Guest Commentary

"Cri de Coeur" – my exclamation after reading about what our governor, and many legislators feel about our federal government. It’s my cry since the wife is babysitting our two-year-old granddaughter and it concerns and troubles me greatly wondering what kind of country and world she’ll have in 20 years

I also must comment on some recent commentaries and the state of our great political process of choosing a president.

Sometimes in the media, it is reported that the Legislature and public education officials don't seem to be seeing eye-to-eye on public policy related to our schools. As in any public policy debate, there are always differences of opinion, but in reality everyone should be partners in public education efforts.

Rather than have an adversarial relationship, I have asked my colleagues in the Legislature to join with educators and other champions of public education to focus on our common goal of preparing students. I'm particularly excited this year about a bill that has both legislative and the State Board of Education support that offers a new way to help prepare students for graduation and the world of opportunities ahead of them.

Four contests. In four weeks. Four candidates left.

By the time Florida holds its presidential primary on Jan. 31, not a single western vote will have been cast toward picking the next Republican nominee. Nevada will hold its caucuses in the first week in February, too little too late to secure prominence for the forgotten West.

And both national political conventions will be on the southeastern coast this year, about as far away from Utah as it gets.

In America we elect presidents, governors, members of congress and state legislators as our agents in self government. This public trust has been granted to them through the exercise of our sacred right to vote.

In our history, this trust has not always been scrupulously honored by office holders: unfortunately never has the public trust been so egregiously assaulted as it is now. Public debt, federal, state and local, is the core of this growing crisis. This crushing burden has affected much of Europe and our federal government. A high number of state and local governments face a combined total of over $4 trillion in debt and pension obligations.

Each year the Legislature presents and passes hundreds of bills. Some of the bills deal with budget appropriations, but the vast majority contain changes to public policy. Constituents often ask me why we need more laws or where the genesis for a particular bill might have started. As a legislator, it is always good to reflect at the beginning of the session on the bills we have passed and their effectiveness before introducing something new.

The Keystone XL Pipeline, bringing crude oil from the rich, oil sands regions of Alberta, Canada, to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, was blocked last week by the Obama administration. It's a decision that means the loss of thousands of jobs. Reconsideration of the pipeline is now delayed until after the U.S. presidential election. Approval of the pipeline would have meant thousands of new jobs and added stability in oil prices and supply. Also, we would have realized direct benefits here in Utah.

In November of 2011, I represented Utah as part of a National Council of State Legislatures' tour of the oil sands developments, specifically, Alberta's Fort McMurray region. I returned home with several lasting impressions.

I received a phone call on Wednesday, Jan. 4: "Sheriff, Sgt. Hutchinson has been shot through both arms!" As I struggled to grasp the reality of what every sheriff wishes to never to hear, I soon learned that six members of our Weber-Morgan Narcotics Strike Force had been brutally shot.

The confusion and misinformation of not accurately knowing what had just taken place was a tremendous burden in the long drive to the hospital, where I found Nate in intense pain.

He had been shot at least four times in the act of dragging fallen comrades to safety, but was repeatedly asking about the safety and welfare of his fellow agents.