Mayor Matthew Godfrey’s vision for an Ogden gondola system received a lift during a recent trip to Italy and Austria to meet with the world’s leading manufacturers of aerial tramways. "I learned more than I ever expected," said Godfrey, who returned Tuesday from a weeklong visit to Europe. "We took them our plans. They had huge insight."
City Council Chairman Jesse Garcia said he was unaware of the purpose of Godfrey’s trip to Europe. “I was told it was a family vacation,” he said. “What bothers me is that the gondola is not a done deal.”
Hello, my name is Tommy Flanagan, and I'm a member of Pathological Liars Anonymous. In fact.. I'm the president of the organization! I didn't always lie. No, when I was a kid, I told the truth. But then one day, I got caught stealing money out of my mother's purse. I lied. I told her it was homework -that my teacher told me to do it. And she got fired! Yeah, that's what happened! After that, lying was easy for me... Yeah, that's the ticket!
He told everyone he was going on a "family vacation." Then he arrives back, triumphantly announcing he was actually cruising Europe with Chris Peterson.
Sheesh!
Ask yourselves why Mayor Godfrey chose to tell a "little white lie" at the outset, about the nature and purpose of his European trip.
Everyone knows he's a gondola-freak. Who could fault him if he'd just told us up front that he was going to Europe to check out gondolas?
But, no...
I don't know about our gentle readers, but I'd feel a hell of a lot better about this if he'd been straight with everybody about this. When somebody lies once, how can they expect anybody to believe a word they say again?
Seems to me there's something "fishy" here (sniff, sniff).
Comments, anyone?
Update 3/17/06 10:59 a.m. MT: The Standard-Examiner has a followup story this morning, in which Mayor Godfrey defends his secret European gondola expedition.
"It’s never been a practice in this form of government to need permission of the other body to conduct business," Godfrey said.
Translation: "I'll do anything I damn well want; and I don't have to inform anybody -- especially the Council, nya-nya-nya; and so there." (Sticks out tongue)
Alas, there's no longer such thing as common courtesy in our Brave New MattGodfreyworld.
Well? What say our gentle readers about this?
23 comments:
Rudi!
You seem to act surprsed that the little lord would lie to the citizens of Ogden!
This is only one of many instances of his prevarications. As the old saying goes "if his lips are moving he is lying".
This is the same guy that repeatedly told the citizens of Ogden that they would never be on the hook for his High Tech Wreck Center. Then at the last moment he had more of these infernal secret meetings with the then council and wham bam - not only are the citizens financially on the hook for $20 million dollars, but every single RDA project in town is also hawked to the damn project.
He lied to Woodbury, he lied to the Army, so what's new?
There are numerous times when he lied through his teeth to the citizens of Ogden. There are many people in town that have followed events over the last six years that can give you true tales of his un-true tales.
To the little lord public trust and the truth are so important that they are worth deceiving over!
There is a distinction between secrecy and telling lies . It is a distinction that most reasonably intelligent and decently raised people have mastered by the age of 14. Apparently, our Mayor has not. But then, he's a Republican, so honesty and ethical conduct and competence are not to be expected.
Since Hizzonah has made no proposal to the Council regarding gondolas, since the Council has not agreed to the gondola scheme, the Mayor's using city funds to visit gondola builders in Europe is yet another example of ethically dicey conduct.
Furthermore, the Mayor seems not to have grasped a simple fact: the city of Ogden is the potential customer of gondola builders. If they wish to provide information that will presumably induce the city to build such things, and to buy from them, they can [and I am sure they would] send representatives here on their nickle to pitch their products.
Duplicity, ethically questionable conduct, doubtful competence: the list just gets longer and longer. I am not a student of the Ogden plan of government and so I don't know precisely how power is legally distributed between the Mayor and the Council, but I see no way now for the Council to rein this man in except through the budget process. The Council needs to begin moving as rapidly as it can to cut the discretionary funds at the Mayor's disposal. And not just regarding travel and staff, though those are two obvious places to begin.
The Council should, as rapidly as possible, either pull the plug on using public money to fund the Godfry/Geiger Channel [Cable 17], or the Council should make a condition of its continued funding a committment to (a) air all Council meetings live and on tape delay ASAP(b) air all school board meetings live and on tape dealy ASAP and (c) take uncontrolled programming authority out of the Mayor's Office. Absent those changes, the Council should pull the plug on the City channel. Now.
