Salt Lake City politicians point fingers on homelessness while aid funds get spent ... somewhere | Hits & Misses | Salt Lake City Weekly

Salt Lake City politicians point fingers on homelessness while aid funds get spent ... somewhere 

Hits & Misses

Pin It
Favorite
click to enlarge news_hitsmisses1-1.png
news_hitsmisses1-3.png

Blame Games
Last week, there was a dust-up over homelessness—or at least over the response to it. Whose fault is it that the unhoused population keeps growing despite money, media and, of course, public angst? Most people know Salt Lake mayoral hopefuls Erin Mendenhall and Rocky Anderson are duking it out over the problem. At a Crossroads Urban Center candidate forum, Mayor Mendenhall said it was the state's responsibility to do something. A Sunday Salt Lake Tribune story pointed to federal money coming in, although that's about to end. It also noted that the Legislature has continued to cut taxes, even while homelessness becomes epidemic. But the audience at the forum was impatient and unforgiving. They didn't want to play the blame game—they wanted accountability. The Trib story noted where the funds were sent, but not how they were spent, and it left the reader with this zinger: "Approximately 7% of the funds was handed out to two developers."

news_hitsmisses1-3.png

Cut Lee's Mic
Utah's senior senator has been in the news a lot lately, but not for anything he's accomplished. Mike Lee, for all his curious popularity, spends much of his time bitching about "the left" and calling attention to his close relationship to God, or Jesus, or Captain Moroni. This past week, Lee managed to see God's wrath in the muddy flooding that halted the Burning Man Festival, probably because of all those New Age, commie hippies who attended. And now Lee thinks that defunding the military is a dandy idea because there might be a pregnant service member who wants an abortion, and the military would allow it. He and Alabama's Tommy Tuberville think putting a stop to the slightest chance a fetus would be aborted is more important than defending the country. The Salt Lake Tribune also reported Lee's concern that the Pentagon is secretly trying to shape public opinion. Well, it's not working in Utah.

news_hitsmisses1-2.png

Unspoiled Lands
If the Utah inland port and its myriad polluters aren't enough, the Salt Lake City Council is considering an "upzone" in an area north of Rose Park. That would allow an 1,800-unit development near Interstate 215 that would pretty much build over the last bit of agricultural land in the city. We'll call it a win that the council deferred approval, pending more talk. The council got feedback asking for stronger requirements for a wetland buffer, zoning changes that would remove the possibility of a business park and requiring bird-friendly design. The pause gives more time for comments and data, even while the council says it wants to balance "development pressures, property owners' rights, quality of life and environmental concerns." While development often trumps any balance, maybe there's hope for the neighborhood.

Pin It
Favorite

About The Author

Katharine Biele

Katharine Biele

Bio:
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.

© 2025 Salt Lake City Weekly

Website powered by Foundation