From Deseret News archives:
Habla Espanol? Candidates do at forum
6 address issues of importance to Utah's Hispanics
About 150 members of the Salt Lake area's Hispanic community gathered at the Utah Cultural Celebration Center, 1355 W. 3100 South, to listen to three gubernatorial candidates and two attorney general candidates address issues important to Hispanic Utahns. Though the forum did not include a spot on the agenda for the county mayor's race, Democrat Peter Corroon also made an appearance and spoke briefly.
All six candidates incorporated some Spanish into their remarks. Republican Attorney General Mark Shurtleff was the most fluent, giving all of his opening remarks and answering most of the questions entirely in Spanish even after organizers told him that some of the audience didn't understand Spanish.
Democrat Scott Matheson Jr. and Republican Jon Huntsman Jr., vying for governor, both praised the state's Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) but said it needs to be expanded so more families are eligible for either it or Medicaid.
Huntsman said he also suspects the program could be better funded though he left himself some wiggle room, saying he would need to look into its current funding situation to determine whether it's adequate. His guess, however, is that CHIP would be one of the top funding priorities in his administration, especially given estimates for a budget surplus.
Most questions posed to the candidates dealt with immigration. Both Matheson and Huntsman said immigration reforms are needed but that legal immigration should be embraced.
"I don't care what your nation of origin is," Huntsman said. "I don't care how you got here. What I care about is us all banding together and helping Utah grow."
The attorney general candidates also dealt mostly with immigration. Democrat Greg Skordas said immigrants both legal and illegal are often mistreated by law enforcement officials who mean well but need to be better educated on diversity.
He said racial profiling is a problem he would work to stop.
Comments
- Soccer MVPs know how to win 1:56 a.m.
- Alta's Ohai is Ms. Soccer 2009 1:56 a.m.
- High school soccer: Past MVPs 1:37 a.m.
- Senators want food tax restored 1:27 a.m.
- Utah women lag in higher education 1:16 a.m.
- Hatch empathizes with Muslims 1:14 a.m.
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP 1:13 a.m.
- Mitchell seeks to block witnesses 1:12 a.m.
- Party insiders may take on Bennett 1:11 a.m.
- Input sought on nondiscrimination 1:11 a.m.
- TCU showdown has big implications
- Seniors helped BYU regroup
- Lambert surprisingly tops news
- Hope for single moms
- Bystanders framed for child porn
- Korver and Miles to be evaluated
- Soccer MVPs know how to win
- Utah Jazz Extra: Whose hot/not
- Matheson gets no thanks from GOP
- Newhouse Hotel, an explosive end
- House passes health care bill
228 - TCU showdown has big implications
183 - Lobo suspended
182 - Cougars crush hapless Cowboys
154 - Utah Jazz fall apart against Kings
131 - TCU 4th in AP poll; U. 16th, Y. 22nd
118 - Thousands protest health bill
114 - RSL rallies to advance
103 - No 'backlash' for pioneers, gays analogy
97 - Utes pound winless Lobos
89
Meghan McCain, the daughter of former presidential candidate John...
Why do so many people live so close to refineries in Utah and elsewhere?
Sounds like a good option if you can't or won't switch to AT&T for the...
I worked with and around Bill Sederburg for 5 years while he was at...
hand. He needs to work on his moves to the basket and rebounding. Lateral...
play Fez or Koufos tonight. He went with a smaller line up and Boozer, Okur...
I've met Bennett before and he is a nice man. He also knows the Constitution...
That's never been a secret. Everyone will pay for it except those that don't...
I agree with NonMormon. I am active LDS, and I enjoy Ash's articles, and I...
I kept saying don't resign Milsap, especially after Portland offered that...
BYU is the slowest team that has ever been in the top 25. Utah will put up a...
i think u have the cowboys ranked too low! at least an A- LOL nice work!


You can be the first to comment on this story.