And with all due respect to Mr. Garcia, Ms. Jeske, Ms. Wicks and Mr. Glassman, the time for complaining about the Mayor's conduct is past. We know and the Council must know now too, beyond reasonable doubt, what kind of man the Mayor is. The time has come for the Council to act via its budget authority to rein him in. Now.
Curmudgeon pretty much said it all. When oh when, is this City Council going to rein this man in?? I guess we are destined to just go on and on and on. One suggestion. Lets save some money in the future. Since the same old stuff continues to happen NO MATTER WHO WE ELECT, we can just cancel all future elections. Obviously they are a COMPLETE waste of time and money!!!
P.S. I'll bet we can find some unethical Democrats too -- and we wontr have to look too far. I think what we actually need to do is abolish both parties and start over. They are both corrupt!!!
Mr. Garcia, Mr. Glasmann, Mr. Stephens, Mz. Jeske, Ogden turned it's desperate eyes to you in November.
What are you going to do about this runaway Mayor that shows you and the citizens of Ogden so much contempt?
The longer you sit and do nothing, the more damage he will do, and the harder he will be to reign in. Come on, the people elected you to do something about this outrageous conduct. You are acting like deer in his headlights. Are you just going to sit there and let him run you over? We gave you the power, use it please.
Well said.............
How does this work?? The 'city gave Godfrey $800. for plane fare to Europe. Who IS the 'city' that made that decision? The council wasn't involved, so WHO IS the 'city' that can release these monies for 'a family vacation???'
Was the 'city' told the Big Lie too? Did the 'city' know Godfrey was sneaking around Europe with Peterson and the gondola builders??
WHO authorized the 'city' to give him plane fare?
I don't understand any of this....guess I'm not duplicitous enough to fathom this sneak's lack of character.
How can the 'influential' business leaders in this town who've been taken into Godfrey's inner sanctum and heard his 'visions' for a legacy, find him in any way credible after this stunt?
The 5 council members who have integrity must exercise it NOW! Follow all of the above suggestions. Fire Reid (again), this time without the severance package, fire Jolley, the mayor's lobbyist. Order Godfrey (and the toadies who authorized the check) to give back to the city the $800. he took under false pretenses. I think it is reprehensible that Garcia and Wicks didn't even KNOW where the sneak was!!
Godfrey's conduct is beyond defense. He disrespects the council and the entire city of Ogden.
What about a recall???
And, what is the 'truth', oh, excuse me...another foreign word...the scoop on the Hispanic center??? What a mess in the gulag.
It would be interesting to hear from a City Council member, or someone else knowledgeable about the legal distribution of authority between Mayor and Council, and who also is knowledgeable about the budget process. My understanding is that the major control the Council has over Mayor's office operations is budgetary. The Mayor's office has certain discretionary funds which it can use without getting prior authorization. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and in fact is probably necessary to insure the smooth day to day operation of city government.
However, when a Mayor routinely abuses the use of his discretionary funds... I recall the incident some years ago when Mayor Godfrey asked the Council to approve purchase of very expensive moveable bleacher seats for the downtown amphitheater, and the Council said no, thinking it an unwise expenditure of public funds just then, the Mayor bought them anyway out of his discretionary funds.... then the Council needs to respond by significantly, and I mean significantly reducing those discretionary funds in the ensuing budget. To the best of my knowledge that has not been done.
But we need someone to come on here ... or at least I do ... and explain the Council's role in the budget process, and what steps are available under the current plan of government for a Council to rein in a runaway train wreck of a Mayor. I don't know. Who does? Calling for the Council to "do something" is not going to help much unless we understand what it is in the Council's power to do, if it so chooses.
The mayor has this council just where he wants them! They are afraid of him, Patterson,Harmer and the rest of the mayor's henchmen.
This council's talk was big during the election, but their feet have become stuck in the mudd that the mayor has put down in their path. He seems to have even more control over this group than he did with the last council. A very sad turn of events.
Mayaor Godfrey incidently is not the only one of this team that is morally challenged. Patterson was run out of West Valley City over serious incidences related to his moral turpitude.
Our new council is a very big disappointment. They don't seem to be inclined to rein in the mayor either. Elections in this town seem to be both a waste of time and money!
