tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88068206972470979012024-03-04T23:54:00.095-07:00Wendy Hart: ASD School BoardUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger176125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-55682995983790581362020-06-08T14:07:00.002-06:002020-06-08T14:07:45.159-06:002020 Candidates for County Recorder: Andrea Allen and Brian VoeksAndrea Allen is the current Deputy Recorder.<br />
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Brian Voeks currently works for County Commissioner Bill Lee.<br />
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These are notes from the County Recorder debate which included additional candidates--Paul Child and Doug Gifford--who did not advance to the Primary Ballot.<br />
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Brian Voeks:</div>
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Fiscal Conservatism: worked for Commissionner Bill Lee. Vitally important to have dept heads who are fiscal conservatives. Will only ask for budget increases that will result in cost savings. Try to do my part to not raise taxes again.</div>
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Fresh perspective: 50 years since there was an outside person</div>
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Qualified leadership: attorney in good standing. </div>
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Andrea Allen:</div>
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Worked for the Recorder's office for 27 year. Take on a new role in leadership. Duty is to you.</div>
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I know where we can look for improvements, through wise use of current technology.</div>
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Maintain accurate records</div>
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Ensure user friendly access to those records. </div>
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Paul Child:</div>
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You want to serve the most people with the best good. Spent a lifetime (30 years) working in recorders' offices throughout this state and MT. It is a technical position, not administrative. There's a lot that you need to have knowledge about. Like your car if it's making noises, will you drive up to the guy in the fancy suit, or would you use the service bay?</div>
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Doug Gifford:</div>
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Lifelong county resident. 15 years in the recorder's office. Surveying and business management experience. Not satisfied with an office that can't perform its work in the state-required timeline. We can do better. UT County needs a recorder's office that is fiscally conservative and provides documents in a timely manner.</div>
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Q. What experience best qualifies you? Do you have any experience in reading drafting and understanding deeds?</div>
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AA: 27 years in the office. Mapping tech: reading and understanding deed, then moves on. I understand state code that we are required to follow. I know the different types of documents, qualifications if there are subdivisions or condos. </div>
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PC: 29 years working for title companies and then 1 year at the recorder's office. Interpreting docs and researching and finding solutions to problems. I've seen other county recorders' offices as I've done that.</div>
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DG: Vast array of experience related to drafting and understanding deeds. Background in surveying, experience in multiple CAD systems. I know what qualifies for property boundaries: not always is it described on the deed. My business experience and success in managing a team.</div>
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BV: Most important thing (SL county recorder) is to manage budgets and people. I have experience in putting together large budgets and overseeing them. Managed UT County govt that has over 1000 employees. I deal with sensitive topics, like legal disputes and personnel issues. Those at the county will say that I am fair. Law degree: able to read as well as able to comply with and understand state law.</div>
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Q. Top issue facing the recorder's office.</div>
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PC: 2 month delay, but a bigger issue is the black hole: the time period between when a document is stamped and the time it is available to search. Doing better (2 weeks). But for a while, we were taking a month to do this. That is a problem for title insurance underwiters. 2 weeks is still 5-6000 documents that no one knows are there for 2 weeks.</div>
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DG: Black hole is a big issue. It's part of the entirety of the process with the 2 month delay. This black hole didn't exist a few years ago. It's ballooned. My approach to solving it would be to fix the fractured scheduling of the recording clerks up front. Currently, they have tasks every 1.5 hours, so that doesn't give them enough time to focus on the task at hand and get the necessary work done.</div>
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BV: I agree that the black hole is the biggest issue. The office could better use tech. We only have one e recording vendor in the county. We'd like to see more of those. would like to implement a title fraud notification program, in order to prevent title fraud from ruining someone's financial life. Accepting credit cards, debit cards, and e-checks, similar to other depts in the county.</div>
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AA: A backlog of work is an issue. The 2 month backlog is probably a little inaccurate. The mappers are working documents from March. Working to solve that, and we haven't been able to replace people who have left. We are working on instapayments and is the works. Doing our best to keep things moving with the growth that has come into the county with existing staff. </div>
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Q. Biggest improvement you could make</div>
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DG: Engaging the employees. Opportunities to be made to increase the productivity. I don't think we are understaffed and we have the tools to perform our essential function and excel. I was successful in implementing a process to have targeted goals and reach our 15 day stipulation in state law. By starting a few months in advance, we were able to make measurable increase within the end of the year. This is the closest we've ever come to meeting that goal.</div>
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BV: I'd like to set the gold standard at the county for customer service. It's essential that our customers always be greeted by a friendly staff member and work hard to addres their issues. I've had other reach out to me with clerical errors and trying to get them fix. I've had people say it was confusing about what they would need to do because someone wasn't there to greet them.</div>
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AA: Invested in preserving our duty to the public. Need to make sure we maintain our services online, continue to be updated and available at no cost. We would help you if you were in the office, without charging. Would like to implement tech IF it makes sense, will improve the quality of work, and if it fits in the budget. We do well in customer service with what we have.</div>
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PC: Customer service is superior, excellent. Might be able to change the focus from data entry accuracy (and that's good). But the beginning step of data entry would be to focus on just getting a few pieces of information out so that black hole would disappear. Implement the names of the parties and a brief legal description within a day or two.</div>
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Q. Recording fee was recently raised. What is the best use of those funds?</div>
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BV: In favor of the fee increase, at the legislature, from $10 to $40. I believe very strongly in user-fees: those who are using the services are the people who should pay for those services, rather than the taxpayers at large. If you bought your house 30 years ago, why should you pay as opposed to someone who is flipping properties. Automation and where we can make the office more efficient.</div>
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AA: Fees were increased. The PRIA (assoc) asked for the county recorders to find an agreeable fee. It helped title companies, and it helped to have us be more efficient in our actual recordings. It would go toward technology and team building. We were able to fund ourselves and turn $1M back into the general fund budget last year. </div>
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PC: The increase was correct because it wasn't enough to get the job done. If we do the same number as last year, $2.5 - 3M that will be available for something. I think the commissioners are excited to use that money. They have a huge shortfall and that's a possibility to help them.</div>
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DG: Good thing. It updated a policy that hadn't been updated since the 90's and simplified a complicated fee schedule. Extra funds should go back to the general funds. With the increase of tax rates and fees, I don't think asking for money at this time is the republican governance that we aspire to. I would like to see any extra put back to reduce impact on taxpayers.</div>
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Q. What is the recorder's relationship with the county commission?</div>
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AA: It's a good relationship. Some commissioners are very involved, and some we see passing in the hallway. But as we are in meetings together and collaborate, I think we get along well. I think they have a fair understanding of how our office operates. We're one of the few offices that is funded by our fees and then turn them back to general fund. I think we have a good working relationship.</div>
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PC: Not as familiar with the relationship. I've been watching the meetings and I don't see a whole lot of interaction. I do notice that Andrea and Jeff are always at those meetings, taking part, when needed. I would hope that we have a good relationship. </div>
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DG: I think there's a good relationship. good amount of checks and balances. Appreciate that the commission understands that the recorder's office is an elected position and respect that position. There is a back and forth when it comes to requests, and that's good. I was glad that the commission debate knew about the problems in the recorder's office. I will introduce accountability on our website, so the people of the county can know where we are.</div>
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BV: I can say the relationship hasn't been the strongest. Other offices that have a stronger relationship. But it's a good working relationship. I will focus on having a good relationship with all the commissioners, with other offices (assessor/treasurer). No back-biting. Working together. Always interact professionally.</div>
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Q. How will interact and communicate with the public?</div>
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PC: Recorder must be at the office all the time. The public come in at lunch time, squeeze in by 5. Recorder should be available to them. I don't disappear, but there for the job. It's important for the public and the employees, as well. </div>
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DG: The office does a good job of interacting with the public currently. Opportunities to increase that interaction through enhancements through tech etc. It would be nice to use a video/visual when discussing with customer. Website, as previously mentioned. What are our standards and targets? </div>
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BV: I liked what Paul said that it's important for the recorder to be present, esp true of the elected officials. I want to be able to meet with people face-to-face. I believe very strongly that we need to have a presence as elected officials. Answer emails. Will show up at party central committee meetings so delegates can interact. </div>
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AA: Want good interaction with public as well. Good interaction with assessor and treasurer. Oftentimes, people come to our office and they need to go to one of the others, or vice versa. I'm a people person. Been doing PR for a long time. Generally, we can work out problems, just takes time and education on both parts.</div>
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Q. Why are you a Republican?</div>
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BV: I've been a lifelong GOP because I believe in conservative values, limited govt. Main function of govt is to protect our rights (Bill of Rights). Strong proponent of having low taxes and having govt really try to be efficient and as much as possible, do more with less. Not just how I will govern, but how I live in my personal life. Good personal finances, don't carry consumer debt. Worked hard to save for the future. That's how govt should be as well.</div>
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DG: I like the GOP ideal of small government. Govt should function on its essential function and fulfill it and fulfill it well. I put a standard of 5 days not the state mandated 15 day minimum. I intend to deliver the GOP standard of excellence into our local government. By keeping it efficient and the budget down, and do so at a savings to taxpayers.</div>
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AA: GOP I believe in protecting rights of property owners. Do it efficiently and effectively. It's a critical part of everyday life. Home ownership is one of the biggest investments people make. We need to be efficient with taxpayer money and it doesn't just come on trees. But need to provide the essential functions of keeping those property rights protected and available. It's what boosts the economy and is what we enjoy as citizens.</div>
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PC: Believe in the GOP values, esp the Bill of Rights (religious rights, freedom of speech, gun rights) I believe that GOP believes in liberties and not in large governments that control every aspect of our lives. We do whatever we can to be fiscally responsible and run our offices efficiently. That's what I'm about too.</div>
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Closing:</div>
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BV: We all have to prove to you that we are the best candidate. New perspective: selected outsiders in 2018 to run lots of the offices, because a fresh pair of eyes is exactly what is needed in this race. I'm trained to analyze problems and find solutions. Govt limited to fulfilling only the most essentail functions. Run in a fiscally conservative way and with honor and dignity and protecting your property rights.</div>
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AA: Protecting property rights. Family experience in the county. Love helping people understand their property descriptions and their ownership. I want that maintained through the best standard possible: technologies. I don't believe you need to be an outsider to have a fresh outlook. I'm always looking for ways to improve. Meet with recorders from other counties and others in the industry. I want to maintain the office's morale. Doing the best that we can and there's always room for improvement.</div>
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PC: I don't believe that Brian is the only outsider. I've spent most of my career as an outsider, but as a user of the recorder's office. Done all kinds of things for governments, title insurance companies, investors, all people outside of govt that use the recorder's office are the people I've helped. now I'm also inside the office and I've onliy been there one year, but that experience has given me a better idea of the processes that are in place to make sure that people like me who did commercial work are getting the best they can get. I think it's doing a phenomenal job and we have great people. I'm excited to work with them.</div>
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DG: The problems that face the recorder's office demand attention. We need a leader who is not only experienced, but also one who can deliver results. My experience in the office, knowledge of managing business, I can deliver on change. I will fulfill the essential duties in a manner that will cost you less.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-74068833210039242332020-06-08T13:53:00.002-06:002020-06-08T13:53:37.706-06:002020 Candidates for Utah County Commission: Nathan Ivie and Tom SakievichNathan Ivie is one of our current Utah County Commissioners:<br />
Nathan Ivie participated in debates and held virtual townhalls. He was very accessible.<br />
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Tom Sakievich is a retired Marine and has worked to oversee government budgets for many years.<br />
Tom Sakievich participated in debates and held virtual townhalls. He was very accessible.<br />
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Notes from the County Commission debate (which included 3 other candidates--Steve White, Taylor Dayton, Christopher Forbush--who did not make it to the Primary ballot).<br />
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Steve White:</div>
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Commissioner 2003-2011: balanced our budget, $1M minimum into the fund balance, created a free clinic..mental health resources which became a place where the indigent poor came to receive services. Sheriff had 100% full funding for all the personnel (Jim Tracy). Didn't raise taxes. 3 years ago we could have covered the deficit. Running to bring conservative fiscal policies back to UT County.</div>
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Taylor Dayton:</div>
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Lived in UT County essentially my whole life. Don't pass taxes onto members of the county. 1. Reducing taxes, 2. Limiting government, 3. Listening to the people.</div>
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Christopher Forbush:</div>
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Payson, BYU, work at UVU and private attorney,live in Saratoga Springs. Running with reference to the tax increase. Want to roll that back as far as prudent, but live within our means. Disagree with changing county government from commission to mayor-council. <a href="http://www.chrisforbush.com/">www.chrisforbush.com</a></div>
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Nathan Ivie:</div>
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Honor to serve for the last 4 years. Got some neglected farmwork done on Sunday. It helps you focus on what's really important, I started to walk back to the house. Daughter was helping watering. Grateful she was helping without being asked. Have an amazing history in my family. This is about the American Dream and that's why I do this. It's essential to me that we practice government in a responsible manner and that we protect the liberties that the Founders gave us. </div>
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Tom Sakievich: </div>
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30 years in Marine Corps, deeply involved in budgets. Been on the short end when Congress was playing with payroll. I value the Constitution that protects our freedoms and the Declaration the outlines that framework. Limited gov't guy and believe it can be done with a smaller government that allows communities to do their part. During COVID, people are still getting out, distancing, but people are still living their lives.</div>
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What is the most significant problem facing the county and what will you do to fix it?</div>
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TD: Growth. Great thing. What can we do? Be friendly to businesses, not encumber them with undue tax burden. Do not increase taxes. Hurts individuals and businesses as well. Need to partner with small businesses. </div>
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CF: Outside of the issue of taxation, growth. Need to focus on "moving people". Get together with cities and prioritize rights of ways into areas that are going to be growing rapidly. </div>
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NI: COVID virus: Stand our guard but don't abandon our principles of liberty. As we find out the true consequences, then we make the appropriate cuts. Going to live within our budgets. Growth. Continue to invest in infrastructure and good relationship with regional planning.</div>
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TS: Over the last 10 years, we've gone from 400K to 600K. The bulk of those residents live within the towns and cities. The county has roughly 9000 residents that the county supports. the county is to work with the cities to support those issue of growth.</div>
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SW: COVID will pass and in the end, it's the future we need to look at. The transportation systems in south county that are fully inadequate. We don't want to have those issues and give density bonuses: had to buy right of way to expand 2 lanes. If we fail to plan, we plan to fail. </div>
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Essential vs non-essential roles of government</div>
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CF: promoting tourism. Not a role of county government. Might be able to offset the tax increase by cutting that. Use voluntary compliance to distancing but to encourage as normal lives as possible.</div>
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NI: Sheriff and Attorney. Then Clerk Auditor: free electorate. Assessing and collecting taxes (surveyor, etc). Government's fundamental role is to protect life, liberty and property. Health dept: striking the right balance</div>
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TS: Public Safety: Sheriff, Justice/Attorney, Roads, sewers, and intercity requirements. The non-essentials: hotels, conferences (commercial stuff). The county health information is being thoroughly well-done.</div>
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SW: Sheriff, Attorney: Law Enforcement. Then Health and Human services as mandated by the state. If we do those things, we have a well-protected and healthy county and less crime. We can get transportation moved up higher on the list.</div>
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TD: Been covered: protect the rights of the people and property. Health dept: making sure the citizens are safe. This is done by levying taxes. That's what we need to be careful doing. Non-essentials: stay out of private interests. Stick to infrastructure: trim something in some of the parks.</div>
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Do you support a Utah County Council/Mayor form of government. What are pros and cons of those</div>
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NI: Huge proponent. Something I campaigned on. There is too much consolidated power and in our recent past to see that. We need to have local districted representation and separation of powers. 5 districted council members, mayor, deputy mayor. This should disperse power and get greater voice to the people.</div>
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TS: 3 commissioners current structure is ideal and far cheaper: 9000 people live in unincorporated areas. UT county is to support cities, not residents. The cities support their residents. </div>
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SW: In favor of expanding representation for people but against a mayor. Once you pass the budget, then all the power in the county goes to the mayor. So, amending the budget is more cumbersome. When the mayor has a veto, then it takes 4 members of the 5 council to override.</div>
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TD: There could be some pros with expanding to a mayor-council form. You may get representation from different areas. Going to have increased costs and if it's a strong mayor. I think the commissioner form is good if we elect good people, and hold them accountable. Not in favor. We're going to vote on this as a county. Willing to support whatever the citizens decide, but wouldn't be in favor.</div>
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CF: 3 reasons. Not a fan of mayor-council. 1. Costs will increase: 2 people proposed. In SL: there are 24 individuals. 2. Separation of powers: you are taking the power that is divided among 3 council members, and consolidating it behind one mayor. Districted representation can be achieved in a much less egregious sort of way: maybe a 5 member council.</div>
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What do you think of the recently passed 67% tax increase and if you are opposed, what would you have proposed?</div>
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TS: 1. Fund for travel. We need to work with our related counties to look at getting access to those funds. Because we spend most of our time in those areas. 2. Incremental increase on taxes. 67% was too big because it affects our homes, our businessesand our supplies that impact those businesses. </div>
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SW: 67% was about 4 or 5 times more. If the commission had raised taxes 15% when they lost the ICE contract, we would be sitting pretty. A small tax increase would have been justified.</div>
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TD: WAs going to be more than that and it's come down. But in the 2019 budget that it increased: $14M, now increased. We're not living within our means, not 18% not 10%. Need to live within our means, within inflation. Not fair to the residents.</div>
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CF: Disagree with the tax hike. I think we could have achieved bridging the deficit through other means. $2-3M what we should be looking to make up. Legislature mandated an increase in recorder fees. That means the recorders office, which is self-funded, they turn that over to the general fund, which could have made up the deficit. Utah Taxpayers Association supported a MARGINAL tax increase based on the budget they were given, but not as high as it was.</div>
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NI: $100M budget. Issues that have faced the county since 1986. 1 minute is not long enough to cover. When we talk about 67%, it's imperative that you are paying a lower percentage today than you were in 2011. [But my tax value is HIGHER by A LOT than it was in 2011.] On most families, we're talking $6-7/per month.</div>
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Commissioner job: is it full time that doesn't allow other occupations? How would you track the hours on a job.</div>
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SW: Yes, it's full-time. Spent 2 hours/day on the budget. NI said: before we had a 1/4 cent sales tax that was in lieu of the property tax. On the current commission, there is no historical knowledge. We need to work hard and full time doing the work. $119K.</div>
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TD: Budget is $104M. Citizens should not pay more because we didn't plan accordingly. Full-time job, maybe even more. 8-9 hours/day and visit with people outside of that. Be available to citizens wherever they might be. You have the responsibility to meet with them.</div>
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CF: This is a full-time position and requires you to be available that amount of time. Make it to meetings, not just call in. Present in your office. Sometimes, it might take more than that and meetings can run late into the night. When elected, I expect to step away from my current full-time positions. Fine to have a commissioner "punch in."</div>
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NI: Absolutely, it's 24-7. Respond and be among the people. I was the only commissioner who voted to report and track our time, because I believe in being open and transparent. There's a reason why there are so many people at the county who are happy to work with me. I've given up opportunities to be here. </div>
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TS: Full-time job. There are 30-35 boards that the commission members are involved in. Get involved with the mayors and get out among the people. If an individual has an outside interest, they need to turn that interest over to a third party. It might be that you aren't in the office, but you can track online. </div>
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Has the BRT worked out? Lost lanes? Is it being utilized? Will you look at ideas to add public transit ideas? What is the role of public transportation over the next 10 years?</div>
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TD: It's been effective by and large, but I think the cost was over and above what most of the citizens wanted. Look at usage studies. Listen to the taxpayers and see what they want. Live within the budget. Make it convenient and comfortable but not overspend. I think in some areas it's been overdone.</div>
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CF: The funding is coming from UTA (sales tax in the county). Whether or not public transit has been successful, is another question. Transportation should largely be handled by a private company. But it is subsidized. It needs to be studied. Students have a subsidized pass. Not sure if it needs to expand to other areas. Need to see if actual ridership can cover the cost to expand.</div>
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NI: Ridership has exceeded expectations. Outside of BRT, one of the things I'm most proud of was getting an interlocal agreement with UTA. That puts local control over that 1/4 cent sales tax project. Need that we hold UTA accountable, more local control. On the funding of BRT, we'll be able to refinance some of those bonds and use some of that money into other areas.</div>
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TS: BRT was part of an overall concept from the last several years from MAG: transcom-40 (now transcom-50). It's envisioning when we become twice the size, how do we move masses of people across the county. Most mass transit systems are funded by taxpayers. Current bus system is funded by 25% cost, subsidized 75% by taxpayers. It is needed. But I'd like to see more support by commercial interests to see more effective transportation options. </div>
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SW: I was in office when the vote was taken for that second quarter for commuter rail and other highway projects: including Pioneer Crossing and North County Blvd. BRT: the money was earmarked for commuter rail to Springville. No wonder everyone in South County feels they are not taken care of. Need to take care of the entire county.</div>
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County recorder's office, recently increased from $10 to $40 per documents. That is an increase of over $4M. Is that necessary, and how will this money be used?</div>
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CF: HB247 from the legislature requires the recorder's office. It's expected there will be a surplus of $2.5 - $3M turned in from the recorder's fees. Tax increase wasn't necessary. </div>
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NI: Would love to hear this question from the recorders. Recorder's office has had significant problems with lower staffing. Very supportive of our efforts to tie performance-based metrics to new staffing and new funding. Make sure they are meeting their standards. </div>
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TS: I am surprised by a 4 fold increase in fees. I know 140K documents is huge. $4M is going to cover a lot more than another 2-4 recorders in the office. Not sure how it's been applied to date. We need to incrementally raise things as needed, and then identify why that increase is needed. The county can send educational emails to members of the county to keep them informed.</div>
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SW: The recorder's fee is set by the state legislature. We could never raise the amount when we needed it. The recorder's office has a 60 day backlog to day. We need to bring technology in to get everything up to snuff.</div>
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CF: I would like to associate myself with the comments Steve made. It's entirely appropriate that we increase our tech to complete the job in a least costly way possible.</div>
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TD: Increase seems a bit exorbitant. I think we're going to increase fees little by little. How those funds are applied, uncertain. Based on the 4 times increase, there will be more money in the general fund, and want to help the recorder's office in tech and manpower if needed.</div>
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What county depts do you feel could be run more efficiently in order to balance the budget without a large tax increase?</div>
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NI: Worked with my various departments to look at vehicle fleets. We were able to find some vehicles that we could cut our or multi-purpose. We can find increased savings and explore leasing vehicles and other ideas. We need to look at privatizing and contract things out of the different departments.</div>
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TS: Need to look at things as it grows for those departments in the county, e.g. Attorney. As we look at the growth, we can look at what we can narrow what we actually do. I would like to look at getting things into commercial interests. Would like to move away from those in the future.</div>
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SW: I would RIF all the financial positions in the departments and then increase the auditor's office by that amount. Then auditor decide if those people qualify for those job, and then those others can apply to other positions. Looking at other options like privatization in Public Works.</div>
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NI: We are actively working on and looking into those areas. We are doing our due diligence so that we don't get fleeced. Actively working to make sure with privatization we are sure we are getting better service if we do that and that it makes sense.</div>
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TD: Where we could reduce would be: corrections is 37%, etc. On the enforcement areas, we could find some economies: responsible for patrolling. Eagle Mountain and Vineyard, maybe we could increase to market rate: they should be able to budget and develop their police dept.</div>
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CF: Utah County Attorneys Office: Many wonderful attorneys working there. County Attorney wanted to hire another 15 attorneys. I'm going to scratch my head and look a bit deeper. Why do you need 15 additional staff? Would that be appropriate? If a dept head wants a drastic personnel increase, is there a way to solve the problem without such a high increase.</div>
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Cities are limiting property rights for Air BnB and short term rentals.</div>
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TS: Properly within the jurisdiction of the property owner. If there is a health and safety issue, then the government can step in. Public Servants should not dictate to people unless there is a health and safety issue that arises. </div>
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SW: No jurisdiction in cities, but we do in the county and I would vote to allow short term rental in all zones in the county.</div>
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TD: Cities will have jurisdiction. In the county, I think we need to be county, give direction and guidelines. Want to be considerate of the people and be good neighbors, but ultimately it's property owner's rights.</div>
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CF: What Steve said, no jurisdiction in the cities. Push for legal accessory apartments in the county and would be in support at looking and expanding those.</div>
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NI: Not only would I work and have worked to expand rights for property owners in the county. We passed the ordinance to mother-in-law apartments. Fierce believer in property rights, so long as you are not harming the neighbor with those activities. I'm going to use the bully pulpit back on the municipalities. This is a liberty issue and a strong supporter of expanding those opportunities.</div>
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How would you assess the current county park situation? More park space? Equestrian park?</div>
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SW: There's enough and to spare. Private land is only 22% of the state. We need to be aware that we are surrounded by parks and trails that we own. I don't think the county needs to go getting any more because we have enough and to spare.</div>
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TD: Parks and nature makes it great to be in the county. No need to purchase extra parks. Take care of the ones that we have. I don't know that everyone in the area of the equestrian park, we might want to work with the cities around there and let them acquire it. I don't think the county needs to take care of it.</div>
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CF: I don't believe it's something we should be trying to get more parks. That could end up being an unnecessary expense that is more important for the county to be doing. Don't have an opinion one way or another. I'd have to explore how it might benefit the county. It might be of interest to the county to allow those parks to be divested into cities, etc. </div>
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NI: The current county parks are funded through the TRCC fund, and I think it's appropriate. If we're going to have it in existence, then that is the appropriate use. I think we should purchase land for parks where it makes sense. We are looking at a private-public partnership to create a park along Utah Lake. These types of models are excellent and they preserve these spaces in a joint effort. Support them where they make sense.</div>
