By CAMERON FULLER
Gov. Leavitt capped off the opening day of the legislature by asking citzens and legislators to look to the horizon beyond their own time and envision the future so they could help shape it.
“Utah can become a diamond in the desert — shimmering with growing communities and the lights of cities framed by the timeless mountains that border us. We can have grandeur and greatness, if we have the foresight to go after them,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt’s address focused on how continued growth presents challenges in areas such as the environment, government’s ability to help struggling families, housing, education and especially transportation.
On the first day of the legislative session, legislators were talking about how to produce enough money to meet the costs of I-15 reconstruction and how this issue will drive spending for other causes. Members from both parties have estimated the state needs between $230 million to $320 million for the I-15 project.
“The I-15 project is bigger than we expected. Some have suggested that we step back and cancel projects in other areas of the state. That would be unfair. We cannot cancel projects, and we will not raise taxes this year. We need to pay for the additions to the project just like we have the rest — with a balanced approach,” Leavitt said.
Reactions to the governor’s address from leaders in the Democratic party were mixed. They generally liked the vision Leavitt laid out for the state, but said he is going around it the wrong way.
“There were a couple of things I liked about the governor’s address. I specifically liked the fact that he was willing to address the immense problem that we have in affordable housing,” said House Minority Leader Rep. David Jones, D-Salt Lake. “But we’ve never seen any real action. He did not tell us specifically what he was going to do either.”
Jones said that although growth cannot be stopped, Leavitt and the Republican leadership are approaching growth in the wrong frame of mind. Legislators need to stop thinking in terms of accommodating automobiles and start thinking of accommodating people, Jones said.
Leavitt wants to improve higher education by creating a master plan that helps higher education institutions adapt to higher technology. He said the state’s five community colleges have proposed the formation of the Utah Electronic Community College to pool their distance education courses and extend their reach. And he said his budget would reverse the downward trend in higher educations’s share of state appropriations.
Leavitt called for 3,000 foster families by the year 2000. According to Leavitt, there are only 950 foster families right now. And by passing the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Leavitt said the state could insure the state’s 45,000 needy children who remain uninsured.
“I think it can be summed up this way on Governor Leavitt’s speech: It would do him more good if there were more democrats here because of those issues he talked about on child welfare and funding of health care,” said Senate Minority Leader Sen. Scott Howell, D-Salt Lake. “Governor Leavitt doesn’t have the support of his own party to get those things passed.
