Saturday, August 05, 2006

Kickstarting a Weekend Open Thread



News has been a little slow today, so we thought it might be desirable to set up an open thread -- something we haven't done at Weber County Forum in a while. For newcomers, an open thread is "open topic."

And we'd like to thank gentle reader Jason Rusch for the creative and highly amusing graphic image that we've embedded in today's article header.

The floor is open. Discuss anything you like. What's on our gentle readers' minds this weekend?

Update/Trip down memory lane 8/5/06 6:59 p.m. MT: One of our gentle readers now emails us a link to Fox 13's recent television broadcast. Caution: Do not try this at home unless you have a broadband connection. If you'd like to save this video to your own hard drive, you'd better do it now, as we're told that it will only remain online for about a week.

Who said it's a slow newsday?

Update 8/6/06 8:29 a.m. MT: This morning's Standard-Examiner edition features several topical items, including a strong editorial, which is highly critical of the actions of Boss Godfrey and Chief Greiner:

But what is the mayor doing shadowing protest trucks and calling on his police chief to run license plates of off-duty cops? And why is Greiner, who's also a candidate for state Senate, complicit in this action?

The actions by Godfrey and Greiner may not have violated the law regarding police administrators running plate numbers through police dispatch. But this much is certain: Godfrey and Greiner are their own worst enemies, and have engaged in the kind of strong-arm tactics that are disproportionate to the circumstances.

Furthermore, this is a cartoonish way to operate city government. Such pettiness leaves Ogden open to mockery, which in this case is entirely justified.

And speaking of matters "cartoonish," Calvin Grondahl outdoes himself, and proves once again that "a picture is worth a thousand words," with this brilliant and truly priceless cartoon commentary.

Last but not least, please don't miss Joan Carter's morning letter to the editor, which meanders from a comical comparision between Boss Godfrey and Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau, toward something decidedly "darker."

Comments, anyone?

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

I took guests up to Snow Basin to Needles for dinner. The dinner was exceptional and my guests loved the gondola ride up.

As tourists we browsed the gift shop by Earl's Place. I saw my first Descente ski wear.

We were definitely not impressed...made in China....terrible workmanship, worse fabric and very overpriced.

I don't think the Geigers will be staying around very long if this is what they are selling.

Anonymous said...

A glimpse of the possible future……

AP wire August 9th, 2006

On August 8th the Ogden City Council unanimously took a leadership role and changed the Public Safety punitive evaluation system back to where it should have been. The Council took this several steps farther by eliminating the ticket quota clause in the Police Evaluation and set forth a procedure where all city employee groups have a fair and just negotiation procedure that is followed by all involved. These steps have reinstated the confidence of the citizens and the trust of the public safety officers in the City Council.

In a statement released by the Council they state:

“It is imperative that the employees of Ogden City have the same rights as those afforded to every citizen. We understand that by and large we have excellent public safety officers and we value them as such. Therefore we will no longer tolerate activities that are contrary to the common goal of the public safety employees and the City council; the betterment of Ogden. Nor will we tolerate any activities by any municipal officer, either elected or appointed, that is contrary to what is decent, just, and what the citizens of Ogden have come to expect of their government officials.”

Meanwhile Mayor Godfrey is determined that the City Council will not prevail in their calling for an independent investigation into the possible civil rights violations of Officer Matt Jones and his wife. Mayor Godfrey stated that council was just jealous of him and his administrator. “They all just want SUVs like Mark Johnson has. They’re jealous I tell you just jealous!”

AP wire September 12th, 2006

Mayor Mathew Godfrey resigned today as Mayor of Ogden City. This was a result of criminal charges being brought against him for misuse of his public office. A statement released by his attorney, Bernie Allen, stated that Mr. Godfrey has taken an executive job with Chris Peterson’s organization and that he is confident that all of the charges will be proven untrue. Mr. Allen had no comment on the moving truck outside the courthouse that had signs on it which said, “Good bye Mr. Godfrey…Drive safe!”



