Amidst what we'd otherwise characterize as yet another slow news day, we'll shine the spotlight on a couple of news interesting items appearing in this morning's Standard-Examiner which nevertheless believe to be at least somewhat worthy of note:
1) Under a banner headline on the S-E front page this morning, we're greeted with this interesting story, indicating that our Ogden Recreation Division, perhaps feeling a mite under-utilized since the January departure of administrative department slave-driver Mayor Boss Godfrey, is setting forth on an ambitious project of its own, i.e., to clean up the "potty mouth" in Ogden City-owned parks, playgrounds or other recreational facilities:
Implementing such an ordinance will be easier said than done of course, inasmuch as any attempt by City Public Services Director Jay Lowder to regulate free speech runs the risk of stepping on the pesky First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which explicitly "prohibits the making of any law...abridging the freedom of speech." So in our never ending effort to keep our WCF readers informed of the operative issues, we'll present a couple of background First Amendement legal online resources which frame somewhat neatly what the Ogden City Council might -- and might not be able to lawfully do in the realm of anti-profanity legislation:
We'll be following this story as it develops, and wish the language-prudish Mr. Lowder luck, noting the broad operative rule in American constitutional jurisprudence, that "[o]n its face, profane language is generally not a punishable form of speech. The exceptions discussed above are narrow in scope."
2) As a followup to Saturday's WCF article, which we characterized a "bad news for the Northern Utah jobs picture," the Standard carries another related story this morning, reporting on the bleak "jobs crisis" in Box Elder County, which had already "lost nearly 1,000 manufacturing jobs and about 300 public-sector jobs," even prior to last week's devastating ATK Space Systems NASA contract snub.
Not to worry, lumpencitizens of Box Elder County. Help is on the way. According to this morning's S-E story, Box Elder County officials have appropriated a fair-sized wad of dough... and to top it all off, they have a heretofore secret jobs creation weapon! Click the link below to learn all about it:
Yesiree folks! Looks like former Ogden Mayor Boss Godfrey has finally landed a lucrative public sector project, under the moniker Better Cities, now that he's all fully set up as a consultant in the private sector:
Bonus question: Whatever happened to Godfrey's other company, American Municipal Consultants, which he formed a mere six or so months ago? It had an awfully short shelf life, or so it seems to us.
The floor's open for any WCF readers who'd like to help us out with any of the above.
Update 8/9/12 7:48 a.m.: One sharp-eyed reader informs us privately that Godfrey is beefing up his staff, and that he's also taken his his Bozo Act to Provo City:
- Job opportunity - Economic Development Consultant
- PROCEEDINGS OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL WORK SESSION 2 JUNE 5, 2012
Sodden query: Under what circumstances, if any, would Godfrey's representation of multiple municipalities along the Wasatch Front constitute a conflict of interest?
