From Deseret News archives:
Mobile home sweet home
In the Bill Clinton era, when Paula Jones came forward with sexual harassment charges, James Carville crassly said if you drag a $100 bill through a trailer park you don't know what will happen.
Mobile home owners don't catch many breaks.
That's why it's nice to see them finally being taken seriously. The Utah Legislature recently passed a law that gives more protection and consideration to mobile home owners. The owners of mobile home parks can no longer chuck their residents out without nine months notification. The bill is both sweet and sour, however. It also forbids places like Taylorsville from going the extra mile and making it mandatory for park owners to not only give notice, but to help defray the moving costs of residents.
Whatever your feelings, it's nice that people are finally showing some concern for the world of mobile homes.
America hates class distinctions. It's why Hollywood constantly churns out films with a common man undermining the best-laid plans of the greedy, moneyed folks. Still, human nature being what it is, people also look for someone living a little lower on the hog than themselves to ridicule. And Hollywood has also given the country some pretty ugly and gritty stereotypes of life in mobile home parks.
Changing social sensitivities is a slow process, but the process tends to move in the right direction. The recent respect shown to mobile home owners speaks well of our evolving leaders.
In fact, if you're interested in seeing a "mobile home hero" in action, rent the Walter Mathau vehicle, "Charley Varrick." Mathau plays a mobile home dweller in the film who not only outwits the mob, out-hustles the cops and out-maneuvers a hit man, but a guy who also gets away with a bag of Mafia money and the gorgeous girl.
Where do we sign for a double-wide?
