Check out our companion article; and read about an opportunity to win FREE PIZZA RUNNER PIZZA
It's another Emerald City slow news day, so we're going to do a back-burner cleanup, and highlight a few things that have been sitting in our outbox for the past few days, along with some current news:
First, we'll follow up on Sunday night's crime story, wherein another Emerald City citizen was reportedly gunned down on the mean streets of Central Ogden, an area of town that's recently seen more gunplay than Tombstone, Arizona in the days of Wyatt Earp.
This story first came to our attention through the efforts of one of our gentle readers, who spotted this Salt Lake Tribune article, which appeared both in yesterday's SLTrib hard-copy and web editions. The Standard-Examiner's non-reporting of this story raised some speculation amongst our gentle readers in yesterday's lower article thread, as to whether the Std-Ex might be conducting a crime reporting blackout, in order to avoid embarrassing our Crime-fighting mayor, during the final month of his 2007 re-election bid.
Happily for the otherwise sodden credibility if the local newspaper, the story is reported in this morning's Std-Ex edition, albeit in a form that might be overlooked, except by those voracious Std-Ex readers like us.
Here's the story, buried in today's "Top of Utah" section sidebar. Curiously however, this morning's Std-Ex report is actually a regurgitated version of the story that went out yesterday on the AP wire service. We find it interesting that the Std-Ex still hasn't dispatched a reporter to do an investigation. Many of us are still scratching their heads, wondering why the victim isn't talking about the incident.
To the Standard-Examiner's credit however, the same sidebar section also contains a brief report of a Monday night armed robbery at Smith's Food and Drug Pharmacy, wherein the perpetrator is described as a man, believed to be in his twenties, wearing, among other things, sunglasses and a black hooded sweatshirt.
Having read this, we couldn't help but make the connection with this ABC-4 News story, reporting a Saturday afternoon Emerald City jewelry store robbery and shootout, involving a perpetrator of a similar description. We don't believe this story was ever reported in the Standard-Examiner, so we thank the intrepid Salt Lake City TeeVee News station for the heads-up. We're still wondering why the Std-ex failed to report this.
And speaking of unreported crime news, we hunted this morning's Std-Ex edition in vain for anything on last night's Ogden High School neighborhood meeting, where the topic of discussion was supposed to be gangs, crime and such. We've given this morning's Std-Ex edition careful scrutiny, and we can find nary a word about it.
Fortunately we have a few brief notes from Gentle Reader Bill C., who attended the event, and lodged these comments in last night's comments section. In this connection we hope we'll get more information from others who attended this event. If all goes well, we can flesh out this story right here on Weber County Forum, and offer the lumpencitizens of Emerald City something quite a bit more robust than the Standard-Examiner has provided -- which is exactly zero, zilch and nada.
And switching topics entirely, we'll belatedly spotlight an ongoing contest, happening at one of our favorite websites, Grift Ogden. If any of our gentle readers are of an artistic bent, this contest offers an ideal opportunity for free pizza products at our very most favorite pizzeria, Pizza Runner.
That's it is folks; short and sweet.
And specifically, we'd like to hear our gentle readers' opinions on this: Is the Std-Ex engaging in a crime story-reporting blackout?
And how bout a little more information on last night's community meeting?
Don't let the cat get yer tongues.
Update 10/9/07 9:35 a.m. MT: About ten minutes before we completed today's article, Gentle Curmudgeon sent us this excellent front page quality piece. Dang! Had we been aware that Curmudgeon was composing such an article, we could have slept in for an extra hour this morning. Although there's a slight overlap with our own article that appears above, and our article concentrates on STD-EX reporting lapses, Curmudgeon's is more broad in scope, and highlights several of today's general news stories which we'd omitted. Consider it today's companion article -- just a little something extra to chew on this morning.
Update 10/10/07 9:30 a.m. MT: Gentle Reader Andy informs us that today's Std-Ex edition contains a full report on Monday night's "crime and gangs" neighborhood meeting, which story was delayed due to Std-Ex publication deadlines. Our gentle readers can view this story here.
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52 comments:
Wonder if Greiner was callled into the 9th floor principal's office and told to make his numbers be the same as the mayor's from now on?
Good reporting, Bill. What was the meeting called anyway? Sure love the RDA/developers answer and then spending money ON development. You are right...hs IS lying little matty, isn't he?
