Former Lt. Governor Greg Bell blog posts are below.

I’ve made thousands of friends in Tooele, Marysvale, Bear River, Lindon, Moab, Torrey, Roosevelt, Morgan, Ferron (for Mike Mower), Park City, Cedar City, Richfield, Blanding and Bluff, and all the big places, too.

I express my deep gratitude to the people of Utah for their faith and confidence in me and their support of Utah’s good government. Special thanks to Governor Herbert for the many compelling assignments in higher education, public education, healthcare, rural affairs, etc. I have greatly benefited from the Governor’s humility, leadership, wise and objective decision-making, and the warm collegiality he extended to me.

Thanks to my legislative colleagues for their service and dedication, and for the collective wisdom which emerges from the legislative process. Our legislators are a big part of why Utah tops the charts in management, fiscal prudence, job creation and a business-friendly environment.

The positive atmosphere in the Governor’s office made my job very enjoyable. There is surprisingly little “drama.” Chief of staff Derek Miller has the daunting responsibility, under Gov. Herbert’s direction, to manage the office and the whole engine of State government. Derek juggles all the issues and demands the Governor has to deal with, dousing the many spontaneous fires, but pro-actively driving impressive efficiency and management initiatives.  He‘s a wizard to me. Ally Isom, Deputy Chief, is smart and professional. Try telling her something of current interest that she hasn’t already heard, probably drafted a response to, and anticipated its consequences. It makes a mere mortal’s head spin to watch all she does—quickly and expertly. Mike Mower, Deputy Chief, besides being one of the quickest wits on the block, handles a myriad of issues with a smile and a thank you. Mike brightens every meeting. I have worked especially close with John Pearce, the Governor’s legal counsel. I don’t know what is more compelling about JP, his wickedly clever wit or his legal brilliance. It never seemed like work when John was involved. My gratitude and admiration for the rest of our senior staff will have to be expressed personally, but we have the best.  I will miss them and all our incredible senior advisers and talented staff. Our Cabinet members are wonderful public servants, some of the most capable people in the State.

Mark Thomas, my highly effective, street-smart deputy, the elections office staff, and my speechwriter- blog editor-can-do-everything-guy, Eric Ellis, have become very dear to me. I will miss them like family. My assistant Lynette Erickson, who followed me from Senate, is the quickest, brightest, most effective person I know. The LG’s schedule is so consuming that coordinating even the most basic family activity has to involve Lynette. She can do anything. My wife and family are also in mourning over losing her quiet magic and sweet support.

To my angel wife of 43 years, JoLynn, I love her more than ever. She has stood by me in thick and thin. What character and strength she has. She is my greatest blessing. My children and grandchildren give me happiness I hardly deserve. I thank them for their constancy, interest and support.

I wish my dear friend Spencer Cox well as Lt. Governor. He is the “real deal.” Smart, principled, savvy, and energetic—Utah will grow to love and appreciate him as I do. Enjoy this incomparable experience, Spencer. I support you with all my heart.

Spencer J. Cox was born and raised in the town of Fairview. He and his wife Abby were both raised on farms in Sanpete County, where they learned the value of dedication and hard work. Spencer and Abby both graduated from North Sanpete High School, Snow College, and Utah State University.  While at USU, Spencer was recognized by the Political Science Department as the Student of the Year and graduated with a 4.0 grade point average. He then graduated from the Washington and Lee law school with honors, while distinguishing himself with several accolades, including work on the Law Review.

Upon graduation, Spencer served as a law clerk to Federal District Judge Ted Stewart.  He then began his career as an attorney at Fabian and Clendenin in Salt Lake City. Following the birth of their third child, Spencer and Abby decided to return to rural Utah to raise their family.

Spencer took a job as vice president of CentraCom, a rural telecommunications company. Once a small rural telephone company, CentraCom had expanded to offer Internet and cable TV services. Spencer helped lead his company to develop new business and expand their footprint.  Since he joined the company, CentraCom has doubled in size from 45 employees to more than 90, despite the severe economic downturn. His employer received the news of his departure with mixed emotions—happy the State will gain his services, but disappointed they will lose a star in their company.

