Like the Energizer Bunny, Mike Leavitt just keeps going and going and going.
Utah's governor for 18 months now, Leavitt has barely had a week go by without traveling somewhere off the Wasatch Front. He's been to Washington, D.C., so often one might think he's a congressman instead of governor."I'm not a sit-around-the-office kind of guy," Leavitt says, adding that his trademark style is to "negotiate eye-to-eye."
It is, Leavitt says, the key to effecting change. If a governor wants to deal with public-lands issues, then he'd better get out and see them. If he wants to have an impact on health-care reform, then he'd better get to Washington, D.C., where the decisions are being made.
"If you are going to negotiate with the Environmental Protection Agency, it is not prudent to sit back in an office and write letters."
No one can accuse Leavitt of sitting back. A Deseret News review of Leavitt's weekly schedules and logs of state airplane flights shows Leavitt likes to go and go and go. Compared to former Gov. Norm Bangerter, Leavitt is a virtual vagabond.
Part of that, of course, is his relative youth and energy, part political necessity, part his desire to represent the governorship throughout the state and part his eagerness to influence national issues - such as health-care reform and states' rights.
At times, it seems Leavitt will go just about anywhere, anytime. He's puddle-jumped to Milford to dedicate a hog farm, to Richfield for a Christmas parade and to Bear Lake to attend former Utah Senate President Arnold Christensen's summer party.
He's jetted to Japan and Korea to promote Utah business with Asian executives, and to Lillehammer, Norway, to sell Utah's Winter Olympics bid.
In 18 months as governor, Leavitt has traveled off the Wasatch Front 104 times, traveled out of state 42 times and traveled out of the United States twice - a weeklong trip to the Winter Olympics and a 10-day trip to South Korea and Japan.
He's traveled to Washington, D.C., 12 times, sometimes spending several days meeting with national groups of which he's a member, testifying before Congress and meeting with Clinton administration officials.
"I've traveled all my professional life," said Leavitt, a former insurance executive. "It is the least favorite part of any job, but I've learned to do it well. I've found ways, through tight scheduling, to cut a two-day trip into one, a three-day trip to two."
Part of that tight scheduling is using one of two state government planes Leavitt has at his disposal. He's used state planes on 71 trips over the past 18 months, 23 out of state. He's even taken the larger plane, a King Air that seats eight people but is without restrooms, to Chicago and Houston.
Leavitt is well-known in his private life and business ventures to be . . . well . . . frugal is a polite way to say it. He says he's the same with his travel, both in time and money. "I sit on the boards of several national organizations. When I travel to a meeting, they pay and I try to squeeze in state business as well."
For example, many of Leavitt's Washington, D.C., trips are paid for by the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, a group to which Leavitt was appointed by Clinton. ACIR will pay for the airfare and the hotel, and Leavitt will use large chunks of his time to also visit the Utah congressional delegation, the EPA and Defense Department - all on some-one else's tab.
On those national trips, Leavitt usually flies coach. But not always. "I often get upgraded to first class (on commercial flights), but I never pay for it. They know who I am and upgrade me for free," he said with a smile.
He personally keeps his frequent-flier miles and uses the free trips to take his wife or children along with him on out-of-state trips.
Leavitt is in high demand as a speaker. He recently returned from speaking engagements at the Idaho and Washington Republican conventions, for example.
But if you want Leavitt to attend an event for your group, get your request in early. His schedule fills up fast with some 100 requests a week. It couldn't hurt to mention the availability of a nearby golf course.
More than once, Leavitt has squeezed in a round of golf while racing around the state and nation, though he doesn't play nearly as much as he'd like. Actually, most of the golfing is done on courses in Utah.
"I do play some celebrity or charity golf tournaments," he says. "First, it's a chance to play golf and relax, although I'd rather play golf with some friends or my brothers. Second, it honors the event with the governor, and that means something to the organizers, as well."
A favorite Leavitt destination seems to be St. George, where one might think he has a second home (as Bangerter did). He doesn't, but Leavitt has traveled to St. George two, three, even four times in a month.
Since taking office in January 1993, Leavitt has visited St. George 14 times, travel records show. Often a trip to southern Utah swings through Cedar City, Leavitt's hometown, where a night or afternoon may be set aside for family business.
Part of Leavitt's travel around Utah is quasi-political. He's already announced that he plans to run for re-election in 1996. Shaking hands at rural Utah rodeos - as he did last summer - means voters connect with Leavitt the politician.
This spring he took a state plane and hit many of the Republican Party's county conventions.