Did SVH only speak once? What was her role?
Maybe the "shooting" was ruled an "accident" so that it does not officially get logged into the crime rates to work against Godfrey. I know they can call it a hunting accident. It is hunting season after all, isn't it? That way it can not be reflected badly against the mayor's fictitious crime rate numbers. Or the mayor's "tough" (ahem, sorry tough to spit that one out) stance on gang violence. Maybe a traffic officer should have pulled the suspects over before they got to the scene. Could have at least gotten the cash from a citation to go with that.
IN re: Bill's report on the community meeting last night:
First, thanks for putting in the time at the meeting, and for the the summary.
Three different numbers for the size of the OPD? Two from Mayor and a third from the Police Chief?
And the Mayor's statement was prepped. He knew he was going to make it. And, at a community meeting called specifically to discuss crime in Ogden, he can't tell us how many police are on the force now? And neither of his two numbers matches the Police Chief's number? And apparently the Mayor thinks there may be 20 more policemen at work in Ogden City than the Police Chief thinks there are?
I'll take "Mayor's Who Haven't a Clue" for $500, Alex.
Just read Bill report which was very informative, thanks. I wonder though, about the comparison to Moab and Park City. Do these cities have the Gang problems that Ogden has? When was the last time you heard of a drive-by shooting in Moab? Park City? If it happened in Park City you KNOW the TV would have been all over that. What about homicides??? I can not believe they are comparing Ogden to these other cities.
Maybe Godfrey is not sure about the numbers of the police force because is is not sure if he fired Matt Jones or not. Oh wait, he can't, civil service would not let him. Maybe he is counting himself as a police officer for his quality investigative work on the Vangate incident.
They don't call it the Sub-Standard Examiner for nothing!
It seems to me that a Saturday afternoon jewelry store armed robbery and shootout would have been front page news for any newspaper that wants to sell newspapers.
What the hell is wrong with the Standard?
Victor, I had always heard it was the "sub-Standard Exaggerator", but yours works well too.
From Curmudgeon's companion article: 'School days in modern America. "Smile! You're on Candid Camera!" Sigh.'
Don't ever say I didn't warn you.
An aside:
USA TODAY reports that Ms. Lindsey Lohan, having completed her latest rehab in the Wasatch Mountains, has announced that she intends to stay in these parts because she is convinced there are no temptations here so she can stay on the straight and narrow.
From the USA Today story By Karen Thomas:
Don't look for Lindsay Lohan on the Hollywood club scene — or any Hollywood scene — anytime soon. Just hours after leaving Cirque Lodge treatment center in Utah, Lohan tells OK! magazine (on stands nationwide Friday) that she's settling in the mountains....
"I'm staying in Utah until it's time to shoot Dare to Love Me," Lohan says, "and then I plan on returning to Utah so I can stay focused and avoid other distractions."
"Utah: No Distractions Here!" Hmmmm. Wonder how that will work with "Life Elevated!" Anyone going to SLC today might want to be careful to avoid Utah Visitors and Convention Bureau exces jumping off tall buildings....
"Is the Std-Ex engaging in a crime story-reporting blackout?"
I'd consider it more of a "brownout."
It's fairly evident that the Standard doesn't want to piss off it's advertizers, who are mostly "brain numbed" when it comes to politics.
Somewhere in the heart of editorial page editor Don Porter, and managing editor Andy Howell, there must beat some kernal of the idealism which first lead them into the pusuit of a career in journalism -- one of the most important institutions in the free world.
They were "virtuous" when they started out (presumably) but we wonder what happened next...
Wake the "F" up, Andy Howell and Don Porter!
DO NOT sell your souls to the neoCON political machine.
Marko
Isn't Andy Howell a bean counter from Ohio?
As to Porter, he has always been pretty much an untalented hack for as long as I recall him being at the Standard.
Ever since the Standard has been owned by the company from Ohio it has been second rate and unable to hold on to decent and talented reporters for very long.
The quality of the reporting is a reflection of the upper management. In this case they are all about revenue and have very little to do with the traditional idealism we usually associate with the press. That is why they hire hack reporters, pay them very little, and send as much money as possible back to corporate headquarters.
The Standard and our expectations of it being a quality paper are long gone. However, they still do a pretty good job in the Canary cage and for paper training puppies.
