Vision
I am running for governor to restore the values of our great state, and get back to the basics on which this state was founded – honest, ethical, reasonable, and accountable government. I strongly believe that there is great potential for Utah to unite and lead our nation in economic growth, better schools, and a diverse energy economy.
(Last updated 07/29/10)
Table of Contents
1. Economy and Jobs
2. Education
3. Quality of Life
4. Renewable Energy
5. Abortion
6. Agriculture
7. Bi-Partisanship
8. Emergency Preparedness/Homeland Security
9. Ethics
10. Guns
11. Higher Education
12. Health Care
13. Housing
14. Immigration
15. Liquor Laws
16. Marriage
17. Military
18. Nuclear Waste
19. Public Lands
20. Public Safety
21. Rural Issues
22. Seniors
23. Taxes/Government Spending
24. Transportation
25. Veterans
26. Water
Approximately 70% of our economy is driven by our locally owned, small businesses. Utah has long been known for its pioneering spirit and we have a large, diverse, and energetic group of small business owners and local entrepreneurs who have and should continue to lead Utah forward.
As mayor, I've learned that economic development is not just about giving money to big corporations to move to Utah; instead we must support and expand our local economy. As governor, I will prioritize support for small, home-grown businesses who are working every day to create good jobs and offer quality wages to the people who live and work in all our communities.
To read my jobs plan, click here.
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Every child can learn and every child is worth the investment. Over the last few years, hundreds of millions of dollars have been removed from Utah's general education budget while school enrollment has increased by 25%. Class sizes are increasing and Utah students are falling in national standings.
As a father, I want my children to be able to enter a well-paying job with great benefits upon graduating from one of Utah's top-ranked high schools, community colleges, and universities. As governor, I will work toward achieving this vision so every child, and every parent, can have the tools to succeed.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Historically, Utah has maintained a high quality of life, which is why so many people choose to raise their families here, why businesses move here and why we have such a successful tourism industry. However, as we grow in population, our quality of life will get worse unless we focus on improving our air quality and water quality, and continue our tradition of being good stewards of the land we live on. On the county level, I have implemented many programs with this thought in mind. This year, Salt Lake County will complete the largest solar photovoltaic project in Utah’s history. We have also helped improve the Jordan River water quality and initiated efforts to improve our air quality. We must be good stewards of our land for our own health, and for our future generations.
To read my statement on air quality, click here.
To read my statement on the stream access bill, click here.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Utah is the only state in the intermountain west that has lost clean energy jobs over the last few years. I strongly support creating thousands of new jobs and supplementing our current industries through expansion of Utah's new energy economy. This year, Salt Lake County will complete the largest solar photovoltaic project in Utah’s history. Utah should also become a leader in energy efficiency. As governor, I will set a target to reduce our state government’s energy consumption by 20%.
As governor, I will make state government a partner in supporting job creation in our traditional energy sector like coal, oil and natural gas. In addition to utilizing our existing resources, I believe our energy sector can be supplemented and expanded with wind, geothermal, natural gas, and all of Utah’s energy sources. I will strongly support creating thousands of new jobs supplementing our current industries through a new energy economy.
To read my statement supporting Jim Matheson's continued efforts against nuclear testing, click here.
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Based on my faith and upbringing, the sanctity of all life is important to me. I do not support abortion, except in limited and special circumstances. I believe we all share a common goal of reducing unintended pregnancies and focus on providing women with quality health services.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Agriculture has been an important part of our heritage as Utahns. As governor, I will make sure that we respect our farmers and ranchers. We need to ensure that the path from the farm gate to our dinner plate is not encumbered by unnecessary regulations beyond what is necessary to keep our food safe. We also need to make sure that farmers and ranchers can maintain their family farms and ranches in face of surrounding development. With rapid population growth, saving Utah farmland is a prudent investment in maintaining our food supply and agricultural economy.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)I have years of experience working with both a Republican-controlled and Democrat-controlled county council. I've also developed strong relationships with the legislature as we've worked through county priorities during legislative sessions. There are many good Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill; it's just a matter of understanding and listening to every perspective.
To read my statement announcing my running mate, Sheryl Allen, click here.
