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Show 4 i Vernal Express Wednesday, October 29, 2008 A7 Candidates answer questions concerning 2008 election Candidates Continued from A3 live without oil be cannot can-not live without water. Four months ago I was paying pay-ing one dollar per gallon more on gasoline than I am now. The price of gasoline and oil will also determine when extracting oil from oil shale will be economically economi-cally feasible. It is difficult to predict when that will happen. One thing is certain. It will be when we are paying more for gas than we want to. Republican Party John G. Mathis, Vernal Having served as a mayor in the Uintah Basin for eight years and as a board member on the Community Impact Fund Board for four years, coupled with four years on the Natural Resources appropriations subcommittee in the legislature, I am in a unique position of understanding the issues is-sues relatingto mineral lease and severance tax monies as well as anyone serving in the legislature. We have seen record levels of mineral lease monies reached in the last few years, and the desire and need for funding of other services in state government put a great deal of pressure on mineral-lease money. Working with the knowledge and experience I have and as a member of the majority caucus, I believe I am the best candidate to have in Salt Lake to protect our interests in mineral lease and severance-tax money. I have run and was successful in passing several sev-eral pieces of legislation over the past several years giving more local control for mineral-lease money and returning more of that money to counties of origin, and will continue to fight for that. We must, however, demonstrate demon-strate wise use of those resources and use them to mitigate impacts of mineral extraction. The legislature leg-islature as a whole is aware of the tremendous resource Uintah County is to the overall economic health of the State of Utah. There is a great desire to see our economy continue to expand, as is demonstrated by the state's . commitmenttotheUSU-UBATC campus, improvements to Highway High-way 40, and other projects vital to our diversification. The upgrading of our transportation trans-portation infrastructure, is one pf the keys to expanding our economy. It will benefit all citizens citi-zens of the county, including the extraction industry, agriculture, recreation and tourism. The Seep Ridge Road is one element of the infrastructure that needs improvement. Do I believe it will help our energy-based economy? Yes, but so will all improvements improve-ments to our transportation infrastructure. The legislature has allocated record amounts of funding for transportation the last two years. I will continue to support projects like widening Highway High-way 40, including passing lanes,improvement to the Seep Ridge Road, and other infrastructure infrastruc-ture needs of the county, working closely with local elected officials and the Special Transportation District and their prioritization process. We must keep in mind, however, that part of the process is to see that government is accountable and efficient. The money we use for all of these projects is money that comes from taxpayers. It must be used efficiently and wisely so that the two needs are met. The extraction industry by its very nature is a boom-and-bust proposition. Some 70 percent of our economy is based on the extraction industry. I have lived through one boom-and-bust cycle. The key to stopping the cycle is diversification, and my belief is that the key to diversification diversi-fication is rooted in educational opportunities. I have worked diligently to help bring a USU-UBATC USU-UBATC campus to Vernal. If we are to attract new businesses we must have a workforce that is educated, and if we have educational edu-cational opportunities there will be a larger number of spin-off businesses. Once again, I believe the very key to evening out the booms and busts is educational opportunities. Uintah County is one of the most natural resource-rich counties in the nation. We are blessed with an abundance of gas, oil, ojl shale, grazing, timber, phosphate, natural beauty and wildlife. All of these resources will play a major role in our future. fu-ture. We as a state and a nation must develop and utilize our resources in a responsible manner, man-ner, but develop these we must. I have had many meetings and briefings with folks from the oil: shale industry and I do believe that the technology is now available avail-able to extract oil responsibly and that it can be a major force in our social and economic future. I have been working this last year to see that our water rights ' from the upper Colorado River basin are protected so that when these resources are developed we will have the water available for irrowth and exDanmon. I look forward to representing you for another two years if you so desire. de-sire. Constitution Party Daniel Dan-iel Ray, Vernal Answer to 1 The United States of America should not own Utah. Utahns should own Utah. In the short term I propose a system where the county receives 100 percent of the mineral lease money that originates within its boundaries, and where, in order for the State of Utah to get some of the money, they must tax the county. This policy of taxes going to the largest government entity and then making their way back to the people is backward. In the long term I propose returning as much as possible