Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Buffalo Bulletin, Nov. 20
Bleak future without affordable housing
Wyoming faces a crisis that threatens its communities and economy: a severe shortage of affordable housing. Across the state, from urban hubs like Cheyenne and Casper to rural counties like Johnson County, the rising cost of housing is displacing the very workers who sustain essential services. Teachers, nurses, administrators, service workers, and first responders are being priced out, leaving Wyoming’s future hanging in the balance.
Tourism, a $55 million industry in Johnson County, offers a stark example of what’s at stake. Without affordable housing, the workforce that powers this vital sector — and others — cannot survive. In Buffalo, median home values now exceed $400,000, while rents average $880 per month. These prices are out of reach for many residents in a county where the median income is just $60,667. The problem is not isolated to Johnson County but reflects a statewide trend where wages fail to keep up with soaring housing costs.
Wyoming spends more than $75 million annually on employment, economic development and commerce. Yet, without prioritizing affordable housing, these investments are in jeopardy. The state should consider reallocating large portions of this budget to directly address the housing crisis. No amount of traditional economic development will succeed if the workforce cannot afford to live in the communities where jobs are created.
The solution requires bold and comprehensive action. Affordable housing advocates have identified a promising tool: expanding tax increment financing (TIF) to include affordable housing as an eligible urban renewal project. This legislative proposal, headed for the 2025 session, would enable municipalities and developer to use future property tax revenues to fund critical infrastructure for housing developments. The legislature should pass this measure as one essential tool in the toolbox to address the crisis.
While incremental measures — such as reducing permitting fees or adjusting development regulations — are helpful, they alone cannot solve the problem. These steps save only a fraction of what is needed to significantly reduce housing costs or incentivize large-scale development. The state and our county must invest heavily in affordable housing solutions, including funding infrastructure, incentivizing private developers and even supporting nonprofit housing projects to address this pressing issue.
Affordable housing is not just a local issue; it is a matter of state policy and economic survival. The legislature must act decisively by redirecting resources, passing TIF legislation and committing to a long-term strategy. Further, the state must consider allowing counties to pass optional taxes to support affordable housing. Buffalo, Kaycee and Johnson County should actively advocate for and lobby the legislature for these changes. Our future depends on it.
Cody Enterprise, Nov. 25
Be grateful for your blessings
John Malmberg, publisher emeritus
This Thursday is Thanksgiving.
Most of us learned in elementary school the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in November 1621.
The colonists and the Wampanoag people shared a harvest meal in gratitude for the native people helping the colonists survive in the new land. The colonists were thankful they were still alive and had some food.
Thanksgiving should be more than eating a large meal, visiting with the relatives and watching football.
Thanksgiving should be a time of giving thanks. That is the purpose for the holiday.
Especially in this divisive political year, it’s a time to remember all of the things we should be grateful for.
No matter what side of the political divide you are on, we all have things to be thankful for.
Perhaps through the practice of being thankful, we can discover we are all part of the human race and we share many more things to be thankful for than things that divide us.
Are you thankful for your health? Are you thankful for your loved ones? Are you thankful for a gorgeous sunset? For the beauty of nature? Are you thankful for your friends? For your pets?
Perhaps this week you could find something different each day to be thankful for and then express that gratitude to someone.
If you are thankful for your wife, tell her. If you are thankful for your friends, express to them how grateful you are they are your friends.
If you are thankful for your dog, tell a stranger at the dog park how much that dog means to you.
One of the keys to being satisfied and happy is to be content and thankful instead of grumbling.
So make this Thanksgiving and this year a time to be grateful for all that has been given to you.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Cody Enterprise, Nov. 20
Support your local community
Megan Barton, publisher
We’re nearing the end of the year and community events are in full swing.
This weekend, we have the much anticipated Lions Club Turkey Shoot. A family event full of food, games, prizes and turkeys. Each year, the community comes together to partake in a day full of festivities in the hopes of creating fun memories, collecting candid photos and returning home with a few turkeys.
