From my research as a state delegate, here are my notes on the candidates for Senate:
Mike Kennedy
Mike Kennedy: during Senate candidate debate:
Opening statement:
Mike Kennedy: Took six yrs. to get through law school since I was a practicing doctor. He is a doctor and an attorney. State senator. Presented three bills but abandoned one.
Q: entitlements: what do you advocate for?
Mike Kennedy: We send money to distance entity. Social security recipients have not seen a raise for 10 yrs. Keep our money and we can invest our money with compound interest. Washington wants power over us. The government takes our funds and break promises. Money stays in your pocket. Hold back the title wave of Obamacare. Prevented the full implementation of Obamacare and reduce expansions of Medicaid.
Dr. Response I been involved with local government through local fire organization.
Q: Omanis spending bill: Utah is split on entertainment. Mike Lee says we should not vote for officials who vote like that.
Mike Kennedy: At schools, there is a lot of bullying going on. If you don’t do this I will hurt you. The same is in government. You have two days to read this bill and you’d better vote our way, or we will stop the government. This process is not right. I’m not going to be subject to threats. I am a no vote.
Q: US Trade has 800 billion trade deficits. Position to recognize trade agreements and tariffs.
Mike Kennedy: I’m a fan of what Trump has done. Nafta Needs to be reorganized. Tariffs, I call them economic warfare. You’re implementing punishment on another country. I don’t have access to all the info. I’m willing to default to Trump’s actions as he has access to info we don’t have. You need a surgical scalpel to cut things. Need more info.
Q: Immigration: Do you support for a legal path to illegal immigrants and daca?
Mike Kennedy: compare it to a victim of a car accident. We find a victim who is bleeding and has a broken bone. Fix bleeding first and that means stop the flow of the borders.
Q: gun: where do you draw the line for guns and school security?
Mike Kennedy: bill for a constitutional vote was vetoed by the governor. I voted for the second amendment. I’m honored to stand for the constitution.
Q: National security: what is the nation’s biggest current threat?
Mike Kennedy: Lead by strength is fundamental to us. Our deficit is our biggest issue. We can’t spend. Our national debt cannot continue as it is. Border security, we have to focus security our borders.
Q: How to fix health care:
Mike Kennedy: so many opportunities. We have outstanding people and resources. The government will never take care of you as well as you take care of yourself. Take care of your own body. Our job as people providing medical services is to a facility. Obamacare needs to be repealed. I voted against it in the state legislator. Regulation is killing the industry. It is killing the industry. Medicare and Medicaid have been in for years. Put patients and dr. in the driver’s seat.
Q: Caucus system: Why support caucus?
Mike Kennedy: There is no more thorough review of the candidates. Three of them had signatures gathered. I’ve chosen to not get signatures. Sb54, voted against it in its original form. Happy to see you in the face and
Q: What is the role of government as it applies to net neutrality? What role of government.
Mike Kennedy: net neutrality is a bad restating. It needs to be unfiltered and unregulated. Trump makes sure regularity burden is lifted. I support the President.
Q: If you could only accomplish one goal in Washington and be happy, what is it?
Mike Kennedy: Deficit reduction. Don’t make Washington DC worse. Passed two bills and dropped a third that was not relevant. I’m a minimalist. And have deficits reduced by cuts
Q: Convention of states: This was the one question where the conversation got a bit heated)
Mike Kennedy: There is no partnership between federal and state government. 17th amendment not there. Conv of states not convinced that it is the path to follow. Reserving judgement.
(Note by note taker: I was once for a convention of states. Then someone made a very good comment to me. God inspired our founding fathers in the founding of America. We do not currently have the caliber of men and women who work under influence of God to meet that condition again. They are susceptible to power and corruption and external forces.) see: http://www.melvagifford.com/2018/04/13/concerns-of-the-article-v-convention/
Final statement:
Mike Kennedy: send someone with experience.
