Fred Lampropoulos' Response to April 2004 Questionnaire on Utah's Top Issues

Registered voters identify Public Education as their number one issue of concern.

1. What role does public education play in shaping the future of Utah?

The success of public education is the most important ingredient of Utah’s future. 
Lack of success in school is driving our high social costs, which now match spending for public education.  It’s a high correlate of family success.  It’s also the key for economic development.  As an employer, I need to have trained workers.  A skilled workforce will result in opportunities for entrepreneurs and businesses to expand their capabilities in Utah, and will result in economic growth for our state.

2. Public policy debate has centered around ideas of school choice in the form of charter schools, tuition tax credits for private schooling and the creation of magnet programs focused on specific subject areas.  What advantages or disadvantages do you see in implementing school choice?

The question for school choice is not one of how it will affect the education system; it is a question of who should have the power to choose where and how a child is educated and how it affects the child.  I believe that it is the fundamental right and responsibility of parents to raise and educate their children.  And so, I likewise believe that parents should be empowered to choose where their children receive that education.  Tax credits, vouchers, charter schools, home schooling and public schools are all great alternatives to provide that choice.  Each of them deserves our support.

2a.  How much choice should Utahns have—are charter schools and inter-district transfers enough or should the state adopt a tuition tax credit or some other solution?

Public schools will always be a vital part of education in Utah.  However, that should not preclude support to parents who feel that their children could be better served elsewhere.  I believe that ultimately, parents should have the opportunity to choose where their kids are educated.

2b.  How do you address the concerns of parents in rural areas that they will not have access to education alternatives?

Distance learning is exploding exponentially in both private and public arenas.  Many of them can be customized for small groups of learners.  I believe that we need to embrace these new technologies so that rural students have access to the education of their choice.  Currently, 17,000 students are enrolled in the Utah’s Electronic High School; I would like to see more parents and students take advantage of these opportunities. 

3. Utah dedicates all of the state’s income tax revenue to fund public education, yet because of the large percentage of children in the state, per-pupil funding is the lowest in the nation.  Utah is also anticipating a large influx of new students over the next ten years.

a. In your view, is the low per-pupil funding a concern? Why or why not?
b. If so, what solutions would you offer for public education funding?

Yes, it is a concern and the solution to that problem is a more vibrant Utah economy, which will increase the tax base funding education. Utah has been forced to find the optimum balance between tax revenues and education spending.  If we move in either direction, raising taxes or reducing funding, we either hurt the economy or hurt education. 

4. Survey respondents listed “teacher quality” as the education issue about which they are most concerned.

a. What solutions or programs would you offer to improve the quality of Utah’s teachers?

The three highest correlates of teacher quality are: 1. Knowledge of their subject matter, 2. Ability to relate with their students, and 3.The ability to work as a team with their peers.  It is unfair for the system to require a teacher to instruct on a subject that they haven’t been trained in and kids don’t learn from teachers they don’t relate to.  Research also shows that pay based on tenure has little correlation with classroom success.  We’ve got to find a better mechanism to pay teachers who meet these criteria.

b. Finding qualified teachers is a particular challenge in rural areas.  What would you do to address rural residents’ concerns?

It really isn’t possible to have an expert teacher for each subject in rural areas.  I hope that rural schools will continue to expand their online capabilities, as we are already seeing across the state, so that online classes and instruction, as well as EdNet video-conferencing can be used to meet the needs of the community.  Rural schools can also rotate teachers so that they can share talent.  One rural school brought in a subject matter expert once a week all day, and adjusted schedules accordingly. 

5. Do you feel Utah’s curriculum taught to students has weaknesses?  If so, what are they and how would you address them?

I am pleased that starting next year, our children will be taught a class in personal finance.  I would also like us to have a required economics/free markets class that will help prepare students to live in a “supply and demand” world. That includes the moral fundamentals upon which success rests. Utah students are not acquiring the skills required for success on the job.  I trust enlightened people on the local level to choose the best curriculum to meet the needs of their students, and I want to keep as much power over curriculum as possible at the local level.

