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Show Volume III, Issue I THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 23 November 1, 2000 Gubernatorial Candidate Bill Orton Responds to Questions from the OGDEN VALLEY NEWS 1. Would you please share with our readers your perspective on the state’s transportation issues in relation to our growing population, including current Legacy Bill Orton Highway plans and possible future plans for expansion into Weber County. My transportation plan includes maintenance and improvement of local and rural roads and highways plus development of regional commuter rail and rapid mass transit. Governor Leavitt should have rebuilt I-15 eight years ago, when construction costs were lower and the public disruption would have been minimal. Five years ago the federal government matching funds would have paid for 80% of the reconstruction. Now the federal matching fund formula has reversed and the State of Utah must pay 80% while the Feds pay only 20%. Transportation planning must keep pace with population growth. A balanced efficient transportation plan must include more than roads—we must also develop rapid mass transit. The Utah transportation plan is currently based solely upon building more lanes of freeway. In my opinion, we should build a commuter rail system, first to take pressure off of I-15 before building the twelve miles of Legacy Highway through Farmington Bay. It is also more economical to build the rail system first. The Federal government will not provide matching funds for the Legacy Highway but will provide a 90% cost share for rail. For the same $400 million investment of state funds that the 12 miles of Legacy would cost, we could build a $4 billion rail system. It is likely in the future that we will have to build an alternative road through the area to resolve the transportation bottleneck. However, we should make certain that the design and placement of the road is appropriate. I am not convinced that the entire Legacy Highway (which is a new freeway from Brigham City to Nephi built parallel to I-15) is necessary. 2. I’ve noticed that there has been a large push within the state to repeal controversial House Bill 320. Many are calling for a special session of the legislature in order to repeal the bill. Would you share your perspective on this issue? HB 320 – known as the Questar Bill – was written by a utility company lobbyist, crammed through the legislature with little debate and no public involvement and took away the public’s voice in the process. This is bad legislation because it eliminates the watchdog group that protected consumers in utility rate hikes. After the legislature passed HB 320, I publicly urged the governor to veto it. He refused and I then publicly urged him to call a special session of the legislature to repeal the bill prior to the November Election. He also refused to do this. Unless the bill is repealed prior to the election, the voters cannot be certain that it will ever be repealed. If elected governor, I will demand that the legislature repeal HB 320 and if I see bad legislation passed behind closed doors without public involvement—I won’t turn my back. I’ll VETO it! 3. In our last issue of the OGDEN VALLEY NEWS, a reader wrote in about the struggle of farmers to remain in the ag business due to the current economics of farming balanced against high land values. According to many, the current plight of the farmer is a national tragedy. Consequently, many farmers along the Wasatch Front are selling their farmlands to developers at the same time our burgeoning population is crying out for preservation of open spaces. Could you relate to our readers how, as governor, you plan to deal with this issue? Your reader is absolutely correct. The current plight of American Agriculture is the result of many factors. The latest Federal policy, known as “Freedom to Farm” is a complete failure. State agricultural policy is non-existent. It is imperative that we retain rural agriculture as an industry in Utah. I favor real estate tax and estate tax incentives to assist farmers to continue operating family farms. We must develop a joint state and federal farm policy that is coherent and effective. I do not favor government or private organizations purchasing farmlands and taking them out of production. However, I do support programs wherein farmers sell the future development rights but retain ownership of the land that can only be used for farming in the future. This can allow the landowner and future generations to continue farming while compensating him/her for the lost potential development profits. 4. Education seems to be a big issue in this election. Democratic challengers in many races are accusing Republicans of not being serious when it comes to providing quality education in the state. I’ve heard you quote statistics that indicate that the state, while thriving economically, is allotting, percentage wise, mush less funding toward education than it has in the past. Would you expound on this? Eight years ago, Mike Leavitt promised our children a “world-class education system.” Would anyone today classify Utah’s education system as “world-class?” Why not? For the past eight years we have had a Republican Governor and Republican controlled legislature. It has been the strongest eight years of economic growth in the state’s history. We have had surpluses in the school funds in each year that has not been spent on education. If we will not fix and fund education in the best of