Notes from delegate Aaron B on Mike Kennedy
http://www.kennedyforutah.com/
https://www.facebook.com/KennedyForUtah/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5sscI9blVb1E0nTmwuM-1Q
6 years in the Utah legislature. Retired after three terms (self-imposed term limit)
Is a family doctor
Also is a licensed attorney
The national debt is our greatest national security threat
We cannot keep voting for continuing resolutions and omnibus bills that grow the debt
I think we need to cut back from all areas, including non-discretionary spending
We cannot change social security for those already receiving it or those who will qualify soon, but we can ratchet it back for those in the younger generation
Me: Would you be willing to vote for a continuing resolution or package appropriations bill?
I would never vote yes on a bill that I only had two days to read. That generates an automatic no from me if I cannot fully consider a bill.
We have to stop generating these government-imposed deadlines and forcing through these gigantic bills by blackmailing us with a government shutdown
I’m not in favor of continuing resolutions
We should be passing separate appropriations bills that have all been made more lean through committee. That is what I have experience doing in the legislature.
We shouldn’t need the line item veto because we shouldn’t be created these gigantic bills that address dozens of issues
I have voted against every tax increase I have seen for the past 6 years
It needs to be extremely important in my mind to ask the people to give us more of their hard earned money
Me: I feel like a lot of the blame rests on Mitch McConnell for presenting these giant budget deals. Do we need new Senate leadership?
I’m not sure. I have heard things much the same as you have, but I am going to at least try to work with everybody in the Senate when I get there and base my impression on my personal interaction with them. I might change my mind if it feels like we are unable to work together but I feel I need to give everyone the chance to work with me before I cast judgement. I will not have any enemies going into the Senate and hope I do not leave with any either.
I created a school safety commission to discuss opinions on school safety and to come up with ideas on how to improve things. I have students, teachers, the chair of the shooting sports council, a forensic psychologist, an architect, the superintendent of the state hospital, the president of UEA, the commissioner of the department of public safety, and a professor of sociology on this safety commission
http://fox13now.com/2018/03/04/diverse-members-of-utah-school-safety-commission-to-look-for-ways-to-make-schools-safe/
The goal is to come up with a greenhouse of ideas and not shoot down any ideas. Then we go through them and decide what would violate the 2nd amendment and what is feasible and we see what we can do and implement
I’m just there as a facilitator while members of our community develop best practices.
I’m not for knee-jerk responses when it comes to public safety that ends up violating our liberties. I want carefully thought out ideas.
I have voted in favor of the 2nd amendment the entire time I was in the legislature.
Q: What makes you feel prepared to be our senator?
I love to work with people and work collaboratively with people. I have professional training as an attorney and a doctor and 6 years of legislative experience. But in all honesty, none of that makes me better at being a government representative than any of you. What gives me the ability to do my job is all of you working with me as a legislator. The duty of a representative cannot be accomplished by oneself or even with an army of staff. I require the involvement of the citizenry and that is really when the government is working properly. I would try to go to Washington with humility seeking to do what you all would have me do. Knowing that I am not the smartest guy in the room, but that I have a foundation of passionate individuals making it all possible.
Q: Will you publicly call out Mitch McConnell for blocking good legislation?
I do not think public criticism of others in Congress is beneficial. If I have a problem I would rather talk to someone privately. That’s just my style. I’m not one to seek media attention. I’m not going to throw tomatoes at those I disagree with. I’m just not one to grandstand.
I might not know Washington as well as some of the other candidates, but I feel like I would know Utah better as I have lived here all my life and worked with Utahns in creating legislation.
Q: Will you debate Romney?
If I was governor Romney why would I do a debate? I have all the name recognition I need if I’m him. Most candidates in that position would see everything to lose and nothing to gain by having a debate.
I am not running against anyone for this seat. I’m running for Utah. I want to represent you and your values.
I like running campaigns because I get to talk to people and get the answers to problems from citizens. Whatever flaws I have are refined as I am called out and helped by my constituents.
I am the only candidate with experience in a legislature. Which is what a senator is, a legislator.
I’m a fan of term limits
I would serve a maximum of 18 years as a Senator. If I can’t get something done in 18 years, then I need to be replaced.
Lies are abhorrent to me. So if I made a promise on this campaign, I would hope you can trust me.
I love getting the message out to delegates and answering their questions. I hope I get to keep doing this into the primary and the general.
