By: A Little Birdy
Visit the world's most EXTREME mayor at Outdoor Retailers Summer Market Show, which is taking place Friday through Monday at the Salt Palace Convention Center and the EnergySolutions Arena. About 1,050 companies will be exhibiting products for buyers, retailers and manufacturers. Along with legitimate sports industry folk, there will be the "High adventure" Mayor of Ogden, Utah, working like a carney, and running a booth.
Check out the high-adventure mayor in Booth 32016.What a waste of time and taxpayer dollars. I hope they are not still handing out that awful Hitzig gondola DVD piece with the world class cheesy explosion to people visiting the Ogden booth.
Descente/DNA are not listed as exhibitors, but what do you want to bet they are at the show, hanging with Matty? Salomon has booth 32201 and Suunto has booth 20015. Atomic is not registered, nor is Goode.
I heard from a reliable source that at Tuesday's 8/5/08 Ogden City Council work session Brandon Stephenson proposed to the Council that he use his education and travel funds to sell Ogden at these Outdoor Retailer type shows. I guess he wants to "party" with his idol Godfrey, heheh. What happens in Salt Lake STAYS in Salt Lake City, I guess.
A flabby middle aged balding man who has not spent much time outside his yard, who considers his church scout trips to be all the "high adventure" activity you need to give you street cred wants to try to sell our fair city and surrounding recreational jewels to these "extreme high adventure" folk who are going to swarm the city and save us from certain decay. Does he not know that most of the people at these trade shows actually participate in the activities they sell gear for and they like to enjoy the barley pop? Those who actually climb and surf and are not impressed by downtown icicles or artificial waves...Uggggggggggh!
19 comments:
Sorry ALB, but I'm hard put to see anything wrong with Ogden having a booth and presence at a major outdoors equipment show in SLC. Seems like a relatively low-cost marketing opportunity for the city. Hizzonah does things in his capacity as mayor that justify comment, and sadly too often, criticism. But this doesn't seem to me to be one of them. And if it "sells" Ogden as a good place for an outdoors manufacturer or purveyor to move an operation... bringing one job, three, thirty or three hundred... all to the good, seems to me.
Whether the wisest use from the taxpayers POV of Mr. Stephenson's education and travel funds allotment is attending such trade shows is another matter. May be. May not be. But the answer to that is by no means obvious. We'd have to know what training and conference opportunities he was passing up to do this kind of thing to draw sound conclusions.
I think, within broad limits, how the members use their travel and training funds allotments is largely up to them. And, absent evidence of abuse, that's probably a good idea. Micromanagement is usually not a good idea. And his public travel and training expenses will be matters of public record that can be looked at when he runs again, by his opponent [should he have one] and the voters.
I used to know someone who worked on the clerk's desk of the House of Representatives in another state. She said the clerk she worked for didn't much like the feaverish "good government" campaigns that periodically claimed the House. She asked him why. He explained that whenever a "good government" speaker came in, the House got so gummed up with nitpicking regulations and record keeping of trivia that actually getting stuff done became difficult, and the costs of running the House went up. Instead of "good government," he favored "pretty good government." "It works better," he said.
I think he was on to something. And it's probably so for the City Council too.
Yeah, it is kind of sad when people would prefer nothing and oppose everything.
Sounds like WC Forum sour grapes to me.
Like Curm, I have no problem with Godfrey or Stephenson going to the trade show to promote Ogden.
However, I share ALB's feeling about the Hitzig gondola DVD, and I worry about what, exactly, our elected officials are promising this time around.
ALB,
Say what you will but the artificial wave was the best idea to cross Matty's desk. They would have done well to focus on that alone and even the bigger B-max wave. The flowrider is the one thing at the Salomon that appears to be pulling it's weight. Now if it had only been run by the city instead of leased out to a private entity that must make a profit, the kids of the city would be able to afford to ride it. They could employ John Patterson or some other FOM's to sit at the attendant chair watching everyone have fun.
Well Tec, it just goes to prove that there is an ass for every seat.
Godfrey is just getting B Stephenson groomed for the next Mayoral election where Brandon will pick up the pieces and carry out the Godfrey vision for Ogden.
I hope everyone is ready for four more years of the dream.
Sounds like sour grapes to me too. Actually it sounds like sour whine. Ogden can always use some "outdoor adventure" tourist dollars.
Additionally, there's no need to call anybody that's not of average height, a midget. Making fun of the height of the mayor is childish. Why don't you just call him a poopy-head and get it over with?
However, making fun of some of the mayor's ridiculous actions, of which there are plenty, is good sport. Like the city subsidizing an indoor miniature golf, or putt-putt course, while dumping on and trying to dump, a challenging municipal course that's next to the mountains. And, at the same time, trying to market the city as an "outdoor adventure" destination. That's really small thinking.
Fly and CaddyShack:
Fly: Let's just try to get through the next three years of Hizzonah's going off on his spur-of-the-moment enthusiasms --- without fear and without research --- and ordering his harassed staffers to make whatever his whim-du-jour is happen immediately. Too early to start getting heartburn over years 4-7. In any case, what makes you think Hizzonah won't run yet again?
Caddyshack: You wrote: Ogden can always use some "outdoor adventure" tourist dollars. Additionally, there's no need to call anybody that's not of average height, a midget. Making fun of the height of the mayor is childish.
Yup. Exactly right.
Today's jejune op-ed piece by Doug Gibson on Book of Mormon tours has no place in a civilized newspaper. It belongs in a ward newsletter.
Nonetheless it ties into Curmudgeon's comment yesterday on the WSU audience that voiced skepticism towards Chris Peterson's gondola plan, which prompted Ed Allen to comment, "They're all idiots up here."
