Friday, September 09, 2005

Latest Antics of the Gang of Six -- Updated

We have true pity for unfortunate folks who don't live in Ogden, Utah. They really don't know what they're missing. We have a theater of of the absurd playing here every day, with an all-star cast, which we've affectionately dubbed "the gang of six," -- Safsten, Jorgenson, Stephenson, Burdett, Filiaga, -- and Godfrey.

The latest shenanigans are reported to us in this morning's Standard-Examiner, courtesy of the always excellent John Wright:
Ogden looks for better polling place
Friday, September 9, 2005
By John Wright
Standard-Examiner staff
Councilman cries foul when new spot named
OGDEN -- Officials are working to find a new polling place in west Ogden, after Councilman Jesse Garcia questioned whether a decision to close the previous one was designed to hurt his re-election chances.
Voters in west Ogden's Precinct 39 traditionally have cast ballots at a city fire station between E Avenue and F Avenue on 24th Street. But according to a list of 23 polling places proposed by the administration and approved by the City Council Tuesday, they will have to travel to Union Station to vote in this year's election races, including the race for the Municipal Ward 1 seat held by Garcia.
With the 24th Street viaduct closed for construction until late October, that means west Ogden residents will have to take a detour to vote in the Oct. 4 primaries.
Mayor Matthew Godfrey said the polling place was closed because the fire station does not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. But Garcia wondered why the decision came in a year when he is up for re-election, given that the fire station did not comply with the act in previous years.
"Why is it so important to do it now was my question," said Garcia, who faces two challengers in the primary. "All of a sudden, this year, it's let's go ahead and close it."
Garcia said Precinct 39, one of nine in Municipal Ward 1, has low turnouts but has voted heavily in his favor in four previous elections. He called it a diverse area, with Hispanic, black and Caucasian neighborhoods.
Garcia, the only Hispanic council member, acknowledged administration officials compiled the proposed list of polling places before they knew the viaduct would be closed. However, he said there should be a polling place in west Ogden.
Garcia said he met with City Recorder Gloria Berrett Wednesday to discuss the issue. Berrett declined comment, but Godfrey confirmed officials are now working to find another polling place in west Ogden.
He was not aware of the proposal to close the polling place until Tuesday's City Council meeting, he said.
"I think that's sad that he would make that kind of an accusation," Godfrey said of Garcia.
Garcia, who ran against Godfrey two years ago, suggested that the Catholic Community Services building, at 2504 F Ave., be used as a polling place. But Godfrey said the city prefers to have polling places in public buildings. The problem, Godfrey said, is that there are not many of those in west Ogden.
"I think it makes a world of sense to have a polling place in west Ogden because it is so isolated," Godfrey said.
The council voted 4-2 to approve the polling places, with Councilwoman Donna Burdett joining Garcia in dissent. Amy Wicks was absent.
Council Chairman Rick Safsten said while it is an unfortunate situation for west Ogden residents, he does not think the proposal to close the polling place was politically motivated.
"I don't think anybody out there is that malicious," Safsten said.
"That's a good one, Comrade Safsten...," we thought to ourself, our eyes wide with amazement, after reading the John Wright article,"...or that blatantly stupid, either."

What these nit-wits did, apparently, was summarily shut down a familiar and traditional west-side neighborhood polling place in Councilman Garcia's Ward 1, where a variety of Ogden City's "less advantaged" citizens have voted for many years.

The pretext? The federal Americans with Disabilities Act -- which was passed in 1990, and which took effect July 26, 1992! And they say they didn't know that the 24th Street viaduct will be closed on the October 4th primary date? We have to ask how they could possibly have not known about it. We knew about it. Most people who regularly read the Standard-Examiner knew about it. Notices of the closure were posted there numerous times recently. Notices have been posted at various places downtown for quite some time too. They're our Mayor and City Council fer cripesake; and they should have known about it, even if we're gullible enough take them at their word.

And the result? Those "disabled people" whom they're suddenly trying to "protect" will now have to take a detour of several miles to get to their new polling place across the old railroad yard at the Union Station.

We say it's time to sweep the City Council Playhouse clean. Its been an entertaining roadshow, but it's getting old. The gang of six (sometimes known as the gang that couldn't shoot straight) consistently displays no morals, no ethics, no common decency and no clue. I think it's time they exited stage left.