I would also like to see a more competency-based system that would allow students to move at their pace, rather than forcing all students to move at the pace of the classroom. That is keeping too many from developing their full potential and others get left behind as the class moves forward during the year.  Both are a waste of Utah’s human resource.

There are currently programs being developed in our state, one of which I am involved in, that would use technology to allow students to learn faster while freeing up the teacher to give more one-on-one assistance to students that need help.  The legislature has been supportive of these initiatives. As governor I will work to bring more technology into the classroom to assist both teacher and student.

6. Through the “No Child Left Behind” Act, future federal funding will be tied to improvements in Utah students’ test scores.  Please briefly share your thoughts on the debate surrounding No Child Left Behind.

NCLB was based on a real need.  States were not generating educational improvement, especially to the underprivileged.  Utah is no exception.  Nevertheless, education is a state and local responsibility and should remain so.  It is clear that Utah needs a new approach to educational improvement.  I want to pick up that ball. While I resent the NCLB legislation, I believe Utah can satisfactorily meet the requirements of NCLB including to disadvantaged and difficult to educate students. The developments I am working on will go a long way toward that end.

7. Finally, please share briefly your own experiences with the public schools and how those experiences have shaped your public policy on education.

I am a product of Utah’s public schools.  I graduated from Granite High school.  All of my children have graduated from Utah’s public schools as well.  I have been a long time supporter of Utah’s schools, including involvement with the Granite School District Foundation, the Jordan School District Foundation, the Logan School District Foundation, Olympus High School and North Sanpete High School amongst others.  I believe that Utah’s public schools are a vital part of our communities and our families, and as such they need to be given our full support.

Nevertheless, I believe Utah schools have a lot of room for improvement.  Money alone won’t do it.  It will take some restructuring.  Improvement requires change and those blocking change in education must be willing to think out of the box.  Every viable organization has to continually challenge their assumptions.  I am working on products that will make changes in education easier.

I am also a proponent of parental choice of all kinds.  I’m the Chairman and CEO of the Tuacahn Charter High School in St. George, and I have been involved with several other Utah charter schools.  I have seen the demand and success for choice in education, and as governor, I would support initiatives to provide choices to Utah families.

Job Creation and Economic Development ranks second on the list of issues Utahns are most concerned about.

1. Please allow how you would bring more jobs to the state and on which industry sectors economic development should focus.

“Bringing” jobs to Utah leaves our destiny in the hands of others, including competing states.  Creating jobs within Utah places our destiny in our own hands.  Utah’s pool of entrepreneurial skills is vastly under tapped; so is the use of its own investment funds.

Most tax incentives offered to attract companies to a state do not produce much of a return on the state’s investment.  There are much more attractive incentives available that affect a company’s bottom line.  Among other things, we can offer on-demand and fast-track job training as well as just-in-time upgrade training.

Attracting low wage jobs from out-of-state as we have in the past is ineffective.  Low wage positions cost the state more than they return. The wave of the future is high-tech, skilled jobs. Our job preparation system is out-of-whack.  Many of our graduates are over-educated and underskilled.  Out of a $900 million dollar budget, not enough is spent on technical training.

Regarding industry focus, we must anticipate where the new knowledge and technology is headed, and do advanced preparation to tap those markets.  If we wait until those markets get developed, it is too late.  My background has been in the biomedical, IT, and manufacturing sectors.  I am especially concerned that we provide an environment for our manufacturing base to grow.

2. Utahns are also concerned about wages.  Past economic development strategy for the state has focused on selling the state as a “low-cost” place to do business and low wage rates were part of that strategy.

a. Should that change?
b. If so, how would you market the state to companies interested in relocating or expanding?

China’s message is “come to China and get it done with cheap labor”.  Utah’s message should be, “Come to Utah and get it done more productively, and get it done right!”  We need a Governor who understands that message, and can speak from experience in a convincing way.

