-----Original Message...............
Sent: Friday, Januagery 09, 2004 12:04 PM
Subject: GOP Gov candidates support gun rights
Friends- Surprisingly, at a forum before the Utah School Boards Association, ALL of the Republican candidates supported the right of permit holders to carry in schools! We need to commend them for their good judgement! Publicly and often! You can be sure the gun grabbers will have a hissy fit and ghostwrite editorails for both papers.
John Spangler
DNews version
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view2/1,4382,580037275,00.html
Governor candidates discuss education
By Donna Kemp Spangler
Deseret Morning News
When it comes to education there's not a lot of difference between the Republican candidates hoping to be Utah's next governor.
Five GOP gubernatorial candidates and one Libertarian who attended the Utah School Boards Association's forum Thursday night. All said their No. 1 priority is funding public education, they all support tuition tax credits and they all back the rights of licensed concealed-weapons permit holders to carry guns in schools.
And many of them would like to end the animosity between educators and lawmakers.
"I'd love the day when people have issues with education that they call their school board, not legislator," said Nolan Karras, a former speaker of the House and current chairman of the Utah Board of Regents.
The issue of tuition tax credits has lawmakers and educators on the opposite ends.
Tuition tax credits would give tax credits to parents who enroll their children in private schools. The credit would be a portion of the amount of taxes paid to educate that same child in a public school. Educators say tuition tax credits would drain money from an already underfunded school system while proponents say it would free up classroom space in overcrowded schools.
"Tuition tax credits could save a lot of money for the state," said state Sen. Parley Hellewell, R-Provo. "I support it."
Other candidates also expressed similar support for it. They included Speaker of the House Marty Stephens, businessman Fred Lampropoulos, Utah County Commissioner Gary Herbert and Libertarian candidate Richard Mack.
Former GOP Rep. Jim Hansen and former ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr. were invited but unable to attend the forum.
"The choice should be made by parents," said Mack. "It's a free country, that's what we are taught in schools."
Many of the candidates said the most pressing issue is funding for schools. But they differ slightly on ways to pay for it.
Stephens touted his initiative that seeks federal funding to compensate Utah and other Western states for its vast amount of federal lands that are exempt from property taxes, a major source of funding for education.
"If education is our No. 1 priority, then lets put our money where our mouth is and fund education," he said.
Lampropoulos, president of Merit Medical Systems, said a strong economy is key to education's financial success.
"At Merit Medical we created 1,300 jobs, we constructed new facilities that will create another 500 jobs," he said. "Economic development is what funds jobs."
Mack said Utah needs to cut its ties with the federal government. "We can't have big brother running Utah's education. It's part of the problem," he said.
Herbert said he supports seeking federal funding to help with education. "The most pressing issue is how we fund education. . . . I think we need to see if the federal government won't help us in that less than 30 percent of our land is privately owned."
When it comes to the right to bear arms all candidates gave a resounding support to it.
"It's a constitutional issue," Herbert said.
"I support the Second Amendment," Karras said.
"No one has defended the right to bear arms more than me," Mack said. "One of the silliest, downright stupid ideas is to announce that schools are gun-free zones."
E-mail: [email protected]
TRIBUNE VERSION
http://www.sltrib.com/2004/jan/01092004/utah/127418.asp
Education dominates first debate
By Dan Harrie
The Salt Lake Tribune
In the first Wasatch Front debate in this year's governor's race, every candidate Thursday claimed to be a champion of public schools.
The makeup of the audience may have had something to do with all six participating politicos fingering public education as the state's top priority. About 150 educators attended the Utah School Boards Association-sponsored debate at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City.
"We're all pandering tonight and telling you that [education] is our priority, I guess," said Nolan Karras. He acknowledged it was tough for him to put primary and secondary schools at the top of the list because as chairman of the Board of Regents, he oversees the state's colleges and universities.
Despite all candidates' listing of education as their top issue, only three said increased funding was the most pressing school need.
Karras, House Speaker Marty Stephens and Utah County Commissioner Gary Herbert all said the next governor will have to figure out how to come up with more money for schools.
Merit Medical Chairman Fred Lampropoulos said more urgent than funding is the need to ensure good jobs are waiting for students when they graduate. State Sen. Parley Hellewell talked about the need for educators to be able to discipline unruly students.
