FreedomWorks wants an apology…seriously?
by Daryl AcumenLast month this blog broke a story about FreedomWorks attempts to manipulate Utah's caucuses with mailers that encouraged supporters to break party rules in order to gain an advantage at local precinct meetings. I was outraged enough to call freedom Works in Washington, DC and to demand an apology from Matt Kibbe. Instead of an apology, ...
Continue ReadingCandidate Notes: Sarah Nitta LD27
by Daryl AcumenOverview Sarah is a successful professional fundraiser and grassroots organizer. She sits on several boards including the President’s Leadership Council at BYU-Hawaii and The Academy for Creating Enterprise. She mentors merging small business owners around the world to help them start new and successful businesses. As a mother of 4 children in the public schools she ...
Continue ReadingLiljenquist Campaign Focus Group Update
by Daryl AcumenLast week I had the pleasure of speaking directly with the political consultant who moderated the Liljenquist focus group. I asked him to send me an email with his side of the story, but I'm so busy right now I haven't had time to digest and re-write it in my own words. To void any further delay ...
Continue ReadingLiljenquist Campaign tests Negative Ad Messaging on State Delegates
by Daryl AcumenA reliable source reported this week that Dan Liljenquist's Senate Campaign is now using State Delegates as guinea pigs to test negative ad messaging in preparation for a now unlikely primary fight against Senator Orrin Hatch. Last week a State Delegate in Cedar Hills was contacted by Lighthouse Research, a marketing firm retained by the Liljenquist campaign, about participating in ...
Continue ReadingCandidate Notes: Dan Liljenquist – U.S. Senate
by Daryl AcumenOverview Economics undergraduate degree and law degree Former consultant at Bain & Company President and COO of an inbound call-center company Lives in Bountiful Elected to State Senate in 2008 chiefly responsible for Utah's nationally recognized and game-changing pension reform legislation that put the state's pensions on a sustainable path and assured the state would not suffer the same fiscal challenges ...
Continue ReadingFreedomWorks Uses Fake Polls to Bash Hatch
by Daryl AcumenHere's another example of the incompetence of FreedomWorks: As a state delegate, I get 3 - 5 phone calls a day from pollsters asking me where I stand on various races I'm eligible to vote in. I don't mind the calls, because that's what I signed up for when I agreed to be a state delegate. ...
Continue ReadingCandidate Notes: Nancy Sechrest – Leg. District 27
by Daryl AcumenBackground: Professional lobbyist for 24 years (knows how the system works) fought against the grandparents car-seat law, but the Republicans told the Democrats they could have one law and they chose the car-seat issue. Has lobbied for businesses ranging from tobacco to billboards Says that the Constitution requires highway patrol, police and education only and that all other state spending has been the ...
Continue ReadingCandidate Notes: Larry Hilton – Utah Legislative District 27
by Daryl AcumenOverview STRONG monetary policy conservative with deep expertise in monetary policy history and reform Author of the Utah Legal Tender act which made gold and silver legal tender in Utah (sound money for a sound future) Recruited John Dougall as sponsor John Valentine was Senate sponsor Mike Lee, Rand Paul and Jim DeMint sponsored a bill called the Sound Money ...
Continue ReadingCandidate Notes: Craig Frank – Utah State Senate District 14
by Daryl AcumenOverview: Has served eight (8) sessions in the Utah legislature doesn't believe in term limits, but believes in self imposed term limits to allow others a chance to serve Pledges to serve two terms in the Senate maximum (eight years) "Government needs to get out of the business of 'business' Helped to negotiate the 5% flat personal income tax rate ...
Continue ReadingCandidate Notes: John Valentine – Utah Senate District 14
by Daryl AcumenOverview: 14 years in State Senate 10 years in state legislature Full time tax attorney who spends his days suing the IRS legal practice is very lucrative...he does this because he believes in the system and wants to serve his community Accomplishments while in Senate balanced budget cut taxes (duh - he's a tax attorney) flat tax (thinks we need to be fairer funded ...
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