Low wages are not the reason that a company is going to come to Utah.  That should not be our advertising message.  As the Chairman and CEO of a publicly held company, I know what business leaders are looking for in a workforce.  And having built successful companies in Utah, I can speak eye-to-eye with other business leaders considering expansion into Utah. 

One of the reasons that my companies have been successful is because we have the most productive workers in the world!  I’m not talking about academic statistics.  I’m telling you that my 1300 workers at Merit Medical produce nearly twice the national average for manufacturing employees.  Utah employees are well-balanced, reliable, hard-working, ethical, and they can get the job done better than anyone in the world.

3. What measures would you take to foster home-grown businesses?

Three things immediately:

1. Establish a forum between 50 business leaders and the state’s universities with specific goals of producing programs and goals for improving the alignment of education with the needs of Utah businesses.

2. I will institute the “Check Utah First” program.  This governor’s initiative will encourage and recognize Utah companies that look within the state of Utah to find vendors and do other business, before considering out-of-state companies.  The Governor will then recognize companies as they do business together.  Obviously, we won’t try to require that companies to do business in Utah, but the governor can encourage and recognize those companies that do.

3. Another initiative I’ve been talking about is doing trade missions within the state of Utah.  Instead of going to the other side of the world to find business or recruit companies, let’s take business leaders from different communities and get them together to learn what products and services are available.   I’ve seen this work at my own company.  We were doing business on an electronic sub-assembly with a company in California, until one day while campaigning in Logan some of the local leaders introduced us to a company, Inovar, that also builds these types of products.  We gave them a contract which created 20 new jobs for their company!  The governor can bring business leaders together to create awareness and opportunity.

4. Innovation and technological advantage are key areas of future economic growth.  Much of that takes place on college campuses.  How would you assist universities in “spinning-off” new businesses?

I believe that their needs to be incentives for our Universities to spin-off technologies into the private sector.  The ability for Universities to have ownership in these businesses would be a catalyst for this type of activity.

The governor also needs to help facilitate the involvement of business leaders in the private sector to help develop these technologies.  I have tried to work with our state Universities to develop technologies for my company in the past, and unfortunately my experiences have always been poor.  As a result, I have stopped investing my company’s resources.  Many other business leaders in our community have expressed a similar frustration.  That relationship has got to change, and as your governor, having had the experience from the private sector, I can make those changes. 

5. Rural economic development is very different from what can be done along the Wasatch Front.  What would you do to bring jobs into rural areas of the state.

The state’s role in economic development in Utah is simple: create an environment where businesses can succeed and flourish, and then get out of the way of progress.  I am concerned with the state of our transportation infrastructure in Utah.  If we cannot meet the demands of our road system, then goods and services will not be able to move throughout the state, and the rural economies will never flourish.

Likewise, I am concerned with the extreme environmental regulations which are choking our rural communities who rely on the natural resources for economic strength.  Many of our rural cities grew because of access to mining, timber, and recreation.  We are seeing the rights of the public to access and use these resources constantly eroded, and as a result, rural Utah suffers.  The governor needs to fight for the right of the people to access public lands, use the natural resources available, and provide opportunity for the community.

There is a huge potential for rural economic development when it comes to our wildlife management as well.  The potential to sell more tags for wildlife, and the tourism attractions for hunting and fishing is still a greatly untapped resource.  The state needs to be proactive in developing and managing this market, as well as protecting our wildlife from predators such as wolves and coyotes which threaten the herds.

6. What has been your greatest success in fostering business growth and economic development?

My biggest success has been the founding of Merit Medical Systems from scratch in 1987 without any government assistance, or any venture capital.  This year the company is poised to do $155 million dollars in revenue, and we have approximately 1300 employees.  We have never had a down year.  We recently began construction of another 180,000 sq. ft. on our South Jordan campus which will result in the addition of another 300-500 new jobs over the next few years.  Our company deals with a variety of technologies from plastic injection molding to semiconductor fabrication, and we do business in nearly every developed country in the world.