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TS: Our parks are ideal. I would like to keep what we have and maintain for public wide-open use. I would like to see, private-public relationships to help develop the lake. I'd like to see us improve those areas and use the TRCC (tourism taxes) to improve other areas and sheriff support. Like to work with our US Congressional delegation to get more out of PILT payments.</div>
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Do you support funding community events like the Freedom Festival and Parade?</div>
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TD: Tough one. I would like to get more citizen feedback. I've enjoyed those events, but I think we need to be careful about where we're spending taxpayer funds. Back to basic essentials. Little bit more conservative on spending those things.</div>
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CF: Based on principle: is this the proper role of government. To me, I haven't thought enough about it. I think there are other issues that are more important. But I don't think cutting funding to things like this should be off the table.</div>
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NI: This particular activity, the funding does come from TRCC funding. If we're going to have that fund, then it's an appropriate expenditure. I would probably be fine with getting rid of the TRCC fund. Actively working with Lehi city to get the equestrian park into city ownership.</div>
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TS: Spoken to some of the founders of the Freedom Festival. It's principle focus is as a private effort. If it's a public event that is sponsored by the city or county then we should fund it. But I'd like to explore this, because it's about $113,000 and it's enjoyable. But it's primarily a private event.</div>
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SW: John Adams: 4th of July should be a day that we celebrate. I think if there's any legitimate function of government, then the Freedom Festival falls within that because it's a time for us to say Thank you to God for blessing us to be born here in this time and in this circumstance.</div>
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How do you see your relationship with cities in the county?</div>
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CF: Very important. The county is there to support the cities. MAG exists. It needs to be collaborative, and help prioritize things around the county. Important to maintain and strengthen those relationship. 100% committed to building relationships so we can be prepared for the growth.</div>
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NI: Extremely grateful for the wonderful relationship with the mayors and city council members. Nice that we can get together and come up with the right solution. Our county is continuing to grow together, so these issues become more important. Good that we can be unified in the end. thankful to leave the calls on Mondays with all the mayors.</div>
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TS: Our relationship should be an on-going effort. They are the ones for whom the county exists. Those residents in unincorporated areas. I'd like to encourage more of our city and town mayors to attend the various commission meetings/programs that they should be more included or at least invite them. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-4285917917139506662020-06-08T13:39:00.001-06:002020-06-15T10:08:10.305-06:002020 Candidates for Attorney General: David LeavittDavid Leavitt:<br />
David Leavitt is the current County Attorney in Utah County. He held lots and lots of Zoom meetings and was willing to take any and all questions. Very accessible.<br />
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<a href="mailto:David@davidleavitt.com">David@davidleavitt.com</a><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">David Leavitt:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Want to reform criminal justice system across the state. If we don't reform it in the entire country, we will lose our battle. We are a people at war with each other. We need to change our system dramatically. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Initially, plea bargaining almost 75% of our cases...now 99% settled by plea bargain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every time we plea bargain a case, that takes power away from the people and vests the control into the elected prosecutor. That means 99% of the time that elected prosecutor doesn't have to prove those allegations. Prosecutor has almost 100% immunity. We have 2400 legal prosecutors that have the ability to investigate anyone they want, charge anyone they want to charge, and plea bargain anyone they want to, with complete immunity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ukranians: 1. Innocent until proven guilty. Came from the Soviets. The presumption of innocence is ONLY as good as the government gives it weight. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jury trial. Ukranians have never had a trial by jury.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">While we will never get rid of the plea bargain, we need to have fewer of them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Protect the community, first, and punish someone, second. They should go hand in hand, but they need to have this priority.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We have 29 criminal justice systems in the state of Utah. 29 appointed or elected County Attorneys. AG has supervisory authority over all the county attorneys: so cases should be prosecuted similarly across the counties. in 14 months in office haven't been able to get a call from the AG. This is a Constitutional authority. Standards, but they are suggestions. Elected County attorney has the right to determine the appropriate charge. Using the AG's position to suggest there is somewhat of a consistency. Suggesting that the AG obey the law that already gives him the duty to do this. Doing it not to micro-manage. Officer-involved critical incident: AG's office should investigate. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Opposed to minimum mandatory sentencing laws. Judges should be given discretion, since they know better. Judges should be sentencing to a specific time, not being left to the board of pardons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">AG's office: victims integrity unit, so a defendant can appeal this for review of charges, process, and sentencing. Citizen review board, not judges and lawyers protecting themselves. Retired judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, and other citizens.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Juries serve as a natural check against prosecutorial power. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every day you are making decisions that impact people's lives.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Review board: majority to decide if they should be prosecuted or not. If someone in the screening decision disagrees, they can bring it directly to the AG who decides.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Jury nullification: The people NEVER gave government the power to find someone guilty of a crime. It was a check on both the executive and legislative branches. Jury could decide the fact, but also whether the law was just and whether the law should be decided in that case, in particular. At some point in time, courts and legislatures began telling juries that they didn't have the right to address the law. The power of jury nullification exists because they have no power to stop it, but they are told they don't have the power. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">April 14, 2020</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Adams: <span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">"</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-style: italic; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Representative government and trial by jury</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">are the heart and lungs of liberty."</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Reduce plea bargains and increase jury trials so that citizens are determining guilt or innocence. Then we need to redefine how we punish people. 85-90% of the people in our jails are not violent offenders. We are too focused on punishing them and we are not looking at what is best for society.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our current AG is a nice, good decent man. So why are you running? I'm running because I've been the UT County AG and I haven't even had a phone call from him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It looks like for the US Attorney's office sued the state because money from the feds appears to not have been spent correctly by the state.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Non-violent crime: how to handle it. I'm not suggesting that we not punish non-violent offenders. You get charged in the criminal justice system, it will be 5-7 months before that process has found you guilty, and you've lost 7 months of time. My theory on those kinds of non-violent offenses. The best punishment is swift and early that will burn you hard enough that you never want to do it again, but that you will have a life in the future that won't taint you. UT County : pre-trial diversion: swift punishment, includes full restitution to the victim. But that might not mean putting them in jail, because Jail doesn't teach them what they can do to be a contributing member of society.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Wouldn't requiring a jury trial for everyone really slow down the justice system? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes. It would. But that's the point. The people are a check on what the executive is doing. Maybe that means, as the executive, we need to be finding different ways of resolving cases. Instead of: what did this person do and let's charge them with everything possible. We say: What do we need this person to do to protect society. The biggest threat isn't the slowness of the system, it's losing the right to a jury trial.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. How can you change the plea bargain at the State level. Isn't this something that is more of a national issue? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It actually is more of a local issue, because plea bargains are what occurs at the local level. By state law, the AG has supervisory powers over the county attorneys. You give them a set of standards, so you give them enough latitude for local control, but there's a lot that you can do at the state level. If nothing more than educating the population about the evils of plea bargaining.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Is there anything the Governor is doing now with Covid-19 that is illegal?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not aware of what the governor has been doing because I've been recovering from it. I know the governor is one of the only governors in the nation that hasn't enforced a statewide order.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">How have you reduced plea bargains in Utah County:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Worked with the legislature so I could charge what we want to charge at trial. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What is the role of the AG in a state of emergency? Would the AG advise the governor? Are there any concerns with the geo-tracking at the state borders that the governor has just ordered? Everyone says it's voluntary, but the order doesn't appear to state it's voluntary.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Role is similar. The County Health department can make an order but they can't enforce it without the county attorney. So, as AG, my obligation to the constitution would prevent me from enforcing the law, if it's unconstitutional. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Biggest thing we need to change in our criminal justice system is the mindset of the people in it. we need to understand the humanity of every one of the people in the criminal justice system. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Aren't diversion agreements upfront, take the constitutional system of justice out of the equation? Isn't it taking all power out of the hands of the judge and jury and give the prosecutor all power as to a consequence? Don't an abundance of diversion (i.e., pre-charge) agreements just create a new administrative level of the executive branch?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 kinds of diversion agreements: 1. in court, with the court's regulation, 2. pre-filing diversion, which is the kind i've done more. This is where the prosecutor uses prosecutorial discretion to determine what to charge, etc. It's not taking any more power than what the prosecutor already has. It's like a food court at the mall. The role of the county attorney is not to send everyone into the food court, but to realize there are limits. So, you send in those that require the most from the system. And you give sack lunches to those who are not as bad. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It seems to make something of a difference if the victim of the crime is “society” or if the victim is an individual or business. The victim of multiple crimes probably wants all of the crimes to be prosecuted, does she?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, a victim is devasted by being a victim of a crime. Those are the crimes that matter most. Right now, if you prioritize the crimes by murder, abuse...crimes against people vs crimes against "society." Most of our crimes are against society not against people, and that needs to change. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Recently, Utah County Commissioners raised their portion of our property taxes by 66%. There excuse was that the county departments had to have more money based on the budgets and demands of the county heads. As county attorney, did your department ask for more money like so many other departments?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, I asked for a lot more money because I wanted and asked for and will defend that I wanted 15 new prosecutors because I want to stop plea bargaining so many cases. 275 felony cases each per year, most having victims. There's just no way to give the kind of attention to the kind of cases. I'm trying to give my lawyers more bandwidth. But I'm also looking at filing fewer cases, that don't need to be filed: we can handle them other ways.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">How can you stop the exodus of talented attorneys from the Utah Attorney General's Office (an issue that your current office has also suffered from)? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">when we began hiring for new lawyers, we're not suffering for lack of talent. There has been an exodus from the state AG's office. People don't work for just money, but they work for job satisfaction, etc. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Your explanation for pre-filing diversions, and court approved diversions, appears to also justify plea bargains. It seems like just another selection in the "food court", a selection other than a jury trial. Diversion agreements (as part of your platform) seems the antithesis of your argument against plea bargaining. How do you reconcile that?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You have to build an airport while planes are landing and taking off. Trying to do both at the same time. The two seem to not be in harmony with one another, but I'm trying to do it as responsibly as I can.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">What has AG Reyes done right? What did AG Swallow do right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not here to tell you they are not good people or good lawyers. AG Reyes' work with OUR is laudable. But you don't have to be the AG to volunteer and I think it has diverted him. Quite frankly, AG Swallow was in office for such a short amount of time and I wasn't living in Utah.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you are elected as Attorney General, what happens to our county attorney? Will someone take over from you with your mindset? Does a special election have to be called for Utah County Attorney?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Not seeking higher office, but want to speak out and change the direction. There will be an appointment made, if I'm elected, until the next election in 2022. I won't leave until they select someone with my mindset. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Other than criminal justice reform, what else do you want to accomplish? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The role of AG is not to be the office attorney for all the state agencies. I believe that my job as AG is to be the people's attorney. I would also like to see some serious work done on public lands issue. I think we've missed an opportunity with Pres. Trump in office to really get some agreements with the feds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Day One: I'll start meeting with county attorneys. They are on the front lines. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll love being able to interact with delegates on a deep level. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Do you know how the PILT payments Utah receives compare to the grazing fees and other payments the federal government receives for the same lands? Is Utah better off receiving those fees, and paying the administration costs of the lands, than it is getting the PILT?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I don't know the dollar for dollar number. I'd much rather have the land than the money, quite frankly. </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-72678869264992622182020-06-08T13:36:00.003-06:002020-06-08T13:36:37.785-06:002020 Candidates for Attorney General: Sean ReyesSean Reyes:<br />
Sean Reyes is the current Attorney General. He held telephone townhalls, which are harder for getting questions in (IMO) and you can't see the candidate's reactions to questions.<br />
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Dad was a big supporter of Pres. Trump. Can't thank the delegates enough for support of Pres. Trump. Co-chair with Sen. Mike Lee. Need Trump now more than ever. He built the greatest economy in the history of the world, and then COVID happened and we need him to rebuild that economy. Impeachment circus and now thrust into the COVID crisis. </div>
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Half of his 6 years as AG has been under the Obama Admin, 3 years suing Pres. Obama and Joe Biden and winning in court. It would be so much better to have Trump in for a second term. </div>
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Beyond all the allegations and things that were going on (Swallow as AG), but the AG office wasn't structured to succeed. Tech: generally have great public servants in the AG's office. The problem was a lack of leadership. The investigators, as good as they were, didn't have the tools to succeed. Didn't have any document database system to manage documents properly. Didn't have a case management system: AG's office is the flagship legal office for the state. No performance evaluations. Relieved every leader in the office, and made them reapply for their jobs and reinterview again. Within a year, the job satisfaction rate for those we represent had gone from abysmal to very positive. Faced with 3 supreme court cases: 1. marriage, 2. immigration, 3. polygamy Also, ran for re-elected in 2014 (2 year term), and then won in 2016. When I was traveling up and down the state, people thank me for restoring honor to the office, but mostly thanking me for protecting their kids and their families (children, seniors, small businesses). Every day Utah families need protection. </div>
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CJC (Children's Justice Court): 2018 has 4000% increase from 2017 statewide. Use tech and old fashioned law enforcement to rescue children from trafficking, etc. Drug crimes and cyber crimes are serious in Utah. Helped lead out in Utah and nationally to combat fraud and Identity theft (esp of children), hacking and entities that violate privacy rights. Frank Abagnale (Catch Me If You Can...FBI consultant) have been up and down the state to educate people to better protect against cyber criminals. Frank said he's never worked with a better AG in his 40 years. Been willing to invest the time into tracking down these perpetrators. Sued googled for violating privacy rights. Worked with other tech companies when they've done things to protect our companies, I give them credit. Law enforcement shouldn't be given a free pass on citizen information. There have to be safeguards. Installed protocols to protect people against abusive government power and being more transparent to the people. AG's office: virtual simulation that teaches de-escalation of violence. Rapid DNA system: 48 hours we have a system that is as accurate by some measures--murder suspect admitted to the crime right away, because of that technology he wasn't ever let go. 3. Live time Artificial Intelligence that allows us to find kids more rapidly after an abduction. AG's office doesn't believe that County Attorneys should be reporting to the AG's office. But Sheriff's shouldn't be reporting to any other state agency. We honor and respect their jurisdiction. We need to push back against the state when it tries to impose on the locals and when the state oversteps its boundaries. We need to have a partnership with the counties, but not overstepping. Economic Crimes Task Force: Helped create in UT, first of its kind, to go after white collar crimes and frauds, retail theft. Rec'd an award from the UT Sheriffs Association. Some of the most moving experiences have been with law enforcement officers' families. Worked with the fraternal order of police. Get more mental/behavioral resources for our front line officers. 2A rights have come under fire under Obama, but thankfully Pres Trump has worked with us to shore up 2nd Amendment rights. </div>
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Pro-life, religious liberties, public lands.</div>
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Emery County: What else will you do for our county? Caucus/Convention: 1st Lincoln Day dinner was in Emery County. Ardent supporter of the caucus/convention system. Critical: if it wasn't for the convention system, we wouldn't have those opportunities. Support for Rural counties. Filing a brief in support of sanctity of life: some cases going on in some of our sister states, where they've chosen to restrict abortions during COVID. If you're going to disallow many other medical procedures, then abortion should be included. they've been challenged and they've asked for help, and so we are doing that. Friend-of-the-court briefs. </div>
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Religious liberties: Pres Trump has done more on a federal level to help us expand our religious liberties than probably any other president, maybe even than Ronald Reagan. Many don't involve Utah as a plaintiff or defendant, but they impact us. Will continue to fight for religious liberty. Many address Free Exercise clause: allow religious entities or closely held private companies to resist federal contraception mandates. Defending Catholic social services from adoption services and foster care services. Cases that permit church sponsored schools to select their own teachers. Support prayer in schools and religious monuments. </div>
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Massage parlors and rampant prostitution in Utah: Operation Railroad Underground. Expanded the number of victim advocates and the number of child victim programs: we have a task force (trafficking) in Utah with a grant from the DOJ, almost half of that money would be dedicated to victims, services, and resources. Rescuing victims is only part of the equation; the real heavy lifting comes after that. Many people return back because they don't have job skills, etc and they get re-exploited. I also command the Utah Secure Strike Force in partnership with police chiefs, etc to go after human trafficking wherever it exists. In 2014 took down a narco trafficker terrorizing our children, esp young boys. Last month, arrested and got a conviction against 2 men trafficking teens in the Ogden area. An official in AZ was taken down because he brought women in from the Marshall Islands to have their babies in Utah and sell them. OUR: doing this on his own time and own dime. Life altering to rescue boys and girls and give credit to Tim Ballard etc. How are we doing? Pres. Trump has invited Sean to the White House to teach other states. Utah used to be rated an 'F' on protecting victims, now it's an 'A'. largest massage parlor sting in the west. Almost eradicated the Asian-Chinese trafficking, etc.</div>
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White collar and fraud issue: Reason I'm running again, I want to capitalize what we've delivered, but we have many more to do. 1. Want to attack opioids, create a state task force and the hundreds of different initiatives, including suing opioid manufacturers, eliminate shame and judgement, mental/behavioral challenges, suicide: want to get a 911 for mental health, that number is going to come. SafeUT app: secret sauce: this is even better because it is helping them because they don't want people to know they're hurting. After SafeUT (free), for the first time in the teen demographic, they've gone down. 2, Not all criminal justice reform (George Soros), but try to make sure good criminal justice is there. UT is like the worst place for fraud; Utahns are very trusting. Need trust but verify. Defended against Waters of the US. Bears Ears, etc.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-17915091768091088742020-06-08T11:32:00.000-06:002020-06-08T11:32:08.451-06:002020 Candidates for Governor: Thomas WrightThomas Wright:<br />
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Thomas Wright held multiple Zoom meetings and answered whatever questions were brought up. He also gave his personal cell number and asked people to call with any additional questions.<br />
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Greater transparency in health care costs.</div>
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HB332: special needs scholarship. Would NOT have vetoed this bill. Better for the student to specialize in their need. Better for everyone. Disappointing there are so many people fighting against sped kids getting what they need.</div>
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Access vs costs: Affordable Care Act: affordability is the problem, not the access.</div>
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When you take the money from the feds it comes with string?</div>
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Eliminating strings and let teachers teach. we need to teach free market economics. Common Core wasn't a good thing.</div>
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Kids need to understand the principles of America and not defect to Bernie Sanders. Going to need a lot of people's help to make it.</div>
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Mobile phone: 801-652-5700 Thomas</div>
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3 main things from Dad: stay hungry and stay humble, and don't forget the 3rd H and that's Hustle. This is your state. I would just be leading this state under your direction.</div>
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What would you do to support local control in education? Do you support having one set of standards and one set of tests? What is the role of the feds in education and how do we maintain local control if the feds require a single set of standards and testing?</div>
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Do not believe the feds should be mandating the way we educate our kids. We, as parents, know what's best for our children. HB332 or any other avenue that we deem appropriate: home, charter, private, we know what's best for our kids and we should be able to custom tailor education. Do not believe in one set of standards and one set of tests. I want an educated child that is reaching their god-given potential. Teaching to standardized tests is just wrong.</div>
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SB54: has not been good for the state of UT. 1. Signatures favors those who have money or who can raise money. 2. Doesn't connect voters to candidates. 3. Creates winners by plurality: less than a majority of the vote. Will repeal and replace SB54 with a better election system: we can improve it and modernize it. Need to fix it. Need to look at the whole system. Have to explain, as a candidate, how this whole thing works and it's very difficult for people to fix.</div>
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ERA: fan of equal pay for equal work. Not a supporter. Too many unintended consequences.</div>
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Para mutual horse racing? Don't know what this is.</div>
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COVID-19: Anything different. Don't want to be an armchair qb. Need to rally around each other. Do want more testing (Op Ed). Outlined a 4 step process. 1. Need at risk population: stay as far away from infection 2. mass testing. ramp up testing in an unprecedented way. It's improving, but you can return society to a more normal state, and all people to self-quarantine. 3. Need as much personal protective equipment for health care workers. 4. Make contingency plans for hospitalization: plan for that capacity.</div>
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The commercial he’s referring to: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XDUU0NqrIQ&list=PLkCrYKv5MRTas5jxdgOMiKfXtNgUr8JmH&index=2">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XDUU0NqrIQ&list=PLkCrYKv5MRTas5jxdgOMiKfXtNgUr8JmH&index=2</a></div>
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Here’s the link to the Op-Ed! <a href="https://www.wrightutah.com/news/commentary-utah-needs-a-detailed-plan-to-fight-covid-19">https://www.wrightutah.com/news/commentary-utah-needs-a-detailed-plan-to-fight-covid-19</a></div>
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State is holding local municipalities hostage for moderate income housing. They determine what moderate is, based on an average in Utah county?</div>
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Plans for housing. Affordable housing crisis in this state: huge problem. It's more than just housing--we have families in too tight of quarters or living in grandma's basement. Have behavioral health challenges and then kids don't meet their potential in school. As governor: I will NEVER mandate from the state level that requires local municipalities to change their zoning or land use ordinances to force them to have affordable housing. Don't like it when the feds do that to the state and the state does that to the locals...</div>
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We have a not in my backyard mentality. We need to de-stigmatize the concept of affordable housing, the best we can. Need to do what Anderegg did (SB34 2018): state government won't mandate, but we're going to provide 25 things you can do to decide what you want to do. How did that work? when we first got it, we thought it was a bill with no teeth, but we were already doing 3 or 4 things in the bill and then we learned more things that other cities were doing. We've built big box retailers in our cities, and we don't use big box retailers like we used to. We required so much parking that we don't need anymore. Inspired the land owner to create apartments. It can happen that single-family homes can be reduced and increase cost for those homes by taking up the land with apartments. Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. But looking at density can make a difference.</div>
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Stay at home orders: Utah has 13 deaths. I think Gov. Herbert's approach to let counties decide is the right answer. Provide that local control. where there are rural counties without a huge problem, they don't need a statewide mandate. It's tricky because there are people who think that without the statewide mandate, you put people at risk. But then you have rural counties that think they're handling it. I believe citizens will do the right thing when they are asked to do it; and we need to respect that liberty and freedom of the individual. I think if you get to that point, then maybe you have to look at it.</div>
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Sanctuary cities: Rule of law. I believe in compassion for all people, and sanctuary city model is not working. I think there are better ways. Need a border. When you talk about it honestly, you can seem like you lack compassion. I think the more honest approach is the more compassionate approach. </div>
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League of Cities and Towns interview: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrygd0S8SyA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hrygd0S8SyA</a></div>
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2A: unabashed supporter of 2nd amendment. Right to bear arms. Will never make decisions just based on optics when it comes to the 2nd amendment. Teach my kids gun safety. Hunter, outdoorsman.</div>
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Suicides: How to address?</div>
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How do you feel we should best address suicides in Utah. Every suicide is a tragedy and every life lost is horrific. But I have seen suicide numbers in our state be used to justify everything under the sun. Most recently a bill was passed for schools to perform mental health screenings on children. This was sold as a bill to "prevent suicides" and you voted for the bill. We also heard the bill to provide school breakfast justified with potential suicide. How much does this type of emotional blackmail factor into your decision making? Does the fear of a "Governor in favor of suicide" headline stop you from voting against the crowd sometimes?</div>
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Suicide is so tragic and so sad, and to read that Utah is number 1 in the suicide of our young people is heartbreaking. As governor, I won't be afraid to talk about it. Because if there's anyone out there that we can reach. We have taken positive steps with the SafeUT App. Steve Eliason has taken this on. Doing a great job on this.</div>
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I won't politicize this issue. But we do have a mental health crisis in Utah, and an opioid epidemic in part because of that. No one chooses to have diabetes or mental health issues. Need to talk in candid terms. Need to solve our mental health care professional shortage. </div>
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April 10, 2020: </div>
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Utahns Against Common Core: We're all very curious about some of your positions. 1 main things. 1. Ending Common Core, get rid of it, never internationally benchmarked, always problems. The only way to get rid of it, is to do it from the bottom up. anytime we're tied to the feds, we're going to have problems. Several years ago sat down with Stuart Adams, Dave Lifferths and Ben Leischman: bill to get off of fed dollars: too many strings. How much is Utah on the hook for, if we cut off all the federal requirements? It only puts at risk the Title 1 and Special Ed money with dollars. </div>
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We've tried pretty much everything in this country with public ed except freedom: NCLB and CC. Those programs don't work, because education isn't a one-size-fits-all. Parents here should be able to choose.</div>
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There is a way to wean off the federal dollars. We've had plenty of years of surplus and we've put things into a rainy day fund or spent it on other priorities. The biggest priority should be the public ed system. When you are in a plane that's been hijacked, you have to wean (descend) gradually. The regs are coming primarily from the federal government. What is the plan, to incrementally take less and less federal money.</div>
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Q: If we stop all federal regulations, the only amount at risk is that 2-2.5%. </div>
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1 of the reasons I wanted Rob Bishop was his DC influence. If there's anyone who can go to DC and get waivers, esp in the Trump administration, I have no doubt that there's no one more qualified to do that then Rob Bishop.</div>
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Rob Bishop: I'm still fighting NCLB. I was listening on a call i wasn't supposed to be, where they were mocking Utah and how they were going to force us to do it. Credit to Supt Harrington and Margaret Dayton. Opposed to CC: it's an effort to centralize education. Appreciative of the low amount of money. But we have to be prepared as a state, in case the feds fight back.</div>
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Wednesday, I talked to a lot of people about education. All of them were saying things that were astonishing and made me upset, but it fits in. I think Obama's vision of federalizing all of education. Congress never voted on that, I thought it was back-burner, but I'm realizing that we are implementing all those ideas, without authorizing. I'm concerned with standards and assessments right now. I'm concerned with pre-school standards which are controlled and authorized by workforce services, which means parents have less control over preschool than the regular education system. What will be required will be on the state level and the governor's office to push back on the ed community who think these new ideas are just facilitators and progressive ideas. Not a fan of technology in every classroom. It's a tool NOT THE FUTURE of education. Someone who's willing to take on the State Office of Ed and the State Board and make sure they are not trying to undercut. It may be incremental. But if we have an 8 year commitment and an 8 year goal to actually wean education away from the feds and put money into it to be willing to back up those plans. </div>
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It's not just the money, but it's how we state statutes that have been implemented. </div>
