Pick up on any of the below topics, or talk about whatever floats your boats
Red meat political news is once again in short supply this morning; so we'll set up an open topic thread. Just to get the conversation rolling, here are a few suggested topics, for those readers who'd like to work out the kinks after the now-concluded Mothers Day Weekend.
1) We took the day off yesterday; but we don't want to let one more minute slip by without shining the spotlight on yesterday's strong editorial, wherein in this the Standard-Examiner editorial board joins with Weber County Forum in urging the Ogden City Council to "force [Ogden Police Chief] Greiner to allow a permanent [pharmaceutical collection] lock box in the [Ogden Public safety Building] lobby":
You'd think a hard-core crime-fighter like Chief Greiner would be falling all over himself to do anything possible to help get unused or unneeded prescription medications outta the medicine cabinets and offa the streets. Instead, he's baffling everybody, it seems, as the sole top cop in Utah who refuses to lift a finger to help implement last year's federal Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act. Time we think, for the Council to give him a nudge. Yes everyone knows that Chief Greiner always wants to do what's right, right? Right!
2) On April 29, the Standard published this puff piece, announcing "[t]he most expensive public art piece in city history, costing $300,000, will be unveiled late this summer as part of the long-awaited Ogden River Project." Ogden resident and SE reader Ruth Darrington now follows this up with this pot-stirring letter to the editor, questioning everything from the price tag to the "artsiness" of this "pricey" riverside art project.
So what about it, O Gentle Readers? Has Emerald City arts spending jumped unreasonably outta control, just like everything else that originates on the ninth floor of city hall? And does Ms. Darrington make a reasonable point in suggesting that projects like these should be shuffled to local artists?
The Deseret News reports that House and Senate voted to return the state to a five-day workweek over the weekend, with an extraordinary Saturday night vote:
So what about it, WCF readers (just outta curiosity)... Is this veto override a major step in the right/wrong direction... or no big deal at all?
You know the drill. Pick up on any of the above topics, or talk about whatever floats your boats.
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14 comments:
Let me explain how funding for art projects works -- everytime the city goes out for funding of a capital improvement project, a small percentage goes to fund and maintain art in the city. When we were bonding for the water and sewer infrastructure projects about three years ago, the amount designated for art was huge (like $500,000.) and I said that I didn't feel comfortable with increasing the bond by that amount to fund art projects because there were people in the city who were having trouble paying their taxes as it was, and suggested that we amend the ordinance to read that when funding of CIP projects that were over a certain amount the percentage designated for art be reduced, but I was shot down. So when we bonded for new water and sewer pipes and the other needed infrastructure improvements about $500,000. (a half a million dollars) went to fund art projects and their maintenance. I know art adds to our quality of life, but I still think that the city administration and some council members and staff are not connected with the real needs of our communiity and its taxpayers.
That ordinance that funds art for the city needs to be amended before projects like the streetcar and fieldhouse are bonded. Contact your city council members and let them know how you feel about the percentage that goes to art when such large projects are funded.
Thanks for the additional input, Dorrene. Highly enlightening, to say the least!
Cryptic Message For Ozboy... just for fun!:
Warren Zevon: Lawyers, Guns and Money. I'm sure you'll agree; we already taqlked about this on the phone.
Cryptic message to Oz from me, Warren:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5puAN1PGQw
Cryptic message to Oz from me, Warren Z:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...
This is off-topic, but I'm visiting here and tried to listen to KLO radio today. Where in the hell did your local radio station find so many right wing assholes to occupy your local airwaves?
Regarding the ridiculously overpriced art, Rudi, it's the same old problem. Ogden City elected officials have no compunctions at all about wasting other peoples' money
Rudi:
I had a small problem with the four-day state work-week on December 31, the last day to renew my auto registration in 2010. I'd forgotten about the Friday closure and hustled down to the Ogden DMV, which was closed. Utah law provides an automatic extension of time until the next business day however, so I was confident in driving my car around over the weekend, and then renwed my registratation on the following Monday. It was no biggee for me at all, even though I had to make a second trip to the DMV the following Monday.
Speaking of funding set aside or bonded for acquiring and maintaining art for the city ... where's the money going to come from to maintain (un-winterize) the pickleball courts? the ordinance / proposal for that kick in the balls stupid city attraction said it would have zero fiscal impact ...
Welcome to Utah.
From the parks and recreation budget, of course. The courts, like city tennis courts or softball fields or soccer fields, are part of the rereational opportunities the city maintains for its residents. The construction costs were donated, so seems to me, if the Council and Administration wanted to add that option to the city's recreational mix, they got a very good deal for the taxapayers.
Full disclosure: I do not play Pickleball. I do walk past the courts in good weather with some frequency and they seem to be being used. Given that, the addition of the courts [construction at someoone else's expense], was probably a sound decision.
Well, Al, the City Council decided some time ago to earmark a small percentage of project funds to public art. It can revisit that decision if it wants to, as Dorrene suggested. But the money is at the moment allocated for public art. No matter what art it is spent on, someone is not going to like it. I can't thank of public art anywhere in the country that hasn't set some people howling in complaint. When the winning design for the VN War Memorial in DC was announced, a roar of protest went up from the vets organizations like the VFW and American Legion some of whom called it a "black gash of shame." Its It's proven instead to be one of the most sucessful pieces of American public art ever.
Art should be bought local - my two cents.
Also who is crazy enough to be building another office building in downtown Ogden. 24th and Lincoln (the Lincoln center). Personally I would wait till the Wells Fargo office filled up.
WSU held a public meeting this afternoon for residents of neighborhoods close to the U to discuss the university's "plans and projects" -- i.e. development matters. Ann Millner, presiding.
Anyone attend? Anyone know what went on?
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