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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?
First, I will seek to sponsor and support legislation that will lead to improved services for
Utah
residents without increasing taxes.
Utah
received recognition as the best managed state in the nation. I will work to help us maintain this elite status because it is measure of effective government for all
Utah
citizens.
Second, I will continue my successful record of sponsoring legislation and funding requests to support public and higher education; access to affordable, quality healthcare; effective transportation; preservation of agriculture and
Utah
's valuable natural resources, and services for persons with disabilities.
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
As a member of the Public Education Appropriations Sub-committee, I will work to ensure that we provide funding for quality educational experiences for ALL
Utah
students. Increased funding is needed to address unique educational needs of special populations such as those students with language needs and those enrolled in special education programs. Additional funding is needed to prepare, hire, and retain quality teacher for these student populations. I will continue my work in the area of teacher education, licensure, and compensation.
- Energy resource development and clean air
Utah
possesses valuable energy resources. These resources must be developed in a careful and smart manner to conserve the resources for future use while meeting present needs. We must focus legislation that provides incentives for the use of alternate energy resources while preserving our oil, gas, and coal reserves.
Through the innovative application of new technologies, we can create energy that does not threaten clean air and water.
- Water development and conservation.
Utah
has a limited supply of water and undeveloped water resources. We must carefully plan how to effectively use these resources while encouraging all
Utah
citizens to conserve water. Legislation to provide unique funding streams must be passed to allow
Utah
to develop our existing water resources and use them in a careful manner. Conservation and public education programs must be implemented to help the public understand how water can be developed and conserved.
- Better communication between elected officials and their constituents
Better communication between elected officials and their constituents begins at home in our local neighborhoods and communities. When elected, officials make a commitment to represent their constituents. How can they effectively represent these constituents without communicating with them to learn their views and opinions on issues? This is representative government at its best when elected officials seek the will of their constituents along with providing them the important and accurate information that they need to form these opinions. This is a highly interactive and participatory process. Any elected official who places himself or herself out of the daily reach of constituents is betraying the sacred trust created between representatives and voters. This must be enhanced with all types of communication including personal conversations, telephone calls, letters, emails, and web resources. This is a continual process with both the elected official and the constituents assuming responsibility to make this work effectively.
3. If the State had a revenue surplus of $100 million, how would you allocate the money? (Response should include $______________ for ________________________________.
$100 million for a reserve fund for public and higher education services in the event that we experience a downturn in the
Utah
economy. Education fuels economic development. Our most value resource is an educated workforce.
Opponents:
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