Candidate Information Form: Utah House – District 69

Name: Christine Watkins

Registered Party: Democrat

District: 69

Address: 1548 East 5700 South

Phone: 435-650-1969

Email: cwatkins_68@yahoo.com

Website: N/A

Candidate Background Information

Occupation: Elementary Principal

Education: Bachelor of Science Elementary Ed. ,  Master of Educational Administration

Prior Experience: Executive Director Southeaster UniServ/Utah Education Association,  Elementary Educator, Special Education Educator

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 Representatives for the people of Utah ?
   
   1.  Support public education.
   
   2.  Maintain the improvement schedule for   Highway 6.
   
   
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
   
   There needs to be an increase in funding for public education.  It is common knowledge that it is cheaper to educate than to incarcerate.  We have families who rely on schools to feed, clothe and educate their children.  We need more positive role models for our children. This can be done through the hiring of intelligent and capable teachers.  Too many quality teachers leave the classroom for private jobs or move up to educational administration in order to make enough money to raise a family.  We need to encourage minorities and the disadvantaged to continue their education so they can return to the classroom to motivate children who are also minorities and disadvantaged.  We need to offer more scholarships to minorities and the disadvantaged.  It is sad that we have to spend money on prisons when that  money should be used to help schools and families.
   
   - Energy resource development and clean air
   
   We need to start to diversify our energy resources.  We should have started many years ago; let's not wait until we have nothing to fall back on.  I believe we can find alternative and clean resources for energy.  I know that Utah does a great job of burning coal as efficiently and cleanly as current technology permits, and we need to continue with improvements.  With alternative fuels and less driving, hopefuly, some of our clean air issues will become less severe.  We need to keep fuel prices affordable so people do not turn to dirty fire places and unsafe heating practices to stay warm.
   
   
   - Water development and conservation
   
   Water is critical in the West.  We need to rethink how we use water and conserve what we have.  We should not allow the big thirsty states to take our water supply. Our water supply is far too precious and the annual recharge is far to unpredictable to waste.
   We need to continue funding farmers in better irrigation practices.  The conservation cry should not waver or fade away, we need to be educated about the ways we can change our water usage habits.  Funding should be available to counties/water districts to continue the development of water sheds and water storage.  Our recent experiences with drought make water storage critical for the citizens of Utah.
   
   - Better communication between elected officials and their constituents
   
   One of my personal goals is to stay in touch with all of my constituents.  I worked for eight years in the four county area of southeastern Utah.  I know many public officials and I know where I can hold meetings to meet with the people I will represent.  I will have to travel many miles and hours but I know where to go to meet the citizens of the communities I will work for.  I have attended Navajo Chapter meetings and will continue to do so.  I know that email and phones are adequate but there is nothing that can replace face to face meetings and a good hand shake!
   
   
3. If the State had a revenue surplus of $100 million, how would you allocate the money? (Response should include $______________ for ________________________________.
   
   N/A
   N/A