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Show I PAGE 8 PAGE 9 Senate 29 Cclndidates Candidates for State Senate District 29 are Republican Incumbent John W. (Bill) Hickman and Democrat Terrence (Terry) Moore The .elected official will represent both Iron and Washington Counties. H ickman's · personal polrtical philosophy" is to be fiscally conservative and socially moderate. · r try toikeep 1n mind that it is not our money that we are spending but the taxpayers' money," he said Hickman said he 1s "fiscally moderate· when 1t comes to services for state citizens such as housing, transportation and elderly and disability services ·1 tend to make sure the productive programs are given priority and adequate funding,· he said If elected , H ickman's goals are to bnng to the Senate a strong voice for southern Utah, as well as SUU and D1x1e State College Other goals include strengthening funding for public education 1n both Iron and Washington Counties and making sure the second half of the Centennial Highways ProJect is adequately funded Hickman lives in St. George, where he is the marketing director for The Village Bank. He served in the Utah House of Representatives for eight years. Moore said he believes the most important aspect that faces our district is education · we have two very fine institutions-Dixie State College and SUU ." he said "Technology grows so fast that we need to make sure we put enough money into school programs so students can get good-paying jobs.· If elected, Moore hopes to bring more well-paying Jobs to St George He also wants to revise state income taxes "It's a question of tax equity across the board," M oore said "[Higher taxes) need to be shifted to the higher wage owners • M oore ,s a resident of Santa Clara where he teaches music and advises the student government at Snow Canyon High School. He has had experience in municipal government working with housing issues District 72 Vying again house choices Candidates for State House of Representatives District 72 are Incumbent Republican DeMar "Bud" Bowman and thirdparty candidate Victor R. Schafer. Bowman said he is running because he wants to improve the "problems of rural Utah,· such as public and higher education, roads and transportation. crime and highway safety. "I'm a conservative but quite moderate," he said. ·1 try to use common sense." Bowman has served in the House of Representatives for eight years. He has also served as president of the Chamber of Commerce, helped with funding for the Utah Shakespearean Festival and served on several committees, such as the Weber/SUU Nursing Committee Board and the Area Health Education.Committee Bowman resides in Cedar City, where he is a retired highway patrolman. Schafer, who is running as an Independent Amencan, was unavailable for comment. All-time high for voting students A record high of SUU students h ave registered to vote in the upcoming election. thanks to a new student committee. An estimated 25 percent of students are now eligible to vote in the Nov. 7 election. The Civic Awareness Committee, head up by Andrea Latimer, a senior communication major from Midway, Utah, have been tracking down unregistered voters since early October and handed out more than 2,500 forms. A final count of those registered is unavailable, Latimer said, because students could have mailed the form to their home county clerk. The committee 1s comprised of student leaders and representatives from the Center for Politics and Public Service, College Democrats. College Republicans, and other volunteer students. One candidate for state treasurer is Republican incumbent Edward (Ed) T. Alter. He has had proper training to qualify for reelection as state treasurer with a degree in banking and finance and a master's degree in business administration Hts experience includes public accounting as a CPA and several years as a public treasurer He has been recognized for Utah's top ranking in financial management by Finance World and Govemmg magazines Republican incumbent, Austin G Johnson Ill 1s running for state auditor. He has served as the state auditor for the past five years. He 1s dedicated to being accountable to the citizens of Utah by ensuring the integrity of the state's accounting systems and the accuracy of the audited financial reports. He wants to make sure the state continues to follow the most current and appropriate accounting standards and prepare for changes in the advent of E-government. Final lap for presidential elections collaborative effort to save the program once in office. parents would be given vouchers to take their children to During the last few months, the entire United States has become a battle ground for presidential candidates, with other schools, including private institutions Gore wants to augment the current system by adding Bush also wants to move the highly successful Head tnlllons of dollars into Social Security coffers, and use Texas Gov. George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore clamoring for control of electoral votes. budget surpluses to help save the system. Start preschool program under the auspices of the U.S. The latest polls have given a lead, however slight, to Department of Education. Republican Bush, but his Democratic contender is not out Gore said students should have to take the National TAXES: This is one issue where the presidential contenders for the count are polarized. Bush said he wants a $1 .3 It is one of the tnllion tax cut 1n the next 10 