The entire response to the SL Trib questions.

 Since the SLTribune refused, and yes I asked, to print all my answers, here is my response to the questions:

From: "Fred Cox" <fred@fredcox4utah.com>
To: "Jordan Miller" <jordanm@sltrib.com>
Cc: "Fred Cox" <fred@fredcox4utah.com>
Sent: Friday, May 24, 2024 2:59:37 PM
Subject: Re: SL Tribune Inquiry

See below:

Fred C Cox for Utah House District 30

Answers are too long, but you asked.

:)

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From: "Jordan Miller" <jordanm@sltrib.com>
To: "Fred Cox" <fred@fredcox4utah.com>
Sent: Friday, May 17, 2024 4:24:14 PM
Subject: SL Tribune Inquiry

Hello,

I'm Jordan Miller and I'm a reporter with The Salt Lake Tribune. Hope you're doing well! 

I just wanted to reach out as myself and our staff are working on a voter guide for the upcoming elections. We're working to send out questions to candidates to share candidates' answers in an easy-to-digest Q&A format. The questions are attached below, and if needed, answers will be edited for grammar, clarity and length. The deadline for these Q&A answers will be noon on Thursday, May 23. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns! 

Q&A:

Utah’s largest electricity provider has canceled plans to replace its coal-fired power plants with nuclear power and has walked back comments about investing in clean energy.

1. Should Utah, while it actively supports housing and business development, also be looking for more sustainable and less fossil fuel and carbon-dependent energy sources? (150 word max)

We need clean energy, clean air, clean water, clean land and energy independence. We also need to encourage energy efficiency and technologies such as ground source heat pumps. We may not agree with each other re: CO2 cap/trade, taxes, or our effects on climate. We do need more renewable energy. We have developed better and cleaner ways of using fossil and carbon-based energy sources. At this stage, we need all of them, but we need long term solutions.

2. Yes or no: Is climate change negatively impacting Utah?

Blame who you want, but Utah has had and continues to have issues with weather. We should be good stewards of the land. Again, we need clean air, water, and land. 

Water
Water scarcity continues to be a challenge for the state. Recent legislation has attempted to conserve water and get more to the Great Salt Lake and Colorado River.

3. Should Utah do more to subsidize homeowners to conserve water? Should laws require large users to pay more for water? What other steps should state government take to deal with water scarcity? (150 words max)

No, Utah should Not do more to subsidize homeowners to conserve water. We have already passed laws that allow water districts to charge more for water at different rates.  Utah should encourage water saving and continue to stop regulations that require wasting water and allowing waterwise landscaping.

The other item is removing a regulation of the state to Retain a certain amount of rainwater during site plan storm water design for projects over an acre. This would cost almost nothing and may reduce the costs of construction. 

The state for at least many areas and for many years has required a certain amount of Detention, to act as a shock absorber to reduce flooding, but it has been recent, the last couple of years, that Retention has been required, even when the infrastructure is available to handle the storm water with reduced speed. This should change. 

4. Yes or no: Do you support building the Lake Powell Pipeline?

If we do have water rights that we as Utah are not getting, yes, but only to a point. We should not be just tossing money at this. The concern is the cost of the project and if the water is really there. The water for Lake Powell seems to be over committed. The proposed designs are expensive. Are we really trying to get the water to Cedar City? 

Abortion
Triggered after the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision, Utah’s current law bans nearly all abortions — except in instances of sexual crimes, when there is a fatal fetal abnormality or when the mother’s life is at risk. For now, that law is currently on hold in the courts and an 18-week ban is active in Utah.

5. More or fewer: Should Utah’s trigger law have more or fewer restrictions?

Abortion should be a legal option when pregnancy results from rape or incest, or a competent physician determines that the life or health of the mother is in serious jeopardy, or a competent physician determines that the fetus has severe defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth. Doctors should not be worried that the state will go after them when dealing with a couple that wants to conceive through invitro or helping a mother going though miscarriage.  

Education funding
6. For or against: Are you voting for or against the constitutional amendment that removes the requirement that income taxes be used for education and social services?

I am against this change. The Legislature just wants to spend more money with fewer restrictions. Doing this change will have a tendency to cause school districts to raise property taxes to cover the demands. The legislature has on more than one occasion raised property taxes for education and we don't need more of this.

Thank you!

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Jordan Miller News Reporter