LAYTON — If former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney becomes president, the best thing he could do would be to follow Utah’s example, Gov. Gary Herbert told a gathering of the Northern Utah Chamber Coalition (NUCC).
For that matter, all of Washington D.C. should look to the Beehive State when it comes to de-regulation, economic development and job creation, said Republican Herbert, who is in the thick of a re-election campaign against Democrat Peter Cooke.
Herbert addressed the crowd of about 125 on Tuesday morning, touting Utah’s economic successes and discussing his priorities for the state. His comments about regulation followed a question from the audience.
“As I get around the country and around the state, the biggest lament I hear from business people is not taxes,” Herbert said. “The one I hear the most complaints about is regulation, and particularly federal regulation. It’s just so obtrusive, so overburdening. There are so many, you can’t even understand what they are.”
Since Herbert took office, 368 Utah regulations that “served no public purpose” have been eliminated or modified by either legislative change or executive order.
“They’re just like weeds that clog a pipe, or a ditch,” he said. “They just grow there and people forget to come back and trim them out. They’re no longer useful. They just clog up the process.”
Beyond removing oppressive regulations, governments at the state and federal level should focus on improving the economy by letting businesses grow, making the most of energy resources and educating a workforce that is ready for industry, Herbert said. Raising taxes is not the answer, he believes.
“We have a lot of people out there that are bad-mouthing wealth and wealth creation and wealthy people,” he said. “If I ask for a job from a poor guy, I’m going to have a hard time getting one. It’s the rich people that are hiring, so we want more rich people to hire more people and expand the economic pie. Many times, it’s not a zero-sum game.”
For more information check out the August 9 edition of Davis Clipper.
rpalmer@davisclipper.com
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