If I do not get elected, then I can go back to being a doctor, and I love that too
Me: Do we need to continue to repeal Obamacare?
I’m embarrassed that we haveRepublicanss in all three branches and cannot get obamacare repealed. Many of them promised to do that and failed.
Obviousl,y that needs to happen, and I would need to work with others to make that happen.
I will always vote no to raise my own salary. I have done this before in Utah and will continue to do that.
As a docto,r I give my patients options. They can decide if they want to pay for an X-ray.
I do not go out to lunch with drug reps as a doctor and I do not go out to lunch with lobbyists as a legislator
With a direct primary care practice you can have a monthly fee and if you come in one time or twenty times it costs the same. The doctors incentive is actually to keep people healthy so they are not a burden. We should not incentivize more and more tests and procedures to pad a doctors pocket.
Th brand name extension of many of these drugs is well beyond what it ought to be
Should be less than 20 years
Let the states handle healthcare
We should not have the government mandate vaccines. That should be a healthcare decision you make with your child.
The argument for the federal department of education is often that if they didn’t mandate programs for those with special needs and disabilities that the states wouldn’t do it. I find that offensive. Utah takes care of its disabled population and there are constantly volunteers taking care of those in need at homes and the state developmental center. We will take care of our disabled population in Utah because that is what we do. We do not need the federal government to force us to.
I would not approve of restrictions on the 2nd amendment. If enough people do not like it they would need to repeal it.
We need to keep the guns from falling in the wrong hands instead of taking them away from law abiding citizens
Government shouldn’t be in the business of telling you how to buy healthcare
I want to bring opponents on board for my bills. We need to have all voices heard.
Regulations are a huge burden on small businesses. Even cosmetology is being drowned in regulation making it more difficult to succeed running your own business.
Sometimes universities get kickbacks from the student loan lender to push these debt on students. They are making a profit at the costs of our students future. The federal government should not be involved with student loans.
I will not vote for anything to enhance washington’s power. I want more options to come back to the states. I want power closer to the people.
Our state already funds higher education to a very significant level. Imagine if all that money came back from the fed. We could do some much more with that money.
The 10th amendment is clear that any power not given to the federal government falls under the jurisdiction of the states.
Me: How do you feel about Senator Lee’s first amendment defense act?
We should be legislating on these things instead of sending them to the supreme court. Any time we can get ahead of the judiciary legislating from the bench by creating a law through our representatives in congress, i’m in favor of that.
Me: How do you feel about the consumer finance protection bureau?
I hear its bloated and expensive. If we need to do something like that we should do it locally so it is more accountable to the people. That is my general stand on most things the executive branch is doing that isn’t outlined in the constitution. An unaccountable overreaching federal government agency naturally breeds fraud and corruption.
We have all three branches of government and still are not cutting spending. The tax cut was great and so is all the deregulation but time is ticking away and we have to do what we as republicans have been promising.
I don’t stand down to bullies and pass an omnibus bill just because the government might shutdown. I will not be blackmailed with these self created deadlines.
Q: How do you feel about sending the national guard to the border
One of the functions of our federal government is to protect the border and if that means sending the troops down there to head off a caravan, I am all for it. A country without borders is not a country. God bless you people who want to come here for a better life, but we have to enforce our law and our border.
The purpose of government is to protect god given liberties of life liberty and property.
Q :Can you address some of your negative scores on the grassroots legislative scorecard?
One of them was for voting in favor of funding IUDs for woman on medicaid when they are still in the hospital. This was always a free service, but giving a woman the option while still in the hospital actually saves us money and keeps unintended life events from happening to many woman. I stand by that decision as I feel like it should be no different while still in the hospital vs after you go home and it helps both the state and the woman long term.
I’m happy with the free range parenting bill we passed. Seems like we shouldn’t have needed to pass that in the first place, but our world is changing.
For us to create a statute, there needs to be a good reason. We shouldn’t need to recreate statute to protect already constitutionally protected rights.
Me:Would you support repeal of the antiquities act?