"When I was in school, if you got a spanking at school, you'd get another spanking at home. Nowadays, if you spanked a kid in school, you'd get a lawsuit," said Hellewell.
Libertarian candidate Richard Mack also cited the need for discipline and increased school safety efforts.
But even those candidates who were saying an expected influx of more than 140,000 new students during the next decade demands increased funding had little in the way of specifics.
Stephens said he could wring $30 million to $50 million out of other state programs to redirect to schools.
Over the longer term, he wants to change the federal funding formula, which he says is unfair to Utah and other Western states.
Four of the five Republican candidates and Mack said they supported tax credits for parents of children in private schools.
Karras didn't declare support or opposition for tuition tax credits, saying only that he viewed their passage as "inevitable" in the next five years, adding that he would ensure they would be implemented in a way that wouldn't drain resources from public schools.
Other Republican candidates who have publicly supported tuition tax credits include former U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr. and former U.S. Rep. Jim Hansen, neither of whom attend the debate. Also excused for a conflicting commitment was Democratic hopeful Scott Matheson Jr.
Gov. Olene Walker, a Republican, has not said whether she will run for election in November and did not participate in the debate.
The evening debate was actually the second of this political season. The first was held earlier in the day in St. George before a group of Republican women.
As they did on tax credits for private school students, candidates at the debate agreed on most education issues. All stood firm for the right of 50,000-plus Utahns with concealed-weapons permits to be able to carry guns in schools.
"It's one of those issues that divides us and it makes no sense," said Stephens, who claimed there has never been a problem with licensed guns in schools.
Hellewell went further, arguing "schools will be safer when we have people there with a [licensed] concealed gun."
The candidates also agreed that the state should fight against unfunded federal mandates in schools, and each opposed the friction between state lawmakers and educators.
Herbert said he was "appalled and disappointed" at the inflammatory rhetoric and animosity between elected officials and educators.
Lampropoulos said the poisoned relationships have resulted in stalemate on reform proposals.
He argued that many of his fellow candidates, as government officials, are part of the problem.
"It's time for someone new," he said. "It's time for a new perspective."
Sent: Friday, Januagery 09, 2004 12:04 PM
Subject: GOP Gov candidates support gun rights
Friends- Surprisingly, at a forum before the Utah School Boards Association, ALL of the Republican candidates supported the right of permit holders to carry in schools! We need to commend them for their good judgement! Publicly and often! You can be sure the gun grabbers will have a hissy fit and ghostwrite editorails for both papers.
John Spangler
DNews version
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view2/1,4382,580037275,00.html
Governor candidates discuss education
By Donna Kemp Spangler
Deseret Morning News
When it comes to education there's not a lot of difference between the Republican candidates hoping to be Utah's next governor.
Five GOP gubernatorial candidates and one Libertarian who attended the Utah School Boards Association's forum Thursday night. All said their No. 1 priority is funding public education, they all support tuition tax credits and they all back the rights of licensed concealed-weapons permit holders to carry guns in schools.
And many of them would like to end the animosity between educators and lawmakers.
"I'd love the day when people have issues with education that they call their school board, not legislator," said Nolan Karras, a former speaker of the House and current chairman of the Utah Board of Regents.
The issue of tuition tax credits has lawmakers and educators on the opposite ends.
Tuition tax credits would give tax credits to parents who enroll their children in private schools. The credit would be a portion of the amount of taxes paid to educate that same child in a public school. Educators say tuition tax credits would drain money from an already underfunded school system while proponents say it would free up classroom space in overcrowded schools.
"Tuition tax credits could save a lot of money for the state," said state Sen. Parley Hellewell, R-Provo. "I support it."
Other candidates also expressed similar support for it. They included Speaker of the House Marty Stephens, businessman Fred Lampropoulos, Utah County Commissioner Gary Herbert and Libertarian candidate Richard Mack.
Former GOP Rep. Jim Hansen and former ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr. were invited but unable to attend the forum.
"The choice should be made by parents," said Mack. "It's a free country, that's what we are taught in schools."
Many of the candidates said the most pressing issue is funding for schools. But they differ slightly on ways to pay for it.
Stephens touted his initiative that seeks federal funding to compensate Utah and other Western states for its vast amount of federal lands that are exempt from property taxes, a major source of funding for education.
