Primary Election Today - My Picks - Ellis, Liljenquist, Edwards

Not a lot of surprises here...

State Treasurer: Richard Ellis. He's got the experience, he knows how to do the job, I know him and trust him. Walker seems intent on expanding the role of State Treasurer. We don't need that - we just need someone that knows how to invest money. Ellis does, Walker doesn't.

State Senate: I will be voting for Dan Liljenquist. This letter explains my concerns with Ron Mortensen. The tone is harsh, but it is all true.

State House: Becky Edwards. South Davis County needs a representative that is a leader; someone that will fight for our schools, our children and our families. Our current representative has not led out on these issues. I trust Becky. We get to choose between business as usual or something new. Business as usual doesn't seem to be working for anyone except Greg Curtis. And, people keep talking about how responsive our current representative is. I am a state delegate. I never heard from him. Not a letter, not a phone call. Yeah, I get his email updates, but he doesn't answer my letters, or the letters from my friends. I'm ready for a change.

Davis School Board District 1: This is an easy one now, but a hard one in November. We get to vote for two candidates to advance. I am supporting Barbara Smith and Polly Tribe. Both are honest, hard working, intelligent women who want the best for our schools.

State Treasurer

I have been following the State Treasurer race very closely. Currently, about $1 billion is in the Permanent School Fund. This money is the revenue from the school trust lands in Utah. The principal is never spent, but instead is invested by the State Treasurer. The capital gains are reinvested in the fund, and the interest and dividends go to our schools through the School LAND Trust program to help meet each school's most pressing academic need.

I care about this money - it is making a difference for the children in Utah.

I have worked with trust advocates and the state treasurer's office for the past few years to insure that this money could be invested well. One legislative change was to remove investment of the permanent fund from the money management act, allowing the treasurer to invest the permanent fund with a long term strategy, and holding the treasurer to the prudent investor rule. This bill also gave official status to the Investment Advisory Committee, a group of professional investors that advise the treasurer on the investment of the permanent fund.

This year, we worked on passage of a resolution that will allow voters to decide if the state constitution should be amended to allow the treasurer to invest the permanent fund in private equity. The best example of this type of investment is the State Retirement Fund. Only a small portion of that fund is invested in private equity because of the increased risk, but the small portion consistently provides great returns - because it is managed well by a qualified State Treasurer.

Both of these changes assume a qualified treasurer is investing the fund.

I have met Richard Ellis, and I think he is a bright, well qualified individual. He has been a great Deputy Treasurer, and he will be a great State Treasurer. I have also briefly met Mark Walker. He seems like a nice, popular guy, with strong conservative principles. I had made up my mind at the convention to support Ellis, because of his superior qualifications. An article in today's Tribune showed me I had chosen wisely. I am not talking about the job offer. It is reading between the lines and realizing that Walker didn't actually invest money for Zions - he was a "Sales Resource Officer," whatever that is. And, at the convention, I saw Angus Belliston, former Region VP for Zions, with an Ellis button. I thought that was news! I had worked with Mr. Belliston at the Provo Region office of Zions 14 years ago, and he was an incredible, well respected Region Manager - and he wasn't supporting Walker - the Zions' employee. But today's Trib points out that Harris Simmons, current CEO of Zions Bank, is supporting Ellis as well. It seems like people that understand money understand that you need someone qualified to invest it. I know that Mark Walker has a BS in Political Science. I do, too. I know he was employed by Zions Bank for a while. I was employed there for 5 years. I even balance my own checkbook. But, when you're talking about billions of dollars - especially that one billion dollar permanent fund that so many have worked so hard for - we need a treasurer that knows what he's doing. So, I'm voting for Richard Ellis.

And one great reason to support Ellis? Unlike Mark Walker, his boss is endorsing him.

"Richard Ellis is the only candidate who has negotiated bank contracts, invested public money, managed a state department and made credit presentations to the bond rating agencies. That is the kind of experience we need for State Treasurer."

Edward T. Alter,
Utah State Treasurer

Our Caucus Experience

My husband and I had a great experience on Tuesday. Just as we have biannually for the last 8 years, we caucused with the Republicans in Davis County legislative district 20. Our precinct has one state delegate and two county delegates. I was nominated for state delegate, and the other nominee was none other than an employee of the state Republican party. From the beginning, I stated that I had been disappointed with our state representative, and was supporting the challenger, Becky Edwards (our legislative district crosses county lines and our candidate is nominated at the state convention). I also spoke in support of State Treasurer candidate Richard Ellis, who I feel has the experience needed to wisely invest our $1billion Permanent School Fund.

The other caucus participants asked a lot of questions, and I was able to discuss the voucher mess, the problem with omnibus bills, the need for local control, and my frustration that the legislature was unable to fund class size reduction (but was able to fund the $4 million pilot program to buy preschoolers computers). When asked about ethics reform, I mentioned my biggest frustration - our own Republican party accepting so much money from Parents for Choice in the last election cycle.

Well, the vote was 10-6, and I was elected a state delegate. My husband will be helping choose Senator Eastman's replacement as a county delegate.

We are excited to continue to be part of the process, and are grateful for good neighbors and friends who entrusted us with this responsibility!

Bramble Scrambles

My friend Q's husband, 007, posted an article on their blog, The Beehive Bulletin, about the gaff Senator Bramble made on The Nightside Project. I thought it was a very important point that needed some clarification, so I am encouraging people to check it out.

Did I Miss Something?

Tribune Editorial

"Should taxpayer dollars go to private schools, many of which are religion-based?
Our answer is an emphatic no. "

Read more.

Vouchers have not helped students learn

There was a very well done analysis of voucher programs in the Standard Examiner today. If you haven't had a chance to read it, there's a link below.

Vouchers have not helped students learn
Friday, August 31, 2007
By Eric Jacobson
Guest commentary

In November, Utah voters will decide on a voucher program that will provide tuition for students moving from public to private school. A key goal of the program is the improvement of student learning. Will it work?

Read more...

Jacobson is retired from Weber State University, where he was director of academic computing and later did evaluation research in the math department. He is currently involved with the evaluation of a teacher development project in local schools.

A.G. wrong - USOE attorneys (and other rational beings) vindicated

Here's the article...

And, I can't take credit for the headline...