As a state legislator, I hold sacred the oath I have taken to uphold the United States Constitution and the Utah Constitution. I believe both of these documents, along with the Declaration of Independence, are inspired of God. As I have studied the Utah County Republican platform, I believe it to be representative of the principles introduced in these inspired documents. As such, I fully uphold the principles of the county platform and have abridged the principles found in these documents into the following three guiding principles:
Family
The family is the fundamental unit of society and must be preserved. I will continue to work tirelessly to defend and preserve the sanctity of the family. The fundamental problems in society are symptoms of the deterioration of the family unit.
Smaller Government
I subscribe to the time tested principle set forth by Thomas Jefferson of never asking a larger group to do that which can be done by a smaller group. I will continue to work for small government, closer to the people. Such a government is more responsive to the people, more efficient and effective, and engenders more public participation. The family is the smallest and most effective form of government.
Fiscal Responsibility
I consider the appropriation of tax revenues a sacred trust. Utah is heavily taxed. I will continue to support tax decreases and to hold the line on spending, prioritizing those things of higher importance and eliminating spending which is no longer necessary. Some programs, no matter how well meaning, are simply not the proper role of government. I subscribe to the opinion of Ronald Reagan, 'Government always finds a need for whatever money it gets.' I believe the family can better use its resources.
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A Few of My Positions
Budget
I am a fiscal conservative and do not support tax increases. I have been named a Friend of the Taxpayer and have receive a rating of 95%-1005 from the Utah Taxpayers Association every year I have been in office. I believe we need to hold the line on spending, prioritizing those things of higher importance and eliminating spending which is no longer necessary.
As a businessman in Utah County for over 30 years and as a father of 9, I have experienced many economic ups and downs. Budgeting through these good and bad times has taught me how to live within my means. The four principles that guide my budgeting decisions are as follows:
• I support limiting government growth to population growth plus inflation. By limiting or reducing government growth, we provide our children the freedom of a government they can afford.
• It is critical for government hold the line on spending. Our government has finite resources and must prioritize spending to include only necessities. All non-essential expenditures must be carefully scrutinized or eliminated. Our government should not feel obligated to fund every good idea. Only those items that fall within the proper role of government should be considered for funding.
• As a matter of principle, citizens should keep as much of their hard-earned money as possible. Utah's citizens are heavily taxed. I will fight all attempts to raise taxes. Tax money is a sacred trust that should only be used for appropriated expenditures.
• Our government must use realistic and conservative forecasting when budgeting future expenditures. In this way, we will avoid painful mid-year corrections. Responsible budgeting will allow State government to honor its previous monetary commitments while keeping current operations intact.
Smaller Government
I believe in the principle of small government as delineated by Thomas Jefferson. He emphasizes the importance of a division of power. Jefferson said, "The way to have a good and safe government, is not to trust it all to one, but to divide it among the many, distributing to every one exactly the functions he is competent to perform." I believe that if all governmental power is focused in one body, accountability suffers and bureaucracy thrives.
The family is the smallest unit of government. Jefferson expressed this by stating, "It is by dividing and subdividing [government]...until it ends in the administration of every man's farm by himself...that all will be done for the best." Responsibilities of the family should not be delegated to government.
Small government is closer to the people. Local government is more accessible and responsive to its citizens needs. By keeping government close to the people, citizens can make their voices heard instead of losing them to the dictates of Salt Lake City or Washington, D.C.
Separation of Church and State
In my opinion, the doctrine of the separation of church and state as currently interpreted by the Supreme Court is a misrepresentation of the intent of the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson in 1802 clearly addressed this issue. His intent was to restrict government's ability to force specific religious views on the citizenry, not to keep the citizens from exerting their influence on the government through their free exercise of religious choice.
Abortion and Euthanasia
I support abolishing abortion in favor of adoption and caring for our aged and infirm family members. The Declaration of Independence clearly states that we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights.
• Life is a God-given right. It is not to be arbitrarily terminated for convenience.
• Only God has the right to take life. I am opposed to the so-called "right to suicide".
• I am pro-life.
Education
Families can be strengthened when parents accept more responsibility for the education of their children and become involved in the process. As shown by a recent study on military schools, parental involvement significantly raises test scores. From my experience growing up in the Nebo School District and watching my children now move through the public education system, I see many positives upon which we can build.
Click here to see what the legislature has done for public education over the past three years.