I would support a reformation of it. Meaning if something is to be designated it must be voted on by the state legislature of the state the land is in. That way they have a say. Its a high bar to pass. What we don’t need is millions and millions of acres designated. Wyoming and Alaska have exemptions to the antiquities act, why not Utah?
There is no federal role for education. These departments never disappear like we hope they would though, so I would be working to roll it back program by program.
Q: Who would you say is your role model in the senate?
Mike Lee
Articles:
https://www.facebook.com/KennedyForUtah/videos/368535340311322/UzpfSTQ1NTEyOTg0MTU3MDIzODo0NjM0MTg2OTc0MDgwMTk/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cBgnGQ02t4
State Representative to Legislature: hospitals can be dangerous
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eT_QqpMtbcA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LAw_IuNtxI&feature=youtu.be
Mitt Romney:
A night with Mitt and Ann Romney
Posted on April 5, 2018 by Melva Gifford
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Here are my notes from tonight’s event. Any misinformation is the fault of the note taker.
Q: What’s on your nightstand?
We have iPod. Book: all the light I cannot see, scriptures, a lot of journals (scientific) We typically read the same thing. The write brothers red rising pierces brown.
Ann convinced mitt to run the summer games. It changed our life.
Q: You stay connected as a couple? what do you do to stay grounded?
We know what matters, what success really means. To win at life you have to be successful in other ways.
Mitt: Can’t define your life by campaigns. Our life is defined by our relationship to each other, kids etc. Politics is making a contribution with our lives. We had our 49th anniversary. It’s such a joy. By having our children young we have the energy to enjoy our life.
Q: What are you thinking about to represent Utah?
Want to change focus. Utah 29 counties 11 are shrinking. 4 counties there are more prescriptions for opioids than people. We face the challenge to help fast-growing counties. Returning to the constitution and get the federal government out of our business.
Q: How will Trade tariffs affect Utah?
China must recognize that business, as usual, will change. China has been cheating, stealing our patients. Products are artificially inexpensive. President you’ve got to change our rules or you will not have access to the biggest market of the USA.
Q: Relationship with President Trump?
In the past, I have not agreed with the President. How build a bridge go cross teasel. Make a difference.
The President respects people who say what they mean. I will call them like I see them. To get most things done in the Senate you must have a few Democrats to cross the aisle. Look for areas where we agree.
Q: How feel about junior senator?
I’m glad to hear I’m junior at age 70
Q: How feel about ‘me to’ (woman’s abuse)?
I’m glad people are getting caught. Have men recognize we must recognize the women we work with.
Q: Your feelings on immigration: daca and dreamers?
Troops go to the boards. This is not the first time it has happened. Obama and bush.
I like legal immigration. We welcome them to our shores. Our ancestors did it and current citizens are legal immigrants.
We need to top illegal immigration. That means a barrio, need a verification system, sanctions employers who don’t obey laws.
Daca young people: should have legal status. They should not be given a special (fast) pathway to citizenship. They need to get in line with the rest.
Q: What is your secret parent advice?
Ann: how do the mother and father interact with each other? Do they love and respect each other.
Mitt has never raised his voice to me. We love one other.
Most important to raise productive kids are to love your spouse (a child phycologist advised Mitt).
Ann pays a more important role in our family mitt recognized it.
I’m concerned by the growing sense of anger by either side. We are all Americans. Regan quote: it is not that the liberals are ignorant it’s just what they know is wrong.
Men to match my mountains: Irvin stone book to build America.
A bit about Mitt’s father:
How did as governor: wife; dad came from abject poverty. Grew up with Marian g Romney. Ann tell husband step up and do. Father became governor of a state, ran for president, and ran general motors.
Had an enormous impact on the children’s and grandchildren
Ann told Mitt to run elections.
Q: When mitt agreed to run Olympics?
Son told him there was nothing we had conceived to have your picture on the FrontPage of the sports section.
Q: Ann, how is your health with ms?
In remission. My job now is for those who are suffering are to lean on me. My turn to give them helping hand. And do all we can to give them cures. Have medical center to study disease. We have 250 researches working on brain disorders.
Q; would you give same speech on trump: would you say the same thing?
