Being humane is economical

The Salt Lake Tribune did a poll last week about the view Utah residents have on same-sex marriage. Overall, the state is evenly divided with 48% in favor and 48% opposed. Civil unions fared a lot better with 72% in favor and 25% opposed.

Breaking down the marriage views a bit, only 32% of Mormons are in favor while 76% of non-Mormons are in favor. Only 30% of Republicans are in favor while 81% of Democrats are in favor.



As America was dealing with the Polar Vortex and blistering cold and as American talking heads were using that as proof that climate change didn't exist, Australia was experiencing a record setting heat wave. Actually, it started at the end of December and is still going on, breaking records, and playing havoc with the Australian Open tennis tournament. How hot is it? Several places have topped 105F, a few have pushed past 110F, and a few places in the interior are getting close to 120F. That's hot.



For 40 years conservatives have been using a divide-and-conquer strategy. Label the poor as lazy, dependent on our tax dollars, and overwhelmingly black. Essentially "them." The working class was working harder to stay in one place (even sending wives to work), proudly independent, and white. The strategy capitalized on racial prejudice and economic anxiety, fueled resentment for gov't taxes and spending, and distracted everyone from the real cause of the misery -- the 1% busting unions, outsourcing jobs, and replacing workers with automation.

That strategy isn't working anymore. Too many of the white working class are in poverty or have had a brush with it. A lot more face economic insecurity. "They" are becoming "us."



Terrence Heath reviews the chemical spill that left 300,000 residents in West Virginia without water to drink, wash clothes, or bathe for a week. The culprit -- the conservative desire to deregulate. The tank that leaked was described as an antique, maybe 70 years old. So much for the idea that corporations are responsible citizens willing and able to do what it takes to keep the public safe. Thankfully, no one died. This time.



What to do with all the homeless people? They've always been around, but the ongoing economic mess has increased their numbers. But people sleeping in parks looks unsightly and makes others (read: respectable citizens) feel unsafe. Take a sledgehammer to the shopping carts that hold all they own? Threaten them with arrest? Ban panhandling? Ban religious groups from going to parks to feed them?

Utah, one of the reddest states, did a bit of calculation. Emergency room visits and jail stays came to over $16,000 for each homeless person. Providing that person with an apartment and a social worker was only $11,000. So Utah ended its homeless problem by giving them homes. Now the GOP in Washington would have probably attached strings: require a drug test, deny those with criminal records, or kick them out if not self-sufficient within five years. But Utah attached no strings. Permanent housing is cheaper than criminalization. It's humane -- and economical. Other states are considering the idea.