My greatest strength I bring to the table in this race, is that I have done it!  I have created thousands of opportunities for Utah families.  I started with nothing, and have had the great fortune of creating one of the world’s best businesses.  I understand what it takes to be successful in Utah business.  I understand the challenges that Utah entrepreneurs face.  And I believe that this uniquely qualifies me to lead an effort in our state to help Utah businesses reach their full potential.

Water availability and quality ranks third on the list.  The latest drought as well as growth in areas with limited water supply has really brought this to voters’ attention.

1. What are your ideas for creating an adequate water supply for now and into the future?

There are three areas that we need to concentrate on: development, conservation and technology.  I believe that we need to develop the pipeline from Lake Powell to help Southern Utah, and that in Northern Utah we need to access the water of Bear Lake Reservoir.  We also need to be sure that we set aside funds to maintain our current infrastructure.  We need to promote the use of new, affordable technologies for efficiency both in agricultural and urban water usage.  Water is just as important as roads and anything else in the economic development of our state.

2. What role, if any, should conservation measures play in water development?

a. Which aspects of conservation should be voluntary and which mandatory?
b. Should the state offer incentives to conserve water?  What types of incentives would you promote?

I applaud last summer's program for water conservation on the consumer side.  I was pleased to see that we were able to reduce consumption by 10%.  Conservation should always be a part of our total water plan.

I don’t believe in mandatory zero-based landscaping, nor do I believe in usage caps or rationing.  I do believe that we should employ tiered water payment schedules.  We should let the market control the use of water.  If someone wants to use an excessive amount of water, then they can pay for it.  We can place incentives for conservation by making it more expensive to use more water.

The governor’s office needs to promote the use of new technologies to control the amount of water usage in government, business, and agriculture as well.  State agencies and their property should be the examples of water conservation.  I am always concerned when I pass a state or city property that isn’t using its water wisely.

I am also aware of new technologies for monitoring and controlling water usage.  The  governor’s office can promote and recognize those private individuals and corporations that invest in water conservation technologies, by simply holding press conferences, or meeting with the leadership to thank them for their participation in the program.

The state can also work with the Utah Farm Bureau and other agricultural interests to insure that our farmers are educated on the latest technologies, and the availability of water conservation techniques for their crops.

3. Should the 1/16 cent sales tax allocation to fund water projects continue?  If so, what changes would you make to the current way monies are allocated?

The 1/16th sales tax should absolutely continue.  In regards to the allocation, I just hope that if is distributed fairly to rural communities that depend on that money for development.  In principle, that money should be used to build and maintain water infrastructure throughout the state, which benefits all Utahns.

Cost of health care is the issue of greatest concern for Utahns within the health category.

1.  What would you do to address the rising cost of health care?

I believe that there would be substantial opportunities to reduce health care costs through a continuation of looking at tort reform as well as reducing government interference through mandates.  If employers and individual employees had more latitude in choosing and structuring their health care based on their needs and not based on a government mandate, it would remove the one size fits all mentality, and costs could be reduced.

2. What experience or insights do you have that would guide your policies on public health programs such as Medicaid, CHIP, Medicare and health care in general.

As an employer of 1300 families, the health care needs of our community are close and dear to me.  I empathize for those who cannot afford sufficient healthcare, and I have tried, in the private sector, to take care of that need by offering health care to my employees.  As our teams have increased their productivity, our company has absorbed all of the increases in health care premiums to also help the family.

My point here is that the best, and sometimes the only way that families in Utah will have a health plan, is for the private sector to provide that through a job.  My policies would be directed towards growing the economy so that families won’t go to the government for the resolution of this need.

Granted, there are some, our elderly, disabled, and those who cannot work, who still have a need to be provided for.  I believe that it is in the public interest to fund programs to help those who are less fortunate in our communities.  I also support the mission of the United Way, local church welfare programs, and other charitable organizations who are working to fulfill these needs on a charitable basis in our community. 

