Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Returning the WCF Spotlight to the Jon Greiner Hatch Act Predicament

If you haven't yet voted, click the poll link below

With a mere 10 days remaining before the deadline for the filing of a U.S. District Court appeal, there's more action on the Jon Greiner Hatch Act story this morning, as the Standard-Examiner editorial page features this emotionally charged letter from one irate South Ogden City resident, who writes "in support of upholding the Hatch Act and firing Chief Jon Greiner." Although Ms. Francis goes a little overboard in conflating Greiner's Hatch Act predicament with Ogden's (perfectly legal, although ethically questionable) "double-dipping" problem and although she makes what we'd consider to be entirely unfounded accusations about "dishonesty and misuse of federal and state tax dollars for himself and his special handful of unlawful officers," we'll nevertheless put the focus on Ms. Francis's morning letter, because we believe she is correct in her major premise (taking into account the evidence that that Greiner had "signed off" on a half-dozen federal grants during his 2006 Utah Senate campaign), i.e., that the federal Office of Special Counsel has made the prima facia case for Greiner's violation of the Hatch Act, and that Mayor-elect Mike Caldwell should "do the right thing and let Greiner go":
And while we're on this topic again, we'll also shine the spotlight on several of the other Greiner/Hatch Act topical letters which are lighting up the S-E online website, but which haven't found their way to the S-E hardcopy edition, (at least not yet.)

In this brief and concise 12/14/11 S-E submission, Harrisville resident William Hart raises the "indispensability" issue, and further opines that Ogden's "good ole' boy system is inefficient," and that OPD leadership could benefit from "fresh management" and "renewal":
As to Mr. Hart's points, we're absolutely certain that lower ranking Ogden police officers, who've been stymied in their efforts to move up the OPD career-advancement ladder, couldn't be more in agreement.

And last but not least, we'll direct our readers' attention to this truly crazy cranky online letter, penned by prominent Ogden businessman and sometimes real estate developer J. Kelly Goddard, who takes strong exception to the Standard's strong December 14 editorial and accompanying Grondahl editorial page cartoon. His solution to the Greiner dilemma? Round up a crowd of his pro-Greiner rich guy "mover and shaker" friends to "buy" our home town newspaper and then "shut it down." If you're thinking that Mr. Goddard fancies himself as part of the 1%, you'd be most certainly right, wethinks:
In truth, we're not quite sure what to make of Mr. Goddard's letter. What about it, WCF readers? Is Goddard simply engaging in a little "hyperbolic venting," or should Standard-Examiner management genuinely consider this a not-so-veiled threat?

Here's a new screen-shot of the Standard's still ongoing poll, by the way, where the S-E poses the question, "How do you think Ogden should handle the Jon Greiner situation?" Turns out that a whopping 85% (of 160 respondents) go along with Ms. Francis, Mr. Hart and the Standard and believe that Greiner should go:
Click to enlarge image

If you haven't yet voted, click the poll link below:
That's it for now, O Gentle Ones.

Who'll be the first to throw in their own 2¢?

6 comments:

althepal said...

Make no mistake.  J. Kelly Goddard was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. The Standard should view this letter as an outright threat.

Bob Becker said...

I'm afraid Mr. G is all too typical of many rallying round GOP ex-Senator Greiner.  They think newspapers that opinions other than their own should be shut down for daring to... well, to print opinions other than their own.  Sounds downright un-American to me.  There are places, of course, where papers do not dare print anything that the powers that be would not like.  Many of them come to mind:  North Korea.   Iran.  Several of the -stans. Mainland China.   I don't think I'd want to live  in them  though.  I doubt Mr. G would either. 

Blackrulon said...

Mr. Goddard is not opposed to a newspaper having a bias. He just wants the newspaper bias to be the same as his.  I think that the suits of Sandusky would relish an opportunity to sell the newspaper. Perhaps that is the plan for Godfrey. His buddies, cronies, followeres and snyophants buy the paper and install him as editor. Or delivery boy.

Royalbobcurtbillgthethird said...

Goddard is a real dope, just like the rest of those idiots in Shadow Valley that wanted a gondola. Read the first comment on the Standard board. He doesn't understand the word opinion. As for buying the paper, he and his real estate jokers don't have a pot to piss in. They couldn't buy their water coolers. Godfrey is probably going to work for a soon to be bankrupt development company because he can't "develop" money holes without public dough

Danny said...

Wonderful comments.

(I just had to say it.)

WC Citizens against Greiner said...

Now, after costing the citizens of Ogden buckets of cash, Mr. Greiner is seeking a Weber County Commission Seat. Regardless of your political affiliation, you can join a bipartisan group to keep Jon Greiner from collecting any more cash of the people.

http://www.facebook.com/nogreiner
Follow us On Twitter @nogreiner

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