Happy Saturday, and welcome to Inside Voices, a weekly newsletter that features a collection of ideas, perspectives and solutions from across Utah — without any of the vitriol or yelling that’s become all too common on other platforms. Subscribe here.
As Utahns look toward the 2034 Winter Games, many have shared stories of excitement and optimism, or they’ve shared memories of the 2002 games.
Others, like Stuart Reid in Ogden, are taking a different approach.
“The Olympic organizers and their cheerleaders are always anxious to ascribe only positives for Utah from hosting the Olympics, while conveniently ignoring the costs associated with their successes,” Reid writes in a letter to the editor published this week. “Too much of a good thing can result in continual and expanding complications that have not adequately been addressed since the last Olympic ‘successes’ — increased transportation congestion and demands, pressures on air quality, education disparities, increasing housing costs, health care affordability, increased water consumption and increased homelessness — just to name a few.”
What do you think?
Share your thoughts on our comment page, and let me know what you think: Are you worried about Utah hosting the 2034 Winter Games? Or are you excited? Both? Tell me more.
Utah Voices
(Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune) Power lines in Eagle Mountain on Friday, May 2, 2025.
The following excerpts come from op-eds recently published in The Tribune.
Battling Utah’s rising energy costs
“We need more momentum,” writes Steve Handy, state director for The Western Way, and Bob Stevenson, a Davis County Commissioner. “That means accelerating permitting reform, investing in transmission expansion and prioritizing grid improvements in state and federal policy. The bottom line is simple: Expanding our state’s transmission system will cut energy costs, reduce outages and power our economy for the future.” Read more.
How the Uinta Basin could become a ‘public health nightmare’
“Whenever you have a pollution nightmare, you will have a public health nightmare if you look hard enough or wait long enough,” writes Brian Moench, the president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. “A spike in neonatal deaths in the Vernal area in the early half of the 2010s was one piece of evidence that there were already serious consequences to the basin’s dangerous atmosphere.” Read more.
RFK Jr.’s ability to ‘shepherd Utahns’ health’
“The secretary is formulating health care policy for Utahns and all U.S. citizens,” writes Suzanne Ostrand-Rosenberg in Park City. “The release of this report demonstrates the lack of experience and expertise, and the inability of the secretary to provide to the public verified and scientifically supported information. He has stated he wants National Institutes of Health researchers to publish only the best science; however, it is apparent that he is incapable of doing so.” Read more.
“Usually the phrase ‘history repeats itself’ refers to history that is older than the previous decade,” writes Jack Hindley in Salt Lake City. “Unfortunately, I fear Utah will only recognize this mistake after a rise of cavity rates and dental costs in several years, just like Israel and Calgary.” Read more.
The ‘important message’ in ‘Wicked’
“We may not be able to defy gravity,” writes BYU student Scott Sawaya in a December op-ed, “but we can choose to defy the weight of the lies and attacks that target our friends, family and neighbors. In doing so, we can push back against immoral leadership and hopefully begin to change our communities for the better.” Read more.
Share Your Perspective
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) A Progress Pride flag waves in front of the Utah Capitol during the Rally for Trans Community Support in Salt Lake City Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.
Earlier this week, a Utah lawmaker threatened “significant legislation” in response to seeing the Utah Mammoth’s Pride Month graphic. I want to hear from you: What does Pride Month mean to you? What kind of involvement do you want to see from local organizations? Let me know what you think.
From Bagley’s Desk
Unbearable Light | Pat Bagley
I’m always looking for unique perspectives, ideas and solutions that move our state forward. Learn more about our guidelines for an op-ed, guest essay, letter to the editor and more here, and drop me a note at voices@sltrib.com.
