An Array of Election Related Material

Bits and Pieces from this morning's Standard-Examiner

The Standard-Examiner editorial page is festooned with a precious array of election related material this morning, so we'll highlight the five items we believe to be particularly worthy of discussion:

First, we were greeted by this morning's lead editorial, bearing a headline that we rightly took to be quite ominous: "Recommendations are coming." The article goes on tediously for three-quarters of a page, laying out various criteria, justications, rationales and caveats, explaining (in what we thought to be a mealy-mouthed manner) why the Std-Ex will be endorsing municipal election candidates this year. Frankly we don't understand the reason for all the editorial "hemming and hawing." If Lee Carter and his Std-Ex newspaper are going to breach 35 years' tradition, and suddenly "recommend" candidates, we believe they should just come out and do it.

One particular element of this article did however particularly catch our eye: The series of candidate interviews upon which the Std-Ex's recommendations will be partly founded have been captured on video tape, and will be posted on the newspaper's website. We congratulate the Std-Ex for this creative approach, and look forward to our home town newspaper's next foray into the multimedia world of cyber space.

Next in order is a pro-Van Hooser letter from former Ogden City Councilwoman Adele Smith, who now resides in Idyllwilde, California. Even from a distance Ms. Smith seems to have managed to keep on top of the Emerald City political situation, although we did wonder about her reference to candidate Van Hooser's planning commission experience.

We were more than slightly amused by Warren Bowman's letter, in which he confidently asserts that candidate Van Hooser's crime figures are incorrect. Enterprising soul that Mr. Bowman seems to be, he even includes a link to the state's website. If any of our readers know Mr. Bowman, we would appreciate their transmitting to him this revealing link.

Blake Garner grouses this morning, claiming that candidate Van Hooser became a mite touchy, when he called and apparently gave Ms. Van Hooser the "third degree." Mr. Garner's reported experience certainly differs from ours. The last time we called Ms. Van Hooser on the phone, she answered the phone herself, and was very generous with her time, responding to our questions more than adequately.

And finally there is this Godfrey rah-rah letter from poor old Steve Prisbrey. Our readers will recall that Mr. Prisbrey made an unsuccessful run at a city council seat during the 2005 municipal election, under the pro-Godfrey banner. Hoping for a 2006 appointment to the Emerald City planning commission, Mr. Prisbrey was more than a little disappointed when Boss Godfrey appointed Godfreyite Dustin Chapman instead. Of course we all remember how that worked out, don't we? In the intervening period we've had the opportunity to communicate numerous times with Mr. Prisbrey, whose affection for Boss Godfrey definitely runs hot and cold. Judging from today's letter, Prisbrey appears to be back on the Godfrey bandwagon again however -- for the time being at least. Perhaps there's another "appointment" in the offing.

That's it for today, gentle readers; short and sweet.

Don't let the cat get your tongues.