Just wanted to share a few photos from the Millcreek FIDOS event that Ron Barness helped organize at the Evershed’s.

Despite the constant drizzle/downpour we were very happy to see the support from the FIDOS’ community.

Do you have a Keith or Jenny sign sitting in your garage after Election Day? Do you want a Ralph Becker sign? We’ll trade you! We’ll take your lawn sign from any other campaign, reuse the wood and deliver a new sign right to your door. Call us or email juli@ralphbecker.com.

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Although I am unable to vote in tomorrow’s primary, I would like to share a little-known fact about a man that I deeply admire and will always be grateful to, Ralph Becker.

Almost twenty years ago, a small, scruffy group of Moab river runners, scientists and environmentalists started a year-long effort to resist the placement of a commercial, hazardous waste incinerator not far from the shores of the Colorado River through Westwater Canyon. It was 1987 and at the time, Moab’s was a deeply depressed economy and this was a last-ditch effort to keep a year-round employment stream open locally.

Our group initially placed endless calls to leading environmental organizations who refused to support our efforts because such a thing had never been done before, and we were just too small to get involved with. But a chance call one day to the AOG put me in touch with a thirty-four year old SLC lawyer named Ralph Becker who immediately joined with us in taking on this seemingly impossible task.

For the full course of a year, Ralph supported our group with pro-bono generousity; guiding us to be wiser than we often wanted to be, skillfully directing our legal efforts, sharing his wisdom about zoning processes and elections, and working respectfully with our diverse community.

Ralph was a serendipitous gift, and a deciding factor in our ultimate success ~ quietly in the background, and never needing as much as a thank you. Ralph’s dedication to our cause and the river is a blessing that continues to touch our lives today, and we remain grateful to him.

Best wishes, Ralph in your continuing public service…and thanks to all that will be supporting Ralph Becker for mayor of Salt Lake City!

Regards,
Jayne Dillon
Castle Valley (Moab)

This past Saturday I was doing what I always do, driving into work to get a group of walkers going for the campaign, when I came across a sight that has become more and more common in my neighborhood - A group of volunteers cleaning up a vacant lot and replacing it with beautiful native plants (I personally found humor in the fact that the vacant, degraded lot held one of our competitors billboards - but I digress).

I have lived in Salt Lake’s West Side my entire life, and I am excited to see where it is headed. People are taking pride in their homes, streets, neighborhoods, and city. It seems as though residents are more than eager to prove that the West Side is just as valuable and worthy as any other part of the city. Furthermore I feel that other residents are starting to take note.

People often ask me why I chose to work on this campaign as opposed to others. The principal reason I chose this race was due to Ralph’s proactive stance on improving our West Side. Don’t get me wrong, I support Ralph’s positions on issues such as making our city green and improving transportation (for a breakdown on what Ralph wants to do for our city, click here), but the West Side holds a place near and dear to my heart.

Hopefully the winner (whoever that person may be) of this September’s/November’s elections will pay attention to the needs of citizens past I-15. The Rose Park, Glendale, and Poplar Grove areas provide affordable housing and a slew of business opportunities for those willing to look beyond traditional borders. I will continue to work hard for Ralph because I know he cares about the needs of all of our residents, not just a few neighborhoods.

During the Legislative Session this year, I was pushing to move the start of the Legislative Session off of Martin Luther King Day (it is set on the same day by the Utah Constitution). Most of my Republican colleagues in leadership were dismissing the idea when Speaker Curtis spoke up; he noted that his uncle, a WWII veteran, was always disappointed that others didn’t appreciate the significance of Memorial Day because he had lost several close friends who had given their lives for our country; and the Speaker could understand that Martin Luther King Day may have special reverence for minorities in our state and country to signify overcoming injustice. Working together with Senate President Valentine, we passed legislation to change the start of the legislative session off Martin Luther King day.

I have a brother, uncle and father who served in the military. I know the special commitment they have had to our freedoms and rights; their diverse political views melt away over the basic values and ideals for our nation. I hope you will join me in honoring our soldiers of today and of yesterday who have given themselves to the greatness of the United States. As Speaker Curtis noted this year, we can all learn something and benefit from Memorial Day.