Education is the largest and most important investment Utah makes.Collection: Education
Hope is the poor man's bread.Collection: Hope
I wish I was a wealthy person. I wish I could self-fund.
Strong families are vital to strong societies.
I believe in collaboration and cooperation.
Too often, campaigns are all flash and no substance.
The value of a loving family cannot be understated.
In 2014, Utah cities Salt Lake City and Provo both surpassed Silicon Valley in per-deal venture capital averages. From large, multi-campus companies to promising start-ups, Silicon Slopes offers a promising climate for businesses. The entire tech industry has its eyes on Utah.
Utah's economy stays strong by adhering to conservative fundamental principles: low and consistent tax rates, smaller and more efficient government, sensible regulation, and empowering the private sector to create jobs.
In 2009, during my inaugural address, I expressed the importance of unprecedented partnerships. Since then, Utah's government, business, and education leaders in communities statewide have worked together more frequently and with better results than ever before.
When I entered into office mid-recession, my No. 1 focus was Utah's economy. We set bold goals, and we've built one of the best-performing economies in the nation.
Utah has benefited from setting smart tax policy. That said, public finding is dynamic enough that we cannot just set the tax policy and presume that it does not require continual review and adjustment.
That's a large part of the job as governor: to create and maintain the optimal balance.
My priority will continue to be that we maintain the optimal balance to be able to invest in education and infrastructure while encouraging business growth.
I don't believe we have defined health care reform very well in this country.
The Bush tax cuts, they ought to be made permanent in my mind so there is certainty out there.
Don't spend more than you take in. Control your debt. Empower the private sector. We have 50 states out there that are laboratories of democracy. Why are we not empowering the states to find solutions to our problems, particularly health care, as opposed to looking to a one-size-fits-all solution from Washington, D.C.? That puzzles even me.
There's no reason why fiscal responsibility is a Democrat or a Republican point of view. It ought to be all of our points of view.
Making people's lives better is not a partisan issue.
One person's rights do not have to come at the expense of another's. If we can find common ground on religious freedom and LGBT issues in Utah - one of the nation's most religious and conservative states - we can do it anywhere in the country.
When it comes down to hardball, we have a veto pen, and I've used it in the past, and I expect we will have opportunity to use it in the future. That's the nature of the business.
Utah is America's best place for business because Utahns make it their business to succeed - and we have the track record to prove it.
In Utah, one word sums up our business prowess: investment. Simply put, we know we can't have long-term economic growth and maintain Utah's enviable quality of life without making some critical investments.
It's not enough for just us to invest in Utah; more and more, we are encouraging businesses around the world to follow suit. We want them to invest in and become part of Utah's future and to allow Utah to invest and become part of theirs.
Utah is one of the nation's leaders in rebounding from the Great Recession.
As governor, I enjoy the opportunity to talk about Utah's measurable business success.
From Enve Composites to Bluehouse Skis, Utah companies are making breakthrough products for biking, winter sports, water sports and more.
My message to business leaders is clear: If you are looking to expand your business and boost the bottom line, there is no better place than Utah to do it.
I do believe that the states have the right to make the definition of marriage, and each state can define it as they so choose through their elected representatives.
Utah is no longer considered a flyover state.
Utahns deserve well thought out policy and plans.
I am confident that, as elected officials, we can work together with religious, business and civic leaders, as well as the LGBT community, to develop policies that treat all people with dignity and respect.
As we continue to step up our investment in education, we must not sidestep our commitment to the principle of local control.
Our World War II generation met the challenges of their time.
Once the federal dust settles, whether there is little to spend or a lot, education must continue to be our top priority. We can afford nothing less.
Sometimes, promoting economic development means accepting the Herculean task of moving and modernizing a prison.
While technology and assessment can help complement the important work of our teachers, I worry that we are spending too much of our time testing.
I believe that our teachers need more freedom to be creative in the classroom in order to maximize the time students spend learning, not the time they spend taking tests.
Congress seems to be very good at doing nothing.
Partisanship is not necessarily a bad thing. It leads to new leadership and new opportunities.
Rob Neill has a deep appreciation for the law and the role it can play in the lives of families. Rob's sincere desire to serve and his impressive experience will make him the kind of judge who will change lives and impact families in a positive way.