By Curmudgeon
Very interesting post over on Voice of Utah blog regarding a pending bill that would ban the state or its cities from providing any services that could be provided by a private company instead. The example VOU uses is closing down municipal senior centers aerobics and exercise classes for seniors because Gold's Gym could offer geriatric exercise classes to its members, even though it doesn't. Here's the opening graph:
You know that County rec facility or senior center where your Grandpa goes to keep his reflexes -- you know, like his driving skills -- sharp? Well, kiss that goodbye if Rep. Craig Frank gets his way. Gramps will have to drive down to a Gold's Gym somewhere and enjoy the shriek of bad '80s music with people half his age if he wants to try to stay healthy. So what if the Gold's doesn't offer senior-only classes? That's a small price to pay to insulate private businesses from competition, apparently.Bye bye Mt. Ogden Golf Course. Bye bye Marshall White Community Center [all of whose services could be provided by private businesses, even though they aren't].
The whole piece is well worth a read.
15 comments:
This sounds like a Godfrey "influenced" bill, like the one last year to get rid of civil service.
Waterboy, if lying little matty had designed this bill it would be more like: Government puts up all the initial investment for a pre-selected beneficiary, then pays for all their overhead so said buddy can reap a profit. This also serves to eliminate any compitition yet gives only the most foolish the impression of free enterprize.
Technically Franks bill would eliminate the soon to be Veteran's Nursing Home. That could be provided by the private sector.
Come to think of it, Greiner could be out of a job, Blackwater could use Dick Cheney's influence and open domestic operations, real rent a cops.
Public Service Announcement:
The City Council has just issued, via email, the following public service announcement in response to the water main break which has left about a third of the city without water [the northern part of the city]:
Due to the Pipeline break in the Ogden Canyon - we have certain areas you can go to for assistance:
If you need or know of anyone in need of a shower please go to:
1)Gold’s Gym, Marshall White Center, Mt. Fort Middle School, and Highland Middle School.
Anyone in need of flushing toilets please go to:
1) 3rd and Tyler, Mt. Fort Middle School, and Horace Mann Elementary.
Red Cross will have bottled water at Horace Mann Elementary –
If you know of any Senior Citizens in need of help - please call or have them call the City’s help line 399-HELP.
Very interesting that Gold's Gym is being promoted as a place to go to shower since it is not officially a part of Ogden City government -- yet --even though we are subsidizing it to the tune of as yet unknown hundreds of thousands of dollars.
So who is paying the liability insurance for all these North Ogden residents who take advantage of this offer to go to Gold's and wind up breaking a leg in the shower offering City services?????
Ironically, the instructions to go to Gold's to take a "poop" are quite fitting, me thinks.
Think:
Aw, cut 'em some slack. This is a public health crisis [no water, no toilets in a third of the city] and I figure Gold's gets a nod for standing up and offering free access to showers 'til the pipes get fixed. I wish more private venues with the right facilities would step up.
I hope the Marshall White Center bills a fee to Ogden City marked "Attention: Matthew Godfrey" for every shower taken there by Ogden residents.
That would be more than fitting since Godfrey refuses to support the Center.
Additional Information On Water Main Break:
From the SE's update on its free on-line edition:
In addition, three water tanker trucks were enroute this morning to Horace Mann Elementary, Hillcrest Elementary and to a location near 3rd Street and Tyler Avenue. Residents can also have bottled water delivered by calling 629-8321.
Updates about the city's efforts to restore water service are available at www.ogdencity.com.
Oh great!
Here we have commercial market interventonionist Big Governemnt, fighting to curtail the intervention of commercial marketinterventonionist Big Governenmnt.
Go figure.
Will the neoCONs ever figure uut how woefully stupid they really are?
Or will the voters of Utah have to expain it to them in thre next election?
Nice post, Curmudgeon!
Let's all go down to Golds Gym and take a dump! That's about all we will ever get out of the multi-million dollar subsidy we are giving them. And yes TITASS, it is millions, not hundreds of thousands.
TITASS??? Mighty close to T&A!!!
(think I'll take a stroll said)
I just went down to Gold's to take a dump. Believe me, the place smelled better after I did "my business" than before I arrived. The rotting structure around the Florider stinks up the whole damned place.
I don't think there is any problem at all with this broken water main. We will just fix it with the profits we are raking in from my new playhouse.
If there are any readers who have been hammered hard with the recent and outrageous property tax increases, or if you are pissed off about those robber baron tactics, I strongly suggest you get involved with the "Wingmen for Tax Reform". It is part of a growing state wide movement.
The site is run by a very bright and hard driving Jet Jockey known as "Minor Machman". He lives and operates out of Huntsville. He is well versed in all the ins and outs of our Byzantine tax codes and is a first rate warrior. If any one can help bring about change in this fleecing of the property owners of Utah it is him, but he needs a lot of help from the rest of us.
If you haven't done so already, I suggest you check the site out and participate. The site can be reached by clicking on the icon on the right side bar of the WCF, or click here
Property Tax Reform
If we come together we can put a stop to this thievery once and for all and bring about meaningful property tax reform.
Jake:
You wrote: Here we have commercial market interventonionist Big Governemnt, fighting to curtail the intervention of commercial market interventonionist Big Governenmnt.
Perfect! Just perfect! Damn, I wish I'd written that.
Dear Fred Freud, both you and Titass are correct. Titass is speaking in monthly terms and you are talking annual. Not to be confused with anal, which after the 20 years of payment (subsidy) the taxpayer should have suffered a very thorough reaming.
Post a Comment