This week I had to the opportunity to introduce a remarkable young man to Utah’s school children. This man is a motivational speaker, has degrees in accounting and financial planning, and is a renowned author.

He plays soccer and golf, and he surfs. He is a husband, and a father to a beautiful baby boy. But it is how he achieved these dreams that makes him remarkable—because this young man has no limbs.

Nick Vujicic was born with tetramelia syndrome, a rare condition in which all four limbs are missing. Nick was bullied as a youth, and he even contemplated suicide. But he overcame his trials and has developed a spirit of faith and optimism that is truly awe-inspiring.

Nick spoke to our schools on Thursday, March 07, 2013, about the damage caused by teen bullying. His message hits especially close to home in Utah, a state where 22.8% of school children have been bullied. We are also particularly concerned with teen suicide. Every death is a tragedy, and we are constantly looking for ways to reach out to our youth and let them know how valuable and significant they really are.

I want to echo Nick’s sentiments, and tell each of our school children that the best things in life are yet to come. Children are our most precious resource, and I believe in a bright future for each and every Utahn.

If a man without limbs can live a rich life without limits—surely each one of us can achieve our dreams if we set our minds to it.

Respect the Second Amendment

I will not support any legislation or proposals—either in Utah or by any federal entity—that would diminish our fundamental right to bear arms guaranteed in the Second Amendment to the US Constitution.

Find rational solutions

Any legislation must be carefully considered and pragmatic, not reactionary nor emotional. We need to work together to find solutions that protect Second Amendment rights and ensure public safety. I will not support message bills that inflame, rather than inform, the discussion. Neither does it help to propose extreme measures that politicize or polarize the debate.

Enforce existing laws

Rather than passing new restrictive federal laws and rules, we should focus our efforts on enforcing current laws, such as preventing firearms access for criminals or the mentally ill. Tighter gun control won’t necessarily prevent isolated, unpredictable, inexplicable violent acts.

Protect the vulnerable

We must not forget our obligation to protect those who are vulnerable. Everyone has a right to assemble in public settings without the fear of being attacked. Children have the right to go to school and be protected from those who would harm them. We must consider all reasonable and Constitutional options to ensure the ability of students to study and learn in a safe environment.

Address a growing culture of violence

We must address ongoing societal degradation of shared values and the expanding culture of violence in graphic movies and video games, which desensitizes all of us, particularly our youth, to the tragic repercussions of gratuitous violence.

Located on Main Street in my hometown of American Fork, Utah, is a car repair shop—World Class Auto Service. After the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), insurance premiums for this earnest, small business doubled within one month and it was forced to drop health insurance for its ten mechanics. But after World Class Auto Service enrolled in the Utah Health Exchange, it restored health insurance and offered employees customized, individual options.

Affordable options, customer choice, and tailored solutions are all available because the State of Utah had the vision—long before health care reform was a gleam in President Obama’s eye—to pursue our market-oriented, private sector-based Utah Health Exchange known as Avenue H. Utah’s overarching philosophy in our approach to healthcare reform is this: The invisible hand of the private sector, operating in a free market—not the heavy hand of government—is the most effective way to reform healthcare.

In all health care analysis, the central challenge is cost. Incentives for providers and insurers simply fail to align with incentives for consumers. Consumers often lack a compelling incentive to seek more cost-effective solutions. Healthcare providers are paid for each service, rather than for each patient they keep well. When costs increase, there is no pressure to be more affordable than competitors.

Rising costs, misaligned incentives, and increasing numbers of uninsured Utahns prompted our pursuit of bold, innovative, state-based reform. We were driven to empower consumers.

Utah’s unique solution allowed a defined contribution, creating greater certainty for small businesses because they can project costs; removed insurance coverage mandates and enhanced flexibility; and allowed consumers to compare prices and value through a consumer-based portal.

However, Utah’s Avenue H is not yet as robust as we anticipated. We have suffered from arrested development, thanks to federal uncertainty.

Now, can the Utah Exchange operate in an ACA world? The law gives significant discretion to HHS, and Utah wants the flexibility to innovate. States are unique, and need unique healthcare solutions. Utah will work within federal law to ensure continued success of our exchange. However, there are some red lines we will not cross.

We will not enforce the individual mandate. Despite the Supreme Court’s ruling, it remains bad policy.

We will not administer Medicaid through Utah’s health exchange. There is a clear distinction between enrolling in private insurance and participating in welfare-based public programs. Those in need should receive assistance, but that determination should be separate.

Utah will not administer individual premium tax credit through our exchange. To ensure Utah’s exchange can continue to grow, Utah made a simple proposal this week to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius: Let Utah to innovate and expand without federal micromanagement.