to the policy of land ownership, originating in the people individually indi-vidually and only where necessary neces-sary to the people collectively through the state. The current policies of mineral min-eral leasing and taxation are in opposition to the constitutional protections in the Constitution of the United States of America, in that the tax is not "proportional and uniform" throughout the United States. Additional statements The root problem today in relation to the concept of mineral leasing is that the federal government govern-ment owns the land in question. The land within Utah should primarily be owned by private entities en-tities such as people, and business busi-ness - secondarily by the state, i.e., by the people collectively, and the federal government should only own a very limited amount of land. To clarify, let me state that the federal government should not be in the business of making a profit, and that is why they should only purchase and own what land is necessary for "the erection of Forts, Magazines, Maga-zines, Arsenals, dock yards and other needfull buildings."(See Article I Section 8 Clause 17 of the Constitution of the United States of America.) The practice of the federal government gov-ernment owning land and taxing those who use it is contrary to Article 1 Section 9 Clause 4 of the Constitution of the United States of America. This is so because this sort of taxation cannot be "in Proportion to the Census or Enumeration herein before directed to be taken. " And furthermore it is contrary to the constitutional protection in Article 1 Section 8 Clause 1- that states"...all duties (taxes) shall be uniform throughout the United States. Answer to 2 Yes I do . However we must not take on debt in order to improve the Seep Ridge Road. Our national na-tional economy is weak because of excessive debt. The long-term economy in Uintah County will become strong in direct proportion propor-tion to the absence of debt, and the resulting low tax rates. Answer to 3 I will work to free the people of Uintah county, and the rest of the state as well, from unnecessary un-necessary taxation, unnecessary regulation, in short excessive government. This will allow the county to keep the fruits of its labor, and the people of Uintah County will then be able to decide for themselves on a local government govern-ment level what improvements they would like to make and they will have the money to do them. This is the most effective and equitable solution to the problem of insufficient infrastructure. Answer to 4 Metal Buildings Factory - Direct Pricing Frames in as little as three weeks I r j i . ' DesignBuild StandardCustom Packages Do it yourself or we can do it all .TDGELTNE U E V K L O I M K N I' INC. Ralph Calder 801.368.6590 ralcald(gaol.com C Medical Professional Building 3B East 100 North ? t HUIA XI. - AM. XZ A IV,- i 111 ''fflp J Renovated medical clinic contains 10 offices, 3 bathrooms, break room, reception area and waiting room. Offices are sound proofed. Integrated phone system and high speed internet. Lots of storage. Large parking lot. $490,000 Call 828-2545. Realtors welcome. More income at retirement? ITATI MIM 6.75 f'-"-i Brian KGorum, Agent 7b8 West Main Vornal, UT 84078 Bus: 435789-1234 brianbriangofiim com Single Premium Deferred Annuity Current effective annual interest rate for 10-year Interest Rate Guarantee Period based on premium of $50,000 as of 10162008 Rate includes a 1 00 bonus in the first year. At the end of the first year, the inteiest rate is reduced by 1.00 and is guaranteed for the remainder of the guarantee period. A tax benefit today, plus retirement income you can't outlive. Let's talk about the FUTURE INCOME PLUS deferred annuity from State Farm. statefarm.com',, I mum rains annlu (fir Inwni ntnmlum R.iic suhiiift In rtunnn withmil nntirn Arlual rate credited Will b() rate in affect on the day premium is received. Allot 1C i years, a new guaranteed interest rate, not less than 3. and Interest Rale Uiatantee I'oncd may apply M.nkot Value Ailiastmunt, it applicable, win decrease it unlhHr:nM:tlc ato rruiln ilnnf In llio linrl nl Ihp Interim R;iti (iimr.inten Period imiiutnr rfonw mat am in fiisl 1 ve.irs Mn M.iiknt Value Ailmslment and m Surrender Quae Will be applied to any death benefit payable Consult ynui Slate (aim writ lor policy details and yem t.ix or advisor tor specilic adviro I'oiiry awtt'S wiwu & U.W.W an slates pxcept Ml, NY. un, m, i w OOTOinMl.and A03010 & AOJO'IO in Wl. Stale faun ble Insurance Cumpany, Bliiomington, It Nnt licensed in MA, NY, and Wl) State farm Life and Accident Awunnre Cninp.my Rlnnmini!nn. II II irnnseii in NY and Wl). PIKWIW9 in.