Delegate Email From Sam Granato: Join Us at Convention, Saturday

May 5, 2010

Dear Bob:
Since kicking off my campaign in June 2009, I've talked with thousands of people throughout Utah and it's no surprise that the same issues keep coming up in conversation…

HEALTH CARE REFORM. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) signed into law by President Obama on March 23 was a start, but we still have a long way to go to bring coverage to every American, improve the quality of care, and control the rising costs of health care.

Cost-containment is the biggest issue left unresolved in the law. If we do nothing to address rising health care costs, within eight years health care will consume nearly 21% of our national economy.

As a Board Member of Intermountain Health Care (IHC), I've watched the health care reform debate unfold with a great deal of interest. IHC has been recognized as one of the best models in the nation for managing and delivering quality health care at a reasonable price. I am proud to be a part of an organization lauded by the experts as an effective example and am eager to bring my knowledge and experience to the debate in Washington.

CREATING NEW JOBS. We all know that government doesn't create jobs, small business does. Government can create the climate necessary for small business to thrive, but the recently enacted Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act does little to accomplish that goal.

The HIRE Act includes provisions that don't make a lot of sense to a small business owner like me. The law provides an employer tax credit for businesses that hire unemployed workers. Sounds great, but businesses don't make hiring decisions based on tax breaks. We hire new workers when our businesses are growing and we can sustain those workers at a living wage. Career politicians may think they are helping businesses in America, but this law doesn't really help business.

As a small business owner for more than twenty years, I know what it takes to create sustainable jobs. We need laws that actually support small business, not ones that just look good on paper. If more of our elected officials had jobs other than being politicians, we would have laws that actually help small business.

REGULATING WALL STREET. Greed and lack of oversight brought our economy to the brink of collapse and ushered in one of the worst recessions in our nation's history.

We need strong and reasonable regulation. Regulation needs to address Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, which were responsible for more than $2.7 trillion in bad mortgages. Regulation needs to separate commercial banking and investment activities like it was before Congress repealed the Glass-Steagall Act. We don't need regulation for the sake of regulation. We need reforms that will create a sound foundation for future economic growth.

As former Chairman of the Board of Beehive Credit Union, I understand the complexity of the financial industry and recognize the need for banks and other financial institutions to make a profit for their members or stockholders. Too often, however, bankers forget that the money they are handling belongs to the depositors, not the financial institutions. Laws should encourage banks to be good stewards of those funds and remind the CEO's that the financial institutions work for the people. Without the deposits of hard-working Americans, there would be no financial institutions.

These are important issues and I look forward to talking with you more about them at the State Convention.

Sincerely,


Sam Granato, Candidate
United States Senate

** Please bring this letter with you to the State Convention and visit us at our campaign booth for a special delegate surprise!