On Oct. 4, the Hinckley Institute hosted a town hall conversation with Gov. Gary Herbert and candidate Mike Weinholtz. Each candidate met separately with Hinckley Director Jason Perry, who moderated, for about 40 minutes. Perry asked questions on a variety of topics, from education to marijuana, then allowed the audience to participate in a Q&A toward the end of each candidates’ conversation.

Those in attendance learned more about the candidates and where they stand on policy. Weinholtz was a blue collar factory worker — valuing hard work and honesty — who later became CEO of a Utah company called CHG. He lives with the motto, “people before profits”, which he also applies to politics. The idea that people are more important than politics, was a theme throughout his conversation.

“When you treat people with respect and dignity and show them that they’re valued and their voice is important, they become more motivated and engaged,” Weinholtz said.

Education was a topic during the conversations that each candidate had their own unique opinions on. Weinholtz believes funding of education is an issue and that there is a need for tax increase. He stated that 70 percent of people in Utah agree with a tax increase if it all goes toward education. He mentioned that Utah ranks 51 in the nation for the least amount of per-student spending, after every state and Washington D.C.

“Gov. Herbert says education is his top priority, but per-people spending has gone down in terms of education during his years as governor,” Weinholtz said. “He talks about the billions of dollars that he’s put back into the education system, but we’re still not back to pre-recession.”

Gov. Herbert believes education is improving and moving in the right direction. He says that $1.8 billion has been put into public and higher education since he’s been in office.

“The return on our investment [with education] is probably number one best in America today. It doesn’t mean it’s where we want to be, but we’re on the right road going the right direction,” Herbert said.

Healthcare and Medicaid expansion were also addressed during the discussions. When a student who couldn’t afford healthcare asked Herbert how it could be made more affordable, Herbert responded by saying getting a good job and affordable healthcare are what is needed.

“Having a good job and being able to afford affordable health care is what we need to find. A good economy is where you can get a job, pay your bills, and get off government assistance and keep the costs of healthcare down,” Herbert said.

Air quality was another issue that both candidates addressed. Weinholtz believes creating smarter buildings, cars, and appliances that are environmentally friendly is important. He also believes that being penalized by placing taxes on electric cars and paying fees to the power company for having solar panels should be eliminated.

Herbert stated that air quality in Utah is an exaggeration and that other states deal with poor air quality. He believes using public transit, carpooling, driving electric cars, and using tier three fuels are ways to help reduce pollution.

Both candidates had different viewpoints on the issues, but they both agreed that Utah has made progress and there is much more to be done.
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