Friday, March 22, 2013

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:
"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:
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.

7 comments:

rudizink said...

Perceptive query posed privately by Gentle Reader Courtney White: "When
will the Ogden government learn that they are there for one reason
only, to provide services to the citizens. Let the private citizens go
looking for international businesses if they are so inclined."

blackrulon said...

I noticed something distrubing while driving home. I drove by the Marriot/Summit hotel and saw they are removing the Marriott sign. I also drove past the old Stop-n-Shop grocery store which no longer exists. The city spent tax money and gave guarantees by way of tax breaks to lure the Winco sstore to Ogden. The Winco store opening was one of the major factors of Stop-n-Shop c;osing after 50+ years in Ogden . The city made promises and pledges to Garn to build a Hilton hotel in downtown Ogden to be in direct competion with established hotels and motels in Ogden. What will stop Caldwell from committing Ogden money to lure bike companies to Ogden, to be in direct competion with established business? Godfrey was basically allowed to make committments to business without city council approval. Doesn't the city have any loyalty to business that used their own money to build in Ogden without involving city guarantees and taxpayer incentives?

Bob Becker said...

The question you posed in the indented section above is a little on the smarmy side. Mayor Mike isn't over there trying to bring more bikes to Ogden, apparentky, but to bring more businesses to Ogden. And he has not yet, as did a former Mayor who shall remain nameless but whose initials are Matthew Godfrey, returned promising in the compliant news c
olumns of the Standard Examiner that companies he won't name are on the way at a date he won't reveal. Nor has he , so far as we know, promised substantial public money to lure them hither. All that may happen but it hasn't yet.
I don't have a problem, necessarily, with Ogden's Mayor travelling to market the city as a good place to do business, provided the trips are prudently selected.
My question is where was/is the Standard Examiner on the news... and it is news... that Mayor Mike is on a trade mission to China?
P.S. Nice catch on the story appearing on the city's website.

Bob Becker said...

Day late and a dollar short: SE hast finally posted the story of Hizzonah's trip on i's website. A little more information in it, but not much beyond the story on the Ogden website. Hizzonah's there for a big bike mfg trade show. And somethiing like 9 of 10 bikes sold in the US are imported from Red China or Formosa. That I didn't know.

rudizink said...

Too funny. Some late-nite-slaving, headline-composing copy editor doesn't know the difference between the Republic of China and Japan.

Bob Becker said...

Again, nice catch. I missed the headline gaffe.

rudizink said...

LOL, Bob. Just received this missive SE weekend crewfrom the : "Headline corrected. Thank you."
It's always a pleasure, I'll remark, to help out my most favoritest newspaper!

Post a Comment

© 2005 - 2014 Weber County Forum™ -- All Rights Reserved