-Hv.'IW Nnl I IHI' Insured Ne It-ink liiUMnl"t' M.iy I om' V.il'ie Real economic diversification is freedom. Freedom is the only thing that can protect a good economy. Debt elimination is without a doubt one of the best tools of economic diversification. Self sufficiency is the only diversification diversifica-tion that you can always count on. We can keep freedom and . its preservation the reason we establish government. Beyond self sufficiency and freedom, the economy is driven by the whims of men. Answer to 5 I do believe that oil shale has a future in the Uintah Basin. I believe that anything good in life and anything that will aid us in seeking and attaining comfort and success in life depends solely upon how effectively we can educate edu-cate ourselves on the principles of liberty and how closely we can apply them to government. Libertarian Parry Ronald Ron-ald S. Regehr, Moab Answer to 1 Utah Law (59-21-1) requires the Legislature to apportion funds "to those subdivisions of the state socially or economically economi-cally impacted by development of minerals leased..." Myjob, as your legislator is to demonstrate to the Legislature the major deleterious del-eterious affects these extractions are having on the district. This would entail a comprehensive evaluation of each of the primary pri-mary departments of Uintah and Grand County, with emphasis on their concerns brought about by increased environmental affects, traffic, housing shortages, etc. Answer to 2 Yes assuming the Environmental Envi-ronmental Assessment Report is supportive. (I haven't seen the report.) Seep Ridge Road is needed to open up the southern portion of Uintah Co. for both SITLA and energy development. develop-ment. Answer to 3 With over 7,000 miles of roads, Uintah Co. Roads Dept. faces challenges on a daily basis. We need our roads primarily to facilitate trade and commerce, but must not forget they are a vital component of both recreation recre-ation and fire safety. As your representative I will work to ensure both Uintah and Grand counties receive their maximum legal allocation of our mineral lease money, gasoline road tax money, and SITLA money. Answer to 4 Our economy is threatened, oftentimes by forces beyond our control. Today's international recession is a prime example. However, even though Utah receives high marks for being business friendly, there is room for improvement without sacrificing sac-rificing our scenic beauty and cultural heritage. Let's work at allowing individuals the opportunity op-portunity to develop business and industry with local and stat e governments lending a helping hand instead of hindering and impeding. Answer to 6 Of course oil shale has a future in the Uintah Basin! As I understand under-stand it, Utah has the equivalent of over 1,500,000,000,000 barrels of oil more than the total pre-extraction pre-extraction reserves of the Middle East just waiting for an enterprising enter-prising entrepreneur to exploit. I propose we offer major tax incentives to encourage development develop-ment of an expeditious extraction system that will not only provide for an energy-independent Utah, but will ensure retaining our scenic sce-nic wonders and incomparable recreation opportunities. More Election Coverage Continued on A10 r- -i ArMrri r 'ft ir i nrr-r nv inn iin Your budget will love this beautifully built 1600 sq. ft. home. This traditional floor plan delivers 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, inviting living room with great corner windows, a sunny kitchen with wood floors and all situated on a .35 acre lot. Priced to sell at $249,900 ASPEN BROOK REALTY INC. HUB Begin your dream of affordable ownership with this well built 1600 sq. ft. home. You'll enjoy 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, casual living room, an inviting kitchen, and all on one level. Priced at only $245,900 7 ' i. 1 Jessica Pat Harrell, Schofield, Agent, GRI, Agent CRS 828-5280 828-5063 "Expect the Best" 1340 West Highway 40. Vernal, UT 84078 Office: (435) 789-7555 Fax: 781-2913 Today's Weather Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon 1030 1031 111 U2 113 z : - 6938 6739 6741 6037 5430 Sunshine. Highs in Partly cloudy. Highs Mix of sun and Considerable cloudi- Few showers. Highs the upper 60s and in the upper 60s and clouds. Highs in the ness. Highs in the in the mid 50s and lows in the upper lows in the upper upper 60s and lows low 60s and lows in lows in the low 30s. - 30s. 30s. in the low 40s. the upper 30s. Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset Sunrise Sunset 7:44 AM 6:16 PM 7:45 AM 6:15 PM 7:46 AM 6:14 PM 7:48 AM 6:12 PM 7:49 AM 6:11PM v TTLV,if I Celebrate Hometown Life ', VJ.Vi" Storip? for and about hometowns just like yours. Look for us each week in this paper t ' n 1 - I Utah At A Glance Moon Phases Logan . 6840' C Ogden 6846 "t .ith. Salt Lake City J O 7146 Vernal ,; . Provo 6g38 o New Oct 28 Full Nov 13 First Nov 6 o Last Nov 19 UV Index - Cedar City 7444 j J J Thu 1030 Fri 1031 Sat 111 Sun 112 Mon 113 Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate The UV Index is measured on a 0-1 1 number scnle, with a higher UV Index showing the npod for greater skin protection. pro-tection. 0 '.111 Area Cities beaver Blanding Brigham City Cedar City Delta Elko. NV Evanston, WY Farmington, NM Fillmore Flagstaff, AZ 3 41 72 44 68 43 74 44 71 39 74 38 64 39 73 39 74 43 64 28 sunny sunny sunny sunny sunny pt sunny sunny sunny sunny sunny Lildlia Jet, UU Green River Hober City Kannh Logan Moab Mt. Pleasant Ogdon Park City Preston, ID 72 40 sunnv 74 40 sunny 60 36 sunny 75 46 sunny 68 40 sunny 75 38 sunny 68 38 sunny 68 46 sunny 59 38 sunny 67 38 sunny National Cities Allanla bt it sunny Houston Boston 49 31 mst sunny Los Angelus Chicago G2 44 sunny Miami Dallas 78 55 sunny Minneapolis Doiivor 71 41 sunny New York 79 76 64 51 64 sunny 61 pt sunny 70 rain 44 sunny 34 sunny Price Provo Richfield Roosevelt Salt Lake City Sandy St. George Tooole Vernal Wendover PlKionix San Fiunoisco Seattle St. Louis 61 M 67 40 73 40 63 38 71 46 69 47 83 55 67 44 69 38 69 43 sunny sunny sunny sunny sunny sunny sunny sunny sunny sunny 90 76 59 69 b: sunny 57 cloudy 51 cloudy 49 sunny Washington, DC 56 36 sunny OP005 Amenrnn Pmfilp Hometown Content Servico |