Long-time Utah Common Cause Executive Director Betsy Wolf will lose her job because of cutbacks by the national organization.
Newly elected state Common Cause chairman Anthony Musci said Monday that a restructuring of the allocations from the national group will result in Wolf's paid position being eliminated.Wolf couldn't be reached for comment Monday.
Musci said Wolf's expertise in lobbying the Utah Legislature on a number of issues - including keeping an eye on the Open Meetings Law and other public access to government activities - can't be replaced. "As best we can, volunteers will be at the Legislature" lobbying and watching, said Musci, who has worked with Wolf the past three years as a volunteer lobbyist.
Common Cause is a citizens watchdog group formed in the early 1970s.
The national organization is retrenching and, in so doing, adopted a new formula which puts more money into state's with larger Common Cause membership. "Betsy's job wasn't eliminated by the national organization," said Musci. "Now we're (Utah) getting less money and that translates" into eliminating the paid position of state executive director, said Musci.