Three Drop Thursday
The Really Bad Idea Contest - We have a winner!
Friends of Confluence West –
Welcome to Three Drop Thursday, a snapshot of what we’ve been paying attention to this week.
This week: the winners of The Really Bad Idea Contest and Best Quote - and getting through November 8 with collective sanity intact.
For the West,
Kimery
The Really Bad Idea Contest - We have a winner!
What do gondolas have to do with drinking water supply? In our Success in the West interview with Ralph Becker, former three-term Salt Lake City Mayor and the recently retired head of the Central Wasatch Commission, we talked about the Utah Department of Transportation’s (UDOT) proposed options for getting people in and out of the Wasatch ski areas. Well, that shoe has now dropped, and UDOT chose everyone’s nightmare – a $550M+ system of gondolas. In his Salt Lake Tribune piece, Blake Agar points out that the proposed path of the gondolas would cut through a watershed that provides drinking water for over 450,000 residents.
Collective Problem Solving for One River?
From Savannah Maher, a much appreciated Marketplace Colorado River story, and a quote from Dr. Mori Taheripour at the Wharton School – one that pretty much sums the situation - “People dig in their heels, and the self- advocacy prompts you to move further away from collective problem-solving.” Kyle Roerink, head of the Great Basin Water Network, added, “If there are any FBI or CIA hostage negotiators out there willing to help get water managers in touch with reality, we could certainly use their help.” (Kyle wins the Quote Contest this week!)
Trying to Exhale
Finally, something to keep us going as we barrel towards November 8. Yes! You can be relaxed AND send out GOTV postcards and make GOTV calls.
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