I like that he is targeting certain countries on the tariffs. If the president says something that is deemed abusive: I will point out that I disagree with. Integrity comes with a price. Trump is right to push against regulations. Stoop overreach of lands. Tings he accomplished for first year I’ve agreed with.
Q: of the US in the world?
Military: we need to have a high hurdle before we our men and women in harm’s way. Congress needs to be part of that decision.
It is a responsibly of free people they share our values with others. Show that free enterprise and freedom wor4ks. Use our trade and diplomacy to encourage and adopt new policies.
One reason our nations is doing so well is other parts of the country are doing well. Free enterprise is the best things in our favor.
Q: What is your hope to be your legacy?
Ann: want people to think in terms of integrity, intelligence, hope, goodness and all those wonderful virtues.
Mitt: I believe Utah values can be shared with Washington. Return to the principles of the constitution. Legislators govern our lives. We can’t keep spending more than we take in.
Believe in religious liberty.
Note from Melva:
They had a Q&A but only permitted one short question for the audience. If I were to ask a question of Mitt, this is what I would say:
Congress has had a popularity ranking of 11% in the past.
Many citizens (even those who are not Trump voters) want to drain the swamp. Some news articles say that you may have opportunities offered to you that may not normally be offered to a junior senator. This could give a hint, you are part of the ‘old boy’s club.’ Past quotes from you, have identified you as a moderate.
Some delegates feel you (as a member of the ol boy’s club) would just keep the status quo of current policies similar to Senator Hatch who has decreased in popularity.
Do you plan to maintain the status quo and if not how do you plan to be different?
Reply
At another meeting with Mitt, I was able to ask a version of my question. He really didn’t answer me for him not being the same-o same-o. He just said he would follow his values.
Sylvia, a state delegate posted this on delegate page:
Want to know how Mitt will govern? Here’s how he governed in Massachusetts? 1) Mitt instituted a health care plan for his state which was endorsed by Hillary Clinton,Ted Kennedy and Planned Parenthood which Obamacare was modeled after. It did increase access to insurance and health care to the insured but reduced access for the remaining uninsured. Also, health care costs greatly increased under Romney care and continued to skyrocket. Before, costs were $1 billion and in 2014 Massachusetts overall health spending jumped to $54 billion. 2) Mitt signed a $50 tax-subsidized abortion bill 2 years after he said that he was pro-life. 3) Mitt increased taxes and fees by close to a billion dollars and opposed the Bush Tax-cuts. 4) Mitt supported the McCain-Feingold “campaign finance reform”, McCain-Kennedy “comprehensive immigration reform” and parts of the McCain-Lieberman “carbon cap and trade” bill. This list is just a few of his liberal stances. Mitt is no conservative by a long shot.
More notes from a delegate name: lisa A
Mitt Romney held a town hall meeting for State Delegates. It was held at Skyridge High School in a classroom for 60 people but there were probably close to 80 in the room.
He was well-spoken and spoke for about 25 minutes, taking questions for about 20 minutes. Here’s what I got out of it:
He will be able to do more as a junior senator than others due to the fact that he has built up relationships with at least 40 sitting senators. He has campaigned with them, for them and even against them, but he knows them and there is mutual respect and admiration.
He does agree with most of President Trump’s first year policies.
Tax Cut which we are now seeing in our paychecks
Regulations
Outreach of Federal Government and giving back of Bear’s Ears
He believes firmly in the Constitution
He feels that MANY decisions should be given back to the States
Education
Health Care
Transportation
School Safety
He does not feel we need any new Federal gun laws
He does feel we need better background checks
He feels that some Federal Judges try to expand the realm of the Constitution to create new law and that they should follow the Constitution
As he has visited many of the rural areas of Utah, he feels that we need to increase the economic vitality of those areas, as they are exporting children who don’t return after education and those areas are dying.
He feels that Opioid abuse is a very big problem
His view on the $1.3 Trillion spending package
He said that the President signed it, but stated he would not sign something like that again
If elected, Romney would create a caucus to block another spending package unless it met with the spending cap
** Side Note: Romeny explained that 2/3 of our budget is set aside for entitlements such as Medicaid and Social Security and interest we owe. As such, that part of the budget cannot be changed. HALF of the remaining budget is spent on our defense. One solution proposed is to let our 20-something and 30-something workers know that the retirement age may be raised so that they will have something to help them in their later years.
