An interesting Standard-Examiner letter to the editor popped up on the SE Live! Edition website this morning, in response to Dan Schroeder's earlier letter, which was published in the SE hard-copy edition on December 11. As we stand mired within yet another S-L-O-O-O-W Emerald City news day, we invite our readers to have a look:
• Godfrey's contributors wanted success in OgdenWe gotta snarkily say, if you read between the lines, the headline truly does encapsulate the gist of the story. The headline truly says it all.
The author, presumably Ogden landscape contractor Rich Combe, apparently finds no problem with a situation where sweetheart contracts are routinely awarded to "paid in full" Friends of Matt (FOM). These folks constitute a highly-deserving "who's who" list of Ogden Boosters, and are thus deserving of certain special "advantages," Mr. Combe seems to suggest.
And if Mr. Combe's following paragraph isn't an outright, unabashed defense of the campaign donation pay-to-play system which seemingly exists under the governance of the Ogden City Administration, it certainly comes within spittin' distance," or so it seems to us:
Let's not start finger-pointing and attempting to stir up misconceptions about our local companies or administration. Why wouldn't anyone want the city to put as much money as possible right back into local businesses? These companies have almost always got to bid any work they provide and they get an advantage because they are local and we should want them to be doing the work. By contracting with local companies it means the money for purchases or projects stays right here in our community; they hire a larger local supplier chain and keep money moving within our area. [Emphasis added].Mr. Combe warns that he hopes "...anyone who wishes that these companies discontinue support of Ogden has a lot of money to pick up the gaps." And in that connection we'll suggest that none of these All-star Ogden Boosters should cease "funding and contributing to events, teams, our schools, non-profit organizations and many other worthwhile causes." If these "special" individuals and corporate entities are sincere and community-minded Ogden Boosters, surely they'll keep on doing that, and there will be no reason to worry about any "gaps."
Special note to Mr. Combe: It's not the true community service efforts that the lumpencitizens are complaining about, but rather the obscenely bloated campaign warchests, coupled with with the special interest privileges and perks which seem to invariably flow to "paid up" FOMs, which cause severe lumpencitizen heartburn.
As a sidenote we'll add that we believe our city council did a fine job in amending Ogden's campaign finance ordinance this year, to provide reasonable individual campaign finance limits. As Gentle Reader Dan S. earlier observed, there's evidence that these ordinance amendments did level the campaign finance playing field in this year's Municipal Election; so in the future, we'll be lobbying the council for an outright ban on corporate contributions.
It's our sincere hope that folks with attitudes like Mr. Combe's will become a dying breed here in Emerald City, as we lumpencitizens carry on our quest for honest, transparent and ethical government. In our view, Bos Godfrey's current Emerald City pay-to-play system needs a stake driven through its evil heart.
That's our opinion; and we're stickin' with it.
Update 12/17/09 11:42 a.m.: For Dan Schroeder's most excellent retort to Mr. Combe on this subject, be sure to check out his comment in the SE article comments section:
• Subtle DifferenceSo what say our gentle readers about all this?