I can wish can’t I?

RudiZink said...

DANG, HPS!!!!!!

You really had me going on that.

I was about to revise today's lead article!!!!!

Remember, though: "Wishes CAN come true." -- Jiminy Cricket

Too funny!

Anonymous said...

The following is purported to be a letter from the Little Lord to "Steve" as it appeared on the KSL TV web site.

If it is legit, it is one more attempt on his part to get the "truth" just right so it matches the facts.
As we all know, the Lord Mayor being the person with the very highest integrity in Ogden, does not believe in lies. Therefore he must resort to flexible truths. I am sure he will keep working on his version of the "truth" until he gets it just where he wants it. That flexible truth will of course have to match up with Forgetful John's flexible truths. But with masters of this art such at these two, I am fully confident that in fact they will be able to get their "true" stories together.

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the information. First of all, there is no quota system. What there is is an employee evaluation system that has been in place since before I came into office. One of the 20 plus items that police officers are evaluated for is ticket writing. It amounts to 3 to 6% of most officers total evaluation. The highest score on their evaluation, by far, is customer service. It's tough to go to the community and tell them that now they have to provide better service to them in order to get a full raise, however, so they have apparently decided to try and convince the community that it's all about writing tickets.

Just so you are aware, an officer would have to write 5 to 6 tickets a week in order to get the highest score. Keep in mind that mathematically they could not write any tickets and still receive a full raise.

With that as a backdrop for you, let me say that even though I have erroneously been painted as the "bad guy" in all of this, I have had nothing to do with it. The officers are complaining about a higher standard that they have to reach to get a full raise which was established by the City Council, not me. Having said that, I have seen the van all over the city and have not cared about that one bit. What you should know is that when the van came out the police union told Chief Greiner that they had nothing to do with it. In fact they identified the individual that was doing it, according to them.

So last week I'm on my way home at 7:30pm and I the truck passes me, but it wasn't being driven by the individual the police union identified. In fact it looked like an officer to me. I thought about calling Greiner to let him know that his guys had not told him the truth, but I thought I had better be sure before making that kind of call. So I drove turned around and drove past the truck and was able to verify that it was in deed a police officer doing this. I make no apologies for this action. I think it's important for the Chief or any of my other managers to know if they have employees that are not being honest with them. What he does with that information is completely up to him. I neither suggested a course of action or asked him what he was going to do.

I'm deeply disappointed that we have police officers who are out intentionally misleading the public the way they are. But I have not taken any action to stop what they are doing. Apparently, they have been very successful in making me out as the dark character in all of this.

You now have the facts and can do with it what you will.

Matthew Godfrey

Anonymous said...

I just wonder if the ticket quota is an isolated thing strictly only on the police department?

I wonder if that Little Dictator also has it in Animal Control as well, or with Building Inspections and Code Enforcement.

Who knows if this thing is spread out city wide, throughout every law enforcement department?

It like a weed?

In order to get the entire plant, all the roots needs to come out with it, for it to die or it will rear it ugly head and may appear in some other department/s.....

How about that Ogden City Council!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Actually, Mrs. Curmudgeon is thinking of bumper stickers saying "If the Mayor is following YOUR wife, call 911." I'm trying to talk her out of the idea, but it's going to be a tough sell....

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad that Mayor godfrey cleared all that up.

Lets see He didn't care about the van, but well lets call the police cheif and have him run a plate to see who is driving it so we can find out who is lying to the cheif.

If they don't care, then why run the plate?

If they don't Care why are they making major changes in the strike force?

If they don't care then why are they telling the cheif where not to write tickets and who not to give them to?

If they don't care then why don't they just give the officers their raise!

If they don't care then why is it that they still havn't told Officer Jones what the alligations are?

I guess if that is the way they play the game of politics then Mayor resign because you don't care about anything! except ticket Ogden city residents for more money that you have already spent.

