#plugintodevin - Your Mark on the World with Devin Thorpe

Jennifer Fresques Explains the Role & Significance of the County Assessor - #plugintodevin

itunes pic [https://assets.podomatic.net/ts/2d/d1/03/devinthorpe/3000x3000_15006410.jpg] #plugintodevin Show - Devin Thorpe for Congress Guest: Jennifer Fresques Office Sought: Salt Lake County Assessor Issue: Most people don't know what the Assessor does or who the current Assessor is. One of my goals would be to change that, to make the office more accessible to the public. The Assessor's office has struggled to retain and attract experts in our field. This makes valuation more difficult. It also makes it more difficult for us to hold the valuations on higher valued properties which could result in undue burden on all others. Unfortunately, because people don't understand the role of the Assessor, they often don't really care who runs the office. This makes running for this office difficult. The Assessor plays an integral role in running the office as well as with the public. Within our office there is a desperate need for positive changes. The public needs to understand that without the right leadership, they will be affected. Customer service may suffer and the values may suffer. It's important to get the values correctly assessed in order to spread the tax burden equitably and without undue burden to our working class families. Bio: My name is Jennifer Fresques. My husband Rich and I have two incredible sons, a dog and a cat. We love spending time together as a family whether it’s watching a movie, playing board games or cards or having snowball fights. I love reading. I love laughing with my husband and kids. I am also passionate about surrogacy and our family was fortunate enough to be able to help three families grow when I was a surrogate for them. I have a Bachelor Degree in Accounting and I am a Certified General Appraiser. I have worked in the Salt Lake County Assessor’s office for 12 years. While in the Assessor’s office I have worked in various positions in the Commercial Department. I have been in leadership roles for several years now. I feel passionately about the work we do and about the people that I lead. My background in the county and in the Assessor’s office as well as my Certified General licensing makes me an excellent candidate for Salt Lake County Assessor. I have spent years observing the challenges in our office and speaking with my fellow employees about the issues they have in our office. I have striven to become a leader with an open door, ready to listen and always willing to advocate for our employees. I strongly believe the Assessor’s office needs fresh perspectives in management in order to make positive changes within the organization. The better our organization and the more effective and efficient our employees can become, the better our customer service and valuation can become. The closer the assessor’s office can get to the true fair market values of all properties, the better the tax burden can be fairly spread. My oath as a leader: I will lead with integrity and honesty. I will be the “fix it” leader who not only fixes things, but empowers others to fix things as well. I will set clear expectations and make certain that those expectations are clearly communicated to those I lead. I will provide the knowledge, tools and guidance to help build up those around me. I will strive for positive communication, transparency, consistency and competency. Website: jenniferfresques.com Facebook: @jennifer4assessor Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/jennifer-fresques Instagram: @jennifer4assessor #plugintodevin #UtahValues #BoldSolutions #UTpol

UT Physicians for a Healthy Environment Founder On Opening Schools - #plugintodevin

itunes pic [https://assets.podomatic.net/ts/2d/d1/03/devinthorpe/3000x3000_15004703.jpg] #plugintodevin Show - Devin Thorpe for Congress Guest: Brian Moench Issue: Right now it's the pandemic and whether to open schools. Normally it's air pollution and the climate crisis. I've been involved in trying to raise awareness of the health consequences of air pollution/dirty energy, and shape public policy to improve Wasatch Front air quality. We're not doing anywhere enough to reduce pollution, and much more must be done. The proposed inland port will be the biggest new source of pollution in 50 years. Bio: Medical Background: - Graduate of U. of Utah Medical School - Internship in Internal Medicine at LDS Hospital - Residency in Anesthesiology at Mass. General Hospital - Fellowship in Intensive Care Medicine Mass. General Hospital - Former instructor in anesthesia, Harvard Medical School - Former Chairman, Anesthesia Dept., Holy Cross Hospital - Private practice in anesthesiology since 1981. Environmental expertise: - Former adjunct faculty member, U. of Utah Honors College, teaching public health and the environment. - President and founder, Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment, (UPHE). Since 2007 UPHE has become the largest civic organization of medical professionals in the Western US. We have been actively engaged in many environmental battles throughout the country and Western Canada. UPHE has worked closely with numerous national environmental groups like the Sierra Club, Earthjustice, and WildEarth Guardians. - Board Chairman, Doctors and Scientists Against Wood Smoke Pollution - Nominated by Pres. Obama as a finalist for the Award, Champions of Change, for my work on public health and the climate crisis, 2013. Writing and lecture experience: - I have had about 110 Op Eds published in newspapers throughout the country on numerous issues related to the environment and public health. - I have been the principal author of extensive and heavily referenced comments submitted to federal and state agencies on various types of environmental rule making, and courts briefs written for environmental lawsuits on behalf of UPHE. - I am the author of the health chapter in a soon to be published book, Air Pollution in Utah: Issues and Solutions. The book is under contract with the University of Utah press. - Author of the non-fiction book, Death by Corporation, an expose' of the dark, and all too often lethal business practices of major international corporations. - I have appeared on national television, MSNBC, Fox Business Chanel, to discuss the relationship between neonatal death and pollution from fracking. - I have been quoted in numerous national newspapers, appear regularly on local television and radio programs discussing the health consequences of air pollution and am well recognized by the Utah public as an expert on air pollution and health. I give dozens of lectures a year on numerous issues related to environmental contamination. - I have testified as an expert witness in environmental lawsuits, and am currently an expert witness on the effect of environmental contaminants on brain function for defendant in a murder trial. - On a lighter note, I was the first political opponent of the now infamous political guru for George W. Bush, Karl Rove, at Olympus High School, SLC, 1968. - I was the creator and founder of a humorous greeting card company, In Your Face Cards, which sold 35 million cards over 11 years. As a physician, humorous cartoonist, and creator of In Your Face Cards, CNN did a personal profile on me in the late 1990s. - I am an ongoing thorn in the side of Utah state government, industrial polluters, oil and gas drillers, and wood burners. Website: UPHE.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brian.moench.1 #plugintodevin #UtahValues #BoldSolutions #UTpol

