Not a Drop to Drink
It took almost 20 years, but Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating "the opportunity to bring drinking water infrastructure to the Navajo Nation and water certainty for Utah, the fastest growing state in the country." Of course, he's largely exuberant about the prospect of economic stimulus. Up to half of the homes on the Utah side of the Navajo Nation reservation have no running water, and Sen. Mitt Romney acknowledged that most people don't realize the hardships faced by these residents every day. Some of the area's water was polluted by unregulated uranium mining, and many residents have to lug in cartons of bottled water daily. But for the Deseret News' reporting, we might be looking at the newly announced infrastructure agreement only as a major victory. Right now, it's just a piece-of-paper promise. Waiting is the future. "If I was building a church, I would have water by now," one woman told the DNews. That's politics.
Master of Malevolence
Why did some Utah politicians travel to Wyoming? The Salt Lake Tribune posits that it's because they want (or need) to curry favor with the Former Guy who spoke at a rally in Casper in the hopes of ousting Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney. But Utah officials also want to bathe in Trump's degenerative power and draw from his hateful playbook of professional disparagement. I mean, if you can't belittle an opponent, who are you anyway? Don't just embarrass; slander and destroy! Most people know that Cheney is toast because she understood the meaning of "insurrection" and wants to hold the perpetrators accountable. That is no longer a winning proposition in a country where facts and integrity are ridiculed. At the rally were 45 as well as Utah far-right candidates Chris Herrod and Andrew Badger, Utah GOP Chairman Carson Jorgensen and Attorney General Sean Reyes, who wants everyone to believe the feds are "coming for your lands." Sadly, Utahns don't understand that it's the other way around, but they do respond to the GOP's negative talking points.
Short Memories
Congressman Chris Stewart is nothing if not ballsy. Then again, he can be pretty well assured that his constituents have no idea what he's really doing as long as he says the right words. A recent tweet has him singing the praises of Saudi Arabia's crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. Stewart was "honored" to meet with Salman, and it was a "greatly encouraging trip." Yeah, Stewart loves the money he can get from any strongman but conveniently forgets that Salman was accused of crimes against humanity after the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. He hasn't tweeted about Ukraine since April 25, instead focusing on baby formula, the unborn and Biden, Biden, Biden. As for his adoration of Salman, that's probably OK with some Utahns, who'd be fine with offing journalists.
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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