Anonymous said...

More Lies
by Ya Y. (#67708) @ 11:46am - Sat Aug 5th, 2006
I have been a police officer at Ogden City for 10 years and I can tell you all this when I was first hired on there was no ticket quota or performance standard which involved writing tickets.

So I was employed when Mayor Godfrey took office. Godfrey appointed a new Asst. Chief named Randy Watt. When this new Asst. Chief took his place a performance standard was made. This performance standard (quota) was the issuing of a certian number of citations which in turn meant a dollar figure for the city in return.

So for Mayor Gorfrey to say he did not implement a ticket quota is true it was the police administration. But for him to have direct influence over the ticket quota that is a flat out lie. The Mayor can fire the Chief and Asst. Chief's at any time. Knowing the Mayor's back ground it is no wonder that the Police Administration are running scared.

And the Mayor's comment that officers can write no tickets and still get a full raise is another lie. There are several documented cases at Ogden Police Dept. where officers did not meet the TICKET QUOTA and they did not get their raise. The officers were put on probation and told they would be fired if their tickets did not improve.
Interesting all the lies......

Anonymous said...

X-Humbug says: Why can't anybody remember that we have been down this First Amendment road before. The last time it cost the taxpayers of Ogden $7 MILLION. After years of litigation, because Little Lord ******* refused to admit he was wrong, Bruce Edwards finally prevailed in the courts when little mattie impeded Bruces' First Amendment Rights.

In taking the oath of office Godfrey swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the State of Utah. He has violated that oath and we need to call in the Utah Attorney General and have Godfrey removed from office.

By God the City Council had better do something about this because enough is enough! This requires more than a slap on the wrist. I say slap on some handcuffs.

Perhaps it is time to revive the old "Tar and feathers, ride him out of town on a rail" tradition!

One thing is for sure. We have told Godfrey where he can put his gondola. Now he has confirmed that there is more than sufficent space for it.

Anonymous said...

I rather doubt that Bruce Edwards has collected $7 million from the city - yet.

I do believe that he has indeed won several or more cases against the city for violating his rights.

Does anyone know for sure if he has actually collected any serious damages?

Anonymous said...

GRONDAHL CARTOON A KEEPER!

Sunday's STandard Examiner has a C. Grondahl editorial cartoon that is a real keeper. It deals with both the Mayor's evening sleuthing following folks downtown and his pitching the wacky gondola/gondola real estate speculation scheme of his cronies. Highly recommended. It's on the SE's free site:

"It's Gondola Man!"

The paper also has an editorial on the current Godfrey/Grenier mess. It's not completely on target, the money quote and final lines are:

The actions by Godfrey and Greiner may not have violated the law regarding police administrators running plate numbers through police dispatch. But this much is certain: Godfrey and Greiner are their own worst enemies, and have engaged in the kind of strong-arm tactics that are disproportionate to the circumstances.

Furthermore, this is a cartoonish way to operate city government. Such pettiness leaves Ogden open to mockery, which in this case is entirely justified.


The full editorial too is on the SE's free site:

Pettiness personified

RudiZink said...

Thanks, Curm. We were in the process of updating yesterday's open thred article, when your above comment appeared.

Anonymous said...

On the SE Editorial:

It's an interesting exercise in apparent [but only apparent] "balance." I don't think the SE editorial board [which brands the truck and sign ploy "petty"] quite understands power relationships in this [or almost any other] city and the importance of free expression for those who don't live and work on the mover-and-shaker level of newspaper publishers and editorial boards.

Mayors and police chiefs have all but instant access to public media. The mayor calls a press conference, the press shows up. The police chief does the same, the press shows up. Mayors have access to all kinds of public-financed media to get their views out. For example, in Ogden, the mayor controls the publicly-owned city cable channel. He appears on his own show, and can [and has] delivered the channel over to his political supporters for their exclusive use. The mayor controls content on the city website. And he has even used the utilities newsletter [sent to every utilities customer in the city, at city expense] to convey propaganda in support of his gondola/gondola fantasy and his pal's real estate speculations, on which the fantasy depends. [No, it's true. Honest. You could look it up.]

