**SMARTER GOVERNMENT
**STRONGER COMMUNITY

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

John featured in The Spectrum

Six compete to represent District 72


EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is the first of a two-part series. A second article featuring information about the other candidates will be published next week.


By Cathy Wentz




CEDAR CITY
— The filing period for candidates to run for public office ended March 15 and the candidate field for the District 72 state House of Representative seat includes five Republicans and one Libertarian.

The Republican candidates are John Westwood, Ryan Bundy, Marlo B. Jensen, Albert Montoya and Matthew Carling. Barry Short is running for the office as a mem­ber of the Libertarian Party.

Rep. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City, occupies the District 72 seat, but he is running for the District 28 state Senate seat.



John Westwood

Former Cedar City councilman John Westwood, who currently serves as Chief Financial Officer for State Bank of Southern Utah, is running as a Republican for the District 72 seat.

He said his two and a half terms on the City Council qualifies him to represent the Cedar City area on the state level.

“These are peculiar times, and we need some good legislators up to the state that would have an ear and eye for Southern Utah,” Westwood said.

He also said one of the issues closest to his heart is small business.

“Small business people generate the jobs and the income and the stability to our area,” Westwood said, noting he wants to be an advocate for smallbusiness owners by helping to free them from excessive government regulations and other hindrances to prosperity.

Taxation is one hindrance to small businesses that Westwood spoke about. He said machinery and other equipment purchased by businesses should not be taxed.

He said regulations cause business people to spend a lot of time filling out reports rather than working to move their businesses forward.

Westwood said education is the other issue about which he is passionate, noting that it is very important to have an educated workforce throughout the state because it will bring more businesses, and as a result, more jobs to the state and help its economy to move forward.

Blake Cozzens, vice chairman for the Iron County Republican Party, said the field of five Republicans would be narrowed down through a vote by the county delegates during the party’s April 7 county convention.

According to the county Republican party by-laws, county delegates will vote on the five candidates, and if one of them gets 60 percent of the vote, he will be the Republican candidate for the general election. However, if no one receives 60 percent of the vote, two finalists will go through the primary process.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Issues

Small Business – John Westwood understands that small businesses are the lifeblood of the economy.  Unfortunately, small businesses are increasingly burdened with regulations that hinder their success and ingenuity.  Regulations function as hidden taxes that can cripple small businesses before they even get started.  John Westwood believes in scaling back needless regulation and is committed to helping small businesses flourish in Southern Utah.

Spending –Government spending is not just an economic issue, it is a moral imperative.  As CFO of State Bank of Southern Utah, John Westwood understands that balancing budgets and cutting wasteful spending requires difficult decisions that may be unpopular at the time; however, as we conservatively reign in our spending, we ensure our state’s economic stability and a brighter future for our children.

Education – Improving education in Utah is a priority for John Westwood.  A good teacher is worth her/his weight in gold and they should be rewarded for their ingenuity and boosting student achievement.  A key factor in Utah’s long term success is an educated work force. If Utah is to remain competitive in attracting new jobs and businesses to the state, we must have a renewed effort in efficiently supporting and strengthening education on all levels. 

Land Rights – Born and raised on a dairy farm in Southern Utah, John Westwood understands the importance of preserving individual land rights.  John Westwood supports the legislature’s efforts in recovering federal lands and believes the key to winning this battle is working with neighboring states in forming alliances to collectively confront the federal government.

Southern Utah University – Southern Utah is extremely fortunate to have a world class institution of higher education right here in Cedar City.  John Westwood is committed to working with SUU and believes that it is an invaluable asset in building and strengthening the economy in Southern Utah.

Community – John Westwood is committed to maintaining the desirable lifestyle we enjoy in Southern Utah and is supportive of conservative and well managed growth for this area. 

Monday, March 19, 2012

County Convention

The county convention is scheduled for April 7th at the Southern Utah University Ballroom in the Sharwan Smith Center.  The details for the nominating process and the agenda for the meeting have been published. 

Click on county convention on my election links tab and it will direct you to the website for further information.

Awards

Silver Beaver: I was awarded the Silver Beaver for my involvement in the scouting program.