Conciliation and compromise are the order of the day
A couple of Standard-Examiner news items worthy of note:
1) Scott Schwebke reports on last night's RDA meeting, in which prospective River Project developer Steve Peterson, a principal with Millrock Capital, asked for concessions regarding the size and construction schedule for "apartments." Tellingly, they're not even bothering to refer to them as "condominiums" any longer :
Sadly, it appears that tiny tenement-style residential rental units may now set the River Project tone.
2) After several stinging broadsides by the Standard-Examiner (and others), it appears that Chief Greiner may be adopting a more conciliatory attitude toward the Council's proposal to place a pharmaceutical drop-box within the Ogden City Public Safety Building lobby:
Yeah, Chief Greiner devotes considerable column space toward explaining why the lock box concept is a non-starter; but in the end he seems to suggest "[c]oncerns can be worked out," no?
Update 5/11/11 9:51 a.m.: Per Dan S... "Rudi, you missed at least two great articles in the Trib":
Yesiree, folks. There's plenty to chat about this mornin'.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Monday, May 09, 2011
Monday Morning Emerald City News Roundup
Pick up on any of the below topics, or talk about whatever floats your boats
Red meat political news is once again in short supply this morning; so we'll set up an open topic thread. Just to get the conversation rolling, here are a few suggested topics, for those readers who'd like to work out the kinks after the now-concluded Mothers Day Weekend.
1) We took the day off yesterday; but we don't want to let one more minute slip by without shining the spotlight on yesterday's strong editorial, wherein in this the Standard-Examiner editorial board joins with Weber County Forum in urging the Ogden City Council to "force [Ogden Police Chief] Greiner to allow a permanent [pharmaceutical collection] lock box in the [Ogden Public safety Building] lobby":
You'd think a hard-core crime-fighter like Chief Greiner would be falling all over himself to do anything possible to help get unused or unneeded prescription medications outta the medicine cabinets and offa the streets. Instead, he's baffling everybody, it seems, as the sole top cop in Utah who refuses to lift a finger to help implement last year's federal Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act. Time we think, for the Council to give him a nudge. Yes everyone knows that Chief Greiner always wants to do what's right, right? Right!
2) On April 29, the Standard published this puff piece, announcing "[t]he most expensive public art piece in city history, costing $300,000, will be unveiled late this summer as part of the long-awaited Ogden River Project." Ogden resident and SE reader Ruth Darrington now follows this up with this pot-stirring letter to the editor, questioning everything from the price tag to the "artsiness" of this "pricey" riverside art project.
So what about it, O Gentle Readers? Has Emerald City arts spending jumped unreasonably outta control, just like everything else that originates on the ninth floor of city hall? And does Ms. Darrington make a reasonable point in suggesting that projects like these should be shuffled to local artists?
The Deseret News reports that House and Senate voted to return the state to a five-day workweek over the weekend, with an extraordinary Saturday night vote:
So what about it, WCF readers (just outta curiosity)... Is this veto override a major step in the right/wrong direction... or no big deal at all?
You know the drill. Pick up on any of the above topics, or talk about whatever floats your boats.
Red meat political news is once again in short supply this morning; so we'll set up an open topic thread. Just to get the conversation rolling, here are a few suggested topics, for those readers who'd like to work out the kinks after the now-concluded Mothers Day Weekend.
1) We took the day off yesterday; but we don't want to let one more minute slip by without shining the spotlight on yesterday's strong editorial, wherein in this the Standard-Examiner editorial board joins with Weber County Forum in urging the Ogden City Council to "force [Ogden Police Chief] Greiner to allow a permanent [pharmaceutical collection] lock box in the [Ogden Public safety Building] lobby":
You'd think a hard-core crime-fighter like Chief Greiner would be falling all over himself to do anything possible to help get unused or unneeded prescription medications outta the medicine cabinets and offa the streets. Instead, he's baffling everybody, it seems, as the sole top cop in Utah who refuses to lift a finger to help implement last year's federal Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act. Time we think, for the Council to give him a nudge. Yes everyone knows that Chief Greiner always wants to do what's right, right? Right!
