Gary Herbert

Education is the largest and most important investment Utah makes.

As we continue to step up our investment in education, we must not sidestep our commitment to the principle of local control.

Sometimes, promoting economic development means accepting the Herculean task of moving and modernizing a prison.

Our World War II generation met the challenges of their time.

While technology and assessment can help complement the important work of our teachers, I worry that we are spending too much of our time testing.

Utah's economy stays strong by adhering to conservative fundamental principles: low and consistent tax rates, smaller and more efficient government, sensible regulation, and empowering the private sector to create jobs.

When I entered into office mid-recession, my No. 1 focus was Utah's economy. We set bold goals, and we've built one of the best-performing economies in the nation.

It's not enough for just us to invest in Utah; more and more, we are encouraging businesses around the world to follow suit. We want them to invest in and become part of Utah's future and to allow Utah to invest and become part of theirs.

There's no reason why fiscal responsibility is a Democrat or a Republican point of view. It ought to be all of our points of view.

In 2014, Utah cities Salt Lake City and Provo both surpassed Silicon Valley in per-deal venture capital averages. From large, multi-campus companies to promising start-ups, Silicon Slopes offers a promising climate for businesses. The entire tech industry has its eyes on Utah.

In Utah, one word sums up our business prowess: investment. Simply put, we know we can't have long-term economic growth and maintain Utah's enviable quality of life without making some critical investments.