RaDene Hatfield RaDene Hatfield

Utah State Senate · District 16

RaDene’s Announcement “Speech”

July 4th, 2008

  • Welcome
  • By a raise of hands…
    • Who here considers themselves a friend of mine? (it’s ok if you don’t—you will ☺)
    • Who here considers themselves a Republican? (point out individuals—describe their strengths, values)
    • Who here considers themselves a Democrat? (it’s ok—we’re safe now—we can say it out loud here in Utah county!)

I’d like to introduce you to my dad. The last Democrat Majority Leader in the Utah House of Representatives.

Dad, last Saturday when I was up in Hooper for our family reunion, you asked me a question. Do you remember what it was? You asked me “what can I do for you? I want to help you in this election”.

Well dad, I’ve thought about it every day since then, and I know the answer: are you ready for it? Dad, you’ve done more then enough for me and for the rest of the citizens of Utah. It’s my turn now. I’ll take it from here.”

I am the oldest daughter of two fine public high school teachers. My first home was a trailer parked between my father’s parent’s house and the milk barn. It was across the street from the homestead that my Hull ancestors settled in Hooper Utah—sent there by Brigham Young. Life was hard in Hooper in the first 100 years. It was located on barren land on the shores of the Great Salt Lake infested with millions of mosquitoes.

Still, this was, and still is ‘the place’ my extended family calls home. Some of my earliest memories in Hooper were campaigning for my father in what we came to know as “Dad’s House District” that stretched from Hooper all the way east into Ogden. Every summer we kids—eventually there were 6 of us—would dress up in red white & blue, decorate our bikes or the hay trailer and ride in the 24th of July Parade in Ogden or the Hooper Tomatoes Days Parade on Labor day. We were always campaigning—Elect Roger Rawson to Utah’s State Legislature.

I remember how much fun it was to go to the Utah State Capitol building—and how impressed I was with the things my dad could talk about—my dad—the son of a poor dairy farmer from Hooper Utah was someone who was making a difference, making things better for teachers, for workers, for families in Utah.

I remember as a 14 year old, helping do the foundation work at some apartments our family built in Kaysville (the dairy farm and my dad’s teacher’s salary never did support my family—we lived on the farm that supported my grandparents and my dad worked his ‘second’ job helping them with the farm work.)

I remember that my dad would get up at 4:30am to help his dad milk the cows in the barn behind our house, come in for a big “farm breakfast” at 7:00 am, give my mom a kiss and then go next door to the ‘warehouse’ to organize his construction crew and head to Kaysville. I remember he always had his Sunday suit in his truck. And one day, while working as a member of the construction crew—I saw why. Dad got a call from the Governor’s office. Governor Matheson needed his help with some issue or another. Dad went into the temporary work site trailer, cleaned up, changed out of his construction clothes and into his suit and drove to SLC—a citizen Statesman.

I remember many, many, many dinners that were interrupted by constituents calling with some question or concern. Like me, dad is strong willed and opinionated, but he has the biggest heart and most generous nature of anyone I know. He spent hours trying to understand the problems the people in his district described to him and then worked harder then anyone I’ve ever seen to help find solutions. I remember being assigned to work on “constituent relations” when I was an intern in Senator Garn’s office and thinking “wow, just think of all my dad could have done if he had had this kind of staff support” and then “Senator Garn’s office is good—but they don’t have anything over on my dad and his dedication and ability to serve his constituents.”

If I am elected I will work as hard as my dad did to serve my Provo constituents.

Some of you may wonder why you have never heard of my dad Roger Rawson, one Utah’s outstanding citizen statesmen. Some have said, “timing is everything”. That’s true in dad’s situation. He had the misfortune of being a Democrat in the wake of Roe v. Wade and at the time of the national ERA amendment debate. Some of dad’s constituents, those very people that dad had sacrificed for and served for so many years were persuaded by the rhetoric of the far right that because my dad was a Democrat he was pro-abortion, pro-gun-control, or worst of all a women’s libber!

After loosing two elections to some of the silliest citizen candidates Weber County has ever seen, dad hung up his suit and went back to the farm and property management business, in many ways a bitter, broken man.

People talk about the sacrifices it takes to keep America Free. We talk about our founding fathers, about the brave Pilgrims who came to this land to find religious freedom. Here in Utah we talk about our Pioneer Heritage and the blessing it was for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to be founded in this free land, where the attempts of wicked men to destroy the work of restoration, were thwarted because of the principles and doctrines established by the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution not many years before.

We talk about the families who send their sons and daughters to fight for freedom, the men & women of the Greatest Generation, of those who honored our country and did their duty in Vietnam, in Afghanistan or in Iraq.

But how often do we speak of the sacrifices made by the citizen candidates, those people who give up family time, family resources, and in many ways family reputations, to do the work of running for public office, of making sure that this country is not over run by professional politicians, special interest groups, or big business concerns.

How often do we recognize the sacrifices our elected citizen statesmen make in terms of job security, lost earnings, family time, etc. to serve in the most sacred and hollowed halls of our American legislative chambers?

I’m here to tell you—not often enough.

Dad I honor you as the veteran of our ‘civic wars’ that you are.

As I have entered this race to become the next Senator to represent Provo, I too have begun to experience the pressures and strains that can be put on a family involved in public life. It has become very clear to me that families of citizen candidates are much like those families of our noble soldiers who, when they return home from defending our freedoms, often struggle and fall apart. My childhood family did not survive the strain put upon it by the years of thankless public service and the nastiness of the final battles to retain my father’s place in Utah government.

Fortunately for me and my family, I have my parents’ experience to learn from as I move ahead into public service.