2) On April 29, the Standard published this puff piece, announcing "[t]he most expensive public art piece in city history, costing $300,000, will be unveiled late this summer as part of the long-awaited Ogden River Project." Ogden resident and SE reader Ruth Darrington now follows this up with this pot-stirring letter to the editor, questioning everything from the price tag to the "artsiness" of this "pricey" riverside art project.
So what about it, O Gentle Readers? Has Emerald City arts spending jumped unreasonably outta control, just like everything else that originates on the ninth floor of city hall? And does Ms. Darrington make a reasonable point in suggesting that projects like these should be shuffled to local artists?
The Deseret News reports that House and Senate voted to return the state to a five-day workweek over the weekend, with an extraordinary Saturday night vote:
So what about it, WCF readers (just outta curiosity)... Is this veto override a major step in the right/wrong direction... or no big deal at all?
You know the drill. Pick up on any of the above topics, or talk about whatever floats your boats.
Friday, May 06, 2011
Standard-Examiner: Agenda Item in Work Meeting Puzzles Ogden Officials
Boss Godfrey characterizes Tuesday night's council fiasco as "dysfunctional;" and it seems to us that the little feller is right about something for once
Can we see by a show of hands how many Emerald City political wonks have checked out a published City Council agenda at one time or another and found themselves entirely unable to decipher with any particularity -- or even remotely -- what was calendered to be discussed at an upcoming meeting? For example, here's Wednesday's Standard-Examiner public notice concerning yesterday's Ogden City Council work session, which sets forth the council's "agenda" thusly:
Boss Godfrey characterizes Tuesday night's council fiasco as "dysfunctional;" and it seems to us that the little feller is right about something for once.
It's Council Chair Gochnour's council leadership roll to formulate and approve the council agenda, by the way, and her responsibility to keep the discussion on topic as the meeting progresses. Taking Mr. Schwebke's morning story into account, it seems to us that Chairman Gochnour almost completely ducked out of the the opportunity to assert herself as Council Chair, first by allowing to be published an agenda phrased in hopelessly vague terms, and secondly, by failing to take charge of Tuesday's discussion when the meeting spun out of control.
Maybe somebody needs to send her a copy of Robert's Rules.
Maybe she needs to step down and let Council Vice-Chair Garner take over.
Maybe a few of our gentle WCF readers will offer their own takes on this.
Can we see by a show of hands how many Emerald City political wonks have checked out a published City Council agenda at one time or another and found themselves entirely unable to decipher with any particularity -- or even remotely -- what was calendered to be discussed at an upcoming meeting? For example, here's Wednesday's Standard-Examiner public notice concerning yesterday's Ogden City Council work session, which sets forth the council's "agenda" thusly:
"Discuss city needs and council business"Although published Ogden City Council agendas have never been a model of deeply descriptive and craftsmanlike specificity, it's our opinion that under current council leadership, the standards for public meeting agenda notices have descended to a level where serious misunderstandings have been absolutely certain to occur. Lo and behold, Scott Schwebke provides a story in this morning's S-E edition illuminating 2-1/2 hours of confusion at Tuesday's City Council work session, where nary a City official in the entire Council Chamber had the slightest clue what the meeting's agenda, (reportedly phrased in language similar to that set forth above) was supposed to be all about:
Boss Godfrey characterizes Tuesday night's council fiasco as "dysfunctional;" and it seems to us that the little feller is right about something for once.
It's Council Chair Gochnour's council leadership roll to formulate and approve the council agenda, by the way, and her responsibility to keep the discussion on topic as the meeting progresses. Taking Mr. Schwebke's morning story into account, it seems to us that Chairman Gochnour almost completely ducked out of the the opportunity to assert herself as Council Chair, first by allowing to be published an agenda phrased in hopelessly vague terms, and secondly, by failing to take charge of Tuesday's discussion when the meeting spun out of control.
Maybe somebody needs to send her a copy of Robert's Rules.
Maybe she needs to step down and let Council Vice-Chair Garner take over.