Spencer has extensive experience in public service, having served as Fairview City Councilman, Fairview City Mayor and Sanpete County Commissioner. He distinguished himself again as Commissioner during last year’s horrendous Wood Hollow wildfire, which consumed almost 50,000 acres and destroyed over 50 homes. Rep. Cox currently serves in the House of Representatives, District 58.  Spencer was elected by rural economic development leaders and elected officials to serve as my co-chair on the Governor’s Rural Partnership Board.  In that influential position, Spencer acts as a voice of rural Utah to advise the Governor and Legislature on rural economic growth. During his tenure, the Board has significantly advanced the cause of rural Utah’s economy.

Governor Herbert wants his Lieutenant Governor to do much more than cut ribbons and kiss babies. Lt. Governor Cox will be given a large and demanding portfolio. Spencer’s intelligence, integrity, experience and ENERGY will serve the people of Utah well.  I know Spencer will enjoy the same kind of choice relationship I have had with Gary Herbert. What a pleasure it has been to watch this great Governor in action. He receives far less credit than he deserves. A man of character and principle and prudence, Gary Herbert works non-stop for Utah. With Gov. Herbert and Lt. Governor Cox, Utah will have an excellent team at its helm.

In the last two years UTA completed TRAX lines to South Jordan, West Valley City, Salt Lake International Airport, and the extension of commuter rail to Provo.  UTA recently completed construction and began operations on the Draper TRAX Line, the last FrontLines 2015 project—2 years ahead of schedule and $300 million under budget.  FrontLines 2015 was one of the largest public works projects in Utah’s history. I congratulate UTA for successfully fulfilling their commitment.

UTA provides essential transportation options along the Wasatch Front. UTA has over 42 million yearly boardings on their buses, trains and vanpools. Ridership is expected to grow. We all benefit from transit. UTA riders save 29,000 trips in the I-15 corridor each day, the equivalent of nearly 2 freeway lanes. Seventy-five percent of UTA riders have access to a vehicle but choose transit, which creates more capacity on our roads. Our low highway congestion is a big contributor to Utah’s flourishing business sector. The airport TRAX line is especially notable. World class cities have transit to and from their airport. In my mind, Salt Lake has arrived!

UTA’s transit projects not only remove vehicles from our congested roads, they  eliminate emissions from car trips avoided through commuters switching to mass transit.  As Utah grapples with air quality problems, mass transit offers a unique and significant impact in ameliorating bad air quality.

Riding mass transit doesn’t work for everyone.   But it can work for most of us some of the time.  A recent letter to the editor advocated the virtues of riding mass transit.  The author said they would use transit if it were only more convenient.  They were not apparently aware of the irony of their position.  Using mass transit has many advantages but it is more or less inconvenient for almost all of us. You have to meet the train’s or bus’s schedule.  You have to walk at the start or end of your ride.  You don’t have the convenience of a car at work.  But you avoid traffic jams, parking fees, and can maximize your productivity when you ride.  We can all sacrifice some convenience for good air quality.

Utah’s population is expected to grow from today’s 2.8 million residents to 6 million by 2060, putting us among the fastest growing states in the country.  To accommodate this growth, Utah must continue to invest in transportation—both roads and transit.

I’m pleased to see the completion of  UTA’s FrontLines 2015 program, and commend UTA and everyone that participated in the project.

