Orem Precinct 54

Whatever Happened to OR54

2008-03-11T08:53:00.000-07:00

You might be asking yourself whatever happened to Orem Precinct 54 (OR54). Well, as you may or may not know, the precinct boundaries have changed.

Instead of describing to you the boundaries of the multiple precincts OR54 was divided up into, I recommend you go to the Utah County online Interactive Voting Map to find out where you're at.

In an e-mail thread I exchanged with Ivan Keller, Legislative Chair of District 60, in mid-January of this year, he informed me that OR54 was divided "half to 27 and half to 28."

He also informed me that Marilynn Hellewell, the current chair of OR27, is not interested in running again. So, I agreed to act as chair for the upcoming caucus.

I do plan to run for the chairmanship of OR27 at the caucus, and would appreciate a nomination and second from persons in the precinct.

With this realinging of precinct boundaries, it makes sense to end the Orem Precinct 54 blog. I will continue to post information relative to the now OR27 precinct on a new blog of mine. I invite you to visit it at http://www.thewidemiddle.com/.

Please be an informed participant in this "government of the people, by the people, for the people," and please participate in the caucuses!

Thank you.

Kip Meacham
(former) Chair, OR54

Receive Orem Precinct 54 Blog Updates by E-Mail, 15 April 2006

2006-04-19T09:27:00.000-07:00

How’s that old tag line go: I'd rather fight than switch! Oh, wait, I mean: If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

In the past week I have been invited to participate in two e-mail groups: UtahCountyGOP and UtahGOP. Their purposes are essentially the same: the fostering of dialogue and the dissemination of information about issues, candidates and such.

I have joined both these groups.

In both posts, I have lamented the choice of an e-mail group over a blog. Blogs are simply better suited to the organized and systematic review of this type of material. This is the reason I use Orem Precinct 54—to organize and systematically review the information I receive (rather than hunting through e-mail folders for a particular item).

Well, they say numbers don’t lie. Both of these groups are receiving substantially more participation than Orem Precinct 54. I am left to conclude people know more about e-mail, and are more comfortable using it than a blog as an avenue of expression and dialogue.

All marketing professionals know that educating a market is an expensive and undesirable position in which to find yourself.

So, I am offering a quasi-solution: the option to receive Orem Precinct 54 posts by e-mail.

The blog is still here, and is still the best way to get the word out and for you to participate.

But if you prefer, you can subscribe to receive its updates by e-mail. The instructions for doing this are found in a portion of an e-mail I sent to members of the precinct.

The invitation and instruction text follows:

I have made changes to the blog, including the ability to get new blog content sent to your e-mail. I realize blogging is a new thing (sort of), and that many of you may be more comfortable with e-mail as the vehicle for reading the blog contents. To subscribe to the blog and receive e-mail updates, look for the section in the upper right of the blog’s home page (http://oremprecinct54.blogspot.com), and find the text that says:

“Don't Know How to Blog? Now you can receive Orem Precinct 54 by e-mail instead. Just enter your e-mail address in the box below, and press the 'Subscribe Me!' button, confirm your address, and you're done.”

Once you find this text, just enter your e-mail address in the entry box below this text, and click on the Subscribe Me! Button. You will be taken to the FeedBlitz page, and asked to subscribe to Orem Precinct 54 by checking your e-mail address, and typing some text from an image you are shown below (this is to stop Spammers from clogging up e-mail boxes with junk). The last step is to again click on the “Subscribe Me!” button. The screen will change and tell you that you must complete the registration process by clicking the link in the email just sent to you. You can close your web browser at this time.

You’ll soon (within seconds, actually) receive an e-mail message with the subject line:

[FeedBlitz] Confirm your registration to "Orem Precinct 54"

You must respond to this message in order to finalize your subscription to Orem Precinct 54 by clicking on the highlighted, underlined text/link in the e-mail that says (and looks like):

“Click this to confirm your registration now.”

Your web browser will open again, and you’ll see the message:

“Welcome to FeedBlitz!”

Again, close your browser and you’ll start receiving e-mails whenever there is a new post to Orem Precinct 54. If you want to comment on any of the messages you receive, just choose the forward option in your e-mail, type in your question, and send it to my address (kip.meacham@comcast.net). Let me know if you want to include your name and e-mail address in case people want to contact you or discuss the issues with you via e-mail.

Of course, please feel free to share information about how to receive Orem Precinct 54 messages by e-mail with other members of our precinct.

Thanks to those of you who are reading, and who are getting involved. I welcome your questions for the candidates, and would love to share them on the blog. The candidates are reading and calling and offering more and more materials to post. It’s becoming a better and better resource.

Thanks very much for your assistance!

Best Regards,

Kip Meacham
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I hope Orem Precinct 54 continues to be a useful resource in your efforts at being involved and informed.

What You Should Know About Charter Schools, 14 April 2006

2006-04-18T18:10:00.000-07:00

Margaret Dayton and JoDee Sundberg (our Precinct Vice Chair) had a great discussion at our cottage meeting of 6 April 2006 on the Charter School issue. Mrs. Dayton has supplied this document on the Charter School issue that was authored by State Representative Jim Ferrin.

There has been a lot of talk about the Charter School issue in our precinct and at the cottage meetings held in my home. JoDee Sundberg, Orem Precinct 54 Vice Chair, and President of the Alpine School District provide me with 18 pages of documents containing information about Utah's Charter Schools covering beginning legislation to where things are today. The documents include facts and figures on funding issues and other items that impact school districts.

In these cottage meetings concerns were raised (by both myself and JoDee) about Representative James Ferrin’s involvement in legislation dealing with Charter Schools being a conflict of interest with his private sector involvement in financing and developing charter school facilities.

