Trumped
And now starts the blame game. Who's at fault for Donald Trump's rise to authoritarianism? Or as a writer for The Guardian calls him, "A bloviating idiot, a misogynistic fool, a racist, narcissistic reality TV star without a singular achievement to his name." The news is full of rationalizations. It was Facebook where people can't identify legitimate news sources. But wait, maybe it was the Russians, or the FBI, or Bernie, the millennials, or the Clinton campaign's complacency and focus on Obama's base. But here in Utah, the blame was quickly deflected from Evan McMullan when he couldn't even beat Clinton and the LDS Church failed to move its masses from Trump. The real problem came to light after Judi Hillman, director of Voterise, joined about 1,000 others at Salt Lake's first anti-Trump rally. Wanting to understand, she talked to about 200 people. More than a third said they didn't vote. Another fifth refused to answer. You can't count votes that aren't there.
Rocky Mountain Powerful
Never underestimate the power of a big utility company. While several Utah cities recently rejected fees for solar power, Rocky Mountain Power has another idea, according to The Salt Lake Tribune. RMP is proposing a new rate schedule that would raise the amount net-metering customers pay to the utility. You know, it's all about how unfair it is that solar customers get a "subsidy" after paying huge sums to install solar panels and ultimately diminish the need for carbon-based energy. None of this is unexpected. Utilities are not happy about funding the growth of alternative energy, and are probably feeling empowered by the nation's new carbon-friendly administration. Solar advocates say RMP hasn't calculated the benefits of solar, but then why should they?
Full-Strength Ahead
It's hard to think of a downside to getting rid of 3.2 beer in Utah—unless that means no beer. Of course, you can always go to the state liquor store, but that just seems like overkill given the rich history of brewing in the state. The Mormons under Brigham Young operated breweries—ostensibly for the revenue—from the time they entered the valley. Just read articles in City Weekly and SLUG magazine to find more. Oklahoma is poised to allow full-strength beer and wine in grocery and convenience stores, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. That's because few breweries want to make the watered-down version. If the Legislature refuses to act like adults, small breweries and home brewers might get lucky.
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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