DEAR EDITOR
As a local tax-paying homeowner and business owner, I want to voice my disgust with the Grand County Council and their seeming inability to represent the wishes of their constituency. The public record and recent public meetings have shown a strong desire to protect the federally managed public lands that supply reason for millions of visitors to come to Moab and spend the many millions of dollars that our community thrives on.
In the Council’s support of Alternative 1, we see plenty of backing for the 2 percent of our local population that works in extractive industries—and a kick in the face for the 44 percent who depend on tourism for their livelihoods.
I ask how the exploding rate of infant mortality experienced by oil boom families in Uintah County fit into their decision … or if public health was ignored in favor of ideology.
I want to know if they are prepared to lose our river recreation when we have another oil spill like the one that just missed flowing into Labyrinth Canyon … or if predictable spills are ignored in favor of ideology.
I’d like to know how much more heavy truck traffic I’ll have to put up with driving through my neighborhood and community to support the extractive industry that will predictably negatively impact our tourism economy, or if that was ignored too.
I demand to know what justification there is, using real numbers, to come up with a plan that is exactly opposite of what the public requested.
Mike Coronella
Moab
