Residents speak out against Inland Port
There have been numerous op-eds by concerned and skeptical residents since the Utah Inland Port’s rebrand and recent actions to expand operations across the state. One of the latest was published in the Salt Lake Tribune, authored by Salt Lake City Council Member, Dan Dugan.
In his op-ed, Dan Dugan criticizes the rebranding efforts of the Utah Inland Port Authority and expresses skepticism about the benefits of inland port distribution centers. Dugan questions the rationale behind the belief that these centers are suitable for municipalities with small populations, citing expert opinions that even Utah’s largest city, Salt Lake City, lacks the necessary export production and market size for large-scale imports.
Dugan starts the op-ed “The rebranding is Utah Inland Port Authority’s attempt of adding a tiara to the pig you just put lipstick on. It is still a pig.”
Dugan raises concerns about the suitability of locations like Tooele, Iron County, or Spanish Fork and questions who would actually benefit from these distribution centers. He also questions the availability of low-paying seasonal warehouse workers and doubts the economic efficiency of starting in Tooele to sell goods along the Wasatch Front.
Residents are starting to question the use of taxpayer dollars to fund a plan that not only pollutes our air and reduces our quality of life, but doesn’t have sound business justifications either. The recently approved Cedar City Iron Springs Port is providing tax breaks (up to $83 million) to private companies, Savage Services and Commerce Crossroads.