Blue in Red Zion

Meet the Candidates: Deon Turley, Democrat for for House District 61

Curtis — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:00:09 +0000

House District 61. Her opponent is Keith Grover (R)(incumbent),

Deon Turley is running as the Democ candidate for

Her website is www.deonturley.org, Facebook page can be found by clicking here and her Twitter account is @ElectDeon. She can also be reached via email at electdeon@gmail.com.

Here are Deon’s answers to my absurd questions:

1) How long have you lived in your district and what made you move there in the first place? Fifteen years ago my husband accepted an offer to teach at BYU. It was an offer he had been anticipating for a long time.

2) What does your family look like (married; kids; pets)? I am married to a great man and we have seven children. These days my youngest daughter is a virtual only child and she cares for two pet rats. Five of my seven children live out of state; three of them are married and I have six grandchildren. For many years our family included foreign exchange students or foster children.

3) What do you drive? What is your dream vehicle? I most often drive a Prius (or when hauling, a little Ford pickup). I was enamored of the Smart car when I first saw it but I prefer a hybrid to a diesel engine. So I guess I’m driving my dream car.

4) What was the last book you finished? Outliers by Malcomb Gladwell.

5) What is your favorite store and/or restaurant in your district? I like the one-of-a-kind places, and there are very few of them, but that’s where the people who serve you are really invested in the place. The two in my district are The Great Steak Sandwich Company on Center Street and Molly’s on Columbia Lane. Both are lunch only.

6) Turn your head to the right, what do you see? A comic strip called “Zits” that I cut out because it reminded me of my daughter. In it, a teenage son commandeers his father’s computer –and sandwich.

7) In 25 words or less, explain why you are a Democrat. I am a convert– a “moderate”, abandoned by the Republicans of Utah County. As a Democrat, I find a variety of opinions and mutual respect.

8) Who would win if a bear and a shark fought each other (feel free to explain)? Obviously, it would depend on the venue of the fight. (Is this supposed to discourage me from running as a Democrat in Utah County?)

9) In 50 words or less, explain why you want to be a public servant. I think everyone should find ways to serve their community. This is the way I choose to serve now. I find that most of this district is not well-represented at present. I want to bring more balance into government, both in priorities and political perspectives.

10) What was the last cultural event you went to? I attended a concert of Five For Fighting last spring at Tuacahn. Family reunions or the Freedom Festival in Provo are cultural events of sorts, if hanging out there counts.

11) What are the three things you plan to fight for when elected? State government would better serve its citizens if there were more cooperation and less “fighting”. I will, however, “work” for my constituents. I will be conscientious in my duties, study the issues brought before the legislature, and listen to those I represent. I will work to keep open communication with my constituents. Most of us have had to make sacrifices on account of the struggling economy. I will work to see that the sacrifices don’t turn into permanently lowered standards. “Lean” can turn into “starved” if we aren’t careful and the future of our state relies on healthy public services and infrastructure.

12) Do you know what OMGWTFBBQ stands for? No. Any abbreviation that is that long is only pretending to hide its meaning.

13) What is the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights? “Important” as in “consequential”: The recent Supreme Court ruling concerning corporate campaign contributions. Oh, did you say “in the Bill of Rights?”; I thought you meant “to the Bill of Rights”.

14) What is your favorite band? I admit I had to consult with my teenage daughter to find out the names of the bands who sing some of the contemporary songs that I enjoy. I don’t follow the popular music scene. She tells me I like Owl City, Ingrid Michaelson, and Coldplay. But seriously, can they compete with Carole King, Chicago, Anne Murray, Elton John, Boz Skaggs, Paul Simon and Three Dog Night? I think not. Sorry, but I left my musical heart in the 1970’s!

15) If you could change one thing about your district, what would it be? A change to the physical, geographic district? It would be more compact. That long northern stretch and the narrow Upper-Carterville peninsula are ridiculous. Or do you mean a change in the people that make up the district? If I could change one thing, I would have them each stay home on the Saturday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday that I set out to visit them.

