Good news from the Standard-Examiner this morning. Councilwomen Amy Wicks and Caitlin Gochnour have been elected the the Council Chair and Vice Chair positions, by a 4-3 council vote. Read all about it here:
• Wicks, Gochnour will lead city councilThis bodes well for city council operations during the year 2009. We'll label it a vote of confidence for intelligent, capable and ethical council leadership.
Ace Reporter Schwebke reports that poor old Boss Godfrey is whining as per usual, of course, pining for the glory days when he ruled Emerald City with an iron fist... and the "Gang of Five" city council was his personal rubber stamp.
A hearty Weber County Forum Tip O' the Hat to Council members Wicks and Gochnour.
We invite our readers to join in this morning, with their own best wishes and congratulations.
27 comments:
Why doesn't Amy give the mayor the attention he needs? It's sad to that the mayor is so lonely. Damn you Amy! You're breaking his heart.
Poor Matt, so lonely.
Too funny, The Damned. That video hits the nail squarely on the head.
Perfect!
Thanks.
Judging from his vote, it looks like Councilman Stephens has unambiguously gone over to the "dark side."
The SE story devoted a lot of space to Hizzonah's whining that the Council leadership won't communicate with him. It should also have at least mentioned the circumstances that led to the Council leadership's reluctance to deal with Hizzonah except on the record, particularly his reneging on his agreement with the Council regarding what projects the city lobbyist would work on last session, and his claim that he just couldn't find the time to let the Council know that he was instructing the lobbyist to work on a bill preventing the Council from removing him as head of the RDA board.
As for Mr. Stephens: I haven't talked to him, but I wouldn't interpret his vote as his having "gone over to the dark side." I supported for Ms. Gochnour in the election but I have some concerns that a less-than-one-term Council member ought to be elevated to one of the two leadership posts. It's a question of experience and familiarity with the procedures --- and given Hizzonah's track record, having a very good grasp of how the city, and council, and mayor's office operate is important in the Council leadership.
Mr. Stephens was Vice Chair this last term, and, despite my continuing support for Ms. Gochnour on the Council, I think I'd have voted to continue Mr. Stephens in that position, if he was willing.
Curm-
Less than one term Councilmember Stephens isn't always playing with a full deck. Don't be so quick to assume he knows much about roles and responsibilities pertaining to local government.
Councilmember Gochnour is bright, she will figure it out if she has not already.
I wish her good luck in dealing with the Godfrey machine.
They all sound like petty children to me.
Not quite on topic, but it is a matter political so this isn't too far off.
Today I received my first missive from my new state representative, Republican [God help me!] Brent Wallis, much touted by some in these parts as a fine and upstanding example of new Republicanism in Utah. Sadly, I notice that Rep. Wallis has chosen to begin his legislative career, and his first contact with his constituents with dishonesty. I quote from his missive:
Republicans in the Utah House have strongly supported a number of ethics reforms over the years. In 2009, we will implement better legislative conduct training as well as pass laws dealing with these issues. Please rank your priorities from 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest priority: ()Gift Ban () More timely Campaign Contribution Disclosures () Campaign Contributions Limit () A one year ban before a legislator becomes a lobbyist ()Personal use of Campaign Contribution () Other
Now as readers of the SE and the SL Trib know only too well, it has been, over the past several years, the Democratic minority that has proposed the reforms above, and Republican majorities that have voted them down time and time again.
But hey, what's a little dishonesty when beginning a legislative career as a Republican in Utah? Who'll even notice?
Going to be interesting to see if Mr. Wallis lives up to all the predictions here that he's not like those other Republicans, that he will bring intelligence, integrity and honesty to the Utah House. Not off to a good start, folks....
I don't like my kid's third grade teacher.
Do you think I can get Scott Schwebke to write a story and have his editors place it on the front page of the metro section, with a front-page teaser?
Mr. Curmudgeon
Common now, Wallis didn't really write that the republicans in the state legislature have been promoting ethics reform did he?
If he did, it goes way beyond dishonesty, it actually soars into the category of a bald face lie! Either that or a lame attempt at comedy. Maybe he is jockeying for a turn on the Colbert report like our new congressman Jason did the other day. Or maybe he is trying to out do the perpetual clown Butters as Utah's biggest fool.