Margaret Dayton provided me with a document authored by Representative Ferrin entitled What You Should Know About Charter Schools. In it he discusses his position on Charter Schools, and outlines his business involvement in their financing and development.

Mrs. Dayton has granted permission for the entire text to be placed on Orem Precinct 54. The text appears below.

Document text content as follows:

What You Should Know About Charter Schools
Representative Jim Ferrin – Phone 801-319-0808
Charter schools are public (not private) schools, created in Utah by 1998 legislation. The law allowed for eight initial schools. In 2001 I was asked by constituents living in Lindon to sponsor legislation that would allow for more charter schools in Utah. Under that bill, Timpanogos Academy in Lindon was created. Since then, almost 30 more schools have been created. These include specialty high schools focusing on math, science, and engineering, to focused academic elementary schools (such as Timpanogos Academy and many others). Orem will receive its first charter school this fall with the opening of Noah Webster Academy at 400 South near State Street. Charter schools now serve over 12,000 students. This fall, Utah will have nearly 50 schools serving almost 19,000 students.

Charter schools offer an educational choice within the public system. Charter schools are public schools, governed by the State Board of Education. They are funded by the state. They cannot charge tuition. They must teach the state’s core curriculum. Their teachers must meet the same licensing and certification requirements as district teachers.

Charter schools are public schools but they operate independent of a school district. They operate under contract to the State to provide public education. That contract (known as their charter) defines the school plan and operations. Charter schools are governed by school founders (generally parents) and by a board of directors (also generally parents).

Charter schools cannot discriminate as to student selection. They take any and all applicants up to the capacity of their charter. If more applications are received than capacity, they must employ a random lottery to choose students. Charter schools receive special education students. Some charter schools are designed specifically for special needs students.

Charter schools contract for employment (salaries, benefits, etc…) directly with their teachers. Competent, capable teachers are rewarded. Less capable teachers find their employment contracts are not renewed. The Utah Education Association (UEA) does not collectively bargain for charter school employees. The UEA has little direct involvement with charter schools. Still, I have noted that UEA leaders have generally spoken positively about charter schools.

Charter schools are not better than district schools – just different. That difference sometimes means use of school uniforms, or at least a very strict dress code. It often means teaching the state core curriculum using different programs than the districts – such as Core Knowledge, Spalding Spelling, or Saxon Math. The difference might include limits on class sizes. It might include use of teachers’ aides and breakout groups. The difference might be found in the local parental involvement or control. For a variety of reasons, charter schools have been popularly embraced in Utah by parents seeking an educational alternative. They have also been well supported by the State School Board and by the leaders in the Utah State Office of Education.

Charter schools offer a complimentary choice to district school education that provides the competitive environment that improves all education for all children, whether in the districts or charters. I am proud to have had a part in advancing this form of school choice in Utah.

School Districts in Utah are given several tools to aid them in school building construction. First is that the state guarantees the debt of school districts so that districts can obtain cheap capital through the issuance of low cost, tax free bonds. Second is that districts can impose a local property tax within their borders. This accounts for 20% to 25% of a district budget. The local property tax is largely used to pay the debt service on the bonds that built the buildings. Third is that districts receive supplemental funding from the state for school building expenses. Fourth is that school districts are given the power of eminent domain – that is, they can force the sale of private property for the purpose of siting a school. None of these powers are given to charter schools, nor should they be. But, the result is that obtaining the capital to build a charter school facility is the single most difficult hurdle to the creation of a new charter school.

In the 2003 General Session of the Legislature, Gov. Mike Leavitt articulated two important goals – both of which would be vital to the ability of new charter schools to be built - to bring about funding equity for charter schools and to create capital funding to construct new charter school facilities. Gov. Leavitt’s vision was to attract private capital into the development and construction of charter school buildings. I worked with Gov. Leavitt to advance these goals. And, over the years, we have made good progress. I have worked diligently to bring about funding equity for charter schools. We came very close in the last session but we are not yet complete.

Private capital has begun to finance the construction of new charter school buildings. Private real estate investors, developers, builders, banks, and credit unions have all participated. And, I am proud that in my business life outside of the legislature, I have had a part in attracting private capital funding to four new schools, serving 2,500 students, built in the past year. They are four wonderful facilities located in Nibley, Pleasant Grove, Springville, and Spanish Fork.

In June of 2005 I became a partner in a development company that financed and developed these four charter school facilities. This activity is listed on my Utah House of Representatives disclosure form. I know that some, especially those that oppose charter schools or school choice in general, have been critical of this business activity.

Some would even make a campaign issue of it.

You deserve to know that in a part time “lay” legislature, every member has a job outside of the legislature. Some are school teachers. Others are state employees. Some are bankers or credit union employees. Some are doctors, lawyers, realtors, developers, insurance agents, business owners, or state retirees. All have a livelihood outside of the legislature that is affected by legislative budgets and policies. All have a potential for a conflict of interest. All declare those conflicts publicly. There are no secrets. And, when issues are addressed, we recognize that the conflict may, in fact, be a source of specialized knowledge or personal experience on the matter. For instance, we listen carefully to the opinions on education expressed by the schoolteacher members of the legislature. Not surprisingly, the insurance legislation is often sponsored by legislators with an insurance background. Health care legislation is often sponsored by those with a nursing or medical background. The diversity of professions and occupations may present a potential conflict of interest but it is at the same time one of the great strengths of a part time citizen legislature. I am proud of the charter school legislation that I have sponsored. I am proud of the policies that we have advanced. I am proud of the school choice that we have created, and of the educational opportunities for children. And, I am proud of my work outside the legislature to bring private capital to the construction of charter school buildings.