Which leaves those who do not have such access to public financed outlets and automatic press access... what? It leaves them, unless they are well-heeled and can afford to buy big ads in the local papers or on radio and tv stations, with using their intelligence to devise ways to get their message out on a budget. What they have to rely on, then, nearly all they have to rely on, is their wits and the First Amendment.

What those involved did with respect to the sign on the truck strikes me as not petty, but clever. And it certainly was effective in getting publicity for their cause, much of it provided by the SE when the truck and its sign became a news story, thanks to the [as the SE editorial notes] arrogant pettiness of the mayor and Forgetful John Grenier.

Perhaps the SE editorial board could profitably spend a little more time out and about the streets of Ogden, chatting in coffee shops, fast food restaurants, farmers' markets, malls, movie theater lines and such like with the rest of us, and a little less time conversing with the city's power elite. They might, just maybe, come to a better understanding of how frustrating it is, and how hard, to get a view not endorsed by those in power, out for others' consideration. And then, perhaps, they might acquire some respect, even if only grudging respect, for those who, by their wits, manage to do it successfully.

Just a suggestion....

Anonymous said...

Last night around midnight I walked past the television, which was on to the History Channel, and was stopped in my tracks by some original footage of the German 1939 invasion of Poland as the voiceover stated:

Routine identity checks became a means to political oppression.

And then it showed two members of the Gestapo asking an elderly bearded gentleman for proof of identity and subsequently marching him off.

Recollections of that time in history are always disturbing, but moreso when they reverberate into the present day. The gentleman in the 1939 footage was walking along the street. The lady in the 2006 incident in Ogden was parking a truck.

In both cases, no crime was being committed, and in both cases, identity was checked and reprisals ensued.

This is why law enforcement has strict rules pertaining to the running of identity checks. We have history. We have seen where this type of behavior on the part of authority leads. It leads to totalitarian governments and the persecution of certain groups of people, two things that we in America are proud of not having and not doing. The freedom of the individual American, in fact, is what so many Americans have died for on foreign soil in order to preserve.

The fact that this sort of thing is going on not only in our own country, but in our own city, and especially under the circumstances in which it happened here, is a matter of deep concern. The fact that it might be, as the SE editorial labeled it, "petty," on one level, does not minimize the fact that the loss of income involved in the reprisal and the reprisal itself are definitely not petty things. They are very serious things.

If we allow this sort of behavior to become commonplace on the part of our elected officials, reprisals could begin happening to anyone who is out of favor with those elected officials at any given moment. One could be out of favor for speaking out politically, as our incident involved, but what's to say it could not also extend to what church one attended, one's ethnic background, one's lifestyle, or simply anything that those in power did not like?

That is not freedom. That is oppression.

The door leading to oppression is not one we want to open, much less to walk through happily and willingly while stating that all this is perfectly fine. It is not perfectly fine. And those stating that it is should take a step back, put their own "petty" concerns of individual political popularity and individual job security aside, and look at where these tactics have historically led.

They might want to take a look at the History Channel for a start.

Anonymous said...

I thought the first half of the Standard's Editorial was their typical Godfrey Suck Up, head in the sand philosophising, by their sometime very good, and some times incompetent, editorial board.

For Starters, they commited the ultimate jounalist sin, they got the facts wrong! They just adopted as truth the events as told my the Little Lord in one or more of his ever changing tellings. The events of his sleuthing WERE NOT as the editorial and Little Lord said.

More important I believe is the condemnation they lay on the cops for choosing this tactic. What does this group of editorial nincompoops think our cops should do?

