We'd like to call attention to a revealing example of wacky Ogden politics this morning, as the Standard-Examiner reports that "the city council may adopt a resolution later this month asking police to hold monthly medication take-back events because of Chief Jon Greiner's reluctance to put a pharmaceutical collection box in the lobby of the Ogden Public Safety Building":
It seems to us that somebody on the council initially came up with a pretty good idea, an eminently sensible proposal to locate a permanent drop box for the disposal of unused prescription and over-the-counter medications in the Ogden Public Safety Building lobby. According to this Standard-Examiner graphic, the idea wasn't a novelty either, inasmuch as similar drop boxes seem to have already been employed in the lobbies of police departments all across our fair state:
Sadly, the idea didn't play out all that well in Ogden however, where Ogden City administrative departments oddly and jealously guard their turf against the perceived encroachment of our Ogden City legislative body, the City Council. Accordingly, Chief Greiner has come up with a set of vague and a half-assed formal excuses to oppose the installation of a cop-shop drop-box. Topping it all off we now find our Ogden City Council Chair, Ms. Gochnour, (not exactly a model of strong political will herself,) rolling over on the issue without so much as a whimper, and saying (with a completely straight face) that "having monthly collection events is a good compromise to a permanent disposal bin."
Our advice to Ms. Gochnour and the rest of our will-o-the-wisp City Council? Pass the danged ordinance as originally proposed, and explain to Chief Greiner that he can either live with a drug drop-box in his precious Public Safety Building lobby, or find new employment in a city where the Chief of Police sets overall city policy.
That's our take and we're stickin' to it!
So what say our gentle readers about all this?
4 comments:
Well said, Rudi. Greiner's rationalizations don't hold water so it seems pretty clear that he's merely against any idea that comes from the city council. This has also been Godfrey's tactic for the last 11 years: oppose anything the council wants to do, just for the sake of beating them down.
Unbelieveable, that double dip Greiner is opposed to allowing a drop box in a police lobby. This is a potential partial solution to the #1 drug problem in Utah, legal RX drugs used illegally. Cost argument is a red herring, a 5 minute a day administrative duty to document and log in (like evidence) and maybe once a month coordinate a pick-up via public health department. The occasional public drop offs at health departments are fine and this effort would compliment that and allow citizens to get rid of unwanted drugs in a timely manner. What a dweeb...
It appears that the more money Greiner receives the less he is willing to do for the money.
Makes one wonder what Ms. Gockner and Mr. Godfrey have been discussing behind closed doors in the weekly chew-out session.
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