I exchanged emails yesterday with one of our gentle readers, thanking me for the candidate information included in the Weber County Forum sidebar. She complained that she'd been carefully reading the Standard-Examiner, and had found nothing about the Ogden city municipal primary race, (although she did feel quite up-to date on the happenings in places like Roy and Layton.) She would have no idea at all even who the council candidates were, she complained, nor any idea what they stood for.I responded with well-practiced snarkiness that this was typical of the Standard-Examiner. As a long-time Std-Ex reader, I said, I've observed that it's not uncommon for the Standard-Examiner to entirely ignore Ogden city elections, until a day or two before the actual voting occurs. I went on to explain that I've worked off and on over the years as a local poll-judge, and that it was quite common to have voters show up at their local polling-place in a state of utter confusion, having not the slightest idea even of the names of candidates, let alone what their respective positions might be.
I continued with the explanation that this was the reason I'd set up the the WCF candidate info section in the first place -- to do an end-run around the Std-Ex's observed historical pattern of nonchalance. I couldn't resist, in closing, to comment, (with much additional snarky self-satisfaction,) that I regard the Std-Ex editorial board as the city administration's unofficial house propaganda organ, and that I doubted we'd get any useful candidate information out of our home-town paper until close to October 4, if at all.
An absense of information favors incumbents in any election, of course. It's better to deal with the "devil you know... ," as the old saying goes, "...than the one you don't."
But lo and behold; I was just flat wrong. And it may thus may well be that I'll be sharing a plate of that tasty crow, right along with our board regular Ozboy.
It seems the Std-Ex has been busy working behind the scenes on timely election coverage. This morning's Standard-Examiner in fact features a decent little John Wright article, based upon interviews with the candidates for Ogden's At-Large Seat B. I'll assume this article will be part of a continuing series, which would be a very good thing, I think.
My calendar's busy today, so I'll just put this article up without any of my own comment, except to mention that some of these candidates' positions may have changed since these interviews were given. The Lift Ogden group announced just this week that the two-tier gondola project would be funded entirely with private money, whereas these interviews were conducted before that announcement. It's my understanding, though, based on an email received earlier this morning, that further Std-Ex articles on the other three council seats will contain updated position statements reflecting Lift Ogden's admirable change of posture.
I'll also add a link to this Std-Ex article, and all future articles, on the Weber County Forum sidebar, (within the candidate information section,) for the convenient reference of any of our gentle readers who'll need to review these articles prior to the primary election
Since I'll be out for the balance of the day, please feel free to also use this as an "open thread. "
Comments, anyone?
13 comments:
I'm not to anxious to share my crow with Rudi as I fear he might gain a little to much wisdom which might not be wise.
The crow I anticipate ordering in the near future is in deference to Mr. Geiger's resume and service to our country in the Marine Corp., not to his Lift Ogden cause. I am very sceptical about Lift Ogden's new found private enterprise religion. Leopards do not change spots overnight.
I think we all know that the Mayor is an extremely bright and crafty foe to free enterprise and the working class. With the revelation of Mr. Grieger's resume it further points out how intelligent and dangerous they are. They also have the very crafty Scott Brown who is reputed to be a verifiable finance wizard. It is hard for me to imagine that they have exhausted their "public money" options on this gondola deal.
One hope we have is that Mr. Geiger will be so pre-occupied with his day job that he won't have much juice left over for this other stuff. This could get damn tough if we have to take on the US Marines as well as the Godfreyites!
The candidates that seem to be making the most sense so far are Jeske, Glasmann, Prisbrey and any of the rest that have the sense and courage to come right out and say that the Mayor and his council have been building a house of cards and the future looks a little windy.
Jorgensen broke his promise to the voters about the Mall to begin with. He has never varied in his support of the Mayor's fantastic dreams and schemes. He has voted the citizens of Ogden into a seventy million dollar plus hole that keeps on getting deeper every hour of every day.
Burdett, poor soul, is in over her head. She sits there on the Mayor's council knowing the right thing to do, but she just can't go against the high priests. Her votes do not reflect the best interest of the vast majority of Ogden's citizens. She really ought to get back to running her husbands dental office. I hope she does a little prayin for forgiveness for some of the votes she has made on the council. She probably is a very nice lady and hopefully she recovers that after she is out of office.
And sad to say Mr. Filliaga can hardly comprehend the action or stay awake for that matter. The choices in that race are rather glum. We have Larsen who fawns and prostrates himself before the Mayor and council on regular sickening occasions. He would be a continuation of the Filliaga rubber stamp for the wild schemes of the Godfreyites. Then we have Mitch - Don Quixote - Moyes. He is pretty incompetent acting on occasion but at least he would be a burr under Godfrey's saddle!