Maybe a few of our gentle WCF readers will offer their own takes on this.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Standard-Examiner: Godfrey's Budget Proposal Projects Tax Revenue Boost
A few quick off-the-cuff observations as we commence the public process, and an invitation to our resident bean-counting "numbers people" to throw in their own 2¢
The Standard-Examiner heralds the beginning of the Ogden City annual budget adoption process with this morning's Top of Utah section story:
The Salt Lake Tribune is all over this story too:
The big news is that "Mayor Matthew Godfrey's proposed $153.3 million budget for fiscal 2012 projects a nearly $9 million increase in revenues from sales tax, property taxes, a sewer rate hike and other sources."
We'll offer a few quick off-the-cuff observations as we commence the public process, which if all goes well, will result in the state law mandated adoption of a final budget by June 22nd.
1) "Godfrey said in a budget letter to the city council that sales tax likely will begin to rebound in fiscal 2012 because of a WinCo Foods store that opened in April 2010 at 12th Street and Wall Avenue and a Wal-Mart Supercenter preparing for operation at 20th Street and Wall Avenue."
Our retort to that? Godfrey ought to be a little more cautious in this projection. In the local grocery business, retail sales tax revenue generation is akin to a zero-sum game. Barring population or individual income growth (which ain't happening), it's most likely that sales tax revenue in Ogden will merely be redirected during the next fiscal year away from traditional grocers, and toward discount mass merchandisers like WINCO and Wal-Mart. For what it's worth, this is one area where Ogden taxpayers shouldn't count the chickens before they're hatched.
2) At least one position will be eliminated in the Economic Development Department.
Our retort? This is one area where our City Council could realize some genuine municipal cost savings, if they have the political will to do so. The last time we examined the bloated Ogden City Economic Development Department there were 33 positions, generating an annual city obligation for salaries totalling $2,026,378. Cutting one or two positions isn't even a half-assed start. If the Council and Administration are serious about adopting a fiscally-conservative 2011-12 FY budget, they should look at the prospect of clearing out more of the Economic Development Department dead-wood.
3) "Godfrey's proposal calls for a 1.8 percent increase in water, sewer, storm sewer and refuse fees to offset additional fees the Central Weber Sewer Improvement District imposed on the city to help fund construction of a $140 million upgrade and expand its wastewater treatment plant."
Our retort? These fee increases could be avoided or mitigated if the Administration weren't continually dipping into the Business Depot Ogden revenue stream to fund Boss Godfrey's hare-brained and money losing economic development schemes. Our City Council originally sequestered BDO revenue to pay for increased infrastructure costs (such as water and sewer) but the overreaching Godfrey Administration (and at least one overly Administration-compliant City Council) long ago gutted those taxpayer-protective provisions.
That's it for now, O Gentle Ones, although we'll invite our resident bean-counting "numbers people" to provide their additional analysis of this embryonic proposed budget, if they wish. It should be fairly apparent that we haven't even "scratched the surface" with our own brief analysis, so we'd appreciate all the help that we can get.
And speaking of the proposed budget, you can find it here:
Have at it, WCF readers!
The Standard-Examiner heralds the beginning of the Ogden City annual budget adoption process with this morning's Top of Utah section story:
The Salt Lake Tribune is all over this story too:
The big news is that "Mayor Matthew Godfrey's proposed $153.3 million budget for fiscal 2012 projects a nearly $9 million increase in revenues from sales tax, property taxes, a sewer rate hike and other sources."
We'll offer a few quick off-the-cuff observations as we commence the public process, which if all goes well, will result in the state law mandated adoption of a final budget by June 22nd.
1) "Godfrey said in a budget letter to the city council that sales tax likely will begin to rebound in fiscal 2012 because of a WinCo Foods store that opened in April 2010 at 12th Street and Wall Avenue and a Wal-Mart Supercenter preparing for operation at 20th Street and Wall Avenue."
Our retort to that? Godfrey ought to be a little more cautious in this projection. In the local grocery business, retail sales tax revenue generation is akin to a zero-sum game. Barring population or individual income growth (which ain't happening), it's most likely that sales tax revenue in Ogden will merely be redirected during the next fiscal year away from traditional grocers, and toward discount mass merchandisers like WINCO and Wal-Mart. For what it's worth, this is one area where Ogden taxpayers shouldn't count the chickens before they're hatched.
2) At least one position will be eliminated in the Economic Development Department.
