If you waited in line to vote in last year's election, plan on doubling that wait.Election officials expect turnout to be 80 to 85 percent this year, compared to the 40 to 45 percent of registered voters who cast ballots last year. Early voting will take some of the edge off the wait, but even that has come with a line in some places.
• A BIG INCREASE in the number of registered voters may be one of the factors leading to long lines, if the new voters show up to cast ballots. For the presidential primary in February, there were 181,000 registered voters in the county; that number is likely now above 260,000. UVU and BYU provided about 4,700 new voters between them, and 7,000 people went through the county's office in Provo in the last few weeks before the registration deadline, Utah County clerk/auditor Brian Thompson has said.
The races and issues on the ballot this year are also contributing to increased voter turnout. First, of course, is the presidential election, which will have historic results no matter who wins, with either the election of the first black president or first female vice president. Then there are congressional races and state races, including governor and state legislative offices. And last but not least, there are ballot measures in some cities that will mean tax increases. On these pages are profiles of the 3rd Congressional District candidates and information about proposed state constitutional amendments, the bonds on the ballot in American Fork and Springville and the tax increases on the ballot in Cedar Hills, Saratoga Springs and Eagle Mountain. To learn more about the candidates in Utah County, go to www.heraldextra.com/2008voterguide.
To find out where your polling place is and to see a sample ballot, go to https://gva1.utah.gov/elections/polling.aspx.
On one hand, Jason Chaffetz wants to pinch himself.
After all, the 41-year-old Alpine resident accomplished the unexpected. In the June primary, he defeated six-term incumbent Chris Cannon to become the Republican candidate for Congress in Utah's 3rd District.
But, on the other hand, the former Brigham Young University football player expected the victory.
"I'm a very confident person," he said. "I know if I apply myself and give it 110 percent, I can do it. I don't want to sound cocky, but if not me, who?"
A product of the West, Chaffetz was born in California, attended grade school in Arizona and graduated high school in Colorado. Recruited by then-BYU football coach LaVell Edwards as a place kicker, Chaffetz joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in college and hasn't left Utah since.
He set his sights on defeating Cannon early. Chaffetz is where he is today because, as he put it, he raised his hand.
"So few people raise their hands, but those that do make a big difference. A big part of my life is raising my hand when most others wouldn't -- it's how I became place kicker, it's how I became Jon Huntsman Jr.'s chief of staff, it's how I became candidate, it's how I met my wife."
Now that he's raised his hand to become the 3rd District's congressman, the father of three has plans to revamp some of Cannon's policies. His biggest plans are for immigration.
In September, the candidate faced heat for his suggestion that illegal immigrants should be detained in tent cities surrounded by barbed wire. Chaffetz says that his plan has been misunderstood or deliberately misconstrued.
"I want to enforce the law. And I'm sure that far-left, liberal Democrats like [New Mexico Gov.] Bill Richardson and Bennion Spencer don't like it," he said. Spencer is one of Chaffetz's opponents in the 3rd District. "I've never said I want to round up people based on their ethnicity and throw them in a tent."
He has since said he regrets using the word "tent."
Still, his stance on immigration remains the same, even calling for the elimination of birthright citizenship if the parents are illegal.
"We can't reward illegal behavior," he said.¬ "We must hold people accountable when they break our laws.¬ But we must also be accountable for the poor policy decisions that got us where we are.¬ My priorities are to fix legal immigration, reject amnesty, secure the border and enforce our current laws.¬ We must remove incentives to come here illegally and give businesses the tools to stay in compliance with the law."
He'd also like to retool Cannon's fiscal policies.
"Over the 12 years that he was in office, our budget doubled. There's nothing conservative about that," Chaffetz said. "We have to rein in spending."
Saying that how a candidate runs his campaign is indicative of how he will be in office, Chaffetz is most proud of the fact that he has run his campaign debt-free.
In July, Chaffetz flew to Alaska and met with Gov. Sarah Palin to see the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and said he returned "more in favor of drilling domestically than ever."