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To see other responses in the Meet the Candidates series, click here.

*Disclaimer – The opinions expressed in candidate responses are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Blue in Red Zion or its author. Every candidate with a working email address has received these same questions and are welcome to respond. If you are a candidate and did not receive these questions, please email curtis.haring@gmail.com in order to provide your own answers. The publication of a candidate’s questions should in no way be interpreted as an endorsement of said candidate.

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Meet the Candidates: Carl Wimmer, Republican for House District 52

Curtis — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:00:08 +0000

Carl Wimmer is running as the Republican candidate for House District 52. His opponents are Shaun Kruger (L) and Chad Reyes (U). Carl is the incumbent.

His website is www.carlwimmer.com, Facebook page can be found by clicking here and his Twitter account is @CarlWimmer. He can also be reached via email at wimmer52@gmail.com.

Here are Carl’s answers to my absurd questions:

1) How long have you lived in your district and what made you move there in the first place? I moved to Herriman in 2000. At the time there was no one out here. There was me, a coyote and open land. Now there are 20,000 people in Herriman. 19,990 are California transplants, and they are great! We moved here because it was still like being in the country. Ya, that lasted about three months.

2) What does your family look like (married; kids; pets)? Happily married most the time (just kidding) I have three amazing kids. Jade who is named after a little girl who I taught DARE too when I was a cop. The little girl was fighting cancer and was the bravest kid I have ever seen. Heston who is named after former NRA president Charlton Heston (I gave my wife a choice either “Charlton” or “Heston” You see what she chose. My youngest son is Reagan…That name was totally random…(ya right)

3) What do you drive? What is your dream vehicle?I “drive” liberals crazy. My dream vehicle is a non-government owned, American made car. Do they have those any more?

4) What was the last book you finished? I am about to finish (writing) my own book “The Refounding of America” Watch for it soon! The last book I read was one by Ayn Rand.

5) What is your favorite store and/or restaurant in your district? My favorite store is Home Depot. The problem is that I am a horrible fixer of things, so I really feel inadequate, I have no idea how to use 99% of what is in there. My favorite restaurant in my district is Wingers. It is where I held a ton of cottage meetings when I was first running for office, I love their shirt that says “Right wing, left wing, we don’t care. We serve all politicians.”

6) Turn your head to the right, what do you see? No one. There is no one to the “right’ of me… No wait, who is that over there? er, oh, it’s Rep. Mike Morley…

7) In 25 words or less, explain why you are a Republican. Because the Whigs are not around any more.

8) Who would win if a bear and a shark fought each other (feel free to explain)? Me. I love a good fight, bring’em both on…Although I was watching Shark week…YOWZA I’d sure hate to be bitten by one. We watched the episode “When sharks attack in knee high water” right before my family and I went to the beach two weeks ago. I kept the big guy on the surf board between me and the open ocean…

9) In 50 words or less, explain why you want to be a public servant. I love being called a “right wing nut.” No in all seriousness, I love to serve, and I love people in general . This has been a great honor for me to be able to serve the people of District 52.

10) What was the last cultural event you went to? The Monster truck rally at the E-center.

11) What are the three things you plan to fight for when elected? I plan to fight for economic sanity and for state sovereignty. Most importantly I plan to fight Democrat Jennifer Seelig the next time she yells “DAMN IT WIMMY!”

12) Do you know what OMGWTFBBQ stands for? LOL IDK can you tell me? I have to ask my BFF Jen? Jen said MYOB.

13) What is the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights? The first ten. We need to eliminate the 16th.

14) What is your favorite band? Casting Crowns. They are a fantastic Christian group.

15) If you could change one thing about your district, what would it be? I would transplant the guy running against me out of it.

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To see other responses in the Meet the Candidates series, click here.

Meet the Candidates: Farley Anderson, Unaffiliated candidate for Governor

Curtis — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:00:55 +0000

Farley Anderson is running as the Unaffiliated candidate for Governor. His opponents are Peter Corroon (D), Gary Herbert (R)(incumbent), and W. Andrew McCullough (L).

