The board of governors of the Salt Lake Area Chamber of Commerce has heard from Utah's three gubernatorial candidates on how they would handle economic development in the state.
Each was asked how he would perpetuate the momentum Utah has in maintaining a relatively good economic climate in the face of the national recession. In alphabetical order, here is how each candidate responded:Independent Merrill Cook said Utah's business climate has been relatively stable. Because Utah is a below-average-income state, the recession didn't hit as hard as states with higher-than-average incomes, which can be a strength and a weakness.
He said portions of the economic development effort should be privatized. The Utah Technology Finance Corp. has done a good job in recent years in providing some money to emerging companies, he said, and it was accomplished without large sums of money.
Cook said economic planning should be decentralized because many communities aren't getting job opportunities the way the Wasatch Front is. He said teacher salaries should be raised, class sizes should be reduced and women's pay should be equal to that of men.
Democrat Stewart M. Hanson said economic development, education and quality of life go hand in hand and economic growth must be balanced with quality of life. He said the state should be a partner with the private sector in economic development.
Hanson said he has problems with the way incentives have been used in the past to attract out-of-state businesses to the state and more focus should be placed on home-grown businesses. He said taxes should be restructured and some disincentives for business should be removed.
Saying that education is an integral part of business and economic development, Hanson said the past eight years have been a time of deferral in education and there are major problems that must be over-come.
Republican Mike Leavitt said tax incentives are good tools to boost economic development when used properly. Using a winning football team as a good example of getting people in the stands, Leavitt said Utah has a winning reputation and people are looking toward the state for business opportunities.
He said the state must have a fair tax policy, avoid overregulation and focus on rural areas to boost their economic climate. Leavitt said the state is on the verge of breaking through and becoming a major economic factor in the United States.
Also speaking to the board were Senate candidates Republican Robert Bennett and Democrat Wayne Owens.
Bennett said he has changed his campaign because of his opponents' advertisements that claim he is trying to reduce or eliminate Social Security payments and hike taxes on the middle class. He said there is a need for tax restructuring and the federal government needs to change its attitude to compete in the world marketplace.
Owens said he has a pro-growth philosophy in spite of his environmental stance and that he is a different kind of Democrat. He pointed to working with Utah's two Republican senators to pass many bills benefiting Utah including the final money for the Central Utah Project, which he said would be an economic benefit to Utah for 50 or 60 years.