Kim Jackson http://www.treasurerjackson.com/ Seems to be qualified by his resume. He promises a fresh set of eyes on the financial affairs of the county.
Cary McConnel http://www.carymcconnell.com/index.html Is currently the Assistant County Treasurer. I was able to speak briefly with him and one of his current co-workers who praised his work ethic. In the absence of any problems is does seem to make sense that his election would make for a smooth transition. My one reservation is just one small comment he made about looking at future bonding needs.
I don't have strong feelings one way or the other. I see advantages to both. In government a fresh set of eyes can be a very good thing, but Cary has worked his way up and seems specifically prepared.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
County Commissioner Seat B
I will update this post later but in the interest of time will keep it to my top 4:
Lorne Grierson: http://votegrierson.org/
Bill Lee: http://votebilllee.com/
Heather Jackson: http://voteheatherjackson.com/
Casey Allen: http://www.votecaseyallen.com/
Lorne Grierson: http://votegrierson.org/
Bill Lee: http://votebilllee.com/
Heather Jackson: http://voteheatherjackson.com/
Casey Allen: http://www.votecaseyallen.com/
Utah County Attorney
Ben Stanley http://voteben.com/ The primary point that he has made in the presentations I've seen is the difference between crimes that are inherently evil vs. those that are a crime because there is a law against it and the importance of prioritizing resources for prosecuting cases that are most important to public welfare and safety.
One case that has come to light in the course of the campaign is a story of a woman who was prosecuted and whose life and livelihood were destroyed over her selling items for charity that had been donated to her where there was some misunderstanding about the origin of the items. In the end, the case was dismissed and no wrongdoing found, but the damage to her personal life is ongoing.
The incumbent responded to this story with an email he sent to delegates where he simply said he would prosecute all cases where they had evidence to do so. I want to be fair, but this explanation did not satisfy my concern over this example.
Jeffrey R Buhman http://countyattorneybuhman.com/ is the current County Attorney. Of his listed goals, this is one that stands out to me: "... we will begin the first veterans court in the Utah District Courts. This court will promote public safety and assist and support veterans and their families by creating a coordinated response through collaboration with the veteran’s service delivery system, community-based services, and the criminal justice system. This court should be running by the end of 2014."
One case that has come to light in the course of the campaign is a story of a woman who was prosecuted and whose life and livelihood were destroyed over her selling items for charity that had been donated to her where there was some misunderstanding about the origin of the items. In the end, the case was dismissed and no wrongdoing found, but the damage to her personal life is ongoing.
The incumbent responded to this story with an email he sent to delegates where he simply said he would prosecute all cases where they had evidence to do so. I want to be fair, but this explanation did not satisfy my concern over this example.
Jeffrey R Buhman http://countyattorneybuhman.com/ is the current County Attorney. Of his listed goals, this is one that stands out to me: "... we will begin the first veterans court in the Utah District Courts. This court will promote public safety and assist and support veterans and their families by creating a coordinated response through collaboration with the veteran’s service delivery system, community-based services, and the criminal justice system. This court should be running by the end of 2014."
Utah County Clerk/Auditor
Jacob Atkin www.JacobAtkin.com is a CPA with a lot of auditing and management experience, currently employed by UVU. As this job includes being the Elections Officer for the whole county he promises to improve some issues with voting and vote-by-mail. He has the endorsement of State Auditor John Dougall, Representatives Marc Roberts and Jake Anderegg and the Mayor of Provo among others. I was impressed by his taking the initiative to film and post the debates on his website. This is so helpful to letting more people become familiar with the candidates beyond the delegates. I've interacted with his wife over the years in various women's political organizations and have the highest opinion of this family.
Bryan Thompson http://www.bryanethompson.com/ There is a lot of great information on his website. As the incumbent he responds to some of the criticisms leveled against him in the Top Five Issues section. He took a high-profile stand refusing to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples after Judge Shelby ruled Utah's Amendment 3 unconstitutional. He didn't think it was appropriate to act against the will of the people while the legal decision was still in process. I didn't think to ask Jacob about what he would have done in that situation but have emailed him.
Bryan Thompson http://www.bryanethompson.com/ There is a lot of great information on his website. As the incumbent he responds to some of the criticisms leveled against him in the Top Five Issues section. He took a high-profile stand refusing to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples after Judge Shelby ruled Utah's Amendment 3 unconstitutional. He didn't think it was appropriate to act against the will of the people while the legal decision was still in process. I didn't think to ask Jacob about what he would have done in that situation but have emailed him.
County Commissioner Seat A
Gary Anderson is the incumbent running for his 3rd consecutive term, (his 5th term if you count two terms served years ago.) See his website here: http://www.electgaryanderson.com/
He is an attorney and the most polished in his presentation, at ease in front of large groups. His priority seems to be economic development. He touts the Utah Valley Convention Center and his time entertaining (fishing, four-wheeling etc.) prospective businesses for Utah County. In the debate he suggested the county has a role in helping attract businesses to Utah promoting cooperation over competition between cities.
