“THE LIBERTIES OF A PEOPLE NEVER WERE, NOR EVER WILL BE, SECURED, WHEN THE TRANSACTIONS OF THEIR RULERS MAY BE CONCEALED FROM THEM.” PATRICK HENRY

The sentiments expressed by patriot, Patrick Henry have been and will continue to be the guiding light throughout my tenure on the St. George City Council. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve and humbly recognize the gift of trust and acceptance expressed by my fellow citizens. I am grateful to my parents for having instilled in me the recognition of what it means to be part of the American Family here in St. George and give thanks to my Heavenly Father for this blessing.

There are of course many who over the years supported and encouraged me to continue in my endeavor to educate and inform the public of the workings taking place in city and county government. One person in particular was a veteran of the undeclared Korean War. His name was F. Garry Bedingfield who served in the U.S. Army from 1961 to 1963.

Garry and I crossed paths twelve years ago when we were both candidates for city council and soon learned that we shared similar values especially as it pertained to transparency in government. We decided to join forces to meet our mutually shared objective to inform and educate the public. It seemed an uphill battle that could only be won by successfully working together. Each of us exercised our Agency differently, and only on two occasions did we discuss religion. We respected each other’s differing positions and in doing so learned that our common values overcame our religious convictions. In doing so we became good friends and remained so until Garry’s death on January 3, 2008.

I believe public service in a free society allows for airing of differing points of view on many topics. I anticipate issues concerning City Golf Courses, Adequate resources for Police and Fire, Water and Power availability, Roads and Highways, Securing Open Space, Air quality, and yes even the rebuilding or relocating of the Sun Bowl will surface. Sure, misunderstandings and criticism are to be expected from friends and neighbors for none of us are perfect in all that we do.  The important thing is to engage and constructively contribute to the general good and wellbeing of our country and our city. I have come to realize that decisions made for the benefit of St. George residents also impact the quality of life in neighboring cities, i.e. Recreational Matters and the growing demand for Public Transportation. Fiduciary responsibilities cannot and should not be forgotten or neglected. They are an integral part of the decision making process either as a source of revenue or the expenditure of public funds.  There is a lot of work to be done and we can and will reach our objectives by putting our shoulders to the wheel and acting responsibly. It can be done. We can do it.

I wish to express my gratitude to all of you who came out and voted and encourage those who were unable to vote for whatever reason, to make every effort to do so in the future. My greatest thank you and expression of gratitude is directed to my wife, Karen, who over the past 55 years has been an active missionary, and continues to be my personal missionary as I remain a work in progress striving to improve my life in this temporal world. I will be eternally grateful for her undying loyalty in keeping her covenants.  Thank you all and Merry Christmas!     ED Baca