Letter to the Editor: ALL VOTERS ARE EMPLOYERS

Though we sometimes forget it, the fact remains that as voters, we are employers of all elected officials. And that those who are elected are responsible to serve. There is a trust once they are in office they will faithfully serve and fulfill all their responsibilities to us.

Many of us have forgotten the role we play as employers and have neglected our responsibility to know each candidate and select the candidate most qualified based upon their experience, abilities, and character. Instead, at times, positions have been filled as a result of hyper partisanship, either by one party or the other. Historically, this has happened by both the Democratic and the Republican parties in our counties, and the result has been painful and costly to all citizens. The blame rests on we citizens who failed to act diligently as employers when we vote.

The latest example of this is with the current assessor of Carbon County. As reported in the ETV News, the Utah State Tax Commission reported to the County Commissioners that “untold county resources have been trying to address the problem… and the tax shortfall because of the adjustments that have been made are around $38 million, but could be $50 million in lost tax value.” Commissioners have stated publicly that they would have fired that person if they could. The honorable thing would be for that person to publicly apologize and resign.

The take away lesson from this for each of us is to diligently inform ourselves regarding each candidate’s qualifications, abilities, and character, and vote accordingly regardless of party affiliation. As employers/voters, we must hire the most qualified candidate and hold them accountable to fulfill the responsibilities they were hired to do.