"If education is our No. 1 priority, then lets put our money where our mouth is and fund education," he said.
Lampropoulos, president of Merit Medical Systems, said a strong economy is key to education's financial success.
"At Merit Medical we created 1,300 jobs, we constructed new facilities that will create another 500 jobs," he said. "Economic development is what funds jobs."
Mack said Utah needs to cut its ties with the federal government. "We can't have big brother running Utah's education. It's part of the problem," he said.
Herbert said he supports seeking federal funding to help with education. "The most pressing issue is how we fund education. . . . I think we need to see if the federal government won't help us in that less than 30 percent of our land is privately owned."
When it comes to the right to bear arms all candidates gave a resounding support to it.
"It's a constitutional issue," Herbert said.
"I support the Second Amendment," Karras said.
"No one has defended the right to bear arms more than me," Mack said. "One of the silliest, downright stupid ideas is to announce that schools are gun-free zones."
E-mail: [email protected]
TRIBUNE VERSION
http://www.sltrib.com/2004/jan/01092004/utah/127418.asp
Education dominates first debate
By Dan Harrie
The Salt Lake Tribune
In the first Wasatch Front debate in this year's governor's race, every candidate Thursday claimed to be a champion of public schools.
The makeup of the audience may have had something to do with all six participating politicos fingering public education as the state's top priority. About 150 educators attended the Utah School Boards Association-sponsored debate at the Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City.
"We're all pandering tonight and telling you that [education] is our priority, I guess," said Nolan Karras. He acknowledged it was tough for him to put primary and secondary schools at the top of the list because as chairman of the Board of Regents, he oversees the state's colleges and universities.
Despite all candidates' listing of education as their top issue, only three said increased funding was the most pressing school need.
Karras, House Speaker Marty Stephens and Utah County Commissioner Gary Herbert all said the next governor will have to figure out how to come up with more money for schools.
Merit Medical Chairman Fred Lampropoulos said more urgent than funding is the need to ensure good jobs are waiting for students when they graduate. State Sen. Parley Hellewell talked about the need for educators to be able to discipline unruly students.
"When I was in school, if you got a spanking at school, you'd get another spanking at home. Nowadays, if you spanked a kid in school, you'd get a lawsuit," said Hellewell.
Libertarian candidate Richard Mack also cited the need for discipline and increased school safety efforts.
But even those candidates who were saying an expected influx of more than 140,000 new students during the next decade demands increased funding had little in the way of specifics.
Stephens said he could wring $30 million to $50 million out of other state programs to redirect to schools.
Over the longer term, he wants to change the federal funding formula, which he says is unfair to Utah and other Western states.
Four of the five Republican candidates and Mack said they supported tax credits for parents of children in private schools.
Karras didn't declare support or opposition for tuition tax credits, saying only that he viewed their passage as "inevitable" in the next five years, adding that he would ensure they would be implemented in a way that wouldn't drain resources from public schools.
Other Republican candidates who have publicly supported tuition tax credits include former U.S. Ambassador Jon Huntsman Jr. and former U.S. Rep. Jim Hansen, neither of whom attend the debate. Also excused for a conflicting commitment was Democratic hopeful Scott Matheson Jr.
Gov. Olene Walker, a Republican, has not said whether she will run for election in November and did not participate in the debate.
The evening debate was actually the second of this political season. The first was held earlier in the day in St. George before a group of Republican women.
As they did on tax credits for private school students, candidates at the debate agreed on most education issues. All stood firm for the right of 50,000-plus Utahns with concealed-weapons permits to be able to carry guns in schools.
"It's one of those issues that divides us and it makes no sense," said Stephens, who claimed there has never been a problem with licensed guns in schools.
Hellewell went further, arguing "schools will be safer when we have people there with a [licensed] concealed gun."
The candidates also agreed that the state should fight against unfunded federal mandates in schools, and each opposed the friction between state lawmakers and educators.
Herbert said he was "appalled and disappointed" at the inflammatory rhetoric and animosity between elected officials and educators.
Lampropoulos said the poisoned relationships have resulted in stalemate on reform proposals.
He argued that many of his fellow candidates, as government officials, are part of the problem.
"It's time for someone new," he said. "It's time for a new perspective."