Bill Orton (D): My name is Bill Orton. I had the opportunity to serve the people of Utah for six years in the Congress. I have a family-- my wife and two sons.

I have gotten back into politics really because of education. Six years ago the Governor promised our children a world class education. I don't know anyone who would define our education system as world class. And why not? We've had a republican governor and a republican legislature, and eight years of the best economy in our state's history.

If we're not going to fix and fund education when the economy is best, when will we do it? So I'm running to make this election a referendum on education.

Mike Leavitt (R): I've been serving the people of this state for the last number of years. It has made me very optimist and excited about what is going on in this state.

I get optimistic when I go to schools, like I was last week at Grandview Elementary, and saw a teacher receive a wonderful grant for her good teaching, and talk with the principal at Grandview, who told me their class sizes are in fact getting smaller, their reading scores are improving.

Makes me optimistic as I travel up and down the state to places like Ogden and West Jordan and Utah County, where I see new jobs created... 275,000 new jobs in the past eight years. Our jobs aren't just more plentiful, but they're better. We're earning more against inflation.

I'm optimistic as I drive down I-15, and I see I-15 ahead of schedule and under budget. I'm looking forward to serving the people of this state because I believe we can together make this a brighter future.

Class Size

Nadine Wimmer: Education is a top concern for many Utahns. There are many needs-- more textbooks, more teachers. But tonight I'd like to focus our talk on class size. How will you specifically cut the number of students in every class?

Orton: We have to do it by cutting the number of students in every class. We start out by counting the noses in the classroom, not just having a teacher-student ratio, because there are a lot of people who have a teaching certificate in the system who aren't actually teaching.

We need to go out and actually determine how many children are in the class and we need to lower those classroom numbers. The way you have to do it is by providing more teachers, providing more space.

You have to simply bring down the class sizes. And not just in kindergarten and elementary school, but you have to do it across the board, in junior high and high school. When you've got a classroom size of 35, 45 students, it's difficult to even keep control of the room, let alone be able to teach.

Wimmer: It's about $40 million to cut class sizes by even one student. How do you do it financially?

Orton: There are a number of places you look for the finances. First of all, the governor pointed out that we have a $250 million surplus next year. Most of that is in education funds.

We also have had a surplus over the past several years in the education fund that we haven't spent. We've allocated money from the education funds into the general funds, funding higher education.

Wimmer: You'd separate that?

Orton: I would separate that. I would continue funding higher education, but I would use the school funds for what they are constitutionally mandated for, that is funding public education.

Wimmer: Mr. Leavitt, how would you lower class sizes?

Leavitt: We actually have been doing so. We're not where we'd like to be yet. We focused on kindergarten through the third grade, because that's the point where children learn to read. We were able to reduce it by an average of three students.

We also focused on middle schools. We reduced those by an average of two. Still larger than we'd like them, but we're making progress. We'll continue to focus on individual areas, because school districts need to have the option of reducing them the way they will.

One of the problems with the plan is we'd all like to reduce them by as much as five across the board. But that takes 6,000 new teachers. That will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 million, plus $1.5 million to build the school rooms, another 50 for principals. It equates really to another tax increase.

The difference we're talking about is we're doing it as we can, having the districts do it with local control. And we're making tax cuts.. excuse me.. tax increases, the last option.

Leavitt on Olympics

Wimmer: A question for each of you relating to your individual campaigns, so we were not going to ask your opponent for a rebuttal to these particular questions.

Mr. Leavitt, the next governor will preside over the 2002 Winter Olympics. There have been some who have said that the Games are tainted by the way in which our state won these games, and it happened under your watch. How do you respond to that?

Leavitt: I'm proud of the leadership I've shown in being able to assure that the Olympics have gone forward with the pledge that they will be paid for within the existing Olympic revenues.

The minute we knew there were things that could have happened that were unethical or illegal, I stepped in. I cleaned it up. I put Mitt Romney back in charge and have been able to move forward with what will now be a very exciting, successful Olympic games.

This will be a seminal moment, a seminal moment in the history of the state. Four billion people will see the snow packed peaks of the Wasatch Front, the blue skies and the warmth of our hearts, our red rock country.

I feel very proud of our state and what I have done to be able to bring the Olympics about in a very positive, powerful way that will, I think, serve generations to come.

Orton on Experience

Wimmer: Mr. Orton you served in Congress for six years representing the third congressional district of Utah. But you've never held a state office. Why should voters choose you as their next governor?

Orton: I believe voters are going to have a clear choice in this election, between politics as usual and big money interests in government, and someone who is willing to come in and do the job and really try to change things.

I've said I won't take political action money or corporate money-- large contributions. I believe we have too much influence in government in politics.

The best example people can think about right now is HB 320-- the Questar bill. That came about as a result of closed government, as a result of big business writing laws, passing them through.

I believe that people deserve to have a choice. They deserve to have a choice of someone.. I will serve one term, because I believe you can get more done in four years focused on people's interests, than eight or twelve years of fund raising, campaigning and politicking.

So I just offer myself.. they know me, they've seen me. I have a reputation for representing the people. And I'm willing to stand on that reputation.

Liquor Laws

Wimmer: (Yes or no questions) Would you support a change to Utah's liquor laws to accommodate the Olympics?

Orton: No, I don't think we need one, but we're going to have to deal with it in the courts.

Leavitt: No.

Concealed Weapons

Wimmer: Would you sign a bill into law that would prohibit concealed weapons in schools and churches?

Leavitt: I would sign a bill that would prohibit.. yes, the answer is yes.

Orton: Yes.

Transportation

Wimmer: Would you support public spending on public transportation or on more roads?

Orton: I would deal with mass transit first.

Leavitt: We'll have to do both. We'll have to build the Legacy Parkway. We're going to have to continue to build I-15. We're going to have to have mass transit. We have to do both. We're doing both.

Vision For The Future

Orton: I appreciate the opportunity to sit before you again tonight and to ask for your support and vote.

I had the opportunity to serve you for six years in congress. Most of you out there know me, you know my reputation. I have a reputation for being a political maverick, for voting my conscience, for voting your interests.

I want to serve you to fix and fund the education system, to solve health care problems in this state, to fund the programs for those people who cannot assert themselves-- the aging services, the child services. And I want to do it without raising taxes. I'm going to do it by growing the economy.

I'm optimistic about this thing, I'm convinced we can do it if you have someone who is willing to tell you what they think and do what you say. That's my reputation and that's how I'll serve you. Thank you.

Leavitt: Deanie, one of your colleagues in the media recently asked me how I believe a public servant ought to be judged. My answer was three things-- One, did they leave it better than they found it? Second, did they plant seeds for future generations? Third, did they give it all they had?

I've had the privilege of being able to serve the people of this state during a period of time when we've had great prosperity. We are leaving it better than we found it. We're planting seeds for the future.

I want very much to continue my service, because I'm optimistic and feel a sense of profound excitement about the things that can happen here.

Our schools are improving. Our economy is strong. Our air is cleaner. Our water is cleaner. And we have what I believe to be the opportunity to leave the next generation not something that's simply our heritage, but also our legacy. Thank you.