Burwash Would Blush

Have you visited Mike Winder's campaign web site? I'd recommend it. There's so much intention to decieve it would make Richard Burwash blush.

Here's one example of Winder's "truthiness." Under a section labeled "Get The Facts" (there's no absence of irony here) he writes…

According to the Utah Taxpayers Association, per capita, Salt Lake County government “is the most expensive urban county in the state. In fact, the cost of Salt Lake County government is 76% higher than the cost of Utah County, Utah’s second largest county.”

WOW! That sounds just terrible, doesn't it?

Well it does until you actually go to the report he's citing on his website. Go to page three of that report. Now go to the bottom of that page. There, on the left hand side, see it? The four column spreadsheet titled "Cost of Counties Per Capita."

Of Utah's 29 counties, Salt Lake County is seventh FROM THE BOTTOM in per capita cost. The cost to the average county resident is only $511.83 a year, compared to a median cost for all counties of $1,134.10.

Sounds like a bargain to me!

The only way Winder is able to twist these facts is by labeling Utah County, which predictably is at the very bottom, an "urban county" (New Yorker's might be amused.) And then he tells his story from there.