Thursday, September 27, 2007

1984 is Alive and Well at the Standard Examiner

The Standard-Examiner editors reach new heights in the area of faulty logic

By Curmudgeon

There is a truly remarkably attempt at revising history, fully worthy of George Orwell's 1984. It appears as the Std-Ex's lead editorial. If the state press association gives an annual award for editorial creative fiction, the Std-Ex is a lock to come home with the prize.

Let us follow out the logic [politely so called] of the argument.

(1) for the last two years, Mayor Matthew Godfrey has been urging the sale of Mt. Ogden Park and the adjacent parklands to Mr. Chris Peterson, so the property could be developed as a gated community of vacation villas.

(2) He has done this, and seriously divided the city, in order to raise money for a flatland gondola between downtown and WSU which a recent study, paid for by the public, indicates is the worst of three possible transit alternatives over that route.

(3) For the entire two year period, community groups like Smart Growth Ogden and others have insisted the plan to sell the park and build homes on it was neither wise public policy, nor was it [given the steeply-sloped character of much of the land] feasible.

(4) As the election approaches, and in trouble with the voters precisely because of his unpopular plan to sell the park to real estate developers, Mayor Godfrey promised not to sell the parklands, to take them "off the table."

(5) And the Std-Ex concludes that by finally, after bitterly dividing the community for two years over the matter, the Mayor's having at last agreed with those who've been opposing the park sale all that time constitutes his having "checkmated" his critics.

Just to put the icing on the transparently flawed logic of that argument, the Std-Ex carries a story this morning that declares not selling the park to be the Mayor's proposal --- the same one he's been fighting for two years, until the election loomed. The story includes a statement by Ms. Susan Van Hooser that accurately summarizes what has happened [i.e. accurately summarizes what the Std-Ex editors missed], but you have to read to the very end of its story on the matter to find it]:
"I, and other members of the Ogden City Council and a great many citizens of Ogden have been working for some time now to protect and preserve Mount Ogden Park and the rest of the open space in the city's foothills, to keep it safe and available for us and for our children, and theirs for generations to come," she said.

"I am glad that Mayor Godfrey has finally decided to join me, my fellow council members, and the people of Ogden in that effort. We've known for a long time what the mayor seems now to understand, how important the golf course, the park and the trails in the foothills are in drawing visitors from all around the state, and the nation, and even the world to Ogden. I'm particularly glad the mayor's two-year long attempt to sell the city's largest park for a real estate development, which has so divided this city, seems at last to be over."
But for the Std-Ex, which seems to have hired Winston Smith of George Orwell's Ministry of Truth to do its editorials these days, war is peace. Up is down. And the Mayor's electoral death-bed conversion to opponents' policies constitutes him checkmating them.

[Dear Std-Ex Editors: I believe WSU runs classes in Introductory Logic. It's pretty late in the term to be signing up for courses, but perhaps an exception can be made for you in the name of serving the public interest. At least you could ask.]

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Curm, maybe the Standard could pose one more question to lying little matty, they could cause him to flip flop on this one as well.
Why in the wake of your recent enlightenment reguarding the public foothill property, do you still advocate the urban gondola? If all the current public open space is to be held in perpetuity, this gondola goes no where, to an open hillside, what possible good can be gained from this?

Anonymous said...

One more thought along the lines of this rational, why would UTA grant one penny to study what the mayor has officially now declared a gondola to nowhere?
Looks like lying little matty has tossed Inglish under the bus, with hardman and the geigers.

Anonymous said...

This editorial cements what I have long suspected which is that Matthew Godfrey is "their man" as far as the Standard is concerned.

No wonder we have no respect for the Standard's editorial team. The stupidity of it sounds like Gibson or whatever his name is.

Anonymous said...

I have stop my subscription to the standard and hope other will do the same until I see some real truth come out what they print. Lets hit them in the pocket book.

Anonymous said...

I have not bought the SE for years. I did have a subscription about 10 years ago. I just could not handle paying for what they print. Don't get me wrong, I will read it if it is available to me (family members houses, at work, etc). I just do not buy it.

Anonymous said...

Another:

Sorry, but I disagree. It's Ogden's only home town daily. There is no better source, day by day, than the SE for what's going on in and around Ogden because, if for no other reason, there is no other source.

A paper's editorial stand generally represents the publisher's POV. That's fine. The SE can be as free as it likes with its editorials. They are opinion pieces. And we are as free as we like to criticize them.

I'm much more concerned about the "spin" appearing in the news story this morning, presenting preserving the parklands as the Mayor's plan, which others now are supporting. That kind of spin in editorials, which are opinion pieces, is one thing. That kind of spin in the paper's news columns, however, is quite another. In the news columns, it amounts to distortion.

Anonymous said...

Get your head out of the Mount Ogden golf sands and look at Godfrey's financial records.

Now that makes for some interesting speculation.

RudiZink said...

Winston Smith!

Very nice reference, Curmudgeon; and a hat tip to you from the blogmeister.

Here's something about this for those readers who haven't recently read Orwell's "1984"

Winston Smith, per wikipedia

Nice, Very nice.

RudiZink said...

The tantalizing part of this is that the whole story will be revived once again, when Ogden City attorney shill Gary Williams reveals the "restrictive covenant paperwork" three weeks in advance of the general election.

The paperwork will of course require at least a few week's inspection and public scrutiny.

Curiously, Boss Godfrey has set up his Mt. Ogden park "fip-flop" as a key campaign plank which will come to the public forefront the middle of October.

