A short excerpt from a conversation had by your blogmeister, while prowling downtown Ogden
We heard some interesting news this afternoon while prowling Ogden's downtown. As your blogmeister entered one downtown building, Ogden city councilman (and former council chair) Jesse Garcia was coming out the door, wearing a big wide grin.
"'Sup, Jesse?" we asked, in classic downtown dialect.
"Oh, I'm just coming out of a Democratic meeting. I'm running for legislative district 9" (Neil Hansen's seat.)
Startled, we replied, "Isn't Hansen running again?"
"Yes he is," replied Garcia, broadening the grin.
We then exchanged pleasantries, and went our separate ways, both of us agreeing that it "Sounds like an interesting race." But since our chance meeting, we've been thinking about this.
Now correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Neil Hansen a five-term elected state house representative, one of only two elected Democratic officials in all of Weber County? And Councilman Garcia has decided to try to knock him off at the April Democratic County Convention? We wonder what's up with that? It seems to us that Hansen has been one of the few Democrats who's found the formula for political success in our overwhelmingly GOP-oriented county; and we're scratching our heads wondering whether this is really a good idea, from the Democratic Party perspective. Wouldn't it make more sense for Democratic Party members like Garcia to rally behind a proven winner, and to avoid any hard feelings that might result from a contested nominating convention floor fight? This is something your blogmeister is having a hard time processing within his war-horse paleo-GOP noggin, we admit. And please pardon us if we seem naive. We've only been actively involved in grass-roots local politics for forty years.
Perhaps one of our "yellow dog" Demo readers could help us out with this. To us, this makes no sense.
And don't forget... you read it here first.
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13 comments:
Another example of why the Democratic Party is such a joke in Utah. Hansen is one of the most effective and truly representative members of the Legislature. A true man of the people. Time and again he has shown the guts to stand up to Godfrey and the other Republican power brokers in Utah in defense of the people.
Garcia on the other hand has been pretty ineffective in representing the interests of his very small city council ward which he won by a very narrow margin against a total inexperienced and unintelligent ditz last election. (Remember the Peyote Princess!) Godfrey has repeatedly pushed Garcia around, embarrassed him, marginalized him and in other words shown him to be an ineffective lump on a log.
If I were Godfrey and the Republican power brokers I would be smiling from ear to ear over this news. If the Democrats are truly stupid enough to challenge Hansen, and do succeed in getting Garcia on the ticket in November you can bet your ass that the Republicans will take that seat which will leave the people of inner city Ogden without any representation of any kind in the state legislature.
To Garcia - wise up and get your ego in check, a man has to know his limits.
Rudi:
We Yellow Dog Democrats are always happy to educate those so unfortunate and so ill-informed as to still call themselves Republicans. We consider it missionary work for the good of public.
There are three people who announced for the Leg 9 seat that Neil holds, and one more who is "thinking about it." That would make four. We are, Rudi, Democrats. Wouldn't be a party worth belonging to if everyone just rolled over and said "Sir, yes, Sir!" to every incumbent or to party leaders. People who want to simply nod when The Leader speaks should be Republicans... as most of them are.
I share your view, by the way, that re-elected Democrats are not so thick upon that ground that we should pitch one over the side without very good reason. And Neil is one of the few local Dems who is willing to speak out, loudly, on local issues, and one of the few who is willing to stand up on the record and announce that the emperor [or whatever lackey of the real estate lobby is leading the Republican pack this season] has no clothes. And I don't intend to forget that Neil stood up and took on Hizzonah in the recent mayoral election when most local elected Democrats laid low. That, in my book, is no small thing. I hope Neil is re-nominated and will so recommend to anyone who asks me. But I'm not in Leg 9 so I will not be part of the Dem Caucus at the WC Dem Convention that will decide the matter. I think better of Councilman Garcia than you evidently do, and if Neil were not an incumbent running for re-election, I'd be happy to back Jesse for the post. But, as before, I think it unwise party policy to toss an incumbent without very good reason.