His website is www.independencemovement.org, at the time of publication, no Facebook or Twitter account were provided. He can be reached via email at andersontribe10@yahoo.com.

Here are Farley’s answers to my absurd questions:

1) How long have you lived in Utah and what made you move here in the first place? I am a life-long Utah native and I choose this state because having traveled extensively the U.S. this is the greatest State in the Union. People really care here and terrain is unsurpassed.

2) What does your family look like (married; kids; pets)? My family looks like a party, (not that kind of party). With ten children and my third grandchild on the way, there never is a dull moment and always something happening.

3) What do you drive? What is your dream vehicle? I drive an old pickup truck or and old ford escort depending on needs. To me a car is a tool to get from one place to another and to haul people and stuff. At least, that is what I tell myself as long as I have other priorities. My dream car is a newer pickup or a newer economy car.

4) What was the last book you finished? My last book I read from cover to cover was a biography of James Madison.

5) What is your favorite store and/or restaurant in your district? My favorite store is Smith and Edwards’s Surplus and Sporting Goods store. I really like to find a new use for something discarded or make something out of something else.

6) Turn your head to the right, what do you see? To the left my wife is sleeping on the couch waiting for me to finish. She just read to the little ones. To my right the door to our bedroom is open and it is inviting me to call it a night.

7) In 25 words or less, explain why you are running as Unaffiliated. The E-signatures battle we won opens the political process and can give the referendum and initiative process back to the people of our state.

8) Who would win if a bear and a shark fought each other (feel free to explain)? If a bear and a shark were fighting the winner would be the event promoter as this would not be a natural spectacle.

9) In 50 words or less, explain why you want to be a public servant. “One of us” has to do this or we will continue to have government run by “them”. My Father ran against Bob Benet and I saw ugliness in old boy establishment that is not furthering the interests of the people of our state. Time for a change.

10) What was the last cultural event you went to? The last cultural event I attended was a concert put on by a university group my son was in.

11) What are the three things you plan to fight for when elected? The three things that I plan to fight for if elected are; individual and state sovereignty and reducing the size and cost of government.

12) Do you know what OMGWTFBBQ stands for? No

13) What is the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights? I think the 9th amendment may be the key most needed at this time so that the government won’t disparage.

14) What is your favorite band? The Band-Aid, as it fixes owies.

15) If you could change one thing about your district, what would it be? Since this is a statewide race what I would change about the state would be a political process that is more open, participatory, and more about issues and protecting the rights of citizens than who wants the job and who can sell off enough influence to buy an election.

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To see other responses in the Meet the Candidates series, click here.

Meet the Candidates: Ryan Wilcox, Republican for House District 7

Curtis — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 15:00:44 +0000

Ryan Wilcox is running as the Republican candidate for House District 7. His opponent is Peter Conover Clemens (D), Ryan is the incumbent.

His website is www.votewilcox.com, Facebook page can be found by clicking here and his Twitter account is @RyanDWilcox. He can also be reached via email at ryanwilcox@utah.gov.

Here are Ryan’s answers to my absurd questions:

1) How long have you lived in your district and what made you move there in the first place? I have lived in the Ogden area my entire life, with the exception of a few years of religious service in Southern California.

2) What does your family look like (married; kids; pets)? I am married with 3 kids.

3) What do you drive? Pontiac Torrent. What is your dream vehicle? A DeLorean. Preferably with a time machine.

4) What was the last book you finished? Good to Great by Jim Collins.

5) What is your favorite store and/or restaurant in your district? Kirts Drive-In.

6) Turn your head to the right, what do you see? The reflection of my kids in the window.

7) In 25 words or less, explain why you are a Republican. Because the Whig party couldn’t keep it together.

8) Who would win if a bear and a shark fought each other (feel free to explain)? Shark. Have you seen Shark Week?

