Red meat news has again slowed to a crawl this weekend, so we thought it might be appropriate this morning to devote some space to a couple of bits and pieces of new municipal election 2009 information:
1) For those who are unaware, Council "A" Seat candidate Susan Van Hooser is in the midst of a grassroots campaign contribution drive, whereby she's attempting to raise a modest $800 in donations, through the PayPal donation button on her website. From Ms. Van Hooser's Facebook page we receive this 10/16/09 project update:
Thank you for all of your support. We've received $150 in the last 48 hours in just online donations. We're well on our way to our goal of $800. This is just half of the $1,500 my opponent has received from The Northern Wasatch Association of Realtors, a special interest group wanting to get supporters in the council to do work for Ogden's Real Estate and not Ogden's Citizens. Our grassroots campaign is going strong and would thrive greatly with your support. There's no contribution too small, if you could spare $10 that would be greatly appreciated. Please visit my website for more info.If you haven't yet coughed up at least a few shekels to help out with Susie's campaign, why not amble over to her campaign website, click the donation button and make a contribution right now?
2) We've received several emails from WCF readers, expressing appreciation for our Ogden City 2009 General Election Voting Guide, which we posted on Friday. In that connection, some of you said you got some extra chuckles from this segment, "focusing" on Ward 3 Candidate Pat Dean:
Fun is fun, gentle readers; but we want to give the man a completely fair shake. So being the curious type, we accordingly contacted Patrick Dean by telephone, and requested that he send us some info -- something to let our readers know what he and his campaign are all about. Mr. Dean cordially agreed to do so; and here's the information he promptly sent:Patrick “Invisible Man” Dean
I’ve never met this guy. I’ve never seen him, and I don’t know anybody who can describe anything about him. The people who finance me apparently found him someplace, and got him to run by telling him the job pays several hundred dollars a month. They assure me he’ll do what I tell him to do. This is exactly the kind of visionary, forward-looking candidate we need more of in Ogden.
• Patrick Dean - A Few Words About Myself.....,In speaking with Mr. Dean, we were also delighted to learn that he has a fairly information-rich (although still "under construction") campaign website:
• Vote Pat DeanAs we know, there are numerous readers among us who are not completely satisfied with Councilman Doug Stephens' somewhat unpredictable council performance; and even one or two readers (or more) have come out and suggested they like Mr. Dean as their preferred candidate. We're thus shining a little brighter spotlight on the other Ward 3 alternative.
Our inclusion of this information should be in no way interpreted as a Weber County Forum endorsement of Mr. Dean's candidacy (not at this point, at least); but we thought it might be useful for our readers to know he's not really quite "the invisible man" he's heretofore appeared to be.
That's it for now, gentle readers.
Have at it; and let the ever curious world-wide blogosphere know what our ever-savvy WCF readers think. We know you're out there; we can hear you breathing.
Alternatively, feel free to consider this an open topic thread.
28 comments:
I don't live in District 3, but I like Pat Dean! Please stick with it in your support for the fire deparment - the station that services my neighborhood is falling down around them and they need to fill up their truck's water reserves twice a day, whether they use it or not.
J Neil
Rudi
Think you did a good thing by posting the Dean information. I think a lot of people on this site may have jumped to conclusions a about Dean because he was an unknown to them. The Godfreyites are so sneaky that some times good level headed people get suspicious of however is running for council unless they are a known commodity.
I'm sure Dean was not even aware of the Weber County Forum. If he were a Godfrey plant, like some people assumed, he certainly would have been well briefed on site.
He seems to me to be a pretty straight shooter as well as smart and well informed. He also doesn't strike me as any one who would let Godfrey bully him or dictate his vote. I am comfortable that he would represent all the people fairly and not be an automatic vote for the mayor.
I also like Stephens, he is a nice and genuine guy. I don't think he goes too deep however and it has been my observation of him that he is pliable and will vote the way the last person that had his ear wants him to. I hate to say it, but he doesn't seem to have any strong convictions either way, especially about the ethics of how the mayor operates across the board and specifically with the Mr. Ogden Park situation.
It is interesting how the Standard is manipulating their comments section with the article of a couple of days ago wherein Representative Hansen called bull shit on Phipps' apparent flaunting of the election laws.
There was a lively interchange happening there for 37 comments including some strong letter writing praising all things Phipps - from ostensibly a Senior Citizen, wise in her years, 3 years in town from Atlanta just like Phipps,and her "hens" clatch that she called her bridge club, and how they all unanimously agree that young Phipps is absolutely the cat's ass and that Blair is some simpleton bump on the log that doesn't even deserve to be considered. She also labels him a pawn of the dark forces that are trying to hold back progress.