• The U.S. leads the world in increasing oil output, dramatically reducing the country’s reliance on oil imports from just over 60% in 2005 to 40% last year. The U.S. is becoming more energy independent all the time.
• U.S. oil production is at a 24-year high, from just over 5 million barrels a day (MMBbl/day) in 2008 to nearly 8 MMBbl/day today.
• North American oil independence, once only a dream, is within our reach in as little as a decade.
• DOE forecasts fossil fuels will continue to provide roughly 80% of our nation’s energy needs for decades, notwithstanding the conventional wisdom that fossil fuels are “energy sources of the past.”
• Utah’s energy sector has an annual production value of nearly $5B and creates high-paying jobs throughout rural Utah, with roughly 11,000 producing wells today.
• Energy-producing states have low energy rates, robust economies, and low unemployment rates.
• Utah has the 4th lowest energy rate and the 5th lowest unemployment rate in the country–not just a coincidence.
• Oil and gas jobs pay in the $80,000 plus range.
• 76% of Utah’s oil and 66% of its natural gas comes from the Uintah Basin.
• Uintah County has approximately 111 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
• The Uintah Basin contains an estimated 3.1 billion barrels of conventional oil and1.32 trillion barrels of in place oil shale reserve.
• One half of the oil sand deposits in the United States are found in Eastern Utah.
• The typical oil and gas well in Utah creates nearly 12 direct jobs and an additional 15 indirect jobs, totaling 27 jobs per well.
• Energy prices in Utah are about 30 percent below the national average.
• Utah consumers and businesses currently enjoy the lowest natural gas prices in the country, and among the lowest electricity costs.

Governor Herbert has been highly instrumental in bringing all stakeholders to the table to find ways to encourage energy production, while prioritizing the protection of our environment. His ten-year energy plan is a model of balancing all the competing interests in energy.

The Basin’s booming economy owes much of its success to great local county and tribal leaders in the area, such as Tammie Lucero, Uintah Economic Development Director, Johnna Blackhair, Bureau of Indian Affairs superintendent for the Ute Tribe, and Irene Hansen, Executive Director, Roosevelt Chamber. I can’t name all the great contributors from county commissioners to mayors to Ute Tribe leadership. The Basin has some of the most impressive, forward-thinking leadership in the nation.

I hope Utah’s citizens and leaders will not lose sight of the Basin’s significant contribution to the State’s economy and tax base. The Ute reservation holds many oil and gas resources, and the Ute Tribe is a major energy player. The State and the tribe must cooperate to maximize productive, responsible energy development in the Basin. I’m excited for the Basin’s bright economic prospects. I wish them every success.

November 19th marks the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address – one of the most compelling speeches in history.

Great leaders draw on the power of words to change the course of history. Abraham Lincoln was a powerful wordsmith. He loved words.   He employed them for highly virtuous ends. At Gettysburg, his ringing, provoking oratory moved a nation and changed the world.

The Gettysburg Address consists of 272 words. Using simple English words, Lincoln wove them into a fabric of subtle beauty and penetrating meaning. He pithily restated the fundamental principles of our Constitution and the very essence of representative government.

The Civil War answered thunderously in the affirmative the great question of whether or not the States would remain a cohering union. However, from today’s perspective, the pre-eminent outcome of the Civil War was that all people particularly former African-American slaves, shall be treated equally before the law, as established in the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. The Founders unsuccessfully wrestled with the slavery issue. The Constitutional Convention would have collapsed had the Northern States insisted that it be abolished. They left the issue for later generations to deal with, although some knew, even then, that overcoming slavery and obtaining equal treatment under law for all would come at the price of bloodshed.

In his address at Gettysburg, Lincoln spoke of the “unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.” On this 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s great speech we have the opportunity to examine our own progress toward this “unfinished work.” Lincoln’s words remind us that the essence of life, the measure of our humanity is about learning to love people and treating them with the dignity and respect every person deserves, regardless of who they are – rich or poor, high or low, beautiful or ugly.

As chair of the Utah Commission on Civic and Character Education, I’m excited to announce the Commission’s partnership with GettyReady – a Utah nonprofit whose mission is to engage Utahns in a year-long commemoration and celebration of the Gettysburg Address. We are encouraging students, parents, teachers and community members to memorize its simple, yet powerful 272 words. From the address, we hope our citizens will take up what Lincoln deemed “the great task remaining before us.”

We hope that teachers will implement special lesson plans helping students to understand the historical context and meaning of the Gettysburg Address. We challenge families and service organizations to discuss Lincoln’s words and then apply the values and lessons of his message to our modern times. A compilation of resources for teachers, students, families and civic leaders can be found at www.gettyready.org.