My work in financing charter schools is a business activity. I intend for it to produce a long term profit. It is very difficult to attract labor and capital to the construction of charter schools without a profit motive. Our business is one of many good Utah companies that invest capital, employ people, and build schools. I am proud of that. I am proud to take that experience with me into the legislature. I do not take the political criticisms of my business activities personally because I have found that the harshest critics are those who oppose charter schools and school choice anyway. I understand that if you want to stop charter schools, stop those that fund the creation of buildings.

I have noticed that few are complaining that we have school teachers in the legislature. Few complain about the business people or the state employees. But, the opponents of school choice have and will complain about my private business activities in financing charter school building construction.

I also recognize that honest convention delegates will want to know about their representative and about any candidates that would seek your vote. You should ask about our business activities. I welcome your questions on the matter. I welcome a discussion of the policies that I have supported and their affect on the education of our children.

We are blessed in this state with outstanding professionals who serve as teachers in our public education system. They need not feel threatened by charter schools. The charter schools offer not only an educational alternative to parents and children, but they offer an employment alternative to qualified teachers. Just as the charter schools maintain waiting lists for student enrollments, they also maintain lists of teachers desiring to work in the charter school environment.

Now, let us not lose sight of the whole purpose for our public education system. It is to educate children. District schools and charter schools are both vital component parts in that system. They both educate children. They both fill a role. My actions as your representative have never been to favor the districts over the charters, nor the charters over the districts. In fact, my record has clearly been one to treat them both equitably, and to treat them both well.

Delegates, my record in the legislature is very clear that I support our public education system. I support it as one of our few constitutionally defined duties. I have argued strongly year after year to fund public education to the best of our ability. My record also speaks to my clear support for choice in education, including charter schools. My record does not allow me to waffle on this issue. I cannot and will not attempt to play both sides on the issue of school choice. I have supported it. I will continue to support it. And, I will continue to support district and charter schools.

Thank you again for your indulgence in reading this long report. If nothing else, I am true to my promise to provide you with the substance of my views on the issues. Whatever decision you make, I intend to provide you the substance to make it an informed one. Thank you. – Rep. Jim Ferrin
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This is a complex issue, and requires careful consideration on everyone’s part. We all have a lot of reading to do.

I will again read the documents provided by JoDee Sundberg along with this document authored by Mr. Ferrin, and endeavor to make the most informed decision on this issue.

Five Questions for the US Congressional Delegation Posted to UtahCountyGOP E-Mail Group

2006-04-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

I’ll be interested in the level of interest in this topic amongst the other buzzing at the UtahCountyGOP Yahoo! E-Mail Group.

I posted my Five Questions for the US Congressional Delegation for the State of Utah today on the UtahCountyYahoo! E-Mail Group. I wonder if it will get any air time, given the swarming around immigration and the everything versus the public school system topics.

The link to the group is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/utahcountygop/.

Everyone Can Play on Utah County GOP, 11 April 2006

2006-04-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

It’s not just for delegates after all…

From the aforementioned ‘utahcountygop • Utah County Republican Delegate Group’ here are their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

FREQUENTY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT ARE THE GROUP RULES?
1. Please! Don't use bad language or hurl personal insults.

2. Resist the urge to treat the Open Forum as your personal blog

3. Resist the urge to have an opinion about everything

4. Resist the urge to fill the silences. The Open Forum should never feel contrived. Its beauty is that it springs from delegate’s spontaneous reactions to things that truly capture everyone's imagination - as opposed to inconsequential and incessant babbling

5. Resist the urge to always have the last word. Most debates tend to have a half life of a couple of days. Much beyond that and it's just boring. If the battle has disintegrated to the point where it's just you and one or two other delegates vying for supremacy, consider taking it off the Open Forum and hurling your insults in
private emails

5. Resist the urge to take it too seriously.

WHO STARTED THIS GROUP?
This discussion group was started by Daniel Thompson after a having a conversation with four Orem Delegates who wanted a forum in which they could share information with other delegates.

Daniel Thompson is the owner of several Clean Flicks video stores in Utah Valley. His corporate office is located at 900 South State in Orem. He is a dedicated republican who wanted to become a delegate, but wasn’t able to attend the convention. This forum was started as a way to help contribute to the democratic process even though he couldn’t be at the convention.

IS THIS OFFICIALLY SPONSERED BY THE UTAH GOP PARTY?
No. This is mostly a private effort to adhere to the desires expressed by the Utah County GOP Legislative chairs and leaders in a recent meeting.

WHY DID YOU START THIS GROUP?
Most of the Legislative Chairs and Leaders agreed that that the use of electronic mail can be a cost effective and powerful communication tool, yet many expressed concerns about the potential abuse with mail, spam, etc.

Candidates who purchased the delegate mail list understood that the list was not to be sold or given to other parties, yet, delegates would like to have a forum in which they can communicate with each other.

This forum was created to satisfy the demands for a public forum, yet respect the privacy of each delegate and the keep candidate messages 'untainted'. The technology is simple and easy to implement.

CAN ANYONE JOIN THIS GROUP?
Yes. It is primarily a resource for Delegates and Candidates, however anyone is welcome to participate.

CAN ANYONE USE THE CALENDAR?
Yes. Please, post your precinct and legislative district meetings and gatherings. It a delegate cannot make it to his or her own cottage meeting, they can look at the calendar to find other meetings that fit their schedule.

IS THIS GROUP MODERATED?
Yes. We only remove offensive language and over-the-top personal attacks.