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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS / HOMELAND SECURITY
Utahns should be confident that their state can anticipate, prevent, and, when necessary, respond to acts of nature and acts of terrorism. As governor, I will play an active role in the state’s emergency preparedness and homeland security strategy. The primary objectives of my homeland security strategy include:
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Ensuring that the state has realistic, effective, and well-coordinated emergency and domestic preparedness plans;
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Developing a well-trained and ready corps of state, local, and private professionals and community leaders who are committed to the mission of emergency preparedness and homeland security;
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Providing equipment for emergency preparedness and homeland security needs.
When it comes to government ethics, Utah should be the one setting the high water mark for the nation. Our society is based on values and ethics, and as we draw from our pioneer heritage, our values as Utahns are deeply rooted in ethics. I have been a vocal supporter of many ethics initiatives, including the Utahns for Ethical Government and Fair Boundaries initiatives. We must start by creating an independent ethics commission, setting campaign contribution limits, and banning all gifts to elected officials. Our state leaders can and should do the right thing. Unfortunately, our incumbent governor does not support campaign finance limits and has not supported the ethics initiatives.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)I strongly support the right of our citizens to carry guns to hunt and defend themselves. I am a member of the NRA and have a concealed weapons permit. As governor, I will vigorously protect the rights of responsible gun owners.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Every child who wants to enter college should be able to do so. However, our college students are receiving double-digit tuition increases for the second year in a row. And while our college enrollment has increased by almost 13,000 new students this year, our state leaders cut the higher education budget again this year. As a result of this lack of dedication to higher education, the number of adults with a bachelor’s degree has dropped. In addition, many engineering and technology jobs go unfilled because Utah students to not have the education or experience to fill them.
As governor, I will make higher education a priority for those students who wish to achieve a college degree.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Utah companies are dropping health coverage at a rate faster than any state in the nation. This is unsustainable. Many Utah companies are struggling to provide health insurance to their employees. Many citizens are losing their homes because of illness. Many citizens cannot find coverage because of pre-existing conditions or affordability of insurance plans.
As governor, I will work to:
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Support an affordable state-based Health Insurance Exchange.
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Support health care for children through programs like the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
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Enhance the quality of health care. We can continue to improve the quality of health care by using best-practices and technology to help providers eliminate unnecessary medical procedures and reduce medical errors. We must also make a more serious effort to support the staffing of rural health care facilities.
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Treat mental health on par with physical health. We should look at health care holistically and eliminate the distinctions made between mental health and physical health.
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Reduce substance abuse through enhanced programs of education, prevention, and treatment for recovery.
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Promote healthy lifestyles, giving more attention to health promotion and disease prevention
We need to make housing affordable for Utahns. Utah is amongst the states with the highest foreclosure rates in the nation.
As governor, I will support Utah’s Olene Walker Housing Trust Fund and the Pamela Atkinson Homeless Trust Fund to end chronic homelessness in our state. I will also work closely with our local governments to make sure that we have housing choices available for families and seniors.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)We need to secure our borders, crack down on employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers, remove dangerous criminals from our country and require all people to go through the immigration process. The federal government has abandoned its responsibility to create reasonable and practical immigration reform, causing states to seek their own solutions.
While some are pushing for an Arizona-like solution for Utah, I am concerned with the Arizona law for constitutional reasons, and our state prison system is inadequately funded to handle an influx of non-dangerous offenders. As mayor, Salt Lake County has complied with all immigration laws and as governor, I will do the same.
To read about my interview on Pulso Latino regarding immigration, click here.
To read my statement regarding E-Verify, click here
To read my views on the federal government and immigration, as well as "the list," click here.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)As governor, I would take a balanced approach to liquor laws as did Governor Huntsman. Most importanly, we need to keep alcohol away from underage drinkers and prevent driving under the influence of alcohol. We also need to work with our hospitality, tourism and convention industries to make sure that we are supporting their needs.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)I support traditional marriage between a man and a woman. I also believe all of our citizens should be able to work, live and support their loved ones without discrimination.
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MILITARY / HILL AIR FORCE BASE
As governor, I will support our troops and make sure that the state of Utah provides the necessary assistance to those who are transitioning back from military duty. I will also support our National Guard and will work closely with our federal representatives, local leaders and military officials to support Hill Air Force Base. Hill has been a mainstay of Utah’s economy for decades, and it plays a vital role in our nation’s military. Hill Air Force is an important part of the economies of Davis and Weber Counties.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Utah should not be the world’s dumping ground for nuclear waste. I will fight to keep foreign and high-level radioactive waste out of Utah. Any country that possesses the technology for nuclear power should be capable of providing for the disposal of the nuclear waste.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Utah has a significant amount of public lands that are owned by federal, state, and local government. We should manage our lands in a fashion that is mindful of hunting and other public access opportunities and a better configuration for land managers to protect habitat, watershed and recreational values.