Rarely do we think of or even understand what our well spent money is contributing to, we’re far too busy making sure we don’t lose a kid in the crowd and possibly becoming overly competitive.
This event starts and stays local. The proceeds from the event go straight back into our community to fund the many projects that the Cody Lion’s Club sponsors. The club highly values our town and does all it can to make sure we’re functioning at full capacity while being a small part of a much larger community.
What other businesses are giving back each year? Where can we as community members spend our local dollars to continue to help our community thrive?
The Cody Holiday Helpers are in full swing during this time of year. Collecting donations from local businesses and community members alike. They strive to give those in need a “hand up” not a “hand out”.
Cody Cupboard and Manna House are also great organizations that collect food donations and monetary donations all year around. They work closely with Albertsons, Walmart, local churches and Soroptimist International of Cody as well as individuals in the community to continually help those in need with food assistance.
There are plenty of organizations in our community that keep our dollars local and put them back into our community. I urge you to consider working with a local organization or attend events this holiday season that are giving back to our community. A little bit of our time could mean a world of difference for someone else.
Gillette News Record, Nov. 23
Appreciating the versatility of Cam-plex
Jonathan Gallardo
What does the community want Cam-plex to be? Thanks to the general election, we know what it doesn’t want Cam-plex to be, but the question still remains.
The Campbell County Public Land Board met this week to talk about where to go from here. Maintaining existing facilities and increasing revenue were the two main takeaways, but this will be an ongoing conversation for the foreseeable future.
It’s a very versatile facility. Here’s a list of the events I covered or attended at Cam-plex in the last eight weeks:
Sport & Wellness Expo: I ran a 5K around Cam-plex, finishing in third with a time I wasn’t happy with. Then I got my vertical jump tested and did some pullups, and I felt better about myself. I won’t disclose my numbers here, as this is not the time or place for it.
North American Dog Agility Council National Championships: I got to watch dogs from all over the country run through obstacle courses, both in order and very out of order.
Northeast Wyoming Quilt Show: There were so many cool quilts. The craftsmanship, the handiwork and the dedication all were on display. I was reminded that when it comes to patience, I am lacking, because I could never finish a quilt.
Dancing with the Gillette Stars: This fundraiser for the YES House brought in $268,000, and I won a bottle of pumpkin spice chardonnay at a silent auction.
Northeast Wyoming Rock Hounds Rock Show: I assumed this would be attended by a bunch of adults serious about rocks. I was surprised by how many kids were there, and how much they loved minerals. I pick up a mineral and then I put it down. These young rock enthusiasts were mesmerized by what looked like a boring mineral, which goes to show how much I know about geology.
Treat Street: Free candy always brings people out. The line for this event was incredibly long, and there were many cute and creative costumes. I was reminded, once again, that I need to work on my patience, because there’s no way I’m waiting in line that long for candy.
American Kennel Club scent work trial: There were dogs from all over the region sniffing and searching. It was a lot more chill than the agility trials, and I appreciated that. I also learned a lot about the sport.
2024 General Election: I hope Gillette residents appreciate how convenient it is that if they are living in the city limits, their polling place is at Cam-plex. No need to worry if your polling place is at this church or that school. Just come to Cam-plex and cast your vote.
I don’t know how much money Cam-plex brought in because of these events, but I’m guessing it wasn’t a lot. But these events, in one way or another, improved the lives of thousands.
And this is just a fraction of the events that took place at Cam-plex during this timeframe. There was a ballet, a film festival, a children’s bike rodeo, a corn hole tournament and an arborists convention, just to name a few.
It’s easy to say that you want Cam-plex to be more profitable. I’m sure we all want that. But it’s another thing entirely to figure out a way to make more money while keeping it available to the public. It will take some creative thinking to reduce the subsidy from taxpayers.
If Cam-plex didn’t care about the community, it could jack up the rental rates, pricing out your average nonprofit organization. The facility would then be open only to national events, should they choose to come here, and a few local events held by Campbell County’s wealthy population. Nonprofit organizations would have to hold fundraisers to get enough money to hold an event at Cam-plex.
