Ogden Mayor Visits Taiwan to Attract Cycling Suppliers - Updated

I'd like to see more big players in the cycling world call Ogden home," sez Ogden's "Travelin' Mayor Mike"

Interesting article we stumbled upon yesterday on the Ogden City Business Development Department website, revealing that "Mayor Mike" Caldwell is apparently reviving a recent and "cherished" Ogden mayoral tradition, namely, "globetrotting" to distant points all over the planet on the Ogden taxpayer's dime, ostensibly to gather information and rustle up new international business. An identical companion story on the Ogden City "official" website is datelined March 21, 2013 , so evidently we can fairly conclude that our beloved  Mayor Mike is enjoying the gracious hospitality of Taiwan bicycle factory owners and bike manufacturers, together with the the cheerful camaraderie of other fellow Taipei Cycle Show attendees even as we speak:

• Ogden Mayor Visits Taiwan to Attract Cycling Suppliers

"As an avid cyclist and ambassador for Ogden, I'd like to see more big players in the cycling world call Ogden home," said Mayor Mike Caldwell. "I hope my visit here will convince a few more brands to join our already burgeoning bike industry."

There's even talk of "the possibility of developing a 'sister city' [relationship] with Ogden and establishing it as the North American cycling cluster," the OCBD story additionally reports.

Sister City "sister?"

Hopefully upon "Ogden Ambassador" Mayor Mike's imminent return, the beleaguered Ogden lumpentaxpayers will receive a full and proper briefing on the itinerary and projected results of this trip, along with a complete detailed report on exactly how much we paid for it, of course. (So please be sure to save all your receipts, Mike!)

Sadly, looking back at the outcomes of our previous Ogden mayor's numerous interstate and international travel junkets, those ill-executed trips clearly yielded exactly zero positive results, insofar as we can determine. Perhaps however this trip will produce a more favorable payoff, when we factor in  Mayor Mike's demonstrable enthusiasm and "winning" charm, que no?

Here's an added bonus question which we'll throw out for discussion:  

Under what circumstances (if any at all) is it ethically proper, fiscally prudent or even marginally sensible for any city government to deploy a three-man, taxpayer-funded, expense-paid blue ribbon Mayoral Administration Trade Delegation to travel halfway around the world to increase the supply of bicycles in a place like Ogden, Utah?

Please don't feel bad if you're completely stumped by that last question, folks...

Update 3/12/13 6:02 a.m.:  The Standard-Examiner furnishes additional details on the Mayor Mike's globetrotting adventures this morning, starting out with the startling and heretofore unknown headline revelation that Japan has apparently annexed the Republic of China:

• Ogden mayor in Japan Taiwan, pushing city as premier cycling city

Helpful hint for the S-E weekend skeleton crew: Check out this handy Eastern Pacific map:

Geography 101: Republic of China (Taiwan) v Japan

Oops!!!

Update 3/23/13 11:41 a.m.:  OK, the erroneous S-E headline has now been fixed. Fun though, while it lasted.