This is the seventh in a series of interviews with some of Utah’s elected officials. In addition to high-profile candidates, Utah has many public servants whose quiet work often goes unsung. With this series, I hope to shine a light on the personalities that make up Utah’s political leadership, not only for their work in government, but also to show what they are like as our neighbors.
The questions are a potpourri of the fun and the serious, and I hope allow us a small glimpse into the men and women who run our state.
______________________________________________
A resolution urging the use of gold and silver in commerce won the approval of a House committee Monday, a move the sponsor says would help Utah stave off inflation and weather impending economic crises.
Rep. Brad Galvez, R-West Haven, sponsored legislation last year to recognize gold and silver as legal tender in the state, but doing business with the metals remains impractical.
Galvez’s resolution would encourage the adoption of a legal and commercial system to make gold and silver more functional as currency.
Another proposal by Rep. Galvez, HB157, would make it easier for gold and silver to be used by consumers by allowing banks to issue debit cards that would let owners of gold and silver draw against their accounts.
I caught up with Rep. Galvez for a few minutes last week to get to know him better.
______________________________________________
Good afternoon, Representative Galvez. Thanks for helping me find time for us to chat. I know it gets busy during the session.
To start off, tell me a little about yourself. When you aren’t in session, what is your “dayjob?”
I am currently doing my own thing right now. I’ve worked in real estate development for a number of years.
I was born and raised in the Weber County area, and I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Weber State University in accounting, then earned an MBA from Utah State University.
So are you a Wildcat or an Aggie?
Well, I’m more of a Wildcat. I have great respect for USU, but I’m a Wildcat at heart.
Children?
I have four children and four grandchildren.
Two grandchildren are in Florida and two grandchildren are in Ferron, Utah, so not as close as I would like, but we try to get out to see them as often as we can.
That’s got to be a fun place to visit though.
It is. Last year, right after the session, we went out for a visit, but I came back early for the veto override session. It was a quick turnaround and a lot of flying in a short period of time.
On to the legislature, then. How are liking your first term?
I’m enjoying it. There are good days and bad days, but overall, I feel like I am now making a difference.
Why did you get involved in politics?
I have been active in politics my whole life. After my wife and I married, we decided that it was important to be involved in our state and country. We were very involved with the Teen Age Republicans when our children were teens, and we were the advisors for the Teenage Republicans in Weber County for many years. I never had a desire to run for public office. I always felt like I could be involved as a private citizen.
A while back, there was an opening for the county commission and the representative from our area decided to run for that position. A half a dozen people came to me, asking me to run for the representative opening. No one else was running, so I finally consented to run. In the end, just before the deadline, three other people filed, so I had a great race. However, I came out of convention with the nomination, and then was elected with close to 90% of the vote.
Wow. That’s a great showing. A lot of elected officials would like to get that kind of support.
Well, it was probably closer to 89%, give or take. I am grateful for the vote of confidence.
Does your family help? Have they stayed involved since they grew out of TARs (Teen Aged Republicans)?
Yes, absolutely. We had an evening at the Capital with my constituents, “Pizza and Politics at the capitol,” we call it. My wife has been a docent, so she, my son, and daughter helped with the tours of the capitol for the one hundred and ten people who showed up. Each of the three of my children took a group for the tour. We discussed legislation and the process that is utilized to pass bills during the session. We had a presentation about the constitution and our form of government.
In that sense, it’s a family affair. My wife was legislative assistant for Senator Jenkins and Representative Gibson before I was elected, and then then last year she has worked with me.
That’s great. What legislation are you working on this year?
I am running a few bills, but my comment on legislation when I was running for the legislature was always that “the first bill I run will be a bill to get rid of all of the other bills.” [laughs] that said, I am on the Agricultural Task Force, so I have an agricultural bill and water bill. Last year, I ran the Utah Legal Tender Act, which passed and I am running a resolution and another bill this year to make a few changes to my Legal Tender Act.
I noticed that. Tell me about your motivation behind that bill.
Article 1, Section 10 of the constitution says that the states shall make nothing other than Gold or Silver coin legal tender for the payments of debts. It is one of only two express rights given to the states in the constitution. With the value of the Federal Reserve Note continuing to decline, I felt it was time to exercise our state’s rights to provide an alternative currency.
Look at what’s happening in our economy. Ben Bernanke recently stated that “while nobody knows when a fiscal crisis will come, it is surely ever closer”. If you look what has happened to our monetary system over the last seventy years, we’ve lost 98% of our purchasing power. We’ve gone away from gold and silver while other countries are ever so willing to accept gold. HB317 legalized gold and silver coins and exempted gold and silver from state capital gains tax.
On the federal level, Senators Lee, DeMint and Paul have introduced a similar bill, so some good things are happening at the level as well.
Excellent. Since my wife will insist that I ask some “fun” questions, do you have a favorite vacation?
Hawaii. Having said that, the water in Naples, Florida is fantastic and unbelievably warm.
Favorite local restaurant ?
Sonora Grill. It’s Mexican, but different. You really should try it if you are ever up in Weber County. It’s very good.
Mission: Impossible or Bond?
Probably Bond. The older ones.
What are you reading? Or do you recommend that people read?
One I’m reading right now is “The Creature from Jekyll Island.” Also, another fun read is “Whatever happened to penny candy?” It’s economics, at a fifth grade level, and we could all use a better understanding of economics.
Wife’s favorite flowers?
A good mixture of daisy and roses.
What is something your constituents might find that is unique about you?
I’m Chairman of the Ogden Pioneer Heritage Foundation. I oversee the rodeo, parades and 24th of July activities in Ogden City. I’ve been on the board for about five years and the chair for the last two years.
Well, you’ve been great today. Thanks so much for your time.
Thank you. And please stop by and say ‘hi’ next time you are up at the Capitol.
______________________________________________
Get to know Brad Galvez better at his campaign website here.
Related articles
- Meet Senator Todd Weiler of Utah’s 23rd Senate District (publiusonline.com)
- Meet Rep. Jim Nielson of Utah’s 19th Legislative District (publiusonline.com)
- If you’re gonna insist on voting, you might as well inform yourself. (publiusonline.com)
