UTAH - AN EXAMPLE FOR THE NATION
Rep. Mike Morley
When the advance party of Mormon pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in July 1847, their weary eyes, reddened from exposure to the sun and dust from the trail, scanned an empty wasteland broken only occasionally by a meager stream or lone tree. Immediately, they set their hands to the plow and through the hard work and thrift of this vanguard and those who would follow, they carved out of this wasteland a flourishing city which became the hub for hundreds of settlements, large and small, scattered throughout the Great Basin.
Two years later, the throngs of travelers entering the valley included many who were continuing on to gold fields of California in the great Gold Rush of ‘49. Following wise counsel from their leaders, most of the Mormon settlers remained here, raising crops and herds and helping to build their communities. Gold is a fickle friend and most who made the long journey with dreams of striking it rich found only enough to meet their expenses. After a season or two of back-breaking work and little to show for it, most of the 49ers returned to their homes or found other ways to make a living. By contrast, the reward of those who remained behind in Utah can still be seen today in the flourishing communities and deep roots of the generations who followed.
I recently returned from a trip to the Uintah Basin. It is incredible the growth that is taking place there because of the natural resources available in that area. With all the attention focused lately on oil shale, I was interested to learn more about the process and possibilities. Red Leaf is one of three companies with facilities currently planned or under construction in the Vernal area for the extraction of oil from oil shale. Conservative projections indicate a volume of 50,000 barrels of oil per day for each company. If Red Leaf, who has a lease for oil shale located on State Trustlands property, is able to achieve this conservative volume, it would add a minimum $164 million per year to the Trustlands trust fund for public education. That is only one company. Utah State University has a satellite campus under construction in Vernal thanks to private and public funds and donation totaling some $75 million. Such leadership and commitment is encouraging and bodes well for Utah.
It wasn’t too many years ago that Utah’s future seemed more bleak. Our children were our largest export as they left to find better-paying work in other states. The state was struggling financially and had very little hope that conditions would improve. However, over the past 10-15 years, the economy has surged and we have made substantial gains in many areas. Over the past two years, teacher pay has risen by $4,200 for every teacher. Education funding has increased by $1.2 billion in three years. Funding for much-needed roads is at an all-time high. Utah has been honored as the best-run state fiscally in the nation. Fortune 500 companies are relocating to Utah. Unemployment continues to be low, bucking the national trend. This is due to the hard work and thrift of the citizens of Utah. We truly are an example to the nation in these difficult economic times.
Economic prosperity is the tide that raises all ships. It has made possible tax cuts, keeping us competitive in a world market while still meeting state needs at an unprecedented rate. In times of economic prosperity, we need to vigilantly work to limit government growth to ensure a strong and vibrant future for our children. This forward thinking and balance approach will continue to to make us an ensign to the nation.
What's Going Right in Utah.
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