This is interesting. Today's Standard-Examiner reports that Boss Godfrey has applied for a $4 million federal grant to clean up the Ogden River:
• Ogden to seek $4M to clean up part of riverAnd here's a fairly startling snippet from today's Ace Reporter Schwebke story:
The river clean-up initiative is being spearheaded by California businessman Gadi Leshem.That's right. "Spearheaded" is the word Ace Reporter Schwebke used, possibly a little tongue-in-cheek. Big Money (now broke-ass) Investor Gadi Leshem, who's basically been in hiding ever since his Coverall, Inc. revenue source filed for Chapter 11 protection last year... is "spearheading" the Ogden River Cleanup, says Mr. Schwebke, with an apparently straight... (but possibly playful) face.
Yes... "Spearheading" is the description Schwebke used, we reiterate. Too funny.
Very humorous of you, Mr. Schwebke. (wink, wink; nudge, nudge)
Comments?... Anyone? Does Schwebke have an EXTREMELY subtle sense of humor, or what?
Imagine if these creeps Gadi and Godfrey were to actually receive a $4 million federal handout. Imagine how much of that would actually go to the federal project intended, ha-ha-ha.
And it's not as if the federal government exactly follows up on the massive money it doles out, in which connection we'll post this, which pretty much illustrates exactly how lame the U.S. government is now... as it hands out billions to losers like Leshem and Godfrey:
• Fed Inspector General Knows Roughly Nothing About The Fed (VIDEO)Gentle reader comments are invited, as always.
6 comments:
I'd like to nominate Eddie Simone and Bill Parker for city council in the upcoming election race.
Well at least one of the mayors developer friends will have access to money, just not his own money. Will we spend part of it on a riverside gondola platform? As to the Utah attorney general can he supply a list of crimes that will not be prosecuted? Apparently breaking the law is not fatal, no need for a Ogden city "cure" Plently of available water in the river if a arsonist strikes the River project neighborhood.
Sure am glad Godfrey rammed this river project down our throats.. These boarded up, burned-to-a-crisp houses sure look a lot better across the street now than it did when we had neighbors... four years ago..
iT'S A GOOD IDEA.
The Salt Lake Trib [Sunday edition] has a story up that may relieve some of the anxieties expressed above. [Link
here.] From reporter Christopher Smart's story:
None of the funding will go toward Ogden's long-planned Riverfront Development Project, promised Keith Morey, community-development manager. What will the money be spent on and who will oversee the spending? From the story:
Ogden is preparing a $4 million grant application that would restore the river and the environment along its banks. The funding, funneled through the state Division of Water Quality, could be awarded as soon as June. But the Utah Water Quality Board, which oversees the agency, has only $4 million to award all program applicants, according to Leah Ann Lamb, assistant director....
"This is an opportunity to restore the environment and move outward," [Jason] Carey [a consultant at River Restoration, Glenwood Springs, Colo.] said. "Before, the river was pushed into the smallest area. Now we want to expand the river [and surrounding habitats], revitalizing a wildlife corridor through the urban area." As "DEMOCRAT" noted above, applying for the grant is a good idea. However often I might criticize the Mayor for his conduct of Ogden's public affairs, it's important that the criticisms be fair, and not come across as attacking anything and everything the Mayor proposes simply because the Mayor proposes it.
Lambasting Godfrey for applying for this money is unjustified, seems to me. He was criticized here at WCF [and rightly so, I think] for his foot-dragging on developing an Ogden trolley line for years, so that we didn't have a project ready to go that could have tapped recent federal stimulus funds. But now, some here are lambasting him for applying for federal funds to support a river-improvement project Ogden does have ready to go.
Applying for the funds for Ogden River restoration work downtown is a good idea. It's the right thing for the city to have done. I hope we get the money. I doubt we will, since Ogden's request would soak up the entire allocation available, but I hope we get a significant portion of it. This is a matter on which, seems to me, Hizzonah and his critics can and should agree, on grounds that it'll be good for Ogden City.
Well Curm, you can trust lying little matty all you want, but lets see how this grant, if it comes through, is spent.
There's some enlightening info here. The river was channeled a long time ago, now the river expert says they intend to expand it and provide a broader corridor. That should be a good thing, right? But that wasn't what was displayed in leshams little presentation at the can building.
One can't help but wonder how deceptive this could be. We know that their original plans included some very artificial water features that don't enhance the river, but possibly could enhance gadi's wallet. Could the new course enable mony be spent directly to benefit gadi's need to demolish homes? Another avenue to channel funds to his pocket?
When this plan was first revealed it was as if the river was gadi's person water feature, he would designate where activities such as fishing would be allowed, and he had condos and apartments right up to the banks. This didn't present the picture of broadened corridors.
A major provision of this application should require the preservation of the whole corridor and allow for no artificicial private features. There should be an encroachment limit for all developement. The river is an asset that if done right will produce a far greater benefit than anything a developer can, and will outlast anything that's put there. It needs to be done right, and for the long term.
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