The cops and fire fighters have been stiffed for at least three years in a row by the city when it comes to raises. They are amongst the very lowest paid in the state. They are given a "take it or leave it offer" from that lard assed former Hummer driver Johnson. They follow the five year old process defined by the city council and take their case to the current council, who basicaly turned their backs on these loyal public safety people by conveniently hiding behind the "rules". Bottom line is that the public safety people never got to present their case to an impartial, informed or concerned city council

The Standard never tells this complete story like it really happened, so that small part of the public that still gets their news from the once great, but now fading into obscurity Standard, doesn't know what is going on.

Perhaps the Standard Editorial board would just advocate for what the Royal Court and so called city council was doing before they were so rudely interupted - Just let Greiner's "Whiners" twist in the wind another year and come back in 07, much humbled, with hat in hand, and beg in a much more subservient manner than they did this year. I mean who else is going to step up and teach these ungrateful curs some manners?

Other than that I thought the editorial was pretty good.

And of course the cartoon is typical world class stuff from Grohndal.

"Gondola Man!" Don't you just love it?

Anonymous said...

X-Humbug says:

Thank you Dian for a powerful reminder of what happens when people remain silent about abuse of power.

I am reminded of the writting of the Reverend Martin Niemoeller, a German Lutheran pastor who was arrested by the Gestapo. He was sent to Dachau, a concentration camp, in 1938. He was freed by the Allied Forces in 1945.

"In Germany, the Nazis first came for the communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, but I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me."

The greatist gift we have as Americans is freedom of speech. If we remain silent the cancer only grows larger and larger, until we no longer can speak freely.

Godfery is trying to stop free speech in Ogden through oppression.
We must not allow him to continue to subject ANYONE to harrassment of this type. He must be held accountable for his actions.

I am not LDS, but I cannot help but believe that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints must have teachings about respect and acceptance of others. I know President Hinkley advocates these qualities. I would take Godfrey's actions to mean he believes himself to be above the teachings of his Prophet. He has become an embarresment to the good and honest members of his faith.

Do not allow our voices to grow tired and become silent. Godfrey has finally shown everyone, his supporters included, just what kind of tryant he is. Let us use this incident to educate everyone, everywhere, that Godfery must be stopped.

Anonymous said...

This reminds me of my younger years reading comic books and then it dawn on me. That it. We have a new comic book for all of the youth of Ogden to read.

I will call it,
“The Holy G-Force”. Starting Mayor Godfrey, with his first assistance former Mayor Goff and his second assistance Chief Greiner. They are know as “The Holy G-Force Trinity ”(because of their superior Integrity). Where Mayor Godfrey represents all the good citizens of Ogden. The former mayor, now Stake President Clifford Goff represents the religious side of Ogden and then Chief Greiner will represents the law enforcement and example of what a good citizen is who serves the Military side.

“G-Force Trio” for short.

It is their duty to make sure that the citizens of Ogden and visitors are kept on short leash by means of religious control and then by political control with the aid of the police department. The mayor and Chief of police have provided their officers with this very secret special weapon call “Ticket quota”. But, really it is only a tool to make sure police officer earn their pay raises. Not for a means for Ogden City to generate new revenue.

They all meet once a week in the “Holy Temple” known at the “GONDOLA of Ogden” on holy grounds located none other the “GOLF course” of Mount Ogden looking up the Grand Holy mountain “Malan’s Peak” “sister to the “Grand Tetons” the Holy Grail that some day will be come more beautiful than ever and pull Ogden out of it money pit problems, and back on the map. (That never-the-less was recklessly caused by then The G-Force Trio").

The “ G-Force Trio” with the help of Chris Peterson and the revenues of the "Ticket Quota", to achieve this grand goal without raising a red cent in taxes.

Their arch enemy is none other, those Liberals, on the City Council, The lower ranking of police officers, Bruce Edwards and his anti-Godfrey signs in his store front window on lower 25th street, and we can not forget Elected Rep. Neil Hansen.

