Still, Nelson kept some humor, referencing the recognizable MasterCard television commercials.

"Getting bumped to the head of a five-year waiting list when residents with medical disabilities and no chance of employment stand by and watch — priceless."

While less tongue-in-cheek, City Councilman Eric Jergensen shares those worries.

"One of the concerns I have is that we have lots of people in our city that have tremendous needs for help," he said. "Let's not take one tragedy and exacerbate another one."

Despite any political dissent, the City Council Tuesday tentatively supported a plan to allocate $100,000 in rental assistance dollars for Katrina victims in Utah. A final vote will come Sept. 20.

That money was supposed to help first-time home buyers purchase or remodel houses in Salt Lake City. Instead it will help an estimated 20 to 25 Katrina evacuees pay rent over the next six months.

The plan is to help evacuees who might want to stay in Utah on a longer basis. The city and the housing authority are also asking if landlords will discount their rates to provide for more housing.

The $100,000 plan was hatched after officials at the federal department Housing and Urban Development contacted the U.S. Conference of Mayors to ask if cities could offer any assistance to evacuees. Mayor Rocky Anderson, a major player in the conference of mayors, then proposed spending the $100,000 for Katrina evacuees.

Other government agencies are offering help as well.

The Department of Workforce Services will hold a job fair Thursday at Camp Williams, where Utah's 600 evacuees are staying.

According to the department, about a dozen employers have called the agency and expressed an interest in hiring the evacuees. At one time, the agency had several hundred jobs available, Workforce Services deputy director John Nixon said.

Most of the jobs are construction-related, said public information officer Curt Stewart. Offers have come in from employers all over the state, he said, including one company that had openings in Hurricane and Cedar City and offered housing along with the jobs.

"I do know that there are people here with skills," Stewart said, noting that one evacuee — a painter — helped spruce up the drop-in day-care center set up Monday at Camp Williams.

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E-mail: bsnyder@desnews.com;

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