Building Stadiums and Building Communities – Priorities

This week’s City Weekly has an article on the new REAL Soccer Stadium: Taxpayers didn’t vote to build a soccer stadium. So why are they building one?

Salt Lake Countians polled overwhelmingly indicated a big NO to using tax dollars to fund such a stadium in Salt Lake County. The county mayor, Peter Corroon, emphatically stated a big NO to building it. But he has changed his tune and is using $55 million to see that is built. It is a joint venture between a private entity and the the county government – something the county voters did NOT vote on. Further, the county council refused to put this issue to a referendum.

What’s up with THAT? Shouldn’t we the voters and taxpayers decide this?

America’s Administration is spending more money than ever before on war and killing and supporting (financially) nations that support war and occupation and killing. This results in less money for programs and services here in Amercia. So what do our elected officials do with those funds? Instead of using it for HUMAN NEEDS and vital services, our tax dollars are being spent on ventures with private entitities to provide entertainment for people who aren’t directly affected by health care needs (including lack of insurance), having to work 2 to 3 jobs to survive, homelessness, or lack of transportation.

I was talking to a young African-American woman the other day who has just moved here (temporarily) from Boston to take advantage of an opportunity to get her nurses training here. She was working a temporary labor job helping to move my school into its new building.

This women told me that while the cost of living is higher in Boston, so is the minimum wage there and she said that usually, expenses even out and one isn’t left deciding to pay rent or buy food. Not so here, according to her. Not only do folks here who work low-paying jobs have to work 2 or 3 jobs to survive, the minimum wage here is what the government dictates it should be (the minimum – $5.15/hour) AND they still have to make those critical decisions, facing possible eviction from their homes or going hungry.

There’s something wrong with this picture.

Building stadiums……or building communities. Which is it? Obviously our current council in Salt Lake Council has its priorities set to cater to those who don’t have to worry about how they will feed their children today.