Much has been written about the inland port. While the increased pollution and decreased tax revenue will hit Salt Lake City the hardest, surrounding communities will also be impacted.
This idea of an inland port, a model that has failed to deliver the promised economic benefits across the country, is now being resurrected and forced upon the Wasatch Front residents. Our communities will only feel the negative health effects of the increased traffic and pollution.
The Wasatch Front needs to get involved in stopping this disastrous idea. This is not just a fight for Salt Lake City. Residents throughout this valley need to just say, “This is not the place.” My stand on the port has made some call me naïve, but I believe it is naïve to move forward on unhealthy proposals that make so little sense that they need taxpayer subsidies to work.
Utah has come a long way in cleaning our air and understanding the health hazards our dirty air presents. Let’s not move backward. It is time for our leaders to put the health of its residents before questionable profits and jobs. And certainly, our leaders should not be subsidizing unhealthy development. It is time for the people to enlighten the leaders of Utah.
Dan Dugan, Salt Lake City