Editor's Note: Several corrections were made to this story to improve the accuracy (I inaccurately stated UTA was more responsible for green-lighting the gondola when it was UDOT). The article previously also indicated that Chris McCandless was the CEO of Visit Utah when he is the CEO of Visit Salt Lake. Due to the overwhelming popularity of Utah’s most iconic … [Read more...]
Elitism in the Outdoors — Ranchers and Western Living vs. Elites Who Want Them Gone
Is Federal Protection of Western Wilderness better than local, economic viability? According to environmentalists on the far left, the best way to protect and preserve the outdoors is to close roads; stop mining, stop drilling, eliminate fertilizer use on farms, and obliterate the energy and farming sectors of rural economies. According to the right-leaning republican … [Read more...]
A Look at Tenement Housing as Opposed to Government Housing
Crossing the Great Chasm From Ward of the State to Productive Citizen In response to a reader's comment: on Reddit: I've actually been doing an assignment surrounding homelessness and a part of me wishes I've chosen another social issue. The more I learn the more I get depressed. I have no idea what the solutions are, and it appears to me as if there may be none to speak … [Read more...]
The Failure of the Metaverse and the Rise of the Real World
Meta (Facebook) CEO Mark Zuckerberg made a massive bet on the “Metaverse” or the concept that Facebook users would want a more “immersive experience” when they join online communities. The metaverse consisted of massive, elaborate virtual meeting spaces, and the ability to customize your own avatar to your liking, making your online presence even more of your personal … [Read more...]
Utah’s Little Cottonwood Canyon: A Gondola Wins, Granolas Lose
UDOT (Utah Department of Transportation) determines to move forward with the Little Cottonwood Canyon expansion plan, which is a gondola serving Snowbird and Alta skiers using Utah's taxpayers' dollars. A series of up to 40 poles, each with a concrete base of up to 15 feet in diameter, all serviced by new roads big enough to allow for huge trucks will be installed in some of … [Read more...]
Salt Lake City’s Homeless Abatement Policies Examined
If the homeless abatement policy and program were designed to help the homeless to find a more secure place to camp or stay, perhaps this $1-$2 million per year cost to Salt Lake City taxpayers could be justified. But it could be argued that the opposite is true. The cruelty of moving unsheltered people and families from empty lots who have nowhere else to stay is essentially … [Read more...]
New York Times Journalist Appalled by the Homeless Situation in Salt Lake
We Are Humans, Plead Salt Lake's Homeless Population New York Times photographer says Salt Lake City’s ongoing efforts to clear out homeless people are inhumane and unnecessary. Five years ago, the New York Times sent journalists to Salt Lake City to report on the deteriorating homeless situation and particularly on Operation Rio Grande. Robin Pendergrast was sent on … [Read more...]
The Magnolia Apartments: The new Homes for the Homeless are a “Complete Failure” According to an Inside Source
An inside source provides Utah Stories with an inside look into the reality of the Magnolia Apartments. Salt Lake City, along with the organization Shelter the Homeless, have been working to build “permanent supportive housing units for the chronically homeless”. The Housing First Model is an excellent idea in its basic theory: give temporary homes to the homeless first so … [Read more...]
Why Utah’s Developers/Politicians Do Not Want Tiny Homes
When examining the problem of affordable housing one finds that there are two major components to it: zoning restrictions and the need for additional bicycle path infrastructure. Problem #1: Zoning Restrictions Current zoning restrictions prohibit and prevent affordable housing. While this is true, this is in essence saying the part our government leaders don’t want to say it … [Read more...]
Localism vs. Globalism: Utah Companies Bill Gates put out of Business
The world’s global elites convened last week in Davos, Switzerland to decide how to steer the ship they control–the world economy. Should we embrace their vision of the future? Leaders like Bill Gates and those who put more miles on their private jets in one year than most people will travel in their entire lives, want to tell us how to live our lives and more importantly … [Read more...]