All posts by ngochnour

A plea for a more policy-oriented governor’s race

Originally published in the Deseret News.

I pay a lot of attention to the Utah governor’s race because of the importance of the chief executive to the success of our state. I want to make a plea for a more policy-oriented governor’s race.

My plea is born of experience. Governors matter. They set the direction for the state and lead in times of crisis. In the 2016 election we have three accomplished and talented candidates vying for office. We need to learn more about their policies and vision for the state.

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The soul of our city

Originally published in Utah Business.

I’m a native Salt Laker, so I should know how to describe Utah’s capital city to someone new to our state. Still, when I’m asked by a non-Utahn to describe Salt Lake City, I struggle with the right response. Salt Lake City, for all its stereotypes, is difficult to fit in a box.

The British poet John Betjeman invented a word that captures my feelings about this place. He combined the words topos, which means “place,” with the Greek word philia, which means “love of,” to coin the term topophilia or “love of place.” For me, it’s the combination of love and place that makes me so proud to be a Salt Laker.

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Engagement is the right path for US-Cuba relations

Originally published in the Deseret News.

The "smile" of Havana
The “smile” of Havana

This week, a Carnival cruise ship left Miami, crossed the Florida Straits and docked in Havana, Cuba. Over 700 passengers stepped off the ship into a socialist country that has endured a half century of Cold War hostility. If these visitors are anything like me, they left with a love for the Cuban people and a renewed commitment to strengthen ties with this extraordinary place.

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Crossroads of the West Stand Strong

Originally published in the Deseret News.

About 1,400 small-business owners, entrepreneurs, business executives and community leaders will gather at the Grand America Hotel on Friday for the 10th annual Governor’s Economic Summit. It will be a celebration of sorts, as the Utah economy continues to impress. The Beehive State created nearly 45,000 jobs over the past year and is in its sixth year of solid economic growth. The Crossroads of the West stands strong.

A hallmark of the governor’s economic summit is a mindset toward the future. As a speaker at the summit I will present several trends for attendees to contemplate as we plan for a prosperous future. Three of these trends are worthy of a broader discussion.

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Welcoming refugees: Come break bread with us

Originally published in the Deseret News.

“Pull up a seat, you’re welcome at the table, there’s room and abundance for all.” — Peggy Noonan

Sometimes I feel like we live in a darkening world. Light is all around us, but each day the flame dims as disheartening events turn us away from the light — bombings in Paris and Brussels, the sorry state of American presidential politics and the need for fetal pain abortion laws. There are a lot of hard things to process every day. We live in challenging times.

This week the light in the world got a little brighter because of renewed efforts to serve the world’s refugee population. The source of that light came from Utah. The world is a brighter place today.

The “I was a stranger” effort, launched by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, builds upon a long history of sisterly love in Utah. It’s a history served as well by Catholic Community Services and other faith-based, governmental and nonprofit entities. In Utah, we welcome the world. As one female leader with the LDS Church put it, “This is not a program; it is who we are.”

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The Gateway Re-Imagined

Originally published in Utah Business Magazine.

When my daughter got her driver’s license I remember asking her if she could find her way around town. She turned to me with a confident smile and said, “I know how to get to The Gateway.”

Her answer spoke volumes. A 16-year-old, newly minted driver, who lived in the suburbs of Salt Lake City, knew the directions to a downtown shopping destination eight miles away. The Gateway was THE place to go and she had found it.

A lot has changed in the intervening years. The Gateway today is a shadow of the gathering place it once was. Thankfully, Phoenix-based developer Vestar recently purchased the property and will invest $30 million to support an inspiring vision. I couldn’t be more exited to welcome Vestar to town.

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Escaping American politics

Originally published in the Deseret News.

In a clever piece of writing, the Economist magazine said Donald Trump is to public service what professional wrestling is to sport. The magazine’s writers characterized his candidacy as “a suspension of belief for escapists.” They are escaping a Washington, D.C., that doesn’t work anymore. I get it. With his nomination a near fait accompli and another toxic confirmation battle brewing over President Obama’s pick for the Supreme Court, many Americans are beyond belief and need to escape for a while. Fortunately, there are many other worthy escape plans.

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Moment of truth: A confounding presidential election year

Originally published in Utah Business.

By the time this column is read, the 2016 presidential election will be in full gear. Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina will be a fait accompli or thereabouts. No longer will voters be able to settle for entertainment and cheap talk. It’s time to vote.

If you are like me, you find the 2016 presidential election absolutely confounding. One need to look no further than to the remarks made by Gov. Nikki Haley in her official Republican response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union Address. Instead of focusing her criticism on the Democratic Party, she challenged the front runner of her own party: “During anxious times, it can be tempting to follow the siren call of the angriest voices. We must resist that temptation.”

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Civic grace in political elections

Originally published in the Deseret News.

“Elections belong to the people. It’s their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.” — Abraham Lincoln

The Republican Party calls itself the party of Lincoln. The GOP could learn a lot from Lincoln right now.

Lincoln governed during a time of extraordinary division. By the time he delivered his first inaugural address, seven states had already seceded from the union. He begged his countrymen to be touched by the better angels of their nature. He said, “We are not enemies, but friends.” Lincoln possessed civic grace.

Today, the Republican Party could use a little civic grace. The party reeks with division and incivility. What should be a grand discussion about ideas and the right vision for America instead resembles a kindergarten playground conversation of “My dad is bigger than your dad.” Even worse, conservative principles like limited government and free enterprise are lost in the rhetoric of building walls and inciting trade wars. I find myself yearning for something better.

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The Point of the Mountain is beginning to boil

Originally published in the Deseret News.

You can always tell when a pot of water is ready to boil. Hundreds of small air pockets begin to accumulate. Within seconds the tipping point occurs and the boiling begins.

While not a perfect comparison, a similar phenomenon is occurring at the nexus of Utah’s two largest counties. What locals call the “Point of the Mountain” is reaching an economic boiling point. The growth of Salt Lake and Utah counties are coming together. It’s the most significant change in Utah’s urban dynamics in a generation, and it presents significant economic opportunity.

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