Questions Asked:
Do you believe in the caucus system? If so, why are you going the signature route as well? He said that he hopes to win the caucus and brushed off the signature route part of the question. He said since he is in the thick of the race, he felt he shouldn’t answer.
People are concerned that you haven’t lived long enough in Utah and that you can’t represent Utah values. How do you address that? He said he has lived a total of 10 years in Utah. He went to college here, came back to Utah when he was in charge of the Olympics and he now lives here in a home he built in Holladay. He said his Utah roots are deep and that his ancestors helped settle Utah, his mother was born here and his father moved here when he was 5. He said that Utah values and concerns are in his blood.
Where are your donations coming from? Are they coming from out-of-state? He said he has not done any fundraising events and that the money is coming in via online donations. He said the reports have not been filed yet so he honestly doesn’t know where it is coming from. He said that he would not be surprised if donations were coming in from people who supported him in the presidential race and that they wanted to see him in Washington D.C.
In 2012 you said Russia was our greatest political foe and you have backed off of that statement. Why? He assured the crowd that he had NOT backed off of that statement and still feels and knows that Putin is a bad guy who has had people murdered and that they want to destroy democracy. He said that we must talk to political leaders we don’t like, such as Putin and Kim Jong-un in order to keep peace in the world and it does not mean we support their ideologies.
What are your views on Globalism vs. Protectionism? Protectionism is bad for growth. Romney said that those that cheat on Free Trade Agreements must be punished. He stated that Canada, Mexico, and EU Nations, our allies, would not be subject to tariffs and that China needed to be punished for what they did to put our steel industry almost out of business by deflating their prices until we suffered and then raising their prices.
Do you believe in term limits? He agreed that term limits are a good thing and that with his age, he didn’t feel it would be an issue (he got laughs there). He said that part of the problem is that after people are done as an elected official, they stay in D.C. as lobbyists which causes issues.
Do you believe in a Perimeter for the United States? He believes in a border wall as a good start. He then moved the discussion into immigration. Romney stated that most immigrants start as a student or tourist and they decide they want to stay. He said that there should be a pathway to legal immigration – a merit-based system, based on skills, education, experience and money they have saved. This moved into DACA and he said he “bows to Trump’s decision”. He thinks they should be given amnesty but they then should get in line for the merit system – it shouldn’t be an automatic path to citizenship. Romney then mentioned that he thinks that STATES should have a VISA system that they can issue based on worker needs. An example is that California would have a need for thousands for limited-use Visas for farm workers, but those Visas would not be valid for travel within the United States and not recognized in Utah, for example. He also said there needs to be a verification system for workers that if an applicant’s social security number came up bad, that’s it.
This was a very enlightening experience for me. It did not convince me to vote for Mitt at this time, as there are still 11 other candidates to vet. I have no doubt he would be a good Senator for Utah, but is he the best for Utah at this time? I will let you know after talking to the others.
articles: A mix of negative and positive
https://www.facebook.com/ksltv/videos/10156552337923676/
Wall Street, big business start backing Mitt Romney’s Senate bid as GOP establishment seeks stronger leadership in Congresshttps://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/16/wall-street-big-business-back-mitt-romney-senate-bid-as-gop-seeks-leadership.html
Mitt Romney’s Chappaquiddick and the Kennedy Fixer Connectionhttps://newswire.net/newsroom/oped/00101298-mitt-romney-s-chappaquiddick-and-the-kenedy-fixer-connection.htmljohn
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qD_rR8d0gimCfexRtFWBgL9c90sQwWFj/view
The Ultimate Mitt Romney Flip-Flop Collectionhttps://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/16/wall-street-big-business-back-mitt-romney-senate-bid-as-gop-seeks-leadership.html
Not for Utah.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=pfLzgzHQTBU%3Fecver%3D1%26ct%3Dt%28EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_4_20_2018%29
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10100977789464161&set=gm.462264940856728&type=3&theater&ifg=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbD0duYwO9o&feature=youtu.be