UT House Candidate Sam Winkler On Growth: Pollution, Traffic, Overpopulation - #plugintodevin

itunes pic [https://assets.podomatic.net/ts/2d/d1/03/devinthorpe/3000x3000_14996282.jpg] #plugintodevin Show - Devin Thorpe for Congress Guest: Samuel Winkler Office Sought: House District 42 Issue: Managing growth and what comes with it. The air has become more polluted and our roads are clogged with traffic. Our schools are overfull and I have a concern for the amount of water we actually have left. We need to manage growth to ensure that we will have water for future generations, that developments include transit, education, and commercial elements. Bio: Sam Winkler was born and raised in Utah, married with three children ages 2, 6 and 13. Sam graduated Magna Cum Laude from Weber State University with a bachelors in Criminal Justice and enjoys spending time with his family camping, fishing, and just hanging around. Sam is a police sergeant for a local police department and has worked serving our community for over 20 years. Sam currently supervises the School Resource Officers, Traffic Unit, Community Outreach and fills in as a Public Information Officer. Sam's career has allowed him to see first-hand many of the issues we all face in our communities today - whether it's needing to invest more in education, to our deteriorating air quality, or growing pains and infrastructure. Even today, Sam has great ideas to work with the community on criminal justice and law enforcement reform. Sam will listen to all of the evidence and weigh all of the facts to make the best decisions for the people of our district and the State of Utah. Website: www.vote4samwinkler.com Twitter: @SamuelUtah Facebook: @SamWinkler4UTHouse42 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-winkler-b0924716/ Instagram: @SamWinkler4UTHouse42 #plugintodevin #UtahValues #BoldSolutions #UTpol

West High Student Discusses School Safety - #plugintodevin

#plugintodevin Show - Devin Thorpe for Congress Guest: Iris Widlansky Issue: School safety. My school had to shelter in place because somebody brought a gun to school last fall. Guns were invented to kill people and animals. They don’t belong in our communities. Bio: I’m Iris Widlansky and I’m a student at West High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. In my free time, I enjoy acting, reading, dancing, and writing. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in social justice. I am an activist, and I try to stay informed about injustices in the world around me and how I can help people. Whether I’m going to a protest, signing petitions, or listening to members of marginalized communities, I try to help people as much as I can. A few months ago, my dad told me about Devin’s political campaign. I looked at his website and saw that he was looking to address many of the issues I was interested in (climate change, affordable healthcare, gun violence, etc.) and I wanted to get involved. I’m super excited to be working with Devin and his team, and to be making a lasting impact. Instagram: @a.little.messy #plugintodevin #UtahValues #BoldSolutions #UTpol

How We Can Make People's Voices Heard in Utah by Suzanne Harrison - #plugintodevin

itunes pic [https://assets.podomatic.net/ts/2d/d1/03/devinthorpe/3000x3000_14980971.jpg] #plugintodevin Show - Devin Thorpe for Congress Guest: Suzanne harrison Office Held: State rep Office Sought: State rep Issue: Feeling heard and prioritized. Bio: I grew up in Provo where my parents both spent their careers working at BYU. I went to Timpview High School and then attended Stanford University where I met my husband, John, who was raised in Centerville, Utah. After Stanford I graduated from medical school at the University of Utah, and completed my residency in anesthesiology at Harvard University. We’ve lived in District 32 for over a decade. Our children attend local public schools. John works as a Senior Director of Engineering at Lucid Software. I am a board-certified anesthesiologist at Riverton Hospital and Intermountain Medical Center. I also volunteer at our children’s schools and sports leagues and in our church. Website: Votesuz.com Twitter: @votesuz Facebook: @votesuz Instagram: @votesuz #plugintodevin #UtahValues #BoldSolutions #UTpol