Fuel on the Fire
We know how the Utah Legislature likes to study critically imperative issues they either don't want to address or have ignored so long that there's no other choice. We're not talking about the Great Salt Lake, but that was one example. Here's another: How to diversify Utah's energy portfolio, and in the meantime maybe focus on saving jobs and lives of future Utahns. While the world knows that climate change is an existential problem, let's just say it has to smack our officials upside the head before they act. The Lila Canyon coal mine should do just that. Situated in East Carbon, it has been burning for more than two months, NBC News reports. About a quarter of the residents there live in poverty, and many of the youth have worked at the mine. No more. Sixty-one percent of the state's electricity comes from coal, and Lila has supplied coal to two PacifiCorp plants. The Trump administration made a big deal about saving the mine, but someone needs to look forward. It's not the mine (and the toxic air it produces) that needs to be saved—it's the people.
Don't Be Like Mike
Big question mark. How do Utahns continue to support Sen. Mike Lee who—despite doing very little in Congress—is one of the purveyors of the lies intended to overturn a legitimate election? Is everyone so jaded now that they no longer read documentation, that they no longer trust anything the government does to support the law? Sure, The Salt Lake Tribune has reported on his shenanigans leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection, but many go ahead and discount that as liberal hype because they think of the Trib as a communist tool. Still, there is always the actual congressional report. Lee encouraged the idea of alternate electors—you know, the kind that can cast a vote the total opposite of what really happened. All this because of his adoration of a morally bankrupt former president. Nonetheless, Tribune readers saw fit to name Lee "Utahn of the Year," leaving columnist Robert Gehrke to plead for Lee to "apologize." Well, that's not going to happen.
Peak Mormonism?
Yes, it was Sunday, and we do live in Utah, home of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. So, for the Mormons among us, The Salt Lake Tribune print edition must have been a blessing on New Year's Day. A massive above-the-fold feature asks: "Can LDS Church Rekindle Growth Momentum?" And woe to them, "The days of a seemingly endless march toward worldwide growth may be over for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with total active membership likely to peak at or just below 6 million should current trends continue," the story says. Is it a worldwide religion? Is it inflating its membership rolls? Maybe most pertinent is how this is any different from other religions in decline?
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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