Utah will bifurcate the central functions of the Utah Health Exchange, continue to operate our small business exchange, and retain oversight of insurance markets. Utah will also retain control of our Medicaid eligibility system and make the final determination of who is eligible for Medicaid and CHIP using our existing system.

Meanwhile, HHS can assume responsibility for the individual exchange, including the website portal for individuals and families, the navigator grant program, and tax credit administration.

Further, we stipulate that HHS will not establish a small business exchange in Utah as long as the State operates a certified small business exchange.

In Utah, we recognize the best way to reduce cost, while improving quality, is through the solid bedrock of free market principles. Policy makers need the essential discipline, focus and restraint to allow those principles to work.

The fundamental position of my administration, and the State of Utah, is clear: With any product, with any service, if you want the highest quality for the most people at the lowest cost, then the private sector, free market system called capitalism has done that better than any institution or idea on this planet. Why would it be any different for healthcare?

The proof of a good solution is when it’s not only good for American Fork’s Main Street; it’s equally as good for New York’s Wall Street.

My fellow Utahns, it’s indeed an honor to be here with you today. I would like to express my appreciation to the musical performers and to all the program’s participants. I also extend my appreciation to our Master of Ceremonies, General Jefferson S. Burton and his troops. We thank the dedicated soldiers and the airmen and women of our Utah National Guard for their service, not only on this day, but for the service and for the sacrifice they offer every single day on our behalf. I also recognize and thank the numerous civic, religious, legislative, and community leaders present here.

I’d like to particularly acknowledge the presence of Attorney General John Swallow, State Treasurer Richard Ellis, State Auditor John Dougall, Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, House Speaker Rebecca Lockhart, Chief Justice Matthew B. Durrant, Senators Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee, and Congressmen Jim Matheson, Jason Chaffetz, and Chris Stewart. Also I’m pleased to say that joining us are former Governors Norm Bangerter, Olene Walker, and Jon Huntsman Junior. I also recognize the presence of former First Lady Norma Matheson.

Let me also take a moment to say that it is indeed a privilege to serve alongside a great statesman, my good friend and colleague, Lt. Governor Greg Bell. I am grateful for the sacrifice both he and his wonderful wife JoLynn offer daily as they serve this state and its people. And before I go on, let me also express my love and appreciation for the first lady of our state, the first lady of my life, my great wife Jeanette. She not only keeps me grounded; she keeps me going. She is my motivation and my inspiration.

Today I placed my hand on sacred scripture, and pledged to serve this state and its people to the best of my ability. I am keenly aware that this is a historic time.We are confronted by decisions that will set our course for generations to come. More importantly, I understand how these decisions will affect the people around this state, and I take that responsibility seriously. As I travel around the state and have the opportunity to meet with you and others to discuss the challenges you face each and every day – I want you to know that it strikes me in a deeply profound and personal way. Although our circumstances have changed over the past 150 years, the strength, the character, and the very fiber of Utahns have largely remained the same. The resilience, the determination, that same pioneer spirit, that same strong will in the face of adversity, that same “can-do” attitude, is just as evident in 2013 as it was in 1847.

For example, during the wildfires that plagued us last summer, the Wood Hollow Fire broke out in central Utah. The fire spread quickly and soon surrounded homes and cabins in the foothills near Indianola.  Law enforcement and volunteers went house-to-house alerting neighbors to evacuate immediately. Two of those volunteers were Dave and Janice Taylor. While Dave and Janice were assisting others, tragically their own home went up in flames. I met with them just a few hours after that devastating loss.  Dave and Janice told me that, although they lost their home and all their possessions, they still had each other, they had their family, they had their faith, and they would find a way to carry on. Their courage inspired me.

A few days later, I learned that the wind had kicked up again, and the flames were raging, and the town of Fairview was being evacuated. I immediately drove south to coordinate with local officials. When I arrived at the fire station in Fairview, I was surprised to find Dave Taylor there helping to coordinate evacuation efforts. I then noticed his wife Janice helping serve dinner to the fire fighters. I gave the Taylors a quick hug and asked them how they were doing. To my surprise they replied, without any hesitation, that all things considered, they were fine, but that others might not be, and they were there to help. The Taylors and other families like them are heroes of our state. People who care more about others than they do about themselves, they make this state great.