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Money is backward. The money comes in from tax dollars, and then it goes to the USOE (full of subversives). The fastest way to do it would be to give all funds to go to the schools on a pro-rata basis, and they might hire a third party company to help with book-keeping, then let them with the school community council, and then they make the decisions on the principal, and we'll help set teacher salaries, so it becomes the board for that school. Then when they want to hire the district or the state office for services the school says they need.</div>
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Describing what inefficient organizations do. They have allocations to business units from the top down and there's no transparency, but they never really know how much it's costing. There's so much potential for fraud.</div>
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Special interest groups in the state have a lot of influence on standards and policies. How do you see your role to make sure that those are not overtaken by special interest groups instead of Utah's families?</div>
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Good intentions get filtered through some of the interest groups. If there are groups with questionable backgrounds, if there are resources given to teachers with close ties to Planned Parenthood, and we need to push back on that from the bully pulpit of the governor's office. When I was meeting with folks, there's not a wholistic approach to it. You have the State Board, UEA, Legislature, and the challenge is that governor's have no statutory authority (to appoint charter board only). The govenors have used bully pulpit, and budget. I want to go to state board meetings and listen, and use the bully pulpit to draw awareness to these programs. The most important thing the governor can do in 2021 is who we appoint. If you get the same people in office, you get the same bureaucrats in those same positions and the same power on the special interest groups.</div>
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What we have to do at first is to just yell and scream. Rob says he yells very well.</div>
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Gubenatorial candidates don't have that much authority. I'm into the consolidation of power. How do we unentangle the state from the feds. What I see, is that every year, I see about 200 ed bills every session. And they pass them, and 150 go through and they're all well-intended. Then it takes the school districts about a year to implement, and then they "fix" it again. And we end up with so much red tape. We want to create a big picture agenda for where we want to move education. This happens because so many of these bills are sponsored by the state office bureaucrats.</div>
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If you clearly communicate what you're doing and you have the buy-in of leadership, then I have no problem with veto. We have this big picture of education. Don't want a negative campaign. </div>
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Obama's big vision was to fundamentally transform the purpose of education. What we've missed in the CC debate, he's been successful. the way they're training teachers and using assessments and using technology. Obama nationalized education when he encouraged all the assessment companies to switch from facts to training kids to think emotionally. </div>
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Rob would like to make the state board more of a funnel of monies, not setting policy. We need to alert other governors to what is really going on out there. As long as I'm there, I'm going to push this entire issue.</div>
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State School Board appointed by the governor: Not opposed to that. But right out of the gate, attend state board meeting and try to create a big picture of public education. If we find that the governance system is holding us back from what citizens want, then we need to have that conversation. We don't want to centralize. We want to have a big picture agenda, but if that's not working, then we'll use the governor's office to reform governance in education.</div>
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If we have a state board of education and we can't do any other forms of education and if they are going to have power, then they have to have some sort of check on them and have them elected. Not sure you need one.</div>
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Have you read any of Sen. Ann Milner's bills? Yes on the Board of Regents. I've worked closely with Ann Milner, so I've carefully followed higher education. </div>
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Generally, what is your use of veto power? One of the most important and powerful parts of the executive branch. I don't think you use it as a weapon. You have to communicate your vision and values. I have no problem using the veto power if they are not in line with Utah's values and not in line with the vision. </div>
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Governor's pushing through the conversion therapy rule. There were a lot of lies being told by the side in favor of the change and lot of misleading statements. I thought it was a problem that they went around the legislature.</div>
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I don't like anything done by administrative rule and going around the legislature. When we're in office, we will undo all the executive orders and start at zero. We need to put things in place so that there are more legislative representation. Don't like it done via administrative rule instead of the legislature.</div>
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SB54: Sen. Lee is endorsing Jon Huntsman. </div>
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In 2011, I was elected to be the state party chair, and Count My Vote became a big thing. CMV was planning on getting rid completely of convention via the ballot initiative. We felt there were unintended consequences because of plurality. In 2014, they promised they would fix it. And now it's been 6 years, and there's been zero modifications to it. Not good election law. We now have been through it. We didn't want to gather signatures. I didn't want to. It's already hard to beat the establishment candidates without it. I don't think there's a campaign who is holding more townhalls, etc. We are all in for caucus/convention. </div>
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If we didn't do signatures, we wouldn't be able to advance. If you advance the Wright Bishop ticket through the primary because we are already on the ballot, we can win. For 7 years, everyone in the party has been trying to get rid of SB54. They may win the battle but lose the war. The reason Jon Huntsman can't get signatures is that Wright Bishop team got them first.</div>
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Can you increase your support? How much money can you raise? Greg Hughes is up 16%. </div>
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We all have different strategies. Greg's name ID poll was done electronically and is a name ID poll and is flawed. 35-50% are still undecided. An electronic poll that is done online that can be stacked. Our Phase 1 of the campaign was gathering signatures and it does nothing to connect you to voters. Phase 2: compete in caucus/convention. Phase 3: take the war chest and build the numbers with primary voters. When there are 8 people in the field.</div>
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2nd Amendment: Unabashed supporters. Gun owner. Any encroachment on 2A is a non-starter. I don't believe in doing things that you are creating optics with red flag laws that claim to protect public safety.</div>
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Bishop: 2A is an individual right to self defense. needs to be seen as an individual right.</div>
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Executive order: When this crisis is over and the world will have changed. I feel bad for those who have suffered physically and economically. But it's also a problem for the government. Everything is being done is being done by executive order. We will make sure that every executive order is repealed. And then work with the legislature so that they are involved in that. Emergency powers under very vague laws. It takes very special people that once you exercise those laws, to give that power back. It can't just be downloaded from one branch. I think we're creeping up to a line where we're getting to a really dangerous place. I'm very uncomfortable with government in general knowing where we are. I don't want to live in a surveillance state. When Obama used his executive orders in the last part of his administration, he used vague areas of the law. I think we need to narrow what is allowed via executive branch. Even for Obama, when he was doing his executive orders, the courts did knock him down. But there was enough gray areas because Congress wasn't specific enough.</div>
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General comment on your perspective on health care. 45 years in health insurance industry, and I've watched healthcare system be dismantled and we essentially have a government run health care system. I know what it looks like to be in a free market system.</div>
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The problem with having no insurance wasn't that we didn't have access problems but affordability. Now with ACA, we have less access as well as less affordability. People don't know where the money is being spent, we would be getting more efficiency and accountability if we know of where the money is being spent. People need to be able to choose where they can get health care and then we need to understand what costs are associated with the health care provided. Rob: the only thing that can control costs is the marketplace. Need to start over. How do we get there?</div>
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Pro-life Utah: Most GOP politicians will say they are pro-life. What does that mean to you? And if you are elected governor, what would be different after your tenure.</div>
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Always been pro-life. Life begins at conception. Unapologetic about it. Locally and in state government, to support legislation to define what it is and to outlaw it. Just have to keep taking that fight to the people who want to work against it. When do rights begin? When do human rights begin? You have to be fighting for the rights of unborn. Sometimes we take a defensive position on the pro-life. we need to play offense and be unapologetic. </div>
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How do you overturn Roe v. Wade and what is the state's role?</div>
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All i can do is let people know that Utah is unapologetic on where we stand on abortion and you can lead other governors and other states. I think that the Right to Life March was 2500. That's awesome. Let's go for 5000 next year.</div>
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Rob: Working with the legislature, I would never argue NOT to do something that would make Utah a test case.</div>
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Utah tends to be a little bit chicken and we see other conservative states taking a stand. We'd like to know how courageous are you willing to be on this issue? One of the frustrations with Family Watch Intl is that oftentimes issues will come up that will impact the gay community, and we find that our leaders listen to Equality Utah and they never listen to Family Watch or reach out. It seems very lop-sided. Looking for commitment to listen and champion the pro-family groups, and not give in to the bully tactics in the opposition. </div>
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Rob: Seen environmentalists always had an open door from the Sec. of Interior, etc. I realize what it means is having an open door that is not open to everyone. Equality Utah should be able to make their case and have their say but not at the expense of everyone else. We want to make sure when we need to create statutes that don't discriminate against and harm people. And we don't want to make some people helped by harming "others".</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-217482365414963272020-06-08T11:28:00.002-06:002020-06-08T11:28:24.298-06:002020 Candidates for Governor: Jon HuntsmanJon Huntsman:<br />
Jon Huntsman held telephone townhalls. They were more difficult for me because I like to see people as they respond. But that's personal preference.<br />
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COVID-19: Health and Economy are both important.</div>
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Teddy Roosevelt: man in the arena, thanks to fellow candidates</div>
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Why do it again?</div>
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Honor to serve</div>
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Believe in federalism: Destiny is more and more in our hands, at the state level.</div>
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Education MUST be driven at the state and local levels.</div>
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Public lands: more determination from the state.</div>
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Look around the bend to plant the seeds of prosperity.</div>
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Trump will win. Has a good relationship with Trump and that will matter.</div>
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Bank capital to small businesses with flexible repayment options.</div>
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Previous administration:</div>
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Flat tax</div>
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Almost removed the tax completely on food. </div>
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short-term and long term growth plan, coming out very soon</div>
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Mental health is on his mind right now: buckle of the US for suicide.</div>
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We can't let this define who we are. Want to declare war on this problem and bring folks together to coordinate an awareness strategy to demystify mental health. Sister (drug overdose). No one knew what to do. Isn't the traditional political issue.</div>
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Roe v. Wade: Unabashedly pro-life, since forever. Grateful that his two adoptive daughters were given life. Signed the pain-capable abortion legislation.</div>
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Ambassador: Obama (China), Trump (Russia). We've done our federal service. If I'm elected, will remain through the end of the term. A lot of the fixes for the country will come out of the individual states. This is the more important place. Years abroad have not been easy, but given the best for the country.</div>
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What sets you apart?</div>
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The greatest teacher in life is experience. Lots of experience. Get jobs back.</div>
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What is the most dangerous problem facing Utah and the world, other than COVID-19?</div>
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Mental health challenge. given the lives that are being taken and families that are being impacted, this is the most dangerous problem that we face. As it relates to the world, economy, pandemics, one of our biggest problems and most dangerous, the spread of nuclear. Caller thinks the greatest problem is the destruction of the family. strong civilizations have strong families.</div>
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Championed no sales tax on food. Will you champion a 0% food tax?</div>
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Tax reform: took 2 years to get through the system. Excruciating, public input. Got 100% of the legislature voted for it. First flat tax in the country. Great regrets was not getting it to 0%. Simplification.</div>
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Big concern about the growth in Utah. What is your take and what's the remedy? City Council and legislation that don't hear the voice of the people.</div>
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City should be the first line of decision-making. Unfunded mandates--shouldn't do that. Push decision-making down to the lowest form of government.</div>
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Growth is a companion of ours; we have to get used to it. Bigger than average families; growth from within. Folks who want opportunity, so they come from surrounding states. Other states and large counties have lost the battle to growth. Can't control their destiny and your economy begins to weaken, and those people leave. Goal: place our economic development opportunities other than the Wasatch front. Economic development strategies in other parts of the state. New industries in Price and Cedar. </div>
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What specifically will you do to return control of education to the state and local level? Are you willing to challenge the federal requirements of ESSA?</div>
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Defer to Michelle Kafusi: expert on education. We were the first state to get out of No Child Left Behind. National mandates and the standardized tests are not helpful. Need to let local boards, and schools, and esp principals be the main person "on deck". Not going to be able to have a one size fits all approach. Every child learns differently, different aptitudes, attitudes, etc. </div>
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How is it fair that lt gov Cox oversees the election and validating the signatures?</div>
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LG didn't exist till 1975. Was a Sec of State that oversaw the elections. So, now LG oversees the elections. Trying to make it fair. Don't know how far they've gone.</div>
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March 30, 2020:</div>
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Mental Health/Health/Economy: Complete free fall.</div>
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State Shouldn't step over the line on the local level. </div>
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Michelle Kafusi: I think we'll be stronger and better for this crisis. </div>
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People haven't experienced a single-payer system or they know it doesn't work. When we look at the totality of healthcare, and it's a huge percent (20) of the nation's GDP (France's GDP). Used to be 1-2%, and moving along at a double-digit clip. 1. Costs have to be an important part of what we do: but in the dr's office, there's no menu. We get the bill later, and then we're shocked. Employ transparency, John Dougall has done some good work on this. Give consumers what the cost implications are. We're not going to get there until there's more transparency. 2. Competitive insurance options are not really available. It's within the purview of state government to do more in the insurance sector. We don't have the types of the numbers or the accessibility in our market. 3. Real prohibitions in the country, in being able to buy insurance policies across state lines. </div>
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How much support will you give the President: Know him and friends with him for 20 years. Serve as their envoy to Russia and you'll get to know him. I understand his style and it's different than any president since TR or Andrew Jackson. He has a style that is unique to the business world, and he drives some people crazy (esp the media). 1. He's kept our nation out of war! 2. Economy has been excellent: best performing economy just before the pandemic. This means we'll bounce back faster. Good thing to have a governor who gets along with him. Need to get out of the mandates from the feds on lands and NCLB type of approaches on education. </div>
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Rural issues: Top priorities. Ancestors came from Fillmore. Must love the rural communities as governor. Took the whole legislature down to Millard County while the state capitol was being rebuilt. Mental Health: focus on rural communities. </div>
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Economic issues:</div>
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Tax reform: took 2 years. Brought the public in to the discussion. 100% of the vote by the legislature. First flat tax in the US. Food tax? Why should it go back up again? Tax reform will be part of any economic recovery package. Look at the service tax: the government shouldn't pick winners and losers, and that's the bigger problem with services. Been through it before; know how to lead a team to produce results. Always having to do it again and becoming more competitive.</div>
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68% public lands are federal:</div>
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State is in a much better position to manage than the feds. PILT are embarrassingly inadequate. (Ken Ivory) Look at applying more of a market value to the lands, to see what a fair payment might be. 1. need a president who is open to look at these issues, and we have that with Trump 2. Need senators like Mike Lee who can help with this issue. Might be able to reopen the Antiquities Act of 1906, review the original intent. That hasn't happened but it was talked about. </div>
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Ambassador to Russia: Why did you resign? I promised the president that I'd give him a couple of years, and that's what I did. We went through the most difficult diplomatic period. Honored to serve. If we elect you, will you serve out your term? Yes. Federal service is done. </div>
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My question: UNASWERED</div>
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Mental Health: Everyone acknowledges that mental health is a very complicated, complex issue. The idea of "fixing" mental health from as a government is something that actually makes me nervous. I don't think that government does a good job on things that appear to be outside its purview. So, what specifically will you do, as governor, in terms of mental health? Allay my fears.</div>
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Integrity of the political system.</div>
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4/16/2020:</div>
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Mike Lee: Council in Huntsman's office. Honored to have his endorsement; don't take it lightly.</div>
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President has asked Mike to join his taskforce on reopening the economy. President is very engaged in this: we have to protect the public and we have to acknowledge that this isn't a binary choice in protecting human life and protecting the economy. Not sustainable: there are human costs that come from shutting down the economy. President wants to make sure we have a path toward doing that.</div>
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Developed profound respect for Jon, not just on a political level, but a personal one. I trust him implicitly. He is a conservative conservative. While he was gov, being a conservative means undergoing a long checklist: within the proper role of government? proper role at this level? You'd be surprised at how rare that trait is. That's why I have such profound respect. Pres. Trump has profound respect for Jon Huntsman. He will work very well with the current administration. </div>
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Q. What conservative values does Gov. Huntsman embody?</div>
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He understands that every time government acts, it does so at the cost of individual liberty.</div>
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Q. What have you each learned from the other?</div>
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Jon:Mike had an exceptional grasp of governance and the appropriate role of government. A lot of governors forget that most problem solving should be done at the local level.</div>
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Mike: There is a right answer when you are considering any question in government. You have to assume there is a right answer and that it might be difficult to find and difficult to explain and controversial to the public. But that doesn't excuse you to find and choose this right answer and then defend it. The true statesman is not just a delegate of the people, but a trustee of the people: difficult judgement calls. If people don't agree with it, you have to explain why it's the right decision. </div>
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Q. Very concerned of the economy?</div>
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It will be a problem until we actually get people back to work. Phased in, but it's a problem.</div>
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Q. What is the governor's role in economic recovery and our return to leading the nation in economic growth?</div>
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Need to have a short-term program to stabilize ourselves. We do well when we stick to the basics and stick to economic liberty. What do we need to do to support that? Tax rate? Education? Connectivity to domestic and international markets? Ag relies on export. I think we have a great opportunity to be the first state to broadcast economic freedom and a safe haven. There will probably be a disruption in China's trade flows, and this will cause a lot of supply chains to be disrupted. They'll be looking for alternatives. We could see some of the most significant opportunities for economic growth. We should see ourselves as the gateway of the world. The years ahead should be nothing but optimistic. </div>
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Q. We have had a number of incidents of shootings and every time it happens, the Dems cry out for get rid of guns. What is your position on the second amendment and whether we should be holding onto our guns or giving them up?</div>
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Jon: Believe very strongly in the Second Amendment. Grew up shooting. How can you be anything but a shooter with a name like Huntsman. I have a CCW. I'm comfortable with where the state is now re/ 2nd Amendment. </div>
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Mike: What will be the impact on the people subject to that law? What will it do to curb the impact on those who are criminals but also those who are law-abiding? By the time something like this happens, dozens of laws have already been violated. This can't be fixed with the band-aid of a gun control law.</div>
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Q. for Mike: Partnership between the governor and our delegation on public lands? How important is that? And Trump is re-elected.</div>
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Mike: There's a lot we could accomplish. I learned a lot about public lands; Jon Huntsman was an early pioneer in the area of public lands management. 2/3 of our land is owned by the feds and we have to get a Mother-may-I whenever we need to do anything. We continue to be a public lands state, and we should be. But 2/3 of it shouldn't be controlled by the feds. Need to push PILT payments; push for reform legislation. </div>
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My question: UNASWERED</div>
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On education, I believe you are opposed to CC. At what point and why did you decide Common Core was problematic and how do you propose to get out of it? For Mayor Kafusi: what is your position on Common Core and while on Provo's school board, what were your actions regarding Common Core?</div>
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</span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-71437473770409308032020-06-08T11:26:00.002-06:002020-06-08T11:26:33.943-06:002020 Candidates for Governor: Greg HughesGreg Hughes:<br />
Greg Hughes is a former Speaker of the Utah House. His campaign was very good about doing Zoom meetings and answering any and all questions, including the hard ones. Here are my notes, unedited.<br />
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Been part-time public servant, legislature. Come as a candidate that there are a lot of challenges and issues and stakeholders to bring together to make decisions.</div>
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Goal: Lot of qualified candidates, pandemics, earthquakes. Want to convey that the positions I take a hold, I want to show you measureables, that show how we're doing. When you get specific, you run the risk of challenging the status quo. That's easier said than done. Every candidate owes it to you to be very specific.</div>
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COVID-19: Everyone is doing their level best. Health and economics are one and the same. Wherever you are right now, now what? If you don't receive a paycheck, how long can you maintain your household? If you're a business owner, if your doors are shut, are you expected to make payroll? overhead? There is no model that assumes NO business. You can't ask the federal or state government to hold up all the people of the country without business. We are all in this together. We are just trying to hold on for a number of days 15 or 30, so that the spread of this virus does not grow, I get this. The same hand of the state government that has closed businesses, is the same hand that needs to help keep them open. How do we usher all of us into this "pause"? We need to explain to people how it will work for us to stay inside, but when people need to survive, you may see civil disobedience. </div>
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Trying to be more succinct.</div>
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Get it done! Give me a compelling reasons to vote for you.</div>
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Track record of doing difficult things: Obamacare expansion--no conservative version of Obamacare expansion. Support Trump. No signatures/stay with convention. </div>
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"Regarding education, I love the direction as far as teacher pay and increasing the flow of money to schools. My concern is teacher training. What is your plan to hold the teacher training at universities accountable to better fit Utah values. As a principal and someone who got his BA, MA, and EdD at a state university I have seen the one-sided training that is trickling into our schools: white privilege, social justice, anti-America."</div>
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Connected dots for me. Lots of parents who are concerned about what their kids are learning in schools that differs from Utah values.</div>
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Double up on civics education. If we truly have the understanding of this great county is, what is a free market, equal opportunity not equal outcomes. How do you teach in the home the right thing but teachers are teaching other things. The governor has a strong bully pulpit; we shouldn't have kids in that environment. Zero tolerance.</div>
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Bull in a china closet: The way to be loved in politics is to not make anyone mad, and you don't make anyone mad if you don't do anything at all. Strong track record. Have found common ground. You can't be elected as Speaker, 63 GOP seats: the GOP seat in West Valley isn't the same as in Kane County. Don't have to retreat from your principles but you can find common ground. "If you want to make everyone happy, don't be a leader. Sell ice cream." --Steve Jobs</div>
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Never had a president who has looked to return power to the state like Trump: reduced two national monuments. Will never get credit for that for the little person in Utah. </div>
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Prison Relocation: Driving force for this in 2015. Thoughts on why it's the best for Utah.</div>
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2004 then-candidate Jon Huntsman said: this is an area that could see economic growth and that was not the place where you would create a prison at this point. The people of Draper didn't really want it moved. Property values haven't been harmed and there's a strong volunteer effort from the people of Draper. New prison design: has pods and correction/classrooms, easier to maintain and better to prepare them for re-entering into society. Want to do it correctly so people don't come back in. The redesign of the prison was a HAVE to HAVE, not a WANT to have. It was going to be redesigned. Had a consultant group that looked at the cost-benefit (MGT American) said that the new revenue derived from those 700 acres could pay for a complete rebuild of the prison in 5 years. If you rebuild on site, it's just one-time money. Democrat candidate wanted to send that money to education. so the political climate was not in favor of just a rebuild on the same site. Moving a prison, need to be near courts, near workforce, near the volunteerism, near families can visit, near hospitals. Have to develop out where there isn't much development or it would have disrupted an existing community. </div>
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What part did you play in the failure to override the Governor's veto of permitless/constitutional carry, and as Governor will you sign the next permitless carry bill that is passed by the legislature?</div>
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I was on the side that did everything to pass it. Voted for it in 2013. Voted to override the governor's veto. Essence of right to bear arms.</div>
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Red flag laws: I've never seen a red flag law that I've ever support. It has an emotional component to it: Do you want people who are stone cold crazy to be able to own and buy guns? The problem is what is missing is any due process: no due process to determine if you are mentally competent. It's a ready, fire, aim kind of law. I don't see the due process that would be absolutely necessary. I think it's by design.</div>
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The virus is definitely impacting everyone. It’s a new thing for all of us. What is the process that you use for learning about a complex issue like this so you can come up with a good policy action?</div>
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You have to be a sponge and open to every piece of information that you're going to hear. You can't be myopic in the information you're receiving or digesting. We work with a bunch of different levels. You need: medical professionals (overwhelming of health care system), business...you have to make sure you're doing right by all the people who's lives you are disrupting. You can't just listen to the one side. This is why a citizen legislature, you have to get back out into the world, it creates empathy and perspective: how does what you decided impact the people in the state.</div>
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Trump impeachment/processes, was there any wrong-doing with the president? If so, how do we ferret out corruption of any party. Thoughts on Sen. Romney's response?</div>
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Come from a unique perspective. Impeachment powers are broad. Utah has similar impeachment powers. There's a reason why you've only seen impeachment 3 times in our nation's history. 2 cases that were debated while in the legislature: Not an impeachment, even if they called it that. Any decision to exercise that authority, it needs to start with a full vote of the body. The entire body, House of Representatives VOTE on whether to begin an impeachment because there are so many powers that come with it. During our discussion, there was NEVER an assumption that we would exclude the minority. This would be an abuse of power. You will never have a process that will have integrity if you don't have the entire body. In the Nixon impeachment, the information drove decisions in that process. Never had that information in the Trump process. There was never an initial vote to begin that process. Don't subscribe to a single day of that process. I don't see anything wrong with talking with the President of Ukraine and what the problems with corruption are. Crossing over a consistent policy over administrations isn't a problem. And if it was wrong, we'll never know because the process to investigate was flawed. Biden boasted about this transcript about firing the investigator. If what we think Biden was okay, then Trump was okay. If we think it was wrong, you don't get immunity just because you could be a political rival. SENATE: I don't think there was enough to vote to remove this president from office. When Sen. Romney was a candidate, the commentary and the support for Trump during the delegate process, and then when he was elected, it was a departure from what he said to delegates.</div>
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"The people need to know what your constitutional foundation is...do you know the principles of liberty in the constitution and would you uphold them in all of your decisions?The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law. A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong. The most promising method of securing a virtuous and morally stable people is to elect virtuous leaders. Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained. All things were created by God, therefore upon Him all mankind are equally dependent, and to Him they are equally responsible. All men are created equal. The proper role of government is to protect equal rights, not provide equal things. Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. To protect man’s rights, God has revealed certain principles of divine law. The God-given right to govern is vested in the sovereign authority of the whole people."</div>
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This is a unique time where we're in a state of emergency, where these very liberties that were meant to protect us, can be taken away under the banner of protecting us. We need to be very careful that we are violating the Freedom of Assembly. We do not want to have government, with a Class B misdemeanor, get rid of this. Some governments have prohibited the sale of firearms. Fine with having the feds help to prop up people because this isn't a free market issue, but the dems in the senate that tired to pass things they couldn't pass under other circumstances, see this as an opportunity to dismantle freedom; they want people to be beholden to the government. I think our liberties are under attack. We want to be safe, but we need to be vigilant. Show me in recorded human history, a government where it lasts forever; where have oppressors and tyrants not surfaced? The strongest ability we have to defend our rights and liberties is in the constitution, the sovereignty is with us, which means we could give it away!</div>