Then the people with at least half a brain, and some with one and a half, weighted in and pretty much decimated her in a few interchanges back and forth.
My guess is that "May Smith" was a simple made up name and that the emails were being written by Phipps himself, or some well meaning but amateur person in his entourage.
If you look at the article now - Sunday afternoon - the stats says it has 49 comments. If you go to the article it will only show you 37 or just about the time poor old "May" started getting outed as the fraud "she" is. Phipps has already shown himself to be a fraud so it certainly makes sense that he would conduct his campaign this way as well.
I also had noticed on the main page where they have lots of articles and other stuff listed in double column's and where they listed the "May" last entries before she started to get really creamed. This of course leads any one interested in that headline to click to the article where they are only publishing comments from when "May" still seemed a little legit.
Just like God, the Standard works in mysterious ways!
To me, the value of "Godfrey's" voting guide is that it provides information in an entertaining way.
I personally hold no ill feelings toward anybody, even Geigers, and I do not oppose all of Godfrey's policies. But I do strongly oppose some of them. And I do assert that with Hains, Phipps, and Garner, you will have Godfrey effectually occupying those council seats himself.
As to Dean, I see his signs in places where Godfreyites have always been. I am unconvinced that he is independent. But I do appreciate Rudi giving him a fair shake.
I feel that Stephens is undesirable, but is more likely independent than Dean. And Stephens did vote well on several high visibility issues.
Dean's answers to questions also disturbed me. They sounded like classic stealth Godfrey. I hate to misjudge anybody, but I have to judge, and that is my judgment.
ozboy
at the top of the comments section, change the viewing option DATE to Oldest First (save settings) -- then you get to the bottom and can click on NEXT for the next page -- there you can still read all of the comments.
js, BB
"May Smith" = Blake Fowers
Went and read the letter after reading the posts here...it covered "ALL" the bases..mentioned all non-friends of Godfrey in unfavorable light. Funny thing is..it discussed a lot of detail
I would expect a realtor to know and then tried to deflect that knowledge to her "sister"...May Smith??..yeah, right
I'm looking forward to meeting Ms. Smith. Anyone who knows her should have her give me a call so we can set it up.
May Smith is a cheap and silly fiction created by the, not as clever as he thinks, Mr. Phipps. The more May writes the more evident it becomes.
Comment bumped to front paqe
Comment moved to new article thread
Well Good Afternoon All,
Just a note to let you know that I'm here and interested in your comment and concerns..... Questions are alway helpful..
Please be patient with me I really new to this blog
If there is any issue you would like my opinion, feel free to ask????
Mr Dean,
Recently, the city council considered an ordinance that would have required owners of large breed aggressive trait dogs to require special licensing, including an insurance policy, a safety checked enclosure, and increased fines for those out of compliance.
Would you weigh in on irresponsible dog ownership and city laws?
Mr. Dean
What is your opinion of the questionable ethical violations concerning residency and voting irregularities by Phipps? What do you think should be done, what time table and should the voters be informed as to the truth of the matter before or after the election?
I was impressed with Mr. Dean at the "meet the candidates" night (as you might recall from my summary of it). He seemed a common-sense candidate dedicated to preserving our open-space and gave a definitive NO to the Gondola and silly Mount Ogden Park development. I hope you continue to stand by those remarks, Mr. Dean.
BTW I'd like to mention I mixed up Mr. Dean and Mr. Garner in my previous summary. Just switch those two names and you'll be fine.
Mr. Dean
As a follow up to "Stan's" question, from what you have seen, and from what you know now, do you think thee might be some ethical problems with the way Ogden city has been operating for the last several years?
What would you do to open up a secret city government if you got elected and found such a thing?
What ideas do you have about ethics reform in city and state governments, and about what might be done to make those government more open and transparent?
Where do you stand on the ethics initiative now collecting signatures?
Where do you stand on the redistricting initiative now collecting signatures?
have you signed either one?
Do you intend to?
Stan,
You pose an interseting question. Residency and voting irregularities should be the concern of everyone. The rules are designed to create a fair and equal platform from which all are to be measured. No one person should be exempt when the stakes are so high. Assuming that the facts are true and I have no reason to doubt Rep. Hansen. I feel Mr. Phipps should be given the opportunity to withdraw quietly and fade away or stay and fight the battle. With the number of mistakes that have already come to light in this particular race. where we really suprizes by the investigative findings. The voters have a right to know the truth so that they can make an informed decision when it come to voting.
