My name is Joseph Speciale, and I am running in 2020 for Utah Treasurer. I'm going to answer three questions in this post:
Why am I running?
What are my qualifications?
What will I do if I win?
Why am I running?
The answer to this question is both simple and complicated. I am running because I want to make a difference in the lives of Utahns. That's the simple soundbite answer. The longer more complicated one? I'm running because I believe that although politics is often a dirty game, its one of the few that directly impacts most people on most days for good and bad. I hope to make as many of those impacts as good as possible, instead of just as unnoticeable as possible. I want to help Utah move toward liberty for all, where all people are free to live their lives according to their conscience so long as they don't harm others and their justly acquired property. To not be hemmed in by the preferences of others but to be free to take chances and live their consequences good and bad. In the case of Treasurer, that means a huge increase in transparency and accountability. We cannot be free, if we do not know where our sacred taxes go.
What are my qualifications?
Utah State law defines the qualifications for Treasurer as being 25 or older, and having been a resident of the state for 5 years before the election. That seems like a low bar, I do meet these minimum standards... what else? I am not a man with a deep background and luxurious pedigree in banking, nor do I hold a degree in finance from a prestigious institution. I don't come from a wealthy family, nor do I have large donors for this campaign. I am a small town boy from a lower middle class family, I earned a degree in business after years of up-all-nighters while working full-time. I own a small successful business here in Utah. I have four children, and a wonderfully supportive wife. Economics and finance are a hobby and passion of mine. I believe in simple time-tested financial principles that are rooted in protecting and preserving hard earned money. Simple principles like living on a less than you earn, sticking to a budget, differentiating between needs and wants, saving for good things and hard years, invest wisely for the long term and stay away from unnecessary debt. These principles certainly do not fit with much of the currently popular thought and action in modern government, but they are the way back to restoring trust in Utahns.
What will I do if I win?
I'd focus on three things:
1. Develop relationships with legislature and executive branch to encourage greater spending restraint.
2. Seek to simplify communications with public in such a way that we cannot be misunderstood as we embark on #3 and seek out opportunities to encourage the legislature to reduce the number of tasks and efforts of the office by reducing unnecessary activities in law.
3. Push the office toward transparency and accountability to not just the legislature and governor but to the people of Utah through simple initiatives like a daily updated chart of the Treasurer Investment Fund on the website and social media, and increasing the publics awareness of financial issues of the State through larger outreach efforts.