This forum is not moderated by delegates. Daniel feels that if this forum were moderated by a delegate or group of delegates, it would lose impartiality as they begin solidifying their voting preferences.

WHO IS THE OWNER AND MODERATOR OF THIS GROUP?
Daniel Thompson is the owner and moderator of this forum. Daniel will remove offensive language and over-the-top personal attacks.
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With everything I have to read, it would be great for some of you to join and share your findings with the blog. I’d welcome the help!

E-Mail Group on Issues Concerning Utah County GOP, 6 April 2006

2006-04-18T13:57:00.000-07:00

Lots to talk about issue wise in Utah County. Not to be ungrateful, but I wish it were via blogging instead of an e-mail group.

Another event slipped through the cracks. On 6 April 2006, I received an invitation to (along with 1,200 other delegates) and joined the Yahoo! Group named:

‘utahcountygop • Utah County Republican Delegate Group’

The group is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/utahcountygop/. I don’t know if you can access it without being invited. Try it and let us know the results by posting a comment.

The text of the invitation was as follows:

Dear Delegate,

We have created and online discussion group for you and other Utah County delegates to discuss issues and topics leading up to the Utah County Republican County Delegate Convention on April 29th.

We invite your to join this forum and discuss your thoughts, feelings and observations with the other 1,200 county delegates who will be choosing our republican candidates.

We hope discussions will be lively, yet respectful. This invitation is open to everyone, not just delegates.

Please bookmark the site and visit it frequently:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/utahcountygop/

Best Regards,
The Moderators.
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The amount of traffic the group is generating makes it very clear to me that people are much more comfortable with e-mail than with blogging. That said, blogging is more easily accessed by larger audiences, and the reader has complete control over their privacy and participation.

I will investigate adding e-mail distribution of posts to Orem Precinct 54 to ease consumption of the posts. There are tools out there that will e-mail the blog posts to you, if you choose to receive them in this manner. More on this as soon as I can get to it.

Five Questions for the US Congressional Delegation for the State of Utah, 11 April 2006

2006-04-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in our caucus meeting of 21 March 2006, I view myself as largely a one-issue delegate—the looming national debt casts a shadow over EVERYTHING else. So, here are five questions I’d like the U.S. Congress in general and Utah’s candidates in the specific to answer.

I would like the members of our state’s congressional delegation, and the candidates for the offices up for election to give no-nonsense, specific answers to the following five questions:

Question 1: According to numbers from both the GAO and the OMB, our national debt situation has moved from a 2001 projection of a $5 trillion national surplus in 2010 to a 2006 projection of $9 trillion in national debt. This has occurred while our Republican Party—the party of fiscal restraint—has held the majority in both the House and the Senate, and with a Republican president at the helm.

Part One of the Question: How do you explain this $14 trillion dollar swing?

Part Two of the Question: Since it appears this majority alone is insufficient to reign in the debt, what specific things can you do to reduce the spending levels? Can you put forth ideas that will appeal to the wide middle of America (people regardless of party) who are mortified by this reckless abandon?

Question 2: What specific spending cuts can you facilitate to prevent the three tax cuts of the Bush Administration from becoming a transfer of tax liability to our children and grandchildren?

Question 3: What are you doing to prevent the inevitable insolvency of the Social Security and Medicare programs as currently constituted?

Question 4: What specific changes need to be made in American energy policy, and how will you make those changes?

Question 5: What is your position on tort reform? What specific changes would you make, and how would you get them done?

I welcome the opportunity to speak with each of the candidates--either in person or on the phone--to have them answer these five questions and help guide my voting decision as a delegate. I'll record the conversation, and share it via the Orem Precinct 54 blog.

- Kip Meacham

Countywide Delegate Education Expo Proceedings, 8 April 2006

2006-04-17T22:04:00.000-07:00

If two neighboring families can pull this off, I wonder what we could do if we put our head’s together? Nicely done, Citizen’s Resource! (Please also note I made audio recordings of these debates/presentations. They'll be up and on here soon...)

I attended the Countywide Delegate Education Expo held at Lakeridge Jr. High School in Orem on Saturday, 8 April 2006. The event was sponsored by Citizen’s Resource, a web resource with the charter (taken from their website) to “strive for neutrality and increased accountability in the political process — for voters and public servants.” According to the website, Citizen's Resource is not affiliated with any party, campaign, or candidate.

The purpose of the event was to help educate the county and state delegates in specific and the public in general. Many of the candidates debated with each other or spoke to the audience.

The event proceeded as follows:

1. 12:00pm – 12:45pm – State Senate Districts Forum
I attended the session for Senate District 15. This was a debate between Republican incumbent Parley Hellewell, challenger Margaret Dayton, and challenger Jeremy Friedbaum. Questions asked and debated included Avian Flu planning and response, school choice/improving public schools, increasing state Medicaid costs, support of in-state tuition rates for illegal immigrants, and public school equity/accountability relating to vouchers.

2. 1:00pm – 4:00pm – County Offices Forum
This marathon session consisted of four parts:

A. Utah County Commissioner Seats A and B
This was a debate between the Republican candidates for the A and B seats in the Utah County Commission and included incumbent Jerry Grover, challenger Gary J. Anderson and challenger Howard Stone for Seat A; and incumbent Steve White, challenger Bill Ellis and challenger Shirrel Robinson Young for Seat B. All six candidates participated together in the debate. Questions asked and debated included candidates’ feelings about what the single greatest issue regarding county government today is, proper balancing of growth/development/recreational needs, intentions for solving northern Utah County gridlock, and Avian Flu planning and response. The candidates then gave brief closing statements.

