PRINCIPLED REPRESENTATION
Rep. Mike Morley
The story is told of a family vacationing on a houseboat. They had spent several days on the lake and the weather had been calm and clear. The previous nights, the father had buried the boat’s two anchors in the sand as instructed by the boat rental staff, but on this last night he casually draped one anchor line over a rock and the other around a large stump that had washed up on the shore. Not long after going to bed, the family was awakened by high winds. Heavy waves dashed against the side of the boat, causing it to drift away from the shore. Only the combined efforts of the entire family saved them and the boat from certain destruction.
In the storms of life, correct principles are the anchor which protect and strengthen individuals and families.
When first taking office, I received wise council from a seasoned senator who, pointing to the reporters and lobbyists in the hallway, said, “Those are not your constituents. Your constituents are back at home working and taking care of their families and counting on you to make the right decisions for them.” I have never forgotten that wise council.
Based on that sobering council, I set about studying how to be a principled representative. I studied the U.S Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and the Utah State Constitution, the County and State Republican Platforms. I pondered the values each of these documents contained and synthesized those into three guiding principles which have been my litmus as I have considered hundreds of bills over the past six years. These principles are:
FAMILY: The family is the fundamental unit of society and strengthening the family is paramount. All the ails of society are but symptoms of the deterioration of the family.
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY: Taxes are a sacred trust and must be used properly and only to promote the proper role of government.
LIMITED GOVERNMENT: Government should be maintained small and close to the people. The family is ultimately the best and most efficient form of government.
Issues come and go with each passing session, but principles endure from generation to generation. I determined to be a principle-based representative weighing the issues of the day against seasoned principles that last. Correct principles, tested and proven, are the anchor which protect and strengthen a nation.
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