But that’s not what Cam-plex is. For the last 40-plus years, it’s been for the people, and it will continue to be for the people. I hope the residents of Campbell County realize and appreciate that.
It’s a benefit, not a burden.
Green River Star, Nov. 21
We're losing trust, drifting from skepticism to cynicism
Tom Mullen, Green River Star owner
Tempers flared last week, as Democrats sought to cast blame for the Republican landslide - I was particularly galled when a friend laid the blame on, “newspapers who are too chicken to …”
Hold it right there. Losing my cool was a regular occurrence 30 years ago but it takes a lot to get my Irish at age 64.
Journalists, particularly the people in the newspaper business, are the most courageous people I know.
Yes, soldiers and cops are brave but in my industry we don’t carry guns, at least not yet.
When I started in this business, most of my colleagues shared one primary goal: to get to the truth and then communicate that truth to our readers.
But truth has traveled a bumpy road lately and because of that, our readers’ healthy skepticism has drifted toward cynicism. A recent Gallup poll shows a precipitous drop in the perceived credibility of journalists. As of last year, only 19 percent of those polled rated journalists “very high” on the honesty and ethics scale.
Members of Congressmen fared even worse at just six percent but we shouldn’t take comfort in that - we bear some of the blame for that mistrust. There’s plenty of blame to go around but I’d like to share my perspective of how my industry has changed after 40 years in this business.
When I first stepped upon this path in 1981, there were two kinds of journalism students - those who wanted to make the world a better place and those who wanted to be famous. Or, as we used to joke, the ugly ones and the pretty ones.
The pretty ones wanted to be television reporters and the ugly ones (newspaper reporters) looked down their non-telegenic noses at their television counterparts. That prejudice lasted until the internet came along, bringing with it, social media and in particular, Twitter in 2006. Now, it seemed, every journalist could be famous.
The fame trap, as most Americans recognize, is that the story inevitably becomes about the reporter. When the reporter inserts themselves into a story it is perceived by the reader as subjective or opinion.
They are right, Journalists aren’t entirely objective and the best ones recognize their biases and guard against bringing them into the story.
Well, that’s how it used to be. If a Republican reader believes that I’m a Democrat and a Democratic reader believes me to be a Republican then I can sleep well, knowing I’ve done my job, because they really don’t know, not if I’ve set out to find the truth rather than to sell my personal agenda. That’s what I was taught to believe and that’s how I practice my trade today - I try to recognize my biases and use that knowledge to report fairly. When I stop questioning my own bias, my greatest mentor told me, it’s time to turn in your pencil.
Too many journalists today don’t seem to recognize their biases - and that’s where we’ve lost the public’s trust.
When Twitter first arrived, advertising revenues at newspapers were declining - it was being overtaken first by television and then by all the media as it careened toward the internet. That’s when newsrooms across America were decimated, as corporate raiders began buying newspapers and then stripped them of their highest paid and (hopefully) most valuable assets - the mentors.
The bean counters in our business evaluated newsrooms and told management, “you can fire three young reports or one old editor,” and a lot of young journalists lost their mentors.
Now we have a generation of reporters who never had someone to guide them. This is an overstatement but I can’t seem to throw a rock without hitting a disgruntled journalist who was either fired in a cost-saving scheme or has just given hope that it was all really worth it.
So how does a journalist remain skeptical? We consult multiple sources - surround the story as The Times used to say.
And always consider the source of the information - does the source have an agenda that they’re trying to conceal?
Perhaps the source is some soulless robot. Social media feeds are based upon algorithms designed to reinforce your beliefs - facts be damned - that’s a self-perpetuating problem made worse because we’ve stopped talking to those with whom we disagree.
Algorithms are subtly telling us that we’re right to hate those who disagree with our views so what are we to do? We disengage.
Thanksgiving is almost here - the holiday that once forced us to eat too much and talk to our relatives is now segregated by political bias.
What would the Pilgrims say?