B. County Attorney
This was a debate between the Republican candidates for office of Utah County Attorney and included incumbent Kay Bryson, challenger Jeff Buhman, and challenger Curtis Larson. Questions asked and debated included opinions on the most challenging issue for the office, the education, career experience and volunteerism of the candidates that would help them better serve in the office, ability and specific ideas to help reduce the number and severity of crimes, concern over incarceration for minor infractions and abuses of police power, thoughts on abolishing plea bargaining, the candidates’ positions on plea bargaining, and the impact of illegal immigration on the County Attorney’s Office.

C. County Treasurer
This consisted of two presentations (no debate) from the two Republican candidates for office of Utah County Treasurer. Candidate Robert C. Kirk’s presentation was in the form of a DVD recording, as he was out of the country at the time of the event. Candidate Kim Jackson gave a live presentation. There is no incumbent for this office.

D. County Clerk/Auditor
This was a debate between the candidates for office of Utah County Clerk/Auditor and included candidates Cary McConnell and Bryan E. Thompson. I failed to capture the questions, and there is no incumbent for this office.

5. 5:00pm – 5:30pm – State Legislative District Forums
I attended the session for Republican House of Representatives District 60. This was a debate between incumbent Brad Daw and challenger Linda Houskeeper. The timetable for the event was somewhat off-course by this time, so I actually arrived after the start of the debate. Again, I did not capture the questions for this debate.

6. 5:45pm – 6:30pm – U.S. Congressional Forum
This included brief comments from Brian E. Jenkins and Michael T. Ridgway, Republican candidates for the US Senate seat occupied by Senator Orrin Hatch. Brief remarks from a representative of the Hatch Campaign were also made.

Prior to the start of the debate by the two Republican challengers, a representative of the Chris Cannon campaign made brief remarks, and apologized for the Congressman’s inability to participate due to prior commitments. The debate took place between challengers Merrill Cook and John Jacob. Opening statements were made by the challengers and then questions were asked and debated. These included questions on Avian Flu, the national debt, national energy policy, cutting spending and not just cutting taxes, position on the ‘unitary president’ (also known as the ‘unitary executive theory’), illegal immigration, the trade deficit, and transformation (change in structure and weaponry) of the military.

I recorded each of the debates/presentations, and will post them on the web shortly (I needed to finish this post first, and then obtain the hosting space in order to serve the downloads of the content).

These are definitely worth listening to, and can help you shape your opinions of the candidates. Please comment if you find them worthwhile (or comment if you don’t—feedback good and bad is a good thing)!

Cottage Meeting with Margaret Dayton Held, 6 April 2006

2006-04-08T05:29:00.000-07:00

We held a cottage meeting at my home at 9:00pm Thursday, April 6th with Representative Margaret Dayton, Republican candidate for the District 15 seat in the State Senate. JoDee Sundberg, Precinct Vice Chair, Cordell Bourne, Precinct Secretary, and Niel Petersen, County Delegate for Precinct 54 were also in attendance.

We discussed her approach to government as a "woman's voice for families," and then her work on the education issue including her work resisting the federal government's No Child Left Behind initiative. She shared her belief that solving the state's transportation problems should involve similar resistance to federal government overreach into state powers. Questions were asked about her reasons for running for the State Senate seat after serving in the House of Representatives, position on taxation, federal ownership of Utah lands, the state budget, and the Charter Schools issue.

Mrs. Dayton was kind enough to let us record the meeting, and I will post an MP3 recording of it in a couple of days. (NOTE: I have found hosting arrangements for large materials such as MP3s and documents and such, so these should happen more quickly.) You are invited to listen yourself to the questions and answers by downloading the MP3 audio file when it is posted.

Republican Candidate Forum Slated--8 April 2006

2006-04-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Getting everyone in one place at the same time is a good idea. Hopefully everybody will actually show up!

I received information from Ivan Keller, Utah Legislative District 60 Chair for the Utah County Republican about a great opportunity to meet and hear the candidates this Saturday, April 8th, 2006 at the Candidate Forum. This will be held Lakeridge Jr. High School, and begins at 12:00p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Before including the full text of the message from Mr. Keller, please note the following four items from the bottom of the text that I am placing at the top of the post for emphasis:

IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR A DEBATE -- please categorize the race your question is intended for in the subject line, include your name & precinct in the body of your text, and submit to debates@citizensresource.org. Since time is limited, not all questions may be asked of the candidates, but each campaign will receive a copy of all the questions submitted after the forum is complete. Anonymous questions will not be included in our forum.

TO ASSURE CANDIDATES OF YOUR INTEREST -- please take a moment to RSVP at rsvp@citizensresource.org so that we can forward numbers planning to attend to the candidates. Include your precinct, state house district, state senate district & U.S. congressional district info and number attending. This info will also aid us in effective planning for future events.

THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

FINALIZED LIST OF ATTENDEES / SCHEDULE UPDATES - may be found at www.citizensresource.org after 5 PM the Thursday before the event (April 6th).

The text of the message sent to me by Mr. Keller follows:

To Precinct Officers and Delegates in District 60:

Please come to meet the candidates this Saturday. (See attached flyer for quick overview.)

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

12 NOON - STATE SENATE DISTRICT 15, 45-minute forum
Incumbent Parley Hellewell & Challengers Margaret Dayton & Jeremy Friedbaum attending.