The people of Utah are no strangers to adversity, and our history proves that we are no strangers to accomplishment. One of the most inspiring events in Utah history is the story of the Hole in the Rock Pioneers. In November of 1879, 236 men, women, and children answered the call of their leaders to leave their homes in Iron County and colonize the remote San Juan area of southeastern Utah. This dedicated group traveled for two weeks across rugged terrain until they reached the edge of the mighty Glen Canyon. Nearly straight down, more than 1,200 feet below the canyon rim, was the Colorado River.

The pioneers had reached a seemingly impassable obstacle. The passage to the river was rough and narrow and very steep. Huge boulders blocked the way. Their supplies were limited. Winter conditions had set in and yet the group persevered. For six weeks the men crafted a trail down that sandstone cliff. They blasted away boulders and chiseled rock and created a trail on which the wagons could travel. Near the bottom of this route, when the grade became too steep for the wagons, the men drilled holes into the stone wall of the canyon every two feet and pounded in oak stakes. They then covered those stakes with branches, and brush, and gravel.

This created a primitive, yet a passable road. It took ten to twenty men, and even some horses, to hold each wagon and keep it from plummeting out of control while navigating this very challenging route. Yet, this improvised trail proved sturdy enough to support the pioneers and their eighty wagons and they were able to slowly move down that ravine.

When they reached the bottom of the trail and stood on the shores of the mighty river, the pioneers kept working and overcame their next great challenge: moving each of their wagons, and 1,000 cows, and getting their families safely across the 300-foot-wide Colorado River. I’ve been there, and as I’ve stood on the edge of that canyon and looked at that route. I could only imagine what each mother and father must have felt as they guided their families and all their possessions down that very steep and very treacherous trail.

I know that many of us have had similar feelings of concern for our families as we watched our nation’s economy careen out of control, and perch precariously on the edge of collapse. Just as steady hands and strong hearts, we’re needed to carefully guide those wagons down the west wall of the Glen Canyon. Principled leadership and hard work with everyone’s participation, was needed to guide Utah through the worst economy since the Great Depression. But when we reached the bottom of the recession and our economy stabilized, the journey was not yet finished. Just as that weary, yet tenacious group of settlers faced a harrowing path back up and out of the other side of the canyon, our State too faced a steep and difficult economic route upward. We accepted that challenge, and we made that climb, one determined step at a time.

In times of great strife and difficulty, when our course is steep and we are weary, it may be tempting to take a shortcut, to postpone difficult decisions, to abandon our commitment to principle in favor of political expediency. But as I was taught by my parents, principles are not relative. Whether you are a contractor like my father, or a teacher, or a small business owner, or a doctor, or a farmer; for a family or for the government, principles always hold true. And true principles are the surest foothold for good governance.

In Utah we honor the principle of individual liberty coupled with individual responsibility the power of people to work, to produce, to innovate, to be self-sufficient, and to be rewarded for their efforts. We understand that the most powerful engine for prosperity in the history of the world is the private sector operating in a free market system. We believe in the principle that we achieve the best outcomes when everyone is engaged, and if we all participate with a sense of unity towards our goals, we will have a greater chance for success.

I want you to know that I am unwavering in my commitment to ensure that we are all a part of Utah’s success. We all know that the correct path is often not the easy path. This has been true both today and in years past. When the Hole in the Rock party crossed the great Colorado River and began the ascent up the canyon’s other side, when their muscles ached and their resources were low, they could see that the path ahead still remained difficult.

For many Utahns today, the path ahead remains difficult and challenging. Like the pioneers, I recognize that we still have a ways to go. To each of you I say, have courage! Have faith! There is reason to be optimistic. Utah’s economy is recovering, and is growing once again. We are making progress, and we will reach our destination. We are stronger because of our difficult climb because from adversity comes strength, and from strength comes success.

Now the heroes of our Hole in the Rock story made it out of that rugged canyon. Their success had less to do with their tools, and their cattle, and their wagons; and more to do with their character. These people went on to tame the rough San Juan region. They built schools, they planted crops, they established businesses and communities, and they raised families. We remember them, we honor them, not only for their legacy and accomplishment, but especially for their character. That same character is ingrained in the people of Utah today. It is who we are.

I remember about two years ago shortly before my mother passed away, when I was visiting with her, she looked at me and said, “Gary, do you ever just pinch yourself when you think that you are the Governor of our State?” I said to my mom, “Yes, I do!” And then she said, like any proud mother, “You know, I pinch myself, also.” She realized what an honor it is to serve as the Governor of this great state. She also realized that she lived in a country and a state where anyone’s little boy or little girl can grow up to become the Governor.

