By Monotreme
The Standard-Examiner has seen fit to repeat the "Mt. Ogden Golf Course Losing Money! Really!" meme one more time:
• Upgrading Mt. Ogden Golf Course to take moneyMayor Godfrey is once again presenting the golf course "problem" as one with only two possible solutions: float a bond, or sell to developers. You can see where this is going, because he has commissioned a push poll that shows that people don't want to vote for a bond issue (or so he says, at least not a bond issue framed the way he chose to frame it).
Of course, the fact that even more people don't want to sell off open space to developers bothers him not one whit.
It would be interesting to know what a real poll, instead of a b.s. push poll, would find as far as public opinion regarding Mt. Ogden PARK.
6 comments:
Mono:
I found it interesting that Ogden city's head of golf course operations, Mr. Brenkman, in the story, was painfully clear about how much damage the Mayor's continual and highly public announcements that the course is "unplayable" and "not golfer friendly" has done to business at MOGC. From the story:
Ogden Golf Course division manager Todd Brenkman said the ongoing discussion of what's wrong with Mount Ogden doesn't help perception. Brenkman looks forward to a decision on the course, whatever it may be, because "the ongoing media campaign, the uncertainty, being on the front page of the paper a lot, that old saying that 'bad press can be good press,' I'm here to tell you, that's not true," he said. "I still get as many as five to six calls per week asking 'Are you still open for business?' "
Can't help wondering, along with Mr. Brenkman, how much better business at MOGC would be if Ogden had a Mayor who spent time promoting MOGC instead of constantly running it down instead.
How about a city that put up just one stinkin' sign on Harrison pointing to MOGC. It's about the time of year the kids get out their sleds. Maybe a story about how MO Park is "unsledable" will follow soon.
Curmudgeon,
Remember that Mr. Brenkman went out on limb, just by mentioning the Mayor's negative Mt. Ogden Golf Course campaign (which Godfrey denies). It's a well-known fact by city employees that you don't disagree with Godfrey if you want to keep working for the City. Mr. Brenkman should be applauded for taking such a brave stance and he did preface his comments with "In all honesty."
Rudi stated, "It would be interesting to know what a real poll, instead of a b.s. push poll, would find as far as public opinion regarding Mt. Ogden PARK."
I attended that work meeting last Tuesday, as did several other interested citizens, and found it rather interesting that Councilman Doug Stephens shot down Councilwoman's Jeske's suggestion that the Council have their own information/input process from citizens as they had with Chris Peterson's suggestion for a year-round resort complex in Malan's Basin. He said that they had received a lot of information on the golf course and felt it a duplication and waste. No one mentioned that the information that he referred to was from the mayor's office and was prejudiced. In fact, listening to Stephens and Stephenson, one would have thought that they were reciting from a script that Godfrey had written. I wonder what changed Stephen's mind about the Mt. Ogden golf course? It was probably Godfrey, since he made a point of meeting with each incoming council member for a couple of hours. That was a good move -- meeting and getting to know the new council members, but he should seek and consider their ideas for solving some of the issues they see and what they would like to accomplish , instead of degrading current council members saying they impeded economic progress in the city and trying to see which new council members he could manipulate and where they stood in relation with other new council members.
It's going to take the public to act and demand a reasonable fix for the golf course determined by their own research and not let Godfrey and the SE make that decision.
What a stand up guy.
We could use a bit more brave souls like him in city positions.
Gave his name, and stood up for what he believed in. Wow.
Should be commonplace. Amongst the people who cower at the mention of our mayors name, it gets a kudo. I suppose.
I was on the Mt Ogden Community Planning committee over 3 years ago and we all suggested more signage to promote the MTOGC. We also stated to keep open space and the Park for everyones use.
Our suggestions were ignored and the only sign is at the entrance. Even Dorrene Jeske has tried to have the park and Golf Course promoted and signage and still no action.
The city council still needs an audit for the real numbers, from the parking garage at Amer-Sports, the give away parking garage on Keisel, the Junction costs and return on investment, money lost by all city parks and gold courses, and the revenue taken in from all departments especially the water, trash and sewer.
We taxpayers demand an accounting for city money and where it is spent.
Let's get a petition demanding an accounting of the city's money started. Who has the time to spearhead it and will do so?
Post a Comment