Who says Utah’s economy is struggling? You certainly wouldn’t know it considering the big projects just finished or underway that will bring jobs and economic growth. Someone obviously has faith in Utah’s future.
The first phase of the brand new Jake Garn Salt Lake City International Airport (well, the name isn’t actually official yet) opens today. It’s hard to overestimate the importance of the airport to Utah’s economy. Travel will eventually come back, and the new airport will be an immense asset.
Second, the master planning process for the Point of the Mountain development (called, naturally, The Point) was announced yesterday (see links in this newsletter). If developed properly, The Point will one day be an economic boost on the scale of the new airport.
In addition, some very tall cranes still preside over downtown Salt Lake City as major construction projects continue, even though the city is fairly deserted. I was worried the big windstorm might collapse a crane or two, but they are still standing, stately as ever.
Developers are definitely betting that Utah’s long-term economic prospects are bright. If enough people believe that, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Make Daylight Saving Time (DST) permanent. My wife (and lots of other people) certainly agree with former Sen. Orrin Hatch, who just published an opinion essay in Time magazine arguing that we ought not to be upsetting our body clocks twice a year by fiddling with the time the sun comes up. Hatch says permanent DST will boost the economy and reduce depression, traffic fatalities and crime. And end climate change and world hunger (well, I made those up). Read the essay HERE.
GOP strategy against Mayor Wilson. In an email message to supporters, the Salt Lake County Republican Party outlined how it intends to defeat SL County Mayor Jenny Wilson:
“Salt Lake County GOP has narrowed our messaging to three main points: 1. Stop Wilson’s annual tax increases and fix the bloated County budget; 2. Public Safety. Mayor Wilson kneels with protestors; Trent Staggs stands with law enforcement; 3. Numerous (six) highly paid Deputy Mayors.”
Now that you know their strategy, mayor, you can come up with your counter talking points. Good luck explaining the hefty $276,000 annual pay package the Republicans claim you pay to one of your deputies.
Suburban women generallly don’t like Trump. However, white non-college women do like him, and that could be an advantage in some battleground states. A new national survey by All in Together shows these results:
* Despite his efforts to appeal to them, suburban women view Trump highly unfavorably and trust Biden more on law and order and a multitude of other issues.
* Across nearly every group of women voters, Biden holds a significant polling advantage.
* However, Trump does hold an advantage with non-college educated white women. They voted for him in 2016 and are poised to vote for him again.
* This could be significant in the battleground states where white non-college women are 27-29 percent of the likely electorate, while white college women are 12-14 percent of the likely electorate.
The study was conducted by All In Together, a non-partisan civic education organization, in partnership with Lake Research Partners and Emerson College Polling. Read the full report HERE.
Reader response. A couple of readers noted that the link in yesterday’s WebbWrap to the Washington Update from the Hatch Center was goofed up. Here’s the right LINK. Lots of good info in the Update.
Parting shot (no pun intended). A lot of Americans are feeling insecure over a variety of issues. One clear result is that gun and ammo sales are skyrocketing, setting new records. The FBI reported 3.9 million background checks for June, the highest number ever. About 2.2 million of those checks were estimated to be for gun purchases, an increase of 136 percent over June 2019. Every month for a year has set new records for gun sales that month. There are hundreds of million of guns floating around all over the country. That’s why most gun control laws are futile. We must focus on solutions to gun violence that are more fundamental, that address the root causes of violence, instead of wasting time on the impossible task of banning guns.
If you have a comment, an item you think should be publicized, or just want to tell me I’m an idiot, shoot me a message at [email protected].