To begin, 3 council members are new. They have not been through a "Budget Session." They are not quite up to speed as to how the Administration operates per ordinace and regulations. They've been in office less than 3 months. They will learn over a period of time. The Budget is on the horizon and as Curmudgeon swrites, that is the power the council has on the Mayor.
The Mayor has the right to take a trip, with funds alloted his office each year, any time, any where he wants. He needs not notify the council, who is as surprised as anyone over some of this. But, he is operating within the pervue of his rights and duties.
The council, not this one nor the next one nor the ones before, can do nothing about certain things the Mayor takes upon himself to do. However, once the Mayor, or anyone, brings an initiative that needs the council's blessings, the council can do its work. Both branches of City Government work within a City Charter process that spells out the duties and obligations of each. Neither can tread upon the other, due to the law.
I am of the opinion that, in cases regarding something of this magnitude, the Mayor is obligated ethically IF not legally, to inform the Council.
Hey, speaking of Petersen and his grand designs on our fair berg...has anyone examined his "Via Ferrata"? The ice climbing idea was sheer genius! I haven't seen so much as an icicle on it all year! You'd think one might do some research on things like temperatures before putting money into an idea like that. In many ways, this is a microcosm of the God-dola project as a whole...just do it, do it half assed, if it doesn't work oh well. I think there might be a topic here, Mr. Blogger man. Any ideas?
Am I missing something here:
The little lord doesn't tell the council he is going to spend city money on a "fact finding" tour of Europe, concerning the Gondola, that he has not publicly presented to them. Furthermore he tells them and us that it is none of our business.
Then he says if Councilman Stephens wanted to know about the trip he was keeping secret from him he should have asked! This is hubris in its purest form.
It is very much like the Godfrey apologist that appears here on occasion and claims that the lord's secret meeting are not secret because he was in attendance! It reminds me of "Animal Farm" logic, where Napoleon the pig says "we are all equal, some of us are more equal than others".
The little lord goes on to say that under our form of government the mayor and council are independent of each other, and he owes them no explanation. Yet he lords his power over them and mounts vicious attacks agains them if they speak out in opposition to his secret meetings and hidden agenda's. If they do not toe his line he intimidates them with his henchment and his house organ the Sub Standard.
I must agree with Ozboy and others here, this guy is very corrupt and disengenuous, and it shouldn't be a surprise to any one to hear one more lie from him.
Hey Anon,
Learn up on Via Ferrata, then comment. It's not supposed to be some sort of ice climbing thingy, as you state. Do some research before you make outlandish comments, but of course that isn't nearly as emotional or entertaining. Just another example of the whitewashing without facts that seems to happen too much by opposing groups in this city.
Spencer,
Your plea of "Mr. Garcia, Mr. Glasmann, Mr. Stephens, Mz. Jeske, Ogden turned it's desperate eyes to you in November" is pure rubbish. "What are you going to do about this runaway Mayor that shows you and the citizens of Ogden so much contempt" How ridiculous. What do you expect them to do? You are so out of touch with reality I am surprised that Rudi doesn't boot your ass off this site.
"We gave you the power, use it please." The power? Did you say the power? You are pathetic.
It is interesting to see yet another post by an "anonymous", that is nothing more than a vitriolic attack on critics of the mayor.
No substance, no facts to back up their petty attack, no information to counter the ideas put forth.
Just silly personal attacks. Another sign of the desperation that is setting in with the mayor and his followers. They are being exposed as the phony's that they are, and they are getting very nervous!
Spencer - I haven't seen you post here before, but you made a very good observation and I hope that this stupid little attack does not discourage you from coming back and sharing your point of view - which is very valid.
"Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together,certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away."
Everyone seems to think that the only power the Council has is through the budget. I disagree! Aren't they the lawmakers?! It seems to me if the Council really wants to do something about this arrogant, disrepectful, son of Harrisville, they could write some ordinances that instruct him on how he is to conduct business (behave). He really was pretty cocky when he said to Councilman Stephens, "The Council doesn't tell me where they're going," (Big surprise! The Council doesn't need to because the Mayor has a mole in their midst who keeps him informed of EVERYTHING!!) So by his reasoning, he doesn't need to tell the Council anything!