Of course the citizens of Emerald City will not "buy" Boss Godfreys's ludicrous epiphany "story." Boss Godfrey has abused the lumpencitizens of Emerald city long enough that we'll never forget the "Bad Boss Godfrey,"

The time lag will give us all the opportunity to examine Boss Godfrey's "restrictive covenents" proposals, and to raise scores of issues re his incompetent administration, ranging from Vangate and the about to become broke Rec center, to his lies about the crime problem in Ogden.

Gawd do we love Ogden city politics!

Anonymous said...

So the Standard-Examiner seems to believe we should cut the little shit a pass -- forgive and forget, we suppose.

Not on your life Don Porter!

I'll be in the voting booth voting for Van Hooser and all the other woman candidates on November 6.

I hope all other women will do the same.

What a shame it is though that we can't also vote to oust the SE "leadership."

Anonymous said...

I really do like the idea of Ogden City Government in the hands of a mostly woman ruling body (Mayor & Council).

You just know it will be a much kinder, gentler user friendly government than we have under the Godfrey regime. Infinately more honest I would hope as well.

I just hope they are able to keep the real issues planted squarely in front of the voters. Those being the ethics, the cronyism, the insider dealing, the shutting out of the citizens from their government.

The Godfrey form of government is being judged with the mayor and his three apparent stooges representing the status quo, versus the four women standing brave against the good old boy corrupt NeoCon tax and spend political boss program.

A very clear choice for the voters coming up and again I hope that our four women in this race can clearly draw the choice for the voters.

Anonymous said...

6 months ago:

Godfrey is demanding we sell the bench to Chris Peterson, calling the university officials names for not doing so, and insisting they will come around to his way of thinking. All the while, the city council does little but offer to remain open minded.

Today:

Godfrey, VanHooser, and the city council are all trying to get out in front as far a protecting open space is concerned.

It's amazing how an election can change the viewpoints of people.

The question is, where will we be after the election?

Anonymous said...

I like the fact that the city council will say that the bench should be left undeveloped, as part of the Mount Ogden Community Plan. That was certainly the main message I heard Tuesday evening.

On another subject, I finally got through reading the city council notes regarding whether they can take back the power to approve land sales.

The material quoted a city attorney who in turn quoted a ruling, Martindale v. Anderson in 1978, that says only the mayor can approve land sales.

Then, the council's own hired attorney said the same thing.

All of this, in spite of the fact that Utah law says:

10-3-1219.5. Council-mayor form -- Ordinances on transfer of municipal property and regulation of subdivisions or annexations.

In the council-mayor form of government, the council shall, by ordinance, provide for the manner in which:
(1) municipal property is bought, sold, traded, encumbered, or otherwise transferred; and
(2) subdivisions, or annexations are approved, disapproved or otherwise regulated.

Now I'm no lawyer, but it sounds like the city council can say what the rules are for selling land. So how about giving the mayor some rules, folks?

Anonymous said...

David

I think the problem is that the old council abdictated their authority on land purchase and disposition to the mayor. The current council has never had the cajones to take back the power. A number of different people tried to get the council to take action soon after this council was formed. No one but Dorrene showed any interest. There were also a number of people that advocated to remove Godfrey as the commander in chief of the RDA as it is a clear conflict of interest for him to have the dual relationship he has with the council as a consequence. The danger of that conflict has been demonstrated time and again with all of the secret and questionable deals that have been going on with a certain in group.

All they have to do is write a new ordinance, or void the one they passed two years ago that gave over total power on land deals to Godfrey.

Anonymous said...

I just returned from the Big City, where I witnessed about three dozen Geigers performing various stunts and feats of agility. Wait a minute, I was at the Ringling Bros. circus; those were three dozen other clowns.

THE SKI IS BEAUTIFUL BLUE

Anonymous said...

Rudi:

I’m no homo-probe. I’m just pointing out the hypocrisy in Utah.

The following is off FOX news web site.

Not one Utah Republican has asked for his resignation?

MINNEAPOLIS — Idaho Republican Larry Craig has decided he wants to be a U.S. senator a little longer.
Craig's lawyers asked a Minnesota judge Wednesday to let the three-term senator withdraw his guilty plea in a sex sting at a Minneapolis airport restroom. Afterward, Craig issued a statement saying he will stay in office "for now."
People close to Craig said that means until the judge rules.
Hennepin County Judge Charles Porter said that will be at the end of next week at the earliest.
Craig said earlier he planned to resign Sept. 30, then left the door open to stay if he could successfully withdraw his plea.
Craig, serving his third term as senator, pleaded guilty in August to disorderly conduct following a June 11 sting operation in a men's room at the Minneapolis airport.
That he will stay in the Senate past Sunday was an unwelcome development for Senate Republican leaders who have made clear they wish Craig would step down and let Idaho's GOP governor, C.L. "Butch" Otter name a replacement.

Anonymous said...

Democrat:

You damn liberals. What are you claiming now? That just because a U.S. Senator is charged with a crime, and weeks later after thinking it over and rejecting the advice of the people who arrested him that he hire an attorney, he pleads guilty to that crime, that he is in fact guilty?

Jeez, just like a liberal. Leaping to conclusions.

Next thing, you'll be telling me that if he in fact was not guilty, but pled guilty anyway, he perjured himself, and that perjury by an elected public official is an impeachment [or for a Senator, expelling] offense. Well, no conservative would ever claim something that silly. Jeez, you liberals or somethin' else....

Anonymous said...

Curm:

It's just funny as hell.

The Republicans want the government to tell you who to marry. But they don’t want the government to protect you from Republican Senators while you’re using the bathroom.

"That there is just funny."

Anonymous said...

I guess that's what they mean by "Less Government."

Anonymous said...

Children'S do learn, under the no child left behind act.

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