I would encourage the public to support programs to help those who cannot work and provide for themselves.  I also want to make sure that we maintain an environment of personal responsibility to avoid potential abuse and over-dependency on the system.

3. Children’s health issues ranks high on the list of issues.  What are specific policies you would adopt to assist parents with healthcare for their children.

Again, the best assistance that the government can provide to a citizen, is providing an environment where the private sector can create a job.  We have to get away from the idea that the government should provide this service or that service.  Where does the money come from that the government will use to fund such programs?  They take it from the people who are working.

I believe that the government can do much more to help the private sector to flourish, and by doing so, families and breadwinners will have gainful employment that will allow them to be self-sufficient, and contribute to society.

However, there are many children in our communities, orphans, those of single parents, etc., where the adults do not have the capacity to provide for the needs of those children.  In this case, I believe that a governor needs to support first those charitable organizations in our communities who are trying to provide for this need, and as a last resort determine which programs are most cost-effective and will help those in need.

4. How can the state encourage better health insurance coverage for workers that do not have health insurance through their employer?

Health care is such a critical issue for the quality of life of our citizenry.  I hope that every worker would make an investment in health care a priority.  Unfortunately, if you aren’t making a good salary, it is hard to finance a health care premium at the expense of some other need.

I do not believe in a social health care program, because I don’t believe that it is the function of government to provide health care for all our citizens.  I believe that health care plans are best provided by the private sector.  However, the government can insure that there is a competitive environment so that there are fair and varied opportunities for citizens to choose from in the private sector.

So in order for citizens to participate in an employer-sponsored health plan, or to purchase an individual health plan, we must have good paying jobs, and a growing economy.  My focus is on helping our economy to grow, so that folks will have an opportunity to have independence and provide for their own needs.

Our community groups, churches, and service organizations are best suited to meet the charitable needs of the community, not the government.  I believe in the goodness of people, especially the citizens of Utah.  As governor, I will continue to be involved in community service, and I will encourage our people to give of themselves freely to help those in need.

Crime and Safety ranks fifth overall on the list of issues.  Within the category of crime, respondents were most concerned about child safety and being a victim of identity theft.

1. Beyond the recently installed Amber Alert system, what would you as a state policy leader do to help Utahns feel more secure about their children’s safety?

I applaud many of the actions of our Attorney General to increase safety on the internet from child predators.  As Governor, I will continue to work with our Attorney General on this and other issues for the protection of our children.

2. In your opinion, how can state policy makers protect citizens from becoming victims of ID theft?

It is in the best interests of the private sector, credit reporting agencies, and credit providers that there be effective measures taken to protect the identity of consumers.  As governor, we must keep an open dialogue with those who provide credit, and consumers who have been abused, to do what we can legislatively to protect the citizens.

I am pleased with the progress and support that credit agencies have given to citizens to protect identity theft.  I am concerned about these issues, and as governor, I would participate at the table with the concerned interests to make sure that the state is doing all it can to support the protection of consumers.

Higher Education is the sixth issue.  Respondents were most concerned about graduates finding jobs in Utah and about tuition costs for students.

1. How do you keep recent graduates from leaving the state and taking their knowledge and expertise with them?

There are two things that we can do to keep our children from being required to leave the state to find a job.

First, we need to accelerate the economic growth of our state.  As our economy strengthens, more opportunities for work will become available for our graduates.  I have discussed already some of my ideas for how we can best provide economic development.

Second, we need to make sure that our Higher Education is working with local companies to provide the training and skills necessary so that graduates will be prepared for a Utah job.  I am especially excited about the potential of our colleges of applied technology, and their ability to provide quick, custom fit training for businesses.

I believe that the UCAT schools are under utilized, and that their mission sometimes gets blurred by the Board of Regents and the mission of our state Universities.  I believe that we need a third board to govern the UCAT system, and that the governor needs to emphasize the role of the schools, and their necessary partnership with Utah business.

