Pete Ashdown

I spent most of this morning combing microfiche at the Salt Lake City library, more on that later. Aside from my realization that there is real business opportunity in converting newspaper archives to digital combined with even a rough OCR index, I found my activities of pillaging old newspapers a marked contradiction from today’s news.

Thirty years ago, a politician could say something outlandish and off the cuff to a private audience in a rural Utah town and expect it to not be national news the next day. However, the democratization of reporting through the Internet turns that assumption on its head. Soon one person picks up on the story, then it starts to spread. Suddenly its everywhere and you’re winning awards. Finally, you have to back pedal. It would have worked if it hadn’t been for those meddling kids and their Interwebs!

My worthy opposition should not feel bad about being burned by the Internet (again). He is in good company underestimating the power of the Internet. Fellow members of congress have attempted to edit biographies on Wikipedia. Having used the Internet since 1987, I realize there is more about me out there than I wish. I haven’t been grooming myself for a career in politics since an early age. Yet I fully realize that attempting to censor and retract my history looks worse than just being honest about it. What must scare traditional politicians to death is that now their words do not disappear. Campaign promises are not buried inside microfiche. Any constituent with a good grip on Google can do their own research and find the contradictions, the votes, the rhetoric and ascertain the character of the candidate outside the marketed image.

This shift is good for America, but bad for the status quo of Washington. It is encouraging to me is that this change is unstoppable. No matter how much money is spent on traditional marketing and media, the power of communication and technology will always overwhelm those who attempt to control it.

Wouldn’t it be nice to know what your elected officials are up to? Where are they going and who are they meeting with? It really isn’t a monumental task to publish this information. “Security concerns” is the blanket disclaimer for not sharing schedules. Yet this point is negated if a calendar is published retroactively.

Recently, elected officials have moved to alter GRAMA in Utah. Some have said this is for efficiency reasons and others have argued that it is for legislator privacy. I don’t think the public really wants to know your family birthdays or where you exercise. However, there is little excuse for not disclosing what is being done with public policy. How is it being formed? Who is lobbying and what is their point of view? Does a representative give full consideration to everyone equally? Will we ever know?

The national Democrats have been doing a whole lot of noisemaking regarding ethics in government since the Abramoff scandal. They demand legislative reform on lobbyists and sign “Ethics Declarations” for the cameras. Yet personal disclosure isn’t something that requires a law to happen. This is yet another chance to lead by example that is squandered by incompetence and fear.

To that end, I’m publishing my campaign calendar. Note that this calendar does not have personal events, nor anything related to my business activities. With modern software, it is a simple matter to create multiple calendars to keep private issues private. As a good-will gesture to all of our elected officials, I’d be happy to facilitate publishing their own legislative calendars. I see little excuse for not doing so.

A couple of new interviews came out this week. The first is by my friend Lori, who along with her husband Dan, invited me to New York City in January. Lori’s interview style is unconventional, but that is what this is all about, right?

Second is a followup by Bryan Catherman who first interviewed me last year.

Many thanks to Lori and Bryan.

It has been a busy January. An impromptu trip to New York with unexpected political benefit, a nearly complete overhaul of the website, half-a-dozen speeches before groups and Rotaries, along with my recruitment by the Rotary HOC to do the website and business center for the 2007 Salt Lake Rotary International Convention. It has left little time for ruminations on my blog, but something happened today that warranted some notice.

Since my announcement, my father has been my biggest fan. He has confessed that he stays awake at night trying to come up with campaigning methods. He has served as driver in parades and mechanic in getting the ancient family motorhome functional for touring. Out of anyone involved, he has been the most consistent volunteer. I am lucky to be his son.

When my parents were starting out the family business, they exploited advertising wherever they could find it. The picture on this page is of their VW Bus with a handpainted sign across the top for the “Tutti Fruiti” juicer that was their product. It wasn’t long into the campaign that Dad got out the plywood and made an “Ashdown for Senate” sign that he proudly hung on his Ford pickup he drives around Bountiful, Utah. One of the most conservative cities in the state. The city I was born and raised in. The city I love.

Tonight I received an email from him.

Hi Peter,
I have run into either the opposition or just vandalism. I had the sign I made for your campaign on the top of my truck. I went to the grocery store and while doing the shopping someone broke the sign off. It was gone when I came out.

My father had his plywood sign vandalized and stolen. My 80-year-old father, who was born in Bountiful when it had less than 2,500 residents. My father, who lived in a chicken coop when Grandma accidentally burned down their house. My father, who survived the Great Depression. My father, who volunteered for dangerous submarine duty in WWII and was placed by fate on a supply ship instead. My father deserves more respect than this.

When I started this race, someone called for a boycott of my business XMission and it didn’t bother me. A few months later, someone threw a brick through a $1,300 15 foot window at the campaign office and I wrote it off as kids. This, however, this bothers me. I must be underestimating my incredible political threat for people to be so low in response.

I’ve heard all sorts of tales of political hatchet jobs from the local to the national. Some people have told me that I need to repeat these tales as fact connected to my opponent, but I refuse to. However, the beauty of what happens to me directly is that I have an avenue to turn around and report it. So keep it up chaps, I’ve got this shiny new technology that levels the playing field and presents you for what you are. Neither red nor blue, patriot or partisan, but a yellow coward who vandalizes the work of an 80-year-old American veteran.

My father closed his email with the following.

Maybe it should be made of steel.
Love, Dad

I couldn’t agree more.