Jackson Hole News&Guide, Nov. 20
Respect public process for downtown Wilson
Blindsided. It’s the only word to describe how citizens of Wilson who have been waiting and working patiently to enhance their downtown must have felt in recent weeks when several neighbors suddenly began trying to blow up the project.
Since 2019, there have been no fewer than 18 opportunities for people to learn about and give input on plans to make the Highway 22 corridor through Wilson more accessible for pedestrians. Some of these were public meetings devoted specifically to the topic, others were broader forums where this project was one of several discussed. The gatherings took place in person and online, with surveys. In April 2021, a News&Guide story invited citizens to participate in the process, as Teton County was hosting a “virtual open house” seeking feedback — the second public comment period within a year.
The outcome of this public process is a plan to install wide sidewalks on both sides of Highway 22, which the Wyoming Department of Transportation is expanding to three lanes with a center turn lane. The sidewalks will be 8 feet wide, 2 feet wider than usual, allowing bicyclists to use them in addition to pedestrians. Although these sidewalks have been called “paths,” they are narrower than the 10 to 12 feet usually required for pathways. The sidewalks will allow people walking or on bikes on both sides of the highway to access popular businesses such as Streetfood at the Stagecoach, Nora’s Fish Creek Inn and Pearl Street Bagels more easily. Safe passage to and from Wilson Elementary School and the post office is essential. A federal grant will foot the bill for construction.
With the design 90% completed and ready to be put out to bid, a coterie of agitators has stirred up hysteria, pitting neighbors against one another in a political fight over what has been a collaborative community effort. WYDOT has been involved at every step of the process and has signed off on the various design features. The plan necessitates 3-foot-high retaining walls in front of parking for several businesses, mainly where such walls already exist, and a higher embankment to protect a spring. It’s not easy to make one of the busiest highways in Wyoming safe and inviting for walking and bicycling, while working solely within the public right of way.
Opponents have yet to explain what it is they want in the plan — aside from nothing. In whipping up opposition, they have spread false information and preyed on citizens’ fears of speedy e-bikes barreling through Wilson on the wider sidewalks. Concerns about safety are legitimate, and the county continues to wrestle with the use of e-bikes on pathways, but that’s a separate issue. It’s possible that additional design features or management can address concerns about mixing bicycles and walkers, but experience on other busy highway corridors — Highway 89 near The Bird, the entire south side of West Broadway — has shown that nonmotorized travel can coexist safely with numerous access roads for businesses.
There is still time to improve the Wilson project before commissioners send it out to bid in early January, but doing nothing is not a suitable option. The streetscape of downtown Wilson today is a lousy expanse of asphalt and traffic with all the ambience of a truck stop. County commissioners who twice have approved preliminary designs should not cave to a loud minority that has come late to the conversation. Doing so would disrespect all the citizens who have participated in the democratic process thus far.
Northern Wyoming News, Nov. 21
More random thoughts on the election
Karla Pomeroy
Yes we are now more than two weeks removed from the Nov. 5 General Election but it seems to be what most people are still talking about so here are three more random thoughts on this year’s election cycle. (I promise this is it for this year.)
Despite President-elect Donald J. Trump winning both the electoral college votes and the popular vote this year, talk of abolishing the electoral college rages on.
I am a supporter of the electoral college because in my belief it gives small populations, such as Wyoming a voice in the presidential election, albeit with our three electoral votes a small voice. It is still larger than the voice we would have from our 271,123 voters who cast ballots in this month’s General Election. In comparison, according to NBC New York, Kamala Harris received 1,748,140 votes in New York City alone and Trump 786,294.
Regardless whether you favor the electoral college or do not favor it, it is currently in the U.S. Constitution and changing the Constitution is not an easy task.
Besides in this century and the last century the number of times the president elect did not receive both the popular vote (not necessarily a majority of more than 50%) but the most votes and the electoral college votes is … twice, 2000 and 2016.
Another random thought comes from a letter to the editor last week and a response letter this week regarding a resolution by a Washakie County precinct committeewoman seeking to limit the number of offices a county Republican can hold. Some in the party apparently prefer if you run for an office you must run only for one office, whether that be a precinct committeeperson or a government elected official.