We have more than one person standing for other leg seats as well. At this point, anyone can announce and all Democrats who might be interested are welcome by the Party to stand and in fact are encouraged to. It's called democracy... and the Democracy. We like it. You guys should try it some time....
This could be the true crack pot moment to top all of the Utah Legislature's embarrassing moves this year.
The story comes from Cathy McKitrick, former Standard reporter and now a star at the SL Tribune. It concerns the ill fated attempt by Democrat David Litvack to get a law allowing women who are not married to an abuser to get a protective order against some one they have been dating. A person with a protective order against them are restricted from carrying guns amongst other requirements.
The bill was defeated by the Republican led house.
The real kicker was some off the charts idiot Republican from Kanab by the name of Mike Noel. He lobbied against the bill on the grounds that he is concerned about perpetrators possibly having their
firearms restricted! Evidently he thinks it much more desireable for a stalked and harrassed woman to have no protection from the law than it is to have her stalkers access to firearms restricted!! No, I'm not making this up. Only in Utah could such a moronic choice be made by so called law makers.
To add bizarre to the lunacy of the situation this Noel moron justifies his position by stating: "In Kane county we have a way to deal with these people (perpetrators). It's not very pretty. Usually the father handles it first, then there is a posse that goes out and takes care of the rest of it as we drag them across the sagebrush"
A Utah Republican law maker killing a law because vigilante justice seems to be more fitting!!!
Like I said - only in Utah.
See the story here:
Justice Utah style
Oz:
Nobody could make this stuff up. Sane people wouldn't believe it. But then, you're prob'ly one-a them California liberals who doesn't understand that folks like stalkers in Utah need to keep their weapons handy so when them black helicopters begin landing UN speaking troops in the desert outside La Verkin, they can save us all.
I for one say if Jesse AND anyone else wants to become politically dead in the Democratic party, just try to unseat an incumbent like Neil Hansen.
Hansen is the backbone of the democratic party in weber county. I haven't seen anyone else more worthy to carry the banner for the party than that of Hansen. But yet Jesse thinks that he will get the nomination over Hansen? You will find that when Hansen fights for issues for this community, he is always on the right side. So Jesse and all the others, I, for one will watch as Hansen kicks your butt.
jesse proved he lacks the qualifications to be the chair of the city council or even city council member for that matter. why would we want to elevate him to a higher position.
hes proven that when he doesnt understand something hes too afraid to ask questions for fear of showing just how little he does understand. he has voted regularly on matters involving the city while on the city council that he had no clue about what the ramifications of the vote would mean to the residents.
im not sure he has the cognitive capabilities to make good logical decisions or that he spends enough time researching matters to make informed decisions.
he doesnt seem to be able to grasp the big picture the little picture or even when hes being manipulated.
Here's the deal with Garcia. Formerly a Godfrey opponent for many years, he's now sold his soul, and will be a Godfrey proxy, with at least enough Godfrey money to run a strong pre-convention campaign.
Remember the election two years ago, when Godfrey proxy Stuart Reid ran on the final ticket against Godfrey proxy Jon Greier? Well that's what's happening with Garcia's candidacy.
Expect a pro-Godfrey GOP candidate to come out of the woodwork before the April 12 County GOP nominating convention too.
Garcia/Godfrey could win at the Democratic County convention, BTW, if Hansen supporters sit on their heels.
Don't forget to show up at your Weber County Democratic precinct meetings, fellow democrats, and get elected as pro-Hansen Democrats.
Just:
Oh, take a pill. Chill, man. The nomination process is open to all Democrats. Sometimes the locals can't get people to run for every office. Sometimes an incumbent faces challengers. Some times not. It's both the democratic process and the Democratic process. I don't see any reason to deny renomination to Rep. Hansen and some substantial reasons not to. But if another Dem in leg 9 wants the stand for the nomination, it's his... or her... right and privilege under party rules to take a shot at it. Giving it a run does not make them bad Democrats. This "how DARE they!" attitude of yours seems to me both un-democratic and un-Democratic.