Mr. Ed Allen nearly lost his life four years ago when he went on an ill-advised Book of Mormon tour in Guatemala. It was foreseeable that Guatemala's marauding gangs make travel there hazardous. It also should be evident that tour promoters who profess to show you how many angels dance on the head of a pin are hucksters.
Mr. Allen should be careful in calling other people idiots.
MM:
A tad harsh, methinks, on both Mr. Allen and Mr. Gibson. And when I read the column, I had to give Mr. Gibson creds for making no bones about it, that for him, science, archaeology, etc. didn't come into it, really. That it was a matter of faith, which is not really reachable by the evidence of science. He's right, of course, and kudos to him for not pretending [as the Intelligent Design crowd likes to pretend] that there is conclusive scientific evidence favoring his own POV about a matter of faith. Having that stated up front, I went on to read the rest of Mr. Gibson's column about a particular fracture within the LDS community [and consequent marketing programs] with some interest.
Hell, MM, believers do these kinds of things. How many Catholics flocked halfway round the world to that hill side in what used to be Yugoslavia some years ago where visions of the Virgin were reported to occur? How many fundamentalist Protestants sign up for Bible Tours of the Holy Land? No reason LDS believers should not act in a similar way regarding the geography of their beliefs.
I did not know Mr. Allen was on the bus that got robbed and on which some taking the tour were killed. I am glad he came away unhurt.
Caddyshack,
Ogden could use some RETAIL in the Junction along with the RETAIL dollars! How about the Mayor giving the residents of Ogden some stores to shop in and a REASON to go to the Junction?
I jsut took a ride to SLC on the front runner yesterday.
I got off at the central SLC terminal, and hopped a TRAX to the Gateway, I really think Ogden missed the boat with the High Adventure Ploy, Gateway was buzzing with shoppers, and people out for a bite to eat and a cool one at one of the many restraunts that provide snake venom for the imbibbers who live in Zion.
One other observation, it appeared that more people were escaping Ogden, than coming to Ogden as a destination for entertainment and shopping.
Another major mistake by the Godfrey gang? I think so..
Ogdenite:
I don't think the Mayor can "give" us retailers at the Junction. There have to be retailers convinced they can make a profit there, and a good return on their investment. If such retailers aren't to be found in these difficult economic times [thank you so much, Mr. President], only public subsidies, which create another whole range of problems, might tip the return-on-investment outlook enough to draw new retailers in. [And no, I am not advocating that.]
Tax Dollars,
The money from the Ogden area has always gone south. If even only to Riverdale and Layton. For the last 20 or so years Layton has trumped Ogden for dollars. I remember going to Layton instead of Ogden for shopping needs. Ogden just has not provided what I need. Admittedly I did go to the Ogden City Mall (back in the day). But the Layton Mall just seemed to be better. Now Riverdale had just about anything you could need or want. Lately I have been going to Logan, however. They have created some fantastic shopping areas there, and all close to each other. I did most of my Christmas shopping there last year. Probably go there this year too simply because there is no place in Ogden to shop. And what little shopping there is is strung out across the city where fighting the traffic is undesirable. The Junction provides no (or little) shopping. It is just a couple of restaurants and a theater and some lame juvenile entertainment gimmics.
Just my $.02
Waterboy:
On going to Layton: a few months ago, Mr. Curmudgeon had to fly to New Orleans for family matters. Riding the airport shuttle downtown, she met half a dozen IRS employees, coming in for a training meeting. When they learned she was from Ogden, they said they'd been there last year, at another IRS training session. But they hadn't stayed there. The IRS put them up at a Marriott in Layton, then vanned them into Ogden IRS center for the training each day, then vanned them back to Layton each night.
Go figure.
Ogdenite,
Sorry it took so long to reply. Retail outlets at The Junction might work, but I don’t think the city needs to subsidize any more private businesses. It’s unfair to other business owners and can be a real burden on taxpayers. The Junction’s indoor sports activities and movie venue works for some people, but certainly not everyone.
I’d like to see the east side of Washington blossom. However, there’s a whole lot of people that like “one stop shopping.” It’s unfortunate that the Walmart business method is so popular. Sadly, big box stores seem to be the trend.
Curmudgeon, Tax Dollars is right --Godfrey missed the boat with his "Outdoor and Ski Mecca vision!" If he had wooed retail businesses as hard as he did the ski industry, we would have stores in the Junction for the people of Ogden to shop at. He doesn't realize that by not providing the residents with what they want and need, they will take their money to where they can get what they want and need. In the meantime, Godfrey will twiddle his thumbs waiting for non-existent sports enthusiasts to over run Ogdaen and give us the tax revenue to support our fire, police and other services. Oh, I forgot the police will write enough tickets to support themselves as directed by Lord Godfrey. It's awful what he has done to the residents of Ogden! Not only do we have to go outside OUR City to obtaian the clothing, furniture, and other items that we need, but we have to pay for out police protection by the "ticket quota" Godfrey has imposed on us! He deserves to be impeached! If only Utah allowed it!
Not only does our money leave the city for shopping why do we send our water bills to a Salt Lake Address? Even the city collection service isn't here in Ogden.
I also encourage the tax assesssment of your home to be disputed before the deadline. My property tax went up 13%, while home values have decreased.
Just as an added data point... My No. 1 Son is in town for a few days. We went to lunch at Iggy's today, and --- he being an athletic guy [I blame Mrs. Curmudgeon's side of the family for that] --- I mentioned that there was a climbing wall close to the restaurant. He thought it might be fun to check out. I had to tell him "sorry. It's Sunday. It's not open."
Sigh....
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