Pornography
Families are strengthened when parents teach children to respect their bodies. The battle against pornography is a war we must win because:
• Pornography destroys the very fiber of our society by destroying family morality and unity
• Pornography numbs the conscience and leads to violent, immoral, and abusive acts
• If unchecked, pornography pollutes the minds of children and adults alike
Welfare
Families are strengthened by teaching and rewarding a strong work ethic. As a nation, we must care for those who cannot legitimately care for themselves. However, there are better ways to do so than the present system. We must realize:
• We must realize this nation will bankrupt itself if we continue with the social agenda we are currently pursuing
• We must modify government welfare programs and encourage families and charities to do more
Gun Control
I am a strong supporter of the Second Amendment which guarantees our right to have and bear arms. The problems in this area seem to be:
• The concerns surrounding the rampant illegal use of guns is more an issue of the deterioration of family values than the availability of guns
• Violence is a symptom of more basic social and moral problems
The American Penal System
It is the responsibility of parents to teach moral values to their children. I support laws which reflect those values. I believe government has a responsibility to enforce those laws by:
• Providing adequate jails and correctional institutions staffed by good lawmen
• Providing for a just and speedy trial
• Providing for punishments which fit the crime and are carried out swiftly
• Requiring criminals to provide labor for their own support
• Requiring convicts to pay restitution wherever possible
• Placing reasonable time limits on the appeals system -- no appeals lasting more than 10 years
Income Tax
Our national income tax system has been broke from its inception. It is irreparable and needs to be abolished in favor of a national excise or sales tax.
Taxes
Taxes are a sacred trust and are extracted from our citizens by force. They should only be used for items that are within the proper role of government. I am a fiscal conservative and do not support increased taxation. I am the only legislator to consistently receive a 100% rating with the Utah Taxpayers Association. I believe we need to hold the line on spending, prioritizing those things of higher importance and eliminating spending which is no longer necessary.
Military and Law Enforcement
I am a strong advocate of our active duty and national guard servicemen and women. Promoting a strong national defense is the proper role of government and this extends to members of our law enforcement community. As a member and former vice-chairman of the Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee, I have sponsored and supported bills which aid and promote our police, highway patrol, and sheriff’s departments in performing their constitutional duties to protect the citizens. In recent years, I have run legislation which provides additional benefits and honors to our veterans and active duty military. One example is the Scott B. Lundell Military Survivors’ Tuition Waiver bill which provides higher education tuition waivers for dependents of active duty military personnel killed in action. I also co-sponsored Tax Credit for Military Retired Pay which gives a tax exemption for veterans’ retirement pay which had previously been taxed.
Illegal Immigration
I strongly uphold the rule of law. It is what makes our nation great, secures for its citizens freedom and liberty, and keeps us from tyranny. I have supported and sponsored legislation to enforce our current laws and help improve our nation’s sovereignty and security. Immigration is a constitutional role of the federal government. However, this role has been neglected leaving the responsibility on the shoulders of the states to enforce on a piecemeal basis. I will continue to encourage our federal leaders in Washington DC to show greater leadership in this critical area.
Transportation
During the economic downturn of 2001-2002, transportation funding was set aside, causing us to fall behind in our critical transportation needs. At that time, most funds that had been appropriated for transportation were depleted by other government needs and programs. It became necessary to put additional emphasis on transportation in order to ensure Utah’s ongoing economic viability and quality of life and establish transportation as a priority for the future. As such, I have worked hard with other legislators to prioritize transportation by instituting a policy shift. Since 2006, all auto-related sales tax revenues are dedicated to transportation for roads, corridor preservation, and transit. This has dramatically improved the funding model for transportation.
We have also fought hard and have been successful in taking the politics out of transportation decisions by implementing a scientifically driven model to determine needs and place the projects with highest need at the top of the list. Previous models were driven by political will. Those in power had control over how projects were prioritized. Currently, roads and transit are funded from different funding streams. I have been a strong proponent of combining the lists for roads and transit, letting each spoke in the transportation wheel vie for the same money based truly on need. While I recognize we cannot afford to stall our transit projects given our increasing population, I also recognize that where the state currently subsidizes 15¢ of every dollar spent on roads, transit is exactly the opposite with fares only covering 15¢ of every dollar spent.
Utah Lake, one of the largest inland freshwater lakes in the western United States, is a vast and virtually untapped resource. As a member of the Utah Lake Commission, we are working with all interested parties to clean up the lake, enhance its natural beauty and water quality, and evaluate a transportation corridor connecting the east and west sides of the lake. We were successful in obtaining funding this year, due primarily to the efforts of Rep. Sumsion, Rep. Clark and me, to fund an environmental impact study of the lake which is required to move forward with these objectives.
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