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Battle scars: he's a developer, financial interest.</div>
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I own more land that I don't own in the state of Utah than anyone you've ever met. I have small developments. If people have contributed to my campaign (developers), does that give them an unfair advantage. There are some people who have donated with the ability to lead and move the needle. In fact, some of the positions I hold has angered people. Non-compete agreements are so abusive, and we're in a right to work state: fought against that. One of his donors was not happy when Greg complained to Congressman McAdams about the impeachment vote, and that was okay. </div>
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2014-15: Chair of UTA board, 3 execs had pretty exhorbitant salaries and their financial operations were questionable, and the legislature had to step in and restructure. You were chair of the board, how do we trust that you will use the taxpayer dollars judiciously, given this track record.</div>
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I'm proud of my track record: 130 miles of fixed rail along the Wasatch front. More people who own autos still ride mass transit. </div>
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On the salaries: we talk about public ed and in government, a pay-for-performance model. Far more inclined to demand outcomes, ready to compensate for those successes. You can't find a transit system in America that did it. The 2015 project was called that because it was to be finished in 2015. It was finished in 2012. It came online early and underbudget: the $300M saved was far greater than the salaries of the executives. I also worked on that change via the legislature (speaker). I learned that being on the board. Couldn't change the format of UTA as a board; it was statutory.</div>
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Everyone says they want local control for education, what specifically would you do, in light of the federal ESSA requirements that stipulate one set of standards and one set of state tests? As an example, I have tried to get my kids taught decent math for decades. But the state standards and the tests that test those standards reward the "fuzzy Math" processes. So, most of our schools that once taught traditional math, no longer do.</div>
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Margaret Dayton: tried to push back on NCLB. In some rural schools, couldn't get the training for teachers and following federal mandates. This was something politically that the Bush adminsitration didn't want. They said if you get out, we'll take all your federal Title 1 dollars. $300M dollars or something, would disappear from our ed budget and would have been devastating. It taught me how powerful the federal government can be. When we accept federal funds, they dictate everything. The only answer is we have to wean ourselves off the federal dollars; can't do it quickly. What we can't do is accept more of these federal funds. Need to be less dependent. </div>
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Thoughts on removing philosophical and religious exemptions for vaccines. We should be making good and informed choices. We have seen some cases like polio, as parents are opting out of the vaccine coming back. The number of vaccines as compared to when we were kids is huge. We need to give information but I don't want to infringe on the right of a parent, but do so with eyes wide open. I would put my weight and my confidence in parents. </div>
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What is the government's role in economic development: </div>
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GOED, and EDCU (economic dev corp of Utah): help with corporate expansion, maybe not at first, but now, there is so much focus, almost myopic, has been job growth and the median income. I'm not saying that's bad. My worry is that when all you're looking at is jobs: if you are sitting at almost full job growth; where would those companies that want to relocate going to look to take advantage--they're going to look at the most population. The irony to that model is that in the areas that are most populated we can't fit more and more growth. What small county or shrinking county is even in play? The way the current way they are working is only pushing growth in the 4 most populous counties. WE shouldn't be giving tax breaks that way. We need to look at infrastructure (water, reservoirs). We are 3Million + because of the planning. As governor, we will commit to an infrastructure project to the rest of the state; don't pick the winners and losers; we don't incentivize certain sectors or jobs. </div>
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I was on a conference call with Jon Huntsman last night and he said that because of coronavirus all candidates should be on the primary ballot. I'd like to know your thoughts on that and signatures vs. convention.</div>
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Delegates: your job is to ask me as a candidate and all the other candidates, questions, hard questions, and after all the information, and I think we can agree: these are not 30 second ads, billboards, we are having in real time unscripted questions and answers. This is something that Utah has been well-served. We have to safeguard and watch that our liberties and rights are not taken under a banner of security. One of the most important things is to consider is election law. Election laws should be changed in odd-numbered years, so that you don't change the process in the middle. When you start out, you want a level playing field. Once a process starts, different variables come into play. But if you were to change the rules while an election cycle is underway, and that's not a level playing field. The ability to gather signatures is being impeded because of this pandemic. The proposal is to change the law to let everyone in. If we did that, it would take the delegates 100% out of this election cycle. We do not want to lose this election cycle because of this state of emergency. Never when I signed up did I think my townhall meetings would be looking at a camera, never being one-on-one. It didn't change anything in the law; we, as candidates, just have to be smarter. Everyone had the dual path, there is no barrier to access to the ballot; while they signed up for signatures, they also said they want to make the case to the delegates as well. Down-ticket, there are plenty that have gathered signatures. We're finding work-arounds. Absolutely not! What a loss. </div>
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"Lightening round": <a href="http://www.greghughes.com/">www.greghughes.com</a></div>
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<li>What's your stance on abortion? Pro-life, record as a legislator reflects that. Need to be vigilant.</li>
<li>If you were still speaker, would you have brought up this tax bill? No. Would not tax services, gas or food. Solution is to grow the pie. There is an economic play that will out-pace 49 other states and won't have to worry about dance studios, netflix, etc. Greater and stronger economy and collecting in the ways we already collect it.</li>
<li>Public lands: can a governor actually impact this? Absolutely. Ability to get infrastructure across those lands is impeded. If land is an engine for funding education in the state? You can't. Conservative members of Congress have never heard: our federal delegation, get everyone on board, but you have to have a governor to push for that transfer. We come to Congress or the US Supreme Court, we are not being treated equally under the law. and that's a process that can be won. The more economic growth and infrastructure across the state, we can compel congress. Nevada did this. Don't want to pave or commercialize it all, but we need to manage it as a state.</li>
<li>Immigration, refugees: Opposed to illegal immigration. Immigration has to be legal and make sense. We have a pioneering spirit. Illegal has a negative impact on workforce, etc. Governor can lean into this and be a strong voice. Scott Walker leaned into things, strong conservative voice. There is no reason why Utah can't espouse the issues that are right for our state and conservative values. </li>
<li>Veterans: Worked hard. Deep love for our veterans, aware from my family history. Aware of the sacrifice that is borne on our behalf and their families. Every year, tried to move the needle. Tuition waiver bill: purple heart--no tuition. If Killed in action, spouse and children can go to a state school, no tuition. Not a debt, we the people can ever repay. </li>
</ol>
<div>
If you haven't seen the attacks, the fear, etc, what you learn that fear can be contagious, but so can courage. If you haven't lived through those moments, I don't know if they can answer those questions or can share with you what they would do. </div>
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COVID-19: Health and safety side is good. Do we have anything to go back to? This is an essential part of this conversation. At some point, people who can't feed their families will reopen businesses, go back out into society.</div>
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Gov. Cuomo: Until recently, as Americans, we've had each other's backs, regardless of party. Tragically, the politics in this time have, sadly, reared its ugly head, political agendas pursued in a time a crisis. Not afraid to call out good leadership regardless of party. Having daily press briefings, NY is the epicenter, looking back where they did the stay at home order, that might not have been the best decision to have made. It takes courage to even question your past decisions. Asking people to return to their homes might have had the opposite effect of actually spreading it to those who are more vulnerable. Terrible impact to the economy. Think the Governor should lead in this moment, without regard to anyone else running (Cox). </div>
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$2T relief bill in Congress, right or wrong? If Government is forcing us to close down, then how do we hit that pause button and make payroll and have businesses to come back to. I'm okay with a federal package in a time of pause, as long as it helps employers pay employees, so that you have jobs to come back to. You can't take away your ability to make money and here's a federal website to look for money (aaah). If the federal aid is meant to keep us in this moment of pause, for a brief amount of time to weather this storm, I'm okay. what I'm not okay with is airline industries demanding millions of dollars in direct aid. Learning from friends that these same airlines are not reimbursing people who have existing tickets. This is crony capitalism. We need dollars in our household income. Need to see that everyone is in this together, and not seeing that. If we can keep our businesses stay whole when government has kept us from earning money, then it's appropriate. Would have voted for the bill because otherwise, you have people just going back to work, which isn't going to be a good option. this is different than 2008 crash: bad practices in the economy, this was an economic failure and collapse. Don't want to bail anyone out. This is not that. This has been foisted upon people. The stories of these small businesses that are losing everything, even though they had reserves, and every dime is exhausted in 45 days if things don't change. That's not an economic bad practice. Can't use our free market and our economy. there was the momentum for this senate package to pass this aid. It was delayed because the Dems in the Senate and Pelosi, they Christmas-treed this aid package--social engineering, have govt give money directly and let these businesses fail, so there's no business to go back to and everyone is dependent on the government, all this to promote collectivism. </div>
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Standardized testing removed this year: opponent is touting this as a correct direction. What is the purpose of standardized testing and its role in public ed?</div>
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You have to measure what you care about, the whole point that will be our emerging workforce, it is a global economy. Are they ready for the workforce and for life? The obligation we have it to prepare the workforce, and it's in our best interest. I do believe if we're not careful that we can make public ed so fuzzy that we never know what they're learning. I think it's reasonable to ask to measure the dollars that are sent, and it's doing the job it's meant to do. That they have a mastery of the curriculum. The question is how? The pendulum swings on this. You can't take an educator and drill and kill on the test, or Computer adaptive test or teachers teaching only to the test. The tail wags the dog. If we let that go and we never make those factors accountable in public ed, how do we know if those dollars are being spent wisely. Very sensitive to where that can be done. </div>
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Why you vs your candidates? Attacks from media and liberal interest groups, going to show you not only what I can and would do, but what I have done in the past. I don't think you will find another candidate who can show you previous actions to support the positions you're taking. E.G. Caucus, only one candidate that only went via convention. Words match actions. </div>
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Public lands: Huge issue with Bears Ears, getting that reduced, watched you from afar being a huge advocate for public lands. Why is this important, PILT and revenue for education, and what role your would take as governor?</div>
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East of the Rockies, state land transferred from federal to state land. West: no federal lands were transferred. 67% of the land of the state is federally controlled. No revenue. East: the property tax from those lands fund public schools. In Utah, we don't have that. That is why Utah created a state income tax because there wasn't land to fund the schools. More students per taxpayer than any other state. The bad news is we can't fund education, and having that land in federal control directly impacts our public schools that creates a deficit. liberal environmentalists try to stop all these infrastructures in these federal lands. Rural counties: 75% or 80%, etc. Grand County: 90% federally controlled. We are penned in: need to say to the US Congress, we are not being treated equally. PILT: they give us some money in place of the taxes we should have received. That PILT payment is "Pennies in Lieu of Trillions". It doesn't even come close to the amount of money they should pay. Greenbelt zone: the amount of federal money that would come to this state if the feds actually paid the cost, we'd have tons of money. Jan. 2016, as Speaker, went back to DC, participated in the Heritage Foundation panel on federal lands. Conservatives across the the country are unaware of. Liberal environmentalist groups want to get paid back for the support of liberal presidents: Utah becomes an ATM for those presidents. Obama tweets a picture of Arches, not related to Bears Ears at all. Committed as Speaker to fight this. Ran the resolution in the House, Senate, Governor: Jan. 2017. Interior Secretary toured it. In less than a year, Pres. Trump reduced Bears Ears and Staircase Escalante: never happened in the past. Antiquities Act has been abused. Would never have thought that the little people of Utah would be able to bring a president to the state to address this issue. The good news is we have the president who is more committed to returning power back to the states. Ask Sen. Lee, he will agree with this. We need this!</div>
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You are part of the swamp of SLC but sided against constitutional carry? And AG of TX says that gun sales are essential services.</div>
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Not true. We can go back and look at the 2013 bill, voted in favor. Voted FOR constitutional carry. It is the essence of the Right to Bear Arms is not a hunting right, it is the sovereignty of the people. The Right to Bear Arms protects us and our other constitutional rights. Voted to override the governor's veto. The idea that in a state of emergency, the right to buy a gun is non-essential is a bad idea. People are trying to trade safety for our liberties with a false sense of security. </div>
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Shelter in place orders?</div>
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State health dept and 29 county health departments: director of every single one of those. As governor, the entire state is not experiencing COVID-19 at the same rate. We don't want to have a false sense of security about it. But what I know is that every single county health dept has emergency plans in place. You have county governance as well, and they understand those counties more than the governor would. You have to come up with those strategies. You do it in a collaborative way. What you should try not to do, to have a top-down approach, where the state health dept hands things down across the counties. They might be very important in some parts of the state, where it might not even be an impact. It could also generate a cynicism among the public. Cuomo is questioning out loud and in public his previous order of stay-in-place, rather than a quarantine approach for the medically fragile and older instead. Not include to see us go through a shelter in place order. Don't like orders/laws that try to protect people from themselves. I believe in individual liberty. Right of Assembly is critical. To ban, by penalty of law? that infringes on constitutional liberties. Would you want to ban, even if it's the smartest thing, people going to churches? I think our churches are choosing to do that. and that is correct. But government shouldn't ban it.</div>
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Prison relocation: understand the economics. The process pitted cities against cities. Felt like there was a great vacuum of leadership. How would you handle that going forward.</div>
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You wouldn't locate those 700 acres where they are today. There is a law that allows government bodies to go into closed meetings for 1) litigation, 2) personnel, 3) real estate transactions. The reason why that's a closed meeting environment is you don't want speculation. If you had a meeting and you had 5 areas you were looking, you don't want people to know this, so the speculation of that land increases. There was a robust debate about whether those prospective cites should become public knowledge. I argued against it for this reason. I thought that every cite we'd talked about wouldn't work. In a spirit of transparency, doing something that the law didn't require, it was decided that it would be made public and it made everyone upset in every jurisdiction. Hired a consulting organization so that we removed ourselves as a body out of it. We had them picking the cites, etc. Not a single lawmaker that ever profited from it. I saw people who were so upset and angry. In an effort to be more transparent, it created anger and concern and speculation in the people. And that wasn't good. Took 5 years of hearings. No other public building that took that amount of time. I think it created unnecessary public angst and concern. Not one he agreed with.</div>
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Would be open to multiple tests that can be chosen from for school testing: Iowa, Stanford, etc. </div>
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Special Ed scholarship: Backpack funding is where the dollars that states would pay for a student that goes to school, and allow that funding to go wherever the parents want them to go. Maybe another organization would be helpful. Supported Carson-Smith scholarship a few years ago. </div>
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Would support reciprocity for constitutional carry? Utah currently allows open carry, even without training. Can't reconcile concealed carry requires training. In the absence of constitutional carry, would support reciprocity. Will err on the side of more liberty. Would you love schools to be able to teach gun safety! The more familiar people are with guns and their safe use, that's such a positive. </div>
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So many laws and regulations: Are there any regulations to be removed and what are they?</div>
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Cut out the federal funds and those requirements. So much of that that is not allowing us to be free. Need to wean ourselves off of state dollars.</div>
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Increasing growth, but we haven't increased our precipitation. What should be our water policy for the future to make sure we have adequate water in this desert state?</div>
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29 counties. We've seen the lion's share in 4 counties (Wasatch). This state grows because of the infrastructure. The state has rights in the CO river. If we don't get the water shares that we're entitled to, we lose it. We need to get that water to the state of Utah. The federal lands and the environmental groups have blocked the infrastructure. We are going to have historic investment in this infrastructure.</div>
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Veterans and the Military: Purple heart tuition waiver (dependents or spouse if killed or you if you're wounded, tuition waived at Utah Higher ed). Veterans hospitals: only 1 veterans nursing home in the entire state. It was a terrible fight to get in line for the federal dollars, to fund one additional nursing home. We were entitled to 3 more, based on census. You would think this would be easy, but it was one of the hardest political processes. Working specifically with Rob Bishop on the federal side, got one in UT county and one in Washington County. </div>
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Homeless vets: vets are the best example of how we were failing them. We saw this anonymity among them. Project Rio Grande. Wanted to know everyone's story. We were able to connect them to the resources, if we know their story and who they are. </div>
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April 10,2020</div>
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Losing 5-10% per month of unemployment, not including the back-end damage to the GDP.</div>
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People will not be able to do what you're asking them to do, if we don't have cash and payroll.</div>
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Recent estimates have gone from thousands down to 160 people. </div>
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There is a public health impact to the loss of economy.</div>
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During the Great Recession and Depression, weren't there more deeply rooted problems before those?</div>
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What we have right now, if we're looking at a potential 25% drop in GDP, it would take $6T to plug that hole, and then we have inflation that goes out the window. In a free market, when people make bad economic decisions, there are things that can be traced back. But you can't just turn on a switch and get back on a government imposed shut down.</div>
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The Fed has asked us to have a national discussion on how we are going to get back to work now.</div>
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Want to be able to have this discussion and the balance. I feel that a lot of people that are pushing the shut down are not matching up to what should have been done. If you are so overwhelmed with the virus, you can't help those other emergencies. But when you shut down the local economy, what is the cost to health and public safety. The very people who I think were unprepared for this pandemic, are the same people who are saying don't try to reopen?</div>
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We know some good ways to get out of this safely and we need to do this. It doesn't seem like we are pursuing "perfect" outcomes. Stuck between really bad choices.</div>
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Utah is the state that can find the solutions and the smart practices. </div>
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Emergency powers: If you cross the state border that if you cross is "encumbered" virtually. It's not physical vs virtual doesn't meant that there's a difference. Need to be paying attention to this. Virtual geo-tracking of every car, I think that's too much. We are trying to weigh safety with liberty. Once we think we need to monitor our state borders, remember there's precedent in everything we do. </div>
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This is a constitutional question: It is an executive order that they may not be enforcing; however, an executive order does carry the weight of state law. This is now the new norm. It used to be you could cross into the state without encumbrance, and now you are pinged at a geo-fence. Supposedly it's anonymized. The order doesn't say that it's voluntary. If you are over 18 years old, within 3 hours, you have to fill out the form. Regardless of whether they close the border, they are still searching your phone to get your info and geo-location off your phone. It's not just is the border closed or not, it's how many articles of the constitution are they violating (illegal search and seizure). No debate that they're pinging your phone and searching your phone when you come into the state.</div>
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Potential constitutional violations:</div>
<ol>
<li>Article 4 section 2: all citizens from all states be treated equally</li>
<li>Article 1, section 8: congress has the power to regulate commerce betwen states</li>
<li>4th amendment</li>
</ol>
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What would Greg do differently:</div>
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The difference between order and directive, they have never been more powerful than they are now. A directive is: this is a good information, this is what you should be paying attention to, this is how you should be moving forward, based on the best evidence. </div>
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There are acute issues (fires, etc) where emergency powers make sense. The broad powers of a health department issuing orders (Class B if you violate), were written in terms of regional ideas. Were the state of emergency powers written to circumvent unalienable liberties. </div>
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What's essential? If your job is feeding your family, that's an essential job.</div>
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The national guard and the highway patron were absolutely engaged and it was contemplated that they actually stand by and guard the borders of the state. What are we getting out of it? If it's voluntary, then I need to know what we're getting out of it. The executive order does not say it's voluntary. </div>
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I don't think we should have to choose, they are presenting a false choice and it's coming at a dear price.</div>
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Small business owner, 150 employees. Hard to make money. I make clothing. last week when the CDC issued the guidelines to have a facemask. I shifted to face masks for $9.99 free shipping. Sold tens of thousands. Yesterday, I was shut down for "exploiting a crisis". I never thought I would agree with any Bernie Sanders said, these big tech companies have to get broken up. What can we do?</div>
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What you've described is American Ingenuity. We've asked GM to get into the ventilator business. It's disappointing or disturbing. There is a margin for paying the employees and keeping them employed. You said, I can make payroll and meet a need. To think that that was stopped and your motives were described as profiteering at the time of a crisis, is wrong. I hope people are outraged when they hear this story. Government-mandated market shutdown, if not done with solutions like you're describing, I see no other path than socialism. I think there are some out there who are highly interested in that scenario. "never let a crisis go to waste." Threw up ads and selling thousands and thousands of masks per day, and I got messaged that I was exploiting a crisis. If the tech companies shut you off, it's like shutting off your power, etc.</div>
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We've gone from fighting the Democrats on the margins to maintain our liberties, to republicans in our own state removing our liberties without anyone asking questions. </div>
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What can people do about this?</div>
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The sovereignty is in the people. If we know that the sovereignty is in the people, then, we are the boss. So, as the boss, how do we make sure that the people push back if they don't like the way things are going.</div>
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If you don't have a back to work strategy, then you don't have a good public health strategy. If someone thinks we're too heavy on the economic side, I just want someone to walk me through how that is sustainable. I don't think what we're doing this in June, order or no order. Unless someone can tell me how this works and I want it from someone who doesn't get a guaranteed paycheck (most of us), I don't see how it works.</div>
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Got to get our voices heard. Call the governor, members of Congress, senators. If the large businesses are getting relief and they aren't parlaying that into their customers or employees, then we can't bear that weight. 1. Airline industries, looking for billions. When people who have purchased tickets are asking for that money back, they are given a credit, not money. FAA told the airlines, you're going to have to start rebating that because people complained. 2. SBA: Bank of America--applications arrived last Friday. there are people who applied over the weekend. On Monday, they were told they were full. You have to apply through another bank. I really worry about the crony capitalism side of this. </div>
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We're saying that there's a way to get some people back to work right now.</div>
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We have high risk populations that need to continue to stay physically distanced or self-quarantined. But if you've been medically resolved, we have biotech companies that are making them, we need to have antibody tests taken by people so there's an immunity. We have healthy people, long enough to know they are not symptomatic, they don't have it. Take the young people and the medically resolved and send them back to work. Keep distancing, keep washing hands, quit touching eyes etc. Smart hygiene decisions. We have to get tests, in the absence of a treatment, a malaria drug is seeing great results around the world along with Zinc. We have an opportunity as a state to make sure it's available. We don't need to worry about the FDA process, with the supervision of a physician, we should have a right to try state. </div>
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Gov. Cuomo said: If I could back out of the quarantine everyone strategy, I'm not convinced it was the best public health strategy. You have to have both (health strategy and economy strategy).</div>
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Can you beat Jon Huntsman or Spencer Cox? There's a calculus in politics and it's: I want to be loved. And the way to do that is to not make anyone mad and to do that, you don't do anything. Then we sit as a state and wait for other states, and then we follow along, but the cost to the state as we fail to ask is unbelievable. Today's poll: It's a 3 person race. I'm the only candidate who has surged from November 11 point swing going up. This message is resonating. I'm going to need your support and I need to earn your support to earn that primary. When in that primary, I'm going to be bold and I'm going to tell the truth. We have to do something more, but some candidates are afraid.</div>
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When you have a new governor in an open seat (1st time since 1992) in January, the budget shortfalls will be the largest we've ever seen. The decisions awaiting the next governor are:hard, harder, and hardest. There is going to be a temptation to just take the federal money to "just hold people harmless". If we were to succumb to that gravitational pull to take federal money, I've never seen federal money arrive that takes more discretion to the states. it always comes with strings and we will lose control. The next governor is going to have incredibly difficult decisions that will not make people happy, and we're going to stave off the demand for more and more federal funds that we know in the long run will harm this state and these people. </div>
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We stopped obamacare expansion under the claim that we pay federal taxes, we should get our fair share.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-17540307217664719492020-06-08T11:25:00.001-06:002020-06-08T11:25:31.397-06:002020 Candidates for Governor: Spencer CoxHere are my notes from my interviews with the Candidates for Governor of Utah: 2020.<br />
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Spencer Cox:<br />
Spencer Cox is the current Lieutenant Governor. I received no outreach, as a delegate, from the Cox campaign. I emailed them and was told that due to being in charge of the COVID-10 task force, LG Cox would not be campaigning but his running mate, Senator Deirdre Henderson would reach out. The Cox campaign did have townhalls the week of the State Convention, but I did not receive word of it, sadly. <br />
<br />
I was able to reach out to Sen. Henderson who graciously answered my questions. She said that she and Spencer were more conservative than our current governor, Gary Herbert. She voted for the veto override of the Special Needs Scholarship that Governor Herbert had vetoed after this year's legislative session. She said that LG Cox is a unifier and not a divider. I asked about his relationship with President Donald Trump, and she said that it's important to remember that LG Cox's tweets came prior to him winning the election. Since then, they have had a good relationship and the White House contacts them on a very regular basis, especially during this COVID-19 situation. They are pro-life and pro-2nd Amendment. LG Cox, she said, has experience at almost every level of government (except school board, I might note ;-) ). As a side note (since I ask hard questions), I asked about the Ultrasound bill "kerfuffle". I put it here, just because I think it's important to hear all sides of the story, and not just the one the press puts out. She was opposed to the bill because she saw it as opening a door to government that shouldn't exist. She felt that if that legislation passed, then we would be removing patient and parental rights to determine what kind of medical care they though was appropriate. Ultrasounds are already performed for every pregnancy. She said that most legislators were not aware that such a thing as transvaginal ultrasounds existed. So, she amended the bill to prohibit using transvaginal ultrasounds because they are so invasive. However, it is considered to be "bad form" to amend a bill and then vote against it. So, she felt it best to walk out of the chamber during the vote, for that reason. The other female senators saw her and followed her out; it was unplanned and a spur of the moment thing. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-41428715190560734162020-02-24T19:03:00.001-07:002020-02-24T19:10:23.779-07:002020 Education Legislation that Must be Opposed: Feb. 25, 2020<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lots of really lousy education bills are on the docket for
tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 25.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, in
the Senate Ed Committee at 8am, and then in the House Ed Committee at 4pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are able to attend and comment on any
of them, that would be great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please
pick at least one bill (if you can’t do all of them) and email the appropriate
group, as listed below.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Quick info: How to read a bill.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If something is underlined, it will be added to the law, if
the bill passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If something is crossed
out, then that will be removed from the law, if the bill passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everything else is existing law.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Quick Info: How to email committee members.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
See the list of Senate and House Ed committee emails listed
below.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s best to put in the subject
line something like: Vote NO on HB114Sub2 ((that means House Bill 114 Substitute
2).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then address your email to each individual Rep or
Senator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can certainly copy and
paste the body of the email.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make it
short, sweet and to the point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you
want to add more information, you can finish the email, and then say, for more information
on this…and basically add a PS, so they can go as long or as short as they’d
like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They need to get these emails
ASAP, as the Senate will probably not read emails once the committee hearing