Well, at the risk of being dumped on yet again for having the temerity to suggest that the SE [with all of its shortcomings, on which I opine regularly] does print real news that is well worth reading, let me add the following two items in today's SE that might be of some interest to Ogden/Weber readers.
First, this piece from the Top of Utah section. After highly publicized incidents of Morgan County homes --- and very pricey ones too --- sliding downhill after construction had been approved by the County --- the County created a three-person geologic review board that would have to review and approve building permits in potential landslide areas. It's been at work for a while now, and the report card reads: "Oooops. Back to the drawing board."
Seems all three board members were geologists. None were civil engineers or geotechnicians. [N.B: if anyone knows what the difference between a geologist and a geotechnician is, please post.] Apparently, having geologists "criticizing geotech work" has not worked out. Why is not entirely clear. Revisions to the geologic review board are underway.
The second is a story by the oft-criticized Scott Schwebke [sometimes fairly, sometimes not]. Here are the opening graphs:
OGDEN — The initial phase of a $5-million effort to build a new taxiway at Ogden-Hinckley Airport has been completed.
Work that began about three months ago on a 2,500-foot section of the taxiway, which will run parallel to the airport’s main runway, finished last week, said Airport Manager Ed Rich.
Construction on the final phase of the project to extend the taxiway an additional 3,000 feet is scheduled to take place from June to September, Rich said. The Federal Aviation Administration will pay for 95 percent of the project, while the city and state will fund the rest.
Further down, the story noted:
Earlier this year, the city was involved in negotiations with Allegiant Air to provide several jet flights a week between Ogden-Hinckley Airport and Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. However, Allegiant Air broke off discussions after determining competitors operating from Salt Lake City International Airport might undercut its ticket prices to Las Vegas, said Dave Harmer, the city’s community and economic development director. “They were concerned about competitive reaction,” he said. The city is continuing discussions with other possible air carriers, said Harmer, who declined to elaborate.
The full story can be found here.
I had my first encounter with Susan van Hoosier today and I must say I was less than impressed. I feel her heart is in the right place but each time she opened her mouth she demonstrated her lack of experience and lack of vision. She is a good cheerleader, but I have no faith in her ability as a leader. I don't think this is her time and she would have been better served spending more time as a Council Woman.
ON Marko and Frank's Comments Above
Marko wrote: it's fairly evident that the Standard doesn't want to piss off it's advertisers....
No kidding. Ya think? No paper --- with the possible exception of The Daily Worker ---wants to piss off its advertisers. If you are alleging that the paper is killing stories or slanting coverage to appease advertisers, I'd want to know what advertisers. And you added that the SE's advertisers "are mostly "brain numbed" when it comes to politics." Really? And you know this how? There are advertisers and there are advertisers. The people who place ads from national chains like Mervyns and Sears don't give a damn about local politics. And I know local business owners, who advertise in the SE, who are both Democrats and Republicans, who support Mayor Godfrey's re-election and who support Susan Van Hooser's replacing him in office. And then there is the not insignificant fact that most of the paper's readers [and I suspect most of the businesses who advertise in it] are outside Ogden. Most of its circulation being outside of Ogden [in the rest of Weber County and in Davis County] is why they took the name "Ogden" off the paper some years back. If most of its readers were in Ogden City, I suspect the paper's coverage of Ogden politics would expand noticeably. But they are not.
Frank wrote: Ever since the Standard has been owned by the company from Ohio it has been second rate and unable to hold on to decent and talented reporters for very long. The quality of the reporting is a reflection of the upper management. In this case they are all about revenue and have very little to do with the traditional idealism we usually associate with the press. That is why they hire hack reporters, pay them very little, and send as much money as possible back to corporate headquarters.
Yes, Frank, I wish the paper were still locally owned too. But there are downsides to that as well. When the owner is local, and politically active, it can result in a paper that is wholly skewed in both its news and editorial policy to favor the owner's party or faction. Still, all things being equal, local ownership of daily papers is better.
But as for the SE sending "as much money as possible back to corporate hq," again... really? Ya think? Most corporations operate so as to maximize return on their investment. And the SE is a profit-making corporation. We can hardly be surprised that (a) it operates as one and (b) its management staff operates the paper as the publisher [owner] wants it operated.