I pledge to my husband and my children that I will work hard to protect our family time and keep balance and perspective as I work to serve the people of Provo.

The good news is I’m older then my parents were when they entered public service. In fact I’m as old as my dad was in his final term in public office. I’ve gone through many hard lessons in life and feel confident that Harlan & I have developed successful strategies for balancing work and family in our home. We stand ready to dedicate our family to public service for our country.

And what will that service be?

I want to reestablish the accountably process in Provo politics. I do not believe I have the answers to Utah’s challenges.  I believe that the necessary answers lie within and from the people. The educated, inspired, blessed, and living in the trenches people. People who deal with the issues at ground zero. People who must continually cope with bad policies or inadequate solutions created by others.

Therefore, throughout my campaign I will be listening to my constituents with an eye toward what I must do; focus on; and legislation I must guide—to help serve their interests and needs as Utah citizens. As I learn about these interests and needs, throughout my campaign, I will also be seeking out and developing relationships with the best and brightest policy analysts in related fields.

Because of my passionate conviction of the need for accountably, I do not and will not presume to tell the people what the answers to THEIR problems are. It has always seemed odd to me when politicians campaign on specific pieces of legislation before they are in the position to do anything. But on Nov. 5th, the day after I am elected, I can and will begin the process of developing the legislation that is in direct response to the key problems facing my constituents—and I will be accountable for my actions that produce legislative policy.

I have been in the trenches of the education world for 20 years. Not as a teacher, not as an administrator or elected representative, but as a parent. As a parent I have spent thousands and thousand of hours, not just complaining about the problems, but doing all that I can and convincing others to do as much as they can to improve the system. Granted there are only so many dollars to spend, but from my end of the trench it doesn’t appear that there is a great deal of listening going on at the other three vantage points. The problem with the education system in our state reminds me of the poem of the cliff, the fence and the ambulance. We have put too much of our precious and available funds into the strategic placement of ambulances for too long. It is time to fund and build some precautionary fences.

Utah was built on strong values of optimism, strength and a focus on the future. These values are best facilitated by a collaboration of varying opinions. I won’t wait until January to start doing my work as Provo’s newly elected Senator. It is my intention to have met with, not called, not written, but met with every single other Utah Senator before the 2009 session ever begins.  When I am sworn into office in January, I will have developed some level of relationship with every other elected Senator in the State of Utah.  I will know (to the degree that they will share with me) their priorities, and some of their personal strengths and weaknesses.  I will be prepared to work with them on policy matters and in constructing specific legislation that will benefit those who have given me ratification to do so.

Finally, I want to share with you my deep personal commitment to the American Constitution. I believe it is the best form of government in the world. The form of government most likely to provide us a way to live in peace and harmony in this difficult, dangerous world of ours.

Harlan will tell you I can be a little naïve—overly optimistic—and definitely NOT strategic. He was very unhappy with me when I suggested that we invite our neighbor and my opponent to this party today. But he said something awfully nice today, when I was telling my mom about my first exchange with my opponent that happened on Monday of this week.

I was invited to sit in the VIP seating for the UVUphoria on Monday night. I took my mother in-law, nephew and son Mitchell. After we had settled into our seats—I got up and walked around visiting people I know, meeting people I need to know—basically practicing the ABC’s for first time candidates “Always Be a Candidate”. As it came time for the program to begin, I made my way back to my family. As I approached the aisle where my family was sitting, there stood in their seats but spilling into the aisle a group of the ‘good ole’ boys’ Bramble, Jeff Alexander, Senator Valentine, President Sederberg and a couple of others with their wives. Looking for the friendly face in the crowd, I tried to catch Susie Bramble’s eye. Susie & I have worked together in the community. I didn’t catch Susie’s eye—but I caught Curt’s. I waved slightly and tried to hurry down the crowded aisle. Curt was quick and pushed through the crowd to approach me with an extended hand. As he shook my hand he peered closer and seeing my campaign name tag said “I’m not even going to start to campaign until November 1st.” I smiled slightly. Apparently that wasn’t the right response. He repeated his statement, “I’m not even going to start to campaign until November 1st.” This time inspiration struck. I reached out and patted his shoulder and said “Curt, that’s a great idea! You stick with that plan. But as for me, I am starting to campaign now. Would you like a copy of my position paper?” At which point I reached into my bag and pulled out the single sheet.

When my mom exclaimed “RaDene you didn’t” Harlan observed, “see RaDene, even your mom knows you don’t give your opponent your position paper!” Then he paused and said to my mom, “ if human personalities could be described as a mineral, RaDene would be a crystal. She is transparent. And does not know how to be anything but who she is.”

And because I am the naïve, overly optimistic, transparent, faithful daughter of God that I am, I am going to share with you my deepest reason for why I am willing to enter this race.

I believe that I have been blessed to live in this land, at this time. I believe that we have the blessing of living in a country with an established form of government, that while not perfect, is the closest thing to perfect man will ever know. I also believe that as with any government, when it is led by people who are more interested in what they can gain from their position of power then what they can do for the people that elected them, bad things happen.

I am reminded of a time in the history of the people who have lived on the American continent when peace and prosperity reigned. It was in the period of time after Christ came to America. You’ll remember the description of that period found in the 1st chapter of the 4th book of Nephi in the Book of Mormon: “There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were one, the children of Christ”.

I believe that if you will join with me in the coming months, to learn more about the issues and problems facing our community and participate in our country’s unique democratic process “of the people, for the people and by the people”, there will be fewer “-ites” among us. Together we will see that People, not Parties, will have an increased ability to form a “more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessing of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”

Thank you for coming today. Questions?