"Done Deal," Sept. 2 Cover Story
I hate the idea of this damned port.
KENDRA PUGH
via Instagram
Can we sue the Legislature for the massive environmental and health problems this ridiculous plan will bring about?
JENNIFER KILLPACK
via Instagram
"I Can't See You," Sept. 2 Private Eye Column
I'm concerned our summer skies will be an eerie shade of orange, only to be outdone by our winter shade of brown.
Iris Nielsen
via Facebook
Salt Lake roads have so many people, so much bad air, it's exhausting!
sandee3937
via Instagram
Hard Times
As a lifelong Utah resident, I love this state. But life here lately has been turned upside down.
Just a few months before the pandemic arrived, my wife and I were doing well financially. But COVID-19 had a traumatic effect on both our finances and our emotional state. I'm so far behind in my bills that I'm afraid to even look at my ledger.
I've worked hard all my life. I drove a diesel semi-truck for six years, but for most of my working life I've been an independent construction contractor, with a focus on home remodeling.
Prior to COVID, I earned up to $50,000 a year. My wife and I had temporarily moved in with her mother as I recovered from knee surgery, but we always planned to move out once I recovered. Then the pandemic came along. My contracting income nosedived and that temporary stay with my mother-in-law has now run almost a year longer than planned.
We've fallen behind on our bills, and each month the gap widens. If we were not living with my mother-in-law, my wife and I could be living in a homeless shelter.
What's the answer for a man like me?
Well, for one thing, I joined a group called WorkMoney that helps Americans like me raise our voice so politicians can hear us. Even though I supported Donald Trump for president, it really doesn't matter what your politics may be in a situation as dire as this.
Congress is now considering jobs legislation that would help people like me recover. An infrastructure plan would give me new job opportunities. There would be initiatives dedicated to energy retrofits, removal of lead pipes, expanding broadband access and other programs that would benefit from my skills.
I hear that Congress will also be considering legislation soon that would help families by providing more rental assistance. That would also be a big help. We could finally get our own place again.
Rep. Burgess Owens, it's time to think about people like me when votes are taken on these proposals. People in your district are counting on you.
ZANE JENSEN
West Jordan
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