Miss: Shipping and Handling
Here in Utah, if you really, really want something to be true, then it must be true. That pretty much sums up the long and persistent trajectory of the Utah inland port. While the Legislature has been all agog over the financial prospects of trucking in goods from the coast, city dwellers and environmentalists have been less than enthused. Now comes a report from the Utah Investigative Journalism Project and KUER 90.1 FM that disputes the port's economic smoke and mirrors. The conclusion from "leading experts on shipping, logistics and supply chain management" was to "cast doubt on the vision of the port being lean, green and successful." Imports from the West Coast are on the decline and electrification of the trucking industry is a pipe dream. Meanwhile, Weber County is rushing to approve a satellite port near the Great Salt Lake and waterfowl management areas. If the dollars don't add up, the taxpayers may be saddled with a bill for a kind of Potemkin village.
Miss: Off the Road Again
There's something ironic in the way the state government condemns "federal overreach" and yet doubles down on its own heavy hand in local government decisions. Let's talk about Moab; the Bureau of Land Management recently banned motorized vehicles from 300 miles of dirt trails and roads in an effort to conserve the iconic vistas. The Grand County Commission celebrated the ban, and Moab City has never been a big fan of off-roaders plowing through the city's narrow streets. Still, Gov. Spencer Cox is appealing the ruling, and Sen. Mitt Romney is in favor because, of course, "the impact on the economy in the region." Motorized recreation organizations are fighting the ruling, too. It's unclear if it would really bar users from accessing the land but, certainly, it would put a dent in motorized use around "the off-road capital of Utah." And if recreation means money, then the thinking's been done.
Hit: Camp Sights
As we enter 2024, Salt Lake appears to be taking homelessness seriously—sort of. The Salt Lake Tribune editorialized about how the city's new sanctioned homeless camp might help the situation. The state, however, is looking at opening a permanent camp west of 700 West between freeway ramps at 500 South. If you've been out there, you've seen dozens of tents and makeshift shelters, but the state plan would erect miniature shelters like those at the temporary site. Many of the unhoused have resisted shelters as unsafe and overcrowded, something Wayne Neiderhauser, the state's homeless coordinator, understands. Whether the Legislature will be on board with an estimated operating budget of up to $3 million a year is anyone's guess. After all, we're talking about Salt Lake City, the liberal anti-Christ of Utah.
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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