I was out of town recently --- still in Utah --- and talked with some PR and press people about the SE. They told me the rap on the paper is that its owners are not willing to put the resources [read "money"] the paper has --- it's profitable --- into making it a first rate operation. [Pretty much what you said, Frank.] That it has the resources, it could invest in more reporters, and putting resources into things like investigative reporting, and holding reporters it develops who, as they get better over time, jump to better paying jobs elsewhere.
But it's the publisher/owner who calls the tunes, sets management policy. That's true everywhere. Please note, the owner/publisher of the Deseret News --- the LDS Church --- installed as the paper's editor a man who had exactly zero journalistic experience on the day he was appointed. But he had served on a church publications oversight committee and he was the former head of Utah's Republican Party. And that publisher interference directly and materially affected the paper's news policy. I haven't seen anything that raw going on at the SE.
Now, all that said, the SE still is the best source for Ogden local news [if for no other reason that it is the only source for most of it], and for all we complain about what it leaves out --- and I have and doubtless will again --- what it includes is often informative and important and well worth the reading.
In fairness, seems to me, we need to recall occasionally that most of the paper's readers do not live in Ogden, and that however much we might look at it --- I certainly do --- as The Ogden Standard Examiner, most of its readers do not.
Anyone who doesn't already know that the Standard is grossly biased toward Godfrey is an ipso facto MORON.
I guess that category includes you, WSU professor Curmudgeon.
unimpressed-
I disagree, after talking with SVH I actually get a sense that she has a vision of what Ogden should be. Out of curiousity, do you have any idea what Mayor Godfrey's vision is? Does it go along the lines of he'll do whatever the hell he wants until election time, then he'll actually do a few things that his constituents would like just so he'll get re-elected? He can definitely talk the talk. Is that all you really want, though? You won't get that crap w/ Susie. Being a Mayor requires a huge learning curve, no matter who you are, and I think Susie would acclimate just fine, just as she has on the City Council. This town eeds a change, and I sincerely hopes it happens come election time!
"You won't get that crap w/ Susie."
We'll see about that, won't we, when when "Susie," who has no apparent core understanding of Utah municipal politics. gets "indoctrinated" by the "League of Utah Cities and Towns."
I expect her to pull a "Glasmann" on us, if elected, once her shallow political philosphy comes up against the powerful and politically persuasive Utah neoCON lobby.
Does she have a core "small government" philosophy to guard against that?
I doubt it.
Well, then count me alongside Curmudgeon as a moron. Not bad company, at least.
The comments about the newspaper ownership not being willing to reinvest its profits (the Standard is one paper continually bucking the trend of shrinking circulation numbers) is dead on.
Unless a newsroom has the resources to tell a reporter, "Okay, you get one day a week for the next six weeks to do some digging on this juicy investigative project," those projects aren't going to happen. The reporter is already busy writing multiple stories each day.
The Trib and the D-News both have huge newsroom staffs compared to the Standard, so reporters there can take the time to work on big projects. That's where a lot of the Standard reporters who want to do that kind of work eventually end up.
Yesterday someone asked why the Trib had the shooting brief in their paper and the Standard didn't. I don't know the Trib's deadlines and press start times, but thanks to manpower alone they're a lot more nimble and were obviously on the ball in this case.
When I was at the Standard late on Sunday nights, the paper was usually headed to the press around 11:30 p.m. to midnight (Sundays being generally slow news days without a lot of late sports scores, etc. to wait for). At that hour, even if someone happens to catch the call coming over the police scanner, it's a lot of work to write something up and remake the page for an item that's going to be a brief. At that hour, you're not going to get an in-depth anything. I'm not saying the effort shouldn't be made in some cases; my point is that it's not a quick, easy thing to do.
I have seen a "stop the presses" moment there: election night 2000. People got three different versions of the front page the next morning. Ugh.
Marko, enlighten us a little bit. Are you saying that lying little matty is a better choice despite his coruption,dishonesty, terrible fiscal management and complete distain for morality?
Do you suggest that an honest mayor surrounded by honest professionals that concider all of their constituents and pay attention to the real purpose of local government, providing services, would be a bad choice?
Two Points:
First, if VanHooser seems like she is not an experienced politician, remember, that is a huge plus. As far as her going over to the dark side, remember, Jeske is still true, and Amy Wicks and Jesse Garcia aren't too bad either. Doug Stephens also has his moments. Then there are people like Godfrey, Saftsen, and Stephenson who go bad, hook line and sinker and don't even know it. What is the cure? Elections! Vote for the girls!