Also, another headliner! The City administration is negotiating with The Salvation Army to sell them the Marshall White Center!! They are now talking about retaining the employees that work at the Center! And the administration nor Godfrey has said a word to the Council. Some Council members found out about it because patrons of the Center called them! When in the hell are you Council Members going to cry "ENOUGH!" and make that arrogant, disrepectful son starting working as a team member instead of a one-man demolition crew of Ogden!?! The things that make a community worth living in he is destroying and building a place for tourists to visit. I'm not a tourist! I live in Ogden and I object to the way we're being pissed on by Godfrey! Come on, Council, stand up to the little freak!! Come on, Ogden, encourage them to do their job! Don't let Godfrey sell the Marshall White Center!!
Seeing Red in Ogden,
Power and opposition is not why we have elected officials it is representation. When an elected offical has an axe to grind or spends all their time opposing the other side the only ones who suffer are the people. One has to also surmise that your personal dislike for the mayor be it his personality, methodologies, appearance is enough to oppose anything and everything. Spend just a little time at scrutinizing the City Council and you will open up a pandoras box that will consume you. Take a look at just the last National League of Cities in DC and see who attended on the tax payers dime, what meetings they attended, what social engagements they went to and more important what daily perdiem paid by the taxpayers was spent on. When important meetings were being held, they were off playing tourist. It was nothing more than a long vacation. Not one council member retuned to O town with something that will benefit the tax payers. Not even so much as a trip report as is customary in most organizations was written. While you are at it take a look at how much of the taxpayers hard earned money is spent all the time on tickets to events, social functions, etc by the City Council. Do you consider purchasing a table for ten at a social event or recognition banquet as good use of the tax payers money. If you really want reform in government it has to begin first with the City Council.
Anonymous -
Please tell us more about this trip to Washington, D.C.
Who went, when was it, why haven't any of the city watchers on this site brought it up?
And most importantly, how much did the tax payers take it in the shorts?
Also - I think under the executive and legislative form of government there is a certain amount of adversarial intent built in. It is called checks and balances. Something we have not seen in Ogden in six years. We see it in other cities, we just saw a big dose of it in Utah State Government with the last legislative session. It is one of the only things that keeps governments healthy and honest.
Concerning Anonymous # 2 and the Via Ferrata:
I know what a Via Ferrata is. It is an "Iron Road". Part of his 'plan' includes an ice climb. Do some research yourself....walk (oh Gosh no!) up to waterfall canyon and witness the 200 yards of vacuum cleaner hose originating at a dam made of a tarp, and running down the south ridge. Spewing water down the face. No ice. Never was. Maybe Petersen is trying to start a hanging garden to attract hanging garden enthusiasts to Ogden?
Thank you for your concise retort,
Sincerely, Anonymous #1
Are there not certain expectations of the City Council, such as Chamber of Commerce events, functions from the Fine Arts community, etc., that the council members should attend. Often times I hear that, "not one member of the council showed up in support," and that tells me that the council members are wanted and expected at some of these events. Its called "civic responsibility," I believe. There are dollars budgeted for those affairs, both at the City level and on up to the Federal level. Attending some of these are part of the duties of council members and Administration.
Properly attending conferences, and I emphasize the word, "properly," is yet another responsibility. When one generalizes, such as Anonymous #2, and puts all members and functions under the banner of a "Pandora's Box" filled with vacations and bringing back nothing of benefit to the taxpayers of Ogden is both naive and foolish.
I've seen some of these people put in the extra hours and work that these functions entail. There's no overtime pay and I'm sure that they's more often than not just as soon spend their off hours from their City business at home with their families. After all, council members cannot exist on rubber chicken and halibut plates alone, nor in spending too much time at a Motel 6 somewhere on the East Coast.
If the city council members really do a good job for the citizens it consumes a whole lot of their time. They usually sit on several boards, are expected to go to numerous meetings, work sessions, council meetings and of course in Ogden the little lords secret meetings.
Then there are various city officials to meet with, constant demands on their time from constituents, calls in the middle of night from irrate citizens over any thing from poor snow removal, to barking dogs, and in Ogden to sewers backing up in their basements and yellow water coming out of their taps.
My hat is definately off to most of our city council persons here in Ogden. At $8,000 or so a year each, we are getting a hell of a deal - if they are doing their jobs, and especially in comparison to the $85,000 or so the little lord gets for coming up with all these hair brained schemes that costs us so much.
In comparison with other cities in Utah of comparable size, our guys are actually very cheap. I for one think they should get a raise. That is except for Sasten and Stevenson who should get the boot.
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