Although his opponent, Spencer, a Riverton resident, criticizes him for not living within the 3rd District, Chaffetz says, "I have a lot more in common with Utah County than anywhere else.
"We're lifers here, we're not moving."
All Jim Noorlander wants is 20 minutes.
In that time, the Constitution Party candidate for the 3rd Congressional District seat said he can teach anyone the principles of the Constitution. That alone, he said, would convince them to change the status quo of America.
Serving as a state delegate for the Republican Party for 24 years, Noorlander said he walked away because his party no longer represented what he stands for.
"I switched because both major parties openly promote socialism," he said. "Once you go down that road, there's no turning back."
Born in Boston, 59-year-old Noorlander was raised by his mother and attended Catholic school. He credits nuns with instilling a love of liberty in his heart. At 14, he moved to California and met his Mormon father for the first time. There he converted to the LDS Church.
He met his wife, Liza, in high school -- he was 17, she was 15 -- and later joined the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. The two were married in St. George in 1972 and Noorlander spent most of his military career in North Carolina. In 1975 he moved his family to Provo and has lived in Utah ever since.
A graduate of Utah Technical College (now Utah Valley University), the Fairview resident makes his living in construction as president of Noorlander Home Building and Roofing. The Noorlanders raised 11 children and have 20 grandchildren.
Like his opponents, Noorlander wants to see serious immigration reform.
Noorlander says that illegal immigrants have killed 60,000 Americans since Sept. 11, and recommends militarizing the border.
He proposes a "liberty card" that would give illegal immigrants four years to get their affairs in order before they have to leave the country. If they are caught after that, the government would seize all their assets and forcibly send them back.
"After we close the borders, we're going to work really hard to make legal immigration easy," he said. "But we will do it in the spirit of the Founding Fathers."
A free-market champion, Noorlander not only rejects national health care proposals, but also wants to see the Food and Drug Administration eliminated because it is "responsible for prohibiting beneficial products, treatments and technologies here in the United States that are freely available in much of the world."
Other government entities he wants ousted? The Department of Energy for one.
"The federal government has no right to tell any sovereign state where and how they can develop the nation's natural resources," he said. "That is why we find ourselves in the position we are in today. The state of Utah and the state of Montana both have an unlimited amount of resources. We should not have the federal government in our way, determining how these resources need to be developed."
Not only does he support domestic drilling like his opponents, but he calls it a "matter of national security."
"America has the resources and technical know-how to become energy-independent within 10 to 15 years," he said.
When it comes to high gas prices, Noorlander accepts the idea of supply and demand, but also blames the Federal Reserve's "printing money out of thin air" as the root cause of inflation.
Noorlander added that the government's $700 billion bailout should have been a "wake up call" for Americans.
What is needed, he said, is a "restoration" of principles. Since the New Deal, the creation of the Federal Reserve and "the judicial branch coercing the American people into an amoral straitjacket," Noorlander said socialism has rooted its way into the framework of America.
More than 35 years after serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to England, Bennion Spencer is knocking doors once again. As a Democrat, it's what the 3rd District candidate must do. "It's easier to convince people in England to take a Book of Mormon than to get a Republican in Utah to take literature from a Democrat," he said. "We have to scratch for every vote we can get."
Even so, the Riverton resident said now is better than any time to lean left.
"The last eight years have been a disaster," he said. "It doesn't matter that we have a really well-run state. We are attached to the national and global economy."
But don't get Spencer wrong, he's no San Francisco liberal.
"I'm pro-life, I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, and everyone can keep their guns because it has nothing to do with gas prices and what is happening on Wall Street," he said. "I'm the true conservative in this race. My opponent is the extremist in this race."
Born in Layton, 55-year-old Spencer has made Riverton home since the early 1990s. A passionate horseman, Spencer holds two degrees -- a bachelor's in broadcast communications from Weber State University and a master's in international relations from Utah State University. Before he took a full-time teaching position at Neumont University in South Jordan, Spencer spent 25 years as a journalist.