At any rate I would like to congratulate Ogden for being lucky enough to have Mz. Wicks on the council and in a leadership position. She has a lot of intelligence, integrity and class. That is proven out by her not telling the whole city just why it is that she will not meet privately with the Lil Lord. He has a long history of mentally abusing and brow beating women when he gets them alone and off the record in his office. He is a mean spirited little varmint as testified to by an Ogden police officer who wrote up a report of him slapping his wife during a 24th of July parade a couple of years ago. In my opinion it is only chicken shit little punks who verbally and physically abuse women.
Oz:
I quoted Wallis' flier verbatim. He said it.
We agree about Councilwoman Wicks.
Curm:
I'm as bothered by lies as anyone. But I hope you can look beyond the opening lie and take in the more important point here: Your legislator is going out of his way to express interest in four specific forms of ethics reform. I certainly hope you will return the questionnaire and follow-up with a phone call in support of these measures. Then watch how he votes, and react appropriately.
curm
in your first comment about the communication between godfrey and the city council you should have also mentioned godfreys attempt to get former mayor goff to act as his representative to the council. a real personal effort on godfreys behalf to bond one on one with the council members.
godfreys idea of improving communicating with the council is to have them come visit him on their hands and knees.
Dan:
I find it interesting that your recommendation with regard to our newly elected Republican state representative is that we "look beyond the opening lie" of his first communication with his constituents. Hell of a way to start a term, que no?
As I seem to recall, many of those who supported his election hereabouts did so on the grounds of his integrity, didn't they? Imagine that....
Dan
Are you saying that the end justifies the means?
Seems like Dan believes we can achieve ethics reform in Utah by unethical means. Last I checked lying, especially big whoppers like this one by Mr. Wallis, is unethical.
I am pretty disappointed in Mr. Wallis over this. He is either very naive or very disingenuous. Either way I fear the voters of Ogden have made a pretty big mistake in electing him.
I certainly do not hold out any hope of real ethics reform if this is an indication of the ethics of someone who ran on an ethics reform platform.
Curm, our good friend Neil assures me that there are at least 2 repulicans that have backed ethics reform for some amount of time, consider those to be who Wallis referenced and that makes your conclussion that he's lying wrong, technically.
Oh I forgot one thing, we are very fotunate to have Amy, Dorrene, Catlyn and Jessie. As for Doug Stevens, lying little matty has been working on his soft underbelly for some time, the rodeo stuff. The recent article about the Cowboy foundation should have been a good indicator, funny that there was no mention of the high adventure urban campground in the piece. It sits right in the middle of all of it. It also will be a dominant feature for the Cavendish cruising grounds.
Before Doug gets sucked in too far, someone ought to bring him up to speed on the background of Cavendish, it could offset all of lying little matty's manipulations.
One should consider who he's getting in bed with.
My neighbor recieved the flyer from Wallis. As a Democrate I didn't get a flyer, was it only for Republicians?
Og Voter and Bill:
Og Voter: Mrs. Curmudgeon and I are registered Democrats in Mr. Wallis' district [God help us!]. We got the flier, addressed to "The Curmudgeon Household." And it announced a public "Town Meeting" Wallis is holding in February. Seems clearly at constituents, not just Republican ones. [It was paid for by the Republican Party, however.]
Bill: Uh huh. Right. That's who he meant. Those two Republicans. Next topic up for discussion: how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
Ozboy: Finally! For the first time that I recall, someone in the WCForum (you) has actually come close to documenting that oft-repeated rumor about the mayor's slapping his wife. Do you have a copy of the police report?
We are in accord on the psychology of abusing women.
Moroni, I tried to get Rudi to post the police report on that slapping during the election, but the high minded blogmeister refused. The sad thing is it's not a rumor, it's very true.
Is there not a copy of it in Bruce's window on 25th st? Next to the poster of lying little matty gondola godfrey requesting of potato nose permission to use the potty?
Moroni,
I think that Rep. Hansen has a copy of it. Call him.
The cop who wrote the report is now an ex-cop. I don't know if his departure from the OPD had anything to do with this report, it could be just a coincidence, there seems to be a few of those surrounding the Lil Lord and those who displease him. I think we all remember Jones who was railroaded out of the department and his career with a bunch of trumped up charges after he tried to bring the truth to the people about the ticket quota scam.
Post a Comment