Gregory Duerden

I am excited about running for Governor because I am born and bred in Utah with very deep Utah roots. I know Utah values and have observed Utah politics for over 40 years as a Utah newspaperman and broadcaster - serving communities all over Utah, providing information to voters about what their local and state government is doing and have done. I've seen the good, the horrible, and the waste of money. Recently I was active in the Tax Reform Referendum, getting it repealed - yeah! But I believe Utah Republicans have harmed the state in many other ways - check out my website: gduerden.us to see more details. What I want to accomplish is to provide a Constitutional Solution to many of Utah's Public Education issues, and in other areas, too; fixing the GOP 'tax and spend' proclivity, showing them alternate sources of revenue; and much much more. There is so much to do and we need an Independent Governor to get it done in the right way! For Example: in 1991 & 92 I was part of the SPJ/UFOG coalition who drafted the original GAMA law, which became a national model. Since it was signed into law our legislature has tweeked it over and over; turning it from a national model piece of legislation into a 21st Century PLATYPUS!! Utah also needs the legislature to fall under an independent ethics commission, not keep the in-house 'good old boy' system - every other level of government has ethics oversight outside that level EXCEPT the Legislature. AND so much more!!

• Greg (Duerden) is a 'Duer' who will get more good done for a better Utah future, and done in the right way!
• An Independent Governor will work for the People of Utah and NOT the two major party idealogies. An Indpendent Governor can work with BOTH parties!!
• Dramatic change is needed not another four years of the same from professional politicians handicapped from doing what they know they should by petty party politics!

With 83 grandchildren I AM All-In for K-12 Public Education. I have a way to bring teachers salaries to the National Median without raising any taxes. We need to honor our K-12 teachers more and give them more than the legislature and administration has over the past several decades (that is why we have a huge teacher crisis - thanks GOP elected officials who keep saying 'Education is our top priority' THAT IS A LIE - they are lying to the teachers, the parent AND the students!!)

Utahns deserve less taxes, less regulation and better government. This use to be the Republican mantra but out state budget has grown from $6 billion in 2000 to $20 billion for 2020 (it was set in 2019 and the legislature is setting the 2021 budget in this session).  CATO Institute gave Utah a "D" for expanding government size, out of control budget growth, and raising taxes!

We need more transparency in the initative process and the legislature keeps 'tweeking' the ones the Voters Pass, turning them into something unrecognizable to those who voted for them!

Utah needs to learn the Proper Role of Government and take the principles to heart.

Although the Inland Port isn't up and running ... most Utahns don't know why we need a "port" over 380 miles from any major river or ocean beach. Is this another 2016 Oakland Coal Port fiasco?? (We need to repeal that $54 million loan legislation NOT have it done 'under the table' by a CIB 'enterprise fund!!'

AND THERE's MORE!

I re-enact one of our Founding Fathers (Benjamin Franklin) for our local Fourth of July celebration. I admire the dedication and strength of our founding fathers, all of them. I like some more than others, but my favorite is George Washington. He could easily have been installed as King of America, but he knew that wouldn't be what the colonies needed - another king was not the answer. He was selfless and dedicated to Freedom and Liberty. He did what he knew he must, despite the personal cost or imposition. He was a true hero of his time and was inspired by God to do so much to mold and save this great country. It is too bad we don't teach our youth about him, in depth, so it would inspire the youth, too. Franklin is also inspiring, and he was the President of Pennsylvania a couple of times as well as being an inventor, scientist, philosopher, philanthropist, printer, writer, diplomat, social activist, moralist and is in the swimming hall of fame, too. As is Jefferson, Madison, Adams, and so many more.

My political philosophy is taken from an entire library of books - some very old tomes and some very thick volumes. It takes study to build a sure foundation of knowledge, and mine has taken well over 50 years. So no, not a single book, essay or film . . . but perhaps an in-depth study of the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and how it was brought about, is a good starting point,

On my website are 15 principles of Good Government: from maintaining freedoom via moral law, to supporting and protecting individual rights and freedoms, not infringing freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, state sovereignty , etc.

To me, pre-eminent among them is following the Constitution of the United States and our State Constitution for the benefit of our citizens true Freedom and Liberty. These freedoms and true liberty does not come government or any human being but comes from a higher source, and any attempt at altering, infringing, limiting or violating those freedoms and liberty are done at our woe!

I am a motivated leader of men and women, a good people person, empathetic but not a bleeding-heart. I am secure in my principles and have a firm foundation, developed over decades in business, in financial and human resources, as well as investigative journalism. I am a good communicator in written word, verbally, and face-to-face.

First and foremost, each and every elected official is accountable to those who put them into office (We The People) and no one else! I'm not saying they should only be concerned with those who voted for them, because their responsibility is to each and everyone in their district, their state.

Those who go after the jobs for money, power, self-agrandtisement or any other reason should not be in office. It will not be good for them, even if they skate through for a while. Corrupt politicians will be held to account in a higher court than one found on this planet, and it will be held to account there and then for every action and intent. Don't want to be them!!

If it could be said of me that my family missed me, loved me and look forward to seeing me again in the next life ... I would be more than half way there.
All I can ask that I have done as much good as I could, done little if any harm to man or beast, and have a good heart without doing too much damage to the name my parents gave me, I would be happy.
In addition, if I can be of service to my fellowmen, so much the better.

I recently re-read Jack London's "Call of the Wild" to prepare for the forthcoming movie of the same name. I also loved Senator Mike Lee's "Our Lost Declaration" and Neil Gorsuch's "A Republic If You Can Keep It"

I have buried two wives, and claim 18 children from my three marriages. That has been a struggle. But the joy far outweighs the struggle because I am now the grandfather of 83 children and 6 grand-children (and still counting) That is JOY!!

