Citizen Revolt: Week of September 8
Taking Us for a Ride, Pushed Out of Housing, Free Speech in Academia
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Taking Us for a Ride
If you haven't heard about the gondola, you're either not paying attention or just don't care what happens to the Cottonwood canyons. UDOT has just released its preference for a corporate welfare ride up to two private ski resorts—on taxpayer money, of course (half a billion dollars and counting). All is not lost yet. You have a chance to comment, but the just-say-no comments will likely be discarded. There may be hope yet. If not the business-friendly Legislature that needs to fund it, then perhaps some of the short-term solutions will gain traction. There's enhanced bus service, shuttles and traffic mitigation. You have 45 days to comment on the Little Cottonwood Canyon Environmental Impact Statement. Maybe you have a great idea or maybe you just want to vent because you're a hiker, rock climber or mountain biker, and the gondola will do nothing for you. Tell UDOT you care about saving the canyons—for everyone. Online, free, through Monday, Oct. 17. https://bit.ly/3hNDKr7
Pushed Out of Housing
If you're a renter or someone trying to buy a home, you've probably noticed how real people are being priced out of the market. Check out the Free Film Screening: Push housing documentary, "a gripping new film about how global finance is fueling the housing crisis and making cities unaffordable to live in." You may not believe it, but Salt Lake City does have a housing plan of sorts, and they invite you to read through it and go to the screening with questions. This is a chance to make your voices heard and ask the hard questions of the city about what they consider "affordable" and whether development means high-rise living only. Where are the walkable neighborhoods and how is the parking problem being resolved? What does urban living mean today? Salt Lake City Main Library, 210 E. 400 South, SLC, Thursday, Sept. 8, 6:30 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/3R4rTp6
Free Speech in Academia
We know K-12 teachers are being muzzled by the MAGA moms, but the issue is coming to higher education. It may have been there already, because many public institutions depend on political good will to keep them funded. "In general, academic freedom is the right of faculty in the discharge of their duties to express their ideas and challenge the ideas of others without fear of retribution," the University of Maryland's Office of Faculty Affairs writes. The University of Utah notes that "across the country, people have contrasting views on how individuals can express themselves in public based on the rules of free expression." The Hinckley Institute of Politics is offering Practicing Academic Freedom & Free Speech, a forum where you can hear what students and professors think is happening and how they are addressing challenges. U of U Hinckley Institute of Politics, 260 S. Central Campus Drive, Room 2018, Wednesday, Sept. 14, noon, free. https://bit.ly/3ABbTnh
About The Author
Katharine Biele
A City Weekly contributor since 1992, Katharine Biele is the informed voice behind our Hits & Misses column. When not writing, you can catch her working to empower voters and defend democracy alongside the League of Women Voters.
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