1 PM-4 PM -- COUNTY OFFICES FORUM: BACK-TO-BACK DEBATES FOR EACH COUNTY RACE; ALL CANDIDATES PARTICPATING.

Commissioner's Seat A, 30-minute forum
Incumbent Jerry Grover & Challengers Howard Stone & Gary J. Anderson

Commissioner's Seat B, 30-minute forum
Incumbent Steve White & Challengers Bill Ellis, Shirrel Robinson Young

County Attorney, 1-hour forum
Incumbent Kay Bryson, & Challengers Jeff Buhman & Curtis Larson

County Clerk/Auditor, 30-minute forum
No incumbent -- Candidates Cary McConnell & Bryan E. Thompson

County Treasurer, 30 minute presentation
No incumbent -- Candidates Kim Jackson (live speech) & Robert C. Kirk (DVD presentation -- Mr. Kirk regrets that he will be out of the country on a prior engagement)

4:15-5:00 PM - STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT FORUMS ( PARTICIPATION VARIES) - 45 minutes

State House District 56
Challenger Kenneth W. Sumsion available for one-on-one questions; Incumbent David N. Cox regrets that he may not attend as he will be in Washington D.C. on a legislative assignment, but he has sent a statement on his candidacy to be read.

State House District 58
Incumbent Jim Ferrin & Challenger Steve Sandstrom will have a 45-minute moderated debate.

State House District 60
Incumbent Brad Daw & Challenger Linda Houskeeper will have a 45-minute moderated debate

State House District 61
Keith Grover attending; Garr P. Judd had previously scheduled engagements, but is trying to rearrange so as to attend; John Tinsley' participation is unconfirmed at present (No incumbent in this race).

State House District 65
Incumbent Aaron Tilton attending; Challenger Carl S. Nielson will attend; Challenger Harold Mitchell's participation is unconfirmed at this time.

5:00-5:45 PM -- U.S. CONGRESSIONAL & STATE SENATE 11 (CONTIGENT ON RSVP) - 45 minutes

State Senate District 11
Incumbent Howard Stephenson desires to attend but his daughter is scheduled to give birth on that same day and he will be attending that important event with his family in SL valley. Depending on how the delivery goes and on how many requests for his participation we receive by email prior to Saturday, Sen. Stephenson will try to attend for meet-&- greet opportunities. Challenger, Dave Hogue regrets that he will not be able to attend due to a prior commitment to participate in the National State House of Representatives Conference in Washington D.C.

U.S Congressional District 2
Candidates Kris Lounsbury (who driving up from St. George specifically - this may be the only chance to meet him in person due to the distance involved), Joe Tucker, and Lavar Christensen will have a 45-minute moderated debate. (As the incumbent is democrat Jim Matheson, the Republican candidates for this race are on equal footing).

U.S. Congressional District 3
Challenger's John Jacob and Merrill Cook will be attending. Incumbent Chris Cannon's campaign has expressed concern that our event will create too tight a schedule for them between an event in W. Jordan earlier and a commitment at BYU at 6 PM. (Perhaps a strong RSVP tally would help them know if squeezing their schedule is worth the effort, if it is important to you to see all 3 candidates together please let us know and we will pass the word along). Otherwise we will consider hosting a Challenger's Forum that focuses on the differences between challenger platforms, rather than any issues concerning the incumbent. Your feedback will determine the route taken.

6:30 PM -- CLEAR BUILDING

NOTE: Schedule subject to minor adjustments as needed to meet audience preferences and make the most effective use of time

ADDITIONAL INFO:

IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR A DEBATE -- please categorize the race your question is intended for in the subject line, include your name & precinct in the body of your text, and submit to debates@citizensresource.org. Since time is limited, not all questions may be asked of the candidates, but each campaign will receive a copy of all the questions submitted after the forum is complete. Anonymous questions will not be included in our forum.

TO ASSURE CANDIDATES OF YOUR INTEREST -- please take a moment to RSVP at rsvp@citizensresource.org so that we can forward numbers planning to attend to the candidates. Include your precinct, state house district, state senate district & U.S. congressional district info and number attending. This info will also aid us in effective planning for future events.

FEEDBACK WANTED -- There has been some debate as to what format for the County Commissioner's races would be most effective for delegates. With two separate races, we can have two separate forums or all candidates responding to the same questions at the same time. We will do what the majority of delegates desire. Feel free to give input by phone or email.

THIS EVENT IS OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

FINALIZED LIST OF ATTENDEES / SCHEDULE UPDATES - may be found at www.citizensresource.org after 5 PM the Thursday before the event (April 6th).
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Again, this is a GREAT VENUE, people!!! Please take the time to submit questions and attend it.

Information on Charter Schools from JoDee Sundberg

2006-04-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

JoDee Sundberg, Orem Precinct 54 Vice Chair, and President of the Alpine School District has asked me to post 18 pages of documents containing information about Utah's Charter Schools covering beginning legislation to where things are today. The documents include facts and figures on funding issues and other items that impact school districts.

The document is in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. You can download the document by clicking here. You will need to install the free Acrobat Reader in order to view the document.

I have not yet read the document, but I will do so before the Candidate Forum this Saturday. I would suggest all candidates for our House of Representatives and Senate review this document, and respond to any issues it raises.

If you have specific questions about the document, please make comments on this post, contact me by e-mail (kip.meacham@comcast.net) with those questions (and your willingness to share your questions on the blog); or, you may contact JoDee Sundberg directly at the Alpine School District Office.

Cottage Meeting with Brad Daw Held, 4 April 2006

2006-04-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

We held a cottage meeting at my home at 9:00pm Tuesday, April 4th with Representative Brad Daw, Republican candidate for the District 60 seat in the State House of Representatives. JoDee Sundberg, Precinct Vice Chair and Cordell Bourne, Precinct Secretary were also in attendance.

We discussed his paper Brad Daw on the Issues, and questions were asked about his position on taxation, the state budget, transportation, education (including the Charter Schools issue and his philosophy on impact fees).