A father to four and grandfather to five, Spencer worries that his opponent, Jason Chaffetz, is out of touch with 3rd District voters. Chaffetz lives in Alpine, just outside of the 3rd District borders.
The economy is not only Utah's No. 1 issue right now, it's also the reason to vote Democrat, Spencer said.
"Republicans have no argument whatsoever when it comes to economy," he said. "They have lost their stewardship. There's nothing a Republican can say."
Spencer agreed with the passing of the financial bailout, but adds that the plan needs to be monitored closely.
Like his opponents, Spencer believes that America's dependence on foreign oil is a threat to national security, and wants to drill domestically -- as long as it is part of a comprehensive energy plan.
Along those lines, Spencer would like to establish a center for energy development at Utah Valley University to research energy alternatives.
"Utah can insulate itself from the woes of Wall Street by developing energy programs," he said, adding that Utah can harvest energy from oil shale, geothermal sources, wind and solar power. "Energy independence and managing this bailout are so connected."
Spencer has strong views on education and would like to repeal the No Child Left Behind Act and give local school districts autonomy. He wants to cut back on 400 federal programs he feels are duplicated by state efforts and with that saved money, make college more affordable for Americans.
Spencer said he wants to secure the borders but also allow for a guest worker program. "My opponent wants to build tent cities," he said. "That's profiling. How do you know who to round up? We need to create a pathway to citizenship. I reject the thought of amnesty outright. Those people that come forward should pay a fine. Coming into this country and working without papers is a civil violation."
The son of an Air Force veteran father and WWII nurse mother, Spencer is adamant about supporting American troops, including a withdrawal of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
American Fork residents will vote on five bonds this year:
Amount: $4,320,000
Purpose: The bonds would finance all or a portion of the costs of road improvements, property purchase and other improvements to 50 South, from approximately 700 East to 1100 East; extending 1120 North to approximately 900 West; and widening 900 West and 700 North.
Tax increase: The bonds would increase taxes by $37 per year on a $240,000 home and $67.50 per year on a $240,000 business.
Amount: $3,855,000
Purpose: The bonds would finance all or a portion of the costs of park and recreational improvements to Art Dye Park, including, but not limited to, improvements to athletic fields, tennis courts, concession/score tower center, widening of the Beehive Park Road, construction of the Art Dye Trail, lighting and expenses connected to the acquisition and construction of the improvements.
Tax increase: The bonds would increase taxes by $33 per year on a $240,000 home, and $60 per year on a $240,000 business.
Amount: $3,120,000
Purpose: The bonds would finance the costs of cemetery property acquisition and related improvements.
Tax increase: The bonds would increase taxes by $27 per year on a $240,000 home, and $49 per year on a $240,000 business.
Amount: $2,290,000
Purpose: The bonds would finance the costs of acquiring recreational, trail and open-space property, including, but not limited to, the South Rail Trail, the River Trail, the Star Mill Stream Area and open space at about 172 East and 600 North.
Tax increase: The bonds would increase taxes by $19.50 per year on a $240,000 home, and $35.50 per year on a $240,000 business.
Amount: $5,030,000
Purpose: The bonds would finance the costs of improvements to 560 West, including, but not limited to, opening the railroad crossing and intersecting the road with Pacific Avenue.
Tax increase: The bonds would increase taxes by $43 per year on a $240,000 home, and $78.50 per year on a $240,000 business.
Springville residents will vote in this election on a $9.8 million bond to build a new library.
The proposed 35,000- to 45,000-square-foot facility would be much larger than the current 8,000-square-foot library, which spills into the City Council chambers and other areas of the city offices. It will have auditoriums that can be used after-hours and separate areas for children's rooms and study rooms for adults.
The bond wouldn't cover the total cost of building and furnishing the new library. The total budget is estimated at $14,074,000: construction, $9.8 million; architects, $690,000; site work, $1.8 million; fixtures and furnishings, $784,000; contingency, $1 million.
