2020 Utah Gubernatorial Candidates Have Big Plans

2020 Utah Gubernatorial Candidates
Have Big Plans – where’s the money?

I listened to the 2020 Utah gubernatorial candidates including former Utah Governor and former US Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, Jr.; Lt. Governor Spencer Cox; former Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes; businessman Thomas Wright; and Democrat candidate and UofU law professor Chris Peterson all speak during the April 29 Envision Utah gubernatorial forum. I was awed by the big plans all Republican fiscal conservatives spoke of: infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure! I kept wondering where they plan to get the money to pay without tapping our pockets many of which are pretty empty at this point.

All Republican candidates emphasized the growth facing Utah with Jon Huntsman emphasizing that he thinks the growth will be even more than what the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute’s latest projections show. Some say that population projections of the past have been wrong. My study of fifteen population projections shows that six have been high, five low, and four just about right on. Five of the high projections were from those promoting the Lake Powell Pipeline (need more people to justify the LPP!). One, the 2011 Water Needs Assessment projection included an outrageous 860,000 for 2060 now down to 468,830 per Kem C. Gardner.

More growth equates to more income and property tax dollars but will also require infrastructure: roads, schools, and more. Growth is not free. Will it all balance? We’ve grown a lot already and the costs associated with the growth seem to have exceeded the revenues as evidenced by our diminished sales tax revenue and the argued need to revise our state’s tax structure.

The Envision Utah interviewer never asked them how they would prioritize their grand visions when it came to cost nor did he ask how the costs being incurred during this COVID-19 time might be factored into paying for all these grand schemes.

All Republican candidates appeared to support the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline even if they didn’t mention it by name but referenced the need for water generally. Greg Hughes seemed to not know the facts. He stated that the pipeline has been held up for fifteen year due to lawsuits. No, not so. The LPP was held up because the state chose to enlist the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve a water pipeline with marginal if any energy aspects. The state spent over $36 million on that effort only to finally realize that their ploy was not working out. Now, they’ve turned to the Bureau of Reclamation to see if they have more “friends” there while spending more of our tax dollars.

Interestingly, our current Republican governor, Governor Herbert, has a much sounder position on water and big infrastructure. He is not pushing for the multi-billion dollar Lake Powell Pipeline but for more sensible water management. Perhaps Lt. Governor Cox should be listening to his boss. Herbert’s GOMB FY 2020 Budget states:

“Utah should take a comprehensive view of water management. Policies and strategies must be developed or better implemented to encourage more efficient use of water by all water users (residential, commercial, agricultural, government, and non-profit entities). Strategies should include strong and clear price signals, enhanced public education, increased use of existing and emerging water-saving technologies, increased water-wise landscaping, and the elimination of conservation barriers in local and state laws. As growing demands stress existing supply, solutions should maximize the efficient use of existing water infrastructure and supplies, as well as recognize the increasing value of limited water resources.”
I also wondered if these candidates that support the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline actually know that for over 100 years it’s been reported there is not enough water to support the “paper” water rights that Colorado River basin states like Utah currently hold. While we have real needs in Utah, it seems worthless to pursue a risky, expensive, and unnecessary project with such a questionable water right.

As I listened to the interviews I kept wondering about the effects of all these infrastructure costs on our state’s treasured AAA bond rating. Our bonding capacity is critical for our state’s AAA rating and we are close to hitting the bonding cap. How would candidates prioritize the projects they’ve talked about when we can’t afford all?

On a positive note, I was surprised and pleased to hear candidate Thomas Wright at least acknowledge that it’s smart to have concerns about the climate and be responsible stewards for our environment. According to Wright, we should inspire innovation to help reduce carbon footprint through better cars, homes, and other things that put carbon in our environment. As a businessman, he has concerns about climate change and its long-term ramifications for our state’s businesses and tourism.

Chris Peterson, the Democrat candidate also spoke about infrastructure, but there was an emphasis on conservation, renewable energy, technology to save water and public transportation. He was also the only candidate who expressed serious concern for COVID-19 victims, health care workers, and their families. His position on the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline was not clear.

As we move further into this election season, please disengage from just your political party and its rhetoric. Focus on the issues and what they will cost all of us.

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