(Editor's note: In all fairness to Councilwoman Burdett, it must be noted that she cast a dissenting vote on this issue. She's apparently gotten in touch with her conscience just in time for the October Primary. Whew! Better late than never, eh, Donna?)

Comments, gentle readers? Did these people actually think that they'd get away with this, and that nobody would discover what they'd done until primary election day?

There's a little icon at the bottom of this article, by the way. Press the icon, and you can email this article to everybody on your email list. Let's all be sure that everyone in town knows how desperate these people have become to hang on to their city council block vote. Let's expose these people far and wide, and spread the word about how truly rotten things are here in Emerald City.

Update 09/13/05 12:12 a.m. MT: It appears that the Ogden City council has decided to revisit this issue. John Wright reports this morning that Council members are scheduled to vote today whether to amend a list of 23 polling places, and add a west Ogden polling place, to the list approved Sept. 6 for this year's municipal elections. Hopefully they'll surprise everyone, and do "the right thing" on this.

Update 09/14.05 8:30 a.m. MT: All is well again in the Land of Oz. After a week's reflection, and considerable adverse publicity, the city council voted 6-1 last night to restore Ogden City's west-side polling place to its original location, the West Ogden fire station, as reports John Wright in this morning's Std-Ex edition. According to Mr. wright's report, Councilman Safsten, who cast the only dissenting vote, doesn't believe this decision delivers Ogden City much bang for the buck. We're sure our gentle readers will hope that Mr. Safsten continues to maintain this suddenly frugal state of mine, if and when the matter of Stuart Reid's re-hiring comes up on the council floor.

15 comments:

RudiZink said...

It's apparent that I'm not the only one whose attention was caught by John Wright's startling story.

I'm thus moving a couple of comments that were posted earlier on another thread here:

Enthused Citizen said...
We're missing one HOT story, here. Tuesday, our "friendly and "non-descriminating" City Council voted 4-2 to close down the West Ogden polling station, the old Fire House that had been in operation for 12 or so years. The closure was promted by the Fire Station not adhereing to the ADA (American Disabilities Act) and forces the residents of the "Avenues" to vote in the Union Depot. Other area facilities won't be allowed, claims the Mayor, because he desires that voting stations be in Public Bldgs. The rub is this: It's Jesse Garcia's Municiple Ward; he has a Mayorial hand picked challenger, one Dori Mosher, a good friend of Mad Matt's wife, as his chief opponent; and the residents of that area have to either take Wilson Lane/21st Street or Pennsylvania Avenue to 31st Street to Wall. Why? The viaduct is closed for repairs.

Most of those good people don't drive. Godfrey and Safsten claim theirs no political malfeasence and can't understand why Jesse is questioning the timing.

I understand why he is. They understand why he is. This is ONE MORE EXAMPLE of the Administration and City Council oppressing the minorities and showing their ruthless side to curry favor amongst one another so they can keep the City Council weighted toward the Mayor and his mega-million dollar policies.

The Landlord program, aimed at the lower class and minorites; the 90 day Motel Rule, aimed at the lower class and minorities; the Marshall White Center, aimed at the lower class and minorites; the 25th Street stores, aimed at the lower class and minorities; and now this dereliction of ethics.

Jesse, we will mobilize and get your people to the polling station. This will backfire and it has the potential to unseat many incumbents, because now we can see the "Emperor" really has no clothes.

September 09, 2005 10:08 AM

Thomas Luke said...
It sure does seem suspicious enthused citizen, but Potiburo chairman Sasten has assured us that no monkey biz is contained herein. Therefore I for one am comfortable with this decision to close the unsafe fire department for voting.

Can you imagine the horror if the place were full of voters and a fire broke out? Pure chaos on the level of New Orleans could insue. We can't have that in our town now can we? The mayor is right to protect those "other" people in the west end. Their votes are not nearly as important as their safety. This is only for their common good after all.

Besides, I think it would be good exercise for those people in west ogden to swim through the river and hike over the old railroad ground to get to the voting place. It would test their true committment to our repulik form of government.

Every one knows that they don't understand what is important in Ogden anyway and they can't make an informed vote supporting the Mayor's visions. An un-informed vote is a wasted vote. So what is the big deal anyway?

