Governor Bangerter Office correspondence, 1984-1992.

This series represents the correspondence handled by the governor's office staff during Norman Bangerter's two terms as governor. The series reflects the governor's response to constituent concerns while governing the state. These constituents include primarily the general public, but also civic and business leaders and heads of governmental agencies. Mail was received in the office and distributed to the appropriate staff for response. The mail and the responses then were filed centrally. Letters are occasionally accompanied by tapes, photographs, or other materials.

The correspondence covers a vast number of topics. Many of the letters pertain to individual problems or requests for routine tourism information. Certain topics such as abortion or public prayer could generate enough volume that these eventually were answered by form letter and separated into their own series. Thank you notes and routine congratulatory letters not requiring a response similarly separated into anotherseries. Some letters appear at only certain times. For example, requests for the implementation of a Martin Luther King Jr. holiday peaked in February 1986 but ended when legislation for the same was enacted that year. The activation of Utah National Guard troops to the Persian Gulf in 1990 brought a similar peak in letters on that topic. Other broader topics appear more frequently.

Personnel matters, including hiring and firing, are discussed throughout. Correspondence pertaining to the appointment of new department heads and commission members appears most frequently at the beginning of Governor Bangerter's terms. Resumes from job-seekers are also common after his initial election. A legislative audit of the state retirement system brought letters in the fall of 1989.

Economic concerns were an important topic. The Governor's programs for economic development within the state and promotion of international trade are discussed repeatedly. Some particular projects are noted such ascold fusion and the bid to host the Olympics and acquire the Super Conducting Super Collider. Layoffs among large employers in the state, such as Hill Air Force Base, Geneva Steel, and Kennecott Copper, generated correspondence regarding governmental support of industry and availability and use of funds for retraining dislocated workers. The collapse of the state-regulated thrift and loan industry and the resultant takeover of the guaranty company by the state in fall of 1986 resulted in numerous letters for several years thereafter. Taxation also triggered numerous letters throughout, with particular attention paid to taxation for education, shortfalls in anticipated revenues in several areas, tax limitation initiatives, federal retiree pension taxes, gas taxes, and a proposed repeal of sales tax on food.

Environmental issues are frequent topics of correspondence in this series. Many of these letters also reflect conflicts between state and federal policies. Use of public landsincluding federally designated wilderness areas and school trust lands located within federal lands is a common subject. The subject extends to hunting policies, wildlife and habitat preservation, and acquisition and development of park lands. Air pollution and pipeline projects are also discussed in the correspondence. The disposal of nuclear wastes and other hazardous wastes, including the Sharon Steel tailings, are repeated subjects of numerous letters. Water plans were both an economic and environmental concern: Letters pertain to the construction of pumps in the West Desert to lower water levels in the Great Salt Lake, the Central Utah Water Project, and the construction of several specific dams.

Human services and education, especially the latter, are common topics. Funding for education and a threatened teacher strike brought numerous letters from constituents including teachers and school children. Revenues in the form of a lottery, sale of school trust lands and theequalization of funding between districts are all discussed. Year-round school is also debated. Funding for human services after a taxation shortfall is a topic as well. The formation of a health care risk pool, bone marrow transplants, the homeless, displaced homemakers, and proposed medicaid reductions also are topics.

Finally, lesser themes include transportation and legal matters. Letters regarding transportation revolved around the use of syncrete on I-15, Provo and Logan canyon highway construction, sound barriers on I-215, and Utah Department of Transportation district consolidation. Some legal matters are individual concerns regarding particular civil or criminal cases or parole hearings. Legal matters which generated more letters include hate crimes legislation, pari-mutual betting, a smoking ban, and death sentence appeals on William Andrews, convicted of the "Hi Fi" killings. As noted above, abortion and public prayer legislation eventually generated enough letters tobecome part of the SIGNIFICANT ISSUES CORRESPONDENCE.

Governor Bangerter did not run for a third term. Letters to Governor Bangerter decreased dramatically by the November 1992 election and ended with the holidays in December.