9) In 50 words or less, explain why you want to be a public servant.First, each of us has the responsibility to serve where we can. Second, freedom doesn?t just happen. It is up to each of us to ensure it is fought for, protected, and handed on to those who will follow. In that light, I suppose I?m in this for my children.

10) What was the last cultural event you went to? The Utah Symphony at Wolf Mountain.

11) What are the three things you plan to fight for when elected? Truth, Justice, and the American Way.

12) Do you know what OMGWTFBBQ stands for? Yes. (Unwilling to translate in an email:) )

13) What is the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights? There isn’t just one. But for the sake of argument, I’ll go with the First.

14) What is your favorite band? Going to get a lot of grief for this, but it is still Creed.

15) If you could change one thing about your district, what would it be? The boundaries. They’re a little odd.

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To see other responses in the Meet the Candidates series, click here.

Meet the Candidates: Jay Seegmiller, Democrat for House District 49

Curtis — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:00:13 +0000

Jay Seegmiller is the Democratic candidate for House District 49. His opponent is Derek Brown (R). Jay is the incumbent.

His website is www.jayseegmiller.com. At the time of publication, no Facebook page or Twitter account were provided. He can be reached via email at jseegmiller@utah.gov.

Here are Jay’s answers to my absurd questions:

1) How long have you lived in your district and what made you move there in the first place? 22 yrs …Needed a bigger home.

2) What does your family look like (married; kids; pets)? Married 32 years, 4 children, 3 grandchildren (soon to be 4), 1 dog.

3) What do you drive? What is your dream vehicle? Dodge Grand Caravan, Dream vehicle is a Sailboat.

4) What was the last book you finished? Fiction: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; Non fiction: Team of Rivals.

5) What is your favorite store and/or restaurant in your district? Rich’s Bagels.

6) Turn your head to the right, what do you see? Picture of my wife and I.

7) In 25 words or less, explain why you are a Democrat. The Democrat party represents The People and Christian Values that are important to me, such as respecting all people and caring for those less fortunate.

8) Who would win if a bear and a shark fought each other (feel free to explain)? The Shark… The only way logically that the two would meet is if a polar bear was swimming in the ocean . The Shark would have a tremendous home court advantage, so the Shark would most likely win. But, I would be cheering for the bear.

9) In 50 words or less, explain why you want to be a public servant. I was frustrated with the lack of balance in state politics and felt the only way I could truly make a difference was to stop complaining and start getting involved. Now we need to help several other Democrats get elected so that we can have some meaningful debate on issues.

10) What was the last cultural event you went to? 110 in the Shade – at Hale Theater in Orem, UT.

11) What are the three things you plan to fight for when elected? Jobs – Protecting children from second hand smoke – Jobs.

12) Do you know what OMGWTFBBQ stands for? No.

13) What is the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights? They are all important, but I guess if I was to pick one I would say the 1st Amendment.

14) What is your favorite band? Michael Buble.

15) If you could change one thing about your district, what would it be? District 49 is a great place to live and raise a family. I would like to have better/more convenient access to mass transit for the constituents of my district.

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To see other responses in the Meet the Candidates series, click here.

Meet the Candidates: L.S. Brown, Constitution Party candidate for House District 70

Curtis — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:00:38 +0000

L.S. Brown is is running as the Constitution Party candidate in House District 70. L.S.’s opponent is Kay L. McIff (R)(incumbent).

At the time of publication, no website, Facebook fan page, or Twitter account was provided. L.S. can be reached via email at freedom4fam@gmail.com.

Here are L.S.’s answers to my absurd questions:

1) How long have you lived in your district and what made you move there in the first place? 50 years.

