| Show Cook thinks Utah has unequal justice j Dean Cruff Managing Editor I dont don't look back at the past Even though I didn't win in 1988 1 I created some central is issues issues is- is sues in the state said Independent independent independent inde Inde- pendent gubernatorial candidate candidate candidate can can- Merrill Cook In 1987 Cook left the Republican party because of the state tax hike He then became an independent candidate and andin andin in 1988 he spearheaded the fight for tax reform Cook said he feels he has a better chance of working with the legislature by being inde inde- pendent I think every legislator legislator legislator legis legis- lator is going to feel truly independent independent independent inde inde- pendent of interest groups because I am not a partisan of either party The Republicans or Democrats wont won't just go along with me because Im I'm in their party They will look at the is issues issues issues is- is sues and make up their own mind said Cook When asked how Cook felt about spending millions of dollars on bringing the winter Olympics to Utah he said We need to stop the 56 million million million mil mil- lion state sales tax diversion for the Olympics Its It's wrong to divert that divert that much money for forthe forthe forthe the Olympics before w we we w win n nth th the bid especially when health care and human services services services ser ser- vices needs are going unmet Atlanta didn't spend any money before they got the summer games said Cook Cook thinks we need to spend more of our education money in the class room and not so much in administration tion He has a five point plan change legislative appropriation tion laws to enable the governor governor governor gover gover- nor and the legislature to f fund classrooms instead of the district district district dis dis- dis- dis and state offices of Education Education Education tion consolidate the states state's 40 districts into 25 streamline the states state's Office of Education and the 40 district offices to eliminate the duplication of curriculum development services services services ser ser- ser ser- vices allow some attrition of personnel within the public education system over four years and shift all present career ladder monies directly into teachers teacher's salaries Cook said the plan could make available over million million million mil mil- lion for teachers' teachers salary increases increases increases in in- creases without raising taxes and would bring the teachers' teachers salaries to the national average Cook also believes the out- out state of-state tuition in higher education education education tion is too l low w. w I complained during the campaign to remove tax on food state Out-of-state tuition tuition tuition tui tui- tui- tui tion at the University of Utah was too low and then they raised it but they should have raised it more more its its it's not right to threaten state in-state students with big tuition hikes or significant restricted access to the university university university before the Us U's out of sity we set state tuition competitive ve with other states states' universities added Cook When asked about the states state's surplus and the money going into a rainy day fund Cook said its it's a nice label but we are way over taxed When you go into the hospital they dont don't charge you when it only cost so they will have a rainy day fund Cook believes the execution of William Tilliam Andrews was justified jus jus- Im not a thirsty blood person but what Andrews and Selby did were heinous crimes he said Cook thinks thinks' we have unequal unequal une une- qua justice in the state of Utah If Andrews was executed for what he did then Lance and Killpack should be put to death for their killing spree and Worthington for the killing killing kill kill- ing of a nurse at Alta View hospital He is upset at the fact that Hoffman was able to plea bargain his way out of a murder case in which he killed people by setting off bombs Cook said even though the governor doesn't decide the fate of a killer he sets the tone for the state by expressing his views Cook thinks the gubernatorial race will come down to Mike Leavitt and himself L Leavitt avitt stands for the status quo duo and 1 l stand for change The Democrats haven't come on said Cook |
