WCForum Endorses Dave Thomas to Carry the Republican Banner Into the General Election

Weber County Republicans have two candidates facing off in next Tuesday's Republican Primary in Senate District 18: Senator Dave Thomas, the incumbent, and Challenger Jon Greiner, current Ogden City Chief of Police. Many Weber County Republicans are mystified that Chief Greiner has thrown his hat into the ring, your humble blogmeister included.

Although we would have nothing in particular against Chief Greiner's candidacy if he were not running against a Republican incumbent, we are convinced that Senator Thomas has done a yeoman's job during his tenure, and that there is therfore no arguable reason that he should be replaced. Greiner's public explanation of his rationale in entering the race, urging the "changing of horses in midstream," is less than convincing, from our point of view. Not only that, we believe Weber County Republicans have a significant investment in our hard-working Republican incumbent, whom we believe to have performed with remarkable excellence, during his tenure in his state senate office.

We are therefore strongly endorsing Dave Thomas, for a reprise in Senate District 18.

Dave Thomas knocked off our old Lift Ogden Friend, then-incumbent democratic Senator Ed Allen four years ago, bringing this seat back to Republican hands. Since 2003, he has worked to protect consumers, ensure that there is equity in transportation dollars spent in Weber and Davis counties, and led the fight to guarantee local control of local decision-making in our cities, counties, and school districts.

Sen. Thomas sponsored Utah's Do Not Call List to ensure that unwanted telemarketers could no longer invade your privacy without your permission. He authored the Unified Fire Authority which allows the consolidation of fire services to bring better economies of scale to fire protection. He is also the author of Utah's Religious Land Use Act, which prohibits discrimination against churches. He was one of the forces behind the Legacy Highway settlement and obtaining $51,000,000 in transportation dollars this session to finish widening I-15 in Weber county. It was Sen. Thomas who obtained a commitment from the Huntsman Administration that Weber and Davis counties would be treated fairly in the distribution of Centennial Highway Fund dollars in the future. And it was Sen Thomas who led the fight for Jail Funding Reform in the State.

As the Chair of the Judiciary Interim Committee he is also the leader of the tort reform movement in the State, which has as its goal reducing insurance premiums and health care costs. Recently, it was Sen. Thomas as the Chair of the Executive Offices and Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee who obtained pay raises for our highway patrolmen and corrections officers, as well as additional monies to open up the new POST training facility for law enforcement throughout the State.

Sen. Thomas received the Utah Sheriff's Associations Executive Directors Award for 2005, was named a Guardian of Small Business in 2004, and was just recently named by the Utah Taxpayers Association as "Friend of the Taxpayer" for 2006.

Sen Thomas believes that the issues facing District 18 center around transportation, tax reform, immigration, and education. He is committed to ensuring that monies are appropriated to the Centennial Highway Fund projects for Weber and Davis counties. As can be seen from his past record, he can make it happen. He remains committed to reducing taxes where ever possible. He has supported reducing the State Income Tax from 7% to 5% and using the surplus to fund the reduction. He opposes amnesty for illegal aliens and has suggested that one way to recover the costs of illegal immigration is to impose a 6% surcharge on money wires to other countries, since this is the primary way illegal aliens send money home. That surcharge can then go to the Uniform School Fund to reduce the costs on our schools. With regard to education, he has led the fight against the one-size-fits-all philosophy of the federal government and believes No Child Left Behind has been implemented in contravention of States' rights. He remains committed to merit pay for teachers, which has drawn the ire and some negative campaigning by the UEA. Since 2003, Sen. Thomas has voted to increase funding for public education by over $660,000,000. He is a true friend to educators, but probably not to the UEA.

Sen. Thomas is a self-described fiscal and social conservative, and that is the way his voting record shows him to be.

Perhaps Chief Greiner's own elective political time will come. What's needed now, we think, is proven performance -- and not mere promises.

We urge Weber County Republicans, and ALL District 18 Republicans, to vote for Incumbent Senator Dave Thomas on June 27.