As far as the paper spiking the full-blown shootout in Ogden - everyone knows these people. The SE is unambiguously the most disrespected entity in Ogden (next to the chamber of commerce). When they endorse Godfrey it will be a blow to his campaign.
Apparently "Glossy" is well aware of the vindictive atmosphere in and around the city government. It is reminiscent of the soviet style of government. Fear, intimidation and a vast network of informants. Any one that does not toe the party (Godfrey) line in Ogden city government will be purged one way or another.
The Matt Jones affair was a perfect example. Matt even had broad based public support for his cause and yet he was dispatched with a major and concerted effort by Godfrey, Patterson, Greiner and Williams. When things got a little difficult after Matt hired an attorney and fought back, they pulled the big bomb out of their file cabinet and hit him with sexual harassment charges complete with a willing victim from Greiner's stooge list of employees in dispatch. Dirty, dishonest and vicious? You bet, that is the way the high priest leader Godfrey operates. The city is run by fear, it pervades every department in city government.
I just learned that Councilwoman Amy Wicks [who is running for the Council again] will be at Grounds for Coffee at 30th and Harrison on Wednesday, Oct. 10th, from 7 pm till 9 pm. Great chance to meet the Councilwoman and talk with her about what concerns you most about Ogden. Or what you like most and want to see preserved. A chance to ask questions and make your views known, straight up and face to face.
Danny,
You say that not having Susie as a politician is a plus. 8 years ago we had a young guy that had never been though an election either and look at what we ended up with. when he took office it then became the bureaucrats that then was running the city not the mayor and that is what is going to happen in this case. So tell me Danny boy, just what is the difference here and why doesn't Susie spell that out?
Greiner,
You are correct. After awhile the bureaucrats take over, not to mention the contractors, bankers, real estate people - at least the ones who feed off the government. Quite often, in fact usually, it is just a matter of time.
You are very observant, by the way!
Godfrey was also pretty good for awhile, when he was still fresh, and before he went way, way wrong. Some go fast, some go slow. But Godfrey is gone.
Susie on the other hand, even after a number of months on the council still seems to have the public good at heart, and she is still fresh. She too may go bad. But we know Godfrey already has.
No need to vote for the men in this fall's city races. We already know they are bad, we know they care nothing for other people's opinions, and we know exactly what they will do. They will sell the golf course to Chris Peterson then raise taxes to pay for most of what Peterson will do. These male candidates come straight from Hell, in my opinion.
The women, on the other hand, are good, and fresh. Vote for them, and then keep an eye on them. The Geigers will start working them on day one.
(That's one reason Dorrene is still good. She stays away from those people. Godfrey didn't. Big mistake.)
Great question, GTW (I think).
What you seem to be asking (somewhat tangentially) is whether Van Hooser will be willing to publicly commit to firing Patterson, Harmer, Johnson, Williams and a few other evil Godfrey Henchmen, otherwise known as the "A-Team."
Savvy folks know that it's really the paid staff who create and perpetuate city agenda. Keeping these people in their offices would possibly be the equivalant of failing to carve out cancerous growths, in a seriously ill cancer patient, I think.
That's the REAL question, right?
That, I believe, is a very good question!
Will candidate Van Hooser commit to the obviously necessary surgical procedures, and agree to remove the "malignant growths" from the Emerald City "body politic?"
So many questions...
Today's SE editorial on the Chop block, intentionally thrown by Cody Balogh, that ended the career of Derek Johnson, Weber State’s talented team captain, (and what a great kid) was direct and very well written. Coach McBride was suspended last year for one game for simply saying that an official possibly made a mistake, yet Big Sky Commissioner Doug Fullerton will not discipline a Montana player for a vicious cheap shot.
I urge all of us on Weber County Forum to call and/ or write emails until Fullerton does the right thing and suspends Balogh for at least 2 games.
Great post, Kevin!
We've gone to the Big Sky Conference Website, however, where there appears NO CONTACT INFORMATION for commissioner Fullerton, or anybody else, for that matter.
Supply us the contact information for Commissioner Fullerton, Kevin, and we'll definitely include it in one of our main articles.
Rudi,
I have searched and can not find any contact info on Fullerton. The man must be a coward! However, his office is at the Key Bank building at the North West corner of 25th and Washington.
Please help me in finding his email and phone numbers.
althepal,
You hit the nail right on the head. Is the new mayor to be willing and able to cut the cancer out of this city so we can get on with the real issue that a plague our city?
