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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?
1) First, Ethics in Government and Public Life. It seems strange to me that as soon as a well-meaning person is elected to office he or she is automatically seen by others as unethical and self serving. I want to do what I can to change that. I will help create public policy that will assure openness and transparency in the process and create a culture in the legislature that is respectful of difference, accepting of input, and where everyone has a place at the table. I will create and support legislation to assure that our Legislature is ethical in all of its dealings. I will lend my voice to assure that adequate discussion of diverse view points is considered before public policy is made. I personally will be honest. People who disagree with me are not my enemies, but honored friends who disagree. In the end decisions should be made after rational discussion not through strategy and trickery. My first priority is ethics in government, starting with me.
2) Second is Jobs and a Thriving Economy. In our district we are people who know how to work and work hard. We want to be treated fairly without discrimination where we work. None of the important goals we hold dear can be accomplished without good jobs that provide the money individuals and families need to accomplish their goals and dreams. The legislature cannot give people those jobs. I will help create public policy that grows and strengthens the economy while being respectful of our environment-public policy that makes it clear that business can flourish here so that good jobs are available. With a thriving economy and good jobs the state will be able to support the high level of educational opportunity necessary to allow us all to achieve our life and work goals.
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
IAdequate funding for education first depends on a thriving economy. As a member of the Legislature, I will do everything I can to create a "Culture of Education" in the Legislature and the State. Education is not just one of the priorities for our state, but if we are to continue to be successful it will be the highest ongoing priority. It is not about providing an just an adequate amount of funding but about making sure the resources are available so that excellent teachers can interact with students in a way that not only includes an excellent accumulation of knowledge but also teaches the skills to use it. Many of the families in my district could be considered by some measures to be disadvantaged. We have more than 23 different languages spoken in our schools. This is a significant challenge for students, teachers and administrators. If education is our highest priority as a legislature, then funding to assure opportunity for the best education possible will follow and will be designed to meet the needs of each school. One of the best outcomes we could hope for would be that we have created a love and thirst for education among our young people. It will not happen unless this is our highest funding priority.
- Energy resource development and clean air
We are in a crisis, and have actually been in it for a long time. I will promote legislation that facilitates research into alternative fuel sources and better use of the resources that we have now. It would be a worthy goal to work for energy independence for
Utah
. As a member of the Legislature I will work on public policy that promotes frugality in use of energy resources.
- Water development and conservation
As a member of the Legislature I will promote a sense of frugality in the use of our water resources. As a society we are starting to be more aware of our vulnerability and that is good. The new emphasis on building green and protecting all of our natural resources is the beginning of a culture of natural awareness that is more sophisticated than in the past. I will promote that in my work in the Legislature.
- Better communication between elected officials and their constituents
Even with all of the electronic tools, communication between elected officials and their constituents is difficult. The biggest issue is one of time for both my constituents and me as a future legislator. This is something that cannot be mandated by law but something that depends on the real intent of both the constituents an their legislator. I will create opportunities for input by keeping an on-line journal of my legislative activities. I am thinking that I can discipline myself enough to record at the end of each day the work that I have done on State and Community issues that day. It will clearly be a summary but will emphasize the issues dealt with that day and the ones coming up. The site will seek guidance and input first from everyone interested enough to read it in my district and second from everyone else interested enough to read and provide input. This is a big job, but if I am to meet my responsibilities to those I will be serving I must be good at it. Or maybe there is a better way that someone can suggest.
3. If the State had a revenue surplus of $100 million, how would you allocate the money? (Response should include $______________ for ________________________________.
SThis kind of question is difficult due to its hypothetical nature, however, given my priorities, it would be something like this. I do not know how to use this exact format for the response so I will simply list the use with the money I would attach to it.
$10 million to the rainy day fund, $40 million to education for reduced class size, salaries, new methods and infrastructure, $20 million for improved health care access, $10 million for transportation, $20 million for capital infrastructure.
Question3b: All of the uses above listed
Opponents:
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