2) What does your family look like (married; kids; pets)? (Declined to answer)

3) What do you drive? What is your dream vehicle? (Declined to answer)

4) What was the last book you finished? (Declined to answer)

5) What is your favorite store and/or restaurant in your district? (Declined to answer)

6) Turn your head to the right, what do you see? (Declined to answer)

7) In 25 words or less, explain why you are part of the Constitution party. Constitutional government is the best form of government ever devised by man. The Constitution Party promotes constitutional government. I am a limited government, state’s rights and individual responsibility candidate.*

*Please note that L.S. continued answering the question to the tune of an additional 167 words, violating both the word and spirt of the question. I informed L.S. of this and said “I notice that you respond only to two out of the 15 questions I posed to you. Although I am happy to post your responses, please know that question 7 specifically stated that it needs to be 25 words or less. I do not wish to give an unfair advantage to any particular candidate and therefore kindly request that you reduce your answer to 25 words or less and/or place some of your statements into other questions – perhaps number 9, 11, and 13.” The response I received was “Thanks for the opportunity but your questions do not allow me to state my position or interest in critically important issues of great concern to our people.”

I decided to post L.S.’s few answers to give voters an understanding L.S.’s views on these questions and his approach towards answering questions that come from the poeple. If you wish to read L.S.’s full response to question 7, click here.

8) Who would win if a bear and a shark fought each other (feel free to explain)? (Declined to answer)

9) In 50 words or less, explain why you want to be a public servant. (Declined to answer)

10) What was the last cultural event you went to? (Declined to answer)

11) What are the three things you plan to fight for when elected? (Declined to answer)

12) Do you know what OMGWTFBBQ stands for? (Declined to answer)

13) What is the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights? (Declined to answer)

14) What is your favorite band? (Declined to answer)

15) If you could change one thing about your district, what would it be? (Declined to answer)

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To see other responses in the Meet the Candidates series, click here.

Meet the Candidates: Richard D.M. Barnes, Republican for House District 23

Curtis — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 21:00:02 +0000

Richard D.M. Barnes is running as the Republican candidate for House District 23. His opponents are Jen Seelig (D)(incumbent) and Mark T. Sweet (L).

He did not provide a website, Facebook fan page, or Twitter account at the time of publication. He can be reached via email at rdmbarnes@aol.com.

Here are Richard’s responses to my absurd questions:

1) How long have you lived in your district and what made you move there in the first place? 16 years. Nice home for a great price. I’d looked for 3 years.

2) What does your family look like (married; kids; pets)? One wife, Brenda. No pets. 1 brother. Dad living. WW2 vet. 8th Air Force (England)

3) What do you drive? What is your dream vehicle? 1988 Ford Ranger pickup truck. White with blue trim. 1965 Pontiac Bonneville convertible. Air Force blue.

4) What was the last book you finished? The Clans of Scotland. Also, The Book of Abraham, and The Prince.

5) What is your favorite store and/or restaurant in your district? The Golden Pearl and Chubby’s.

6) Turn your head to the right, what do you see? A FAX machine.

7) In 25 words or less, explain why you are a Republican. To defend the freedom of the American people.

8) Who would win if a bear and a shark fought each other (feel free to explain)? Depends on the battleground. A Shark is helpless on land and a bear would have trouble in water. I would root for the Jazz Bear.

9) In 50 words or less, explain why you want to be a public servant. See 7

10) What was the last cultural event you went to? Cinderella at Murray Amphitheater.

11) What are the three things you plan to fight for when elected? Truth, justice, and the American way.

12) Do you know what OMGWTFBBQ stands for? No.

13) What is the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights? 10th. All are important. Still waiting for the Equal Rights Amendment (like in the Utah Constitution).

14) What is your favorite band? Imagine. Also Crystal Gayle, Moody Blues, John Denver, and Riders in the Sky.

15) If you could change one thing about your district, what would it be? To elect me as their legislator.

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To see other responses in the Meet the Candidates series, click here.

Meet the Candidates: Jim Nielson, Republican for House District 19

Curtis — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:00:18 +0000

Jim Nielson is running as the Republican in House District 19. His opponents are Richard Watson (D) and Reldon C. White (C). This is an open seat with no incumbent but was previously held by Sheryl Allen (R).

His website is www.jim4utah.com ,his Facebook fan page can be found by clicking here, and no Twitter account was provided. He can be reached via email at jim@jim4utah.com.

