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4 | JULY 14, 2022
SOAP BOX “Street Fight,” July 7 Cover Story
The city is approving mostly luxury condo/ apartment buildings, costing more than 50% of average SLC incomes, and their “solution” for those of us who aren’t wealthy is to tear down existing housing (sometimes affordable, sometimes not) to build overpriced dorm-style housing that still costs more than most can afford. An income that used to get you your own place, with money left over for other expenditures, now gets you your own room and shared kitchen/bathroom space with strangers. And it still doesn’t leave you enough money to save for the future. The city can help by only approving permits for one luxury unit for every 10-20 affordable units that are built. Or at the very least, stop incentivizing luxury builds by not driving away public property for luxury housing (like the Pantages Theater disaster) and by jacking up taxes and fees on more expensive housing, empty units used as investments and Airbnb units, which also contribute to rising housing costs. JENNIFERKSLC
Via Instagram
@SLCWEEKLY
“Julian Assange,” June 30 Soap Box and June 22 Taking a Gander
To comment on Michael Robinson’s recent column and that of Amy Fink’s letter in response, I would start by noting that there’s a difference between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. That difference being that Ellsberg stole the data/information he released and did not hide from that fact. He paid the price. The New York Times published the info and President Richard Nixon brought them to court and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Times had the right to publish because they did not steal the info. But Assange—according to the charges made against him—worked directly with Chelsea Manning, a U.S. Army active-duty soldier, and through his own experience with the NSA, to steal classi-
fied material. At least Manning also was convicted and served time. How a whistleblower tries to get his boss(es) to correct something that’s classified is one question. It’s another question when the government is clearly doing something against the law or blatantly trying to cover up wrongdoing. JOHN THOMPSON
Ogden
Cosmic Revelations
I am shocked! I got up really close to my TV, cleaned my glasses and squinted, but I couldn’t see the Celestial Kingdom on the new NASA photos from deep in space. Also couldn’t find any Mormon babies floating around up there waiting to be born. Sadly, I also couldn’t see any of my beloved deceased friends or relatives. Could I have been duped all these years? TED OTTINGER
Taylorsville
@CITYWEEKLY
@SLCWEEKLY
Supreme Irony
Supreme Court Justices Kavanaugh and Thomas, For the human female gender a nemesis. Confirmation hearings of sexual misconduct, Which Republican male Senators did obstruct.
Anita Hill and Christine Ford both professors, Courageous confronters of these stud oppressors. “Long Dong Silver” and inebriation, Chauvinistic detriments to their captivation. Blind Justice inclusive and the Law of the Land, Except when politics and religion countermand. When political “incorrectness” on gender and race, Void the Compassion and Love of Eternal Grace. Powerful male antagonists to female choice, Overturn Roe v. Wade to silence women’s voice. GEORGE KIBILDIS
Sparta, New Jersey
Correction: The article “Street Fight,” in City Weekly’s July 7 issue, incorrectly identified the advocacy group Wasatch Tenants United.
THE BOX
What book are you reading now and what’s next on your list? Benjamin Wood
I’m reading Dune for the first time and loving it—to the point that I’ll probably read Dune Messiah next.
Chelsea Neider
The Shining, and It will be next.
Katharine Biele
I just finished, finally, The Night Fire by Michael Connelly, and am trying to finish The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson. COVID and our dystopian world have made concentrating on novels difficult. I’m best at focusing on New Yorker cartoons.
Eric Granato
Currently reading American Gods, then hopefully Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72.
Scott Renshaw
Technically speaking, the last book I opened to read was The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook. And it will probably be the next one, too. More seriously, just finished The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich, moving on to Patricia Lockwood’s memoir Priestdaddy.
