Prior Experience: Served in Legislature for one term
Questions
The League of Women Voters has made every effort to present accurately the candidates' responses as they were submitted.
If elected, what two things do you hope to accomplish as a member of the House of Representatives for the people of
Utah
?
I hope to secure funding for education in Utah that will give our kids and our teachers an opportunity to reach their full potential. I would also hope to allow all citizens to receive affordable healthcare.
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
I would propose that we employ more multi-lingual teachers within the state and pay them enough to keep them in the teaching profession. The prison population has grown partly because of our inability to reach underpriveleged populations. More benefits should be offered to teachers who are willing work with the prison population.
- Energy resource development and clean air
I am an advocate of alternative energy. Wind power and solar panels offer clean power. These alternatives take time to develop. The best hope for clean use of existing facilities is to proceed with clean coal technnology and carbon sequestration. Clean coal is further along than sequestration, but both should be viable. Natural gas generation is already available and is much cleaner than using oil or coal.
- Water development and conservation
Water will always be a critical issue here in the desert. Education is key in getting people to conserve. WE must let people know how critical our water situation is and keep stressing the importance of conservation. I will also continue the fight to stop Nevada from taking valuable water supplies from western Utah.
- Better communication between elected officials and their constituents
Some of my Democratic colleages and I sponsor a town meeting during the third of fourth week of the legislative session here in Salt Lake County. I love to hear from my constituents. I encourage them to call and e-mail me. I encourage people to just talk to me. As long as I am an elected official, my door will always be open and I always answer my own phone.
If the State had a revenue surplus of $100 million, how would you allocate the money? (Response should include $______________ for ________________________________.
I would allocate 75 million to reduce classroom size and teacher pay.
25 million for additional healthcare benefits for the disadvantaged and elderly.