times, when will we do it? Governor Leavitt states that we have increased education spending by 85% over the past eight years (A num- ber that even his budget office cannot verify). Regardless of the amount of spending, it is not accurate to compare total spending over a period of years because every year we pay more for everything we purchase—our homes, cars, food & etc. The only realistic way to determine an overall increase or decrease in spending on any particular category of the budget is to compare the relative percentage of the total budget expended from year to year. According to the Utah Foundation, in 1973 Utah spent 80% (59% Public Ed and 21% Higher Ed), in 1986, during Bangerter’s term, Utah spent 69% (49% Public Ed and 20% Higher Ed), in 1993, the first year of the Leavitt term Utah spent 66% (48% Public Ed and 18% Higher Ed), and in 2000 Utah spends 62% (46% Public Ed and 16% Higher Ed). This is a clear trend that reflects a decreasing commitment to education. If the governor’s claim of an 85% spending increase is accurate, where has all that money gone? Has anyone seen an 85% decrease in class sizes or an 85% increase in teachers’ pay? How about 85% more teachers or 85% more school buildings or textbooks? In his 1993 State of the State Address, Governor Leavitt said, “This administration will not define our success in education or in any other area by the amount we spend, but rather, by our results.” The results of the past eight years clearly reflect a lack of commitment to improving education. 5. With your plans to increase funding towards education, how will other departments in the state be affected by the shifting budget? As an example: As the population continues to rapidly grow, stresses on our natural resources continue to mount. In light of concerns with quality of life issues, how would you respond to concerns about already relatively low funding for such departments as the Utah Department of Agriculture, which works with and provides funding for locally elected conservation boards that have a mandate from the state to identify and carry out conservation programs in Utah? Utah is one of the highest taxed states in the nation. We do not need to increase taxes. We have enough tax revenue to accomplish our goals in education and fund our other priorities. What must increase is our commitment and priorities using long-term planning. There are numerous sources for funding improvements in education and other priorities. We can save money from within the operations of the education system. Also, over the past eight years as inflation has increased just 20%, state government spending has increased almost 100%. We can slow the growth of state government and save money. In addition, Utah is projected to have a $250 million surplus next year. Over the past eight years we have had a total of $242 million in surplus school funds and over the past four years we have shifted $616 million from the school funds to the general fund. We will have adequate school funds to accomplish our goals without raising taxes or cutting other priority spending. On the issue of tax cuts, I favor cutting taxes for working Utah families. Over the past eight years Governor Leavitt and the legislature have cut Utah taxes 31 times for a total revenue loss to the state of over $1.2 Billion. But it is time for a reality check – Have your taxes gone down? Not unless you earn over $125,000 per year. According to the Utah State Tax Commission, if you earn less than $125,000 per year your state and local taxes have actually gone up over the past decade. If you earn over $125,000 your taxes have dropped significantly. 6. In summary, if a resident of Ogden Valley were to ask why they should cast their vote for you next week, how would you respond? I am a fifth generation Utahn from North Ogden. I understand the issues facing us and share our community’s values. I oppose abortion and gun control. I am running for Governor because I have a passion for education. I have a parental and a public interest. I have two boys, ages 5 and 3 and regardless of who takes the oath of office in January, my boys and the other half million Utah children will still be in the public schools. I want this election to be a referendum on Utah education. Of course there are other issues that require immediate and long-term attention. I have a plan to address healthcare, public safety, rural and agricultural problems, economic growth and crime, and campaign finance laws. Most people do not know that politicians in Utah can take any amount of money from any source and spend it on anything – even personal expenses. And if any money is left when they leave office they can pocket it. That is wrong and I will end it. Eight years ago, Mike Leavitt promised voters that he would serve no more than two terms, now he is running for a third. If elected governor, I will not only change campaign finance laws to get big money out of politics, I will serve just one term. Because I honestly believe that more can be accomplished in four years devoted to just the people’s business than in eight or twelve years filled with fundraising, campaigning, and yielding to special interests. If people like politics as usual with career politicians controlled by big money special interests, they should not vote for me. On November 7 the voters will have a real choice to change politics in Utah. I would appreciate your readers’ votes. Please send the OGDEN VALLEY NEWS your favorite historical picture. OGDEN VALLEY NEWS P O BOX 130 EDEN UT 84310 |