Our retort? This is one area where our City Council could realize some genuine municipal cost savings, if they have the political will to do so. The last time we examined the bloated Ogden City Economic Development Department there were 33 positions, generating an annual city obligation for salaries totalling $2,026,378. Cutting one or two positions isn't even a half-assed start. If the Council and Administration are serious about adopting a fiscally-conservative 2011-12 FY budget, they should look at the prospect of clearing out more of the Economic Development Department dead-wood.
3) "Godfrey's proposal calls for a 1.8 percent increase in water, sewer, storm sewer and refuse fees to offset additional fees the Central Weber Sewer Improvement District imposed on the city to help fund construction of a $140 million upgrade and expand its wastewater treatment plant."
Our retort? These fee increases could be avoided or mitigated if the Administration weren't continually dipping into the Business Depot Ogden revenue stream to fund Boss Godfrey's hare-brained and money losing economic development schemes. Our City Council originally sequestered BDO revenue to pay for increased infrastructure costs (such as water and sewer) but the overreaching Godfrey Administration (and at least one overly Administration-compliant City Council) long ago gutted those taxpayer-protective provisions.
That's it for now, O Gentle Ones, although we'll invite our resident bean-counting "numbers people" to provide their additional analysis of this embryonic proposed budget, if they wish. It should be fairly apparent that we haven't even "scratched the surface" with our own brief analysis, so we'd appreciate all the help that we can get.
And speaking of the proposed budget, you can find it here:
Have at it, WCF readers!
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
Standard-Examiner: Ogden City Council Hears Transit Analysis
What's important now is to recognize that the process of constructing a 25th Street Street car system has been at least temporarily derailed
Bad news this morning for 25th Street Street car corridor advocates, as the Standard-Examiner reports that it could require another two years, and a new UTA study to support the City Council's preference that a "streetcar run from the Intermodal Hub up 23rd Street to Washington Boulevard, along 25th Street to Harrison Boulevard, and on to Weber State University and McKay-Dee Hospital":
Central city streetcar corridor advocates have stood by in amazement as UTA bureaucrats have hijacked the Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis process, rejecting the 2005 Baker Study's preferred 25th street corridor, and substituting the boneheaded Wilbur Smith & Assocs.'s 36th Street preferred alignment instead. We don't know why this has happened; but we do believe there's ample evidence to suggest that the process was rigged. We won't go further into possible motives here, except to note that it has been repeatedly suggested that Flatland Gondola advocates, who've wanted to keep a central city transit corridor clear for a possible gondola, may have had a hand in the process.
What's important now is not to dwell on opposition motives however, but rather to recognize that the process of constructing a 25th Street Street car system has been at least temporarily derailed, in which connection we'll urge our City Council to scrupulously follow PB PlaceMaking, Inc. consultant GB Arrington's advice, and to somehow "marry what the city is trying to do with what UTA has already done," in order to get the process back on track.
That's it for now, O Gentle Ones.
Who'll be the first to chime in to further enlighten us on the meaning of all this?
Bad news this morning for 25th Street Street car corridor advocates, as the Standard-Examiner reports that it could require another two years, and a new UTA study to support the City Council's preference that a "streetcar run from the Intermodal Hub up 23rd Street to Washington Boulevard, along 25th Street to Harrison Boulevard, and on to Weber State University and McKay-Dee Hospital":
Central city streetcar corridor advocates have stood by in amazement as UTA bureaucrats have hijacked the Transit Corridor Alternatives Analysis process, rejecting the 2005 Baker Study's preferred 25th street corridor, and substituting the boneheaded Wilbur Smith & Assocs.'s 36th Street preferred alignment instead. We don't know why this has happened; but we do believe there's ample evidence to suggest that the process was rigged. We won't go further into possible motives here, except to note that it has been repeatedly suggested that Flatland Gondola advocates, who've wanted to keep a central city transit corridor clear for a possible gondola, may have had a hand in the process.
What's important now is not to dwell on opposition motives however, but rather to recognize that the process of constructing a 25th Street Street car system has been at least temporarily derailed, in which connection we'll urge our City Council to scrupulously follow PB PlaceMaking, Inc. consultant GB Arrington's advice, and to somehow "marry what the city is trying to do with what UTA has already done," in order to get the process back on track.
