In my profession, I work with business owners across North America, I specialize in helping them grow scalable businesses. My approach involves attentive listening and probing questions to fully understand their goals, priorities, policies, procedures, processes, and organizational structures. By gaining this comprehensive insight, I guide them toward solutions that enable them to achieve more with less through refined processes and the strategic use of technology for quality control and automation. I believe these skills will be invaluable as I strive to find workable solutions as a Utah State Senator.
Non-Negotiable Values
My platform is based on a hierarchy of non-negotiable values. I use these values to prioritize and measure the virtue of all other ideas. These values are, in order of importance: God, Family, and Country. Individuals should have the freedom to make choices in their best interest, provided these choices do not infringe on the rights of others. This freedom allows individuals to negotiate their value to themselves, their family, their community, and society as a whole.
The nuclear family has proven essential in providing children with the best chances for a successful, healthy life. The disruption of the nuclear family, whether through divorce or external influences, is destructive to both individuals and society.
Individuals are expected to make decisions in their or their family's best interest. Properly approached, each person will seek to understand the needs and desires of others and look for opportunities to fulfill these needs, embodying the nature of a free market where individuals engage with others to determine who can assist them and reward those who do, based on the perceived value of that assistance.
A true free market operates without coercion. However, the differing priorities and needs of individuals and groups will inevitably conflict, which is where the need for government arises. Governance is most effective at the lowest level possible. For instance, disagreements within families should be resolved by the family members themselves, who typically can address most issues independently. Municipal issues, such as zoning for businesses or local development decisions, should be resolved at the city level, without infringing on the property rights of individuals.
The federal government, being the most susceptible to corruption, should restrict its role to those enumerated by the Constitution, which specifies that the powers of the federal government are few and deliberately enumerated; all other powers are reserved to the states and the people, respectively. This principle limits federal overreach and emphasizes state and individual sovereignty. The federal government should focus on maintaining a military to defend U.S. borders, including against illegal immigration, and to facilitate interstate and international trade. It should also build and maintain essential infrastructure for transportation and trade but refrain from providing services that distort market dynamics, as it alone has the authority to forcibly extract resources from individuals.
Here are some of the main issues I would like to address:
Federal Government Overreach:
The belief that government is supposed to take care of citizens has led to the federal government effectively bribing state governments to accept funds in exchange for power.
The federal government has been allowed to expand because people have been led to believe that it exists to solve personal problems. This belief has led to states to exchange power for federal funds. Recent landmark cases have improved the chances of reducing federal government power, such as the overturning of the Chevron deference, requiring courts to interpret laws as written or seek clarification from Congress. This will also empower state attorneys general and require federal agencies to adhere strictly to statutory interpretations or seek clarification from Congress.
Immigration:
Many people seek better opportunities in the U.S., but illegal entry has significant consequences. Undocumented arrivals prevent authorities from knowing individuals' intentions; while most seek prosperity, some may pose security risks. In 2018, about 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants were in the U.S., challenging law enforcement and national security.
Without legal status, undocumented immigrants struggle to secure lawful employment, leading to economic instability and exploitation in low-wage jobs. Taxpayer-funded assistance during crises can cause resentment among citizens facing financial difficulties, as many are concerned about the strain on public resources.
Immigration outcomes are often conflated with the results of Illegal immigration. Those who enter unlawfully are committing an offense comparable to trespassing. Effective immigration policies should include thorough vetting to ensure newcomers contribute positively to the nation's culture and economy.
Healthcare:
My views are largely shaped by my experience within the healthcare system, where I’ve seen firsthand how government grants distort markets. Hospital CEOs and IT directors often say, "I've received this $$MM grant, and if I don't use it, I lose future funding." This pressure to spend leads to unsustainable infrastructure and higher prices.
Unlike businesses, the government has no money of its own; it taxes and creates budgets often detached from actual revenue, especially at the federal level. Thankfully, Utah's constitution requires a balanced budget, and the state won’t even consider bills requiring new funds until the budget is set.
Housing Availability and Cost:
Housing Availability and Cost: We must start by understanding basic economics. If we increase supply to meet demand, prices will stabilize. However, if outside organizations can manipulate the market by buying homes by the thousands it doesn’t matter how many we build, especially if the builders of entire communities have no intention to sell. We must create policies that make it just as enticing to sell a property as to keep it long-term, especially as a vacant property.
Education:
The state board of education should not be focused on increasing its power and protecting administrators and teachers. Their focus should be on supporting families, who are best suited to make decisions for the education of their children. The necessity of well-trained, professional teachers should be seen as only a supportive structure for the family, but the family is still the basic structure for education and the health of children. Administration of Education should be minimal and technology should be used to help administrators do more with less, so more resources can be dedicated to families and the teachers who support them.
Higher Education:
Government involvement has distorted higher education by fueling unlimited growth and lending, privatizing profits while socializing losses. Lenders should bear the risks if they keep the profits, which would limit the money flowing into higher education and curb unchecked tuition increases.
Students need to understand the financial risks, as they often lose out when told that college is always a sound investment. College should be viewed as a path to a better career, with degrees offering low-income potential harder to finance. This would reduce market distortions and allow alternative education paths to show their true value.
In summary, my platform is grounded in non-negotiable values of God, Family, and Country, which guide my approach to governance and policy. These values emphasize individual freedom, personal responsibility, and limited government intervention. I believe that federal government overreach, illegal immigration, healthcare, housing, and education are critical issues that require solutions rooted in constitutional principles and free-market dynamics.
By restoring power to states and individuals, minimizing federal involvement, and promoting transparency and accountability, we can address these challenges effectively. My focus is on empowering families, fostering a true free market, and ensuring that government actions align with the Constitution's original intent. This approach will strengthen our society, safeguard individual liberties, and create a more prosperous future for all Americans.
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