starts at 8am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are a constituent
of one of the committee members, please let them know that.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>*Senate Ed Committee: 8am </b>Write the Senators and ask
them to VOTE NO!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
HB114Sub2: You can read it here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/HB0114.html">https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/HB0114.html</a>
: Early Learning Training and Assessment<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This bill allocates $17.55 Million to establish additional testing
and support coaches and early learning plans for math and reading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s important to know that our current Math
and English standards (which, sadly, are still Common Core) were declared to be
developmentally inappropriate for grades K-3 by 500 Early Childhood Experts in
2010.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would argue if we fixed our
current math and English standards, we wouldn’t need to waste $17.5 Million in
trying to assess and coach our teachers to teach our kids stuff that isn’t
helping them read and do math.<o:p></o:p></div>
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SB136: <a href="https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/SB0136.html">https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/SB0136.html</a>
Healthy Lifestyles Revisions<o:p></o:p></div>
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For those of you who are wary of CSE (Comprehensive
S3xuality Education—typo intentional to avoid spam filters), this is the bill
to change our school health requirements to be broadened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incidentally, if you go to the CDC website,
you will find that Utah has one of the lowest rates of STIs of any of the
states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The states with higher rates,
many of them, have implemented CSE programs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But because we have such a low rate, the health department touts the
fact that we have a huge increase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes,
but that’s a percentage increase from a very, very low number to a higher
number, that is still low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
important to understand that Public Education used to be about those things
that we could all agree on (2+2=4).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once
you start down this road, there will be very little agreement, and that is
problematic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Some concerns:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Changes communicable disease to infectious disease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there is obvious overlap, infectious
disease is, by definition, a disease that is transmitted via bacteria, or
virus, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The focus of infectious disease
is the “infecting agent”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Communicable
disease is a disease that is spread via human to human contact in some
form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The focus of communicable disease
is the human transmission to others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
light of this being a health course and not an immunology course, the current
wording “communicable” is probably more relevant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See lines 60-62 and lines 68-70.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Current law allows emphasizes the importance
of abstinence before marriage and fidelity after marriage as methods of
preventing communicable diseases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
references to marriage are removed, and abstinence is listed as a method for
preventing certain infectious diseases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, current law prohibits advocacy or encouragement of contraceptive
devices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would be removed if this
bill passes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Line 187 includes a
requirement that the course include “healthy relationships”, but there is no
definition of what a healthy relationship is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>207-209 requires the local district <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or charter (LEA) to report to the State Board
the percentage of children who are not opted out of the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will allow the state to know how many
kids are not taking the courses, and will, in the future, no doubt lead to
greater pressure on parents to have their kids take the courses.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>**House Ed Committee: 4pm </b>Write the House Reps and
ask them to Vote No!<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are 3 bills that are extremely problematic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1 that is mostly a waste of time and
money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will list them in the order
they are on the agenda, but the most egregious one is listed 3<sup>rd</sup>
(HB323).<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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SB0093Sub1: <a href="https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/SB0093.html">https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/SB0093.html</a>
Math and Science Opportunities for Students and Teachers<o:p></o:p></div>
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This bill will cost $4.8M.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The idea that the state decides to use this money up front for this purpose
undermines local control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s $4.8M
that doesn’t go directly to the schools that choose not to participate in this
program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real issue with students
not learning math has nothing to do with not having the Opportunity provided in
this bill (that’s mostly just money) and everything to do with the adoption of
sub-par math standards (Common Core).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This bill is mostly just a waste of time and money that could be better
spent elsewhere, especially at the local level in reducing class sizes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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SB0099: <a href="https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/SB0099.html">https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/SB0099.html</a>
School Leadership Development Amendments<o:p></o:p></div>
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This bill will create a mentor program for principals to the
tune of $15.2 Million.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similar to others,
this takes $15.2 M off the table to be spent in any other way at the local
level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, if you are sure principals being
mentored is a higher priority than anything else your local district would spend
that money on, then this is the bill for you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But if you think maybe that’s a waste of money or that the local school district
might prefer to use the money differently, then you should encourage your Reps
to vote NO!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Alpine School District, we
already pay an annual fee to participate in the BYU Public School Partnership,
along with 4 other districts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As part of
this partnership, we have a Principals/Leadership Academy that employees who
are interested in becoming principals can take.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Also, ASD usually appoints principals from among applicants who have already
spent a few years as assistant principals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, there is already a formal structure for mentoring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, in my years of knocking doors and
talking to people, I have never received a single comment from the people that
said we needed to spend more money on mentoring principals.<o:p></o:p></div>
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HB323: <a href="https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/HB0323.html">https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/HB0323.html</a>
School Mental Health Amendments (THIS IS THE REALLY<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>REALLY REALLY<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>BAD ONE!!!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Because schools and teachers, especially are already
overwhelmed, we are going to require the State Board to create a Mental Health
screening tool that can be administered to every student in our public school
setting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will either be creating a
greater need to have mental health counselors in our schools to assist with
this (instead of spending the money on actual reading, writing, and arithmetic)
or we will delegate this to teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
also opens up the possibility of parents being bullied into allowing their kids
to be tested, and once tested, if a parent disagrees, then there is evidence
that they went against the “state”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Could Child Protective be called on parents who refuse?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wouldn’t be out of the question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whenever we have societal problems, we tend
to put all the focus on our public schools to “solve” the problem for us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is not the place to do mental health
screenings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Your pediatrician or a
mental health counselor of the parent’s choosing would be the appropriate place
for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Schools should focus on academics,
art, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are to be supportive of
parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are not to replace
parents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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HB241: <a href="https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/HB0241.html">https://le.utah.gov/~2020/bills/static/HB0241.html</a>
Kindergarten Attendance Amendments<o:p></o:p></div>
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This make Kindergarten a required grade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Currently, children are only required to
attend school from ages 6-18.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This bill
will require school from age 5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some
problems (besides the obvious increased cost that will occur if more people put
their kids in Kindergarten): Many students are not developmentally ready for
Kindergarten at age 5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many parents
choose to keep their kids home an extra year and then enroll them in
Kindergarten at age 6.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You would be able
to do this still, but you’d have to fill out a homeschooling affidavit, and
then, see lines 131-134, the school board is required to give you information
about the knowledge, skills, and competencies required before Grade 1. This is
only required for homeschool Kindergarten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Currently, there is no requirement other than if a parent requests this
information for the other grades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
not a requirement for those who choose a private option.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, if children are not, yet,
developmentally ready for school, it could create more students who are
identified with learning disabilities or special needs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those students so identified would require
more state (and federal) funding, as well as administration of IEPs (individual
education plans), etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as mentioned
above, our current set of K-3 standards are developmentally inappropriate for
K-3 children anyway. So, we’ll put more kids into a no-win situation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All in all, there is no compelling reason to require
Kindergarten attendance.<o:p></o:p></div>
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*Senators on the Senate Ed Committee:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Senator Henderson - dhenderson@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
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Senator Davis - gdavis@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
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Senator Fillmore - lfillmore@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Senator Grover - keithgrover@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
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Senator Hillyard - lhillyard@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
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Senator Millner - amillner@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
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Senator Reibe - kriebe@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
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Senator Stevenson - <a href="mailto:jwstevenson@le.utah.gov">jwstevenson@le.utah.gov</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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**Representatives on the House Ed Committee:<o:p></o:p></div>
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vlsnow@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
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susanpulsipher@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
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mballard@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
dnjohnson@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
blast@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
csmoss@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
jeffersonmoss@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
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leeperry@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
vpeterson@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
mariepoulson@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
adamrobertson@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
swaldrip@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
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christinewatkins@le.utah.gov<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rep. V. Lowry Snow (R), Chair<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Rep. Susan Pulsipher (R), Vice Chair<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Rep. Melissa G. Ballard (R)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rep. Dan N. Johnson (R)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rep. Bradley G. Last (R)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rep. Carol Spackman Moss (D)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rep. Jefferson Moss (R)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rep. Lee B. Perry (R)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rep. Val L. Peterson (R)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rep. Marie H. Poulson (D)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rep. Adam Robertson (R)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rep. Steve Waldrip (R)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rep. Christine F. Watkins (R)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-78462931770809807652020-01-01T15:16:00.005-07:002021-01-15T18:21:25.334-07:00Be One: Three Keys to Being Respectful from the Sermon on the Mount<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: This message is given from a particular perspective (LDS) and cites additional scripture. However, the three keys are taken directly from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew. I believe the principles are universal and have applicability, regardless of religious or political affiliation. I, also, believe that the more people who are able to have civil, respectful discussions with their friends and family (including on social media) with whom they disagree, the better our society will become.</span></i><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: black;">Be One: </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="color: black;">Three Keys to Being Respectful from the Sermon on the Mount</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">“<span face=""arial" , sans-serif">I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/38?lang=eng">D&C 38:27</a>) What does it mean to “be one?” Are we to be the same? Should we think alike, act alike, vote alike? It would certainly be easier to “be one” if everyone were the same.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">In the beginning, God created us different: male and female. So, we were never supposed to be the same. <a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2001/10/it-is-not-good-for-man-or-woman-to-be-alone?lang=eng">Sheri Dew</a> spoke of the need for differences between men and women but I think it applies more broadly as well. She said, “Our Father knew exactly what He was doing when He created us. He made us enough alike to love each other, but enough different that we would need to unite our strengths and stewardships to create a whole. Neither man nor woman is perfect or complete without the other. Thus, no marriage or family, no ward or stake is likely to reach its full potential until husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, men and women work together in unity of purpose, respecting and relying upon each other's strengths.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">However, in reality, differences between people are hard to deal with.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">In 1776, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were the pen and the voice of the American Revolution. Both served on the committee of five that was charged with drafting the Declaration of Independence. John Adams, eight years older than Jefferson, was more well-known and accomplished. But Adams threw his support behind Jefferson as the principle author stating that Jefferson had “a happy talent for composition and a felicity of expression.” Throughout the Revolution, they were not just political allies, but truly friends. Sadly, this didn't last when different perspectives arose.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">How do we stay unified, despite differences? Christ gave us three keys for unity in the Sermon on the Mount.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">First from the JST, “Judge not </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><i>unrighteously</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">, that ye be not judged.“ (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/7?lang=eng">Matt. 7:1</a>) </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">But it's also important to read the next verse, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/7?lang=eng">Matt. 7:2</a>) We need to understand that when we judge, whatever standard we use to judge another is the same standard that we will be held to. Our life is about choices and agency, so we are not to assume we are never to make judgements. Instead, they must be righteous with complete knowledge.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">In the Book of Alma, Capt Moroni, frustrated with the lack of supplies and of support, writes to Governor Pahoran, with strong condemnation. Moroni says: “Yea, great has been your neglect towards us....Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless </span></span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/60?lang=eng#note7a"><span style="color: black;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">stupor</span></span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you? Yea, while they are murdering thousands of your brethren.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/60.5-6?lang=eng&clang=eng#p4">Alma 60:5,7</a>) Capt Moroni was right to be upset. But he assumed, incorrectly, the cause of the inaction.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">So Step 1 in being unified, is to judge righteously, always remembering that how we come to our conclusions will be the standard used to judge us as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">After Washington was elected President, Adams and Jefferson both served in his cabinet. It was at this time that they became political rivals and began to see the faults in each other. They publicly condemned each other, and the strife and division lasted for several decades. While we can easily find fault with them and say it was wrong that they took sides, I see the areas of disagreement that they embodied as being necessary elements in the process of creating of our new nation. So, how do we handle disagreement and still stay unified?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">Our second key, follows directly after the admonition to Judge not unrighteously. Christ warns us, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in they brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/7?lang=eng">Matt. 7:3</a>) Too often we are so focused on the faults of another that we fail to see our own faults. But it may be more than this. Our focus on the faults of others may actually create the beam in our own eye. That beam hampers our ability to see reality. It distorts our vision of not only the other person, but also ourselves. We are filled with pride. The beam in our own eye says: I'm better than my neighbor because I don't share those faults. And, sadly, that pride prevents us from seeing the other person as a Child of God. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"> <span face=""arial" , sans-serif">Step 2, then is to not focus on the faults of others, and certainly to not get caught up in the prideful vision that we are somehow better than they are because we are different and we may see things differently.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">But this is hard. How do we allow people to be different or even to make mistakes without condemning their intent or impugning their motives? Without becoming prideful?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">Consider Capt Moroni with his Nephite armies and the People of Ammon. From a strictly political perspective, they are polar opposites. Capt Moroni is a military commander. He rallies the people to fight under the Title of Liberty. He is willing to shed blood to defend his country. The People of Ammon, by contrast, were willing to die rather than to take up arms. How do you reconcile defense of your country with pacifism? Which group of people were inspired by God? The answer is, they both were. While both were inspired, they were both inspired to live their lives differently. Imagine, if we had a record of the Nephites condemning the People of Ammon for not taking up arms? Imagine if the People of Ammon condemned the Nephite armies for going to war? Instead, we have a record of them supporting each other. And we have the miracles that attended both groups because of their faithfulness. Unity doesn't mean taking the same path.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">But what if I see the value in another and want to treat them well, but they treat me with contempt, or say disparaging things about me and my motivations on social media? Isn't it only natural to defend oneself?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">Remember Capt Moroni and his letter to Pahoran. Pahoran, while right to be upset that Moroni has accused him of great neglect of being an accomplice to murder, responds differently than what we would expect. He gives Moroni context for his lack of action, but then graciously says: “And now, in your epistle you have </span></span><a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/alma/61?lang=eng#note9a"><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">censured</span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart.” (<a href="http://scriptures/">Alma 61:9</a>) </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">What if every time we were slighted, we could respond with gratitude for the “greatness of the heart” of the person who attacked us?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">Toward the end of their lives, Adams and Jefferson resumed their correspondence and their friendship. They were able to get beyond the pain that each had caused the other and to truly forgive. In short, these two rivals and previous political enemies were able to reconcile and to leave this world as friends. It is fitting that they did so, together, on July 4, 1826—50 years to the day after approving the Declaration they had both helped create. They exemplified what <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/10667-do-i-not-destroy-my-enemies-when-i-make-them">Abraham Lincoln</a> meant when he said, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">Here, then is the third key. Christ said, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/5?lang=eng">Matt 5:44</a>) A friend of mine made a habit of going to the temple and putting the name of an individual who was most unkind to her on the prayer roll. The more difficult the differences, the more she prayed for this person. Their relationship never changed very much, but my friend was able to have peace.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">Pray for our enemies. We must ask to see those who have hurt or offended us as the Lord sees them. C.S. Lewis explains, “</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">There are no </span></span><em><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><span style="font-style: normal;">ordinary </span></span></span></em><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">people. You have never talked to a mere mortal....But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit...” (</span></span><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/282593-it-is-a-serious-thing-to-live-in-a-society"><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><i>The Weight of Glory</i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">, C.S. Lewis</span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">) The people who hurt us or who we malign are truly our brothers and sisters, potential gods and goddesses.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">When Christ was arrested and betrayed by a kiss, Peter drew his sword, and cut off the ear of one of the men in the arresting party. At this moment, Christ performed a miracle for them; He healed the injured man. Still, He was arrested, and still He was crucified. As Christ was hanging on the cross in utter agony, the scripture says, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (<a href="https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/luke/23.34?lang=eng&clang=eng#p33">Luke 23:34</a>)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. remarked, “Jesus eloquently affirmed from the cross a higher law. He knew that the old eye-for-eye philosophy would leave everyone blind. He did not seek to overcome evil with evil. He overcame evil with good. Although crucified by hate, he responded with aggressive love. What a magnificent lesson! Generations will rise and fall; men will continue to worship the god of revenge and bow before the alter of retaliation; but ever and again this noble lesson of Calvary will be a nagging reminder that only goodness can drive out evil and only love can conquer hate.” (</span></span><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=HtqRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA234&lpg=PA234&dq=martin+luther+king+jr+%E2%80%9CJesus+eloquently+affirmed+from+the+cross+a+higher+law.+He+knew+that+the+old+eye-for-eye+philosophy+would+leave+everyone+blind.+He+did+not+seek+to+overcome+evil+with+evil.+He+overcame+evil+with+good.+Although+crucified+by+hate,+he+responded+with+aggressive+love.+What+a+magnificent+lesson!+Generations+will+rise+and+fall;+men+will+continue+to+worship+the+god+of+revenge+and+bow+before+the+alter+of+retaliation;+but+ever+and+again+this+noble+lesson+of+Calvary+will+be+a+nagging+reminder+that+only+goodness+can+drive+out+evil+and+only+love+can+conquer+hate.%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=ixtLKCEzJR&sig=ACfU3U3UT9UQ-Lixu_6gErDfPGVQj9Vliw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwigzeezsuPmAhXOBc0KHca-BsMQ6AEwAHoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false"><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif"><i>The Strength to Love, </i></span></span><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">Ch. 4, Martin Luther King, Jr.</span></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">) </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif">We are commanded to be One. The natural man responds to hate and criticism with hate and criticism. Christ teaches us to respond with love. Judge righteously. Avoid focusing on the mote in our neighbor's eye. And then pray for and treat those who challenge us as the children of God, they truly are. Every person is someone valued and loved, and of infinite worth. And when we are unified in our desire to love our neighbors, we then become true disciples of Christ, unified in the faith, and undivided by our uniqueness and our differences.</span></span></div>
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<i></i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-45451030363114820502019-10-07T20:31:00.000-06:002019-10-07T20:31:00.405-06:00Phase 4 of the Bond: Promises Made on Faulty DataTomorrow, Oct. 8, 2019, the Alpine School Board will decide which two areas will see elementary schools built as part of Phase 4 of the bond. In November, 2017, the Alpine School Board designated a new elementary would be built in Vineyard. However, the projections used to make that decision were revised a year later a DECREASED by almost 400 students. That made the "promise" of a new elementary in Vineyard, not as much of a "no-brainer" as it looked in 2017. Here is my letter to the current board. It is important to note, that every new board has the ability of reviewing and changing the actions of a previous board. And certainly, if they have better knowledge and information, they are obligated to act, based on that improved knowledge.<br />
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Dear Board Members:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I know you are wrangling over the decision about what elementaries
to add to Phase 4 of the bond for the meeting tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I appreciate the difficulty of this decision
and wanted to clarify just a few things.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">Our
previous board is not, legally, allowed to tie your hands, as the current
board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As new information and
situations change, you are not only free to act in a different direction than
what we planned, you are obligated to do so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You are accountable for the knowledge
and information you have now, regardless of what decisions we made in the
past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">The
decision that we made in November, 2017 to designate Vineyard as one of
the elementary schools was based on data that is no longer accurate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Nov. 2017, Vineyard was projected to
be at 1,360, non-self-contained students by this year (2019).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 2021, it was supposed to be at 1,523.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By contrast, Sage Hills was supposed to
be at 1,070 by 2019 and1,136 by 2021.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Dry Creek was 1,102 by 2019 and 1,144 by 2021.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Currently, Vineyard is at 1,085. Sage
Hills at 1,140. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Dry Creek at
1,039.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 2018 projections were
more accurate by a large factor than the 2017 projections upon which the
Vineyard “promise” was made.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those
numbers are much closer to the actual numbers for this year (which only
makes sense), but the 2018 projections for Vineyard in the year 2021 went
from 1,523 to 1,167.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a HUGE
discrepancy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Additionally, the Sage
Hills and Dry Creek numbers are, roughly, similar between the 2017 projections
and the 2018 projections, for both 2019 and 2021.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, the 2021 projection for Sage Hills
is already 4 students short of what Sage Hills has currently, in 2019. So,
there was obviously a huge error made in the Vineyard projections upon
which our board based its decision. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This information and the change in data
must be incorporated into your decision, regardless of what we thought at
the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is why you were
elected, to make on-going decisions, as new information presents itself.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;">I
understand that many of you are concerned about keeping the promises that
our previous board made to the citizens of Vineyard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, you need to know that the amount of
time you’ve spent studying this issue is much, much greater than the time
we took in making the original “promise”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In point of fact,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I (and at
least one other former board member) didn’t even remember this Vineyard “promise”
ever occurring, until I read the Herald article and listened to the audio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granted, we go through a lot of issues, but
I do remember the major decisions that took time, and effort, and
energy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To my recollection, this
idea of specifying Vineyard as Phase 4 on the bond was not ever brought up
in Superintendent Meeting, at least not one that I attended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The placement of the issue on the agenda
was one I discovered by looking at the agenda during the day or so before
Board Meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no record of
having asked any questions outside of the Study Session or Board Meeting
on this issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In short, I looked
at the numbers presented and made my decision based solely on those, now
obviously, incorrect numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
were “promised” in our Board Meeting in November, 2017, that Vineyard
would be the elementary with “the largest” population by 2021.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>According to the projections, only one
year later, that “promised” projection went down by nearly 400 students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That discrepancy is the second
point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the numbers are closer,
as they actually appear to be, it’s a much more difficult decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This would have required a lot more
analysis and discussion, than a few comments in a Study Session, then a 5
minute discussion in Board Meeting, and a vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, based on the timing of the
vote, it really did seem like we were designating Vineyard in order to appease
the Hillcrest/Scera Park patrons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And that’s fine, if you have the numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But we didn’t designate any other
elementaries for Phase 4 at that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And our numbers were much more accurate for our other elementaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s, as if, Vineyard was the only error
in our projections.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can promise
you that if the numbers hadn’t been so widely out of line for Vineyard, I
would not have been willing to make that determination at that time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And certainly, if the numbers had been
closer, I would have asked more questions and asked for more time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My single vote wouldn’t have changed the
board’s “promise”, but I am here to tell you, I hope you will not base
your decision on my mistake.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
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In short, we made a “promise” with faulty data and
without a lot of deliberation, discussion, or analysis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are not legally allowed to tie your
hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since you now have greater
information and understanding, I ask you to take all the information into
account.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you are unable to diverge
from what we, hurriedly “promised”, with inaccurate numbers, I shudder to think
about other decisions that we made and the on-going implications.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You MUST be able to make a decision, without
thinking about what was said in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, hopefully, without considering politics, only facts, numbers, and
students.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
Thanks for taking on this difficult task, and I hope
you know if you decide against what I agreed to 2 years ago, I will be pleased
that the system is working as it should.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And, even if you don’t, please don’t blame the hurried promises of our
board for your decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please own the
decision, based on your own numbers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
Wendy Hart<o:p></o:p></div>
<br /><br />
November, 2017 Projections (2019 pg. 20, 2021 pg. 24)<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B4LZ8teFSo0femlIdzdESXY4c3c">https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B4LZ8teFSo0femlIdzdESXY4c3c</a><br />
