Emperor Godfrey's Eminent Domain Lobbyist!
Yes, gentle readers. The administration that can't find in the budget the chump change that would be needed to hire a street-sweeper for Ogden's 24th Street pigeon-poop, is set to stick it to the taxpayers with a $45,000/yr professional lobbyist -- with a mission to condemn homes and businesses of some of our fellow citizens, to satisfy the corporate greed of Almighty Walmart.
Although I could rant on for hours about this, our gentle readers will be relieved that I don't have the time for that. I'll be tied up in meetings for most of the day; so I'll leave that all to you.
Please don't hesitate to chime in with your views on the latest Gang-of-Six story. This is a good one to get the ball rolling today, I think.
In the alternative, consider this an open thread.
I'll be back.
Update 12/7/05 8:43 a.m. MT: In yet another demonstration of its disdain for the public weal, the lame duck Gang-of-Six operated as the well-oiled machine its been these past four years, appropriating $45,000 for the hiring of "eminent domain lobbyist" Rob Jolley last night -- by the usual 5-2 vote. For those who may have missed this morning's Standard-Examiner article, you can read the sad story here.
There's no reason on earth that this resolution could not have been delayed until the new council's January 3, 2005 swearing-in, as Councilman Garcia suggests:
"Garcia said the vote should have been delayed until January, given that some of the new council members may sit on Ogden’s Legislative Coordinating Committee. The committee is charged with identifying issues of importance to the city at the state and federal level before making recommendations to the council."To what extent this resolution may be reversible, I really can't predict. What's likely though, is that the current council, by its action last night, has at least ratified the Jolley contract, thus binding Ogden city for the full $45,000 contract price, regardless of what Mr. Jolley's future agenda may turn out to be.
Whereas many of us had hoped the mayoral administration would adopt a new spirit of cooperation, in the face of its its decisive November 8th election defeat, Boss Godfrey instead demonstrates that he still remains -- and will remain -- the man "in charge."
Rather than extend the new council a simple courtesy, and put this decision off for another three weeks, Mayor Godfrey instead chooses to play political hard-ball. This does not bode well for council-administration relations, as we move into the new year, I would think. This is more than bad political form. It's an insult to the taxpayers of Ogden, and the new council they decisively elected.
And what think our gentle readers about this?
Comments, anyone?
7 comments:
Well, isn't Safsten being the cute pious one!
His claim that the City used eminent domain on only three properties doesn't mean that they didn't intend to use it on any property owner who wouldn't sell to them!!!
The whole area was condemned for Wal-mart using the blight law and it was the City's intention to take any property from any owner who wouldn't agree to sell. The fact that they hadn't done that doesn't mean that it was not the intent.
The only thing that stopped them was my lawsuit up for appeal to the Utah Supreme Court and the Utah Legislature passing SB184.
They just will not accept the fact that they lost this one.
Safsten is indeed a moronic buffoon. He and the little twerp on nine are cut from the same cloth. Stevenson is equally clueless and morally bankrupt.
This is just one more example of their collective disdain for the citizens of Ogden. Bankrupting the city is not good enough for them. They will not accept that their ideas have been repudiated by the voters. For them to blow another forty five grand means nothing to them. After all, they just indebted us for $20 million in their most recent evil exercise.
Their sorry assed names will indeed live in infamy in Ogden. Perhaps the new council can have a monument installed in the city hall park celebrating their venal and corrupt reign.
This sheer Orwellian audacity is getting old. I had my fill of it at the rec center meeting and may at some time post the whys and wherefores. Evidently, the Mayor and council are still plodding along on the set course, totally believing that our recent election did not mean that we wanted changes. I cannot imagine, therefore, what they believe the election did mean, but insofar as a voter wish for change of direction, that is a myth and fantasy made up by a Salt Lake reporter, as per the Mayor.
If the Ogden City WalMart fiasco was indeed the reason for the anti-eminent domain legislation passed by the Utah Legislature, an eminent domain lobbyist from Ogden will have interesting times, for sure.
Get a life!
This "lame duck" council has sure accomplished enough lately to really get under y'alls skin!
Low life scum bags always seem to get under decent intelligent folks skin.
Much of what the lame duck council has done is eligible for another look by the new council. I was pleased to read what Glasmann said regarding the eminent domain issue if the lame ducks were lame enough to pass the lobbyist prop.
All is not lost.
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