Utah U.S. Senate candidates discuss higher education

Roger I. Price said he stands against the adversaries of truth, liberty and justice. "When we're born into this world, we bring our rights with us, doesn't matter where you believe you come from," Price said of the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. He said few people in the federal government follow their duties as they're supposed to. "I would defend and protect the rights of the people of the state of Utah," he said, "because that is the senators job, for the state and all the people within the state, not for corporations or for all these other things that we've gotten so involved in." On education, Price said federal programs like No Child Left Behind should not decide curriculum and standards. "It should be up to the communities to how their children are educated," Price said. As an example, he said if everyone in a Christian community agrees to it, they should have prayer in their schools; equally, an atheist community can decide not to have school prayer. He also said the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches the U.S. Constitution was an inspired document and that the powers of each branch of the federal government are clearly defined. Price said only Congress is allowed to declare war and that "Supreme Court justices are to decide by the law, not by what they think should be the law." On higher education, Price said the problem wasn't funding, but where that funding is invested. Features like athletics and campus amenities should be funded through private corporations or by having students collect money, not public funding. "Tax revenue should be paid to get the best professors, to get the best equipment, to get the different things, the support for education," Price said. Price said he's running as a candidate in the Personal Choice Party because that group does not dictate how other people should live or act. "The law is not supposed to see color, race, creed, religion, sex, sexual preference or any of these things," Price said. "We're supposed to learn how to get along with each other to solve the big problems we've got." For more information about Price, visit www.rogerprice.com.