November, 2018 Projections (2019 pg. 18, 2021, pg. 22)<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2z1TYkIjIEONFV1djEtbnN5d28/view">https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2z1TYkIjIEONFV1djEtbnN5d28/view</a><br />
Current Numbers (pg. 118)<br />
<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rOrnhPXSKu9gxOqoqpYMeMXZ2TYjEeU5">https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1rOrnhPXSKu9gxOqoqpYMeMXZ2TYjEeU5</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-68959696527778343582019-09-09T20:30:00.001-06:002019-09-09T20:33:58.496-06:00Where to build an elementary school?There could be some lively discussion this Tuesday on who needs an elementary school more: the West or Vineyard. At Board Meeting for Tuesday, Sept 10, 2019, the ASD board has a discussion item: Plan for Phase IV Buildings. You can find the agenda <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10XdOCKKyJpp6ZotwhdkwPyUCjXAP-Qfl" target="_blank">here</a>. The enrollment numbers can be found on pages 208-209 of the meeting documents <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/10XdOCKKyJpp6ZotwhdkwPyUCjXAP-Qfl" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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The fly in the ointment is that in November, 2017, after the board decided to consolidate Hillcrest and Scera Park elementaries in Orem, the board voted to put a new elementary in Vineyard as part of Phase 4 of the existing bond. At that time, I asked whether or not the numbers supported this, as it was a couple of years out. I was told that, yes it did. I apologize that I didn't stand up more forcefully against promising something so far out. But, as the numbers appear right now, Vineyard is large, but there are options. Here are the current enrollment numbers for elementaries with lots of students:<br />
<br />
Brookhaven: 1346<br />
Sage Hills: 1152Black Ridge: 1141<br />
Vineyard: 1103<br />
Dry Creek: 1053<br />
Hidden Hollow: 999<br />
Harvest: 984<br />
Pony Express: 965<br />
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If you notice, with the exception of Vineyard, all these schools are out west. So, here's the thing. Vineyard is near Orem and here are some numbers from schools in Orem (which, granted, are often, if not always, smaller than the ones out west).<br />
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Geneva: 305<br />
Suncrest: 395<br />
Aspen: 404Westmore: 463<br />
Windsor: 570<br />
Bonneville: 579<br />
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So, Vineyard's high numbers could be offset by changing the boundaries and moving some of the kids in Vineyard to surrounding schools. There are options for Vineyard. The other schools out west have no options for moving kids around because all their surrounding schools are also really full. It seems like a no-brainer to me for the board to simply change the decision we made in 2017 (which is completely legal), and designate two new elementary schools out west to be the final elementaries built with the current bond. Another bond is in the planning stages for the 2020 ballot. But even if that passes, it would take an allocation from the board in 2021, and so, best case, another elementary couldn't be completed until probably 2022. That means the west would continue to grow for 2.5 more years without any options other than the one elementary (which is definitely needed). To me, it makes sense to alleviate Vineyard by changing boundaries and building 2 new elementaries out west.<br />
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Why would this not be self-evident? Well, because Orem residents weren't pleased with the Hillcrest/Scera Park consolidation and wanted a promise on the Vineyard school. The argument could be made that the board is going back on a promise made to those residents. True, except the majority of the board has changed from 2017. There are only 3 board members currently on the board who were there in 2017. Plus, the reason why you have a board that makes decisions on an on-going basis is so they can address things, as they come up. The reason why the 2 elementary schools were not named in the original bond proposal was because it's hard to project things more than a year or so out. My "spidey-sense" should have gone off in 2017 to think that it would be at least 2 more years before these elementaries would break ground. I should have voted no. The other rumor is that if Vineyard isn't named as one of the elementaries on this final phase of the bond, then the Orem City Council might choose to break off and form their own school district. In my opinion, if they want the higher tax burden of doing this in order to keep smaller, neighborhood schools, I'm in favor of them deciding to do whatever makes sense for them. And if not, then the board needs to stand by the numbers and the logistics as they are today, and not what we thought they'd be two years ago.<br />
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Please feel free to come to the board meeting at the District Office in AF at 6pm on Tuesday. Public comments are always welcome. You just have to sign up beforehand.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-70722377828339775262019-03-04T14:16:00.002-07:002019-03-04T14:16:34.807-07:00Substitute SB149: Test metrics are flawed. Funding shouldn't followThis is my letter to the House Ed Committee asking for a substitute for SB149.<br />
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I would like to request a substitution to SB 149 that removes the funding tie to school grading and a 1% increase in points under the state accountability system. The moment we tie funding to the accountability system, we need to guarantee that the accountability system is flawless. If there is one instance of a school that should get money and doesn’t or vice versa, it is an unjust system. It also sets a precedent that elevates our accountability system above all other metrics, including those that the student’s parents hold in higher regard. Also, an accountability system that focuses on a single data-point in time, aka the statewide test, results in a monolithic system that doesn’t allow for those students and/or schools that don’t fit into the “box”. Statewide accountability should be seen as an interesting data point. But tying funding to it, elevates it to a level that reduces accountability to the parents and taxpayers and reduces choice in what and how a child learns best.<br />
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Instead, the accountability metrics for SB149 can and should be managed at the local board level, as proposed by the principal. If, for example, the principal and SCC want to use this money to pay for additional special ed aides, then the metric would be different than if they wanted to pay for additional science resources. Purchasing special ed aides will not, necessarily, increase test scores, but it may be the right thing to do. Science resources, again, might improve test scores on science, but it may simply be a better experience for students. And there may be a better metric than science scores(number of students passing science, for example or participating in science fairs, etc). Or, in the case of science, they may want to focus only on improvement in science scores as opposed to the aggregate of English, Math and Science. And science alone may not lead to the necessary rate of improvement contained in this bill. <br />
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It would be nice if we could find a simple testing system that was easy to use and applicable to all, but the process of educating human beings and how those children react is more complex than just a simple measure on a test score. Additionally, our tests measure HOW students answer questions, not just objective fact. <br />
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Importantly, there are several examples of where our accountability system fails. Just 3 of those are:<br />
1.Dixie Montessori which is in Turnaround status. They are a Montessori school which is much less focused on test taking and test prep. Parents choose this kind of a school for a reason. Should they not qualify for this money because they don’t fit the mold of what a “school” is supposed to look like?<br />
2.UCAS which is the charter associated with UVU. Students take college courses at UVU during high school and graduate with an Associates’ Degree at the time of their HS graduation. Under our current grading system, UCAS is not proficient in the college-readiness category, because they don’t offer AP courses.<br />
3.Lone Peak HS: A couple of years ago, Lone Peak received a ‘D’ grade and later appealed to receive a ‘C’ grade. Lone Peak has the highest AP testing rate and one of the highest AP pass rates in the state. They have a 96% graduation rate (last I checked), and they score proficiently on our testing, as well as having a much higher than the state average on the ACT. By those measures, Lone Peak is doing well. Where they “fail” is in not having enough non-proficient students improving at the “appropriate” level (as determined by Student Growth Percentile—which is a whole other discussion).<br />
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If our accountability metric fails for just a few schools, then they will be unnecessarily punished when we tie funding to their outcomes. Additionally, I am concerned with Special Needs schools (Alpine district has two: Dan Peterson and Horizon) and how this testing metric will apply to them. Special needs students are tested on age/grade-level not developmental-level. Under that scenario, how will they improve 1% each year? For those who take the alternative test because they are in the 1% of the most cognitively disabled, is a 1% point improvement every year possible? I don’t know.<br />
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At any rate, since there are demonstrable flaws in our accountability system, it is wrong to tie funding directly to that system. I ask that the bill be amended to allow local schools to propose their accountability metrics in their plan and have it approved by the local boards. We do this with Trust Lands. I think it should be the same for this plan. I would also ask that this fund not receive on-going funding, but just leave monies to be funded via the WPU.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
<br />
Wendy Hart<br />
Highland, UT<br />
Mother of 3<br />
HI02 Precinct Chair<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-63128887602591517772019-03-03T19:59:00.001-07:002019-03-03T20:13:12.726-07:00No on SB149: Don't tie funding to the state test!!!<br />
On Monday, March 4 at 4pm, the House Ed Committee will hear the bill SB149: The Teacher and Student Success Act. Please come, if you can, to ask our reps to vote no (or to amend) SB149!! If not, please email ASAP!!<br />
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vlsnow@le.utah.gov; susanpulsipher@le.utah.gov; mballard@le.utah.gov; dnjohnson@le.utah.gov; blast@le.utah.gov; csmoss@le.utah.gov; leeperry@le.utah.gov; vpeterson@le.utah.gov; mariepoulson@le.utah.gov; adamrobertson@le.utah.gov; swaldrip@le.utah.gov; christinewatkins@le.utah.gov<br />
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SB149 is a result of the Our Schools Now compromise that was defeated at the ballot box in November. Our Schools Now's failure left money in a newly created account, and we need to get it out and into our schools. None of that is a bad thing. In fact, it's a great thing.<br />
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The problem is the proposal on how that money gets allocated to our schools. My personal preference is to just put the money back into the ed fund and allow schools/districts to spend it like normal. Unfortunately, SB149 wants to put a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork onto getting the funds, not to mention restrictions on how the funds will be used. AND, my personal favorite, each school must improve in their school grading (aka SAGE/RISE/ASPIRE tests) 1% each year in order to continue to get the funding. ASD has 2 special needs schools. I'm sure they won't miss that additional funding. (If you haven't seen my posts on why this statewide testing is horrific for special needs students, please look at my previous post on HB118.)<br />
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In Alpine School District, we need teachers and we need buildings. We can't use ANY of this for buildings. And teacher salary increases are limited to 25% of the money. The principal of each school must create a school improvement plan. (Each district already has a school improvement plan that is full of all the standard buzz-words and "great ideas" that exist to just "check the box" to get the state money.) The principal may (or may not) include others in crafting the plan that has to follow along with the district's board-approved framework. But as a taxpayer, the principal is not accountable directly to me. That's the school board. The principal is accountable to the school's supervisor and the supervisor is accountable to the assistant superintendent who is accountable to the Superintendent who is accountable to the Board who is accountable to me and you, the taxpayers. What are the odds that this plan will allow us to have an option for traditional math taught? Not slim and none, just none. And THAT IS NOT LOCAL CONTROL!<br />
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SB149 Teacher and Student Success Act. It mimics the Federal Government's Top Down approach to education that limits local control. The UEA and I agree on this issue. Their list of concerns is below. Feel free to take 13 minutes (or less) to watch my interview with State School Board Member Alisa Ellis on SB149: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9LG6UF-u1M&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR15imPPfCRqd2N-H6XVVkv-GRpQeVOL_IV0tNZmsETx1AcYGdDASh2GIIc" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9LG6UF-u1M&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR15imPPfCRqd2N-H6XVVkv-GRpQeVOL_IV0tNZmsETx1AcYGdDASh2GIIc</a><br />
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SB149 is redundant. It creates yet another public education funding distribution method on top of the existing Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU), School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) and others. SB149 is overly prescriptive. The bill usurps control from locally elected school boards by defining what school boards and individual schools must do to receive funding<br />
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SB149 creates additional bureaucracy. The bill imposes an unnecessary new burden on schools and districts to create and manage plans in order to receive a funding distribution.<br />
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SB149 is unnecessary. Given adequate funding, currently established financial distribution methods (like the WPU) can provide all the needed resources for student success.<br />
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SB149 inappropriately relies on test scores as a primary measure of school success. Standardized test scores do not fully describe student learning or teaching effectiveness.<br />
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If you've been watching my posts about HB118 for opt-out, this is worse. This bill will all but do away with your ability to opt out because once money is tied to test scores there will be tremendous pressure to take the tests. SB149 is in the House Education Committee this Monday, March 4th at 4 PM. Please call, write, and test both the Education Committee and also your representative. Please write the committee members & urge them to vote NO on SB149!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-56064734738517042772019-02-25T08:33:00.001-07:002019-02-25T08:33:21.652-07:00NOHB118: Not good for teachers; not good for studentsA few years ago, the legislature passed a law that prohibits teachers from being evaluated based on state test scores. I was very supportive of this legislation. The arguments against allowing teachers to be evaluated are very similar to why students shouldn't be evaluated based on this assessment.<br />
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Please email all the senators and ask them to VOTE NOT on HB118 (#NOHB118).<br />
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lescamilla@le.utah.gov<br />
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dkitchen@le.utah.gov<br />
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gdavis@le.utah.gov<br />
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jiwamoto@le.utah.gov<br />
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kmayne@le.utah.gov<br />
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wharper@le.utah.gov<br />
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dhenderson@le.utah.gov<br />
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kriebe@le.utah.gov<br />
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kcullimore@le.utah.gov<br />
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lfillmore@le.utah.gov<br />
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dmccay@le.utah.gov<br />
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dthatcher@le.utah.gov<br />
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janderegg@le.utah.gov<br />
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dhemmert@le.utah.gov<br />
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keithgrover@le.utah.gov<br />
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curt@cbramble.com<br />
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ssandall@le.utah.gov<br />
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amillner@le.utah.gov<br />
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Here is my letter to them:<br />
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I ask you to vote no on HB118: Incentives for Statewide Assessments. I was very supportive of HB201 that Rep. Poulson ran a few years ago that prohibited teachers from being evaluated based upon our statewide assessments. There were many reasons, not the least of which were the lack of validity, reliability and predictability, of our statewide assessments. <br />
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I will provide a few reasons up front, with more information below, should you desire it.<br />
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1.HB118 will provide a reward to those who take the tests, which inherently punishes those who opt out. This is akin to offering a dessert to one of your children while another child is standing there watching you. There may be reasons for this: the other child has a food allergy, for example. You are not "per se" punishing the child who doesn't get the dessert because they wouldn't have had that dessert anyway. BUT, watching you offer the dessert to another child is mean and does end up as a punishment. So, the "carrot, not a stick" argument is unfounded. HB118 allows for the use of a stick for the child who is not rewarded. The schools feel a lot of pressure to get kids, especially the one with very involved parents who probably test well, to take the test. While incentives are currently against the law, there are many examples of students being pressured, in violation of state law, to take the assessments. (See below.) What methods will be available to opt out students and their parents who are now "punished" in accordance with state law?<br />
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I am supportive of teacher-created tests and assessments of my child's knowledge and performance. I am not supportive of the statewide assessments which have provided no benefit to my children or to their teachers other than a single data point in time. For a child who doesn't test well with great test anxiety or who doesn't get why one needs to know 4 different ways of finding the area of a rectangle instead of just one, this testing actually causes more trouble with the learning process than it's worth. Additionally, the emphasis of language in math assessments puts children on the autism spectrum at a disadvantage, as well as ELL students. Finally, special ed students are tested on grade level, not developmental level. So, a 4th grade student who is doing 2nd grade math, would be taking the 4th grade test. This is, in my opinion, abusive. For these and many more reasons, parents opt out of testing. <br />
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2. There is no federal money at risk if we don't attain a 95% participation rate. ESSA states: 1111(b)(2)(K): “RULE OF CONSTRUCTION ON PARENT RIGHTS.—<br />
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“Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as preempting a State or local law regarding the decision of a parent to not have the parent’s child participate in the academic assessments under this paragraph.”<br />
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3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Special Ed students* are required to take the test at their age-level, not their developmental level. So a student who is in sixth grade, reading at a fourth grade level, is compelled to take the sixth grade test, not the fourth grade test. This is completely wrong, and many special ed teachers have reported (confidentially) that they are not to inform their students' parents of their right to opt out of testing.<br />
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4.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Increasing the focus on testing (one that isn't seen by parents or teachers) devalues the professionalism of the teacher and his/her assessment of my child after 180 days of teaching and in-class assessments. To allow a statewide test to take the place of a local assessment places greater value on the state-diktats than on the teacher's own evaluations. <br />
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5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>State law used to not prohibit the incentives, and after a year, the prohibition against incentives was put into state law. HB118 seeks to reverse this trend, that the legislature apparently felt was important in 2015.<br />
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6. We talk a lot about accountability. But this just places accountability AWAY from teachers and onto the state. Our teachers are professionals, and they have the ability to assess our students, especially since they are in the classrooms daily, with much more nuance, understanding, and compassion than a single statewide assessment at the end of the year. The accountability we seek should not be micromanaged from Salt Lake or from Washington. The accountability needs to be with the local school boards, the parents and the teachers. This further impedes the parent-teacher-student relationship. <br />
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Rather than drawing "battle lines" between parents and schools and placing the students in between, we need to respect parental rights to opt out of things they can't see and can't control, and return the true value back to our teachers. In point of fact, the statewide assessments exist because of a lack of trust about what is being taught in the schools. That trust increases the more there is direction and communication at the local level, not the state or federal level.<br />
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Please vote no on HB118.<br />
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Sincerely,<br />
Wendy Hart<br />
Highland, UT<br />
Mom of 3<br />
HI02 Precinct Chair<br />
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More information.<br />
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1.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Unfortunately, while punishing students who opt out of testing or rewarding those who take the tests is currently illegal, it doesn't mean that it isn't happening. I just recently retired after 2 terms as a local school board member. As such, every year during state testing, I would receive emails, FB messages, texts and so forth from many people (across the state, even) with concerns about how their children were treated when they decided to opt them out of state testing. I have heard of every practice to incentivize kids to take the test, despite state law. My children, every year, report how the "opt out" parents are discussed at school as being uninformed, and sometimes the rhetoric expands to disrespect of the parent or outright mocking. Some schools have used participation points to circumvent the "course credit" requirement or have required students to take tests that they are promised are "harder and more time consuming". Some other requirements were pizza parties, ice cream parties, not having to take the final if you simply take the test. Additionally, our good teachers feel a lot of pressure from their districts (and the state) to perform, even though they no longer are subject to test scores being part of their evaluations. I have had several teachers who were unaware that the test scores did not impact their own evaluations, a few years after state law had made such a practice illegal. <br />
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2.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>ESSA is, in fact, in conflict with itself. In one part it requires a 95% participation rate, and in another this rule on parent rights that clearly is violated in regard to state law. In October, State Board Member Alisa Ellis asks whether there is federal money at stake if we have a lower participation rate than 95%. The answer she was given by the State Supt Chief of Staff was no. The federal requirements would impose an additional line of reporting that include the 95% figure as the denominator in assessment performance. It doesn't have to be submitted to the feds. It doesn't impact funding. And only about 5 Title 1 schools might be impacted for turnaround status. However, the State Board is able to make sure that those schools are not negatively impacted if their "performance failure" is strictly due to opt outs. State turnaround and school grading formulas remain unchanged. see 6:05 for the explanation and 17:50 for the answer on federal monies: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSdQ0jkhiqc&feature=youtu.be<br />
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3.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>This is a "feature" from No Child Left Behind, of which, ESSA is just a reauthorization. Many parents of special needs students, myself included, will not allow their children to take these tests because they would be demoralizing and certainly they do not provide any information that is beneficial if they are tested at a level so much higher than what they are able to grasp. Special Ed teachers have confided their concerns to me, but also feel the pressure to make sure they have a 95% participation rate because ESSA requires all subgroups, of which Special Ed is a part, to have a 95% participation rate. Some teachers report they have been threatened with disciplinary action should they inform their students' parents of their right to opt out of testing.<br />
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5.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>SB122 from 2014 was the first bill to address opting out of statewide tests. It contained no prohibition against rewarding students who take the test vs those who don't. It did require that schools and employees not be negatively impacted by those students who opt out. One year later, SB204 was passed that prohibited rewarding students for taking the test and also prohibited using the test for course credit or advancement. HB 118 will repeal this provision that the legislature felt was a necessary protection against treating students who are opted out poorly. <br />
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6. An example, one child was struggling in 4th grade with needing to show 4 or 5 different methods of multiplying 2 or 3-digit numbers. The child was very good at the standard way of doing it, but really struggled with the other methods. When his mother approached the teacher about doing just the one method that we all learned as kids, the teacher's only concern was that the child would not do well on the statewide assessment. Doing the math, and learning how to do math wasn't at issue, it was the test that stood in the way of what both the mother and the teacher thought was best for this student. When the mother informed the teacher, the child would be opted out, the teacher was pleased to allow the correct answer through discovered by the standard algorithm to count for this child. (If you would like more examples of the problems with our assessments and what is being assessed, I'm happy to provide that.) Suffice it to say, these are not straight-forward, objective tests that we think of.<br />
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*All but 1% of the most cognitively disabled must take the same test as everyone else.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-60496830715729419402019-02-18T11:14:00.001-07:002019-02-18T11:21:32.998-07:00No on HB118: Just Say No to Legal Bullying Incentives<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Contact the Utah Senate Education Committee Members TODAY (Monday, Feb. 18) and ask them to VOTE NO ON HB118. Please be courteous, put NO on HB118 in the subject line, and write your own letter. Please do not copy and paste. They meet at 8am on Tuesday. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Senator Henderson - dhenderson@le.utah.gov</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Senator Davis - gdavis@le.utah.gov</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Senator Fillmore - lfillmore@le.utah.gov</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Senator Grover - keithgrover@le.utah.gov</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Senator Hillyard - lhillyard@le.utah.gov</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Senator Millner - amillner@le.utah.gov</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Senator Reibe - kriebe@le.utah.gov</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Senator Stevenson - jwstevenson@le.utah.gov</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">#UTPOL #NOHB118</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">HB118: <a href="https://le.utah.gov/~2019/bills/static/HB0118.html" target="_blank">Incentives for Statewide Assessment Performance</a> is sailing through the state legislature. The federal government wants 95% of Utah students (and their subgroups: ELL, Special Ed, etc) to take the former SAGE, now RISE/ASPIRE tests as part of compliance with ESSA (remember that federal legislation that everyone said would RETURN power to the states. Ha!). </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, in order to help with that federal compliance piece, we want to "help" Utah parents make the "correct" decision, and give them all kinds of reasons to have their kids submit to the federal requirement. In order to "incentivize" (aka make you comply "voluntarily"), the Utah legislature would like to allow teachers to give course credit for a student taking the state test. A test with no validity, reliability or predictability, that only 15 people have been allowed to see some portion of, but hey, the feds want it, why wouldn't parents want to go along? </span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The reason for this is, in part, to not lose federal dollars under ESSA. However, there is NO RISK of losing federal dollars, and <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-114s1177enr/pdf/BILLS-114s1177enr.pdf" target="_blank">ESSA</a> specifically states that it protect parent rights to opt out:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>1111(b)(2)(K): “RULE OF CONSTRUCTION ON PARENT RIGHTS.—</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>“Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as preempting a State or local law regarding the decision of a parent to not have the parent’s child participate in the academic assessments under this paragraph.”</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><br />
</i></span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some concerns with HB118:</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1. Every year, I receive many letters, private messages, texts, and tags on facebook posts from parents who have seen their children bullied for being opted out of state testing. One young lady, who was quite shy, was told that instead of taking the SAGE test, she would be required to present an oral report in class about why she was opted out of SAGE. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Children are having their parents' ideas and opinions on this subject denigrated in class in front of other students. Without exception, my children have been told, every year, by different teachers in different classes, that their parents do not understand and are uninformed as to the value and benefit of the state tests. Do we really believe it is correct to undermine parental authority and to alienate child from parent all so a student will contest their parent's decision about a state test? Is state testing really that important on any level that it demands the mockery of a parent's decision about the best interest's of their child? Agree or disagree with opting out, mocking a child's parent is completely inappropriate, especially in a state that states a parent is legally the primary person responsible for a child's education and that the state should be "secondary and supportive." It is currently illegal to incentivize this behavior, as well as to give rewards for testing. Why would we want to make it legal?</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2. Special Ed students (other than the 1% most cognitively disabled) are required to take the state test for their age and not for their developmental level. For example, an 8-year-old who reads on a 1st grade level would take the 3rd grade test. Because these are "computer -adaptive" tests, some people, mistakenly, believe that they will "adapt" to present First Grade material to the 3rd grader taking the test. This is not correct. The 3rd grade test contains only variations on 3rd grade material. So, the child reading at a 1st-grade level, will either just hit submit through the entire test (best case) or will struggle (no time limit) to try to understand things far above her ability. This will be demoralizing and serve absolutely no purpose. The teacher, parent and everyone else already knows the child doesn't read or do math on a 3rd grade level. What other information would be gleaned from subjecting this child to that test? Additionally, I have received reports from Special Ed teachers who have been told they are not to let parents know their children can be opted out. There is great pressure placed on Special Ed to get that 95% participation rate, since they are one of the groups mentioned specifically in the federal law. Many parents and teachers of students with special needs are greatly relieved when they realize their child can be opted out, under state law, without (currently) any negative consequences to their child or their school.</span><br />
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</span> <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3. No money at stake. Utah, originally, requested a waiver from the feds for the 95% participation rate, due to our state law. Since the feds rejected this waiver, HB118 was introduced to up our participation rate from 94% to 95%, proving that Utah is only a vassal state to the master that is the US Department of Education. However, in an October State Board of Education meeting, the Board Members were told no money was at stake, and we only need create another line item in our reporting (posted on our website, not sent to the feds) to show the federal calculation along with the state calculation. Additionally, for those (estimated at 5) schools who fall into the bottom 5% of Title 1 schools due to lower participation rates, the State Board can decide what "remediation" if any is necessary. This way, the state doesn't spend money to "remediate" schools that don't need remediation because their only "flaw" was having more kids opting out than what the feds like. Here is information from the October State Board meeting on this subject, from Board Member Alisa Ellis:<a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/goog_373780146"> </a></span><span style="color: #365899; font-family: inherit;"><span style="cursor: pointer; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://youtu.be/nSdQ0jkhiqc">https://youtu.be/nSdQ0jkhiqc</a></span></span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It would be well worth your time to watch the entire segment but if you don't have time here are a couple of places that are critical.</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beginning at 6:25-</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As our opt-out rate increases above the 95% participation threshold, the federal government requires that we change our calculation. In our board meeting the Superintendent estimates about 5 schools would be affected in the state.</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We would look at the lowest 5% performing schools in the state and then the change in calculation would only occur if any of those schools had more than 5% opt out.</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's also important to note that we aren't even required to send the calculations to the Federal government. We simply have to run a report and post it for public consumption.</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Beginning at 17:50 -</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I asked if our opt out numbers continue to climb if we are at risk for losing federal $$$. The answer was no.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">More information on opting out, nationally, can be found here: <a href="http://www.fairtest.org/federal-law-and-regulations-opting-out-under-essa">http://www.fairtest.org/federal-law-and-regulations-opting-out-under-essa</a></span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Write the Senate ed committee members and your senator, as well. Then share this with every friend and neighbor who wants to maintain parents as primarily responsible for their child's education and to keep bullying of kids who opt out illegal.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-34081930728056941732018-12-11T15:38:00.001-07:002018-12-11T15:39:37.780-07:00Goodbye but not ForgottenToday is the last board meeting I will attend as your elected representative on the Alpine School District Board of Education. To say it has been an honor but a difficult responsibility is an understatement. I have been strengthened and encouraged by everyone's kindness and support throughout these past eight years. And I thank you, more than many of you could ever know.<br />