I support Utah having more say in how our federal lands are managed and will work to create a cooperative relationship with federal agencies to meet the needs of our Utah residents.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Prison and jail overcrowding has been a serious problem for this state. For too long, the state of Utah has been balancing its public safety budget on the backs of local governments through unfunded mandates. State leaders require county governments to house state prisoners at a fraction of the actual costs. It costs millions of dollars for local governments to house these prisoners, and causes jail overcrowding and early releases from jail. As governor, I will make sure that our prison system is adequately funded, and will partner with local governments to make sure we have a safe and efficient justice system.
As governor, I will also make sure that our roads are safe. Our state leaders have been short-changing road safety as well as the prison system. In 2010, there is essentially the same number of state troopers as there were in 1980. In the meantime, the number of cars on the road has increased by 50% and the number of miles traveled increased by almost 140%.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Rural Utah should receive the same investment in its future as the urban areas of the state. Some of Utah’s most important industries are based in our rural communities. For example, agriculture and mining—industries that are operated largely in rural areas of the state—are critical to Utah’s economic success. It is vital that we seek to strengthen these industries while working to give rural communities the necessary economic tools for our changing world economy. We can achieve this by helping traditional rural industries become more competitive, facilitating innovation in rural communities through the latest technologies and development clusters, promoting tourism, and supporting cultural enterprises in rural settings. I also believe that we can expand our rural economies by making Utah a leader in the renewable energy economy.
Our Governor’s Office of Economic Development should have regional representatives who will be situated in rural areas of the state.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Our seniors deserve the best. As governor, I will support programs that will maintain the independence of Utah’s senior citizens and provide assistance with medical services, prescription drugs, caregiver support, transportation, in-home services, and housing options. I further pledge to encourage cooperation between government and community agencies to help families take full advantage of the available programs. Finally, I pledge to foster senior volunteer efforts and continued employment opportunities, to protect seniors from fraud and abuse, and to educate older citizens about critical health care options.
As a community, we must plan now for this dramatic projected growth in Utah's aging population. Our state agencies must be prepared to meet the needs of older Utahns and adapt to our changing demographics. Within available budgets, we should pursue the following goals on behalf of our seniors.
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Healthy Lifestyles Training
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Expanded Access to Health Care
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More Options for Home Health Care and Assisted Living
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Improved Housing Options
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More Senior-Friendly Public Transportation
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Better Support for Caregivers
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Employment Opportunities
The key to reducing budgets, maintaining low taxes and moving the state forward is to examine the state's budget, program by program, line-item by line-item. The answer to our problems is not to raise taxes, but to find a way to better manage the revenue our state brings in, and plug the holes in the system to facilitate a better, more efficient government.
My entire government efficiency plan can be read here.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Transportation infrastructure will be critical for our economic prosperity. We need a balanced transportation system that assures efficient movement of people and goods. We need to maintain the current infrastructure and expand infrastructure in high-growth areas. In urban areas, mass transit should be treated on equal footing with roads. Rural areas should also receive the funding needed for maintaining their infrastructure.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)As a society, we have a moral obligation to provide fully for our veterans. We must ensure that our veterans and their families receive funding to which they are entitled, have access to quality health care and can obtain job training at our Department of Workforce Services.
Our health care for veterans should include physical and mental health assistance so that our veterans can lead productive lives in our communities.
(To return to the Table of Contents, click here.)Water is critical to our future. Well-planned water development has allowed Utah to blossom like a rose. Nevertheless, without decisive action to preserve our water supply and quality, expanding demands on our limited water supply will threaten our continuing prosperity and quality of life. Unfortunately, Utah is one of the highest per-capita users of water. Much of this water goes towards landscaping homes.
As governor, I will support strong conservation efforts so that we can meet the needs of our expanding population without major infrastructure requirements. I will also take a strong leadership role in preventing neighboring states from taking Utah’s precious water supply. Our current governor has been negotiating with Nevada to give up 85% of the remaining water in the Snake Valley aquifer to Nevada. This is wrong.
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