It is truly an honor to be your Governor. It’s a humbling opportunity. I wish that you could all see what I see, and feel what I feel as I travel around this state and meet with so many great and wonderful people. I see people and families who face their own unique challenges with courage and determination, showing charity and compassion for neighbors, and a steely-eyed commitment to move forward. Whether you’re an 8th generation Utahn, or new to the Beehive State, we all stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us and we should all strive to make things better for those who come after us.

I love this state and I love its people. We can be and are becoming a great example to the rest of this country of good governance and quality communities. I believe Utah’s best days are still ahead of us! May God bless us all in this effort, may God bless this nation, and may God continue to bless the Great State of Utah.

Last February it was my great pleasure to host the first annual Utah Governor’s Energy Development Summit. That extraordinary event brought one thousand industry leaders, government officials, academics, resource advocates, and others together to advance the dialogue around responsible energy development in the great State of Utah. By all accounts, the event was an overwhelming success, and I fully expect the Energy Summit will be the premiere annual forum for the energy sector in the West.

My Office of Energy Development does a great job orchestrating the event. This year’s Summit, to be held at the Salt Palace Convention Center on January 10th and 11th, will host 1,600 attendees, and will offer two full days of thoughtfully crafted plenary and panel sessions that address the full breadth of energy resources and issues. The complete Summit agenda is online at energy.utah.gov, and more details will be available weekly.

I look forward to attending and addressing Summit participants. The event is not only an opportunity to acknowledge and thank the entire energy industry; it also validates the significant economic value they provide the State. Moreoever, the Summit provides a worthwhile opportunity to learn more about current projects and future energy efforts, including technological advancements and the development of new resources.

By naming energy, along with education, jobs and self-determination, a cornerstone of Utah’s economic recovery and prosperity, I recognize the foundational importance of energy development to the state’s future well-being and competitiveness. The 2013 Utah Governor’s Energy Development Summit is a vehicle to advance that understanding, and to move us closer to Utah’s strategic energy objectives. Please join me in January at the Summit and join the effort to responsibly optimize Utah’s energy resources and potential.

By Governor Gary R. Herbert

A quick online search indicates that for every inch of rain that falls in Utah, three fall in Virginia, and four fall in Louisiana.  So intuitively, given the relative aridity of much of the State of Utah, most folks would not guess that biomass is potentially a significant source of renewable energy here.  However, in recent years conservationists and foresters here in Utah have begun to identify vast biomass resources that offer great potential.

Back in September my energy advisor, Cody Stewart, traveled to Beaver to meet with many forward-thinking Utahns who are focused on biomass resource, and upon returning, he shared some exciting stories and described some compelling opportunities.

The State of Utah has a few primary biomass resources that include everything from invasive species that are being pro-actively eradicated (pinyon/juniper, phragmites), to native flora that have been damaged by diseases or insects (“beetle-kill” pine), and even agricultural crops (safflower, other oil seeds).  Depending on the resource, there are opportunities for generating electricity, creating high-value liquid fuels or bioplastics, and producing a variety of “bio-chars” that can be put to a range of uses.  So when we talk about biomass as a resource, it’s not just an energy resource, but a resource that can offer many distinct economic development opportunities.  This is exciting for Utah, because it means a wholly new facet to the broader picture that is Utah’s natural resource sector.

By my understanding, the value of biomass resources is potentially much broader than the energy and economy.  Phragmites grasses are invading the shores and marshes of the Great Salt Lake, providing no real food value or protective cover for waterfowl, and pushing out those species of plants that do provide good habitat.  Similarly, as the invasive pinyon and juniper trees march across the landscape, they force out the native sage brush, ruining habitat for the sage grouse, along with other species that rely on the native flora.

Anytime economic values and conservation values align, I see real opportunity for the State of Utah.  While we witness rapid economic growth along the Wasatch Front, opportunities for rural communities have been less forthcoming, and so I am excited to hear more about biomass in the coming months.  At my 2013 Governor’s Energy Development Summit, being held at the Salt Palace Convention Center on January 10th and 11th, there will be a panel discussion that addresses some of these issues, and I encourage you to attend.

Opinion written by Connecticut State Senator Rob Kane

I recently visited the Uintah Basin, home to Utah’s thriving energy sector. Utah’s natural resource industries collectively provide about 23,000 jobs, pumping more than $230 million of direct revenue into our economy. The economic benefits ripple beyond industry jobs, though.

Because Utah energy costs are 31 percent below the national average, businesses are attracted to our state. In fact, the National Security Agency is building its first Comprehensive National Cyber-Security Initiative Data Center in Utah largely because of our abundance of stable low-cost energy.

As governor of this great State, my goal is for Utah to produce 25 percent more energy than we consume by the year 2020. By investing in responsible energy development and aggressively pursuing technological innovations in energy efficiency, we can reach this goal.