In some precincts there was a plethora of candidates for committeepersons this year, but in others there were unopposed candidates.
The Republicans should rejoice so many want to be active in the party — at least some in certain precincts, while a look at the primary ballot showed few candidates and many vacant races for Democratic precinct committee people.
I hope those who lost during the primary, whether party precinct office or other office, and in the general, will consider running again or being active in their party or government in other ways.
I made that plea a few years ago and council candidate Michael Sanchez ended up seeking appointment to the Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission and, in my opinion, is a valued member who brings a great perspective to discussions.
There are many boards and organizations in Washakie County and plenty of opportunities to be involved until you decide to run for office again. I hope you seek out those opportunities.
Finally, something humorous. Like him or hate him Donald Trump has provided the next viral dance move and it is one everyone can do.
Unlike the Macarena or the Moonwalk or maybe Gangnam style (or many others), where people (like myself) with no rhythm struggled to master the dance moves can actually do this dance.
His dance moves to the Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” now deemed as the “Trump Dance” at the end of this rallies has now gone viral with many college and NFL football players doing the dance for celebrations after plays on the field. Other athletes have also caught the Trump Dance fever including UFC fighter Jon Jones, a soccer player, a golfer, and, of course, many regular people on social media.
It makes me wonder if Mayor-elect Rebecca George or Commissioner-elect Tom Schmeltzer will break out some new moves when they are sworn in, in January.
Powell Tribune, Nov. 19
NWC board right to table, for now, name change resolution
Zac Taylor
It was interesting that, after trustee John Housel made a motion to table his resolution to change the name of Northwest College to Yellowstone College, those at the Nov. 11 meeting heard some of the most impassioned comments in favor of a name change.
I see it as a sign that, while this discussion is going to the back burner for now, there is still a lot of support for the idea and compelling arguments for it. However, as a number of trustees, members of the public and others have said, first they need to see more details on what a name change would entail, what it would cost and what the potential negative ramifications would be.
Housel said that would be a priority of the name change committee in the future, to provide more of those details people have requested.
From talking to and listening to college board members in the last couple of months, this outcome seemed to be the best for now. I’ve heard from a number who like the idea — if many of their questions can be answered to their satisfaction.
It is, in my opinion, a great outcome for a public board. I don’t see this as kicking the can down the road. Rather, if done right, I view it as a chance to refine a plan years in the making after its harshest period in the spotlight yet.
There should be an up or down vote on this plan. I would not be in favor of this proposal fizzling away without coming back, just like I agree with most trustees that it was not ready to be voted on this fall.
As outgoing trustee Larry Todd said eloquently at his last meeting on the board after a long run: There are powerful sentiments on both sides, one looking to tradition, one to the future.
While some people have firmly sided with tradition and others, like Todd, have their minds made up that it’s time for a new future, I look forward to seeing a time in the not too distant future where we have more concrete details on this proposal and a chance for the board to weigh the pros and cons and make the best educated decision for the college.
And however that comes up, what this stretch of time has put on display very clearly is how much passion people have for their alma mater, their workplace and their community staple.
While the name change proposal has led to some sharp disagreements, it’s nice to see that common bond.
Thermopolis Independent Record, Nov. 21
Survey results released
The local Community Survey results are in and a public meeting was held on Tuesday evening to discuss the results, form committees and plan for next steps.
We had the survey in our Oct. 3 edition as an insert, it was circulated to area business and on social media.
Shurie Scheel is leading the way for the planning committee who put out the survey. If you did not get a chance to fill out the survey or attend Tuesday’s meeting, we are sure you can still participate in some way.
The group has announced they will need several volunteers to serve on the committees and help get things going.
We will report on Tuesday’s community meeting in next week’s Independent Record.
Results have been released and respondents were asked “What is your main source of community information?” Options were bulletin boards, word of mouth, radio, newspaper, social media or other. Newspaper received 40.5% followed by social media with 38.2%.
We are glad to have the biggest chunk of that pie chart. Thank you!
Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Nov. 23
Agenda 2024: Progress being made on homelessness, but more to be done
Five years ago, Robert Marbut delivered a report on the state of homelessness in Wyoming. In it, he defined some key objectives service agencies would need to achieve if they were to more successfully address the problem.
Looking at where we are today in light of these recommendations is encouraging, but it’s clear there’s more to be done.
First, the good news. As we sat down earlier this week with many of the main local service providers, it was refreshing to hear that they view each other as partners in the ongoing effort to get people off the streets and into long-term housing. From the COMEA House and Resource Center, which provides emergency shelter to the unhoused and many other services, to Recover Wyoming, which provides case management and housing support services for people with serious mental illness and substance abuse disorders, no single group seems to be getting a disproportionate share of community support.
In fact, much gratitude was expressed among leaders of these nonprofits, who said they couldn’t achieve the progress they’ve made without each other. That’s refreshing, since it hasn’t always been the case. A coordinated entry system is helping agencies target which ones can best meet each individual’s needs, and better communication between agencies means referrals are more successful.
Today, programs like Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD), coordinated through the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, are helping homeless individuals stay out of the county jail, and break the cycles of recidivism that previously caused the same people to come back time and time again.
Family Promise of Cheyenne is doing much more than giving families a roof over their heads. During their minimum 10-week program, staff help up three families at a time (with a maximum of 12 people total) get back on their feet through temporary housing, budgeting education, accountability and more. And they do it in a stable location so families no longer have to pack up each weekend and move to another church building.
Volunteers of America is working with around 125 veterans and families who earn up to 80% of the Average Median Income (AMI), helping them to obtain housing and remain in it. They also connect with the Department of Veterans Affairs and other programs to ensure those who have served our country can live with dignity.
Cheyenne has several other programs that address homelessness, including: the Unaccompanied Students Initiative (USI), which serves homeless teens; the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless, which operates the Welcome Mat day center; and a student support liaison in Laramie County School District 1, Denise Ryden, who helps connect children living in a shelter, car or other temporary accommodations with public education. While leaders of these groups were unable to attend our meeting, we know they are doing good work.
And thanks to a combination of grants, local government assistance and private donations, COMEA has been able to buy and renovate additional space to provide more room for families, transitional housing for individuals and an emergency shelter for those who are intoxicated and need to get in out of the cold weather. COMEA also is offering more connections to mental health services for its clients — including a part-time therapist on staff and using outreach funds to connect people to the LIV Health mental health urgent care clinic — and is leaning on the LEAD program for case management.
Wyoming connections a priority
Another way local agencies are taking Mr. Marbut’s advice is to focus their efforts almost exclusively on those with connections to the Equality State. Robin Bocanegra, COMEA’s executive director, said this was difficult at first. After all, COMEA was started by local churches, and many of them believe everyone who expresses a need should be helped, regardless of where they’ve been or what they’ve been doing.
But despite what some people think when they head to Wyoming from other places, a state with fewer people doesn’t mean less demand for services. Instead, it often means there are fewer resources available to help those in need, as evidenced by the limited access to mental health care in Wyoming. As a result, COMEA leaders decided to focus their efforts on those with ties to the state, as outlined on their website: “If you are not from Wyoming and do not possess a Wyoming ID, you are not eligible for any services beyond our emergency stay, which is limited to 7 nights of shelter. We do enforce this policy, so if you are coming from out of state, please be prepared for a short stay and have a plan for moving on.”
This policy, which has been adopted by other service organizations, meets another of Mr. Marbut’s recommendations: stop pouring resources into the “summer surge” of adult travelers who pass through the capital city because it’s located at the intersection of Interstates 25 and 80.
His report defined people with “direct connectivity to Wyoming” as those “(a) who attended high school in Wyoming, or (b) who have living parents or siblings currently living in Wyoming, or © who have deceased parents that were living in Wyoming at the time of their passing, or (d) can prove they have been living continuously in Wyoming for more than 24 months.”
