearing when a politician can take a joke. There is nothing endearing about Chris Buttars, and, apparently, he can’t take a joke. The show wasn’t disgusting. It was a bit lame — worth a snicker. Don’t believe anything this man says.

QUESTION: What could possibly have this mean man “tickled”?
ANSWER: He managed to pick off one of his rival’s former campaign workers.

Remember the kid from the Utah Democratic Convention delegation who was too young to drink?  Jordan Apollo Pazell.  He was actually one of the people who nominated HIllary Clinton at the convention.  He is from Senate District 10 in Copperton, and it looks like he worked for John Rendell’s campaign for Utah Senate before that.

From the number of news stories I’ve found about the kid (18 or 19 years old), it looks like he enjoyed the spotlight during the convention.  His youth and his devotion to Hillary Clinton made him stand out from the crowd.  In the convention coverage said, “he is entertaining offers from across the country to work on political campaigns.” It sounds like he left to find a bigger pond to swim in that Utah Senate District 10.

Buttars says Pazell called Buttars.  Pazell says Buttars called Pazell.  One way or another, a match was made.  There are two points the Buttars and Pazell stories agree on: Pazell set up a meeting between Buttars and the Copperton town council (Buttars says, “meetings,” while Pazell says “meeting”), and Buttars paid Pazell $1,000.

WHA?  Who gets paid $1,000 for setting up a meeting?  This sounds completely fishy to me.

The Tribune says the Democratic Party investigated and dismissed some kind of transfer of information.  If not selling precious info, then what?  Whatever a teenage boy does for an old man for $1,000, Chris Buttars is mighty tickled about it.

Not that this matters, but I thought Buttars absolutely hates gay people.  He makes an exception when they can help him, I guess.  His so-called morality adjusts to the needs of the moment.

For what it’s worth, the kid says he supports John Rendell.  I guess once he got close to both of them, comparing John Rendell and Chris Buttars close up, he made a decision to vote for John Rendell.

“I unequivocally support John Rendell. I will vote for him, and I urge other people to vote for him,” Pazell said.

What amuses me about Chris Buttars’ response to the papers this week is how he really wants to turn this into a discussion of Saturday’s Voyeur, so that will be the next in the series “Scary Stories about Chris Buttars.”

I thought I could be done now, focusing on encouraging my neighbors to vote.

But NOOOoooo. Controversy follows this guy around like mud on a pig. There have not only been news stories about Chris Buttars in the past week, but people have sent me piles of information about the guy.

So, I will post a day of scary stories relating to Chris Buttars.

I’m looking through photos.  Which is scariest, do you think?

Not scarier than the real thing.

Even pinched, still not scarier.

Even reflecting, not scarier.

Scariest: plain old MEAN.

In the end, I don’t think you have to dress him up or embellish him in any way.  Chris Buttars is scary enough as he is.  He’s just a mean old man.