Anonymous said...

I think it's something closer to "dark comedy."

Anonymous said...

CANDOR AND COURAGE IN PUBLIC DISCOURSE, 2005:

"I don't think anyone out there is that malicious." --Rick Safsten

"I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees." --George Sobriety Bush

"I don't think that [the gondola] has to go right in somebody's house." --UTMorMAN

"I don't think it's anything like a plume." --Matt Godfrey

Anonymous said...

"Garcia, the only Hispanic council member, acknowledged administration officials compiled the proposed list of polling places before they knew the viaduct would be closed. However, he said there should be a polling place in west Ogden.

Garcia said he met with City Recorder Gloria Berrett Wednesday to discuss the issue. Berrett declined comment, but Godfrey confirmed officials are now working to find another polling place in west Ogden.

He was not aware of the proposal to close the polling place until Tuesday's City Council meeting, he said.


Is this right? This says that this closure was proposed Tuesday without Godfrey's prior knowledge. He didn't know about this until Tuesday?" How can this be? Or was it Garcia who didn't know about it until Tuesday? What?

On the Ogden City Web page, it says of the Mayor/Council form of government:

This form of government vests the power in two separate, independent, and equal branches of municipal government: the executive branch consisting of a full-time mayor, chief administrative officer, and administrative departments and offices; and the legislative branch consisting of a seven-member council and staff.

I look at the term "the administration" to refer to the Mayoral side of this equation. I am therefore thinking that since the administrative officials compiled the list, there was no way Godfrey could not have known about this, and possibly has known about it for quite some time.

In view of the statements that officials are looking for another polling place--for when? This year? They really don't have much time. Next year?

As it stands now, voters are to go to the Union Station, but are we to infer that this may change if another place is found? Again, they don't have much time. This lack of clarity contributes to the problem of persons in that area continuing to be confused about where to go.

"'I think that's sad that he would make that kind of an accusation,'Godfrey said of Garcia."

I do too. I think it's sad that things have come to that. Perhaps Garcia's exclusion from the committee to make decisions about the Marshall White Center has something to do with it.

Someone on the council should make a motion to reconsider this. We haven't even had the primary yet, and the process is already tainted with these allegations. Best to remove the source of them, in my opinion, reconsider, keep it in the fire station, (which they have a month to bring into compliance with the ADA, and who knows--it might be a relatively easy thing to do,) and change the place next year.

Anonymous said...

How about some of the candidates for council coming forward and together organize a van pool and notification of registered voters on the west side.

Lets have punch and cookies and a scheduled van ride to the polling place. Does any one out there have vans and drivers they want to volunteer? How about hitting up a local bus company to provide transportation?

Let's not let these bastards even get to first base with their dirty little tricks. This is only the first of many between now and November. The little guy is desperate and full of nasty little surprises. He wants Garcia's head on a platter and will stop at nothing to get it.

"Bring me Jesse Garcia's head!" an echo heard rattling around the ninth floor these days?

Anonymous said...

Katrina Benefit Broadcast 'Will not have Politics Edited Out'
The television broadcast of tonight's Hurricane Katrina benefit show Shelter From The Storm will not edit out any political statements the artists choose to make.
I recycle my old stuff here office supplies maybe you should too

Anonymous said...

Godfrey and Safsten, again, and again, and again, with Jorgenson not far behind. Remember, he was the guy who tried to eliminate the At-Large Seats and merge them into Municiple Wards? He felt the heat, knew he was in for a battle, and none of those guys have the least bit of decorum when it comes to issues and votes. They'll do anything to keep the 5 to 2 advantage, and then they'll spend us down the drain.

We will organize a voter shuttle for the good people of West Ogden. This thing is going to rear up and bit those people right in the ass....it will be a backfire.

Nothing but loosers, the Gang of 6!

RudiZink said...

Welcome back, Amy.

Anonymous said...

Hey Amy, we don't know each other but I've heard nothing but good about you. Glad you're back. The city of Ogden needs you. The election is right around the corner and you and Jesse might get some help.

Tell these gondola fanatics the real story. You had to have seen and ridden many over there.

Welcome back to town.

Anonymous said...

Gutentag to Amy and all my favorite arm-chair quarterbacks.

