Inland Port Board Approves $40 Million Budget With Taxpayer Money
In opposing the dirty energy inland port since the beginning, UPHE was not gifted with extraordinary vision. Instead, we simply looked at the evidence and applied common sense. That evidence reached a crescendo this week. The port authority and their masters in the Utah Legislature persist in a scheme that will only accelerate every aspect of what is right now clearly, overtly, empirically threatening life in the Western United States–unprecedented drought, record breaking heat, and massive wildfires. Utah’s future is being sacrificed for short term corporate profits.
UPHE Executive Director Jonny Vasic spoke during the Inland Port Board Meeting’s public comment period as was reported in the Salt Lake Tribune. “We have had only a few days to digest this top sheet budget that has gone from $5 to $40 million of taxpayer dollars in just two years. I’ve been involved in proper, detailed, researched, transparent budgets for decades — and this isn’t it. We need a thorough discussion about how millions of taxpayer dollars are being spent. … We need more detail.”
Thanks to everyone who testified at the port hearing on June 16. We all must keep repeating the message until the port authority and our legislature give in to reality.