Millard is a dynamic guy who thinks outside the box. But his proposals for solving the state's chronic underfunding of schools through energy development are highly speculative. They probably cannot succeed without technical innovations that may not occur. Even then, the environmental price might be unacceptable.
By contrast, Hemingway's ideas are straight out of the Utah Democratic playbook. But they are doable. On balance, voters would be better served by his ideas, at least in the short term, because they are grounded in the reality of the here and now.
Utah's public school enrollment growth and huge class sizes are upon it today. The state cannot wait to solve its chronic education funding dilemma by banking on energy development that may or may not play out in 10 or 20 years.
Hemingway criticizes the current Legislature for its $76 million income-tax cut, saying that the money should have remained in the education budget. He would not support school vouchers that would send public funding to private schools. He says that charter schools seem to be elitist, noting, wryly, that he's not in the charter-school construction business.
He supports the proposed quarter-cent sales tax increase for transit and the Mountain View Corridor in Salt Lake County, arguing that TRAX has proved its worth and that more mass transit is critical to air quality.
Both he and Millard would consider raising the state gasoline tax to pay for road construction.
Hemingway says he got into the race because he is tired of the Legislature spending 40 of its 45 days in general session on "message" bills, while doing the bulk of the public's work in the last five days and in closed Republican caucuses.
That's not a big idea. But it's true.
House District 40 extends roughly from 3000 South to 5600 South between 900 East and Highland Drive in Salt Lake County. It also takes in parts of Murray and Holladay.
