Not Lovin' It
A book. It's an interesting choice for The Salt Lake Tribune, motivated perhaps by money or that journalistic craving to be first. Whatever the reason, Mia Love: The Rise, Stumble and Resurgence of the Next GOP Star has caused plenty of media chatter on the ethical front. The question is not so much why as how. How did the Trib decide to send reporters, already covering the campaigns, to ask for and receive access to the life and times of one candidate—the "unique" one who is a black, female Republican and yet insists that the demographics don't matter? Reporter Matt Canham explains that, gee, if Love had lost, they'd have just changed the last chapter. Like that would make good reading! The presumption is that the book was paramount—even if the story would have been best told during the campaign, by reporters who were expected to remain neutral throughout.
Keep Your Distance
And if you have any expectations of congressional compromise, get over it. RedState.com just ran a piece that resonates with Utah conservatives. Compromise is what they call a dangerous narrative: "Not only should Republicans not work closely with Democrats, they should instead keep them as far away as possible, preferably across a large moat filled with sharp stakes, acid, and alligators." This, of course, follows the diatribe against Harry Reid by LDS Bishop Mark Paredes. Wow. Not only are Democrats religiously challenged, but they're also the spawn of the devil. Now that Republicans have the upper hand, they apparently should shun any kind of dialogue with people of differing beliefs. Just like before.
House & Home
Advocates for the lower-income bracket had a point last week when they noted that affordable housing is in crisis. While Salt Lake City is giddy over all kinds of high-rise options, affordable housing has not been in the mix. Most is upper-end housing, preferred by developers. The Leonardo is currently hosting an exhibit called No Fixed Address, highlighting the plight of the homeless. "The Low Income Housing Action Coalition's review of affordable housing built since 2009 ... indicates that less than 100 units of new low-income affordable housing have been made available each year," the Deseret News reported. The coalition has a plan, but the city council needs to listen. "Help us make room for the working poor," said the Rev. David Nichols. If they don't, homelessness will be the default.
