Now is the time to do this- it won't matter down the road when we no longer get a say. We can no longer sit back and not be active in seeking the best for ourselves and those we love because as much as we wish for peace and to happily enjoy family and life and our blessings - there are those who do not have what we have and will ALWAYS fight to take it away from us no matter our fondest desires and dreams otherwise. Peace is an oxymoron because we will always have to continually fight to maintain it. Don't think that someone else will always do all of the fighting for you- we've very apparently become the minority, do you think that merely desiring to be back to the point where we were the majority (I mean a society full of values, morals, and care for others) is going to work? Guess what the alternative is...
I recently found this UT site (not party affiliated and does not endorse political candidates) that seeks to do just this- to unite us together, to commit to our beliefs and that which keeps us free to live as we wish. You can visit this site to put your name on the list to showcase your belief that we are a state that believes in the NEED for Limited Government. Government does not have many, if any, of the answers for us- in small scale, here in UT.
Here's another opportunity to actively promote your beliefs in an effort to protect them from all the ways others are seeking to overrun them these days: http://sutherlandinstitute.org/ltd_govt.asp
The Sutherland Institute is a conservative public policy think tank committed to shaping Utah law and policy based on a core set of governing principles. We strive to make Utah an example of good government for the rest of the nation and a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
On September 26, 1994, the Sutherland Institute was incorporated. On May 22, 1995, the Institute was granted tax-exempt status and began formal operations.
Over the past 11 years, the Institute has established a presence in Utah politics and law. It is a force for good. And though the words have changed with time, the Institute's Mission Statement has retained the same ideals as when Sutherland was founded by Gaylord Swim.
Sutherland's objective has been, and forever will be, to influence public policy in Utah according to enduring principles such as private initiative, self-reliance, and family as the fundamental unit of society. The Institute seeks to influence law and society, and provide an effective vehicle for fellow Utahns to influence public policy as well.
Sutherland's message is transcendent: RISE above politics as usual. STAND for something good. TRUST in family and community to solve problems. LOOK for lasting solutions, not simply zero-sum results. The Institute's message is inclusive and pluralistic, meaning that Sutherland will find value in the differing opinions of others if value is to be found.
I am committed to limited government. I, along with other Utahns, share the beliefs that 1) government exists to benefit mankind, 2) our American form of a democratic republic works best to secure freedom, and 3) its layers of processes – from its federalism to its checks and balances to its enumerated powers to its inalienable rights – coordinate and integrate a government of the people, for the people and by the people.
I accept that limited government rests on several attributes: local self-government (the government closest to the people is best-suited to make decisions of the people), personal responsibility, an essential balance between self-reliance and charitable giving, a humane rule of law, stable and autonomous families, the maintenance and integrity of private enterprise and community organizations, and the interdependent fabric of social community.
These processes and attributes combine to create limited government.
The primary role and function of state and local governments are to provide a just and orderly system of laws that allow maximum freedom for individuals and communities to safely intersect, effectively interact, and honestly transact with one another. State and local governments should defer action to the private sector whenever possible, and should only be a last resort in providing direct benefits to Utahns.
In my commitment to limited government, at least four principles will govern my official actions:
- Honoring local self-government. Also known as " subsidiarity " we should look to the smallest unit of government in solving personal and community problems – beginning with ourselves, then linking individuals to families, families to neighborhoods, neighborhoods to local government, local government to state government, and state government to federal government, in that order of responsibility.
- Protecting the integrity of the free market. The free market is necessarily characterized by a legal and moral framework. Laws governing private property (the injunction to not take what is not yours), contracts (the requirement to keep your promises), and torts (the obligation to make good on wrongs you inflict on others) must be protected. The free market should be relied upon to generally arbitrate economic development, and state or local governments should not be permitted to compete with or subsidize private businesses.
- Unburdening and uplifting Utah’s families. State and local taxes, regulations, and intrusions should be held to a minimum – only enough to maintain basic order, essential infrastructure, and "safety nets" underlying the general welfare. Proven family structures that unburden society should be encouraged.
- Creating transparent and open government processes. State and local taxpayers should have open and easy access to the many layers of government for purposes of accountability, made easier in an era of high technology that increases efficient and inexpensive opportunities for transparency.
If limited government means anything, it means Utah’s state and local governments keeping their reach, scope, and intrusions in the private sector, and in the lives of functional families, to a necessary minimum in the orderly maintenance of society.
I affirm,
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