We have some new material to add to the reader discussion posted in and under yesterday's article, "The Standard-Examiner Endorses Yet Another Knuckleheaded Idea". Although this article provoked a thorough reader discussion, we now have new information to add to the discussion mix. Rather than append this as an update, we've decided to start off with this brand-spankin' new article.
Yesterday afternoon we received an email from Std-Ex editor Don Porter, furnishing some fresh new information. Thanks to Don's heads-up, we provide our readers links to eight mp3 audio files, straight from the Std-Ex website, providing inside information on the material which the Std-Ex editors apparently considered prior to publishing Tuesday's ice tower endorsement editorial. Listen with delight, as Don Porter and several other Std-Ex editors grill the Little Lord Godfrey about his rationale for wasting taxpayer money on this latest knuckleheaded project. We're sure you'll all find these audios to be most interesting:
1. Godfrey on Ogden economic history and visionOur favorite clip of course is audio #3, wherein Mr. Porter asks Boss Godfrey how much city money has already been invested in the ice tower project to date. Godfrey hems and haws, does an extended soft shoe and finally comes out with a figure around $5,000. The amount is "not significant," says Godfrey. Of course we've already learned from Councilwoman Jeske on Tuesday night that the true amount of city expenditures is at least $124 thousand. So Godfrey's off-the-cuff estimate is only off by $119 thousand. We guess that's "close enough for government work," as the old saying goes. Of course we know our "precious" mayor would never lie about something like this. We're quite sure that he merely "mis-spoke."
2. Godfrey on Ice Tower $200K and private dollars
3. Godfrey on total city money for Ice Tower
4. Godfrey on Ice Tower operational funds
5. Godfrey on 25th Street merchants and the Ice Tower
6. Godfrey on the unique design of the Ice Tower
7. Godfrey on marketing for the Ice Tower
8. Godfrey on the risk vs. benefit of the Ice Tower
Lots of interesting stuff on these audios; and we thank Don Porter for the heads-up. And remember, gentle readers, Tuesday's Std-Ex editorial was evidently written in reliance upon the accuracy of information provided by Boss Godfrey in the interview which is the subject of these audios.
Have at it, gentle readers.
17 comments:
The mayors last comment says it all if it "succeeds or fails" it is worth the investment for the exposure. I don't see any benefit even for a year or two of advertizing if the city who would own it has to come in and dis-mantel the tower at the cities expense when it fails. What a waste of city funds while our fire trucks, police cars, and the increase cost of gas for the city goes through the roof. We need a bond that requires if it fails the climbing organization is on the hook to pay for any expenses of removal if it fails.
"Businesses will locate here because it's cool, it's fun, it's different." - Godfrey
How about locate here because it's a beautiful location, housing is affordable, it's within easy reach of SLC when you want big-city amenities, and we have a fine University right here.
How about NOT locating here because city infrastructure is falling apart, police and fire protection are run on a shoestring, and the Mayor is constantly trying to waste what resources we have on hare-brained schemes to benefit his cronies.
How are we going to pay for gasoline for police, fire, and snow removal vehicles? Has the increase in gas prices been factored into the City budget? My guess is that Ice Tower funding could just about cover those increased costs.
On the funds already expended matter:
Had Hizzonah been off by a few thousand, no big deal. But to tell the SE editorial board only about 5K had been expended, when it seems evident from the response to Councilwoman Jeske that a great deal more had been expended, leaves, it seems to me, two probable explanations:
(a) The Mayor intended deliberately to dissemble and cover up the amount the city had spent in order to increase the possibility of SE support for the project, or
(b) The Mayor had actually no earthly idea how much had been expended, in which case the SE, and we, would be entitled to ask what confidence we can put in the other numbers he's throwing around, if he hasn't any idea of what his own administration has already spent on the project.
Those seem to be the likely possible explanations: deliberate dishonesty on the one hand, or admitted incompetence on the other.
I suppose he could spin a lot of the difference. Claim that he didn't consider "in kind" expenditures [time of city staff, etc.] to be actually paying out money for the project; claim that some of the money was donated to the city for the project's use, so it wasn't really an expenditure of city funds, and so on. [To describe that kind of spin is what the Seinfeld term "yadda, yadda, yadda" was coined for I think.]
