When The Sutherland Institute first hit Utah’s political landscape in 1995, it issued a host of “position papers” and “policy statements,” many espousing the virtues of free-market mechanisms in the then hotly disputed arena of health care. Since Mero took the helm in December 2000, The Sutherland Institute has made a marked shift into debates surrounding moral issues, poverty and, first and foremost, education. Mero fervently believes the most lasting solutions are family-based, and other solutions—including those that rely on nontraditional families—can no longer hold back society’s problems. It’s time, he said, for families to reassert their role as comprehensive social providers. It’s also time for government to back off.