He paid for such "non-state" trips out of his $200,000-plus personal political action committee. A pre-Leavitt policy on using state planes says if the trip is "primarily" for a state purpose, the governor doesn't have to pay for it out of nongovernmental funds.
Leavitt says an important part of his job is getting out and representing his office before people - at banquets, grand openings, award ceremonies or county fairs. "The governor attending the Richfield Christmas Parade adds to the importance of the event - and this is the office, not me personally that's important - and is appreciated.
"You are able, as governor, to designate things as important by your presence."
Leavitt makes no apologies or excuses for the nonstop travel. He believes if he is going to effect change, then he needs the strong political support that comes from constant contact with other leaders and decisionmakers. "It is a very integral part of being able to lead," he said.
And no one should be concerned that he might stop off here or there to play golf or visit family. "You really are governor 24 hours a day. My schedule is packed every day, but what the schedule doesn't show is the inch-thick stack of papers my staff puts in my briefcase every night, which I read and make notes on. Not a day goes by, whether I'm on vacation or what, that I don't get 10 telephone calls at home."
One of his failures in office, he says, is that he doesn't block out enough leisure activities or time with his family. "You'll see a baseball game or football game on the schedule. I actually have to schedule those in or I don't make it" to one of his children's games.
Which is probably why he scheduled in the James Taylor concert for last Saturday night.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Leavitt's travels
This list shows Gov. Mike Leavitt's travels since becoming governor 18 months ago.
Date Destination Purpose Who paid
1993
Jan. 30-Feb. 2 Washington, D.C. Health Care Task Force State
March 29-30 Washington, D.C. CUP hearings State
April 26 Oakland, Calif. TAD hearings State
May 5 Charlotte, N.C. Nucor Steel officials State
May 6 Washington, D.C. Congressional hearings State
May 16-18 New York City Bond hearings, school visit State
June 19-23 Tucson, Ariz. Western Governors Association State
June 30 Sun Valley, Idaho Utah Bankers Association State
Aug. 14-17 Tulsa, Okla. National Governors Association State
Aug. 20-21 Jackson Hole, Wyo. National health-care meetings State
Sept. 3 Denver Technology demonstration US WEST
Sept. 13-14 Washington, D.C. NAFTA, health-care briefings State
Oct. 14 Santa Barbara, Calif. Western Republican governors PAC*
Oct. 15 Santa Fe, N.M. Western Republican leaders PAC*
Oct. 24-25 Washington, D.C. National builders conference Builders
Nov. 5 Mesquite, Nev. Family reunion PAC*
Nov. 12 San Francisco Highway users conference State
Nov. 14-18 Washington, D.C. Education panel, NAFTA State
Nov. 18 Mesquite, Nev. Grandmother's funeral Personal
Nov. 20-23 Phoenix Republican Governors PAC*
Association
Nov. 30 Washington, D.C. ACIR meetings ACIR
Dec. 1-3 Las Vegas Western Governors Association State
Dec. 9 Las Vegas Colorado Water Users State
1994
Jan. 28-Feb. 3 Washington, D.C. Nat'l Governors, Congress State
hearings
Feb. 11-14 Lillehammer, Norway Olympics bid I. Cumming
March 3-4 Annapolis, Md. Health-care meetings State
March 7 Burbank, Calif. Packard Bell State
March 8 San Francisco Insurance symposium Insurers
March 19-20 Las Vegas ABC David Brinkley show ABC
March 27-31 Orlando, Fla. Family vacation Personal
April 1 Tallahasse, Fla. Florida governor PAC*
April 13-14 Washington, D.C. ACIR meetings ACIR
April 22 Phoenix Trade meetings State
April 25-26 Chicago Republican Governors RGA
Association
April 25-26 Jefferson, Mo. Missouri governor PAC*
May 3 Charleston, W.V. West Virginia governor PAC*
May 4 Washington, D.C. EPA and defense officials State
May 9 Burbank, Calif. Packard Bell State
May 14 Denver Colorado governor PAC*
May 19 Phoenix Western States Conference State
May 20 Philadelphia Delaware governor, NCSL PAC*
May 21-29 Korea-Japan Trade mission Businesses
June 11-14 Lake Tahoe, Nev. Western Governors Association State
June 16-17 Washington, D.C. ACIR meetings ACIR
June 24 Lewiston, Idaho Idaho GOP Convention GOP
June 25 Bellingham, Wash. Washington GOP Convention GOP
June 27 Houston Republican fund-raiser RGA
*Funds from the governor's political action committee.