The GettyReady challenge is this:  Learn it.  Understand its deep meaning.  Learn to love the essential American republican principles which it so elegantly restates.  Teach it to those around you.

Please join me and thousands of other Utah citizens in first learning, and then living and honoring the ideals which Lincoln so elegantly restated in the Gettysburg Address.

1. Should state government address the issue under the Utah Constitution and the law?
2. Is it consistent with the Governor’s philosophy of limited government, low taxes and personal self-reliance of our citizens?
3. What alternatives have been considered to address the problem?

a. What would happen if it were not funded?
b. Could a partnership with other agencies provide efficiencies?
c. Would new technology be more efficient and save money?
d. Is there a private sector initiative addressing this issue?
e. Could a public-private partnership better address the problem?
f. In some cases, we ask if the intended beneficiaries of the program are paying their fair share. Do the program incentives move people toward self-reliance?

4. If this program is truly a priority, what funds could be redirected to pay for it.

5. Are we growing government, and if so, is this a wise investment over many years because government rarely shrinks.

Our goal is to ensure that the taxpayer gets more and more value for every dollar invested. Accordingly, Governor Herbert launched an aggressive and comprehensive approach to enhance performance and to connect the budgeting process with operations better. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) was recently reorganized to ensure the office had the necessary skills-set and expertise. Specifically, GOMB consists of three specialized teams–each focused on a critical part of performance and the budget.

- The GOMB operational excellence team works closely with agencies to help them improve their quality, capacity and costs.
- The budget and policy team has expertise in economic and policy analysis.
- The financial operations team focuses on the technical requirements for building a high-quality budget and seeks to ensure the integrity of the actual budget process.

Our re-vamped processes and new GOMB team will give state leaders more insight into prioritizing program funding in their existing base budgets and intelligently reviewing agency performance.

The biggest constraint in budgeting is how much money there is to allocate. Tax revenue does not grow consistent with the increase in demand. For instance, demand for Medicaid and unemployment benefits increase dramatically in a bad economy just when tax receipts normally drop. There are some constants in a growing state like ours. It will take about $70M just to finance growth in the number of students in public education.

We will soon begin a round of “budget hearings” in which the Lt. Gov. and GOMB director meet with department and agency heads to hear their requests. One large department is building out their new IT system over a period of years. The Governor will need to balance that request with the entire budget. It’s actually a fun process and nicely emphasizes the priorities the Governor will pursue for the coming year, especially during the 2014 legislative session.

Rep. Steve Eliason and others have championed legislation during the last two legislative sessions channeling resources and attention to this all too avoidable tragedy. He is currently working on parental education and providing free trigger locks. Rep. Eliason has found no group, including gun advocates, who oppose such measures.

Tragically, when a young person takes his or her life with a firearm, 80% of the time they use their parent’s own gun. If gun owners properly secured their firearms, the rate of youth suicide would very likely fall dramatically. Youth suicide is often impulsive, frequently after an intense emotional event like a relationship breakup or failing a big test. If young people can get through their crisis without having access to a lethal weapon, their chances of living are greatly enhanced. If the guns in Adam Lanza’s home had been properly secured, perhaps his blood-chilling shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary may have been avoided.

Suicide should never be the answer! Help is available to anyone considering suicide. They can start by talking to a trusted friend or advisor—a family member, friend, doctor, mental-health professional, or spiritual/ religious leader OR by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

People care, help is available, treatment works, and people can and do get better. There is an unfortunate myth that talking about suicide increases the risk of it happening. But bringing the topic into the open allows a potential victim to disclose his troubles to a sympathetic ear. Shame about being treated as strange or sick prevents most people from opening up. We must give people, young and old, the message that asking for help is not weakness.

We all play a role in preventing suicide. We are significantly increasing efforts at both the state and local levels to prevent suicide. To do so we must come together as families and communities to find the answers.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide please call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to speak with a crisis worker. There is HOPE.

