Wednesday, November 09, 2011

2011 Ogden Municipal Election: The Aftermath - Updated

A WCF reader invitation to do a post-mortem on the "cleanest" and most uplifting Ogden City Municipal Election during the six years in which Weber County Forum has been covering Ogden election races

I can't tell you how well it went. I can't thank you for all you have done.

Mike Caldwell
Caldwell wins Ogden mayoral race
November 9, 2011

I’m excited to work with a new administration. From my experience working with Mike ... he’s a consensus builder, and that’s a refreshing change. Even if you have the greatest ideas, if you can’t articulate them to the public, it creates problems.

Amy Wicks
Wicks, Hyer secure spots on Ogden City Council
November 9, 2011

I’ve watched the administration and the council barter back and forth for years now, although bartering may not be the right word. Maybe it’s barking. But I think I can bring some unity to city government

Richard Hyer
Wicks, Hyer secure spots on Ogden City Council
November 9, 2011

As we reported last night, the final (unofficial) results are in; and Mike Caldwell, Richard Hyer, Caitlin Gochnour and Amy Wicks emerge as the clear winners from what turned out to be the "cleanest" and most uplifting Ogden City Municipal Election during the six years in which Weber County Forum has been covering Ogden election races. Both the Standard-Examiner and Salt Lake Tribune had reporters working into the wee hours, and we accordingly provide the following post-election stories "bright and early" this morning:
The floor's open, Weber County Forum readers. Who'll be the first to offer their own take on the true meaning of all this?

Update 11/9/11 9:52 a.m.: Thanks to a tip from another sharp-eyed and alert WCF reader, we're delighted to link this Jennifer Neil post-election concession statement and thank you note, which just popped up on the Standard-Examiner website:
Seems to us that there just has to be a place for a smart, talented and community-dedicated Ogden citizen like narrowly-defeated Ogden Council Ward 2 candidate Jennifer J Neil somewhere in Ogden City government. With all due respect for her vote-count prevailing 2011 Ogden Municipal Election opponent, Richard Hyer, it still seems to us that the voters of Ogden's City's Ward 2 seriously missed the boat, in failing to select her for the Ward 2 Council position. Ms. Neil does however mention her understanding that "there will (soon) be an opening (Mr. Hyer's PC seat) on the City Planning Commission ...." We'll consequently be keeping our fingers crossed that Ms. Neil will be submitting her planning commission (or some other similar position of responsibility) application forthwith... Go Jennifer, Go!

19 comments:

Dan S. said...

Yep, it was a pretty clean campaign. But we should still make note of the exceptions and strive to do even better. Details to follow.

rudizink said...

Dan S. posted a savvy comment under yesterday's article, which we'll take the editorial liberty of re-posting here, in the spirit of kicking off a little morning discussion:

I suspect that if Safsten had entered the race along with the others, he would have come out ahead of Thompson in the primary and we would have had a close Wicks v. Safsten race in the general election. However, such a serious challenger at that stage would also have forced Wicks to mount more of a campaign of her own, raising more money and getting her own message out to voters. Also, of course, we should remember that Thompson's platform was more similar to that of Wicks than to that of Safsten. So I wouldn't read too much into the fact that Wicks got slightly under 50% of the vote.

OneWhoKnows2 said...

That Ninth Floor is gonna need one hellva scrubbin !

Dorrene Jeske said...

(NOTE:  I posted this comment last night at abou 10:30  under the previous thread.  I am so happy about the results of  two of the races that I am copying it to here.)WE OUGHT TO CELEBRATE!!   After the first of the year, Godfrey and both of his evil rubber stamp council members will be gone and we won't have to endure their immature behavior any longer. I hope Amy will be able to sue Rick Safsten for using her picture without her consent in one of his mailings that was full of misrepresentations and lies in his dirty campaign.     

The only race that I'm disappointed with is the one between Jennifer Neil and Richard Hyer, but she should feel good that it was as close as it was with all the problems she has had (her accideent) and with him being a well-known (loud mouth) stake president. You did a good job, Jennifer! I just feel sorry the council members who will  have to work with Mr. Know-It-All because he is ALWAYS right!I viewed the November 1 Council Meeting, and I was proud of the Council and thought Caitlin did an excellent job of dealing with our spoiled little brat of a mayor.

Monotreme said...