So what about it Danny is she going to do that or are we just dreaming of better day?
To Unimpressed, Marko and The Whiner,
I’ve been successfully involved in business development for the several years and have learned a lot over the years. I’ve watched Godfrey types in private business come and go. They all have similar personalities and an enthusiasm for what ever they are promoting. They also have several other similar traits that eventually takes them down and usually several people or investors with them. From the local boys at VesCor to Enron.
1. They know without a shadow of a doubt that they and only they know what needs to be done. Doesn’t matter what logical challenges are brought up, they know their vision will succeed. They all have big egos and like being in the spot light.
2. They demand unflinching loyalty of those around them, you’re either with me, or you’re against me or you’re too stupid to understand and you need to go.
3. They won’t take no for an answer, if something impedes their efforts, they will find away around it, legally or otherwise. They are very impatient with the actual time that it takes to get things done and are always looking for ways to short track the process.
4. They’re all quick on their feet when it comes to providing supporting arguments for their project, irrespective of whether their arguments are based on facts or fabrications.
5. Small lies are OK at the start but after they have told so many they come to rationalize that any lie is OK. The means justifies the end.
6. There projects are always bigger than most people have any familiarity with when it comes to the costs and these promoters are generally low in their budget numbers relative to the project actual costs or over optimistic in how the projects will financially perform or both.
7. The projects are big on promote and small on details. Build it and they will come.
8. They are all big risk takers, especially with other people’s money.
Godfrey fits the stereotype to a “T”. You want to know why I don’t want Godfrey in office for another four years; the answer is simple. He’s a lousy businessman that Ogden City history will not be kind to, he is too immature for the position that he holds and he has no idea as to how to run a city.
He has spent all his time in this promote mode at the expense of the city services and infrastructure. He has abandoned his responsibilities of performing the functions of a mayor, that of managing the city operations, to go off and play business developer, something that he hasn’t done a very good job at either. Anyone can sell a product worth a dollar for fifty cents but just because you made a sale doesn’t mean that you’re a good businessman.
Susie Van Hooser will make a great mayor; she’s smart, articulate, and humble. She possesses more common sense than Godfrey ever will have. She understands the challenges that a person new to the position will have, is willing to make the personal sacrifice of her time to better this community and is willing to accept the responsibilities of the job she is pursuing and not trying to make it into something that it isn’t.
I see one of her biggest challenge as that of having to live with and deal with the projects that Godfrey committed the city to, projects that may not be determined after he leaves office to actually be in the best interest of the city.
Just a Businessman:
Interesting list. And right on the money vis a vis Godfrey, from what I can see. Good post.
Just an Old Businessman,
I think that you are right but I think that it will take a team with some experience and knowledge to be able to run the city, so I think that some of the bureaucrats will snow Susie and I feel that if she would be willing to bring a new team on board to guide her though some of those decisions that she would have to make she could not go to wrong.
Old Biz Man
I've been around a few blocks and many deals myself.
It is interesting that the first four items you list are actually qualities shared by a lot of very successful entrepreneurs and the last four are usually found in the losers! I agree that people that have all eight are usually very dangerous to the financial health of every one around them and are responsible for untold havoc.
Godfrey, by any measure is an incompetent loser. He has plunged the city into ninety or so millions of debt and the only thing we have to show for it is a failing bowling alley and penny arcade.
Even a totally inexperienced in business school teacher would be a vast improvement over this little moron.
althepal and gtw,
I heard this second-hand, but it's my understanding that the mayor is going around telling people that they'd better vote for him, because if Van Hooser is elected, all of his A-Team will leave whether she fires them or not. This would be a disaster (says the mayor), because Ogden will "lose the momentum." So your question about whether Van Hooser would get rid of them may very well be moot.
If I were Van Hooser, I wouldn't make any promises about exactly who would stay and who would go. Van Hooser's victory in November will be a seismic event at city hall, and it's just too hard to predict what the landscape there will look like afterwards. At the same time, the city as a whole has weathered much more disruptive events in the past, and whatever positive "momentum" we currently have is due to our natural assets and the coming of commuter rail, not to who happens to occupy city hall.
Well now. Godfrey runs to Williams for disentanglment from his campaign ethical/legal snafus.
But guess who he runs to when he's facing actual charges in court?
