RadioWest Transcript: October 3, 2000
By Vince Pearson

In his last bid for state's top office, Mike Leavitt seemed untouchable. The Democratic challenge was viewed as mostly symbolic, and Leavitt won by record margins. But this year some observers believe the popular governor may be vulnerable. Support from the right wing of his party is luke-warm at best. And many believe he faces a credible rival in Democratic candidate Bill Orton. The two term Governor and the three term former Congressman have resumes of equal weight and their politics are not dissimilar. But since only one can be Utah's governor, its the differences which matter most.

PEARSON: Utah's Gubernatorial race features a moderate Republican and a Conservative Democrat and the two do share common ground. Both favor investing more in Utah public schools without raising taxes. Both boast strong NRA credentials, while supporting a ban on concealed weapons in churches and schools. And both believe the state should take a limited role in planning and growth. Although they share these commonalities, the two candidates found plenty to argue about in recent debate.

MODERATOR: The candidates' opening remarks will now begin with Governor Leavitt. Leavitt: Are we better off? In the last ten years we've gone from 29th in household income to 8th, that's dramatic progress. Orton: I guess you can prove anything with statistics, but I would like to ask you here, how many of you here in rural Utah have had a 60 percent increase in salary? Leavitt: Are we there? No. But are we moving forward, yes! Our test scores are increasing, This is a great time in Utah. Orton: We have lived in the last 8 years of the best economy in the state's history, yet where is that dramatic improvement in education?

Education has emerged as the biggest issue in this year's race, and here there are significant differences between the candidates.

ORTON: Let me first of all begin by telling you a little about myself for those of you who don't know me...

It's "Meet the Candidates" night in St. George city council chambers and 35 locals have turned out to hear why Bill Orton is running for Governor. Orton says 8 years ago Candidate Leavitt promised to make Utah's public schools world class. He says 8 years have passed and few would put Utah's schools in that category.

ORTON: I left politics because I had a young son who was going to school and I didn't personally feel I could have him in in school in Utah and me in Washington and never see him. And it is interesting that the thing that has driven me back to politics is that same issue.

Orton says he'll make education reform his top priority if he's elected. In a 15-point plan Orton will release Wednesday, he's proposing to reduce class sizes by at least 5 students, increase average teacher pay to $45,000 and to provide full funding for text books. But Orton isn't stopping at these.

ORTON:We have got to realize that if we are going to provide our children with the best education possible, we are going to have to change the way we look at it and the way we do it and you start that from the ground up.

Orton wants to emphasize student discipline, increase the number of school days, and the days allotted for teacher preparation and training. Orton also wants to dismantle the state office of education.

ORTON: Part of our plan would create new public non-profit corporation, the Corporation for Public Education, which can, in fact, have a CEO and board of directors which could really run a school system with management techniques.

Orton envisions this non-profit entity generating textbooks, and then loading them onto the web for widespread Us across the state.

Orton believes there is enough money to fund his current education plan, without raising taxes. He estimates the salary increase and class size reeducation alone will cost 380 million. Orton says if additional money is needed he find it perhaps but cutting what he calls lesser priorities, though he's not sure what there are yet. And by eliminating sales tax exemptions like those at car washes.

ORTON: No I can't tell you that I know don't know to the penny what is going to cost but I can tell you that the way we have been doing it is wrong. It does not work.

LEAVITT: We have great momentum right now in education. It's improving every year. We're not where we want to be, but we're improving.

And Leavitt's released a 7-point plan with Republican lawmakers to keep that momentum going. Besides earmarking this year's 122 million dollar surplus for textbooks, they're vowing to boost average teacher salaries by 6 and half thousand dollars in the next four years. They also plan to reduce elementary class sizes to 20 students, and help parents monitor progress by posting homework assignments and test scores on the web.

LEAVITT: We estimate that the plan will cost somewhere between 400 to 600 millon dollars a year. We won't be doing that immediately, we'll ramp that up over the next four years. I might add that that figure is arrived at simply by taking what we've done in the last eight years and continuing that forward momentum.

When Leavitt says he'll ramp up spending, he means he and Republican Lawmakers will continue to dedicate significant amounts of new money to education. As to where it will come from.

LEAVITT: It will come from growing our economy the same way we have in these last few years. We have been able to prioritize education as our most important expenditure. And then we've grown our economy.

Leavitt says his track record shows a deep commitment to education. He says education spending has jumped by 85 percent since he took office, even though there's only 4 1/2 percent increase in students. That commitment earned him the Utah Teachers Association endorsement. But that's not to say teachers are entirely satisfied with his plan. UEA executive Director Susan Kuziak, wonders what happens when economy sours.

KUZIAK: Our hope is that the economy continues to grow, and that it will support the increases needed to make these improvements, but we expect some specificity about the funding and some plans for the what ifs.

Taxes are another area where Orton is criticizing Leavitt. Orton wants to overhaul Utah's tax code, in part to reduce lower and middle class people's taxes. He says Leavitt's 31 tax cuts have benefitted those who make over 125,000 dollars, and meant higher taxes for those earn less.

ORTON: If you look at the data from the tax commission, you will see that prior to Leavitt term in office the tax rate was roughly 8 percent across the board. It has gone up to almost 12 percent for the poor and down to almost five percent of the rich.

In fact, data from the Utah state tax commission show no one pays a tax rate higher than 10 percent or lower than about 7 percent. But the general trend shows Orton has a point. Effective major tax rates have gone up for those making between 30 and 50,000 dollars and down for families making 125,000 dollars. Leavitt had not seen the data when asked about it during a recent interview, but he defended his tax cuts.

LEAVITT:The average Utah homeowner does not make 125,000 dollars. But the average homeowner would pay 215 dollars a year more if not for the tax cuts that we've done in the last few years. In addition to that we've cut 1/8th of a cent off the sales tax.

On campaign finance reform the pattern continues, with Orton advocating sweeping changes and Leavitt defending something closer to the status quo. Orton wants to prohibit candidates from accepting corporate donations, and to place limitations on what individuals and Political Action Committees can give. Leavitt supports a law requiring immediate disclosure, but shows little interest in spending caps.

LEAVITT: If we don't have the capacity for an ordinary person who does not have substantial means to be able raise enough money to carry a message to people, then you have politics of the rich and famous.

It's an important issue and it may be the one with the most impact on the race. Leavitt has raised 1.9 million dollars in donations. Orton raised just over 50,000 dollars, in part by limiting himself to individual gifts. If voters still can't decide who to vote for here's how the candidates frame the decision. Leavitt says its about electing a leader who will keep the momentum going. Orton says its about ending the Republican monopoly and providing voters with a credible choice. I'm Vince Pearson, KUER news.

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