Working with UTA on transportation is another priority for him. I shared my concerns about the accessibility and poor connections of the public transit and asked if he knew why the Express busses to Salt Lake, upon which a good number of SF residents relied, were cancelled when the commuter rail opened. He said he shared my concern and said he would work to reinstate those routes.
His challengers criticize him for his personal expense budget, his attendance at certain meetings and for the increase in bonded debt to accomplish certain growth initiatives. Greg Graves and Howard Stone in particular seemed to hold a more conservative idea of what the proper role of government should be in economic development. He says "government should be as small and lean as possible" but his definition of small and lean seems to differ from that of the other candidates.
Gregory James Graves http://gregforuc.com/ has a background in business but currently teaches business and marketing at a high school level. The main point he made in the Seat A debate was that 8 years ago Utah County had no bonded debt. He said there is now $275 million with a projected addition of $30 million. The interest is $22 million/year. He questions whether economic growth that is accomplished on the backs of taxpayers is "real" growth. He pointed out that at the county level, essential infrastructure like roads are actually a very small part of the budget.
Johnny Revill http://www.johnnyrevill.com has a background in sales and has served on the Lehi City Council for 3 terms. He said his priority was transparency and making sure that the citizens know what a County Commissioner does and where the $ is going. He supports increased funding for the Sherriff's department and has their endorsement. He said he grew up a farmer and understands the importance of water rights. He is aware of Agenda 21 but could not speak to the details. He sees Utah County as another "Silicon Valley" and wants to work with cities to attract businesses but was not specific in the details.
Howard Stone http://www.howardstone.org/ is the most critical of the current Commissioner. His negative style did not come across as well in the debate, but the issues he raises (and details on his website) are important to him and reflect a different philosophy on the role of Commissioner. When speaking to him one-on-one he was able to relate detailed scenarios of issues facing Utah's water rights and land use and whether those decisions will be made in the best interest of individual property rights. He has funded his own campaign.
He is an attorney and the most polished in his presentation, at ease in front of large groups. His priority seems to be economic development. He touts the Utah Valley Convention Center and his time entertaining (fishing, four-wheeling etc.) prospective businesses for Utah County. In the debate he suggested the county has a role in helping attract businesses to Utah promoting cooperation over competition between cities.
Working with UTA on transportation is another priority for him. I shared my concerns about the accessibility and poor connections of the public transit and asked if he knew why the Express busses to Salt Lake, upon which a good number of SF residents relied, were cancelled when the commuter rail opened. He said he shared my concern and said he would work to reinstate those routes.
His challengers criticize him for his personal expense budget, his attendance at certain meetings and for the increase in bonded debt to accomplish certain growth initiatives. Greg Graves and Howard Stone in particular seemed to hold a more conservative idea of what the proper role of government should be in economic development. He says "government should be as small and lean as possible" but his definition of small and lean seems to differ from that of the other candidates.
Gregory James Graves http://gregforuc.com/ has a background in business but currently teaches business and marketing at a high school level. The main point he made in the Seat A debate was that 8 years ago Utah County had no bonded debt. He said there is now $275 million with a projected addition of $30 million. The interest is $22 million/year. He questions whether economic growth that is accomplished on the backs of taxpayers is "real" growth. He pointed out that at the county level, essential infrastructure like roads are actually a very small part of the budget.
Johnny Revill http://www.johnnyrevill.com has a background in sales and has served on the Lehi City Council for 3 terms. He said his priority was transparency and making sure that the citizens know what a County Commissioner does and where the $ is going. He supports increased funding for the Sherriff's department and has their endorsement. He said he grew up a farmer and understands the importance of water rights. He is aware of Agenda 21 but could not speak to the details. He sees Utah County as another "Silicon Valley" and wants to work with cities to attract businesses but was not specific in the details.
Howard Stone http://www.howardstone.org/ is the most critical of the current Commissioner. His negative style did not come across as well in the debate, but the issues he raises (and details on his website) are important to him and reflect a different philosophy on the role of Commissioner. When speaking to him one-on-one he was able to relate detailed scenarios of issues facing Utah's water rights and land use and whether those decisions will be made in the best interest of individual property rights. He has funded his own campaign.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
SCOTUS Decision on Obamacare
I read the Supreme Court ruling and dissention and was confused by the logic used to justify the decision. I've watched and read a lot of commentary but thought this was the best summary I've seen so far:
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1711779514001/did-scotus-get-it-right-on-health-care/?playlist_id=86858&intcmp=obinsite
http://video.foxnews.com/v/1711779514001/did-scotus-get-it-right-on-health-care/?playlist_id=86858&intcmp=obinsite
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