Rick Raile.

1. Please describe your background and what has prepared you to serve in the elected office you seek?

In my lifetime I have worked for fortune 500 companies in Aerospace and Energy, have been a part of government serving on a community council (currently chair of ECCC) and have been a business owner for 30 years. I have a unique ability to solve problems by looking at situations with a 360-degree view. On that subject, putting the same candidates in the Utah State Legislature year after year, is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. I will limit my stay to two terms, as most of what I have to offer will come out in those four years.

2. Earlier this year the Utah Legislature approved S.B. 64, a measure that ties teachers' compensation to their students' performance. Do you support that concept, why or why not? Also, do you feel that the Legislature does or does not do enough to support funding for education?

I do feel that great teachers should be rewarded and poor teachers should be given the chance to improve or let go. I am not a big fan of Common Core and would like to see the state move away from that plan. Class sizes need to come down to 22 or less and the teachers should have interns help them with their work load. PARENTS NEED TO BE MORE INVOLVED WITH THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.

3. Do you believe state agencies are too lax or too stringent about enforcing air and water quality standards? If elected would you advocate more or less regulation of industrial emissions?

We need to explore emerging technologies to help keep our water and air clean in Utah. More needs to be done with the air and water coming from surrounding states. I would concentrate regulatory efforts on key polluters and help them find solutions.

4. The Utah Legislature has tried to address ethics reform, including measures to ensure lawmakers are not unduly influenced by contributors. Do you think those efforts have been adequate or do you think additional ethics reform is necessary? Also, what is your personal policy regarding campaign contributions?

Yes. No. Yes. Some Legislators seem to forget that the job is "representative" to the people in the district they were elected, not representative to those that supported their campaign. This campaign I decided to take as few contributions as possible and walk neighborhoods as much as possible. My campaign has only accepted two small contributions.

5. Last year, lawmakers passed House Bill 363, a Health Education Amendment that would have severely curtailed what could be taught in sex education classes. The bill was eventually vetoed by the governor. Some said the bill was representative of a trend toward more values-oriented legislation. Do you think that is a fair characterization and, if so, is that an appropriate role for state lawmakers?

I have personally taken charge of that issue in my family, because the schools don't teach the scientific fact that the sex drive is our most powerful urge and organized religion regards it as a taboo subject and mandates abstinence. Kids learn about sex from their friends and the internet, like it or not.

6. In its last session the Utah Legislature passed H.B. 148, the Transfer of Public Lands Act, which demands the transfer of about 20 million acres of federally owned land to the state. That land could then be sold or leased for commercial uses. Do you support or oppose that bill and why?

Yes I do, however, I would prefer to pick the land that is valuable to our economy and let the Federal Government manage the rest in the meantime. Utah is rich in natural resources to the point we could succeed on our own for the most part if we were a country separate from the United States. I am not suggesting we should secede, but having access to our resources would probably get us to a point we could send out dividends to every Utahn instead of tax forms every year.

7. Like many states, Utah has tried its hand at enacting its own immigration laws. In recent years, lawmakers have passed (and then rescinded) in-state college tuition discounts for undocumented students who attended high school in the state. They have offered and then discontinued driver permits and have debated legislation that would give local law enforcement officers the ability to determine a person's immigration status. Where do you stand on those specific issues?

I personally think the key issue at the next Governor's conference should be to discuss the current Constitutional law regarding immigration, discuss any changes that might need to be made after the 200+ years due to technology and so forth, write up their recommendations and deliver it to Washington. It's not our jurisdiction. In the meantime, Utah should have a biometrically secured ID card for undocumented immigrants.

8. Please differentiate your platform from that of your opponent.

I want to increase R & D opportunities for high technology companies here in Utah. With the youngest, most educated population, speaking the greatest number of foreign languages in the country, this is the place. We need to stop talking about improving our education system and do something about it by creating our own system independent from the Federal Government. We need to live smarter looking at improving all of our infrastructure to live more efficiently in the future. Call me at 801-583-9998 or at rick@voterickraile.com , lets talk. It would be my pleasure to serve the citizens of House District 28 in the great state of Utah.