Good morning Danny,
Just a note to reassure you that the fact that my signs are resting in the dirt of a confirmed Godfreyite. Sometimes it's just hard to get somone to let you put your sign in a well exposed space that is either in or bordering your respective Municipal Ward.
I try to practice safe politics at all times... Most people have been fair and allowed several if not all the candidates equal sign parking time.
I encourage you to check out my blog and see how I view several of the prominent subjects facing this election.
Welcome ozboy,
There appears to be certian anomilies that don't seem to stack up.... on being the fact that painting a picture from a skewed position has a way of diverting your eyes away from the real picture. Some of the questions I have is that the present administration has been allow to re-allocate funds from project. Thus not allowing us to see the real picture. Funds being diverted from a storm water project slated to be accomplished on Harrison Blvd. to pay for Engineering on the River Restoration Project. Anoither case in point is mentioned in my blog on the Mt Ogden Golf Course. In doing some research into Public Employees Salaries on UtahsRight.com I found the there are currently 2 high level executives being funded out of the Golf Course funds. Perhaps this is an error in information the city provided UtahRight... but you can see that it forulates questions that need to be answered.
Question of Ethics reform in city and State government. We need establish strict guidelines and enforcable penelties for poiticians that seem to feel that they are above the law. Well just because you help make the laws dosen't mean that you are above them. I have always envisioned a state legislature that spent the first half of their sessionevaluating the legislation that they enacted in the previous year to see if the legistlation is what they had hoped for... or could it be revised to accomidate the precieved outcome.
Thruthfully, I am not up to snuff on the Initiative now being passed around concering ethis and redistricting. I'll have t do some research and get back to you on these issues.
Mr Dean,
The information on the utahs right website is incorrect. The Ogden City bugdet has the details regarding salaries in the individual departments. The salaries you mention are not attributed to the golf budget in the budget passed by the City Council.
Mr. Dean,
Thanks for coming on this blog for a good discussion.
I am a big (public) supporter of the Fair Boundaries initiative. If you click on the link, you can find out more about the Fair Boundaries project.
Short version: it would set up an independent commission, 4 Democrats, 4 Republicans, and 3 independents, who would be charged with coming up with a scoring scheme for the redistricting process. The scoring would be based on equal district size and adherence to existing geographic and political boundaries (e.g. city limits; county lines).
They would then be tasked to present to the Utah Legislature a plan with a maximum score. The Legislature could override the recommendation, but the scores would be made public so that everyone could see the rationale for the decisions made.
If, after reading this, you (or anyone else) decides to sign the petition, I have a copy. I need to return it soon, so let me know.
Again, a question from the back row:
Mr Dean,
Recently, the city council considered an ordinance that would have required owners of large breed aggressive trait dogs to require special licensing, including an insurance policy, a safety checked enclosure, and increased fines for those out of compliance.
Would you weigh in on irresponsible dog ownership and city laws?
Good Afternoon Mr. Hutchins,
I went and visited you site and was quite taken by the work that you folks have alreaddy completed and also with the goals that you have set for this Initiative. I like the formula of 4+4+3, together with the scoring process you have outlined seems to be consitiantly fair for all. At least the first part of the equation is sound.
I feel the Legislators will be more inclined to view information from a bi-partician group from a different light then from one side or the other leaving the independents to work to be herd.
I would be incline to sign an inititive. Where and when can I view and sign?
Dear Hey You! Candidate!
This question looks just like the one Mr. Cook asked about Large Breed agressive trait dogs. This issue has been reviewed and discussed with the existing council. they have tabled it due to definitions... such as what breeds, which weight and size requirements. There will need to be further study on this proposed ordinance prior to bring back for a vote...
I'm interested to see what definitions are brought to the table, and more so the discussions that will follow.
Mr. Dean
Do you think the trolley from down town to the college is a good idea? If so, what street do you think it should run east on? Do you have any other ideas on what the future of mass transit should look like in Ogden?
Mr. Dean,
I wish I were one of the leaders of the Fair Boundaries initiative. I'm just a worker bee.
I will come find you, petition in hand.
Mr. Hutchins
I'm toting around both petitions. It seemed to me the two subjects were closely related being it is the questionable ethics of the state legislature that is at the heart of this gerrymandering problem.
Short of a constitutional change, I'm not to optimistic that either initiative will ultimately do much good. If either or both pass, the legislative leaders (so called) will end up gutting them anyway.
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