Court Opinion

ID: 9590389
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 23:54:26.6242+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:13:22.505074
License: Public Domain

WAHLQUIST, District Judge
concurring and dissenting:
I dissent in part. I concur in the majority opinion except in the particular referred to below.
I have read the plaintiff/appellant’s pleading and brief and have heard his argument. The plaintiff is not a member of the bar. He appears pro se. He evidences considerable academic training and intellectual control, but does not perform in accordance with the customs of the bar. He should not be rewarded with undue tolerance at the expense of the defendants for appearing pro se, nor should his communications be rejected because they are not ordinary in the court setting. What he is alleging in layman’s terms is surprising, shocking and seems unbelievable; yet, he makes his allegations in sober seriousness.
His allegations, as I understand he intends them, are: there is an operating, grand conspiracy executed by a large segment of the executive branch of the government (involved in public education) to gain control over certain important functions of the legislative branch. He has filed one complaint that in pseudo-legalistic words embraces the breadth of his allegations. When studied in the context of independent paragraphs, it appears to be the allegations of totally independent and unrelated complaints, but taken as he seems to intend it, it is a related allegation. He alleges that the vast majority of the state public school teachers and many of the administrators are members of a group (Utah Education Association) (hereafter “UEA”). They are alleged to be united in the promotion of their own interests and in the shaping of the school system in accordance with their desires. The UEA allegedly secures funds from the group that it uses to finance the election of favorable legislative candidates, more particularly, teachers and administrators. During the legislative term, the UEA allegedly compensates the group for legislative and personal expenses, even lost wages, if any. He claims that the UEA makes it possible for the teacher/legislator to draw UEA benefits, teachers’ salaries, and legislators’ compensation, together with earned retirement benefits under both the teachers’ retirement program and the legislators’ retirement program simultaneously. Furthermore, all these duplicate wages and benefits continue, not only during the legislative term, but throughout the year, because of committee and legislative hearings. He also alleges that their power in the legislature far exceeds their number, because they are a highly organized, unregistered, unrestricted lobby group with the power to trade votes. They have access to the floor of the legislature, assured of access to all information in committee meetings and even in caucuses. The plaintiff alleges that this results in innumerable laws not possible but for this conspiracy. He alleges that the schools system is now primarily supported by funds provided by the state legislature, as opposed to the general intent that they be locally controlled by school boards. He alleges that the taxing system for the support of the school system results in favored treatment for certain areas, e.g., that a property owner of a home located in Emery County *1156would pay only one-twentieth of the taxes that a resident in Salt Lake County would pay for equal ownership in a home. He further alleges that the legislature has created a textbook commission and empowered the state school superintendent to regulate not only public schools but also private schools, so that the textbooks and curriculum are controlled throughout the state in direct conflict with the state constitutional provisions that state that the legislature will not censure school books. He apparently is also convinced that the UEA has formed an alliance with church groups through parent groups, resulting in legislation and the administration of laws to make property tax-exempt on the basis that it is worship property or charitable property when, in fact, it may be used to promote the evangelistic endeavors of the church groups, their mutual welfare funds and their general activities involving church schools and recreation. He alleges that it is impossible for a taxpayer to even discover which properties are being treated as tax-exempt. He alleges that there is no adequate remedy in the system because it is extremely unlikely that any member of the UEA would bring a suit over a dispute concerning legislative wages or benefits and even more unlikely that any school board or school system would do so. He further alleges that so long as one cannot identify these tax-exempt properties or determine how they are treated, a general law suit involving them is not likely to reach the courts. He seems to be in agreement with the late Martin Luther King, who attempted to bring about social change or constitutional rulings by forcing controversies into court. See Jenkins v. State, Utah, 585 P.2d 442 (1978); Jenkins v. Bishop, Utah, 589 P.2d 770 (1980); Jenkins v. Finlinson, Utah, 607 P.2d 289 (1980). As a father of school children and a taxpayer in Salt Lake County, he presses for a judicial determination by paying his taxes under protest. While the plaintiff seems to welcome judicial action on any portion of these allegations, it would be illogical not to look at his general overall allegation for whatever merit it might have. It is noted that the same general melody of his complaint can be heard periodically in the news media in connection with legislative and school board elections. In view of obvious public interest in the matter, I would not dismiss it as a grandiose, paranoic delusion.1 I would return the case to the trial court with directions to hold an evidentiary hearing to determine to what extent his allegations may be supported by credible evidence; to hear what public concerns are present that would indicate jurisdiction should not be entertained; and to direct the trial judge to make a discretionary finding as to whether this plaintiff is entitled to have the courts entertain jurisdiction on the basis that he alleges an important public constitutional issue that is not likely to reach the courts by any other means and should be determined if the separation of powers are to be properly maintained. Such a determination would have to be made after paying due respect to the constitutional provisions that the legislature will be the judge of its own election controversies and that broad matters of a political nature are best determined in the legislative branch of government.
STEWART, J., dissents.
HOWE, J., does not participate herein.
WAHLQUIST, District Judge, sat.

. It is evident the plaintiff/appellant has taken instruction from both Jenkins v. State, supra, and Jenkins v. Bishop, supra. He now aims directly at the issues, wants an evidentiary hearing and tactfully reminds the court that in the past, individual justices have agreed and others implied that the issue is one of importance.