Issues
Education
As a school board member for the past six years, I have a strong background in education and have gained an understanding of school finance. While I recognize that increased dollars do not necessarily equate to increased student achievement, I do know that slowly starving public education is not the way to improve it or make it more efficient. Over the past 12 years the legislature has made some major changes in the way Utah funds education that have resulted in a reduction in the effort and commitment that Utahns have previously given to our children. (See "Paradox Lost" at www.utahfoundation.org) We are 51st in the nation in education funding and the gap between 50th and 51st continues to widen. The current legislature espouses large increases in funding over the past two years, but what they don't tell you is that if we had maintained the same commitment level as existed in 1996, we would have had over $600 million additional dollars in our education fund. That would have gone a long way in reducing class sizes and increasing teacher compensation.
The Republican party espouses "local control" but continues to take more and more control from locally elected school boards through pigeon-holed funding and over-regulation. Each year over one-hundred new bills are passed that are directed at public education! There has been talk among some Republican legislators of doing away with school boards. This would place control of education in the hands of the state legislature. When has a state government been more efficient than your locally elected non-partisan leaders?
Ethics
Just because something is legal doesn't mean it is ethical. I believe that the one party system that we have in our Utah legislature has created an unhealthy climate of control and power. I don't believe that the end justifies the means, which is what I've witnessed in the operation of the current Republican leadership. Utah has some of the weakest ethics laws in the nation.
If elected I will support:
- A complete ban on gifts of any sort to lawmakers and their families. Holding a public office entitles one to a salary, a per diem and the right to represent the people who elected them, nothing more.
- Campaign finance reform. Special interest groups and large corporations are controlling too much of our legislation through donations with "unspoken" strings attached. The incredible expense of campaigns is making it difficult for good people with fewer resources to run for office. Long term politicians can accrue large amounts that can be spent 'loosely'. The shameful practice of allowing lawmakers to keep what's left of their funds when they resign, retire or lose an election should be banned. Leftover funds should be given to charity.
- The formation of an independent ethics commission to investigate conflicts of interest and other cases of questionable conduct involving lawmakers, instead of leaving lawmakers to police themselves.
Environment
I don't know whether global warming is man-made or can be fixed by men. But I do know that the air quality in Utah is eroding and endangering the health of our children and our seniors. We should make cleaner air in Utah a high priority. There are solutions and if we are committed, we can find solutions to growth and transportation that will improve and preserve our air quality.
Energy
We are experiencing some serious economic challenges due to our dependence on foreign oil. The cost of oil has hit the pocketbooks of every American, but it is more seriously affecting those whose incomes are in the middle and lower levels. I believe the policies of the past have created this crisis and that it's time to move in a new direction. If America could put a man on the moon in 10 years we certainly can become energy independent in 10 years with good old fashioned "can-do" innovation and determination. We need to develop cleaner, renewable sources of energy AND develop more of the natural resources that are available in our own country and state. We recognize that Utah has unique and beautiful landscapes. We are also rich in natural resources. Economic development and protection of the environment are both important and are NOT mutually exclusive terms.
Healthcare
The cost of health-care is spilling over into every aspect of our lives. When health insurance was a new thing (yes, I'm old enough to remember life without insurance), it was fairly inexpensive and an easy "perk" for employers to offer their employees. That is no longer the case and the cost of providing health insurance to employees is driving up the costs of everything to consumers. It has profoundly affected the cost of education and been a culprit in keeping teachers salaries low as the rising costs of health insurance cuts into any increases in education funding. I don't know what the answers are to this on a state level , but I don't believe that the status quo can continue. Our country, with all of its wonderful health research and expertise, is losing ground compared to other developed nations in areas such as infant mortality and child health and well-being. The fact that we have what is called the "working poor" who cannot access health care because of a lack of insurance or ability to purchase it is a travesty that must be solved. Our own Senator Bennett is a co-sponsor of the " Healthy Americans Act" which is a bi-partisan approach to comprehensive health care reform. I have studied this and believe it may be a viable solution to our health care troubles.
Last updated by admin on 9/8/2008