These people had ruin every thing they are trying to accomplish by beating them over the head with that damnable tool known as the “United States Constatation” 1st amendment and that federal law called “Civil rights” and state law employees rights.

Now that the Standard Examiner now has spilled the beans with their reporting. “The G-Force Trio” are now trying to figure some punitive punishment for them for not keeping the spin on their gondola with other things that this “ G-Force Trio” are still busy thinking of more flexible truths, because time is running out as the sun begins to set and the public can now see the project for what is worth and now Chief Greiner as candidate for the Utah senate is now on shaken grounds that makes it even more difficult to secure addition funds from the State of Utah for this project, which will create more holy temples known as gondolas for the rich and the privilege to enjoy. But in reality 1000 new jobs, 10,000 new students at Weber state, and Millions of dollars every year. Not to mentioned a link to Snow Basin Ski Resort.


Hey I need more story lines here guys....

Anonymous said...

Oh I also failed to mentioned that they meet in their “Air conditioned GONDOLA”

That there are more arch enemies includes “Weber County Forum” and “Smart Growth Ogden”, The Ogden Sierra Club, Grift Ogden, And all of those victims of the “Ticket Quota Ogden”, and 80% of Ogden Residents

Anonymous said...

I don't think we see ourselves as their enemies, Concerned Citizen.

What we are is their good Christian friends and neighbors, trying to help them choose the right.

Anonymous said...

copperpenny,

I think it depends on what you're going to use it for. People in advertising and film, for instance, need to have subjects in their photos sign what they call "model releases," or just a "release," and this usually states that that company has your permission as the subject as the photo to use it in advertising, film, or whatever. But people in advertising and film are using the image to make money, and this might be why the release is necessary.

On the other hand, there are the paparazzi, who make their living by shooting pictures of celebrities and selling them to newspapers and magazines.

Given these two instances, it looks like this is not particularly regulated, although there are restrictions mentioned in the entry for paparazzi in wikipedia, which is below.

Paparazzi

Anonymous said...

Another monorail makes the news. This article provides an additional option for transportation in the Emerald City.

Anonymous said...

First they came after businesses who displayed petitions.....then they came after a businessowner for dispalying a window sign....then they came after the city recorder for NONcompliance with law breaking....then they came after a police officer's wife for exercising her (still, we hope,) First Amendment Rights of Free Speech .....then they came after the police OFFICER who exercised the American tradition of griping about injustices. On his own time!

But we won't stand by and do nothing this time, will we??

While we still have the great privilege, go to the polls in November.

While you still have the right...speak out in public forums.

Anonymous said...

Elder Joe Bob
When I used the term: "Their arch enemy is none other". I was being scarastic meaning people who do wrong is alway suspecious of "everyone is out to get them!" Including their friends but, "The G-Force Trio" don't want their freinds to know that they are no longer trusted as their friend". Because, they are still counting on these freinds for support. Do You know what I mean? Another way of calling "honor amoung thiefs", to deceive or take advantage of.

Remember this is just a comic book story line.....

Anonymous said...

Dear Gary,

I hate to say I told you so,,,,I told you so.

Dear Jonny,
C'mon! You "forgot" to put someone on retaliatory administrative leave?!!!! You can still make me laugh, Jon-Jon! As us old timers know all too well, you have a long memory and you have "eliminated" everyone who you think has ever crossed you. You forgot nothing!You forget nothing! Jon, JON, you silly boy! You are a chief of police and you want to be a representative of the people!

If you could forget something as important as taking away someone's job, how can you be entrusted with hmmm., the public trust?

Jon-Matt, er, I mean Jon-Boy you knew exactly what you were doing! All you need now is for "Rage In A Cage","little scotty", "Johnny Reb", "Steve 'what to do when the puppy visits' Watt", and the rest of your cast of characters to make up the rest!

Jon, Jonny, Jon. Honey, you can do better than this can't you baby?
You're supposed to make Matt look good, not worse!

Anonymous said...

Here come the severance packages!!!

