Price City Youth Council Press Release

Price City Youth Council held an event on November 1 for young adults in the community to learn more about the inner workings of the U.S. Government and were given a chance to meet local candidates running for office.

The evening started with saying the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the evening’s hosts, Tyler Yoklavich, Treasurer and Jordyn Gagon, Mayor introducing the agenda for the evening. A game of Kahoot was played to get a feel as to who understood the functions of the government.

Yoklavich took time to speak to the guests and shared the importance of voting, “It is important to vote because it is the only way that members of our country can make our society function and how we want it to function. If everybody thinks that their vote doesn’t matter, then there is no one left to vote.” The hosts both took time to talk about the left-right political spectrum to help explain a system of classifying different political positions socialism and libertarianism, to understand the difference of what democrats and republicans stand for.

Technically, Republicans mainly believe that success is based on your own merit. They want equal opportunity, believe in anti-welfare, free-market capitalism, pro-life and are against gun control. Democrats believe that the government should help people and businesses. They want healthcare, college education, believe in pro-choice, pro-gun control, larger government, equality of outcome.

Organizers welcomed local candidates, Cheryl Lupo, Tony Martinez, Ed Chavez, John Jones, and Larry Jensen.

Lupo is running as an independent who is focusing on a stronger and more successful Carbon County. This include bring in new businesses to the community, develop a closer working relationship with Utah State University Eastern, strengthen the local tourism, growth with our existing facilities such as the airport, coal industry.

Republican, Tony Martinez stated that the county needs more energy-related industries and more industries in general.

Ed Chavez is a Democrat and would like to see more industries set up here in Carbon County and that he has an open door policy for members of the community.

John Jones is a Democrat and a former Carbon County commissioner. He was the president of the Utah Association of Counties, and he lowered the deficit. “What I would like to see is a better partnership between the Chamber of Commerce and the Commissioners, because we’ll be able to use tax incentives and things that we learn from other areas to help them expand their business and grow our local economy,” stated Jones. He says that he wants to be full time, not part-time. He also thinks that there should be full-time commissioners.

Larry Jensen is a Republican, is retired and feels that will give him enough time to put in to help make important decisions for the county. He brings lots of experience from his years within his career. He stated that with the county’s current financial situation it’s important that a plan is developed to get it out of the red.

For the next part of the meeting, Mayor Mike Kourianos talked to the audience for about that he wanted to make the youth council, and he wants to make our community a better place.

Then the hosts asked a series of questions to the candidates. Question one was about how to combat suicide rates.

Lupo stated that we can support people who are in crisis and show them the respect they deserve and assist them with local resources in the community. Martinez explained that people were more social when he was a teen and nowadays it’s all about social media. It’s where teens are easily bullied which play a major role in suicide, but the community can come together to help solve this problem, it’s not just the government’s job. Chavez said that Four Corners Community Behavioral Health recently hired additional personnel to help with the growing problem of suicide and addiction in our area. Jones spoke about how it’s important to show individuals support and that opioids skews the numbers. He says to become part of a team to focus on children in families who are in need. Jensen said that there is a group of church leaders and law enforcement that meet each month for those seeking help. More importantly he says that we need to stand up to bullying and drugs.

The next question presented to the candidates had to do with Prop 2 and medical cannabis. Lupo, Chavez, Jones are all in favor of Prop 2, while Martinez and Jensen are against it with fears of dispensaries making it more for recreational purposes and there needs to be better control on marijuana.

The third question was about the candidates’ stance on Prop 1. Chavez and Jensen are both for Prop 1 as it gives money to schools and road. Jensen and Martinez are against it mostly for the fact that voters deserve a true understanding of exactly where the money is really being spent. Lupo is opposed and feel it will mess up the economy so let the current property taxes go to schools.

The final question was about economic incentives. Lupo says that businesses could go away if we tax them. Tony said there is a solar company looking to put solar panels in either Carbon, Emery, of Grand County, and that we could get them in carbon county if we don’t tax them. Chavez says that he is for tax incentives. Jones said that we need tax incentives to bring businesses into the county and help local businesses to expand. Larry said most communities will have to give up something to get businesses to come in.

The next part of the meeting was an open forum for guests to ask the candidates questions. Jace Draper, a Junior at Carbon High School, asked about what the candidates will do for agriculture. They said that it’s a huge thing in our community and that we need more water and more ways of getting it. John said that he wants to fight for our public land, and our rights on public grounds.

The final speaker of the evening was County Attorney, Jeremy Humes, who represents government entities. He stated that to get involved with politics within your community, find out who candidates are, get to know what they stand for and how they plan to make the community a better place. He also says that people in the community need to be willing to help in order to change it. “Community change starts with the people,” said Humes, “Young people have more power than they realize by getting involved and being enthusiastic. They can make a difference.”