Supreme Court decision on homelessness plays "Whac-A-Mole" on the unsheltered.
Hits & Misses
By Katharine Biele @kathybiele
Miss: Move Along
"It's Whac-A-Mole again." That was the sentiment from one man on the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on homelessness. He's not wrong—homelessness, not unlike immigration, is one of those problems governments can't seem to crack, though it keeps trying. If you were focused on the court's "king" ruling instead, you may have missed a decision giving cities the right to punish people sleeping in public places. The National Homelessness Law Center called it profoundly disappointing that the "U.S. Constitution does not protect homeless people against cruel and unusual punishment, even when they have no choice to sleep in public." In Salt Lake County, homeless camping is sometimes beyond a nuisance, affecting public safety. Most experts agree that housing aims at a solution, and yet the court encourages moving the unsheltered around, fining or imprisoning them, making the problem worse.
Hit: Dust to Dust
Once again, the Great Salt Lake Collaborative is sounding the alert. New research from the University of Utah says that harmful dust exposure from the shrinking lake disproportionately affects people of color—especially Hispanics and Pacific Islanders. The collaborative has been sounding the alert for a while, and environmentalists have long been concerned about what's in the air. We already know that the Legislature is bent on saving coal plants, much to the deficit of clean air. Now, too, the Environmental Protection Agency has rated Utah with the fourth most toxic chemical releases of any state—and most of that from Kennecott Copper Mine. "The level of contamination steadily gets worse year by year," Dr. Brian Moench told The Salt Lake Tribune on July 5. It's one thing to blanket the news with information about toxins. It's another for legislators to recognize climate change and the harm from toxic air in the valley.
Miss: Never Surrender
Colby Jenkins isn't about to give up. The candidate for the 2nd Congressional District has been dribbling behind Rep. Celeste Maloy by about 290 votes. While he may be able to seek a recount (if the vote is "equal to or less than 0.25%" of votes cast) he doesn't want to wait. Jenkins is suing the Washington County clerk, who denied him access to the 500 or so ballots being "cured" as signatures are verified. If they are all pro-Jenkins, that would push him over the top. Utah law does allow cure lists to be released, but the question is whether voters want to be contacted by candidates or the county clerk? Jenkins senses a conspiracy, but a judge will decide if he can get the lists and the canvas deadline is July 9—after City Weekly's print deadline. Be ready for more drama in the race between two candidates endorsed, respectively, by Sen. Mike Lee and Donald Trump.
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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