Pay attention to the Weber County Commissioners.

Their headed down the same path as Ogden City.

All three Commissioners just voted to add more administration, thanks to Nate Pierce. According to the Standard Examiner Pierce will have someone help do his job at $50,000 to $65,000 a year? Pierce receives $85,000 a year.

June 13, 2006 Nate Pierce, County Operations Director, stated that at the last budget hearings he had raised the issue of possibly exempting members of the management team in the Operations Department. The Director and the Solid Waste Manager positions are already exempt. He said that today’s action would allow more flexibility in dealing with individuals, both to discipline and reward, and that it in no way reflected negativity toward any employee.

Commissioner Cain stated that this issue had been discussed for some time. These employees represented a tremendous amount of intellectual capital to county government and the people of Weber County and this was in no way negative toward any employee. The purpose of this was to provide an opportunity for management to actually increase productivity and to complement the work being done in those divisions. She thanked all the managers in the Operations Department for the time and energy they contribute to the county.

This is the same hook, line, and sucker rationale that Mayor Godfrey bought into. Look at the severance packages Nate Pierce, and Stuart Reid received! Now these directors will be demanding severance packages when they want to get out.

The Commissioners keep shelling out tax money to all these venders for the county fair, lobbyists, and other special interests. Then when Law Enforcement begs for a raise: are they going to say the same thing as Ogden City? "There just isn’t enough money in the budget."

Watch out taxpayers.

All three County Commissioners bought into it!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

There they go,

The commissioners are saying that we need to combine the recorder and the surveyor office to save some money.
when in reality all the did was remove a check and balance as well as accountiblity for the tax payer. now with that saving, they are going to spend the money for some one to do Nate Peirce's job. because he is enept to do it him self or is because he didn't win the commission race so lets make him a honerary commissioner anyway, so he can show up and just collect a pay check on the taxer dime. he is already pulling a pension from the military and now form ogden city, with a fat 100.000 dallor severance pay, and now 85,000 from the county, boy these republicans really know how to take care of themselves. and they don't call this corruption. does any one out there see all the crap that is taking place here. I think it is time to get rid of the repulican right wing crooks, all of them, that goes for crook croft too.

Anonymous said...

Do the Weber County Commissioners know how to use the mail system, or a phone, or emails, or are they just lazy? Or is this how they funnel your tax money into their campaigns?
Tell them to stop wasting our money!!

MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF WEBER COUNTY
Tuesday, October 4, 2005 - 10:00 a.m.
Commission Chambers, Weber Center, Ogden, Utah

Consulting Agreement between Weber County and the Ferguson Group L.L.C. - Contract C2005-125

The contract amount is $120,000 per year or $10,000/month payment to Ferguson. Commissioner Cain said that the Commission had considered this contract seriously because they believed Ferguson would be effective in representing the county. She added that under this contract there was no percentage paid of any gain to the county. The contract can be terminated with a 30-day termination notice. Chair Bischoff said that several years ago the county paid about $30,000/year for a State lobbyist and he felt the county could more effectively lobby locally for itself. He stated that the Ferguson Group was well versed in Washington and would represent the county's position on issues. Ferguson had been very successful and retention of clients was very indicative of their accomplishments. Commissioner Dearden felt it was worthwhile to go forward with a trial of this contract.
Commissioner Dearden moved to approve Contract C2005-125, Consulting Agreement between Weber County and the Ferguson Group L.L.C.; Commissioner Cain seconded, all voting aye

Anonymous said...

Ya right!
This was in no way negative toward any employee.

Now it’s easier for the administrators to get all the money, and this makes employees bigger bottom feeder from the budget, just like what happened at Ogden City.

Anonymous said...

I agree employee rights,

The Weber County Commissioners keep making it easier and easier for the bosses to get more and more money.
But the employees have to beg and beg to even get a 1.5 % cost of living increase.

Anonymous said...

didn't we read these same last 3 posts a few weeks ago?

