Thursday, December 31, 2009

2009 End-of -Year Wrap-up

Added bonus: A reader invitation to chime in with nominations for the most humorous, ironic, politically embarrassing and/or otherwise significant stories to have been revealed on the Emerald City scene during the year 2009

Well, it's New Year's Eve, as another memorable year draws to a close. And here at Weber County Forum, no year can be regarded as complete without offering our readers a glance at humor columnist Dave Barry's anual year-end wrap-up. So here's the 2009 version, folks, straight from the pages of the Miami Herald:
Dave Barry's year in review: 2009
And when you're done with that, we invite our readers to chime in with their own nominations for the most humorous, ironic, politically embarrassing and/or otherwise significant stories to have been revealed on the Emerald City scene during the year 2009. And just to get the ball rolling, we'll ask our gentle readers... how about these?

Continuing revelations regarding 2007 municipal election campaign contribution corruption?

Boss Godfrey's shockingly candid apology for Dining Car/Tourist Information Center cost overruns, and John "Pureheart" Patterson's subsequent admission that he's an idiot?

Stories involving Boss Godfrey's hand-picked "blue ribbon" "Citizens'"Golf Course Committee, which ultimately produced the exact recommendation which Godfrey watchers expected?

Boss Godfrey's incessant and seemingly incurable Gondola Obsession?

The public financial collapse of Ogden River Project "moneyman," Gadi Leshem, perhaps?

Boss Godfrey's highly fortuitous Capital Improvement Fund misappropiation bailout?

Stories related to Godfreyite council candidate David Phipps, chronicling the campaign "meltdown" of arguably the most inept council candidate in the history of Emerald City?

Lots of stories to choose from during the past year.

Who will be the first to comment?

And yes... Happy New Year, everyone!

10 comments:

RLM said...

I find it ironic that the PPC honcho in charge of raising funds for David Phipps is having his home foreclosed. Maybe he should have been raising money to pay his mortgage rather than throwing catered campaign parties for "real estate" Phipps in a house already substanially behind on payments.

It's public record gentle one's.

OgdenLover said...

The Phipps fiasco has got to be the most embarrassing local political story of the year (or decade).

oh ya! said...

Thanks to Rep. Hansen for bringing down the Phipps real estates giant candidate. He is a jewel for Ogden and I'm glad that he is my Representative.

Ogdenite said...

Funny how these Godfreyites - masters of the universe all - can't seem to keep a job, stay out of foreclosure, etc.

It must be nice to be - like Godfrey himself - incompetent, but with lots of taxpayer money to play with.

My personal favorite story of the year was this one, hands down.

Descente Tells "the Geigers" to Take a Hike

Look for these inept, loudmouthed SOBs to be turning up in $100,000+ per year jobs on our Ogden City payroll, in early 2010.

City council, eliminate the business development office!

Bob Becker said...

[Off topic.]

Salt Lake City bookseller Ken Sanders has a very interesting letter to the editor in the current issue of the SL City Weekly that deals with matters that have come up on WCF over the past year or two. He asks why the State of Utah is giving massive tax subsidies to large companies like E-Bay which compete with smaller locally owned and locally grown businesses like his. And doing it [in part] with tax money collected from his un-subsidized business.

It's a well-argued letter, raising significant questions about the role of government [in this case, state government] in subsidizing private businesses with public funds. And the questions he raises, seemed to me, apply as well to municipal governments granting subsidies to "outside" businesses which then compete with local and home-grown businesses. Chewy well-written piece. Well worth read.

disgusted said...

RLM

Who's house is being foreclosed on and where in public records can that be substanciated?

coke head said...

No small city in the west will hump your leg quite like Ogden does.

Machster said...

I sorta like the most recent one were the mayor was going around knocking on little ole ladies doors after dark lobbying for his latest plans for development. And letting them know he is some grand phuba of the saints.

I am still laughing over that mighty midget's malignant mayorial manipulation.

Where DO these people come from? LOL

news eagle said...

Ogden home boy, and WCF supporter, Tom Owens made the cut with the Salt Lake Tribune "Dream Headlines"

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_14102682?IADID=Search-www.sltrib.com-www.sltrib.com

Ccrandalls said...

Just to clarify T. Fischer was never a PPC “Honcho”, while he was able to con the ownership at first into thinking he was an asset and had “substantial” financial abilities.  It turned out that the real owners of PPC, like his credit cards, his mortgage, his investments, his investors, Ogden City loan fund and on and on were just fooled by the thin veneer with a big mouth and a fat head.  Otherwise known as Thaine Fischer not unlike his partner in crime Larry Beddome, both spend more time preening themselves than actually working, all to the dismay of every note holder with their names signed to them. 
I am hopeful that the next Mayor and administration will identify these two bottom feeders for the leaches they are and run them out of town on pole.  I remember a day when Ogden had good old fashion criminals, now all we’re are left with the modern day Wayne Ogden’s on the hunt for the next victim… I mean investor.

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