Here are Jim’s answers to my absurd questions:

1) How long have you lived in your district and what made you move there in the first place? Over eighteen years. After graduate school I looked in many parts of the country and found my best opportunity in Salt Lake City. We ultimately located in Bountiful because it seemed like the best place for our family within a reasonable distance of downtown Salt Lake City.

2) What does your family look like (married; kids; pets)? With the exception of me, they are very good looking. Oh, and I have been married for just over 25 years. We have five children. No pets other than a gerbil.

3) What do you drive? What is your dream vehicle? I drive a very sensible Ford Fusion. It does have low profile tires and a spoiler to help keep the tail down when I’m going over 150. Seriously, my dream ride would be anything that would be capable of causing such a concern. The new 2011 Mercedes SLS AMG comes to mind.

4) What was the last book you finished? It was either Les Miserables or Eats, Shoots, and Leaves.

5) What is your favorite store and/or restaurant in your district? Definitely The Mandarin Restaurant.

6) Turn your head to the right, what do you see? An abstract work of art made out of shapes of brightly colored cut paper and marker created by one of my children in early elementary school.

7) In 25 words or less, explain why you are a Republican. I am a Republican because I am convinced that individuals acting in their own self-interest will tend to outperform collective action based on centralized decision making.

8) Who would win if a bear and a shark fought each other (feel free to explain)? The shark will definitely win. Given time, bears give way to bull markets. From that I conclude that bears don’t have the staying power to win a serious fight.

9) In 50 words or less, explain why you want to be a public servant. I was raised to believe that public service was an honorable thing, strange as that may sound. This may seem old fashioned, but I think it’s my duty to serve if I am able. If elected, my main goal will be to preserve and defend the things that make my community and our state the best place for families.

10) What was the last cultural event you went to? The Utah Symphony/Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert at Deer Valley.

11) What are the three things you plan to fight for when elected? 1. The Family 2. Education 3. Economic Development.

12) Do you know what OMGWTFBBQ stands for? I get about two-thirds of the way through, and that’s where I stop.

13) What is the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights? I’m temped to say the Tenth, but I’ll go with the First.

14) What is your favorite band? Billy Joel.

15) If you could change one thing about your district, what would it be? If I could wave a magic wand and change one thing, I would build up downtown Bountiful and make it more of a destination for workers, shoppers, and residents.

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To see other responses in the Meet the Candidates series, click here.

Meet the Candidates: Jonathan Dee Garrard, Constitution party candidate for House District 21

Curtis — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:00:17 +0000

Jonathan Dee Garrard is the Constitution party candidate for House District 21. His opponents are Jim Gowans (D)(incumbent) and Douglas Sagers (R).

His website is www.utah-constitution-party.org and he did not provide a Facebook fan page or Twitter account at the time of publication. He can be reached via email at garrard4house21@wirelessbeehive.com.

Here are Jonathan’s answers to my absurd questions:

1) How long have you lived in your district and what made you move there in the first place? I have lived in my district for 11 consecutive years with my beautiful wife. We purchased our own home in this location shortly after we were married and it is the town where I grew up.

2) What does your family look like (married; kids; pets)? Very good looking, but I have a biased opinion on this matter. I am happily married, with 5 awesome children. Two boys and two girls at home with a premie baby boy at the hospital. We hope he can come home soon. We currently have a pet pheasant, which was hatched about the same time as the birth of our newborn son.

3) What do you drive? What is your dream vehicle? A minivan and a pickup truck. My dream vehicle is anything which will fit my family and is reliable.

4) What was the last book you finished? Just finished reading “The Slippery Slope” by Lemony Snickett’s to my kids
a few days ago.

5) What is your favorite store and/or restaurant in your district? My favorite store in the district is Macey’s grocery store, which is closed on Sunday’s. We don’t have a favorite restaurant we go to.

6) Turn your head to the right, what do you see? My kitchen, family, and just outside is our garden.

7) In 25 words or less, explain why you are part of the Constitution party. Missing: The Constitution of the United States; last known location: hanging by a thread; wanted for questioning: a donkey and an elephant; reward: freedom maintained for you and your posterity.

