Salt Lake City — Each day this week the Alliance for a Better UTAH will announce a winner of the 2012 Better Beehive Awards. The award recognizes five notable Utahns and groups for their progressive efforts this year.
The first winner is retiring state senator Ross Romero for his recognition that good government serves the public interest in an open and transparent manner, and for his efforts to enact good governing processes in Utah.
Romero, who will be leaving the state senate at year end, deserves recognition for his efforts to secure the public release of Utah’s 2010 redistricting records. As a member of the state legislature’s records committee, Romero was the only member of the committee to vote to release the records for the public’s benefit — a position ultimately adopted by the legislature after a long and unnecessary series of battles over the question of the public’s interest in the records.
Romero is just one of five individuals or groups who will receive Better UTAH’s 2012 Better Beehive distinction.
The Better Beehive is given to those individuals or organizations that have worked to make Utah a better, more progressive place to live. Winners of the Better Beehive come from all walks of life, from all over the political spectrum and from all over the state. While there will always be more work to be done, these are five individuals or organizations that leave Utah a better place to live and work at the end of 2012 than they found it at the beginning of the year.
“When you’re of a more progressive mindset, it can often be discouraging, but there is a lot of good happening here in Utah,” said Maryann Martindale, executive director of the Alliance for a Better UTAH. “We want everyone to remember that while it’s often easy to point a finger at deficiencies in the system, real progress is achieved by those who stand up for what is right in an effort to make Utah a better place.”
Better UTAH has named the award “the Better Beehive” in recognition of the value of the hard work required to build a more progressive Utah, while simultaneously honoring Utah’s tremendous history.
“We joke tongue-in-cheek that our informal motto is ‘Building a Better Beehive,’” said Josh Kanter, Better UTAH’s founder. “But, consistent with our mission, we’re trying to make Utah a better place to live while respecting the sometimes quirky culture that makes Utah a great place to live.”
Each day this week an additional winner will be announced. More information can be found at http://betterutah.org/better-beehive-awards-2012/
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Alliance for a Better Utah | 801.557.1532 | www.betterutah.org
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The Alliance for a Better UTAH is a year-round, multi-issue education and advocacy organization providing resources, commentary, and action on important public policy matters.