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Show HINCKLEY JOURNAL OF POLITICS 2002/2003 Such is the genesis of a new scholarship I want to announce tonight. The death of Senator Pete Suazo cut short a life of exemplary service and passionate advocacy that bettered this state and empowered the community he represented and dearly loved. Pete was succeeded in the Legislature by his wife, Senator Alicia Suazo, whose presence guarantees continuity for Utah's Hispanic community and demonstrates that death can neither extinguish an ennobling idea nor silence a powerful voice. I'll ask Alicia to stand and be recognized. It is my great pleasure to announce that ten privately-funded scholarships will be provided for minority educators to obtain master's degrees in learning technology at Western Governors University in the name of Senator Pete Suazo. HIGHER EDUCATION These are hard budget times. The people of Utah all of us here tonight have felt it. But we cannot back down from our commitment to higher education. When I say education is economic fuel, let me back it up. At the beginning of the 1990s, Utah family incomes ranked near the national average. By the end of the decade, we were in the top ten. We rose from the bottom half to the top ten by doubling our investment in education and increasing the number of adults with college degrees by 20 percent. Education is economic fuel and our college campuses are the pipeline. And part of my optimism about Utah's future is that the pipeline is full. Over the past six months, 9,000 additional students have entered our colleges and universities. Nine-thousand! That's roughly the equivalent of the combined student bodies of Southern Utah University and Snow College. Utah Valley State College has grown by ten percent this year. And we can also factor in the Utah College of Applied Technology which is now operational, providing market-fast training to Utah workers. This is growth exactly where we want it. This is how we recalibrate the economy for liftoff. And we cannot slow that trajectory, even in hard times. To the contrary, hard times are the ultimate test of our commitment. We can simply coast, or we can soar. I say in Utah, let's soar. TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY AND WATER Our thousand-day march must also advance and protect Utah's quality of life. Five years ago during the state's centennial, we committed ourselves to 41 highway projects throughout the state. This year we saw the completion of the single largest of those the 1-15 renovation. I never get tired of saying, "ahead of schedule and under budget." Now another ambitious project is looming. Just days ago, a $185 million deal was approved to provide 175 miles of railroad rights-of-way and track corridor for future light rail and commuter rail from Brigham City to Payson. The state's transportation policy has always contemplat- ed a mix of trails, roads, highways and railways. We need all of it. And we are working to get it. To our critics, who hold hostage our long-range transportation plan after five years of environmental work and compromise, the railway investment stands as irrefutable evidence that this state will meet the transportation needs of its communities through both highways and transit. It is through balance that we guarantee the heritage we receive will also be our legacy. Speaking of legacies, the Legacy Parkway and wetlands preserve need to be built along with every other Centennial Highway project. And it's time also to begin planning the next phases of 1-15 reconstruction both north and south. During the past year, we worked through an energy crisis and a water shortage. They have subsided for now, but neither problem is solved. Over the next 1,000 days, we must actively pursue conservation, development and better transmission of gas and electricity. Our state is moving with predictability over the next ten years toward a financial collision between the legitimate need to educate 100,000 more students and our capacity to pay for it. We must begin to wrestle with these realities by examining our underlying tax policies. For example, it is hard to justify the extent we subsidize municipal and industrial water rates with tax dollars, given that Utah has among the lowest rates and the highest per-person use in America. Our state over-subsidizes water rates and under-supports education. This seems irrational to me in a place with a shortage of water and an abundance of children. PUBLIC LANDS Public lands are another precious resource that will require attention and our best efforts in the days ahead. For rural Utahns, land issues means livelihoods. And from livelihoods comes the connection to life quality, tourism, recreation and the economic well-being of our entire state. In the next 1,000 days, we are going to end the 30-year struggle for control and access to Utah roads that cross federal lands. Thousands of hours are being spent by citizens to map and document our rights of way. In the end we will win. They are our roads and our rights. There are other triumphs ahead. In just a few days, 3.5 billion Olympic viewers will see the full panorama of Utah's incredible landscapes. And it's time for one place in particular to stand out. I'm speaking, of course, of the historic San Rafael Swell. These 620,000 acres of canyons, pinnacles, and rock formations were placed in our backyard by generous providence, and we will now show ourselves worthy of that gift. I'm proud to announce that local and state officials will formally request that the President of the United States use his executive powers to create the San Rafael National Monument. We will release details of the proposal tomorrow. But I can tell you this now. 71 |