I make a small part of my living and a large part of my reputation with informed outrage of one sort or another. It kept me on the air at KSL NewsRadio for three years and it’s the reason I’ve won a pair of Best of Utah designations ...]]> I’m not entering lightly into this political contest. Truth be told, I’d much rather participate from the side lines as an active, voting by-stander. So, how did I get here? I got fed up.

I make a small part of my living and a large part of my reputation with informed outrage of one sort or another. It kept me on the air at KSL NewsRadio for three years and it’s the reason I’ve won a pair of Best of Utah designations from the Salt Lake City Weekly. For years, I’ve had the privilege of venting professionally.

The last few legislative sessions, however, have just piled on the absurdity faster than I can shed my shocked disbelief; which is saying something.

How many years in a row must the people of Utah continue to be punished simply because we choose to live in this otherwise incredible state? How many years in a row are we told by the Utah County Legislative “leadership” that we cannot afford to fix the disabilities waiting list while we spend millions and millions of taxpayer dollars defending unconstitutional morality bills?

Our teachers are under attack; more Utahns are struggling hand to mouth as we’re maneuvered to a part time, retail economy; our children are receiving less and less from their education – and why? The Utah County control of our legislature has targeted common sense and good government for attack, and there are not enough people willing to stand up for everyone else.

Over the next few months, I’d like to share with you the myriad of reasons why you should vote for a fighter, an advocate and a guard dog for Utah House District 43. You deserve a voice, not a rubber stamp. Keep checking back, join the conversation, and let’s move toward the future together.

Jeff Bell

Award Winning Host of the Award Winning The LEFT Show.

Former DNC Communications Director for Utah.

Senior Adviser to the Mayor for Policy and Special Project at Salt Lake City.

Award winning host of the late Left of the Dial on KSL NewsRadio.

We need leaders who tell us the truth and keep their promises. We need leaders who represent the people who elected them, not the special interests who paid for their campaigns. We need leaders who worry less about their own job security and worry more about ours. We need leaders who will routinely look at every program and ask, “Do we still need this, and if we do, how ...]]> Quality Government

The quality of government depends on the quality of the people who lead it.

We need leaders who tell us the truth and keep their promises. We need leaders who represent the people who elected them, not the special interests who paid for their campaigns. We need leaders who worry less about their own job security and worry more about ours. We need leaders who will routinely look at every program and ask, “Do we still need this, and if we do, how can we make it- better or more efficient?” We need leaders who are more interested in solving problems than scoring political points.

We need leaders who aren’t afraid to reach across the aisle when that’s the best way to solve our state’s problems, because reality doesn’t come in black and white, and it doesn’t come in red and blue.

We need leaders who focus on solutions, not ideology. We need leaders, not labels.

Parents are working harder to keep up with the cost of living, often taking two jobs to make ends meet, and seeing less – and less of their families and children. We need an economy that works for people who work for a living, giving parents the chance to read to their kids and teach them the values that made this country strong and prosperous.

We ...]]> Jobs and Economy

We need leaders who don’t just talk about family values but actually value families.

Parents are working harder to keep up with the cost of living, often taking two jobs to make ends meet, and seeing less – and less of their families and children. We need an economy that works for people who work for a living, giving parents the chance to read to their kids and teach them the values that made this country strong and prosperous.

We need leaders who will make our public schools the best in the country and stop attacking the expertly trained, expensively educated and highly motivated teachers because previous legislators have woken to discover that their meddling hasn’t worked.

We need leaders who will make the Disabilities Waiting List a thing of the past in Utah, so people who need help can get help when it’s needed and not years later. We need to stand up for people work for a living so that they can take their kids to the doctor when they’re sick and seniors can pay for their medicine and not fight to maintain a status quo in health care that is gutting our families and bankrupting our communities. We need leaders who walk the walk for Utah’s families, not just talk the talk.

We need to return to fundamentals on the economy, starting with investing in Utah and America again: in small businesses and new industries that put people to work; in public education, technical schools, and affordable college tuition so that our children will become workers that can compete in the global economy;

We need leaders that will invest in new energy sources that reduce the price of gas, create millions of jobs, and free us from our dependence on petty dictators in unstable regions for their oil. We need leaders that will protect Utah and maintain our way of life; keeping billions of dollars of tourist money in the state instead of gutting our resources and for small change as billions in irreplaceable resources and profit leave our state forever. 

Returning to fundamentals means stimulating the private sector but not letting big businesses abuse the public trust. With the price of gas and groceries skyrocketing and people turning to their credit cards to make ends meet, we shouldn’t be letting credit card companies raise their rates and hide extra fees in the small print. And returning to fundamentals means ending wasteful government spending, eliminating tax cuts for the super-rich, and deploying our troops wisely so we don’t overburden both our military and our economy.