most hotly contested races years. The cut w,11 come from projected budget surpluses since 1960, a neckand-neck battle to and go to everyone who pays the end. taxes. The result, the Gore VVith crucial decisions on social campaign insists, is that the rich would receive most of the security, budget surpluses, military tax cuts However, since the spending and rich pay most of the taxes, supreme court they would receive the bulk of 1ushces, among the benefit others, waiting on Gore has proposed a the horizon, this smaller, more complex tax cut race for president for people In certain brackets, will ultimately drive such as those paying college the economy and tuition the country for the prospective future. FOREIGN POLICY Both The following is a camps differ on foreign policy breakdown of the Bush wants to step back from leading candidates' conflicts, and Gore said he platforms on select would like to increase our Democratic candidate for president, Al Gore. Republican candidate for president, George W Bush. issues affecting efforts in some areas. college students. Assessment of Educational Progress, a test administered Bush w2nts to scale back peacekeeping efforts in foreign by the federal government. Gore also wants to spend an countries and only move into hostile situations as a last EDUCATION : Voters have moved the issue of education to additional $50 billion to create a universal preschool resort. He wants to withdraw from NATO peacekeeping, do the top of the list in this year 's race, forcing both candidates program away with the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and build a to come up with plans for fixing what some see as a missile defense program. crumbling system. SO_CIAL SECURITY: A major issue for baby boomers and Gore, however, wants to redo the national security Both candidates want to hold schools more accountable, college;age youth alike 1s the longevity of the Social agenda, get more involved in social and economic disasters but in different ways. Secunty program. abroaq and protect third world countnes if needed. Bush has offered to allow citizens to manage a portion of For more information visit: www.georgewbush.com and Bush wants to require students in grades 3-8 to take state-administered tests, and if students repeatedly fail, the their own funding sent to the program and setup a www.algore2000.com. 2nd, 3rd district election contenders 3rd District: VVith only a week to go in the race for the third congressional district, Republican incumbent Rep. Chris Cannon has a commanding lead, despite the fact his opponent. Democratic newcomer Donald Dunn, has been stumping around the district, while Cannon has been stuck in Washington, D.C. Dunn said he is running to have a balance in Utah politics and because there needs to be a new generation of leaders He supports a limited role of the federal government 1n education, but wants more assistance for higher education. DL:nn has outspent Cannon 2 -1 Cannon said he wants to hang on to his seat so he can help work with the government on the public lands issues. He also supports a limited role of the federal government in education. He supports tax reforms and opposes an Internet tax. For more information visit: www.donalddunn.com and wwwchriscannon.com 2nd District: The race is neck-and-neck in the second congressional district where the incumbent, lame-duck Rep. Merrill Cook, was beaten in the primary elections by Republican newcomer Derek Smith. Democratic contender Jim Matheson. son of former Utah Gov Scott Matheson and Smith have been clamoring for votes in a heated race Matheson said he is running because there needs to be a new generation of leaders "who will focus on the next generation • His main issues include saving Social Secunty and Medicare, and paying down the national debt. He ,s also a proponent of tax relief and making prescnption drugs more affordable. Matheson has seen a lot of Democratic support dunng th race. including a fundra,ser from President Clinton in Washington, D.C. Smith said he is running because he wants the government to serve the people and · not the other way around • He wants to lower taxes, limit federal control of education, and have a "limited but responsive· government. Former presidential contender, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), stumped for Smith recently in Salt Lake City. For more information visit: www.smith4congress.com and www.matheson200.com Leavitt and Orton battle to the top for gubernatorial seat Democratic contender for governor Bill Orton promised to make education a top priority and Republican incumbent Gov. Mike Leavitt vowed to continue driving education to a higher level Although not the single issue in the Utah governor's race, the education spending debate will most likely be the foremost. Pausing from their busy campaign schedules, Leavitt and Orton talked with the Universny Journal about their plans to revamp education and to explain how they will deal with other issues if they are elected. BACKGROUND· Leavitt, an alumnus of SUU and Cedar City native, was president of his family's business, the Leavitt Group, a regional insurance firm, and later served on the State Board of Regents before being elected governor in 1992. He and his wife, Jacalyn, have five children: Michael, Taylor, Anne Marie, Chase and Westin. In one of the highest vote totals in state history, Leavitt was reelected in 1996, with three out of four votes cast in his favor. Throughout his time in the top