Ms. Bocanegra shared examples of families that have shown up in Cheyenne expecting to stay at the local shelter while one family member works at the Frontier Days carnival, and others who have returned to the capital city to seek local services because they had it better here than where they relocated. Thanks to tracking through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), not only can these people be prevented from taking advantage of the system, those who qualify for local services can be tracked by multiple agencies, working together to get them the help most needed for long-term success.
What more needs to be done
All of this is great to hear, but of course the problem hasn’t been “solved” (not that it likely ever will be completely). The Marbut report was designed to offer a template for local and state officials to follow to get the most impact from limited resources.
The six statewide strategic action steps it contained were:
Create statewide funding for root cause treatment and recovery programs, including both short-term and long-term mental/behavioral health treatment services. Gov. Mark Gordon has convened a Mental Health Task Force, which has been looking for ways to increase access to such services, and efforts are being made at the local level through a variety of agencies and service providers.
Expand funding to the existing Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program, which is funded, in part, at the federal level by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This program provides prevention and diversion funding for things like emergency one-time rent assistance, utility assistance, emergency vouchers, etc., and is coordinated by Wyoming Continuum of Care and the state Department of Family Services. More funding is always needed, and the Legislature should do its part to help out.
Source new housing opportunities of all types whenever possible, especially transitional housing. Government officials at all levels in Wyoming are aware of the need for more affordable housing throughout the state. Although efforts are being made in certain areas, including Cheyenne, no clear solutions have been forthcoming so far.
Create housing and case management for unaccompanied students. The aforementioned USI is doing this in Cheyenne, Laramie and Casper, but other communities need it, as well.
Whenever possible, separate families with children from non-family single adults. COMEA has been able to do this in Cheyenne, preventing the negative developmental issues that can result in children when such commingling happens.
Establish statewide service eligibility criterion (with emergency protocols). As mentioned previously, many local agencies have adopted policies built around this recommendation to focus their efforts on people with local ties.
Ms. Bocanegra shared that she is still in touch with Mr. Marbut, and his expertise continues to inform what they do to address local needs.
Other things that need to be done locally include more access to public transportation, especially during hours it’s not currently offered, and donations of used vehicles that still run well; increased state funding as federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars go away; giving more job opportunities to homeless veterans and others; and prioritizing the needs of people in our community as much as we do animals.
How you can help
Of course, none of this is possible without the support of compassionate community residents, who time and again have answered the call for financial and material donations to help keep local service agencies afloat.
Ms. Bocanegra reminded us that just because they may get a grant to buy a former motel and turn it into temporary housing for homeless people doesn’t mean they have enough to cover their daily, weekly and monthly operating expenses. In fact, not long ago, it looked like COMEA might have to shut down for lack of funding to pay the utility bills and cover other costs.
Food pantries are always in need of nonperishable items, efforts like Day of Giving accept financial contributions year-round to help fill in gaps, and both COMEA and Welcome Mat encourage donations of money that they can use to buy targeted, meaningful gifts for unhoused individuals (because no one wants feminine products or other toiletries as a holiday present).
More than anything, though, our panelists unanimously encouraged residents to view homeless people as human beings worthy of courtesy and respect. For Beth Cook and her colleagues at the Laramie County Library, this has meant inviting unhoused people into the public facility, rather than having them congregate in the lobby, and treating them with the same level of respect and customer service as everyone else. For all of us, it means not going out of our way to avoid homeless people, but rather smiling at them, shaking their hands or getting involved as a volunteer for those who help this population. (And no, not giving cash to panhandlers.)
Instead of passing judgment on someone or making assumptions about how they got into the situation they’re in, we all need to offer compassion. After all, most of us are much closer to becoming homeless ourselves than we are to becoming a millionaire.
Lastly, we need to offer a heaping helping of much-deserved gratitude to those who work in this arena day in and day out. Have questions about how your donations are being used? Take a tour of the local shelter and see for yourself. Wonder why certain situations don’t seem to get any better? Ask how you can become an advocate and best lobby for change.
