By Julie Johansen
John Curtis, Republican candidate for Congress, met with concerned county leaders at Emery Telcom Tuesday morning to discuss his views and answer questions.
Curtis began by introducing himself as the mayor of Provo City for the past eight years. He stated his belief was to “Run hard and get out strong.” He also said, “It was the most rewarding and fun ride ever.” Curtis has decided to run for the congressional seat left vacant by Jason Chaffetz instead of filing again for the mayoral position. He calls himself an entrepreneur as he started his own business, Action Target, which supplies equipment for shooting ranges worldwide. After selling his business, he began his political career.
During the meeting, Curtis responded to a question on the EPA restrictions and the pending litigation of the State of Utah with the EPA over regional haze. Curtis responded that he has lobbied against the EPA and believes in the local plan.
Curtis also reported that he had just left The Bears Ears Monument area where he spoke to many local citizens about the impact of the federally mandated monument. He was familiar with the template Emery County has drafted to move forward and gives his support. He feels that the best governance for anything is closest to the people.
When talking about economic development, Curtis related his success in Provo. He remarked that the local area has an abundance of resources but needs a “cheerleader” or someone to brag about it so it can be heard. He also serves on the state economics board and repeated that there are funds available. He feels he could be instrumental to send funds this way.
Curtis was pleaded with to help the Water Conservancy District obtain the title to the water rights in the Joe’s Valley Project. He promised to be an advocate and use his skill set to find a solution for this project.
When questioned about health care and its effect on Carbon and Emery counties, Curtis said he was actually a little embarrassed by fellow Republicans with their back and forth. He believes the proposed health care plan needs to be thoughtful and careful in order to be on the right track.
Other areas of concern directed toward the candidate included the federal transportation tax and securing coal ports on the west coast.
Congressional hopeful Curtis closed by telling how and why he changed parties from Democrat to Republican. He stated that it was basically because he believed that everyone needed opposition when running for office in order to be the best candidate. He feels that there is very little difference in the parties platforms and he is a collaborative person who likes to be tested and prodded.
Following the meeting with local leaders, Curtis then took time to film a “Heart of Utah” episode with host Randy Johnson and ETV 10. The 30-minute episode features Curtis’ views on rural Utah and his plans to help Carbon and Emery counties have a voice in Congress.