And of course he's done this before. Recall Councilwoman Wicks' attempt to get from the Administration an accounting of how much the city had spent on the Mayor's flatland gondola obsession. She too got a wild under-estimate of funds expended which, so far as I know, the Administration never corrected.
So, same ol' same ol' Godfrey performance. The irony of it all is that the skepticism he is running in to now is his own doing. Had he acted ethically and honorably as Mayor over the last eight years, had it not attempted again and again to hide, cover up and conceal, if his record in office established sound judgment on his part in such matters, and established that Mayor Matthew Godfrey's word was something you could take to the bank, I suspect he'd be facing a lot less serious questioning now, that many more people would be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.
But his less than honorable conduct of his office, his preference for secrecy, his history of using lowball bait and switch tactics to win support for his projects, and the recently demonstrated fact that his word is no good, have all now come back to haunt him.
The Council, the SE, all of us, need to be careful going forward, I think, not to reject Godfrey proposals just because they come from Godfrey. But The Council, the SE, all of us, need to be careful going forward, I think, to examine every Godfrey proposal very carefully, to examine the evidence [presuming there is any] behind his claims and projections, to satisfy ourselves that a given proposal is viable, involves a reasonable expenditure of public funds, and will in the end work for the good of the city. If we're satisfied of all that, we ought to back the Mayor's project.
But not until the vetting is done, and done thoroughly and well.
The Administration keeps referring to Jeff Lowe's business plan and a draft agreement with Jeff Lowe. The Council has asked to see these documents about five or six times, and each time the Administration comes up with some lame excuse, and they seem be more lamer each time. Maybe the Council needs to ask for a development agreement, since that is required by ordinance.
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! "On a scorching day, there may be a big line of people waiting to climb the ice tower," says Lying Little Matty Gondola Godfrey. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!
The Council should not even think of providing taxpayer dollars until they see an agreement of some kind. Especially based on Godfrey's performance record.
Godfrey has lied so many times, it is difficult to sit and listen to the mp3s on the SE site.
The whole time he was being interviewed it sounded like he was making up the answers.
I dont trust him, I never will. Once a liar always a liar, and leopards never change their spots.
Next time the editors interview Godfrey...
Maybe they'll remember to hook him up to a polygraph! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Channel 5 news at 4:30 just showed Val Southwick sentenced to prison 1-15 for the 9 counts of fraud. Also Mayor Godfrey was there and he didn't look too happy coming out of the courtroom. Doesn't he ever smile anymore?
Maybe he lost some of his cash investments. Or better yet, maybe Val was the money behind the mountain resort and Ice tower.
Wow I just watched the vidoe about Southwick. Godfrey was one of the investors that lost money to the con man. The report said that Godfrey was the only one who didnt want Southwick to go to jail.
Godfrey is a real sucker for the can artist. Makes me wonder how many of these con artists are taking away tax dollars because of terrible leaders like Godfrey who falls for the line of crap from these guys.
Southwick drew 1-15? For what the feds are calling the largest investment fraud in history of the state? 1-15?
Were there any conditions that affected whether it would be 1 or 15? Degree of restitution, or testimony against others involved in the scam?
Seems like a light sentence to me.
Oops. Just read the SE story. He was sentenced to 9 consecutive [not concurrent] 1-15 year sentences. That is not a light sentence. Makes it a minimum of nine years, max of 135. Not a light sentence at all. The judge threw the book at him.
We know Leshem and Godfrey are a couple of the con artists who should be in prison. Godfrey prefers these shady characters to do business with and invest in Ogden (birds of a feather flock together). When it was reported that Godfrey was one of Southwick's victims, I told my wife that it looked like he was just as careless with his own money as he is with the taxpayers. How did he ever get re-elected?!
Godfrey is both smug and incompetent. He is unpleasant to listen to. Pity the city council.
I believe a lot of people believe that he wasn't re-elected -- there were a lot of dirty politics played in that election - electioneering should have disqualified some votes, intimidation, judges who lied and denied people their constitutional right to vote. And there weree other things that were done illegally in his campaign -- how about misuse of authority and office to intimidate business people to put his campaign signs in their store windows -- they were all too afraid to say anything for fear that their applications would be delayed, lost or not approved. Godfrey is a great manipulator -- he gives dirty politics a bad name.
Good Morning,
Today is Friday the 13th. Unfortunately, it's Ogden's bad luck to have a mayor that is unethical and petty. Public safety should trump cronyism and pet projects.
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