We find four items in the northern Utah print media which ought to be of interest to our gentle readers this morning:
1) The Salt Lake Tribune reports that Rep. Neil Hansen "is calling for a legislative audit into the $13 million payout by the Utah Department of Transportation to prevent a lawsuit by the second-place finisher for the Interstate 15 rebuild project in Utah County. " In response, GOP legislative leadership predictably vows to sweep the matter under the rug:
• Lawmaker seeks audit on UDOT payout2) The Standard-Examiner announces the good news that "the federal government awarded a contract worth more than $20 million to The Boyer Co. for development and construction of 109,000 square feet of space for IRS operations within the historic Denver & Rio Grande building downtown." This project, which will reportedly "bring hundreds of jobs downtown" is just the shot in the arm that we need in downtown Ogden. No word on how much taxpayer money the Godfrey administration will be forking over to make this deal a reality:
• Contract worth over $20 million to help develop historic building for IRS office space3) The Standard-Examiner editorial board is all gaga over State Senator Stuart Adams's plan to shift a portion of the Utah gas tax to oil producers. What the Standard seems to miss however is the reality that a producer tax increase will inevitably be shifted right back to consumers (Economics 101). Somehow we get the funny feeling that the SE Editorial Board hasn't really thought this through:
• OUR VIEW: Adams' tax plan sound4) Last but not least, and to our great delight, Scott Schwebke reports that the long awaited Leshemville demolition is now fully underway. Better late than never, as the old saying goes:
• River Project home demolition hits high gearThat's it for now.
The comments box is all yours. Have fun today, as always!
32 comments:
Who exaclty is "Elite Building Group" that is doing the demolition at the River Project?....try Googling them and see what you get...bupkiss...would be interesting to know who is behind that company...how long have they been around....
Oh...I see that Gadi gets some buckos from the IRS on development of the Rio Grande building area?...so we get to get paid back for the river demo now?
Oh...and it looks like all the design and construction work is going to Salt Lake firms...figures
Couple of points:
1. I am waiting to hear Republican US Sen. candidate Lee denounce the federal grant to retrofit the IRS building in Ogden as yet another example of the shameful wasteful federal spending that Utah should refuse to accept. And I'm waiting for Rob Bishop to denounce it too. And of course Republican Mayor Godfrey. And waiting... and waiting... and waiting....
2. Nicely Done: Public projects generally go out on bid. And should. If SL design and construction firms offer the best bargain for the price, then they should get the contracts. It's public money being spent and it ought to be spent as efficiently as possible. Rigging bids and awards so that local firms get them even though they may not have offered the best price or design work is precisely the kind of crony government that we often denounce here.
That presumes, of course, that the bid and awarding process was fairly run, and the competition for the contracts fairly conducted. I hope it was, but this is Republican Gov. Herbert's Utah, after all, where contract specs can always be "tweaked" to favor political donors. And the Mayor is as Republican too, let us not forget.
But again, presuming RFPs went out for this project and the bid and competition process was fairly run, the contracts should go to the winners. If they are Salt Lake firms, then so be it.
Crum..totally agree with you on the competition....but those RFP's are not always about the dollars....just seen too many "Ogden" project go that way ....Municipal Building....Public Safety (Colorado)...ect ...yup, lets let the outsiders define who we are and will be...yet we brag up Ogden High, Egyption, Forest Service Bldg, First Security, ect ect....
Boyer put the RFP out btw....
Opps...before the spelling police come out.....Egyptian
Big D Construction is an Ogden company, if I'm not mistaken.
It's interesting that the environmental cleanup arm of the company was not registered until 8/23/10.
Utah Business Search - Details
ELITE BUILDING GROUP, INC.