Anonymous said...

So Jesse 'may' seek a legal opinion from the erstwhile city attorney, Gary Wiliams.

This is the same Willaims who has been unavailable for comment?

Williams, 'who represents all municipal departments, including the ADMINISTRATION AND CITY COUNCIL (no conflict there, I am sooo sure), declined to disclose his opinion on the van incident, to the SE.

"My opinion has to be reserved for my clients." Well, which one, and when?

Jesse needs to talk to an attorney who doesn't serve the mayor and Greiner.

Anonymous said...

SE Still Headlining Vangate Scandal

OK, all of you who criticize the SE for its coverage of the Godfrey Administration's follies: please note the SE has another front page story, this one the lead story, on the Godfrey/Forgetful John Grenier van mess. And Kudos to Councilman Garcia for demanding some answers.

Anonymous said...

Cronyism Is Dem Candidate's Main Concern

There is another sentence or two in this morning's lead SE article that has this Yellow Dog Democrat seeing red. Permit me to quote:

"Former Ogden Economic Development Director Stuart Reid, a Democrat who is challenging Greiner in November’s General Election, said he considers the chief a friend and declined to comment on the van incident.
“I made the decision that I’m not going to say anything bad about him,” Reid said.

My god. The Republican candidate is all over the papers, yet again, in a scandal involving the conduct of his office as police chief, and his Democratic opponent has decided not to mention that in his campaign? I am beginning to understand why the Weber County Democratic party has such a tough time putting people in office. At least some of its Democratic candidates place cronyism above the public interest. This is appalling.

As Mr. Duffy used to say, "politics ain't beanbag." Avoiding personal attacks in campaigns is a decent, and often tactically wise, thing to do. But Mr. Grenier's conduct of his office as Police Chief is and should be a campaign issue, since he is asking the public to put him into another position of public trust in which he will make the laws he's expected to enforce as police chief. I'm hard put to think of something that would be more of a legitimate campaign issue than how he has conducted himself in public office so far. Attacking a candidates record in office is not a "personal attack." It's the meat and potatoes of politics. Or should be.

But the Democratic nominee [politely so called] has decided he's too good a friend of the Republican candidate to mention it in his campaign?

What the devil does Mr. Reid think he's involved in? An election for fraternity social chairman? I don't much, as a voter, give a damn whether Mr. Reid is a good friend of Chief Grenier or not. He's running for public office, and how his Republican opponent is handling his present public office is a matter of some concern to me, and it ought to be a matter of serious concern to Mr. Grenier's Democratic opponent as well.

But apparently it isn't. Apparently Mr. Reid's view is, he wants to fearlessly and fairly represent the good people of his district in the state senate, and act in their interest... unless, of course, doing so will inconvenience his friends, in which case, of course, he'll back off immediately.

This is what passes for leadership in the WC Democratic Party? 'Tis enough to gag a maggot.

Anonymous said...

From today's Salt Lake Tribune. Ogden Battles Deadly Vapors, describes both dangers our police face and the work they do on their own time to educate the public. When I saw the headline, my first thought was 'dog food plant' but I was pleasantly surprised.

Why did I have to go to the SLC paper for this positive story about Ogden?

Anonymous said...

Ogden Lover:

The SE has covered the story in the past, particularly when it came up in Council meetings, etc. plus the original incident involving the officer. The SL Trib is a little late to the party on this one, I think. Glad they wrote it and it was a good story. But it has appeared in the SE earlier.

Anonymous said...

Quite a leap, going from Nazi Germany and the deaths of millions to a van with a sign. Really now....

Anonymous said...

"All politics is local." - Thomas P. (Tip) O'Neill, Jr.

Anonymous said...

"Quite a leap, going from Nazi Germany and the deaths of millions to a van with a sign. Really now...."

Evil tyrants must be identified and stomped out, regardless the scale of their evildoing.

Power to the people, Amen!

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