Putting Out Fires
Smoke began billowing out of the window of an apartment complex. Someone alerted the mayor of the city to call out the fire department. But the mayor said it was just one apartment, it may not be anything serious, and he had a handle on the situation.
As smoke was blowing out of several windows and a whole floor seemed to be on fire, again the mayor was urged to call out the fire department. Some warned him that the fire could spread throughout the building and to other nearby buildings. But the mayor said it was not a big problem. He had everything under control. Not many people could be affected. There was no need to take action.
After the building was gutted and the fire jumped to nearby buildings, others told the mayor he needed to act. He became angry with them and called them names. He said they were nasty and it was rude of them to criticize him.
When several buildings were burning and threatened more buildings in the city block, the mayor finally went to the scene and called the fire department. He told the deputy mayor to take charge, although he insisted on talking to the press to explain how much he was doing to handle the situation. When some reporters pointed out he had said earlier that there was no problem, he ignored them or claimed that his opponents were to blame for the spread of the fire because they had tried to remove him from office.
This should sound very familiar. Real leadership is not blaming your opponents for your mistakes. Real leadership is not ignoring a problem. Real leadership is anticipating a problem and being prepared for it and putting aside partisan bickering to solve it.
We are in a crisis in the United States today— one that was foreseeable in January. Unfortunately, we have a president who is still stuck on partisan divides—for example, being unwilling to help states where the governor is a Democrat.
The UUP is moving towards providing an alternative—at state and maybe eventually the national level—for voters who are tired of the partisan divide that affects our country even in a crisis. We are seeing that partisan gridlock and divisiveness can have devastating consequences. Even in the midst of a crisis, partisans are having a difficult time giving up their animosity towards the other party.
Join us in forging a new path. Go to unitedutah.org and volunteer and donate to bring people together and end the partisan divides that harm our nation.
Together, Let's Make Utah Even Better
–Richard Davis, Chair
Coming Events at a Glance
We've got some important events coming up in the next few months, so make sure to mark these dates on your calendars.
| Date | Event |
| March 26—April 14, 2020 | UUP County Conventions |
| April 18, 2020 | UUP State Convention |
See other articles below for more details. We look forward to seeing you there!
Upcoming United Utah Conventions
Sanpete County Convention
Wednesday, April 8th, at 7 p.m.
Cache County Convention
Saturday, April 11th, at 11 a.m.
Weber County Convention
Saturday, April 11th, at 1 p.m.
Davis County Convention
Saturday, April 11th, at 2 p.m.
Thank you for your involvement!
County Convention Recap:
Salt Lake County
In the "more intimate" setting of a virtual conference room, Salt Lake County citizens met for their annual convention this last Tuesday, March 31st.
The Salt Lake County chair, Brian Fabbi, opened the meeting and immediately resigned his position as chair to focus on his campaign for State Auditor. Following his resignation, the vice-chair, Jonathan Harmon, was elected to the position of chair, and the secretary, Lisa Gregg, was elected to the position of vice-chair. The secretary position remains temporarily vacant.
Thank you to all those who attended the convention!
Interview: Running for House District 60
An interview with United Utah candidate Christine Heath, conducted by the editor of this newsletter.
What is your political background? How have politics interacted with your life prior to deciding to run?
My first political experience was when I was about nine or ten years old. An older brother had a stuffed animal who was the Mayor/Judge/Police Commissioner all in one. I decided that my stuffed animals needed to be on city council to keep this abuse of power in check. City council was not enough, so I read more about local government in the encyclopedia and my stuffed animals became County Commissioners. That still didn’t work, but that probably had to do with my brother being so much older than me.
I went to my first Republican Caucus when I was seventeen, I was going to be eighteen for the election, so I could participate. My dad was usually the Precinct Chair, so I helped with a number of caucus nights. Some of my happiest memories with my dad were when I was helping him with politics. For a short time, I was an official precinct officer with the Republican Party.
In January of 2018 I joined the United Utah Party and became the Legislative District Chair for House District 60, later I became the interim Utah County Chair. While I was the Chair, I wrote the handbook for Precinct Chairs in the UUP. I finished the handbook on what would have been my dad’s birthday; he died April of last year. He was very proud of what I was doing in the United Utah Party, so I felt that would be a fitting tribute to him.
What office are you running for?
I am running for the Utah House of Representatives, House District 60.
Why that one?
The Utah Legislature is responsible for drawing district lines, which have a huge impact on elections. Also, if we are going to get "big money" out of politics, it needs to happen at the local and state level before we can make changes at the national level.
So what made you decide that running was necessary and important to you?
The purpose of any political party is to get candidates elected to office. The best way I know to learn what it takes to get people in office is to throw my hat in the ring and run for office myself. Third party candidates can also impact policy by bringing solutions to the attention of the general population. The issues most important to me are term-limits, campaign finance reform, and independent redistricting.
As a UUP candidate, what message would you like to get across to voters?
You have more power than you think you do. I can’t champion every issue that is important to you, but I can put you in touch with the networks and resources that can help you to become a champion for your cause. On my website I have lists of organizations so you can expand your network, links to learn more about civics, and suggestions on how to help candidates you support. Learn more at my website: Christine4Utah.com.
What are your main priorities if you do get elected?
Enacting key reforms to get the government back to the people, such as term-limits, ranked-choice voting, campaign finance reform, and independent redistricting.
Forward this newsletter to one like-minded soul today. To find out how you can get involved in United Utah, click here.
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The United Utah Party is dedicated to providing and supporting moderate alternatives to the political extremes.
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