Glasmann promoted boxing in the past, maybe he could get on the council and kick a little butt? Somebody sure needs to box the Mayor's ears a little bit. What about it Glasmann, you ready to put on the gloves and take on city hall?
Does any one know anything about the rest of the candidates? Are any or all of them free of the dreaded RDA disease? Are any of them dillusional to the point of believing in free money? Is there light at the end of the tunnel, or is that a frieght train coming the other way?
Ozboy, or anyone else.
If you have any specific questions for me about my views or what I think, just drop me an email anytime. My address is jeff901@earthlink.net.
Be advised, I will be with the Boy Scouts much of this weekend, but I will check email from time to time and promise to respond promptly. The invitation is open to all.
Ozboy,
You my friend are a paranoid soul.
Scared of change?? Scared that Ogden might actually become something more than What it has been the last several decades?
Come on man, not everyone that is bright and proactive is out to get you. The city is a changin' with or without your support. So you keep posting your anti City admin.
posts and we'll keep things rolling so that Ogden actually gets some respect.
For the record, I want to make it clear that I do support a gondola and a mall downtown, as these projects will greatly improve Ogden economically, and exponentially improve the community! The article written today seemed to position Mrs. Burdett as the only candidate for Seat B who wants any progress here in Ogden. Like any logical resident in Ogden, I just don't believe the tax payers should pay for risky business projects that should be taken on by the private businesses community.
I was amused to see that Donna Burdett has finally taken a stance on these projects after months of silence, and absence from meetings where candidates were invited to voice platforms.
Atta boy, Steve, but temper your enthusiasm to include total study of the facts. Burdette does seem to waffle, asking questions about issues and then going with the flow and rubber stamping the Mayor's proposals, which. incidentally, the gondola is one of.
How do you rectify that?
September 23, 2005 3:46 PM
i think the only way the gondola will work is if it goes to snowbasin. who wants to go to some half-ass ski resort on the west side of mount ogden? not me, i'll tell you. i don't even really want to go to snowbasin, but there are plenty of idiots who do. and many of those same idiots would ride that stupid gondola, presuming it was safe and got them there pretty darn fast, like in about 15 minutes from downtown. never mind the stops, if they want to go to weber state they can jump off. they could put a little air mattress in for them to land on. talk about high adventure!!! i say take it straight up 26th street and taylor's canyon, what the hell? screw chris petersen, let's start talking to earl holding and the forest service. otherwise, let's shut up about it and put in a few sidewalks here and there.
Anarchist Rudi and the merry band of eminent domain nutjobs. That is what you are. Completely satisfied with the classy motels that line Washington that were of course 5 star hotels before Godfrey took office. Son of a gun E.D.crusaders check yourself before ya wreck yourselves.
Stein, I submit that you and all those who continually attack those who look out for property owners don't own any property yourself. May I suggest you stay out of the eminent domain conversation until you graduate from college, move out of your parents house and own something that you pay for every month.
Once again, the president, that vile mouthed idiot, has slipped in under the radar. Now he's attacking those who attack eminent domain. I like property owner's post, that this dope should buy his own house and car, leave daddy and mommy's alone, own a "piece of the rock," before he goes spouting off about eminent domain or ANYTHING. His post are meaningless, crude and rude, and his logic is such that it just doesn't exist.
I like how anybody that says anything contrary to what you all believe is obviously "the president in disguise."
Utmo....do you have some money you would care to wager? Really, a gentlemen's bet of serious consequence.
Jeff could be exactly what we need on the city council. A Boy Scout!
Scouts are loyal, thrifty, reverent, honorable, dilligent, and most of all their motto is "Be Prepared".
These are the attributes that most of the current city council are completely devoid of! These are the things that Ogden desperately needs if we are ever to recover from the corrupt and disingenuous Godfrey and Reid regime.
Be Prepared! The Mayor routinely gives HIS council members - Burdett, Jorgensen, Sasten, Filliaga and Stevenson - the fat information packets on his latest and most expensive boondogle, most costing the tax payers many millions of dollars, and they obediently vote them into law ten to twenty minutes later with absolutely no study or "preperation"
A Council that had a few boy or girl scouts aboard, a council that believed in "Being Prepared" would be a huge breath of fresh air here in the land of Oz.
I am liking what I hear from Steve Prisbey:
" Like any logical resident in Ogden, I just don't believe the tax payers should pay for risky business projects that should be taken on by the private businesses community."
This gets right to the heart of the problem in Ogden and I encourage every one to find out more about this kid. Is he a boy scout? Does he have any RDA disease symptoms?
Let's return Ogden to a place of honor. VOTE, and do it often, and do it for people with integrity and respect for the citizens.
Any one but Jorgensen, Burdett or Larsen.
And while your at it I highly recommend that you read both the Standard and Tribune this morning (saturday) on the latest with the Godfrey/Reid ripp off of Ogden tax payers.
Troll flame deleted.
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