If Rep. Hansen is as solidly supported by his constituents as you are seem sure he is, the challenges will not in the end amount to much. But good spirited nomination fights are as much a part of being a Democratic as... well as being right on the issues 99% of the time.
True Curmudgeon, however here in the land of Oz we have a very perverted situation where Lord Godfrey has his feet and operatives in both camps. Remember that Godfrey is the son in law and protege of one of the main power brokers in your beloved Demo party - Ed Allen (former Demo State Senator), he is extremely cleaver, dishonest and manipulative, he has a history of rigging the game from all angles (Reid -vs- Greiner) and he would dearly love to get rid of Hansen and have a weak pliable character like Garcia in his place. Nobody gives Godfrey a pain up his ass like Hansen does! Godfrey, his relatives and sycophants all have a proven contempt for the normal and honorable political processes and will not hesitate to rig the democratic or Democratic process if they have the slightest opening to do so.
I smell Godfrey's involvement in this latest Garcia move.
Lionel:
Sorry, but I have a hard time... an impossible time, in fact... looking on Councilman Garcia as an inadvertent Godfrey shill. Nothing in his record in office supports that, and a great deal in his record disputes it. And I have it on what I consider to be very good authority that Councilman Garcia as provided Our Mayor with more than his fair share of pains in the patoot and has sent him running for his Maalox more than once. Hell, Godfrey administration shills have been going after Garcia for years. Recall Mr. Brown's entertaining [and embarrassing] rant before the Council not too long ago.
You want to argue that Hansen would be a better Rep. than Garcia, have at it. You want to argue that there is no good reason to deny renomination to Hansen, a five term successful Democratic candidate for the House, I'm there with you. But trying to label Garcia as some kind of Godfrey-manipulated shill... well, that's just plain silly.
What I find disturbing about arguments like yours... and other here... is this: you can argue that Hansen is the better choice for the nomination this time. Fair enough. I'd agree. But that does not require trying to take down a Democrat... a successfully elected one, let me remind you... with personal attacks in the process. "Hansen is the better choice" is a fair argument for his supporters to make. "Garcia is a snivilling shill for Gofrey" is not.
interesting story in todays paper. godfreys plan to save money by not hiring additional needed police officers but instead depends more on neighborhood watch programs is not working. city acknowledges that the program is not growing and whats in place is hard to sustain. nor is his call in number which i now learn isnt to report crime but to unload calls to the police. this is contrary to what i thought the call in number was for. i thought it was for anonymous leads and for instant responses to crime.
admin suggests the lack of participation in the programs must be because crime is down. just wait until the local economy starts to slow down like the rest of the nation and watch what happens to crime in ogden.
and if you think that crime is down today in ogden then you must also believe that pigs can fly.
Disgusted:
You wrote: just wait until the local economy starts to slow down .
I had occasion yesterday to drive from where the viaduct over the RR comes down east on 26th Street up to the library. I am no commercial real estate guru... but there seemed to be an awful lot of buildings with "Available" and "For Lease" and "Office Space Available" on them. Ten or so as I recall. New buildings. Old ones. Big ones. Small ones. Presumably the build- out of the Junction site and the arrival of the Frontrunner will make all those properties desirable and have tenants clamoring for leases. I hope so, because there seems to be an awful lot of available space in the heart of revived downtown just now....
in trentelmans article today a good one by the way he mentions that the states tax revenues are $340 million less than earlier anticipated. sounds like the slow down is already starting to hit the state.
have to assume that part of that short fall is showing up in ogden. have to assume that our city budget may be optimistic this year relaive to revenues. Not a good time for consumers or cities to be taking on more debt.
cities that expect to add revenues for the underwriting of new projects by raising taxes whether they are called taxes user fees or accessment fees may be surprised by the lack of increased revenues generated from such efforts and the underwriting of those projects at this point in the current economic environment may prove to be extremely risky to the city.
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