Candidate Information Form: Utah House – District 57

Name: Mary Lou Huffmon

Registered Party: Democratic

District: 57

Address: S518 . 2150 W. #101

Phone: 801-763-5085

Email: electmarylouhuffmon@gmail.com

Website: electmarylou.com

Candidate Background Information

Occupation: Retired, volunteer, LWV Utah County, Trustee Pleasant Grove Library Board

Education: BA, Wayne State University, MA Reading Specialist, MA Education Supervision and Administration, Kean State University

Prior Experience: Teacher

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. First I would promote an overhaul of legislative ethics rules. We need to clean up the continuing donation of gifts to legislators by special interests. In addition, we need to remove the possibility of legislators voting on bills on which they have a financial interest. We also need a wider representation of the voters of Utah in the legislature to assist in more thorough discussion of proposed legislation. Overwhelming, one party dominance is creating an extremely limited process of dealing with increasingly complex state issues and is passing some legislation which removes previously guaranteed rights of citizens.
   2. Promote financial and philosophical support for public education. For years, Utah public education has been underfunded and the income tax pool originally devoted to k-12 public schools has been shifted to include higher education and now charter schools. Past sessions have made it possible for local redevelopment efforts to take funds from school taxes and now no one is sure how the move away from the present income tax to a flat tax will affect overall income tax revenue. While vouchers were defeated, the state must deal with the financial implications of also setting up a separate system of individually managed charter schools.
   Most provoking, is the "chutzpah" of legislating for an underfunded system of public schools, then claiming our schools are not doing a good job.
   
   
   
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
   
   We need to reestablish the dignity, necessity, and efficacy of public education. It has been under constant attack and underfunding. Yet studies show that that the productivity and growth of a state economy is based on a well funded public education system.
   As previously noted, a basic source of education funding, the income tax, has been restructured to a "flat tax" assessment. What this means for school funding is not obvious to anyone yet. We will need to assess the results as soon as the 2008 taxes are in and tabulated.
   This past year an omnibus education bill threw in a requirement that local school districts now partially fund charter schools. Having to suddenly rebudget an already fixed sum, school boards are being asked to give up their fiduciary trust in that they have no oversight of their funds in this case.
   Public schools are given the task of educating all children in Utah, including the disadvantaged. It is a challenging and often frustrating task for public schools with many disparate needs. They need adequate staff and materials to assist such students.
   Rehabilitation should be a constant goal of prison systems and programs need to be in place to facilitate prisoner efforts to improve themselves. Simply recycling people in and out of prison is much more expensive and dangerous than investing in education
   
   - Energy resource development and clean air
   
   Energy development is crucial - clean, renewable energy a must. We have an imperative need to clean our air and cut pollution drastically for now and the future of our children and grandchildren. We need to elect representatives who recognize the immediate importance of setting firm deadlines to cut pollution and turn to renewable energies such as solar, wind, and underground thermal power sources.
   As a desert state, nuclear power development should be off the table in Utah because of the huge amount of water needed to run the facilities. There are still the potential problems of accidents, sabotage, and what to do with lethal nuclear waste. Coal as a power source, has yet to have an affordable air emission cleaning process. We need to wean ourselves from polluting nonrenewable to cleaner energy sources for the future.
   We need to do a major switch to mass transit options rather than building more roads for more cars and trucks and more pollution. Congestion is here and will only increase with present transportation priorities.
   Finally, conservation should become a byword of every citizen, business, and government entity. Living green is a goal the state legislature should promote in every way possible.
   
   
   - Water development and conservation
   
   Water development and conservation are essential for Utah's desert status. Our population continues to grow and demands are increasing every day. Water rights are becoming more expensive and search for water more imperative for growing communities. (At some time we need to consider the connection between population growth and the implications of a limited water supply.)
   Utah is already in conflict with Nevada over the piping of underground water shared by Utah. Over a billion dollars is the estimated cost to carry water from Lake Powell to Washington County. The Colorado River is divided between several states, all of whom will continue to grow. Global warming is predicted to gradually warm up the state and decrease the snowpack.
   The state legislature must consider both the short and long term implications of a real crisis. There needs to be an ongoing state study and oversight of usage now and in the future. Legislation is needed to encourage statewide water conservation management. We must protect our own water resources for Utah usage.
   We must also stringently legislate for and oversee the protection of our waters from all polluting sources. Fines for polluting must be steep and enforced.
   
   - Better communication between elected officials and their constituents
   
   The most important step in facilitating better communication would be for legislators to do a responsible job of listening to the voters, all the voters Too often committee meetings have been closed to unwanted testimony and individual legislators have refused to listen to citizens or interests with which they disagree.
   We need a much wider discussion of issues, respect for scientific research, and we need redistricting which is not designed to perpetuate one party at the expense of contiguous communities and groups. The lack of representative, government is the greatest communication block of all. Too many citizens feel disenfranchised.
   Civics instruction should begin in elementary school developing an ingrained sense of responsibility toward the governance of their community, whether local, state, or national. Americans have an appallingly low turnout at election time compared to other developed countries.
   
   
   
3. If the State had a revenue surplus of $100 million, how would you allocate the money? (Response should include $______________ for ________________________________.
   
   1. 40 million
   2. 30 million
   3. 15 Million
   4. 15 million
   
   1 .Begin to supply classes with needed textbooks, computers and supplies. (This is assuming the legislature has already agreed to substantial raises in teacher pay to reach parity with surrounding states, and has cut class size to a professionally recognized adequate level).
   2 Support the development of clean, renewable energy.
   3. Develop mass transit options such as greater inter and intra urban bus service.
   4. Beef up monitoring of pollution levels of air and water and to encourage "green cities."