Election Reflections: Collecting Project
Utah State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives
Election: 2018 Federal Midterm Elections
Name: RooseveltBoy
Self-Description: A native Wasatch Front resident that took up a position in county government a few years ago.
Date and time of submission: 11/16/2018 12:16:38 PM
Country:
United States
Birth Year:
1982
State:
Utah
Gender:
Male
County:
Duchesne County
Ethnicity:
White
City:
Roosevelt
Hispanic:
No
Political Affiliation:
Republican
LGBT:
No
Voted in Election: Yes
First time voter? No
What prompted you to vote as a first time voter? N/A
Posted this reflection to social media? No
Social media venue: None
Reflection:
Local county elections and the statewide initiatives dominated most of the election conversation where I live in Roosevelt, Utah in 2018. Here most of the election is determined in primaries. While various positions went unopposed, one was particularly heated with the county auditor. The incumbent had my respect. Her campaign was not based on trying to point out faults of her opponent. The opposite was true of her challenger. The incumbent was also ripe to be knocked off after her department made an error with some of the primary ballots. One precinct's ballots had one of the races left off. They had to be re-printed and re-mailed. Instead of hiding the issue or trying to settle it privately, the auditor was public, admitted the fault, and worked to quickly remedy it. My precinct's ballots were involved and the issue was speedily resolved without much trouble. I respected that greatly. She eventually won the primary and I know that it wore down on her. Even though she won she feels very much that she won't run again. So much bad-blood has grown and friends have been lost over these elections from what she shared with me.
The race for Ron Winterton for state senate was also significant here. Many feel that if Ron didn't win that the Uintah Basin's voice, economy, and way of life would be ignored on a state-level. There is a fear that the large urban areas feel that the oil and gas industry is just not as needed. Yet, the state benefits greatly from the mineral rights and sales. It is a tough balance. I do believe people around here do care about taking proper care of the land, but they also believe there is a balance in utilizing the land properly. The fear is that strict-environmentalism Election Reflections: Collecting Project
Utah State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives
will oversee the good the local economy produces here. In the end Ron did win the seat and people in the Basin were quite pleased with that.
There were so very many questions up for ballot this year. The clearest one was allowing for the calendar adjustment of the military tax exemption. Many of the others were such a mix of ideas that had good points, but also seemed to have some possible bad. Many I associate with were against Prop 2 concerning Medical Marijuana, especially after state leadership announced a compromise would be reached regardless of the election. I was happy about that. Question 1 concerning the gas tax for roads and education had mixed feelings around here. The school districts already claim the vast majority of our property taxes. I think many feel they already take so much. Also, many here felt that the proposed tax levy was not equitable across the state. People who live and work in a city don't use as much gas or need to drive as far. For people in the rural Uintah Basin, driving long distances to get to work, businesses, or services is part of life. If rural Utahns are doing significantly more driving, that tax levy will be heavier on them. The billboard I saw in favor of Prop. 1 stating it would only cost $4 per month was simply not accurate for many of my neighbors living in the Uintah Basin. It could end up being double for many of them. I think the idea had good intentions, but again was not equitable. I suppose the argument could be made that that is part of lifestyle choices and living further away from urban areas. But the agriculture and oil and gas mining done is this area is also still very important for the state as a whole. There was two sides to that Proposition's coin for sure.
Item Call Number: SCAFOLK061-Fed-Mid-2018-019
U.S. Election Reflections Collecting Project