8) Who would win if a bear and a shark fought each other (feel free to explain)? On land, a bear would win, all it would have to do is keep the shark out of the water long enough to let it suffocate. In the water, the shark would only need to drag the bear under the water long enough to let it drown.

9) In 50 words or less, explain why you want to be a public servant. Nowadays, elected leaders generally attempt to control the public rather than serve them. I personally like receiving service in all aspects of my life, and I enjoy giving service to all those around me. Show me by example, rather than controlling me.

10) What was the last cultural event you went to? Days of 47 parade.

11) What are the three things you plan to fight for when elected? Freedom; Less Federal involvement and more local involvement — Government governs best when it is easily approachable by everyone. The closer Government is
to us, the more they listen; Lower Taxes.

12) Do you know what OMGWTFBBQ stands for? Ouch, My Government Wants Taxes, Flesh, Blood, Billions, & Quadrillions

13) What is the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights? The Tenth. If it’s not in the Constitution specifically, it should be taken care of by the state, or even better a local jurisdiction.

14) What is your favorite band? Symphonic Band.

15) If you could change one thing about your district, what would it be? Freeze and eventually remove Property Taxes.

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To see other responses in the Meet the Candidates series, click here.

Meet the Candidates: Lynn Hemingway, Democrat for House District 40

Curtis — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:00:46 +0000

Lynn Hemingway is running as the Democrat in House District 40. His opponents are Val J. Bateman (R) and Sandra Johnson (L). Lynn is the incumbent.

He did not provide a website, Facebook fan page, or Twitter account at the time of publication. He can be reached via email at lynnhemingway999@msn.com.

Here are Lynn’s answers to my absurd questions:

1) How long have you lived in your district and what made you move there in the first place? I have lived in my current home since 1982. I got a nice promotion with my employer and decided to build a new home where my kids would receive a good public education and enough room and safety to enjoy the neighborhood.

2) What does your family look like (married; kids; pets)? I have five children, three girls and two sons. I am grandfather to nine grandchildren and a great grandfather to to one. We currently have a cat, but have owned several dogs.

3) What do you drive? What is your dream vehicle?I drive a Toyota Camry. My dream car is a 1960 Thunderbird that I owned but have to give up when the price of gas went to $.50 a gallon.

4) What was the last book you finished? The last book I finished was Shutter Island.

5) What is your favorite store and/or restaurant in your district? My favorite restaurant is the Crown Burger on Highland Drive.

6) Turn your head to the right, what do you see? I see my front yard.

7) In 25 words or less, explain why you are a Democrat. I was raised in a Union family. My parents taught me how important the working class are and that we should always fight for those that can’t fight for themselves. My wife re-ignited my Democratic leanings when she worked to elect Ted Wilson to the seat held by Orrin.

8) Who would win if a bear and a shark fought each other (feel free to explain)? Nobody wins in situations like that. It would strictly depend on where the fight took place.

9) In 50 words or less, explain why you want to be a public servant. See # 7. Everyone needs a voice. I try to be the voice of those who might go unheard.

10) What was the last cultural event you went to? We are going to Mary Chapin-Carpenter tonight.

11) What are the three things you plan to fight for when elected? Public Education, Seniors, Ethics.

12) Do you know what OMGWTFBBQ stands for? No

13) What is the most important amendment in the Bill of Rights? They are all important but the First Amendment seems the most trampled in Utah. That is probably the most important.

14) What is your favorite band? I like nearly all music. Remember I am a child of the 50′s and 60′s so I cried when Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Mary Travers died.

15) If you could change one thing about your district, what would it be? I really like my District. We have a nice mix of cultures and some really diverse political opinions. This is an area that had been very republican until the gerrymandering in 2002. The folks who drew the maps thought they had done away with at least one Democrat in the House, but instead they lost a Republican seat in the Senate. It has been held by a Dem since.

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To see other responses in the Meet the Candidates series, click here.