Mr. Daw was kind enough to let us record the meeting, and I will post an MP3 recording of it in a couple of days. You will then be able to listen to the questions and answers yourself.

Thoughts from The Precinct

2006-04-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

The questions and observations are starting to trickle in. The topics include education issues and the Parley Hellewell – Margaret Dayton Senate District 15 Race.

I received two e-mails from citizens in the precinct today with questions and observations. The text of those mail messages follow:

Message One - Questions for Candidates – JoDee Sundberg

Kip

The biggest issue I would like to discuss with the candidates is on Charter Schools. I have some facts and figures that show some very interesting aspects of running two systems. If we could take a few minutes to discuss how they would handle that as legislators. These issues face not only Alpine but our very neighborhood as well.

Thanks
JoDee

Message Two - Thoughts about Parley & Margaret – Greg Soter

I applaud Lindy Taylor's involvement in the process of discussing candidates, and enjoyed her e-mail this morning. Thanks, Lindy.

The resolution (it wasn't a bill, resolutions do nothing) that Parley Hellewell lobbied for is nothing more than a re-statement of existing law.

It makes no change, has no impact except to say again what has already been expressed by law. It's a little like a resounding comment of, "I think so, too!" The newspaper gave Parley a Buffalo Chip for wasting the legislature's time and our schools' money on this.

Utah's 45-day legislative sessions are always packed with more "stuff" than the two chambers can deal with. I'm wondering if the time devoted to Parley's resolution--given that it was nothing more than a pleasant expression of the obvious--might have been better spent on business that really deserved attention, but didn't get it, before the session ended? (By the way, I'm a huge proponent of Utah's brief 45-day legislative session.
It's a good way to automatically limit the "amount of damage" the legislature can do.)

Let me share my two cents worth about Margaret Dayton.

Margaret is an extremely bright, energetic and effective legislator. She has substance, and puts her focus on things that matter and will make a difference.

Just one case in point: Two years ago, Margaret was the first legislator (in the nation, not just in Utah) who seemed to see the folly in the federal government's well-intended--but completely irrational and illegal--"No Child Left Behind" law. She undertook a one-woman fight to politely tell the federal government "No thanks to No Child." A lot of people at first thought she was out of her mind. Margaret has now risen to the point of pretty much leading the nation in the issue; 49 other states have followed Utah's lead in objecting strongly to NCLB.

Do a Google search on Margaret Dayton No Child Left Behind, and you'll get about 266,000 newspaper articles, broadcast features, etc. She is an exceptional leader and enormously effective legislator. (By the way, take a look at www.margaretdayton.com and click through some of the links. It's most revealing.) Perhaps it's a rough measure of substance and effectiveness to note that a Google search on Parley Hellewell will yield fewer than 1/10th the number of hits.

As do Lindy and her husband, I care passionately about prayer, Christmas hymns, and other expressions of religion. I also care about making sure the people I hire as legislators are spending their time (my money) in an effective, worthwhile manner. While Parley Hellewell was futzing around re-stating the obvious, Margaret Dayton has been quietly accomplishing things of significance.

While Parley is a very nice person, I believe Margaret is the better choice as state senator.
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Thanks to JoDee and Greg for taking the time to raise their voices.

Now, what are you going to do?

To borrow from an old cliché: “It’s time to write, comment, or get out of the way!” We simply have to make the effort to become more involved and speak out without fear.

I know you’re reading, and so are the candidates!!! It’s time to hear from you! We only have weeks before the conventions, so take a few moments and e-mail me at kip.meacham@comcast.net, or post comments on the blog. If you don’t know how, please call me and I’ll help you. You can reach me at 224-5272.

Google Search of Orem Precinct 54 Fixed

2006-04-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

Help from a good friend and colleague of mine Thom Allen solved the Google search issues on Orem Precinct 54. It is still worth noting the Blogger search box at the upper left of the blog's web page yields more thorough results from the blog than does Google; however, the ability to search the entire web from the blog without opening up another browser window has value, so it remains.

Thanks to those of you who have sent in questions for the candidates. I’ll post ones that I have received after I catch up on getting the candidates’ materials posted on the blog. There’s still plenty of time to join in with the comments option that appears at the bottom of each post. (For quick reference, click here for a simple tutorial on placing comments on blogs.)

Google Search Capabilities Added to Orem Precinct 54

2006-03-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

I've added the Google search feature to the blog, and the web searches are working, but the site searches are not.

I hope to resolve this today.

In the interim, note the Blogger search box at the upper left of the blog's web page. You can use this to search Orem Precinct 54 for text occurring in any posts in this blog or others. This should assist you in finding out specific information you’re looking for in this content management system for our precinct.

Also, please join in the dialogue by using the comments option that appears at the bottom of each post. (If you are a little nervous about how this works or you aren't quite sure about how to do this, click here for a simple tutorial.)

I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me--UtahPolicy.com Covers Orem Precinct 54

2006-03-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

It's only taken six days to be picked up by the pundits. Let’s not disappoint them...

The self-acclaimed website "Where political junkies get their daily fix", UtahPolicy.com made mention of us in today's Blog Watch section as follows:

"Orem Precinct 54 solicits reader help in crafting a list of candidate questions..."

The meetings with the candidates are happening, and making informed decisions about the candidates requires answers, and answers require questions...

Let's get the questions rolling, please!

None of Us is Smarter than All of Us--Call for Questions

2006-03-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

Figuring out where the candidates stand on the issues hinges on asking the right questions. Let's make a list!