I have been very impressed, and have been a supporter, of both the Davis and Bridgerland Colleges of Applied Technology.  Their ability to work with the businesses in their communities to train individuals with necessary skills has been very effective.  Many times our graduates are over-educated, and under-skilled.  We simply need to make sure that our Higher Education is aligned to meet the needs business.

2. What is the best way to address the concerns about rising tuition costs?

I don’t believe that we are being as efficient in the use of our Universities and their capital as we could be.  I don’t believe that any organization, public or private, is being as efficient and effective as it could be.  Unfortunately, government doesn’t have the same pressure to be efficient as the “Do or Die” atmosphere of the private sector.

For example, many of our classrooms sit empty in the afternoon hours, we can also do more to promote more affordable online and distance learning courses.  I would also like to see more emphasis on teaching competencies in High School so that we don’t have the high remedial costs of re-education in the first years of college.

As governor, I don’t want to see tuition rise, although it inevitable must rise with inflation.  I believe that we need a true and tried leader who can provide a vision for a more efficient school system, and that will reward employees who find those efficiencies in their day to day work.

3. What role does higher education play in Utah?

Higher education should be one of leading contributors of economic development in Utah.  Higher education, and I don’t just mean four-year degrees, should provide folks with the skills they need to get a job in Utah.  And Higher Education should be the best friends of businesses in Utah, by providing training for future employees, as well as creating technology transfer which can be developed into marketable products for the private sector.

4. In your opinion, what does a “quality” post-secondary education mean?

Quite simply, a quality education is achieved when an individual has acquired new skills which will help them succeed in life and in their career.

Taxes are seventh on the list.  Government spending ranks number one in the list of sub-issues under taxes.

1. Is government spending at the state level growing too quickly?  If so, how would you curb spending?

A recent Utah Foundation report shows that Utah has the fastest growing state government in the nation at 6.3%.  The budget from this last session has done well to keep pace, I believe this year’s increase was 7%.  The government is definitely growing too quickly, and someone must put the monster back in its box.

I believe that we need a constitutional amendment to restrain the growth of our state government.  We need to adopt a policy much like the Colorado Taxpayers Bill of Rights, or the Michigan “Headlee Amendment” named after Utah resident and ex-Michigan Senator, Richard Headlee.

We need to stop spending based on personal income, and rather, allow the government to grow as the Utah economy grows in terms of the domestic product adjusted for inflation.  If the economy shrinks or grows slowly, then the government must likewise hold back.  It’s going to take someone from the outside to provide a new vision for how we budget in the state of Utah.

2. Compared to other states, Utahns pay a relatively high income tax and relatively low property taxes.

a. Should local governments including school districts raise more revenue locally, rather than relying on state funds?
b. If so, how would you encourage this?

In principle, I believe in local folks, local control and local influence.  I would love to see more of the money trading hands locally, and not getting sent up to the hill first, just to be sent back down to the neighborhoods.  However, I am also concerned that rural areas will not be able to support their education needs, if they don’t receive some assistance from the metropolitan areas.  It benefits all of us to have a strong rural Utah, and whether it be water, transportation, or school investment issues, the Wasatch Front has a financial stake in the well-being of rural Utah.

3. Is the tax burden in Utah spread fairly?

a. If not, where are the imbalances?
b. What would you do to change the tax structure?

I don’t believe that the tax structure is spread fairly.  We practically have a flat tax in this state with anyone making over $8500 in the same tax bracket.  I applaud the governor for putting together a commission to look at our tax structure, and provide suggestions for simplifying and streamlining our taxes.  I too would like to see a simplification of our tax system.

4. Related to the tax burden, Utah Foundation asked respondents if there were any other tax issues that were not addressed in the standard questions on taxes.  Of those that responded, 14% said “get rid of the tax on food.”  Would you as a candidate support this?  Why or why not?