NOT Williams. Nope, he's hired the big boys from Salt Lake City! Snow, Christensen, Martineau...oh yes...THOSE big boys.
Now, I'm jest wonderin' since Godfrey will be represented PERSONALLY, will the hapless taxpayers pick up Godfrey's tab?
D'ya think the little crime fighter may have given those high priced lawyers from Salt Lake City Utah a retainer of...say....$7500.00 that just happened to be laying around?
oops.
Dan, do you really think those public trough slopers would actually leave the feast without being shoved out? These clowns are all making a hundred grand a year plus all kinds of perks, much much more than any of them could ever hope to make in the private sector. Suzie will have to pry all their grubby fingers off the public treasury.
Jest:
Interesting question. If a mayor is sued for something he does in capacity as Mayor, as I understand it, his defense costs are picked up by the city. As they should be. But if he's being sued for something he did in his capacity as a candidate, I imagine he would not be defended by the city.
Any pettifoggers out there know for sure?
Biz Man...You have described a psychopathic personality and narcissistic personality disorder.
Godfrey is dangerous because he is mean-spirited, vindictive, instills and leads by fear of reprisal, is 'untouchable' in his own mind and is an abuser. Also, any moral compass he ever possessed was lost in the woods a lonnng time ago.
I'm glad that others are urging SVH to have a first rate team! Of course, she should have the pink slips at hand the night of the election so that Godfrey's "A team" are put on notice.
I hope that she and her advisors have been searching the country for the very best to come on board on Inauguration Day!
I don't expect her to know everything, but expect her to know that she DOESN'T know everything!
As I see it, Godfey hasn't used his 'team' as advisors' so much as scapegoats and fall guys. He's the instigator and then distances himself from all unpleasantness and consequences.
Kind of like "you and him fight, I'll hold your coats".
If Susie is smart, she'll surround herself with the most ethical, integrity filled, experienced people she can find.
Also, she need so remember that the Council is the legislative body!
Oh, and have that 9th floor office fumigated and exorcised.
Victor:
It's a little more complex than that. A Mayor's Chief Administrative Officer is, in effect, his personal aide, and is expected to offer a resignation upon the inauguration of a new Mayor. Akin to the members of a President's Cabinet. But further down the pecking order, you get into what the British call the "permanent civil service." People in these positions normally hold them, and expect to hold them, through administrative changes [though that does not always happen]. Their job is to advance the policies of the Mayor, whoever she may be, and whatever those policies may be.
In any case, for some positions, if you force someone out, they become eligible for a sizable "separation bonus," whereas if they resign voluntarily, they do not. [Unless of course, they have a handshake agreement with Mayor Godfrey, unknown to the Council, to get that separation bonus even upon an apparently voluntary resignation]. So the parade of resignations may not be as extensive as Hizzonah is threatening when Ms. Van Hooser is inaugurated.
But there's another aspect to this threat of mass resignations worth noting, I think. We've been told, ad nauseum by Hizzonah over the last several years that his management team --- Brown, Patterson, Harmer, etc. --- were and are all motivated by a deep and abiding pure and unsullied love and concern for Ogden and its people. A concern so pure, deep and abiding, apparently, that if the voters dare to get uppity and choose someone else as Mayor, they will abandon ship instantly. With loyalty to the city and its residents like that from the Mayor's management team, who needs enemies?
Not to mention the arrogance of the Mayor's presumption that he and his team, and his team alone, has any prayer of leading Ogden wisely ahead. Wow. Talk about chutzpah....
Talk about narcissism!
The psycoanalytic couch is empty at the moment.
Weber County Commissioners say their against taxes, so they have the little old lady, that is the County Assessor, jack up your home assessments, because they know nobody will ridicule her.
Now the Commissioners can claim to lower the tax rate. When in fact your still paying more taxes.
Wake up.. Their all full of krap..
Republicans say one thing, but do the opposite..
I believe that Snow, Christensen, Martineau are the attornies that the City uses when their own Attorney is in over his head (williams). If I remember correctly they used that firm in a few other cases. It's part of the perks for being in the League of Cities and Towns.
more tax waste:
Republicans have perks? they have government waste? Noo.....
Just watch and see. It's budget time for the Weber County Commissioners.
Now that they've raised everybody's assessments on their homes. And will have an estimated 15% to 20% increase in the budget.
