Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Recycling, free transit and other New Year's wishes for Utah in 2024
Urban Living
Posted By Babs De Lay on December 27, 2023, 4:00 AM
It's that time of the year when many folks make new year's resolutions. Hell, I stopped doing that years ago, because I was a failure at keeping my promises to myself.
It would be more appropriate to say what I wish for, or dream about.
To wit:
—That anyone living in a major Utah city must be required to recycle at least paper and plastic and that, if it's unaffordable, then the local governments should kick in part of the cost. Around two-thirds of all paper products in the U.S. are being recycled but only 10% of plastics are recycled.
—That public transit (UTA buses and Trax light rail) should be free; always. I pushed for that when I was a board member at UTA and generally got laughs, but with our bad air and all the new construction of "transit oriented" new housing in our major cities, Utah needs to help not just the air but give a break for low-income folks as well. I believe Santa Cox likes the idea, but the Legislature has to figure out how to fund it. There's talk on the Hill that there may be a one-year pilot program to test an all-free transit system.
—Massive new affordable housing options. There is a ton of land owned by the state, local governments and even nonprofits/churches that could be dedicated to extremely low-income, permanent housing. People in the service sector making poor hourly wages, single parents and—especially—seniors on fixed incomes need help now and will need more help in the future as prices go up for housing, utilities, food, insurance, transportation, etc.
—Roughly 95% of the men I know personally are terrific. My dream is that they convince the other 5% that are warlords, rapists and murderers of women, elders and children around the world to stop the violence. Women could pull the old Lysistrata story out, where sex is withheld from men until they stop warring, but both past and modern history prove that this 5% don't care about women and will rape and murder them regardless in their quests for power, control and money.
—Finally, I wish that 2024—the next presidential year for us—doesn't turn into an utter hell of vitriol, worse than what's currently out there, and that by some magnificent miracle, the U.S. Congress figures out budgeting solutions and passes reasonable bipartisan bills. This current Congress proved to be the second laziest, most embittered group ever elected. The 118th Congress is on track to be one of the most unproductive in modern history, with just a couple dozen laws on the books at the close of 2023. This is the fewest since at least the 101st Congress, in 1989.
If wishes were fishes, we'd all cast nets. May you have a great year end and may we all survive 2024!
About The Author
Babs De Lay
A full-time broker/owner of Urban Utah Homes and Estates, Babs De Lay serves on the Salt Lake City Historic Landmark Commission. A writer and golfer, you'll find them working as a staff guardian at the Temple at Burning Man each year.
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