-Steven Huntsman
Freelance opinion writer
Kristen Moulton’s SL Tribune article on 21 Nov, 2005 divided the Ogden recreation center supporters into two groups. I quote from her article:
"The great divide: Those who oppose the recreation center generally fall into two camps.
A large portion of the population - older and in the habit of voting - may not understand the complex financial deal Godfrey has put together. They instinctively worry that the city is taking too big of a gamble, and they worry that Godfrey is transforming "Junction City" into Ogden Inc. "........
"While the opposition has been loud, Godfrey supporters have been trying to match their volume at public meetings. Many of them are in their 20s and 30s and have caught the vision. Dustin Chapman, a Weber State University student, says that when he talks to people his age, "Every one of them wants this. It seems foolish to me to get right to the edge of having this be successful and starting over."
I believe the Tribune author correctly depicted the situation here in Ogden. Unfortunately I believe this is a slap in the face of all that is good in America. The old people of this country should be our leaders because of their knowledge, their life experiences, and their wisdom; they have been through both depressions and economic booms as well as World Wars and many fought to preserve our freedom today. This makes me sad, not in how it was artfully described by the author, but in comprehending how older Americans in the Ogden area are perceived by the younger adults on this issue.
Now on the other side, not to categorize because I have high hopes for the next generation, but most of us understand that many of the young adults or 20 something's have been raised on oft times virtue less Movies, the TV and many aggressive video games and countless numbers have never worked at a steady job, served in the military or run their own businesses. I would also bet that not one of them have reached the status of statesmen yet like many in the older generation. I ask, whose sagacity should we be listening to on this issue?
I can understand Ogden’s dilemma, I believe I honestly can. For 30 years they have tried with city project after city project to fix a dying city center. They feel helpless and believe this is the only option presently available to revitalize downtown. It is my impression they do not know what else to do except proceed with another city project.
Unfortunately my opinion of what the Ogden City administration has done thus far is a gloomy one. I do not know another softer or more sensitive set of words to describe the current situation. So I call it what I imagine it to be; that being 30 years of legalized plunder. When any government uses the sacred tax funds, taken from each of us by force to develop a business monopoly it is plunder.
Presently Ogden city owns an astonishing “$186 million in net business assets” notably BDO rental property and now they want to get into the retail rental business properties with the rec. center. Is this a monopoly or is there someone bigger in the Ogden rental business? I'm of the opinion, and this is my belief only, but there is no greater evil in government than what has been going on in Ogden government for the past 30 years using these immoral State laws.
Thankfully our wise State legislators saw what was happening with the RDA law abuse in this last legislative session, and the potential corruptions associated with RDA’s and have eliminated the ability of the municipalities and counties to use this tool to build sports centers after Dec. 31, 2005. I believe they did this because the RDA laws have been converted into an instrument of plunder. I also believe this is immoral for the city to use the now nearly outdated laws to proceed further on this project. If they do, then I imagine most will lose respect for them as leaders and respect for the law in general.
Once we as a society lose respect for the law, all is lost. The far advanced 20 something's, believe that because it is legal, it is a legitimate tool and therefore not plunder, and also that the old people “are foolish” for not going along with the plan.
The older people or nonconformists who in reality are simply petitioning for free enterprise; are now being told “they do not understand the financial complexities” and that not building a recreation center would shatter the foundation of Ogden as a productive society.
I’m of the impression what these 20 something’s are really saying is; the old dotty people are behind the times and are simply foolish to assume that Ogden will be both a monopoly and robber of our sacred tax funds. After all, this is a cool project; let’s get it underway, I wanna climb!
The facts are: Ogden City has taken this mall property by force specifically for controlling retail development in downtown. Ogden City has taken another $186 million by force from the tax payers to enter into the industrial rental business and is now heavily competing with private landlords from neighboring cities for tenants. By force, Ogden city is now proceeding to further indebt the tax payer via bonds backed by the city BDO properties as collateral to give money (in the form of buildings) to private businesses using law (i.e., this takes the wealth of all and gives it to a privileged few). If I’m not mistaken all these three are legalized plunder.
I perceive the city now not only has a monopoly on prime industrial real estate in Ogden, but it can also decide via business licenses or tax incentives which businesses it will or won’t allow into BDO, or into the Ogden Airport Economic Development Zones (patterned after China’s -EDZ’s), as well as the amount of rent to be paid. If I’m not mistaken this is legalized plunder.
It appears to me that Ogden city is doing nothing short of taking taxpayer funds by shear force and using them with fiat control as they give or some might say bribe a lucky capitalistic seeking business into Ogden. Any citizen would be committing a crime if they tried this, so does it not stand that the city would also be committing a crime. The government after all has no more rights than the collective individual rights.
Using this new rationale of taking and giving shall we all not get in on the plunder? My business needs just as much help after all and I demand the right to relief. Shall we not all demand relief and new buildings for our businesses to succeed and compete? Liberty now means no competition right! So where will the plunder stop along this line of thinking, or shall everybody just plunder everybody? I should think that free enterprise with nobody plundering anybody is the better option.
Based upon the premises that moral laws are used to protect property, and immoral laws violate property, I make a bold statement here. If I am not mistaken the monopolistic plunder Ogden City is now involved in can constitute socialism. Is not socialism defined as fiat government control of the lands, the businesses, and the capital of a community and the distribution of that capital as the governing body see fit. This "blazing new territory in partnerships with business" as Mayor Godfrey puts it, confuses the distinction between legitimate government and business. So anyone opposing this socialistic approach to control by the city administration is accused of being antigrowth for downtown Ogden.
Is the Ogden leadership not convinced that if they left persons free to follow their own inclinations that Ogden would crumble to poverty rather than production, and to ignorance rather than knowledge? As downtown Ogden dies out are they not acting the creator part by implying the people are incapable to think and act on their own as intelligent, free and equal human beings? “Can we not plan ahead and judge for ourselves” wrote Frederic Bastiat “and are we not just as intelligent as they (legislators)?” Or does the sweeping of four supportive recreation center council candidates including incumbents out the door in the last election somehow show how uninformed and unwise the citizens really are?
If what Ogden city was doing was founded in Liberty; then I doubt many would oppose it. This issue is however a very conflicting political and emotional struggle which many find repugnant. We know from history that perverted laws generally cause conflict when people are forced to accept them. Again the reason; when the law violates property instead of protecting it, you can always expect conflicts to be present. After all does not every individual have the inalienable right to use force for lawful self-defense of his property?
In 1849 the statesman Frederic Bastiat continued on this topic, “The mission of the law is not to oppress persons and plunder them of their property…..Its mission is to protect persons and property. The law is justice - simple and clear. If you exceed this proper limit…… you will be lost in uncharted territory…”
As mentioned earlier I feel for Ogden leaders and the dilemma which they have put themselves in. They believe they are on a train ride which if they bail out now only spells further doom for downtown Ogden. It may very well be true. However, continuing the path of government controlling of this prime retail property is corrupt and can bring no more good except a loss of liberty.
It is my opinion that if Ogden really wanted to promote growth in downtown they would lessen the bitter and strangling controls they currently have on the Ogden businesses. By loosening the noose on all and not just a capitalistic few, downtown would have an equal chance to flourish like it does in many free communities all across the world.
Ogden legislators, lets listen to our elders on this one and put down this monopoly, put down the perceived legalized plunder and more government controlled apartments, shopping centers and rarified recreation centers. Let’s get back to the proper role of government, that being protecting us from the government. Our continued Freedom after all, is what’s really at stake here.