The process of understanding where the candidates stand on the issues involves reading, time and thinking. I am also a firm believer in the couplet "None of us is smarter than all of us."

So, I am asking the people of Orem Precinct 54 to please help me to ask the candidates the right questions. Please include the candidate(s) you want to answer the question, and the question itself.

If you use the comment feature on the blog (found at the bottom of each post) everyone else can see your ideas and generate more discussion. Note you can comment anonymously, or you can let people know who you are.

If you wish to be more private, you may e-mail your question to me directly.

Regardless of how you deliver the question to me, I will gather the questions into a list, and ask the candidates to respond.

I look forward to your help, and to the responses of the candidates.

Announcement to the Precinct--Launch of the Orem Precinct 54 Blog

2006-03-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

The following is the text of an e-mail I sent to all members of the precinct who provided their e-mail addresses in order to receive information about the candidates and other precinct business:

Dear Members of the Republican Party in Orem’s Precinct 54:

I have created the weblog (or ‘blog’ for short) that I mentioned in our neighborhood caucus meeting on Tuesday, March 21, 2006. Please find below the address (URL in Internet-speak) to take you to “Orem Precinct 54,” the precinct blog.

http://oremprecinct54.blogspot.com

Please share this information with people in our precinct.

So far, I have received information from three (3) candidates, and I attended the meeting Senator Hatch hosted for state delegates on Saturday, March 25, 2006. I recorded portions of that meeting, and will try to place the MP3 of the recording on the blog sometime this week for your review.

For those of you new to ‘blogging,’ please take a few minutes and look at the bottom of each entry in the blog (these are called ‘posts’). You will see a link that usually says “0 comments.” If you click on that link, you can make your own comments about the post.

As you do so, please share freely your views about the candidates and their views. I will not edit your comments, but leave them “as is” with the following exceptions--I will remove any comments that:

1. constitute personal attacks on any of the candidates
2. are not relevant to the business of the precinct
3. contain profanity

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me by e-mail at kip.meacham@comcast.net.

Sincerely,

Kip Meacham
Republican Party Precinct Chair
Orem Precinct 54

Spreading the Word--Materials from the Candidates

2006-03-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

A key purpose of this weblog is to inform our precinct about what the candidates are saying. Sharing with you the materials I receive from them in the mail seems like a good way to spread the word.

Hello.

My name is Kip Meacham, and I was elected precinct chair at Tuesday's neighborhood party caucus meeting. One of the questions I was asked was "How will you get the word out?" I told the attendees that I work in technology marketing, and that I am also a blogger. I told them I would use blogging to keep them informed about the issues as I see them, and as the candidates communicate their positions to me about them.

I will put the text of each piece of direct mail, e-mail or other materials I receive from each of the candidates who contact me. I will post them into the blog in reverse chronological order (newest stuff first). I will name the candidate, the office they're running for, and the date I received the materials.

I invite the candidates to send me their materials as quickly as possible, that all of the voters of Orem Precinct 54 can better understand the candidates.

If you have any questions, or wish to contact me, you may e-mail me at kip.meacham@comcast.net.

'All Politics is Local'--Orem Precinct 54 Republican Party Caucus

2006-03-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

A famous political saying summarizes the significance of the great American political process and the proceedings of the Republican Party in Orem's Precinct 54 Republican Party neighborhood caucus...

On Tuesday, March 21st, 2006 the State of Utah held neighborhood party caucuses across the state, including the Republican Party's meeting for Orem Precinct 54 held at Mountain View High School in Orem, Utah.

A famous political saying states that "All politics is local." This truism (while attributed to a democrat's father) captures the significance of the caucuses.

Business of the Meeting
32 people (according to the rolls--including myself) attended the meeting. Among the citizens attending were precinct members Gary Herbert (Lieutenant Governor for the State of Utah), and JoDee Sundberg (Alpine School District Board President).

The caucus was conducted by Diane Wanamaker. Diane brought the meeting to order, and after a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, conducted the meeting by handling the fund-raising, the reading of the Utah County Republican Party Platform, and overseeing the election of precinct officers and delegates to the state and county conventions.

During the election of precinct officers and the state and county delegate seats, several issues of concern were raised by the citizens including:

1. The re-entry of Parley Hellewell into the state senate race for Senate District 15 running against fellow Republican and State Representative Margaret Dayton. This after Hellewell earlier this year announced he would not seek re-election (If you have questions regarding the senator's decision, you can visit his website for his explanation, or you can e-mail the senator at parley@parleyhellewell.com with your questions).
2. Support for Utah Third District Congressman Chris Cannon, with discussion focusing on the immigration issue.
3. Concern over the state of the federal budget deficit and national debt.
4. Support for or opposition to the school voucher system.
5. Concern over teacher/educator compensation.
6. Discussion of the transportation issue.
7. Concern over Utah County fiscal responsibility.

These and other issues (not captured in my notes of the meeting) were discussed during the election of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, State Delegate and County Delegate.

Precinct Officer and Delegate Election Results
Election results, with winners indicated by asterisks (*) were as follows:

Chair (also serves as state and county delegate)
Rudy Diederich
Kip Meacham (*)

Vice-Chair (also serves as county delegate)
Cordelle Bourne
Rudy Diederich
JoDee Sundberg (*)

Secretary (also serves as county delegate)
Cordelle Bourne (*)

State Delegate
Rick Lewis
Allan Patterson
Nancy Schultze (*)

County Delegate
Rudy Dieerich
Neil Peterson (*)
Tom Pett

Conclusion
The meeting was concluded with remarks from Lt. Governor Gary Herbert, who offered both his thanks, and the forwarded thanks of Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. to the meeting's attendees for their participation in the process.