For more information about the State suicide prevention plan or to get involved you can go to http://www.dsamh.utah.gov/docs/utah-suicide%20-prevention-plan.pdf or contact the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health at 801-538-3939. September 10th is the World Suicide Prevention Day which promotes understanding and effective prevention activities internationally.

[My thanks to Rep. Steve Eliason who co-wrote this blog as well as for his great work on this painful topic. I also acknowledge Doug Thomas of the Utah Department of Human Services and his interdisciplinary working group who provided much of the information contained in this piece.]

In June, 1963, a KKK member murdered Medgar Evers, an NAACP field agent in Mississippi. In the South, blacks were barred from the vote, lacked jobs, had inferior schools. They faced legal and de facto segregation. Discrimination abounded in the rest of the country as well. In the 1950s little African-American children had to be escorted to newly-integrated schools by the military. Rather than de-segregate, Little Rock and other school districts dissolved their school systems. Federal marshals had to escort, James Meredith, the first black to attend ‘Ole Miss.

What is it like to constantly face hatred and cruel, demeaning racial prejudice; to be denied your civil rights vouchsafed by the Civil War and guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution; to fear lynching and violence from the KKK, and even antipathy from governors, sheriffs and police—those elected and sworn to protect you and guarantee your rights; endure the epithets, especially thrown at your children; watch your tired mother give up her seat on the bus at the whim of a jeering white teenager; and to be denied a quality education, buying a home and getting a good job?

We needed to hear Dr. King say the blacks must be allowed to “rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice.” It was time to “make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”

Dr. King wisely counseled his own people, “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. . . .we must not allow . . . physical violence . . .must not distrust all white people.”

Dr. King’s remarkable speech and remarkable life brought a new era, new laws, a new commitment. A martyr to the cause, he became our country’s racial conscience. He moved this great country far along the path of ‘not judg[ing] people by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Much of black America has yet to enjoy the fruits of the American dream. Dr. King said, “We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.” I add my prayer that there will be much opportunity left in those great vaults available to the upcoming generations of black children, and that they will claim their rightful share of that opportunity.

While serving as Lieutenant Governor, Gary Herbert created the Native American Summit. This Summit gives a forum to Utah’s Indian population to network with state agencies and other key organizations. Elected leaders from each of the sovereign tribal nations of Utah meet with the Governor and his top staff to address issues important to them. Our planning committee led by Shirlee Silversmith, the Director of the Utah Division of Indian Affairs, did a wonderful job in accommodating over 500 people and bringing in first-rate presentations.

Almost half of Utah’s Native American population resides along the Wasatch Front, not on reservations as many would believe. Here’s a little information on tribes in Utah.

Each tribe has its own government, but Utah tribal members are also citizens of Utah and the United States. They represent 1.5% of Utah’s population. We are currently working with our Native American tribes quite aggressively to improve poverty, unemployment, education and graduation rates, alcoholism and drug use rates, abuse and suicide rates, and provide adequate and preventive health care. Much has been accomplished, but there is still much that must be done to improve Native Americans’ quality of life—with education being the key.

Indian student dropout rates in rural areas range from 60-80%. They face many cultural challenges in school. Innovative programs and teaching methods must be adopted to help them succeed. Also, incentives and scholarships are vital for those who want to go to college and further their education.

At this year’s Summit, we debuted the Summit’s first Youth Track, which featured youth-specific informational sessions focused on education and leadership. We heard from three incredible Native keynote speakers, South Dakota Leader Elsie Meeks, and two young Piute Leaders, Nikki Borchardt, and Xavier Garcia. Ms. Borchardt and Mr. Garcia are both young, successful college graduates who have used their degrees to inspire their communities and create change from the ground up. These community leaders are truly inspiring. They spoke about their personal stories, their advice to youth, and their visions for improving Native American communities, with education being the common thread connecting their success stories. The theme of this Summit, “Turning Vision into Action,” is a challenge that starts with education.