Democratic and Republican Values

So, the new State Republican leader wants to sweep the next partisan elections in Summit County.

Well so do I, and the Summit County Democrats will also be working hard to achieve that goal by registering voters and promoting responsive, efficient local government and Democratic values.

Those Democratic values include support for public education, a clean environment, equal rights and opportunities for all, access to health care for all, and reasonable laws that will keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of felons, terrorists and the mentally unstable. 

Mr. Evans may have an advantage in one respect. His prominence in the payday lending industry has sharpened his ability to raise money from the poor. 

When I was working my way through college in the ‘60s, I worked summers in a couple of textile mills where I and most of the men I worked with earned at or just above the minimum wage. It was there that I had occasion to meet the ‘60s version of payday lenders. We knew them as loan sharks.

The Shark in my place of employment had an assistant. He was about 6’4”, 250 pounds and looked like a former NFL linebacker (in the era before facemasks). He was the enforcer. 

The payday loan industry has upgraded that position. Recent investigation into the Utah Attorney General’s office indicates that the pay day loan industry has been major contributors to and recipients of favorable attention from the current and past AG. Using favorable Utah laws and friends in high places has turned out to be more efficient than old time muscle. 

In their choice of leader, we see the difference between Republican and Democratic values.