Entity Number: 6382481-0142
Company Type: Corporation - Domestic - Profit
Address: Unknown, NA 00000
State of Origin:
Registered Agent: SCOTT A SAURIC
Registered Agent Address:
2462 SILVERPOINT WAY BLUFFDALE UT
84065
Status
Status: Active as of 11/03/2006
Renew By: 11/03/2010
Status Description: Good Standing
Employment Verification: Not Registered with Verify Utah
History
Registration Date: 11/03/2006
Last Renewed: 09/14/2009
Additional Information
NAICS Code: 2332 NAICS Title: 2332-Residential Building Construction
---------------------------------
ELITE ENVIROMENTAL RESPONSE CORP
Entity Number: 7763786-0142
Company Type: Corporation - Domestic - Profit
Address: 2462 Silver Pointe Way Bluffdale, UT 84065
State of Origin:
Registered Agent: Scott A Sauric
Registered Agent Address:
2462 Silverpoint Way Bluffdale UT 84065
Status
Status: Active as of 08/23/2010
Renew By: 08/23/2011
Status Description: Good Standing
Employment Verification: Not Registered with Verify Utah
History
Registration Date: 08/23/2010
Last Renewed: N/A
Additional Information
NAICS Code: 2389 NAICS Title: 2389-Other Specialty Trade Contractors
Bid D USED TO BE an Ogden Company...they were on 2nd street near the gate of DDO...then moved to Riverdale...while still saying they were in Ogden...then they moved to SLC on 4th South....spending millions on thier new digs and brought most of thier employees to the Big City...then they opened a small office in SOUTH Ogden...they have not been an Ogden Company for years....but have managed to somehow market themselves as such
From Department of Professional Licensing....
Details for ELITE BUILDING GROUP INC
License Information
Name: ELITE BUILDING GROUP INC
City, State, Zip: RIVERTON, UT 840653029
Profession: CONTRACTOR
License Type: CONTRACTOR WITH LRF
License Number: 6527637-5501
Obtained By: APPLICATION
License Status: ACTIVE
Status Change Reason: EXPIRED LICENSE RENEWAL
Original Issue Date: 03/21/2007
Expiration Date: 11/30/2011
Disciplinary Action: NONE
Docket Number: N/A
Classification(s): Qualifier(s): Association Date(s):
B100 - GENERAL BUILDING QUALIFIER DAVID JAMES STANLEY 2007-03-21
"...they have not been an Ogden Company for years....but have managed to somehow market themselves as such."
Thanks for the info, ND. I stand duly corrected.
Is Neil Hansen the only member of the entire state legislature with the balls and integrity to stand up and point out the emperor is butt naked?
Where is the indignation over this outrage?
Where are the Dems in the middle of this corruption?
Are they all hiding behind their legislative desks waiting to see if Hansen loses his head over standing up for honesty in government?
Is Neil the only one in the whole state government that gives a damn that the tax payers have been ripped for Thirteen Million Bucks over some shady Republican scams?
Possible Gary Herbert 2010 Campaign theme song:
Rain, Rain, Go Away!
Looks like the D&RG building is still displaying a historic Lift Ogden banner!
How Quaint:
They should be collectibles by now. Now Harold Stassen campaign poster.
Damn. Like Stassen campaign posters.
Oz, here's Bob Hope to explain it all for you:
click here
js,
BB
Question here for Ozborn (Ozgood, Ozboy, whomever), Curmudgeon, Ogdenlover, Bikerbabe, and the rest of this elite WCF posting group: (now correct me if I'm wrong)-is not the money that was expended to make the Eastside of Washington buildings federal stimulus dollars, and not Ogden tax dollars? And if so, why is everybody so crazed over this G4G outfit coming in an occupying one of the store fronts? Seems to me that a couple of businesses, especially in this economy, can only aid Ogden's own recovery and maybe get the ball rolling in the right direction.
What, besides Godfrey's penchant for TIF, etc., is the big problem here. It's not uncommon for businesses to get some local help with deferred taxes, etc. when they come to town and open up a store. Happens all the time.
I agree, it would be nice to see a business come in and make a go of it on its nickle alone, but as Curmudgeon says, if someone wants to toss in a little monetary help, he'd be first in line to catch it and run to the bank.
I have a suspicious feeling that if Godfrey has his hand in it, then it's automatically looked upon as blog fodder and something left handed having been done.
This also applies to the development process, where bids and such are held to be very strict instruments and aren't always awarded to these "FOMs." The process is held to rigid audits and the Grant money that assists these projects would be held back if inappropriatness were to be discovered.
It's been some 9 years since Godfrey took office, and this blog's been firing shots at him for about 5 years now, which is fine. But, what would any of you have done differently in his place? Would you toss out an answer or offer a plan that would help to restore Ogden to a better, more positive place?
Hope you don't linch me for this as I'm just wondering about ALTERNATIVES.
"...the big problem here. It's not uncommon for businesses to get some local help with deferred taxes, etc. when they come to town and open up a store. Happens all the time".
Happened all the time, for about 20 years, starting in the late eighties. For centuries before also it occurred, but did so in smoky boardrooms where the city fathers bag-man obsequiously greased and slinked, where the civic best interests were considered well below that of the power aspirations of a select few.
The "pay to play" model for cities to secure outside companies, has already been declared failed in business programs at universities nationwide. A non-starter.
