The issues In any election, the main issue is who is the "conservative choice." That's especially true in Utah County--which, by many standards, is the most conservative county in the entire United States. I believe that the majority of Utah County delegates in District 15 will be looking to elect a truly conservative state senator to represent them--one who will lead out in defending families, preserving marriage, protecting the right of public religious expression, cutting taxes, strengthening small business, fostering free enterprise, promoting education choice, ensuring the sanctity of life, seeking ways to curtail judicial activism, and standing up for the moral conservative values of our state. Sen. Parley Hellewell Since the early 1990's, Utah government has become the fastest growing government in the nation, in terms of spending rate--a fact not lost on informed conservatives. States' rights have been increasingly trampled in recent years by tyrannical court decisions and federal government mandates. Our very sovereignty and security as a nation is now threatened by an explosion of unchecked illegal immigration. And so forth. The challenges are there. To meet them, Utah needs strong, courageous leadership. So the question this year is, which State Senate candidates best exemplify conservative principles--especially those in the Republican platform. In District 15, I believe I best meet the criteria demanded by constituents. I don't just talk. I DO. My record shows this. Judicial tyranny When I ran for Congress in 1996, I published a booklet that many still consider a handbook of conservatism. One of the issues I stressed back then was the unaccountable judiciary that was destroying our democratic Republic. Today, that issue is front and center in conservatives' minds. Arguably, the renegade courts are the single biggest threat to our nation's future. I have long believed that the solution is for Congress to rein in our country's dictatorial judges, and I said so in my booklet. When I say that I will defend the right of "the people" to publicly acknowledge God through their elected representatives, or that I will protect marriage from destruction by the courts, it's not just rhetoric. I mean it. These are my most basic issues. Over-regulation As a State Senator now in my seventh year, I have witnessed numerous examples of outrageous intrusion by state government into our lives--and I have done something about it. One such issue is medical care. A year ago, I led the fight to prevent IHC from forcing patients to sign unfair mandatory arbitration agreements before they could receive medical care. I fought for a change in the state law that allowed such monopoly. I succeeded. Another example is day care centers. The past two sessions, I've led the fight to stop state regulators from making up arbitrary rules that had caused half of the state's day care centers to fail over that last five years. I've gotten needed legislation passed. A third example is family rights. Last year, I led the fight to prevent state social workers from taking children from their homes without sufficient cause--a problem that is more heartbreaking, and more prevalent, than most Utahns realize. I succeeded in getting two vital bills passed. This past session, I helped lay midwives regain legal status they had lost to overzealous regulation several years ago. I have pushed for consumer choice in health care on several other fronts--including working to expand patients' choice of doctor in dealing with insurance companies. In addition, I've voted to prevent unfair confiscation of property by law enforcement officers from innocent citizens; limit monopoly by cable providers--and in many other ways looked out for the best interests of my constituents, even if that meant taking on Goliaths in the health care industry, government bureaucracy, and professional lobbies. Courage The sheer fact that I'm running for a third term in the State Senate--despite the many sacrifices and challenges involved in being a legislator--proves that I'm not just a talker, but a committed doer. I'm not a "politician" with a lot of high-powered friends, nor am I a traditional "good ol' boy." I'm my own man. Nor do I have a large personal fortune, a business empire, a household name, or the unearned favor of the media. Instead, I'm running purely because I'm determined to help lead Utah back to fiscal, social, moral, and political conservatism--with the principled platform of the Utah Republican Party as my "marching orders." I'm a regular citizen who can relate to the "little guy," the disadvantaged, the oppressed. I care deeply about a free and open marketplace of ideas, goods, and services--the bedrock of our nation's strength. I will fight for the restoration of the AMERICAN DREAM in all sectors of our state--with all citizens having equal right and equal opportunity in a truly free, and just, society. Although I'm a two-term State Senator, I am basically an outsider who sees things as common citizens do. And I am running mainly on courage--as well as my faith in God. Management vs. leadership Finally, I'm a doer because I'm first and foremost a leader. Without meaning any disrespect toward any other candidate, I believe that I'm the only candidate who will bring strong, courageous, unflinching leadership in representing the people of District 15. It is common for most candidates to focus their messages on skillfully "managing" the state in the interest of "efficiency." Of course, I believe in efficiency. We need to save money where we can. We need new approaches that will give us more bang for our buck in government, through free-market principles. And so forth. But I believe we need much more than "efficiency," and more than minor correction of our state's problems. We need a MAJOR RECOMMITMENT to our nation's founding ideals--through bold implementation of Republican principles, those premised on the vision of our Founders. I'm not running just to "fix" things in ways that are ultimately superficial. I'm running to make a real difference in solving our most fundamental problems--problems like: Over-taxation and over-regulation that have caused our state's economy to drop steadily for twenty years--as measured by per worker income of Utahns in comparison to the rest of the nation. I will work to cut taxes and government intrusion! Lack of competition and choice in education. I will place responsibility for learning where it belongs--with the home, and with each individual learner, not with government! Oppressive land-use policies that stifle small business, deprive property owners of their constitutional rights, harm agriculture, hamper needed infrastructure, and in general wreak havoc on the free market. I will change this! The heart-wrenching removal of children from their homes when their parents have committed no provable crime. I will not let this travesty continue! Government-protected monopoly in areas like health care, communications, education (especially higher education), and countless vital services. I will push for fair and open competition, and also seek to privatize unnecessary government functions! And so on--using sound Republican principles. Please re-elect a proven conservative I believe that I'm the CONSERVATIVE CHOICE for Senate District 15, because I not only understand the Republican Platform, but I can be counted on to implement it. I am 100% committed to this goal. To succeed in this courageous cause, I need your support. Please get elected as a county delegate at the upcoming precinct (neighborhood) caucuses on March 21 at 7 p.m.--by taking all your neighbors who support the Republican platform. And after you're elected a delegate, please attend the Utah County Republican Convention on April 29 and vote for me as your state senator. I appreciate your support!

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