According to Springville's Web site, the city has committed to paying the balance of the project costs through other funding sources. The City Council hasn't made a final decision about which source to use, but there are a number of choices available to them. There are funds anticipated to remain in the building reserve after the current projects are completed ($1 million to $4.2 million) and Springville has money in open reserves as well ($1 million to $2 million). The City Council can also use general fund budget money for a library building project. (The city has been saving $500,000 to $1 million each year for building projects.)
If the library is built, the current building will be torn down and turned into a park space, City Councilman Phil Bird has said. However, if the bond is not passed, it is not likely the city will spend any money to renovate the aging library.
If the bond passes, construction would begin at the end of summer 2009 and the library would be finished in late 2010.
• Tax increase: The library bond would increase taxes by an estimated $2.26 a month per $100,000 in valuation. The median price home in Springville is currently $233,332.
Cedar Hills residents will have the chance to vote on a community, arts and recreation tax.
If approved, the tax would add one-hundredth of a cent, or one cent per $10 spent, to all retail purchases in the city.
According to state law and the city resolution on the matter, revenues from the tax could be used "for the limited purpose of funding recreation facilities, including any publicly owned or operated park, campground, marina, dock, golf course, playground, athletic field, gymnasium, swimming pool, trail system, cultural facility or other facility used for recreation purposes."
Residents of Eagle Mountain and Saratoga Springs will vote on whether they want to join the Utah Transit Authority district.
Both cities' councils passed resolutions to get the option on the ballot for this year. Joining UTA will raise sales tax by one-quarter of a cent and will bring bus service to the cities.
In return for adopting the sales tax adjustment, residents will get access to an express bus service to and from Salt Lake City as soon as April 2009.
Residents with disabilities in both cities also would have access to UTA's Paratransit program.
Most of the cities in Utah County are already members of the transit district and have the quarter-cent sales tax.
While Utahns have a keen interest in California's constitution this year, they'll also have a chance to change their own in five different ways. Where the West Coast struggles with the definition of marriage, the Beehive State looks for changes to how it can invest its money, how it can save its money and when lawmakers can meet to allocate that money.
Amendment A
This amendment clarifies what constitutes a vacancy in the office of governor as death, resignation, impeachment, moving from the state, becoming permanently disabled or failing to take office. If the lieutenant governor takes the governor's place, it would no longer be considered temporary, but permanent until a general election determines otherwise.
Amendment B
Since the 1998 tobacco settlement, Utah has had a trust fund set up to invest and draw out those dollars. While funds bequeathed to the state could also be added, there weren't any other avenues to beef up the funds. Amendment B would allow the state to add money from other sources, specifically severance taxes on oil, gas and minerals. Because those are non-renewable resources, lawmakers want to put a portion of the $100 million a year collected into the trust fund for future use to ensure a continued source of revenue. Similar moves have been made in Montana and Wyoming.
Amendment C
This amendment would push the start date of the annual 45-day legislative session one week later in the year. It would allow for three things to happen: Martin Luther King Day would no longer be the first day of the session, there would be an additional eight days to work with final budget numbers, and it would allow state staffers an extra week to prepare for the session after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Amendment D
The constitution currently requires the Legislature to redistrict in the first session after the U.S. Census is complete, but there are two problems with that. First is that the Legislature could meet for a special session on an unrelated matter after the census is completed and find themselves required to redistrict by law. The second is that it is unclear whether "enumeration" means after the counting is done or after the state actually receives the data from the federal government.
"The constitution inadvertently requires us to do redistricting without the data," said Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, who sponsored the bill. The amendment would require the Legislature to redistrict during the first general session after officially receiving census data.
Amendment E
One stipulation in the state's constitution is to keep the state from buying stock or bonds in start-up companies. It was designed to protect taxpayers from railroad companies that were springing up -- and dying out -- so often in the 19th century. The managers of the state's trust land fund (which sits at about a billion dollars) are looking for another investment tool to put in their box. "This would be in a very limited and controlled area, probably less than 10 percent of the total portfolio," said State Treasurer Ed Alter. The risk is that start-ups can be risky investments. The benefit would be substantial should Utah have a piece of a company that turns into the next Google.
Posted in Local on Tuesday, October 28, 2008 11:00 pm
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