Only out here in the hinterlands with rubes and lil'big shots in charge, would the idea of free land, targeted tax breaks, infrastructure upgrades even be considered.
Quarter billion dollar sports parks where the team has left town; RDA projects where the company was not even able to get out of planning; city give-aways where "hundreds of high-paying jobs" realize not even a scant fifty; already tight tax revenue wasted in a flawed business model.
Note: the various leaders of the financial sectors personal fortunes increased 9 percent last year. How's that honest work and sweat working out for you?
Keith
Here is what I would do -
I would run for city council using what was left of my family's good name and I would attack the mayor's policies in the campaign pointing out how he is dumb and gives money and contracts to his friends who donate money to his campaign. Then after I got elected I would betray all the voters who were stupid enough to buy my common sense campaign promises and I would let the mayor buy me off with a petty do nothing job because the truth is that I was a bust out and no one else would hire me. After the mayor finally go tired of me for being worthless in my do nothing job and got rid of me I would go on a local blog attacking and trying to make fun of the people who were still talking about the same issues that got me elected to begin with. I would do by spouting a bunch of nonsense and using a series of different names so that no one would know it was really me making the comments - names like Blaine Carl, Billy Jack, William O. and Keith Richards. I would then sit back in my drug addled mind and think that no one could tell it was me inspite of my stupid ramblings and dumb attempts to somehow paint the mayor and his team as really smart.
What would you do?
What's In Your Town - Abraham Shreve
Dave - that was way too wicked and funny!
Keith always was the stupid druggy in our little group. I hope people don't judge us all by the daffy junk pouring out of his scrambled brain. He never did make much sense and as you can see nothing has changed with him.
No matter the thread, the conclusions are always the same and the observations of the obvious are mind-numbingly similar. It is hardly surprising that G. is a favorite target for ridicule and name calling - no doubt he deserves that and more, maybe even a striped suit, so what else is new.
Yes indeed folks it has been officially confirmed, your mayor is an ___________ (you fill in the expletive that you deem most appropriate).
We all love to bitch and the WCF is a great place to do it but it's a real pitty that the little dork stumbles along unabated despite all the catchy rhetoric and analysis on the blog and street corners.
We won't make any headway in removing Boss Godfrey until we attack his bad behavior within his political base, the Mormon Church wardhouses.
Are YOU a Mormon lady, Meagian?
Are you willing to speak out against Godfrey with the voters in YOUR CHURCH?
Keith Richards(name for a while) If you would have spent the same amount of effort and energy you do in creating new names to post with you might have uncovered the truth about your pal Godfrey. I believe that you just might have created more WCG postinh names that Charles Dickens or William Shakespeare did in their writing. But like them your posts are fiction.
I'm fairly new to Utah and have been looking at this blog for a couple of months now. I have a couple of questions -
Are there any other mayors or elected people in Utah that are the subject of so much criticism at Ogden's?
If not, why not?
If so, Is he the only bad apple in the state?
If this town's mayor is as corrupt as one would believe from the posts here, why hasn't the state or federal authorities investigated and arrested him by now?
KR:
You ask: "is not the money that was expended to make the Eastside of Washington buildings federal stimulus dollars, and not Ogden tax dollars? And if so, why is everybody so crazed over this G4G outfit coming in an occupying one of the store fronts?"
Speaking only for myself: yes, the initial money was fed stimulus money. My problem is that the Godfrey Administration [and the Council which approved the Administration's plans] have now piled more incentive money in on top of the money paid to rehab these privately-owned buildings. The amount of public investment, then [federal and local] in these buildings which the city does not own has reached pretty impressive proportions over the last two years. Result: one [1] business, which could not get private bank funding, is coming in to occupy one [1] floor of one [1] of the three rehabbed buildings. That may seem like an efficient and effective use of public stimulus money [federal and local] to you. It doesn't seem so to me.
Dave, you forgot B Glassman ...
Keith (Blaine, Billy, William, etal), I'm all for filling up the empty storefronts downtown, and it's hella about time! Federal Stimulus $$ and city declared-blight and how many years gone by ... yes, about time. The Stores need to be filled. No question about that.
Tho it would be nice if local entrepreneurs had a chance at doing business in their own town -- I have a good friend and longtime Ogden businessman who finally landed a Washington Blvd storefront: it has done wonders for his business!
Would that Godfrey could encourage citizens here to do the same rather than surreptitiously taking trips to China & Mexico on our dime to talk to un-named companies who bailed after all - if there was any real interest to begin with.