post, Leavitt has thrust himself into several national issues, including taxing the Internet and supporting state's rights. Orton, an Ogden resident, and his wife, Jacquelyn, have two sons, VVill and Wes. He earned a baccalaureate degree and juris doctorate from Brigham Young University. · Bill Orton Later, Orton became a high-profile attorney, even once arguing before the United States Supreme Court on behalf of the Idaho Potato Farmers, a case which struck down the line-item veto as unconstitutional. He served in Congress representing Utah's 3rd District from 1991 through 1997. EDUCATION: Leavitt proudly declared how education spending during his two terms has increased 85 percent. He also said class sizes have decreased an average of three students and teacher pay has risen faster than almost every other state However, he said, it still is not enough. J RURAL UTAH: A major point from his opponent's camp, so far, has been that Leavitt proposed seven · commitments· to education , including funding any deficit from textbooks purchases, continuing to reduce classroom size, increasing Leavitt is out of touch with rural Utah, a point which Leavitt disputes. "It's hard to be everywhere as many times as you'd like to be," Leavitt said . But teacher pay, augmenting per-student spending, boosting reading skills and raising graduation rates of minority students . nevertheless, he notes that he has visited Cedar City as many as eight times in In addition, he said , there are three higher education areas he wants to work the last year. on, such as increasing the velocity at which students Orton said a governor should do more. "You need to elect people who know you exist; who care to come can get a four-year degree, additional access to out and listen to you, and will represent you. That's what a governor education through ac@ifional programs and more focus on engineering and computer science should do," Orton said. Using his time in Congress as an example, Orton said he held programs. town meetings in each county at least three times just for one Orton said education will be "first and foremost" if issue-something, he said, the governor has never done. he is elected because he worries children are being shortchanged. LEADING THE STATE: Leavitt said the choice to run for a third"I'm concerned," he said, · and I want my kids, and term was really not an option because of a need to continue the rest of the kids, to get the best quality education. In [Leavitt's) administration, education has been a several proiects. · "There has never been a time I have been better prepared to do last priority.· service," he said. · 1 have so many things I'd like to maintain the Orton said the only plan he needs is to make momentum of.· education first when dealing with budgets. He also He said he is · uniquely able to lead· those projects and "intends said that higher education has been dealt the short to make this the most productive time that I've served ." end of the stick. Orton said Leavitt has not met the challenge in his other terms "Higher education is as bad or worse than and there needs to be a change. Pointing to. a rushed fix of 1-15, [kindergarten) through [1 2th grade)," he said. "Higher Michael 0 . Leavitt Orton insists that Leavitt's administration has dealt with problems [education) over the last 20 to 25 years has seen a through · crisis management,· and not by planning. steadily decreasing amount of the budget," he said . "That 1s how [Leavitt) deals with problems,· he said. "He waits until it 1s a Targeting that problem he said is to reduce management of the colleges by the crisis that can no longer be ignored." That, he said , is precisely why the state legislature and Board of Regents. needs a new governor. "They're not the experts in higher educa tion," he said . "They're ineffective and inappropriate." For more information, visit the candidates web sites at: www.mikeleavitt.com Fixing the problem, he said, will be to · get legislature off the back of higher ed,• and www.billorton.com. increase financial aid for students and increase resources to kee-p professors. Two initiatives on voter ballot Initiative A : Shall a law be enacted to· 1. declare English Utah's official and sole language for state and local government documents and action; 2. exempt those documents and actions required by the United States and Utah constitutions; federal law and regulations; law enforcement, public safety, and health requirements; public and higher education: certain judicial proceedings: economic development and tourism; and libraries; 3. require public and higher education to enact rules to promote learning and using English and encourage reaming foreign language; and 4. return to the General Fund monies appropriated or designated for services in another language, and require accounting? Initiative B : Shall a law be amended to: 1. forbid forfeiture (seizure and sale) of property involved in crime where an innocent owner neither knew of nor con~ nted to the crime; 2 create uniform procedures to protect property owners where forfeiture is sought by the government; 3. require the government to prove property is subject to forfeiture, and to reimburse owners for damage to · property in custody; 4. require distribution of forfeiture proceeds, after deductions for court costs and victim losses, to schools instead of counties or the state; 5. clarify valuation methods for forfeited property, and require tracking and reporting of all money from its sale? |