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Press Information January 18, 2005 - Audio clip (click to hear or right-click then "Save Target As" to download) DEMOCRATIC RESPONSE STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS VOICE OVER: Early pioneers carried few personal effects to their new homes in Utah. Hand-made quilts were among their most cherished possessions. Those quilts became a legacy ‑- passed on to children and grandchildren. Each generation has the honor and responsibility to be "keepers of the quilts." REP. RALPH BECKER: Hello. I'm Ralph Becker, and I'm joined by Pat Jones. As elected representatives of the people of Utah, we have a responsibility as "keepers of the quilts" to add a few stitches of our own to preserve what was given us . . . and add to it in like measure. Cherished panels on Utah's quilt represent our quality of life -- our natural surroundings, distinct cultural heritage, communities and our families. Families strengthen society. They naturally work to create a brighter future, to nurture our young. We count on parents to be involved in their children's education, read to them, know their friends and teachers, and above all, to teach their children right from wrong. Utah Democrats pledge our help by investing wisely in ways that strengthen our families. One way is by supporting good jobs from sustainable development. Let me give a few examples: Utah's scenic and outdoor recreational opportunities are unparalleled. Tourism is one of Utah's largest job producers. But it requires constant attention to recreational facilities, coupled with focused marketing. Utah Democrats still believe in our Olympic slogan: "The world is welcome here." Knowledge and innovation drive our economy as never before. Our marvelous colleges and universities may be our greatest economic asset. Wise investment in Utah's primary research universities promise seven dollars return for each dollar spent, producing new businesses and new jobs. We support efforts to bring in large corporations, but we must also focus on our own small businesses. They create most of our new jobs and economic growth. One dollar spent locally will return five times that amount through what economists call a "multiplier effect" -- generating the funds for jobs, transportation, schools, charitable contributions, and support for our neediest citizens. Government expenditures play an important role in Utah's economy too. Hill Air Force Base is our largest employer. We are committed to keeping the base here and strengthening its mission. REP. PAT JONES: Quilting was one way Utah's pioneers preserved their legacy -- a small but important way of investing in the future. Perhaps the most important legacy we can pass along is our knowledge. But that part of the quilt is becoming threadbare. Utah's classes are still dangerously overcrowded. Our teachers do a marvelous job under difficult circumstances. Over a single day's time, one high school teacher may be asked to teach as many as two hundred young people -- each student having different abilities. Our student population is growing; the responsibilities we place on educators are growing; the funding is not keeping pace. If we want opportunities for our children . . . if we want positive job growth with sustainable wages . . . if we want our children to be able to remain in Utah, then we must find the resources to invest in education. Vouchers or tuition tax credits are not the answer. They use taxpayer money to subsidize private education, leaving us to make up the difference or allowing our public education system to degrade. Democrats do not believe Utah taxpayers should subsidize private schools at the expense of public schools. Modern education does not end at 12th Grade. We once were among the nation's leaders in sending our young people to college. That is no longer the case. Still, we are known for having a hard-working, industrious population. We must couple that reputation with a second positive panel in the work-force quilt -- educated young people well prepared for any work challenge. Over the past decade, Utah has made little progress in providing affordable higher education. On a percentage basis, fewer young people participate than a decade ago, especially those with lower incomes. Utah's college enrollment gap between whites and minorities is the largest in the nation. State funding has not kept up with student enrollment. We also need to continue to provide alternatives for students through strong vocational or applied technology schooling. Many students may not pursue college, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need and deserve training for their job pursuits. Engaging the private sector is critical to the success of this effort. The quilt is unraveling. Democrats want to improve opportunities for all our young people. REP. RALPH BECKER: Pioneer quilts were carefully stitched, making sure not a single thread was crooked or loose. In the same way, stitches in today's quilt of government ethics must be straight and certain. For years, lawmakers have proposed reforms to promote good ethical practices, but every major proposal has been buried, preventing final consideration. We hope for a new day in Utah and want to work with Governor Hunstman, our colleagues, and others on issues like: banning gifts to legislators; greater disclosure of campaign contributions; and prohibiting the personal use of campaign funds. There should be a two-year moratorium on legislators becoming lobbyists after they leave the legislature. And, we need to enhance the public trust in democracy by: establishing an independent ethics commission to review alleged violations; an independent commission for redistricting to prevent gerrymandering; and a bi-partisan state elections office to protect elections from scandal. The people of Utah deserve the best from their public servants. Especially in the case of our ethics quilt, "a stitch in time saves nine." REP. PAT JONES: Utah's tax system still serves us, but this part of our quilt is worn and frayed -- patched together at a time when the state's economy was totally different. Former Governor Olene Walker is to be commended for beginning the discussion on this important issue. The promise is a lower rate, if we broaden the base. A tax system with a broad base is not just one that taxes more items and services; it is one that is paid by all who benefit, including businesses. We all have a responsibility to pay because we all reap the rewards. If we only adopt the benefits to business interests, our tax system will become more burdensome for Utah families. We can benefit from a more sensible tax system fashioned from today's economic structure, not yesterday's worn-out threads. But we cannot support a piecemeal approach undertaken in haste. This is one quilt that needs to be carefully crafted. REP. RALPH BECKER: In the coming weeks, we will present our budget priorities. They may differ a bit from our Republican colleagues, but will try to answer the critical questions of our day . . . Do you want your children to be in overcrowded classrooms? Do you want our state to be a dumping ground for the waste of others? Do you want your family members to hold down multiple jobs simply to support your family? Do you want your children to have to leave Utah in order to get jobs which pay enough to support their new families? Do we desire a future protecting our wonderful assets and providing opportunity for all? We enjoy living in this great state. Our opportunities far exceed our challenges. This year we cheered the red Utes undefeated football season. Twenty years ago we celebrated the blue Cougars as our national collegiate football champions. In the spirit of coming together, moving beyond the red-and-blue state election-year differences, we’ll pull for the purple cats of Weber State to be Utah’s next national champions. Who knows what the next twenty years can bring? Like all Utahns, we value cooperative efforts. We propose that the coming legislative session be like a quilting bee, working together using the pattern of a legacy quilt from the past, repeating the best but adding new designs of our own -- something worth passing on to the next generation. Thank you and good night. |
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Paid for and authorized by the Utah Democratic Legislature Fund, www.dpac.org . Not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee.
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