The big thing here seems to be that the companies coming aren’t much adding to the job base or the jobs added are unskilled type labor that pays little – probably part-time workers and certainly not a living wage for the workers if it is their only job.
Hart skis moving to town, Godfrey says he’s been talking with them for 2 years (?) did he tell us that? What is the nature of the branch of Hart Ski Company that is going to be based in Ogden – HQ and warehousing and they will be bringing 5 jobs – are those jobs folks moving with the company or locals? ESPN news link here
So many questions, so few answers or responses of “I’m not telling right now.”
Just sayin,
BB
Alicia:
See 2002 Olympics.
2002 Winter Olympic bid scandal
The corruption is endemic. It is exposed only to the extent that Federal or other outside agents become involved, because the predominant local culture is so used to it, it doesn't seem wrong anymore.
In case you think I'm criticizing the local culture, I'm not. As Curmudgeon will tell you, the same principles apply elsewhere: Mississippi, Louisiana, Brooklyn. For example, Robert Moses was no Boy Scout. Quite often, the people of our society who believe themselves to be "do-ers" begin to confuse what they want with what is good and right. "L'etat c'est moi," and all that.
Blackrulon, I think you waste more time jousting with the powers to be windmills than those who think up and use fictional names on the blog. I believe all but Stephen M. Cook does this.
So Mick, you belonged to a little group of druggies, huh? Good for you. You've now exposed yourself and from your post, it's no mystery why they call it "dope."
Dave, hire a new counselor. Your obsession has made you crazy with delusion and therefore, you're not contributing. You're but a needle struck in the groove. Do something other than sit on your ass and bitch about the past and the apparent burr under your saddle. Make a change, get your facts straight then jump on out there and help Ogden prosper.
Curmudgeon, I appreciate your clear and concise answer to my question. I was unaware that the City contributed "incentive money" on top of the federal stimulus renovation money, and I, like you, feel that we do reach a limit. It does appear that this sort of thing happens way too often. If what has been written on this blog is factual, and news reports seem to support this, then I agree--enough is enough.
I believe Ozboy (sorry Ozborn)pointed out that Layton/Davis County spend far less on the developmental process and get a much bigger bang for its buck than Ogden does. Perhaps there's a lesson in there, somewhere. Maybe Bill Wright, former head of Ogden's Community Development, who quit his position last Winter to take his talents to Layton to be it's CED Director, has something to do with this. I seem to recall his being pretty much on the ball and not being a fan of some of Ogden's Administrative tactics.
I appreciate you're answering my question, Curmudgeon, and enlightening me as to why the grief over a couple of businesses locating in The Junction area. Discourse of this nature has a value, unlike the petty and boring ranting some are limited too. The blogisphere is comprised of those who lack talent and facts as well as those who possess same. It is, after all, only opinion and one either takes it or leaves it. I can't imagine, though, of being so obsessed over someone or something, for 40 some years now, that writing self gratifying slurs is all that one has to contribute. It seems like the feud is with oneself. However, as Mr. Christian told Captain Blye in Tahiti, "It takes all kinds to make the world go round."
Keith R --
in re your comment to Dave: it's okay to be in the groove.
in re your comment "It takes all kinds to make the world go round." It's Captain William Bligh ... js
you see a pattern with businesses getting $$ from the city as well as federal stim $$ -- my Ogden Businissman Friend acquired his Washington Blvd storefront all on his own, w/o any incentives or help from our silly little mayor. The guys that get help from the mayor don't seem to last very long and we're usually not sure where they came from in the first place (i.e. Gadi Leshem & Miri & his gang)
just sayin
BB
Too funny Keith or Blaine or of course William the third. How did being a godfrey sellout work for you? What ALTERNATIVES besides getting fired and ruining your reputation did your stint as a godfreyite get you? Except for being a coward on this board and ripping people with there real names while hiding behind youre false ones and acting very stupid? Was that the alternative you were talking about? Seems to me some of the people posting on this board could have dished out a lot more dirt on you (really nasty stuff about some really nasty things you did every day for 30 years and other fires real and figurative) using fake names. Everyones name is supposed to be fake but no one besides you ever stooped to outing others and maintaining his own ananymity. As far as you telling others that they are petty for harboring grudges for 40 years and to get over it and do someting, again we ask you: why do you hold these grudges against people here and why do you defend your godfrey sellout pal when all he did was fire your ass? We wouldlove to hear your alternatives to criticinzing illegal and unethical and plain stupid acts of godfrey and his cabal you included. Ooops your not in that circle anymore just bitter and sad.
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