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Questions
The League of Women Voters has made every effort to present accurately the candidates' responses as they were submitted.
1. If elected, what two things do you hope to accomplish as a member of the House of Representative for the people of Utah?
My two priorities are development of
Utah
energy resources and reforn of
Utah
's healthcare system. I'm a member of the Healthcare Reform Taskforce and Chairman the House Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee. I'm in a position to actually make some progress with my two priorities.
2. How would you address the following issues? (Please answer each question in 200 words or less.)
-Adequate funding for education, including funding for disadvantaged populations such as non-English-speakers and prison inmates
Education will never be adequately funded using
Utah
's income tax system. We also don't have a broad enough property tax base to make a significant impact because 70% of
Utah
is incumbered by Federal or State lands. My vision is to develop the energy resources on public lands and SITLA lands, which could provide more royalty and tax funding for education than we could ever imagine. Oil shale development in particular would generate billions (with a 'b') of dollars for
Utah
education. There is more oil in oil shale in
Utah
,
Wyoming
and
Colorado
than from all the crude oil reserves on the rest of the planet.
- Energy resource development and clean air
All sources of energy in
Utah
need to be developed. I already coordinate most of the energy policy legislation in the House. This year, I initiated a process with the
Copenhagen
Consensus
Center
to do a cost/benefit analysis to give policy makers information to help make the best energy development decisions based on the environmental constraints that face our state. We will have the information available before the 2009 session.
- Water development and conservation
Conservation continues to be very important. Protection of our water rights in the Colorado River Compact is critical. The Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment Committee which I chair has primary responsibility for water development and conservation. I continually work with the departments responsible for water development and water quality. Projects currently being reviewed are the Lake Powell Pipeline,development of
Bear
River Basin
and over appropriation of groundwater by the State Engineer. I am also involved with water issues in
Snake
Valley
where
Las Vegas
wants to pump groundwater that will affect that basin in
Utah
.
- Better communication between elected officials and their constituents
I send out a couple of surveys each year. I publish a weekly summary of the legislative session on my website. I meet with anyone willing to come to a weekly meeting I hold during the session. I co-chair the Legislative Processes Committee which is considering how to provide better constituent services.
3. If the State had a revenue surplus of $100 million, how would you allocate the money? (Response should include $______________ for ________________________________.
This sounds like a lot of money, but it's not when looking at the overall state budget. I believe the majority should be placed in the rainy day fund to offset unexpected shortfalls in the budget. For example, the legislature put $100 million in an education rainy day fund last year. With current economic forecasts, it will be needed next year to cover education budget shortfalls and increased costs of energy used in our school system.
Rainy day fund
Opponents:
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