I think of the Governor as the CEO of the state. He should help direct the state to a brighter and better future, which is not necessarily meaning a larger tax burden for the citizens, nor a bigger government with lots of expensive 'programs' to keep the citizens in subjection to the almighty government. I believe we can teach the legislature and elected officials to look beyond the 'tax and spend' box they have relied upon for too long. We can find less onerous forms of revenue to fund government while still taking care of the most fragile and the most needly members of our society - personal responsibility and understanding is needed on both sides of this equasion! Government cannot do it all for everyone. It was not intended to do that either. But as Chief Executive the Governor must lead by example and by working hard to build consensus in the legislature and in the various arms of government to accomplish great things - not just easy things! He is the one steering the ship of state toward a better and brighter future, away from the rocky shores of debt and too much government.

Utah has one of the better economies of the Nation. Those blessings should be felt by all citizens: poor, middle class as well as the more well off. If only the rich feel the good things while the workers are still struggling to pay the bills ... something must be done (and I'm not talking redistribution of wealth to any degree). Finding the solutions in Constitutional ways and using Constitutional principles is the real answer.

 Growing taxes and the size of government is the opposite direction we should be going.  Less taxation will cause businesses to be attracted to our state, not economic giveaways trying to buy their development and jobs here. With one of the top educated workforces in the nation, and lessening taxes for workers and businesses we can have it all with much less tax giveaways than we have been doing.  If we have such a well managed state why are our liabilities and bonded debt burden so huge for each and every man, woman and child in the state ... but no one talks about it???   Getting out of debt (all debt) must be done before the debt monster eats all of our profits - both Nationally and on the State levels across the nation.  Utah is is good shape but we can do and must do better!

Finally, we have been promised more and more while providing less and less for K-12 Education in Utah. We are still providing much less per pupil than too many states in the nation (we are still too far down the list, if not very far from falling back to 51st in the nation). Our teachers are doing herculean jobs giving students the best they can with what they have to work with. Teachers are under-appreciated and are very much a major part of Economic Development and developers of our state's future. 'Education' is not just K-12 anymore (not since 1996), now it includes Higher Ed, too. Those line items need to be seperated so everyone can see who is getting the tax dollars and where it is actually going.
Developing a budget each year is also big!

I'm big on responsibility, individual responsibility and the responsibility of government (aka: elected officials) to their constituents (the voters AND even the non-voting citizens). Ultimately the budget recommendation of the Governor is not all he can do. He should be talking with legislators (leadership and other members) to build a case for or against other budget ideas. That is what a leader does, L-E-A-D! Lead from the front and take your best shots, do your best ... and the responsibility will ultimately be yours and the legislature's. If everyone does their best, putting aside personal agendas and doing that which they know is best for the majority of people, it will work for the good of everyone.

     I'm not nieve enough to just blow sunshine, but with lots of hard work it will happen ... sometimes despite of the 'Good Old Boys' in power ... but it WILL Happen, the voters will see to it!

Utah does not have that option.

We don't need it. Budgets should be consensus items, not pork barrels the leadership uses to gain support by adding this and that to get a certain vote in their favor. That is not consensus but corruption - buying and selling votes. If the Governor and the Legislature do not EACH do their job, the public will know ... and I will be the first to the camera and mike to praise or call them to account. Accountability of elected officials is done at the ballot box ... where it should be! I have faith in the eletorate, generally.

They should be partners as well as fellow crewmembers on the ship of state. If one doesn't set the sail to maximize the wind, the ship won't go well and may flounder. If the captian of the ship is a Bly - too demanding, not getting along but not being a milk-toast then you know what will happen. Each member of the crew has a job to do. If they do it, and they do it well, they will all make port and deliver their passengers and cargo on-time and for the better. If not, everyone suffers.

    If your partner decides they don't want to work with you, there are ways to re-build bridges and bring them around.  If they are still stubborn, perhaps you need a new partner?  It ultimately takes two to tango, but if each don't do their part it will be a disaster ... however, if each does their part it can be a great performance!!       

     I'm a big boy, or I wouldn't want to get into the game.  I can handle myself and I only want to do the best for our citizens, as - I'm certain most if not all the other partners do too.

I love the people. I love the diversity of climate (desert to alpine), the diversity of beauty (majestic mountains, beautiful rivers and lakes, Canyonlands, Zions, Bryce, Lake Powell, Ski resorts, rodeos, small towns and cities, rural, wilderness, urban ... I love it all). Yet, without the people, their dedication to wanting to improve themselves and others ... it would only be arid loneliness. We have Moab to Park City, Mona to Loa, Dugway to Jensen, Snowville to Monument Valley .... this state is Great!

   Who wouldn't want to be the Governor of such a gem?  I do!!   And I have been in every part of the state: from the Uintah Basin to Red Rock Country in the South, from Ogden to Monticello,  from Salina and Redmond to Rose Park and Provo's East Bench to St. George to Randolph.  

   This state's history is inspiring.  What the pioneers have overcome from the arid waste is inspirational, at the very least!  The pioneers have literally made the desert bloom!! (Fulfillment of scripture, not too bad!)  And it was the PEOPLE who did that! 

Number one is paying for Medicaid expansion in the long run - luckily our legislature has a Medicare Rainy Day fund already set up, so we could be okay ... but it will take close supervision of the budget to make sure.

   We are growing and we need to take a close look at our infastructure, perhaps partnering with counties to help more.  We have to really look at that quickly, before it gets away from us.

   Too many of our children still have to go out of state to find better paying jobs.  We need to incubate more local and better local businesses which will grow into those big and better jobs.

    And there are jobs our High School Seniors will have which have not even been invented yet.  That is a huge challenge to adapt to and try to assist in.