Candidate Information Form: Utah House – District 15

Name: Ryan Mellor

Registered Party: Democrat

District: 15

Address: 1188 N. 2475 W

Phone: 801-546-8220

Email: ryan.mellor@msn.com

Website: ryanmellor.com

Candidate Background Information

Occupation: Firefighter

Education: Southern Utah University - Accounting

Prior Experience: 7 years representing the Utah Fire Service   Utah Joint Council of Fire Organizations  Utah State Firemen's Association

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 ?
   
   First, I want to bring Common Sense back to Capitol Hill.  Regardless of Party or politics.  Every decision that is made at the Utah Legislature should be able to help Utah's Working Families.
   
   Second, Restore openess and accountability to the House of Representatives.  The House is NOT a place where our elected officials should be pushing their own private special interests.  They are the representatives of the people and primarily the working family.  The middle class working family is the backbone of Utah.
   
   
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
   
   A well-educated population is fundimental to a thriving state.  We need to make sure that ALL Utah children are well educated.  The best way that this can happen is to change the tone from the State Capitol toward Utah's teachers.  We need to make certain that our education dollars are being used for how they are intended, in the classroom.  We need to provide smaller class size by making room for more teachers.  That may mean shifting our education dollars from administration to education.  We also need to untie teachers' hands and free them up to teach while demanding accounability from them.  Not every student is the same or comes to school at the same level.  We need to understand that and work with teachers to determine the needs they have and act accordingly.
   
   - Energy resource development and clean air
   
   This is an area that has shown the need for real long term planning.  The goal, in the end, is clean renewable fuel for everyone.  But this needs to be worked into by utilizing the resources we have to get us to that point.  that's common sense, yet that dialog is NOT what's happening.  We need to work to providing viable alternatives so that the everage working family can make changes that won't wipe them out.  We need to develop a more practical Mass Transit System that is makes economic sense and is practical for the every day homeowner.
   
   - Water development and conservation
   
   Water, energy, and health care are going to be the biggest challenges the legislature faces in the coming years.  Now is the time to have a frank and honest discussion of where we are and where we want to be.  Regardless of your views on gobal warming, growth alone is enough of a threat to our water situation.  If we don't start implementing real workable solutions now, we will be faces with tough solutions later.  I would rather take common sense steps now that we can all live with than have to take drastic steps down the road.
   
   - Better communication between elected officials and their constituents
   
   Transparancy is the cornerstone of representative government.  You and I have the RIGHT to know what our Representatives are doing in OUR name.  We need to strengthen the rules that let constituents know what their legislator is up to and who they are talking to.  We need more openess, not less.  If elected, anyone would be able to look and see what my schedule is to see who I am meeting with and talking to.  I would also schedule regular town meetings to discuss the issues that are important to the voters of the 15th district.  We are almost 100% working middle class families.  What's good for us is good for Utah.  The only way to ensure that is to have complete transparancy and open communication.
   
   
3. If the State had a revenue surplus of $100 million, how would you allocate the money? (Response should include $______________ for ________________________________.
   
   $ 25 Mil for smaller class sizes and assistance for special needs schools
   
   $25 mil for improved infrastructure of roads and long range planning for transportation.
   
   $25 mil for development of a state wide energy policy to stay ahead of the game
   
   $25 mil toward addressing the health care concerns of Utah's Working Families.
   
   $25 mil for toward addressing the future of Utah's water needs and demands.