Q & A with Parley Q: How do you propose to boost and protect Utah's sportsman industry? A: Hunting, fishing, and outdoor wildlife recreation is over a $500 million industry in Utah. On the weekends, there is a mass exodus from the population centers to the rural parts of the state where the best hunting, fishing, and camping places are found. Utah needs to make sure we protect our lands and waters that support teaming wildlife and fish populations that support recreation for over 500,000 Utah citizens. Utah also needs to look at working with ranchers and the federal government to make our lands more productive, and in places where possible, work to increase wildlife populations. This could allow increased revenue to ranchers, increased hunting and fishing opportunities for Utah citizens, and bring more guiding and tourism business to Utah. Wildlife is a renewable resource that can benefit all Utah, and Utah’s economy if it is properly managed. Q: Some claim that there's not enough money to increase public education spending in Utah, but we always seem to find ways to pay for transportation. Can't we just rely on bonds for public education, like we do for roads? A: Bonds are borrowed funds that are best used to cover the immediate costs of building long-term assets like highways. Bonds can be used for the construction needs of a school district, but aside from that, public education is an ongoing operation, and it requires a funding source more stable than borrowed money. As has been pointed out by Rep. James A. Ferrin, "To borrow money to fund a school operation budget would be analogous to buying groceries on credit. You can get away with it for a while but it is a long-term formula for financial failure." Q: Year after year, Utah is dead last in per-pupil spending. How do you propose to address this issue? A: Utah has unique conditions that create budget obstacles for public education. Along with having the highest birth-rate and the youngest population in the nation, Utah has a shortage of property-tax payers. Property tax is collected from only 27% of Utah's land, while 63% of Utah's land goes untaxed, since it is owned by the federal government. In New Jersey--the state with the highest per-pupil spending--only 2% of the land is owned by the federal government, so property taxes are collected from as much as 98% of the land. To top it off, our state is the 9th most-taxed state; our household income increasingly sags below the national average; and Utah consistently has one of the lowest per capita income rates in the nation--usually ranked somewhere between 45th and 50th. Meanwhile, since 1980 the average pay in Utah has steadily dropped behind the national average--making Utah increasingly poor compared to the rest of the country. Compounding the problem is the fact that the Wasatch Front has become one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation. As a result of such factors, each taxpayer in Utah already invests more of his money in public education than do the taxpayers of any other state. Expecting them to give even more for education is not financially feasible. This means that we can expect per-pupil spending in Utah to remain relatively low, no matter what we do--as long as Utahns continue to produce unusually large families, a trend that is one of Utah's distinct strengths. The only way we can substantially increase per-pupil spending is to innovate. In addition to the ideas laid out in my plan, a Parley Hellewell administration will see to it that all possible solutions are considered, with suggestions welcome from parents, students, educators, businesses, tax-payer lobbies, and public officials. Because Utah is unique, we must adopt a formula that best fits our state. As we evaluate Utah's education needs, let us not forget that despite the state's limited funds, Utah students outperform the students of most other states on competency exams, even states that spend much more per student. Because education is primarily a family affair, Utah's strong families--encouraged by our state's traditional emphasis on learning--play a major role in the quality of education produced in Utah's public, private, and home schools. We can be proud of the track record we have. Money alone cannot guarantee such outcomes. Because of Utah's challenging educational situation, I expect Utah to become a national leader in competition-based education--both within the public system, and between the public system and the private sector. I intend to lead out in that effort. As a state, we absolutely must have bold leadership to address our education needs. The status quo will no longer suffice. I believe competitive school choice is at least part of the answer. Please see my discussion of Tuition Tax Credits.  Click here for Parley's positions.  Click here for Parley's philosophy.

Click to enlarge