Sorry I haven't posted for so long, but I was busy with several things, one of which was helping family fix up their home, which, surprise, happens to be in WEST OGDEN! And, no, they are not moving, just needed some repairs.

I would be glad to set up a van-pool, but alas, wouldn't that be a conflict of interest? Buying votes? etc, etc.....

You wouldn't believe the strong arming it took to get the city to tap-dance for me just so I could get them to close down the fire-station......GIVE ME A BREAK!

Should I respond to our fabulous enthused citizen? Better judgement says "no", but the warped side of me just can't help itself.

If the mayor has a hand-picked candidate for Municipal Ward 1, it certainly isn't me (don't forget, there is one more candidate besides Jesse or me, who filed just 5 minutes before the deadline.....take a harder look)

Wow, how great would it be if I had the Mayor's support. Maybe I wouldn't have had to have a garage sale to finance my campaign.

There really are a few of us who love our community, who have worked our butts off for it, and would like to continue

Anonymous said...

Hey Mz Candidate, does that smarmy attitude play on the west side?

I would be surprised if you could hide from the voters who your patron is. I mean the buzz is out all over town! One of you can't keep a secret very well.

I saw it on the wall in the head at the biker bar! Ya suppose your little co-conspiritor left it there for his outlaw buddy Stu? I heard their most private and secret pow wow's take place in there with both in biker disguises.

Anonymous said...

So, D-Mo, I see you broke your word after all! The big production you made about "leaviong the blog" turned out to be but a smokescreen, an untruth, as here you are, posting under another name, answering EC and others about being Mad Matt's handpicked candidate, and so on. You fired on Jesse, who refuted your words and really put you in your place, you sulked and claimed you were leaving the blog, and suddenly, just like a POP-UP ad on the net, yuo're back. Not good for a candidate or incumbent to say something and do another. Even in this trivial situation, the die has been cast. How can the people trust you?

You have much to learn and your relationship with certain "powers that are" takes a back seat to who you really are.

Like its been said, Jesse in a landslide, with much of the credit going to your fo-paw.

Anonymous said...

Been watching the Mayor lately....saw him at some meetings, roaming the booths at the Farmer's Mkt., and the guy just don't look happy. But who would, being in his shoes. His house of cards is beginning to crumble and he's had to hire Stu Reid, the guy probably most responsible for this mess the town's in, back for support (if there was an ounce of honor in that guy, he'd give the City back his seperation gift from Godfrey, for a job well done); the Wreck Center's a wreck ,what with $30,000,000 down the "stalled" drain with more tests and questions arising at an alarming rate; the land grab for WalMart didn't fly and now Harrisville or Far West might get that store (if the good people of that area were approached differently, we might have had the big box); Union Square still languishing in bankruptcy; the gondola a hot-button issue that seems to be going nowhere, other than the annals of controversy; and his rubber stampers are in a fight for their political lives, the feeling of the people is that they've had enough of this misery and malise.

Guess we can give him a pass for his unfriendly attitude and demeanor. Better him than me.

Anonymous said...

Am very glad this issue was resolved this way. No matter what the motivation to change that polling place may have been, the decision to change it right before this election looked so bad that it would have thrown the whole election into question.

I am really thrown, however by the headline of the Wright story: "Ogden Council OKs costly polling place."

In the story, we read:

"It will cost the city $2,695 to staff and equip a polling place at the fire station, where only six people voted in one recent election. But Garcia maintained it will be worth it."

$2,695. Costly????

Weighed against certain salaries, one particular severance, the hiring of a PR person, and Ogden's massive debt, I would not term this figure "costly." Especially since it concerns the rights of American citizens, which none of these other expenditures do.

Besides, there are such things as temporary ramps, etc., which could be put up for a minimal cost, if handicapped access is a major concern. No one has publicly detailed how this place is in violation, and things might be easy to rectify on a temporary basis.

Way to go Jesse, and all Council members who realized the problem with this and acted upon it.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Amy!!

Thanks for the info. And their bid on this was $20,000? Could be, with all that is entailed. I too have been around the severely disabled, and just day to day things are a full day's work sometimes.

I think that whatever they decide to do for the next election, ample time for notification is the key. In my opinion, there simply wasn't enough time this year.

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