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Show Hingkley Journal of Politics 2005 Utah 2005 Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., State of Utah Introduction Our administration recently passed its 100-day mark. This is an ideal time to stand back and focus on what our campaign promises were and then, realizing we already have one legislative session behind us, evaluate how we are doing. My goal has been to focus on four common-sense fundamentals: economic revitalization, education, quality of life and governance. Each of these priorities has purpose in helping shape our tomorrow; each is a reminder of our common destiny. To accomplish this, we have tried to pay less attention to party affiliation or which branch of government we come from and instead focus on using our differences to strengthen our communities, our cities, and our state. Economic Revitalization The economy is central. We must be realistic about our competitive position as a state. No longer is the marketplace just along Main Street as it was for my grandfather in Fillmore. Today the marketplace is regional, national and global- with a level of speed and complexity not seen before in human history. We either rise to meet the competitive challenges of today or we fall behind. In today's world there is no such thing as managing the status quo. For Utah, this should be good news as our competitive advantages are many: human resources, research universities, entrepreneurial drive, and our geographic location as the "Crossroads of the West." Now is the time to go to work on our competitive environment. With capital flows that are instantaneous, our competition isn't just Colorado, California, and Nevada, but also Canada, China, and India. When it comes to economic development, treading water is not acceptable. We must have job growth that keeps pace with population growth. And for a state now growing at twice the national average, this will not be easy. We must have good paying jobs that allow people to support a family and cover a mortgage-not those well below the national average. The greatest state in America deserves better. We need to be able to pay our bills going forward so that our children and grandchildren can enjoy the same quality of life experience that we enjoy. We want an environment of opportunity for all who wish to call Utah "home." I am pleased the Legislature passed House Bill 318. This bill restructured our Economic Development Department, making it leaner and more efficient. This was an important first step in enhancing our statewide economic competitiveness. Education Focusing on economic development is vitally important because it will provide us with the resources necessary to pay for a world-class education for our children. There is no expenditure more critical to our future success. I am reminded of a letter I recently received from my son's principal at Clayton Intermediate School, Rosemary Barron. She wrote: "I urge you always to focus on public education. It is the vehicle to prepare our students toward active participation in our democracy. Nothing could be more important." Increasing funding for public education is one of my top priorities. It is also paramount to develop a means to pay our educators more. I was pleased that the Legislature recently increased the funding we spend per pupil, the WPU (weighted pupil unit), by 4-5%. In addition, new funds were also provided to help attract more talented people to teach science, math, and special education classes to our children. I am also proud of the significant increase in funding that higher education received. As some have said before, "Children are the messengers we send to a time we'll never see." What we are finding-not surprisingly-is that no two children learn alike. All children learn differently. My own six kids-all of whom are in public schools-defy any easy categorization. Our on-going challenge will be to find the genius hidden within each of our individual students. We will then need to ensure that our students not only have the tools, but the confidence needed to make meaningful contributions throughout their lives. Also, when evaluating our educational system, let's look to additional indicators of success. Instead of just the student-to-teacher ratio, let's look to things like an adult-to-student ratio. Let's tap into our vast volunteer potential 59 |