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But having said that, this doesn't mean everything comes to an end and we drive away into the sunset. This next year is every bit as important or more so than the last. Who is serving in public office is nowhere near as important as what, We, the People do to inform that discussion and remain informed and involved. I would like to ask those who are willing, can you attend a single board meeting out of 365 days in the next year? Is that too much to ask? 4-5 hours out of 8,760 hours in 2019? That's .06% of your time in the next year. <b>Is freedom, education and the future of our schools and our children worth .06% or .12% in that endeavor? Let me know if you are willing to continue to be informed and involved citizens.</b> We have great people and teachers in this community. Whatever the issues, we can improve them and solve them working together, not appealing to outside experts in DC or some Think Tank that stands to make a lot of money when they proclaim that our "education system" has failed. A thriving educational system that partners with teachers, parents and the student doesn't make outside experts a lot of money, but it does educate the next generation, consistent with the values of their families and their communities. This is only done when the individuals in this community step up and stay informed and involved.<br />
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There are so many things on the horizon, new health and science standards. (The health standards are especially problematic, in my opinion.) Math still being taught by cramming 4 years' worth of high-level math into 3 years (Algebra 1,2, Geometry and Pre-Calculus in 9-11th grades, IF you want to get to Calculus as a Senior). What literature are our kids reading and obtaining their values from? How much emphasis on GRIT and social-emotional learning do you want in your schools, in a formal way, if any? Do you want EVERY First Grader to learn to code? How much technology do you want your kids exposed to in schools? How will you, as a parent, manage their overall online activity when so much of the homework is now online? If you have an opinion<br />
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, we need your voice.<br />
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I am grateful for the trust that you have bestowed on me. I hope I have been worthy, in some small way, of that trust. Thank you for your support. As I have said before, you will never know how much your little notes, text messages, FB posts and treats have buoyed me up and given me the fortitude to go on.<br />
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My predecessor finished her final board meeting with these words: "When you are in the service of your fellow beings, you are only in the service of your God." I echo her sentiment and am grateful to have served.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwSubmtzn5BI48bPap78TZk00tlZo5WcEw9jLAuW-_E4h-JNDI95JbE_PumXCfxqtjq96tZCGIzP4Lb-TKPy70FNnHTAaVfjWdqOVqkMEF-OPHDzGIVOWLCyZg10iYT0VLGJqF3RAvX8/s1600/20170724_102230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOwSubmtzn5BI48bPap78TZk00tlZo5WcEw9jLAuW-_E4h-JNDI95JbE_PumXCfxqtjq96tZCGIzP4Lb-TKPy70FNnHTAaVfjWdqOVqkMEF-OPHDzGIVOWLCyZg10iYT0VLGJqF3RAvX8/s320/20170724_102230.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Mt. Vernon, overlooking the Potomac River.</i></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-17372530315623067722018-10-17T21:52:00.001-06:002018-10-17T22:50:08.917-06:00No on Question1 and School Board Races| A Philosophy<h4>
<span style="color: red;"><b>Please vote NO on Question 1!</b></span> There are so many reasons why, but the most important is that it sets a very dangerous precedent. I'll also discuss the school board candidates below [Spoiler: State Board 9: Avalie Muhlestein and Julie King in ASD 1 (Westlake HS area)]. Please study and be informed before casting your ballot.</h4>
<b><i><span style="color: red;">NO ON QUESTION 1: A Dangerous Precedent</span></i></b><br />
Question 1 is a polling question. To my knowledge, we have never had an opinion poll on our ballots. So, instead of paying lobbyists to lobby the legislature or to get signatures for a ballot initiative, you are being used by an organization that was unable to accomplish their objectives by either of those options. If you can't change laws the regular way, and you're rich and famous, you try to find a way around the normal lawmaking process. <b><i>Co-opting citizens to pressure lawmakers is now a thing. </i></b><br />
<br />
Question 1 doesn't change A SINGLE THING. But the proponents HOPE the legislature will increase gas taxes, and then play a shell game to get SOME of that money into K-12, (as well as Higher Ed and Roads and money for UDOT. Shhh! Don't tell anyone that part. It isn't as emotionally appealing as grade-school kids.) Legislators also know that GAS TAX CANNOT be used for Education under our Utah Constitution (hence the shell game). If lots of people vote yes on Question 1, then the Question 1 proponents can <i>browbeat </i>legislators into passing, supposedly, their version of legislation that they were unable to get signatures for to get on the ballot. (Of course, politics being what it is, there is no guarantee that what we end up with will look anything like what the proponents are selling.)<br />
<br />
But we want more money in K-12 education! Do the ends justify the means? Never! Why are legislators wary of raising taxes? Because the legislators must represent their constituents and run for re-election. Gas taxes negatively impact those who are struggling, working multiple jobs to make ends meet, and those who live farther away in rural areas than those on the Wasatch Front. Legislators in those areas would be motivated to discuss and debate ways in which their constituents will be less impacted. However, the majority of people in Utah live on the Wasatch Front. So, Question 1 Proponents assume the majority of Utahns will support Question 1. If you and your neighbors can feel good about "helping kids" (and college students and roads), then who cares if we make those who can least afford the gas tax increase suffer? Majority rules. <i><b>And tyranny by the majority is becoming the way to get your pet policies passed into law, especially if you're rich and can spend tons of money to influence an election.</b></i><br />
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<b><span style="color: red;">The solution: <a href="http://foundation.alpineschools.org/donate/" target="_blank">Donate RIGHT NOW to our Alpine District Foundation</a>.</span></b> Don't wait for the legislature or Our Schools Now or a ballot initiative. You can donate to:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li> the district as a whole, </li>
<li>an entire school (look to donate to our specialty schools like Summit, Polaris, Horizon, or Dan Peterson), </li>
<li>a program: band, drama, history, or </li>
<li>directly to a classroom at a given school. </li>
</ul>
Your donation is tax-deductible and will go exactly where you want it to go. You can also donate supplies or other materials as well. Want to donate a set of trombones to the band? You can do that. And what's better than just donating directly to our schools? You don't force others to spend more money on a gas tax that will help pay for roads and college students. Imagine if those who have spent MILLIONS to finance the Question 1 ads had, instead, donated that money to their local schools! (P.S. For those in other districts, you have a foundation too!)<br />
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For more information on my concerns with Question 1, click <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs-SA83QoPU&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">here</a> to see my video. (Side note: did you know Utah spends the largest percentage (40%) of its budget on education, more than any other state in the country?)<br />
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In the future, if Question 1 succeeds in changing state law, mark my words, it will become the method of choice for those with time and money to circumvent the average person's voice. Just a reminder that checks and balances and separation of powers are the bedrocks of our freedom. Direct democracy: going to the majority of the people and using them as the big stick to beat the legislators up with, violates those principles and disenfranchises those who don't have the time, money or power to object. This is an unraveling of the checks and balances that prevent that other "golden rule"--the person with the gold, makes the rules--from destroying freedom. Success on Question 1 doesn't bode well for freedom in the future. Please VOTE NO on QUESTION 1, and I promise you it doesn't mean you hate children.<br />
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<span style="color: red;">School Board Races</span><br />
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State Board:<br />
I, personally, like both District 9 candidates for State Board. However, if you voted for me because of my support for traditional math and my opposition to Common Core, you will want to support <a href="https://www.voteavalie.com/" target="_blank">Avalie Muhlestein</a>. I appreciate her outside-the-box vision for education, and her desire to get rid of so much state-level accountability that sucks up time, money, and other resources that could be returned to the local level to pay more for teachers. At the end of the day, we have state-level accountability because we don't trust our local people and our local teachers. I want to trust our local people and get the state out of the accountability and data collection business. I recommend you read through her platform and her issues, and consider a donation to Avalie's campaign.<br />
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Alpine School District:<br />
The West area is the only race for ASD where there is much discussion and debate (see below). For the other 3 races, I predict Amber Bonner (my area--ASD2), Sarah Beeson (AF--ASD3), and Ada Wilson (W. Orem--ASD5). I had actually hoped there would be more debate, discussion and involvement in these races. But, unfortunately, very few people are willing to run for school board. (3 seats are up in 2 more years, so start thinking about public service.) While it is often a thankless job, our society is stronger when people are willing to step up to the plate and serve their community in elective office. I'm grateful for all those who have thrown their hats into this ring.<br />
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For those in my area, I will be voting for Amber Bonner. Amber is very active and involved, has kids still in the schools, and asks questions. She thinks things through, and wants, more than anything, to have smaller class sizes. And she find ways to support teachers. I think Amber will do an excellent job as our representative. And most importantly (to me, at least), Amber listens to different perspectives. And even if you see things differently, Amber knows you can still "care about kids." (Our inside joke.)<br />
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In ASD 1 (Westlake area), again, I, personally, like both the candidates. But, <span style="color: red;">my endorsement goes 110% to Julie King (see <a href="https://www.julie4asd.com/" target="_blank">here </a>and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/julie4asd/" target="_blank">here</a>).</span> Julie is a tireless advocate for parents and for finding ways to make things work for those kids who just don't fit neatly in the "box". Instead of trying to find ways to make everyone the same, Julie is actively facilitating parents finding the perfect match for their individual kids in our system. Julie is a "doer". She has been a District Community Council rep at our special needs school out west, Horizon. On one of her first visits, she realized they had serious problems with the entry doors. She took it upon herself to find a way to get those doors fixed. Julie is supportive of fixing math, getting better standards (not CC or NGSS), expanding Gifted and Talented options, securing Data Privacy, and PARENTAL RIGHTS. My only regret about not running again is not being able to serve with Julie on the board. We have served together on the State Board's Data Privacy Commission, and she always has such interesting insights from her experience in Social Work, with the Juvenile Justice system, and as a Foster Parent. Whether you are in her voting area or not, please consider donating to her campaign.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-52775193081628772952018-10-08T23:45:00.000-06:002018-10-09T00:12:19.278-06:00"What Kinds of Human Beings Do We Wish to Produce?"<br />
<br />
October 9, 2018: Study Session/Board Meeting at the <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Alpine+District+Office/@40.3879918,-111.7985975,17z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x874d811211f50553:0x1ae715c74b1b0f03!8m2!3d40.3879878!4d-111.796409" target="_blank">District Office</a><br />
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1. Study Session (4pm): Social Emotional Learning<br />
2. Board Meeting (6pm): Includes an <a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1b8lY2ExcO10gchOSZ2hxb1U_whvH2_M2" target="_blank">agreement </a>with Orem City for the School Resource Officers. (pp.79-87)<br />
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All meetings are open to the public. Public comment is available at every Board Meeting.<br />
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<b>SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <i>The most controversial issues of the twenty-first century will pertain to the ends and means of modifying human behavior and who shall determine them. The first educational question will not be 'what knowledge is of the most worth?' but 'what kinds of human beings do we wish to produce?' The possibilities virtually defy our imagination. <a href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1227120" target="_blank">--John Goodlad</a></i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1227120" title="John Goodlad quote"><img alt="The most controversial issues of the twenty-first century will pertain to the ends and means of modifying human behavior and who shall determine them. The first educational question will not be 'what knowledge is of the most worth?' but 'what kinds of human beings do we wish to produce?' The possibilities virtually defy our imagination. - John Goodlad" height="187" src="//www.azquotes.com/picture-quotes/quote-the-most-controversial-issues-of-the-twenty-first-century-will-pertain-to-the-ends-and-john-goodlad-122-71-20.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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There are so many buzzwords in education these days: 21st Century Learning, Social-emotional Learning (SEL), GRIT, the 4-C's (or the 6-C's), Response to Intervention, Critical Thinking, STEM, Project-based learning, Guide-on-the-side, Engineering Design Model, Workforce, etc. etc. etc. It's hard to keep up with them all or even understand what they all mean.<br />
<br />
Social Emotional Learning or SEL first really made its appearance (from my perspective) in the Federal re-authorization of No Child Left Behind, called ESSA. In additional to academic measures, the Feds want us to use "non-cognitive" measures to assess how well schools are doing. It came to prominence with a focus on GRIT, and a TED talk by a professor who wrote a book on the subject. Now SEL is everywhere. The idea is that kids should learn, not just academics, but the skills and dispositions to be successful in the workforce (aka the 21st Century because human nature magically shifted in 2001, I guess). So, the purpose of schools has shifted from basic academics to creating a comprehensive person. The only problem is whose vision of that "correct human being" is being implemented? And is that really what we want from public education? Who should determine what kind of human being your child should become? Who is the "we" in 'what kinds of human beings do <i><b>we </b></i>wish to produce'? (Does the word produce come across as a bit creepy to anyone else?)<br />
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On one hand, I can appreciate and understand that we want kids to be well-rounded, kind-hearted, honest, and sympathetic. On the other, what is the purpose of public schools? Well that goes back to the age-old debate. Everyone thinks of it as something different, and way back when, our district mission statement included "democracy" as the purpose of schools. I disagree. I think for public schools, the purpose should be academic excellence. Everything else, should be left to the individual child and his/her family. That's not to say that teachers don't teach, especially by example, kindness and honesty. They do. But that's just part of being a good human being, right? When we focus on dispositions, we necessarily remove our focus from reading, writing, and [a]rithmetic. Supposedly, we are doing both academics (what we are calling the Right Side of the Pyramid) as well as SEL (the Left Side of the Pyramid). Our goal should be to educate, not to tell you what the purpose of that education is supposed to be.<br />
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The other problem I see, is who decides what the appropriate dispositions are for our children to possess? And what are those definitions? I've found, too often, sadly, that when someone uses a word that sounds good, their meaning may be completely different from my own.<br />
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In Alpine, we are focused on the 6 C's (4 of which are borrowed from the 21st Century Learning 4 C's). They are: Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, Character, Citizenship. All sound great. But what of the child who is introverted and Collaboration means lots of group-work projects? She might do very well academically IF she's allowed to work alone, but in a group? Not so much. She is learning that she must go along with the group, and the knowledge she gains isn't as important as the "collaboration" with others. It also puts young children in a very difficult position if they disagree with how something is going or what is being said. Citizenship: what kinds of student advocacy do you want your child engaged in? What if those citizenship perspectives differ from those of your family? And Critical Thinking (also known as Higher-order thinking) has at least one definition in education that I would whole-heartedly disagree with.<br />
<br />
<i>...a student attains 'higher order thinking' when he no longer believes in right or wrong". "A large part of what we call good teaching is a teacher´s ability to obtain affective [emotional] objectives by challenging the student's fixed beliefs. ...a large part of what we call teaching is that the teacher should be able to use education to reorganize a child's thoughts, attitudes, and feelings. --<a href="https://www.azquotes.com/quote/766024" target="_blank">Benjamin Bloom</a></i><br />
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In short, it's wrong to be rewarding personality types instead of the knowledge that every child is capable of acquiring. It's also wrong to possibly, modify a child's thoughts, attitudes and feelings, not through reason and the discovery of truth but by using emotional objectives to challenge their 'fixed beliefs', those beliefs instilled in them by their families.<br />
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If you agree with this shift, then you will be pleased. If not, you may want to speak up about this dilution of academics with dispositions.<br />
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<b>AGREEMENT WITH OREM CITY FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS</b><br />
<b><br />
</b> Take a quick look at the agreement (<a href="https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1b8lY2ExcO10gchOSZ2hxb1U_whvH2_M2">https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1b8lY2ExcO10gchOSZ2hxb1U_whvH2_M2</a>) I have the following concerns.<br />
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1. Restorative Justice: Restorative Justice, as I understand it, is where the person who is at fault is asked to "restore" what they broke in some way. In some instances, this makes sense. If you spray paint graffiti, it makes sense to have you repaint whatever you vandalized. However, if you physically assaulted someone, the victim of your assault may be traumatized by further interaction. In this case, Restorative Justice isn't a good idea. AND, it may not be the best idea as a first recourse in even situations like graffiti. It is interesting to note that the Parkland Shooter fell through the cracks due to restorative justice.<br />
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Excerpt from this <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/while-obama-pushed-restorative-justice-in-schools-the-parkland-shooter-got-a-free-pass" target="_blank">article</a>:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Montserrat, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
<i>Schools also began replacing more traditional methods of discipline with student-led mentoring programs ... as well as “restorative justice” programs, a Breakfast Club-like fantasy where, instead of punishment, the bully or the violent offender engages in talk therapy and group discussions with the kid he or she has been harassing to seek reconciliation.</i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Montserrat, serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1rem;">
<i>That sounds like great fun for the victim.</i></blockquote>
2. Reading Miranda Rights for those 14 and up without requiring a parent to be present. I don't know about you, but if my kid is in the kind of trouble where he or she is being read their Miranda Rights, I think I should be present. Also, what about children who have mental disabilities that, while chronologically 14 years old, mentally are much younger? Shouldn't their parents be present?<br />
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3. Student Privacy. FERPA is the Federal School Data Privacy Act from 1974 that is all but worthless. Anything that occurs at school is subject to FERPA, whether health-related or juvenile-justice related. That means these records can be shared with anyone for "an educational purpose" without parental knowledge or consent. <br />
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I would be curious to know your thoughts on these issues.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-7356405197286530802018-08-11T00:11:00.002-06:002018-08-11T11:51:08.680-06:00ESSA Opt Out Denial from the Feds: My Comments to the State Board<i>In June, the State Board was notified by the US Department of Ed, that their ESSA waiver request was denied. The State Board requested the <a href="https://www.schools.utah.gov/file/c1442b63-a56a-475c-aed8-560a0ce93177" target="_blank">waiver</a> in order to comply with Utah's Opt Out law that allows parents to Opt Out of state testing without penalty to the school, the employees or the student. (Please read the linked waiver request. State Supt. Dickson explains it perfectly.) The Federal ESSA bribery plan requires that 95% of all students in the state take the same state test. So, parents, your rights are being sold for federal money, and a paltry sum at that.</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>I addressed the State Board at their June meeting, asking them to stand strong against the Feds. (About 2% of Utah's education budget could be at risk for not complying with this provision of ESSA. BTW, anyone else remember how ESSA was hailed as THE most wonderful of federal education bills because it RETURNED POWER OVER EDUCATION TO THE STATES? Also, remember how those of us who read it said that it really didn't? Yeah. Shocked, aren't we?)</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>Since that time, the State Superintendent and State Board Chair renegotiated language and requested a one year moratorium on giving opted out students a 0 for the calculation of school grades. (Cause kids who don't take the test would have definitely received a 0 for their lack of proficiency. Wouldn't using an average score make more sense, if you really wanted to know how a school was doing?) The Feds approved that request, even though it won't given an accurate picture of how a school is doing--assuming you think SAGE/RISE/ASPIRE is an accurate measure. Instead, this will create a perverse incentive for schools to bully parents to make their kids take a test they have every right to reject. We are now pitting teachers and parents against each other. That's a phenomenally bad idea!!</i><br />
<i><br />
</i> <i>At any rate, here are my comments from the June 7 Board Meeting.</i><br />
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I am speaking on the denial of the ESSA waiver and ask you to defend Utah's opt out provision. The right of parents to direct their own child's education is protected in Utah law. But that right is not granted by the State of Utah. It is merely protected by the laws of our state. As such, those rights are not rights elected officials can choose to remove at the request of the US Government.<br />
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The 10th Amendment states: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” In a 1982, Utah Supreme Court ruling, Justice Dallin H. Oaks stated: “The rights inherent in family relationships...are the most obvious examples of rights retained by the people. They are “natural,” “intrinsic,” or “prior” in the sense that our Constitutions presuppose them..” Utah Code says: A student's parent or guardian is the primary person responsible for the education of the student, and the state is in a secondary and supportive role...<br />
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Our current opt out provision is consistent with natural rights and our state and federal constitutions. We stand on solid, legal grounds. ESSA is a voluntary grant program from the federal government. They have no legal right to require parents to not opt their kids out of SAGE testing. And the Department of Ed will never know, see or care about the students who are harmed by this policy. The State of Utah has the solemn DUTY to protect and preserve those parental rights. And yet, at the point that the Feds offer money and ask us to circumvent those natural rights, should we go ahead and do so? If ESSA were not a voluntary grant, but were instead legally binding on the state of Utah, it would be declared unconstitutional. Instead, the US Department of Education can bribe Utahns to give up our state sovereignty and the natural rights of our citizens because they offer a caveat of money if we “choose” to comply. If we agree, we “choose” to remove some of the fundamental rights we each swore an oath to protect. <br />
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In that same ruling, Justice Oaks explains: “We conclude that the right of a parent not to be deprived of parental rights without a showing of unfitness, abandonment, or substantial neglect is ...so basic to our constitutional order that it ranks among those rights referred to in ...the [Utah and the] United States Constitution as being retained by the people.”<br />
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With a single vote by this body, in exchange for monetary compensation, parents throughout the state of Utah can be deprived of their parental rights without due process, without showing unfitness or substantial neglect. <br />
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We all know from past experience that the US Department of Ed is playing a game of political “chicken”. They are hoping we will back down. How can they justify penalizing the State of Utah because we are protecting parental rights and fulfilling our oaths to support the US Constitution and the unalienable rights it was designed to protect? Please stand strong and tell the US Department of Education they must reconsider. Inform them you are unable to violate the rights of the people you swore an oath to protect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21sQiMRQVcMWls3T5GwulaROZ4KI5v3zOS78WHfnmG5d-b1ZTyHY05tp2CywXNwyl9kF4B_wBlWC50eltUXpRxeV9frc9TSOCiVocCHY4jsTsoRc8gXTKfGN2ht6i6dLkB3dg9NQS0QE/s1600/20180811_110756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh21sQiMRQVcMWls3T5GwulaROZ4KI5v3zOS78WHfnmG5d-b1ZTyHY05tp2CywXNwyl9kF4B_wBlWC50eltUXpRxeV9frc9TSOCiVocCHY4jsTsoRc8gXTKfGN2ht6i6dLkB3dg9NQS0QE/s320/20180811_110756.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-81582248787004427952018-08-10T13:12:00.000-06:002018-08-10T17:05:06.453-06:00Tax-rate increase hearing: August 14, 2018<b>This Tuesday, August 14, at 6pm at the District Office (575 N. 100 E., American Fork) the Alpine School Board will hold a Truth in Taxation hearing.</b> This is where you, the taxpayer, can have an opportunity to be heard about a tax-rate increase for this year's budget.<br />
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The perspective of most everyone in education is that if the amount isn't all that big, then it shouldn't be an issue. In fact, bond votes and tax increases are proclaimed, nationwide in school board conferences and publications, as evidence that taxpayers are "supportive of public education." If you oppose a bond or any other sort of tax increase, you don't care about kids and certainly you don't want them educated. (In fact, some of the conferences have "how to" courses on increasing funding in education. There is no discussion about what to spend that money on.) In fairness, for the most part, I think Alpine School District does a decent job with our funding and budgeting. And the intentions of everyone involved, I think, are good.<br />
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Here's what you need to know. Feel free to skim the non-italicized parts for the main points.<br />
<br />
1. <b>Utah Law requires the amount of money the districts (or cities or counties) receive from year to year to remain the same, excluding growth. </b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>So, if we received $100M one year from all the property in ASD's boundaries, then we should receive $100M the next year from those same properties PLUS any additional property taxes from any new developments that came into being that next year. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>How this works: If the total amount of all the property in ASD increases in value, then the tax rate decreases automatically to generate the same amount going to the district. If the total amount of all the property decreases in value, then the tax rate increases automatically. </i><br />
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<i>An example. Numbers used are for explanation purposes but are not accurate. The tax rate is much, much lower. And the examples are, admittedly, very simplified.</i><br />
<i>Year 1: Total property value : $100M. T</i><i>ax rate: 1%. Taxes generated: $100M x 1% = $1M.</i><br />
<i>Year 2: Total property value: $90M. Tax rate:1.1%. Taxes generated (minus growth): $90M x 1.1% = $1M.</i><br />
<i>Year 3: Total property value: $110M. Tax rate: 0.9%. Taxes generated (minus growth): $110M x 0.9% = $1M.</i><br />
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<i>Truth in Taxation: If in Year 3, the district would like to keep the tax rate at 1.1% or even increase it, so as to generate more than the $1M, then a Truth in Taxation hearing would need to occur. At the 1.1% rate, this would generate $1.21M instead. </i><br />
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Rather than following the economy like most other states, that when values increase, the taxes go up and vice versa, ours is the opposite. When the economy is struggling and values are down, the tax rate automatically increases and you are paying a larger percentage in property taxes than you were. But there is no hearing on this. It just happens. When the economy is good, you pay a smaller percentage in taxes.<br />
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2.<b> If the tax rate goes down, the district can hold a public Truth in Taxation hearing to increase that rate. This is what we are doing on Tuesday.</b> The interesting part of this is that we only have these hearings, arguably, when the economy is strong. When the economy is weak and values are down, the rate increases but without a public hearing. So the vast majority of the population is less concerned about a rate increase because they are doing well.<br />
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Sadly, under our current tax system, the people who are most harmed by this are those whose particular circumstances make them struggle economically while prosperity reigns around them. They might be those on a fixed-income (who, if elderly or disabled, do get partial waivers for property taxes), young people and young families, just starting off in life, and military families, for example.<br />
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3. <b>The legislature has created an incentive for districts to increase property taxes.</b> The state matches local property tax with state funds, up to a certain amount. If the tax rate goes down, the state continues to match at the higher rate for up to 5 years. This creates an incentive for the district to increase the rate at least once every 5 years. The legislature may claim that they don't raise taxes, but they incentivize the local school districts to do it for them. It's a win-win for the legislature. More money in education; no accountability for raising taxes or creating a tax system where in hard times your tax rate just happens to go up without anyone commenting or caring.<br />
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<i>Going forward, it would be even easier for the district to just regularly increase the rate every year, that way the increase is much, much smaller, and fewer people will complain. Doing this yearly, the perception will be that we aren't increasing the taxes very much, and the side-benefit is that people get used to having a Truth in Taxation hearing every year. It becomes as big of a deal as watching paint dry. </i><br />
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4. <b>We support tax-incentives over multiple decades for big, well-connected companies, like Facebook.</b> Currently, those range in the area of $18,000,000 per year. (See pg. 181: <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/17lNTEjjOtENS0r0E5nPG5_0S1yc2AuQT/view" target="_blank">here</a>.)<br />
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<i>Yes, the argument is that without these tax incentives, nothing would ever develop. But, giving the tax incentives over more than 5 -10 years enters into the realm of predicting the future. It is difficult for the average person to justify a tax incentive for a big, well-connected corporation, but then come back to taxpayers and ask for a few dollars more. What's good for the goose should be good for the gander. If we need more money today, then we probably shouldn't have approved those tax incentives all those years ago. With a growing community like Utah County, I think we would be hard-pressed to assume that all the development in our communities wouldn't have occurred without these tax incentives. In the short-term, that may be true. In the long-term? I seriously doubt it. Tax-incentives, if you think such a thing should be done, should be limited to 5 or 10 years. Anything more than that is just robbing future generations of school kids in order to appease the power-brokers of today. Facebook gets to live here tax-free for 35 years. You and I aren't so lucky.</i><br />
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5. <b>Increased Tech and Coaching Funding vs More Teachers and Smaller Class Sizes. </b>Our district/board's priorities don't seem to match those priorities of the people. Repeatedly, when talking with parents and taxpayers, their biggest concerns are wanting smaller class sizes, traditional math (not Common Core/Investigations/Inquiry-based math), and limits on screen time.<br />
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Instead, partly due to legislative incentives and partly due to education conferences, everyone (it seems) in the state and the nation is accepting the narrative that without technology, kids will not be able to function appropriately "in the 21st Century." So, in addition to the millions that ed tech companies stand to make, everyone thinks that educational technology is the Silver Bullet of education--probably a lot like Baby Einstein videos from a decade or so ago. (Side note: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/waldorf-silicon-valley-school-shuns-technology-2017-3" target="_blank">Silicon Valley execs are the exception</a>. ) <i>Have you seen your kids on tech? Are you worried they won't pick it up without explicit training and exposure to it?</i><br />
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Also, there is a huge push toward Social-Emotional Learning (SEL)/21st Century Skills, nationally, as opposed to academic content. What that means is participation and attitudes can be seen as more important than whether you know history or math facts. To our credit, our teachers are being trained to make SEL as important, not more important, than academic content. But, while teachers have always, naturally, included things like participation, honesty, and a can-do attitude as a by-product of their teaching, to focus on those things necessarily removes the focus from reading, writing, and math.<br />
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<i>Our current budget includes expenses for hiring more Technology and Instructional Coaches to train teachers to use tech and these other methods (Project-based, Inquiry-based, etc), as opposed to using those same funds to hire more teachers to reduce class sizes. The argument is that if the Coaches make our existing teachers better, then it's a more efficient use of our time. One school has had great success with an Instructional Coach. So, if that model holds, then similar improvements should be seen when expanded across the district's nearly 90 schools. </i><br />
