More Evidence of the Wisdom of the Townsfolk

By Rudizink

We never cease to be amazed at the intelligence of the local townsfolk, as they express their sage and well-reasoned opinions here -- and in local print media letters-to-editor sections and elsewhere. We're great believers in the Wisdom of Crowds. We believe the principle is re-proven daily in our various local reader forums.

As evidence of that, we're kicking off a new Weber County Forum thread, highlighting three of this morning's Std-Ex letters. Two of them make salient points, we think.

First, Michelle Malan Burnett, of Roy, sets forth a laundry list (the short version) of bone-headed business decisions made by Boss Godfrey during his six-year tenure as Mayor. She notes Godfrey's latest blunders, traffic ticket quotas and police salary negotiations chiseling, as factors which will inevitably dissuade out of towners from patronizing businesses in Ogden. She rightly notes the grossly misplaced priorities of the Ogden City mayoral administration: In an era where street gun-battles are on an upswing in Ogden, Boss Godfrey is busy converting Ogden's Finest into a battalion of glorified meter maids.

Next, Jim Farrell, an Ogden native who for unknown reasons has transplanted himself to Moab, issues a word of warning about the errors of government grand schemers who build gondolas. An unfinished gondola languishes unused in his new home town, as a monument to the ineptitude of some local government officials. In this instance, natural human fear of heights is mentioned as a factor in the failure of Moab's own ill-conceived gondola scheme, along with the unforgivable failure of local county officials to have posted a necessary performance bond.

Finally, we have this disappointing Bonnie Olsen Hyde letter, which gets off to a great start in her first four paragraphs, citing broad facts and economic figures. Unfortunately, Ms. Hyde bogs down, and fails to make the necessary logical connection to explain how her cited figures would apply to the Godfrey/Peterson scheme. What ambitiously starts out as a seemingly logical argument, winds up entirely faith-based.

"How would these figures apply to a local "ski resort" whose amenities will be marginal at best," our gentle readers may ask, having read Ms. Hyde's letter?

"Have faith," Ms. Hyde would likely retort.

The last paragraph of Ms. Hyde's letter eerily spirals entirely off-course, into something very similar to this. Perhaps the Lift Ogden Letter Writing Factory ought to consider coming up with some new material. The old talking points are wearing painfully thin.

We note that Mr. Farrell's fear of heights objection was a matter of first impression for us. We don't believe we've heard that one mentioned before.

So what about it, gentle readers?

Who will comment on any of the above?

It's Monday morning; and the floor is open.