Cops and Firefighters will ask for a cost of living increase, but they’ll say, "There’s just not enough money in the budget." And we’re for "LESS GOVERNMENT."
Then that extra 15% to 20% in the budget, they'll hand it out to their business buddies for their so called "ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT."
Could it be that Snow, Christensen, Martineau are representing because the City Attorney is named in the suit along with Godfrey and the Recorder? Thought at least Curm would pick up on that.
RE real estate taxes:
In many other States, homeowners apply for a homestead exemption to real estate taxes. This large reduction in tax rate applies only to the person's primary residence.
Late each December, a form is mailed to the residence, they receive the form, fill it out and send it back in as proof of residence. The Post Office will not forward it.
While the system is not perfect, it helps protect homeowners to a large extent while not making across-the-board tax cuts.
Sorry to crash the latest Standard-Examiner bash, but the facts get in the way of all the fun.
First, there was no robbery and shooting at an Ogden jewelry store Saturday afternoon. I believe the ABC4 story just has the wrong location in the dateline and headline. Other media reported such a shooting at 2:30 p.m. at the Mouthpiece Company in Salt Lake.
As for the other shooting, it did occur after our deadline Sunday night. However, we had a story up on our Web site by 7 a.m. the following morning, as did the Tribune. I don’t know where the information came from that the Tribune had the story in its print editions Monday. The Tribune I get at the office had a brief story on page B7 Tuesday, the same day as our story.
Police say this shooting was not gang related and may have involved a neighborhood dispute. We will keep tabs to see if that explanation changes.
We decided ahead of time to hold the neighborhood meeting story a day so our reporter could stay for the entire meeting and not have to leave early to file a story for the next day’s paper. The story appears in today’s edition.
As for me, I’m from Arizona not Ohio. I came to the Standard in 1989 prior to the ownership change.
As for us protecting the mayor, I’m sure Ed Allen and others would disagree.
Sincerely,
Andy Howell
Managing Editor
Std-Ex
I'm very glad Andy Howell chimed in here. As a Standard-Examiner booster, I hesitate to gloat, but haven't we assumed all along that S-E's brass peruse this blog religiously? Civic considerations demand certain "firewalls" between traditional news sources and blogs, but they can be symbiotic. I hope that's what we've just seen here.
Mr. Howell:
You wrote: Sorry to crash the latest Standard-Examiner bash, but the facts get in the way of all the fun.
Killjoy!
Hmmmmm... you're arguing that conclusions ought to be based on fact? No wonder Mr. Ed Allen and the Lift Ogden Amen Chorus is unhappy with you. [grin]
If Mr. Howell is indeed arguing that "conclusions ought to be based on fact" as Mr. Curmudgeon states, then why hasn't the Standard taken the lead, as the only news paper in Ogden, in pointing out the many many instances of the Godfrey administration coming to conclusions, and spending millions in tax payer money, before they have the facts to support said conclusions?
Does the economic facts preclude the Standard from living up to their own standards?
And what about these persistent rumors about the Standard being beholden to the Godfrey regime because of some sweet heart deal they got on trading their old building in on new and much more expensive digs at BDO?
Does the Standard owe Godfrey big time? Are they paying him back by avoiding so many subjects that would embarrass him? Do they tie Schwepke's hands in his reporting on city hall, or is Schwepke just the incurious hack he comes across as being so much of the time?
And why does the Standard keep Schwepke on the city beat to begin with, and why did they lose the two good reporters they used to have - Wright and McKittrick and not replace them with reporters of the same competence?
And besides, we only bash the Standard because they make it so easy. Mr. Howell, we only hurt the ones we love, and please don't quit publishing the Standard, our puppies have grown accustomed to your paper.
Andy,
"Protecting" the mayor?
Of course you do. Ed Allen is paranoid and as tenacious as a little terrier over seeing insults to his "precious son-in-law" from anyone who disagrees with Matt and snapping and growling at his 'enemies' ' ankles.
But, not only does it appear that the SE protects Godfrey, the SE unabashedly promotes him at every turn!
The SE is a very effective deodorizer...attempting to make this stinkball smell like the proverbial rose.
Mr. Howell, why not report the contradictions of the mayor and cheif of police's numbers and statistics? Is that not protecting godfrey? Did you edit his numbers out of the article?
I don't expect your reporters to draw conclussions or editorialize, but their articles are a series of quotes, why only quote Greiner?
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