I appreciate hard working Utahns, such as those in Uintah Basin, who labor and innovate in our energy sector. As energy continues to be a critical national security issue, Utah is certain to play a major role in the development of domestic energy sources.

To read The Washington Times Editorial posted Tuesday, July 31, 2012 visit: http://bit.ly/NU71fv

The full title of what most call Obamacare is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The irony is it neither protects patients nor is it affordable. In fact, PPACA is a misguided budget-buster that falls short of real health care reform, undermines state solvency and subverts individual liberty. For those reasons, Utah is in no rush to adopt any Medicaid expansion and will continue to pursue pragmatic, principle-based reforms, regardless of elections or Congress‘ partisan balance.

Of course, we care about better health and an improved system, but it’s breathtaking that in order to comply with the individual mandate for insurance, just covering Utahns presently eligible for Medicaid but not yet enrolled will cost the state $940 million the first decade and $1.88 billion the next decade. Then the Medicaid expansion tacks on an additional $240 million the first decade, and $480 million the next. In other words, even if Utah does nothing, Obamacare will completely unravel our state’s uniquely positive financial outlook.

Utah has defined a clear vision for health care: We will pioneer health care innovation and reform, harnessing the power of collective efforts and market principles as we become the healthiest people in the nation. Our efforts include solutions for low-income, uninsured and vulnerable populations.

But in contrast to federal solutions, the philosophical framework for Utah’s vision is personal responsibility. Reform must align incentives and empower people to make better choices — and reward them when they do. Most importantly, reform must reinforce basic principles of free markets — principles like flexibility and certainty. PPACA stifles both.

Washington appears to have forgotten that Medicaid is supposed to be a bridge, not a hammock. To that end, Utah has proposed thoughtful and potent Medicaid waivers to deliver care to the most vulnerable while protecting the program’s long-term viability. Our goal is to help people in need but prepare and empower them as their situation improves.

Yet it is those most vulnerable — those whom Obamacare professes to protect — who will be most victimized by shrinking access to eligible providers, and hidden taxes and regulation that drive up the costs of life-saving medical devices.

Utah continues to use and explore customized reforms like greater flexibility, accountable care organizations and paying for quality instead of quantity, cost-controlling features, electronic records management systems like Utah’s Clinical Health Information Exchange, a market-oriented health insurance exchange, and our All Payer Claims Database. True reform adds real value.

At this time of economic uncertainty, Obamacare will effectively kill every state’s efforts to maintain balanced budgets — all at the sacrifice of other critical priorities. Right now, Medicaid consumes 21.5 percent of Utah’s budget, nearly double what it was a decade ago. Adopting the expansion could cost Utah $1.3 billion over the next 10 years. Where will that money come from? Take no consolation in false assurances that the federal government will offset costs. It all comes from the same wallet — the American taxpayer’s — and alarming federal deficits should be a major concern for every one of us.

If we truly want to cut costs, the administration should cut strings attached to Medicaid and issue block grants to states. Give me less money and no strings, and I’ll deliver better services.

PPACA has too many rules and too few answers. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court’s ruling has only exacerbated marketplace uncertainty. Restoring market confidence and stability will come when we strike the right balance between costs and benefits, between compassion and dependence, and between freedom and accountability.

Unfortunately, with its top-down, one-size-fits all approach, Obamacare doesn’t really fit anybody. At this juncture, as states assess their options, it comes down to this: The statehouse, not the White House, should be leading the charge on one of the most complex issues of our day. It is time to reset the health reform conversation, and repeal and replace PPACA with state-driven, people-centered and market-oriented innovations. States simply cannot afford the Affordable Care Act, and neither can the American people.

What a privilege it is to celebrate Pioneer Day and honor those who came before, as well as their incredible sacrifice and their unparalleled legacy. I am grateful to claim a rich pioneer heritage, as I have ancestors who crossed the plains, both with Brigham Young and with the Martin handcart company. My great grandfather Stephen Chipman settled American Fork City in the summer of 1850. Members of my family have lived there for generations, and it is the place of my birth.

Utah’s history is laced with stories of those who sacrificed everything to travel to Zion, building a promising future for generations to come. They faced an unprecedented adventure, leaving their homes and all they knew in the face of tremendous persecution, blazing the trail to settle the West. While there are many accounts of strife, hardship, and immense personal loss, there are many wonderful stories of endurance and miracles as well.

As I study the lives of the pioneers, I am struck time and time again by their unquenchable determination and fire of faith. May we remember their significant contributions and work to follow their example of resolve, devotion, hard work, success, and faith.