The food tax may be the most regressive of all taxes.  I believe that we should try and eliminate it.  But the state cannot do so at the expense of local municipalities.  In many rural and urban cities, supermarkets make up a large share of city tax revenues.  If we just eliminate the sales tax, local communities will suffer.

My plan is to restrain the growth of state government, and then to use the surplus from economic growth to resolve inequities in the tax structure in steps.  For example, if we had a surplus of $100 million dollars in a year, and the state was not allowed to spend that surplus, then we can reduce the next year’s tax burden to meet that surplus.  With each year that passes, and as the economy grows, step by step we can reduce the tax until we eliminate it.

Growth Ranks Eighth on the list.  66% of those polled said the issue was about how to accommodate growth through infrastructure rather than trying to control growth.

1. Do you have specific plans on how to fund building projects for things like roads, water, and sewer, and assisting with school building projects?

From a state level, I believe that we absolutely must get started on the major infrastructure such as the state water projects, as well as the centennial highway.  I believe that in the case of the highways, we should make them user based so that we can fund them immediately, and not wait until 2010 or 2020 as current forecasts predict.

As far as the sewer and many of the city road projects, these are issues to be best resolved on a local basis, by the local municipalities and districts.  The state and the counties can help to coordinate inter-city and inter-county projects, so that the left hand is always talking to the right.

2. What is the role of state government in building new infrastructure?

The state is responsible for coordinating inter-county transportation, and other state-wide projects on line.  I believe in local counties and cities to take care of the projects that face their respective communities.

3. What role do local governments play in these projects?

As I have stated several times now, I believe in local folks, and their ability to make the best decisions for their community.  I would like to see local municipalities take care of the issues that face their communities, and for the state to keep focused on those projects that are inter-county and have state-wide impact.

Environment is issue number nine.  It has two sub-topics, air quality and hazardous waste.

1. What is the state’s role in addressing issues around air quality?

I believe that the state has a very important role in helping to have a state-wide vision of air quality for our state, and to stay on the leading edge of promoting technologies which help to preserve and improve our air quality in Utah.

2. What is your plan for addressing the concerns about the safety of the proposed hazardous waste storage sites?

I want to see an open and educated format for studying these issues, the potential risks, and the opportunities in Utah.  I believe that the public has a right to know what the risks are, and the public has the right to be involved in the final decision. 

3. Should Utah be in the business of storing hazardous waste?  Why or why not?

I don’t believe that you can simply answer this question yes or no, because from what I understand there are varying levels of waste, and varying levels of risk as well.  If there is a business opportunity, and the level of risk is acceptable to the population involved, then I believe that we could accept some waste, as we do now. 

I personally, as a citizen, do not want to bring in higher levels of waste at this time.  Nor do I support the storage of nuclear waste on the Goshute Indian Reservation, both because of the questions of safety, as well as the encroachment of the Air Testing Range, and the impact that has on the viability of Hill Air Force Base’s mission.

 Parental Rights ranks as number ten.

1. What would you do to balance the rights of parents and the rights of the state to intervene in cases where a child may be in danger?

I think that we simply need an independent ombudsman that can resolve any question of impropriety on the part of the state.  This needs to be an independent institution or board that can act quickly in these matters, to reduce the impact on the family.

2. What are your concerns surrounding this issue?

I believe that it is the right and responsibility of the parents to raise the child, and not the state.  I am concerned about the role of the state in the family.  I don’t believe that the state should try and make parental decisions, nor do I believe that the state has to agree with a parent’s decision.

I am also extremely concerned with the prevalence of neglect and abuse in our society, and I believe that society has a role in the protection of those who are defenseless.  We need to make sure that there is  a safeguard for Utah’s children, we just need to make sure where such power is given, that there is a check to make sure that the bounds aren’t overstepped.

3. Do you have concerns about the Division of Child and Family Services?  If so, what would you do to make the agency better?

Like all departments and functions of government, I believe that we must be in constant vigilance to make sure that bounds are not overstepped, and that there is a check to the power.  I also believe that we need to reward and honor our great state employees who do their jobs well.