By working together, we can continue to make progress toward reducing homelessness and giving people the basic human dignity everyone deserves.
Adler: Trump’s demand for recess appointments brings the Constitution and the Senate’s role into sharp focus
David Adler, Ph.D.
The recess appointment power, seldom at the forefront of national discussion, resurfaced recently as a headline topic when President-elect Donald Trump declared that those Republicans seeking the title of Senate majority leader “must” agree that his nominations for his cabinet should be installed as recess appointments, a move that would bypass approval by the U.S. Senate.
The unprecedented command from a president-in-waiting to an independent, co-equal branch of government raised the spectre of the Senate surrendering a fundamental power that the Framers of the Constitution believed marked an essential distinction between a monarchy and a republic, to do the bidding of Trump, while ditching its supervisory constitutional role to grant advice and consent on cabinet nominations.
Essentially, Trump has asked the GOP-controlled Senate to adjourn as soon as it convenes in January to enable him to fill cabinet posts without the constitutionally prescribed process of “advice and consent,” which involves scrutiny of the nominees’ credentials and qualifications, including rigorous confirmation hearings that reflect penetrating questions and testimony from friendly and opposition witnesses.
Article 2, Section 2 of the Constitution creates a joint appointment power, shared equally between the president and the Senate. The Framers of the Constitution rejected the English model, which placed in the monarchy the unilateral power both to create offices and make appointments to fill them. The Framers were familiar with the king’s incautious and corrupt exercise of the twin powers and took measures to divide the appointment authority.
Accordingly, the creation of an office, including a cabinet post, requires statutory enactment. The authority to fill the posts is a two-step process. The president nominates and the Senate exercises its advice and consent power, the authority, as the Supreme Court has said, to grant or withhold its approval.
The Framers’ decision to create a shared appointment power reflected their commitment to collective decision-making, what they regarded as the cardinal principle of republicanism — the belief that the collective wisdom of the many is superior to the judgment of a single person. Delegates to the Constitutional Convention applied the same reasoning to the treaty-making power, acknowledging their deep-seated fear of unilateral executive power and confidence in collective decision-making, an approach that promotes the merits of discussion and debate and the doctrine of checks and balances. No delegate believed in the infallibility of a president.
The Framers knew the Senate would not always be in session and that vacancies in office might “happen,” which could not await the Senate’s return, thus necessitating a recess appointment. The Constitution provides that the president may fill those vacancies by granting commissions which will expire at the end of the next session of Congress.
President-elect Trump’s directive, if followed, would mean his nominees would serve for two years, at which point the Senate would have to assess their qualifications as part of their advice and consent role unless, of course, the Senate was asked again to acquiesce to another round of recess appointments.
In the nation’s early history, congressional sessions lasted only a few months, and presidents often made recess appointments during the long periods when Congress was in recess or adjournment. Historically, controversy has erupted when the two branches, not in sync on nominations, have played a cat and mouse game to control the vacancy.
A president, for example, facing the possibility that the Senate might reject his nominee, could wait for the Senate to take a recess and then fill the vacant office to circumvent the Senate. And the Senate, realizing that a president would resort to such tactics, might avoid taking recess altogether by holding pro forma sessions that might last just three days, thus frustrating a presidential recess appointment. This ploy involves calling the Senate into session and adjourning a minute later.
Aside from those ploys, in which both Republicans and Democrats have engaged, what distinguishes President Trump’s plan is that no president-elect has ever asked the Senate, upon assuming office, to lay down its constitutional power to advise and consent and stand aside while the cabinet is installed without any vetting of the nominees’ credentials. The Constitution was not written for the government, but rather for the people. A Senate that stands aside is transforming the jointly held appointment power into a unilateral presidential power, precisely what the Framers of the Constitution feared and rejected.
David Adler, Ph.D., is a noted author who lectures nationally and internationally on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Presidential power. Adler’s column is supported in part through a grant from Wyoming Humanities funded by the “Why it Matters: Civic and Electoral Participation” initiative, administered by the Federation of State Humanities Councils and funded by Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Adler can be reached at [email protected].