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<i>Our budget also includes funding for more technology. As our schools go through our 21st Century implementation, iPads and ChromeBooks are included at the ratio of 1 device for every 2 students. Sadly, parents don't really have an option for a tech-less school system. And in light of all the negative results of too much screen time, I think we are setting our kids up for lots of problems (sleep issues, moodiness, depression, etc. See <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-wealth/201508/screentime-is-making-kids-moody-crazy-and-lazy" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-wealth/201402/gray-matters-too-much-screen-time-damages-the-brain" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mental-wealth/201711/is-your-child-overstimulated-too-much-screen-time" target="_blank">here</a>.) by adding to the already ubiquitous screen exposure. Not to mention, the increased difficulty parents now have in making sure kids do their homework (and don't get distracted), limiting screen time, and knowing what their kids are studying and how they're doing, if everything is online. </i><br />
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Many people think a small increase in funding is appropriate. The real question is what do you think? How should that increase be used? Will you be willing to stand up and state what your priorities are for our school district? Hope to see you at the hearing on Tuesday!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-7952810133707356452018-07-03T22:15:00.003-06:002018-07-03T22:17:14.048-06:00Divine Providence in America's Founding<br />
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><i>Note: This blog is written from a Latter-day Saint (LDS) perspective, including a quote from LDS Scripture. The providential events listed are acknowledged by many scholars, and attested to by those who lived at the time.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Two-hundred forty-two years ago, 56 men pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to support the Declaration of Independence “with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence.” How firm did that reliance have to be?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">A mere eight weeks after the Declaration of Independence was adopted, Washington and the Continental Army were defeated on Long Island. But a miracle occurred during their retreat. British General Howe tried to send warships up the East River to surround Washington, but a stiff wind appeared and prevented their advance. Later, under cover of darkness, the Americans retreated across that same river. But now the winds shifted to shepherd the Americans across. Even so, the retreat took all night. As the sun rose, there were still numerous troops left on the island. Eyewitnesses state that a thick fog arose, but amazingly, it settled precisely over the retreating American army. Once the Americans were safely across the river, the fog lifted.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">The Battle of Long Island was not an isolated incident. Dorchester Heights, White Plains, Trenton, Germantown, Valley Forge, Stony Point, Cowpens, and even Yorktown are just a few of the areas where the elements combined to aid the Americans and to impede their enemies.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">2,300 years earlier, the prophet Nephi, “beheld that the Gentiles...did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them...[T]he Gentiles...were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations.” (1. Ne. 13:16,19)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">We are the inheritors of that legacy of faith and freedom. This Independence Day, we are “bound” to gratefully acknowledge the Hand of God in establishing and preserving this nation. But in doing so, we should be willing to live righteously to qualify for the continued blessings of Heaven on this land.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #010101; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> As we, like our forefathers, support the Declaration of Independence, may we do so “with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence...”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: #010101; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic;"> “No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency.”</span></span><span style="color: #010101; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12pt;">--George Washington</span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-44202235873252205452018-05-21T16:46:00.001-06:002018-05-21T16:46:55.720-06:00Tax Incentives for Development: Eagle Mountain CRANot all taxpayer dollars go directly to the schools. Often developers get tax incentives to build things sooner and increase property values, providing a rebate, if you will, of their property taxes over a set period of time. <b>The Alpine School Board will be voting on a tax incentive for a company to locate in Eagle Mountain on Wednesday, May 23, @ 8am @ the District Office (575 N. 100 E., American Fork). </b> You can read about it <a href="http://eaglemountaincity.com/departments/economic-development" target="_blank">here</a>. Here's what almost no one knows and what you need to know. <br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Tax Increment Financing</span></b><br />
When I first was elected to the Board, one of the things I was completely oblivious to was Tax Incentives for Development, also known as Tax Increment Financing (TIF). There are many different acronyms that have been used over the years (RDA, UDA, CDA, EDA), and we currently have CRA (Community Redevelopment Agency). The thinking is that if a developer/corporation comes into an under-developed area and develops it, then the taxes that would have gone to create things like roads, sewers, water lines, etc can be rebated to the developer. The benefit to the community is that it takes less time for the developer to do this, increasing the property value sooner than it otherwise would have, if left on its own with the City providing the infrastructure and development occurring organically. It is an incentive to grow development and infrastructure. The developer gets a tax break and the community gets faster development and increased property values, and theoretically property taxation. <br />
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Poor analogy, but in essence, if you finish off the dirt road to your home as part of a rebuild of your property, the City would agree to give you a rebate on the taxes you owe in order to let you cover the cost of that infrastructure. The City then gets higher property taxes from you sooner than if they waited and you didn't rebuild your home, as soon or ever. <br />
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The way the law is structured, each taxing entity (the City, the County, the Water District, the School District, etc) MAY choose to enter an agreement with a redevelopment agency/developer (RDA). The terms for this are, often, for the next 20 years, the RDA will get to keep 80% of the taxes it should be paying and the city or county or district will get the remaining 20%, or 50-50 or 75-25, etc. This is part of the negotiations. After 20 years, everyone pays what they normally would. The "increment" part is important because the taxing entity gets 100% of what they are currently getting in property taxes. So the 80%/20% is only on the difference between what the developed value is and the current value when the project began. So, in the case of Eagle Mountain, the current taxes to the district amount to $42/year. When the agreement is completed, the amount the district is projected to receive is approximately $2.5M ($500,000/20%) in real property tax. In the interim, the district would receive the $42 + about $500,000 per year for that 20 year period.<br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">More Info on Eagle Mountain CRA</span></b><br />
The other thing to know about the Eagle Mountain CRA is they are requesting not only the 80% in real property as a rebate, but also 100% of the personal property tax during that 20 year period. So, the estimates assume a total of $5.3M after 20 years in property taxes. What we do know is this will be a data center owned by a Fortune 100 company. The City has signed a confidentiality agreement to not disclose the identity of the company. The project area will be 2 miles square (nearly 500 acres) and all of it will be for a data center. They project 40 permanent employees for that data center. However, I have seen some Facebook posts from those in Eagle Mountain who say the project could bring in 1400 jobs in construction and support. <br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">Sales Tax Exemption</span></b><br />
Another important piece is the legislature just passed a law giving data centers an exemption from paying sales tax on the equipment they buy. The assumption is they will be spending lots of money on keeping, maintaining and replacing equipment, about every 6 years. The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Howard Stephenson, felt this would be a good incentive to get data centers to locate in Utah while increasing the property tax amount that schools receive. If you only have 40 employees, and you get a break on sales tax, but pay property tax, this would be an excellent way to increase funding for schools, especially in the lowest funded state in the nation. It was not envisioned that those companies would try to get a property tax rebate as well through a CRA, since they were already getting no sales tax.<br />
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: blue;">So What's the Concern?</span></b><br />
<i><b>Government Picking Winners and Losers</b></i><br />
<span style="color: red;">The biggest concern I have is one of principle. It isn't good government to have government entities picking winners and losers for tax breaks based on how much they can "provide" to the governmental entity. </span> Who knows that a competitor might not be just around the corner but isn't in a position to make such incredible demands of a governing board or council. So, as a matter of principle, I always vote no on these--from the Vineyard RDA in 2011 to the University Mall CDA a couple of years ago. Others on our board see it differently. And many citizens do, as well. At the end of the day, why should a well-connected, rich and powerful company be able to negotiate a better tax deal than you or I or any other small business owner in the state? A company that is said to be on the Fortune 100 list is not in want of funding to pay property taxes for schools. I understand, in part, the City wanting them to pay for infrastructure, but the school district is not on the line for that infrastructure. <br />
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<b><i>Why Encourage Growth When Growth Is A Concern</i></b><br />
My second concern is I see no reason to incentivize growth with tax rebates, as it were, in an area where our biggest challenge is growth. We are struggling to keep up with growth already. Why would we want to encourage more growth and decrease the amount of taxes those who are coming in will pay? <br />
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<b><i>Water</i></b><br />
A data center needs lots of water. We live in a desert. Eagle Mountain City says water will not be a concern. The data center is paying for water shares and they have enough of that. I'm still a skeptic. Our city thinks we have enough water too and we keep issuing building permits, but every summer, I'm still asked to ration my watering. It may look okay on paper, but the funny thing about water in a desert is there is still only so much that falls from the sky. This year isn't one where we have more than enough. I hope the City is correct and that water won't be a problem. <br />
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<b><i>Apples-to-Apples Comparisons</i></b><br />
One of those who emailed on this issue also mentioned that, while he supports this kind of financing, it's important to look at apples-to-apples comparisons. You don't compare $42/year to $500,000, you compare what amount of development you need to have in order get that $500,000 over the next 20 years, if you open the area up for development. If you could reasonably get someone to develop that area and the improvements were assessed for $157,000 per acre, then the property tax revenue would equal what is being projected under this proposal. If the assessed value were greater, then we would get more revenue than under this project. The assumption that the land isn't being used and won't ever be in the near (20 years) future isn't a completely accurate assumption. Once upon a time, Lehi was considered undeveloped and in the middle of nowhere. Also, right now in Highland $150,000/acre isn't an unreasonable amount for just the land. I realize Eagle Mountain is different, but how much development in buildings and so forth would be needed to reach that $157,000 mark? And is it possible that this would occur naturally in a few years? If this company wanted the CRA for 5 years, or maybe 10 years, I think you could make the case that it's unlikely that development would accelerate in the area enough to create that level of return to the tax coffers. However, in 20 years? It's very possible. Again, look at our county just a few decades ago.<br />
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<b><i>Pressure From Elected Officials and How Utah Incentivizes Economic Development</i></b><br />
We have had requests for support from the Governor, Rep. Mia Love, Sen. Jake Anderegg, Rep. Jeff Moss, and the Eagle Mountain Mayor and City Council. We have been told that this project is the number one priority of the Governor and the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED). Additionally, I found out there is a non-profit organization, <a href="https://edcutah.org/" target="_blank">EDC Utah</a>, that apparently exists and works with GOED to search out and incentivize businesses to come in to the state. This is done by working with local entities to give tax breaks to these companies, all of which are allowed by law. The school district is not required to participate in these tax incentives. But the way this works is everyone else who makes up the 30% of property taxes that don't go to the schools is happy to make these deals, dependent on the school district's 70% being in play. I don't know how many times I've been told that we have to go along or the entire deal will fall through. It seems to me that if the entire thing is based on the school district, then we should be the ones who are approached initially, not after everyone else has decide this is a great idea. (And in this case, we found out on Friday night, with a request to decide last Tuesday. That wasn't going to happen.) <br />
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A most important point, however, is that no one who is asking for the school district's support is responsible for making sure that our schools are not overcrowded. There is nothing they have to lose; no risk they have to take. If the company comes in and generates tax revenue for the state overall or the city? Great. If the business being in the city increases the growth of business and housing in the city overall? Great, they get impact fees to offset the attendant growth. Except for the school district. We still have to find a way to accommodate that growth without the benefit of setting money aside for that growth. We will have to bond. And if the schools become overcrowded because of this project, not a single person will be willing to look to these tax incentive programs as a problem. If these programs were sufficient to accommodate growth of the district, then we wouldn't have a problem with growth in Lehi because we've got plenty of these CRAs in that city...to the tune of $15M per year in tax incentives. Not enough for an elementary school, but close.<br />
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<b><i>How To Fund Growth In Schools: Can't use impact fees</i></b><br />
While I understand the benefit to the City, and if this project were a complete stand-alone that would have absolutely no impact whatsoever on the schools (and how would you prove that), this would make sense. But we are struggling to keep up with the growth already. Should this project incentivize additional growth, then that $500,000 per year would be insufficient. It costs nearly $800,000 just to run an elementary school for a year, not to mention the cost to build and the teachers, etc. A company that is said to be on the Fortune 100 list is not in want of funding to pay property taxes for schools. I understand, in part, the City wanting them to pay for infrastructure, but the school district is not in charge of that infrastructure. If those 1400 support jobs end up bringing in an additional 2 kids per person (2800), that is the equivalent of one very large high school. Right now, we are projecting we will need to build at least one high school and one junior high by 2025. So, is it reasonable to assume over the next 20 years that the district will need to build, in addition to what is already projected another high school, maybe 1 or 2 middle schools, and 3-4 elementary schools for those additional 2800 kids? One high school alone costs $83M. $10M ($500,000 * 20 years) is only a drop in the bucket in building a single high school, let alone a middle school ($30 - 40M) and multiple elementaries ($20M each). Unlike the City or the County, the school district does not get to charge impact fees. What that means is as new development comes in, the city and the county assess a certain amount to go to expand their sewers or their water retention ponds or the police force, etc. As a district, we have been prohibited by state law for at least 15 years from being able to assess fees to plan ahead for growth that we clearly can see coming. Instead, we are forced to bond every four years to infuse cash into our system that doesn't already exist to accommodate building new schools. While impact fees wouldn't necessarily pay for all of the $83M for a new high school, it would be nice to know there was a way to set aside a certain amount based on new growth, just like the cities and the counties do. Our bonding for growth model is not a model, it's a stop-gap measure. In a way, it makes us not want to encourage growth in our communities because that growth just means we have to bond and pay for more schools, instead of having something that we can automatically use to set money aside for those schools that we will surely need. <br />
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Additionally, as a district, we only ever project out 5 years. In part, because we know that 5 years from now, those kids who are born this year, will need a place to go to school. Everything else is conjecture. So, to say that Eagle Mountain will not have this area developed to this degree in the next 20 years and that no growth will result for the schools in that same period of time, because of this development, is known only by looking into a crystal ball. <br />
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In my opinion, the school district should not authorize any more tax incentive plans until such time as the state legislature decides to allow impact fees or comes up with a better way of funding school buildings based on a community's growth. Asking people in Orem or Pleasant Grove to bond to pay for the growth in Eagle Mountain or Lehi isn't a good way of handling checks and balances in government. And if Lehi or Eagle Mountain were responsible for their own growth, I think there would be fewer problems with overcrowding, and something like this proposal might make sense to the people of Eagle Mountain. It doesn't make sense to the people in the rest of the district because we need the money to fund growth now, not in 20 years.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-28373183378577638022018-03-12T10:03:00.000-06:002018-03-12T10:03:05.492-06:00Thank YouI want to thank you for your support and for your involvement in our school district. The real answer to anything that ails us in government is "We, the People." If we are informed and involved, we will find answers. We will see differences as a strength, and we will be motivated to become the best we can in the service of others.<br />
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My term will be ending in December, and I will not be running for re-election. It is time for others to step in. "Many hands make light work." <br />
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I hope to continue to fight against standardization in education, to get real math put back in our schools, and to remove a one-size-fits-all vision of education. I will work to keep options for parents who choose to limit their children's access to technology. And I will continue to follow education issues on this blog. I ask you to join me.<br />
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I hope that you will continue to communicate with whoever ends up representing you on the Alpine School Board. I hope they will be sustained and supported, not demeaned and criticized. I hope you will inform them of your needs, and that they will listen for understanding. And, in the end, I hope that each child in our district will receive the opportunities for knowledge and truth that education is all about.<br />
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Those wishing to run for office, can register at the County Elections Office in Provo through this Thursday, March 15, 2018.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8806820697247097901.post-68832772251528527372018-02-02T01:07:00.000-07:002018-02-02T01:07:07.577-07:00NGSS: Standards for Grades 5, 9-12. My Letter to the State Board<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dear State Board Members:</span><br />
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I am concerned with the standards-adoption process I've observed since 2010. Due to a lack of opportunity for the public to be involved during the Common Core adoption process in June and August of 2010, state law changed to require parent advisory committees for standards. However, I have not found those "safe-guards" of advisory panels to address the fundamental questions required for standards adoption.</div>
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Just like with the math standards, average parents who have concerns with the current standards or with proposed new standards, do not have the time, energy or money to be able to effectively combat them with organizations that have full-time staff and who receive more time to discuss, debate, and propose than the 2 minute comment period allowed or by sending everything in an email. To that end, I hope you will forgive the length of my email, as I am unable to attend the committee meeting, and I want to include as much information as possible. </div>
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I would like to address my main concerns with further adoption of the NGSS for science, and then address the questions I hope you will answer before voting on them.</div>
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<b>CONCERNS WITH NGSS</b></div>
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1. ACT scores do not support switching to NGSS. In 2015, when I first wrote about my concerns in adopting NGSS, Utah scored higher in science on the ACT than the national average. Utah tests ALL of its juniors on the ACT, which would naturally lower the ACT average when compared with states who allow for self-selection. Utah's science ACT scores were higher than all those states who test 100% of their juniors as well (as per the 2014 stats, which were the latest ones available at that time: you can see them here: <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150915050646/https://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2014/pdf/CCCR14-StatebyStateScoreSummary.pdf" style="color: #1155cc;">https://web.archive.org/web/20150915050646/https://www.act.org/newsroom/data/2014/pdf/CCCR14-StatebyStateScoreSummary.pdf</a>.) </div>
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Since then, ACT has redesigned their test, and Utah has adopted NGSS (pretty much) for grades 6-8. As of 2017 (<a href="https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/cccr2017/CCCR_National_2017.pdf," style="color: #1155cc;">https://www.act.org/content/dam/act/unsecured/documents/cccr2017/CCCR_National_2017.pdf,</a> see pg. 14), Utah is one of 17 states, testing all its juniors. Our science percentages (on benchmark) are exceeded only by 3 states (CO, MN, WI), none of which have adopted NGSS: <a href="http://ngss.nsta.org/About.aspx" style="color: #1155cc;">http://ngss.nsta.org/About.aspx</a>) In a quick search, I have been unable to find "raw scores" like I did for the 2014 ACT. </div>
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Either way, if you think ACT is a good measurement of science mastery, then I'm unsure why we would jettison something that is working for something that hasn't shown itself to work for those states who have adopted these standards.</div>
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2. Fordham Foundation rates UTAH "clearly superior to NGSS. NGSS is rated a C. Fordham rated Utah's science standards (pre-NGSS for grades 6-8) a B, 7/10. Please read their critique. (<a href="http://edex.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/publication/pdfs/20130612-NGSS-Final-Review_7.pdf" style="color: #1155cc;">http://edex.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/publication/pdfs/20130612-NGSS-Final-Review_7.pdf</a>) </div>
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A few quotes:</div>
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<b><i>"In reality, there is virtually no mathematics, even at the high school level, where it is essential to the learning of physics and chemistry. Rather, the standards seem to assiduously dodge the mathematical demands inherent in the subjects covered."</i></b></div>
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<i>"NGSS physical science coverage is mediocre throughout grades K–5. Sadly, its quality declines rapidly and steadily in middle school, and still further at the high school level, where little positive can be said. Indeed, the physical science standards fail to lay the foundation for advanced study in high school and beyond, and there is so little advanced content that it would be impossible to derive a high school physics or chemistry course from the content included in the NGSS."</i></div>
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<i>"In reality, we found virtually no mathematics in the physical science standards, even at the high school level, where it is essential to the learning of physics and chemistry. Rather, the standards seem to avoid the mathematical demands inherent in the subjects covered." </i></div>
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<i>"A second troubling problem is that some topics are poorly covered—or omitted entirely—throughout the grades. Energy, and heat energy in particular, is a prime example of an important topic that is poorly addressed."</i></div>
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<i>"Third, the NGSS also seem to shun precise scientific vocabulary, often resulting in muddled meaning."</i></div>
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<i>"High school physical science content is virtually nonexistent. Entire areas that are fundamental to the understanding of physics and chemistry—and essential prerequisites for advanced study—are omitted. Among these are chemical formulas, chemical equations, the mole concept and its applications, kinematics, thermodynamics, and pretty much all of modern physics, including all of the advances of physics since about 1950, as well as their transformative engineering applications." </i></div>
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<i>"Nor is energy ever covered with adequate depth and rigor (as explained further below). The idea of building on earlier non-rigorous ideas of energy and making them rigorous at the high school level is glaringly absent. "</i> </div>
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<i>"High school chemistry is largely absent from the NGSS. What little content is included is too often found in vaguely worded performance expectations that assume mastery of knowledge not previously introduced. The standards are further weakened by limitations found in the clarification statements and assessment boundaries, which place arbitrary caps on the knowledge and skills that will be assessed each year, as well as the near-total absence of mathematical relationships and problem solving, and the avoidance of appropriate scientific vocabulary."</i></div>
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<i>"Nothing in NGSS might form a basis for the standard high school physics course, much less preparation for an “advanced” course in physics."</i> <i><br /></i></div>
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<i>"We cannot discourse on the strengths of material that is absent."</i></div>
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3. Science appreciation, not science: One reviewer, Ze'ev Wurman testified before the Ohio House (<a href="http://educationnext.org/wurman-testimony-math-science-standards-ohio/" style="color: #1155cc;">http://educationnext.org/wurman-testimony-math-science-standards-ohio/</a>) that the NGSS will create students who have an appreciation for science but who can't do science. His conclusion states:</div>
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<i>"The proposed New Generation Science Standards are flawed and aimed at preparing science and technology consumers rather than technology creators. They offer a false promise of enhancing STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Math] preparedness..."</i></div>
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4. Before-the-fact Training: All public school districts and charter schools were invited to send staff to a training at Weber State in the Fall of 2014, (6 months PRIOR to the grade 6-8 standards being presented to the State Board for public comment) to receive training in these new science standards. Why train teachers/curriculum directors on something that might not happen? Why are these standards so incredible that it requires a full-day seminar, before the fact, to properly train everyone? </div>
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5. The adoption of the MOU for science test questions (just today) gives rise to similar concerns as the training. Most of those states involved (I assume, since I was unable to find the MOU previous to today, and haven't had a chance to read it), will have similar standards, and it is my assumption these standards are NGSS. As such, NGSS standards being used to write test questions leads to<i> de facto</i> standards adoption, whether Utah adopts NGSS or not. What is tested is what will be taught. We could keep our current science standards, but once we put NGSS test questions on our end-of-year tests, that is what will need to be taught to "prove" to the state our kids are learning. </div>
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I don't mean to be rude or controversial, but from the time it was raised by Board Member Burningham in 2010 that adoption of one set of national standards (Common Core for English and Math) would lead to adoption of national standards in all the other areas, we have seen this occur. There is no evidence that national standards yield better results than those that do not. (It's about 50:50.) What other standards did the science review committee look at? And if no others, why not? </div>
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Surely, there are many states that have science standards with a proven track record that are rated higher than Fordham's review of NGSS. In 2013, there were 20 states with higher standards than NGSS, as well as the NAEP, TIMSS and ACT Frameworks. Massachussetts' A-minus standards have, I believe, at least a 13-year track record and their tests are in the public domain. (I know this is true for English and Math, but will be looking to find out for science.) Are we interested in the BEST standards for our students, or do we want to have the SAME standards with most states? For me, the answer is clear: I would like the best! I have yet to find evidence (other than opinion) that NGSS will provide the best science education for our students. </div>
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<b>QUESTIONS THE BOARD SHOULD ANSWER FOR ALL STANDARDS</b></div>
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Here are the questions I would like to see asked by this Board for every set of standards, both existing and proposed. I, personally, would appreciate receiving an answer to these questions, but understand if that isn't possible. </div>
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The Burden of Proof to adopt new standards needs to be on you, as our elected State Board members. Just because standards are "new" or the current standards are "old" isn't sufficient reason to assume that new is better. Often, tried and true, is the best scenario. </div>
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Additionally, since changing the math and English standards was voted down due to the hefty cost, why would we want to change other standards unnecessarily? Or will these standards not incur any additional cost? And if not, why not? (Incidentally, as you go knocking on doors for campaigns, you don't hear "We need new science standards!" You WILL hear tons of complaints about the math standards. If there isn't a desire in the board to address the math standards that a large group of parents think is broken beyond comprehension, I think we should be very wary about changing something that the people don't think is broken, like science. </div>
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1.) <b>What is lacking in our current set of standards?</b> Please be specific; don't just say 'they need to be updated'. With all due respect, if our previous standards were based on truth and objective fact, then, unless there have been changes, and science would be one of those areas where I would agree there are probably 'holes', there is no need to throw out the objective truth that we are already teaching. Can we simply 'tweak' what we have now?</div>
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2.) <b>What is the evidence that the proposed set of standards will be able to fill those gaps in our current standards?</b></div>
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3.) <b>Have the proposed standards been either pilot-tested (for how long, what were the demographics, what were the metrics used to show improvement) or, as a baseline, benchmarked against other states or countries that we feel confident have been successful with this particular discipline? (And what are those metrics?)</b></div>
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4.) <b>Taken as a whole, over the course of 13 years, is there a prevailing worldview that emerges, and if so, is that worldview consistent with the diversity and the values of the citizens of this state? Do we seek to provide a broad, general knowledge, without influencing the attitudes, values, and beliefs of our students? </b></div>
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5.) <b>What are the pieces that are missing from the proposed standards?</b> For example, the NGSS do not address Life Systems, specifically body systems, or energy, or physics. Climate change is heavily emphasized, but electric circuits are briefly mentioned. While I appreciate both climate change and electric circuits being taught, it appears, at least to me, that there is an over-emphasis of one at the expense of others. It is usually easier to find problems in things that exist. It is much more difficult to take the time to determine what isn't even there. </div>
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6.) <b>Do the standards seek to obtain compliance of thought, instead of an understanding of the rationale and disagreements involved in controversial or politically charged issues?</b> This is especially important in science. If we create a generation of students who believe that all science is not to be questioned, we have failed in our task. Science is always to be questioned, and refined. We should be constantly looking for ways to support or to disprove the current knowledge of the day. </div>
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7.) <b>Have you looked at some of the available curricular materials, as well as other states' implementations, to make sure that implementation of these standards, while supposedly wonderful in theory, won't fall flat in the application? </b>My past experience with the adoption of new standards and 'programs' (over the last decade) has been a trail of grand promises and disappointing results that are always blamed on local districts and teachers. There has never been, or that anyone will admit, a set of bad standards. It's always blamed on poor implementation. With all due respect, if a set of standards can't be implemented successfully in at least 51% of the schools, then they should not be adopted, no matter what the claims and promises. (Please see item #3.)</div>
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8.) <b>Is there enough emphasis on fact and foundational knowledge? </b> There is a trend to focus on 'critical thinking' and to not get bogged down into rote memorization. While I can appreciate and respect that position, it is impossible to have critical thinking about any issue without the foundational, factual knowledge of the subject. Especially for children in the early grades who have limited abstraction and limited reasoning skills, are we allowing and encouraging those fact-based pieces of information that will form the foundation for greater understanding later on? </div>
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9.) <b>Will these standards strengthen the parent-child relationship or hinder it?</b> For example, implementing standards that parents don't understand or that place them in a negative light vis-a-vis their child, no matter how great they are supposed to be, creates a rift between parent and child. This is an unacceptable consequence for an education system that is supposed to be secondary and supportive to the primary role of the parent in educating his or her children. The more involved parents are, the better the academic success of the child. That is the number one factor in student success... the parent, not the standards. We need to keep that in mind. </div>
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Thank you for your time and effort, and my very great thanks if you made it all the way through this email.</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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Wendy Hart</div>
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Mother</div>
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Alpine District Board Member (NOT speaking on behalf of my board) for ASD2</div>
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Business Owner</div>
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Highland, UT</div>
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