Why I support Dan Liljenquist

Friends, I'd like to share with you why I support Dan Liljenquist. My decision to support Dan is based on my interaction with both Orrin and Dan before they started their campaigns -- not on anything that they have said or done as part of the campaign process.

My Experience with Dan the past 5 years:  

• Dan is not afraid to take on the big issues, like entitlement reform. As a freshman Utah State Senator, Dan told me he was going to take on state pension reform. I told him I thought he was crazy -- that he needed more time and "seniority" to put together such important legislation. Dan proved me wrong, and was successful at working with others to make structural reforms to the system, saving Utah Taxpayers billions over the coming years.
• Dan has real analytical "skills". As a former Bain consultant, he is not afraid to dive deep into the data and numbers on a specific issue. Dan does his research, gathers the facts, prepares his case well, and makes a clear logical, fact based argument for needed legislation. Like Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney, he has the financial and business skills necessary to help craft the reforms that are needed to get entitlement growth under control.  
• Dan an incredibly effective and persuasive communicator -- which is a skill needed to be a good consensus builder for important legislation. Dan has helped me to change my mind on issues, by presenting good data, and persuasively communicating his viewpoint.  
• People like working with Dan. When given a chance, people would rather work with positive, energetic, forward thinking people. If we are going to make the structural reforms that are needed in this country, it will come from the positive thinking, idea generating, risk taking legislators, like Paul Ryan and Dan Liljenquist -- not from long time Washington insiders.  
• He is a good listener and meets with stakeholders before finalizing legislation. When working on Utah State pension reform issues, he met repeatedly with UEA and other representatives of state employees. He talked upfront, openly and fairly with others about the needed changes, and made modifications to his ideas based on feedback and arguments from his critics.  
• Dan is committed to fair, feasible, and sustainable entitlement reform -- not to a long political career. He will get the job done, then move on to something else. He has committed to term limit himself. You can learn more at Dan's web-site at www.danforutah.com

My Experience with Orrin the past 8 years:

 I like Orrin Hatch and believe he has done many many good things for Utah over the years. He has provided good service to the citizens of Utah. As a former City Councilman, there were times when we tried to fight the bureaucracy of Washington on issues that impacted our city. Senator Hatch and his staff were willing to listen to concerns that were brought to their attention. I observed that Senator Hatch and his staff were not always willing to use his seniority or position to rattle cages or make changes unless it was politically advantageous for his office. If there was any chance that helping local cities on a specific issue might impact him negatively from a political perspective, my perception was that he was generally not willing to go very far out on a limb for us. I am not convinced that it is in Orrin's nature to make the unpopular choices that are going to have to be made to reform entitlement growth.

 Please take the time to vote on Tuesday June 26.
Polls are open 7AM to 8PM -- look up where to vote here: http://vote.utah.gov/

Respectfully,
Paul Cutler