An abuse of power

When is an abuse of power for personal gain by an elected official not an abuse of power for personal gain? When it’s committed in West Valley City by and I quote the Salt Lake Tribune “a GOP star” whose “a political force” City Councilmen as he “ponders his next big move”.

When West Valley City Councilman at large Mike Winder recently used the city’s email system to promote his new book, solicit city employees to buy it and forward the email to family and friends he committed an abuse of power for personal gain. An excuse of youthful exuberance may have pacified Paul Rolly of the Tribune but not me.

This blatant misuse of power which barely got mentioned in the Tribune’s recent glowing article along with the exaggerated picture of Winder on the front page of the paper is the real story, not the punch and cookies of said article. When the Tribune chooses to showcase a political figure as though it’s a paid political announcement or advertisement instead of doing some in depth investigation into the actions of the political figure, one must ask, “What is the intention of the Paper?” It apparently was not the reporting of a misuse of public trust by a public official.

But I guess when you are driving in the motorcade of the Vice President of the United States to take him to a meeting of political secrecy, attended by unnamed political figures without any media coverage using a city’s email system for personal gain is small potatoes.