I'm giving some thought to a run for Ogden School Board. Perhaps Jennifer Neil would be interested in joining me. There are four board members (of 7) whose terms end in Dec 2012 and so the opportunity exists for a positive change in that corner of the world as well.

I live in District 5, and I believe Ms. Neil lives in District 6. Both seats may be contested in 2012.

http://www.ogdensd.org/board.php

I find myself angry and frustrated at the way OSD teachers have been treated this last year, and that's piled on top of my frustration at the passive way in which the Board allowed tax revenues to be stolen from schools to fund the Junction, as documented by Dan S. last year. Voters need to be reminded of these endemic OSD problems a year from now.

Monotreme said...

I didn't have it at hand earlier, but here's the link to the Dan S.  article about the financial hit OSD took in last year's Junction debacle:

http://wcforum.blogspot.com/2009/08/junction-what-next.html

BikerBabe said...

Having just received my property tax bill in the mail, I was pondering how much of the $500 that is S'posed to go to OSD will actually make it there this year ...

js

BB

Bob Becker said...

Don't rub it in, Rudi.   Mr. Stephenson lost,  of course he and his family look disappointed.  No reason to rub it in. 

Bob Becker said...

Nine years. Have at em both fists flying while the game is on. But when youve won youve won. Sorry Rudi but Im an old fashioned Brooklyn boy out of the 40s and 50s.. We didnt keep pounding once a guy was down. Not even after elections. Once the fat lady sings, its over.

rudizink said...

Oh?  You think the fight is over? LOL! 

blackrulon said...

How true. The election is over. Lets not review the past 12 years and see what happened. The election ois over. Ignore the past history and forget what happened.

Bob Becker said...

Nonsense. I said nothing of the kind. What I said was crowing over the photo of Mr. S. and his family looking down after he lost was uncalled for. And it was.

rudizink said...

Sorry, Bob and Blackrulon.  I'll continue to cut "The Sockpuppet"  No Slack.".

Doing that will just bring him back to pester us later, just like Safsten during this election.

Gotta admit I'm a mite worried about you two guys.

Whattsamata with you old cynical warhorses, these days?

Getting a little soft in your old age, are you???

:-)

Danny said...

You know, years ago, Godfrey really seemed like an up and comer.  But his ego and his contempt for other was his downfall.  It seems his religious training would have helped him avoid that, but instead it convinced him that he was God's chosen one.  He wasn't.  Far from it.

His resume would read, Energetic hard working man seeks a position.  Enthusiastic and eager but with appalling personal skills.  Detests others and views them with contempt.  Call......

I wonder if even the pizza parlor will take him back.  Get some humility, Matt. 

Disappointed said...

>>>Have at em both fists flying while the game is on.<<<

Good.  What you don't seems to understand though, is that in politics, the game is always "on".

blackrulon said...

Sorry but you are wrong enough on this question you could be twins. The election might be over but the after effects of Godfreys administration will linger for years. Yes I was happy to see Stephenson lose. His loss was a win for Ogden.

Bob Becker said...

Once again you saying nothing I disagree with. Nothing. All I said was gloating over the picture of him and family down after the results were in was rubbing it in and uncalled for. Still think so.

Bob Becker said...

When I moved here,  about a year before the Mayor's first re-election campaign, I asked someone who was familiar with him in city government what he thought of him.  Among his comments was this:  "Does not play well with others."  Best thumbnail description of Hizzonah's governing style I've seen yet.  My informant said the Mayor was absolutely convinced of the rightness of whatever it was he wanted done at any given point, and would simply stomp ahead straight over anyone who disagreed, including the Council.  Shortly after we spoke, the Council told the Mayor "no" on spending a great deal of money to buy expensive roll-away seats for the new amphitheater, that the budget wouldn't justify the expenditure that year. He went ahead and bought them anyway.   It was a harbinger of things to come.  And in the end, that "I'm right and to hell with you" attitude severely hampered him in his final term in office.  

I think Mr. Caldwell is shrewd enough to understand that treating the Council and his critics with respect [which does not mean agreeing with them when he doesn't] is a far more successful tactic of city management than Hizzonah's bull-in-a-china-shop contemptuous approach. 

We'll know soon enough. 

gadi curtumbob g said...

God, you're a sorry, self-righteous ass, Becker. "You're wrong" are your two favorite words. You act just like Godfrey.

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