Polling for Dollars
Surely you have seen the dueling campaign ads from both Sen. Mike Lee and his challenger, independent Senate candidate Evan McMullin. Lee's—thanks to funding from Club for Growth—shows a "dark and stormy" future if McMullin is elected, because he's allegedly been grifting Utahns for money he owes from something. McMullin's says he ain't gonna be no Lee and won't suck up to Trump or Biden. Who knows which approach will land with which voters, but both must think striking out matters. Now, The Salt Lake Tribune offers voters another mind-numbing question: Who is really ahead in the race? "Lee, McMullin hype internal polling showing each of them ahead in Utah's U.S. Senate race," a headline blares. It also notes that you should be skeptical of both. There are lots of reasons to publish these polls, not the least of which is to raise money. Probably both candidates hope the polling convinces their voters to fill out their ballots. But as 2016 showed us in a big way, voters shouldn't depend on polling.
House Always Wins
It's hard to know if development is good for the economy, especially now that rents and housing costs have skyrocketed out of an average person's reach. Still, Utahns are painfully aware that homelessness is inextricably linked to housing. Possibly forgotten is the issue of the elderly homeless, something that Switchpoint, a St. George nonprofit, hopes to highlight. They are asking the Salt Lake City Council to remove zoning by the airport that prohibits residential uses, according to Building Salt Lake. The concern, of course, is that a positive ruling could encourage more development in an environmentally sensitive area. Meanwhile, The Salt Lake Tribune reports that $55 million could go to create "1,100 affordable and deeply affordable units" throughout the county. And just in case you forgot about them, the tiny home village is still plugging along as the Trib tries to answer questions about this mini-project to address the unhoused.
Open Season
Run for cover, hunting season is upon us. Maybe because the deer are getting smarter, illegal hunting is becoming more common. KPCW 91.7 FM reports that runners and hikers in Park City are facing guns and camouflage on public trails, on private property. Don't get into a fight with them, officials warn, because guns often win. Wild turkeys are another matter, as many roam around Willard Bay and other areas of the state. The Utah Wildlife Board approved hunting changes for 2022, voting to reduce fall turkey permits to "only one either-sex permit per hunter and to remove public land, so the fall turkey hunts only occur on private lands." Now that avian flu has been detected, it's important to know where you can hunt fowl and how to stay safe.
