Judges and Utah journalists targeted by emboldened far-right militias.
Hits & Misses
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Miss: Sore Winners
Can we just tell the far right, "OK, you won. Get over it"? Apparently it's not enough that America is skating into an incendiary presidency. Now, the "losers" have to worry about safety, their livelihoods and even their families. The rising militias are just one portent of what's to come. Let's start with Chief Justice John Roberts and his state of the judiciary, in which he whined about threats to the justices and a general disregard for the rule of law. Before you start laughing, know that it's already here. ProPublica recently wrote a piece about "The Militia and the Mole," an insider account of the militia underground. It talked about a dossier on a Utah reporter, which appears to be Bryan Schott. Schott says militia members have stalked his home and threatened him in person, as they will do. He likely won't be the only target. The far right doesn't like being challenged—at all.
Miss: Pass Fail
Next up—academia. Campuses are in the crosshairs of the Legislature. Never mind that they've already eviscerated DEI because it's "woke" (read: inclusive). And, of course, they want to quash "critical race theory" making students feel bad about the country's past. So it's not unusual that Utah universities are facing major budget cuts—money being the great influencer. A Salt Lake Tribune story suggested support for mental health counseling and disability services faces up to a 25% cut at the University of Utah. Meanwhile, conservative surveys are homing in on academics feeling stifled by "liberal" preferences in speech and promotional opportunities. One Deseret News commenter said all his professors were "communists," while another opined that science follows facts and conservatism does not. It's not all about the U and "liberal" politics. A Tribune story about BYU highlighted loyalty oaths and fear of retribution there.
Hit: Seller's Market
There's no argument that buying a home in Utah is a frustrating, if not futile, task. First-time homebuyers must prepare themselves for a sprint to the finish line—first come, first served, if you've got the cash. It's not unlike an auction on eBay, where the algorithms win every time. But a stunning fact is that some 25% of buyers are investors who have no intention of living in the home and are up-scaling for rental or higher-market prices. Rep. Gay Lynn Bennion, D-Cottonwood Heights, will be running a bill to require buyers to sign a voucher committing to live in the house for a year. She'll be up against free-market and property-rights advocates while she tries to stem the tide of corporate greed. Her ammunition: "from 2018 to 2023—10,000 homes that were owned by private individuals have been bought by corporations," she says.
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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