That's it for now, O Gentle Ones.
Who'll be the first to chime in to further enlighten us on the meaning of all this?
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Standard-Examiner: St. Anne's in Search of $7M for New Shelter
No doubt about it; we crack ourself up! Are we funny as hell... or what?
Okay, after significant dunning, and by popular request, we're putting up this Standard-Examiner story, which reports that no-holds-barred fundraising will soon occur in connection with BOSS Godfrey's St. Anne's Shelter Project:
It's reported that "Allan and Kay Lipman, of Ogden," "are heading up a capital campaign to raise the rest of the funds."
Just to be helpful, we'll post this important info, just in case "the Lipmans" are reading this. Here's by far Ogden City's most reliable project donor list, AFAWC:
No doubt about it; we crack ourself up... and so what say you about "all dat"?
Added Bonus Query: Are we funny as hell... or what?
Okay, after significant dunning, and by popular request, we're putting up this Standard-Examiner story, which reports that no-holds-barred fundraising will soon occur in connection with BOSS Godfrey's St. Anne's Shelter Project:
It's reported that "Allan and Kay Lipman, of Ogden," "are heading up a capital campaign to raise the rest of the funds."
Just to be helpful, we'll post this important info, just in case "the Lipmans" are reading this. Here's by far Ogden City's most reliable project donor list, AFAWC:
No doubt about it; we crack ourself up... and so what say you about "all dat"?
Added Bonus Query: Are we funny as hell... or what?
Monday, May 02, 2011
President To GOP Presidential Pretender Donald Trump: "Sorry It Took So Long."
Obama does to "Usama" (formerly Osama) what Geedubya utterly failed to do, and simultaneously knocks the moron Donald Trump (Yomama) outta the presidential race in one "fell swoop."
Got this awesome "text-enhanced" pic off regular reader Wm III's ever-excellent Facebook wall:
Oh My!!! Pretty funny, Yes? Well... delightfully ironic at least, right?
In light of current news developments, this pretty much tells the whole sad tale re the most recent US-generated anti-terrorist World Political Coup, No?
So who emerges the winner from this totally messed up world political story?
US? NOT US? DONALD TRUMP? NOT DONALD TRUMP? OSAMA BIN LADEN? BARRACK (BIN) OBAMA ???
It's so complicated! It goes beyond man's imagination, no???
The world-wide blogosphere eagerly awaits our WCF readers' ever-savvy comments on this story, as per usual!
Chime in O Gentle Ones. Feel free to utilise this venue, if you wish, to blow off a little pent-up steam!
Got this awesome "text-enhanced" pic off regular reader Wm III's ever-excellent Facebook wall:
Oh My!!! Pretty funny, Yes? Well... delightfully ironic at least, right?
In light of current news developments, this pretty much tells the whole sad tale re the most recent US-generated anti-terrorist World Political Coup, No?
So who emerges the winner from this totally messed up world political story?
US? NOT US? DONALD TRUMP? NOT DONALD TRUMP? OSAMA BIN LADEN? BARRACK (BIN) OBAMA ???
It's so complicated! It goes beyond man's imagination, no???
The world-wide blogosphere eagerly awaits our WCF readers' ever-savvy comments on this story, as per usual!
Chime in O Gentle Ones. Feel free to utilise this venue, if you wish, to blow off a little pent-up steam!
Standard-Examiner: Greiner: Not At Police Lobby
Our advice to Ms. Gochnour and the rest of our will-o-the-wisp City Council? Pass the danged ordinance as originally proposed
We'd like to call attention to a revealing example of wacky Ogden politics this morning, as the Standard-Examiner reports that "the city council may adopt a resolution later this month asking police to hold monthly medication take-back events because of Chief Jon Greiner's reluctance to put a pharmaceutical collection box in the lobby of the Ogden Public Safety Building":
It seems to us that somebody on the council initially came up with a pretty good idea, an eminently sensible proposal to locate a permanent drop box for the disposal of unused prescription and over-the-counter medications in the Ogden Public Safety Building lobby. According to this Standard-Examiner graphic, the idea wasn't a novelty either, inasmuch as similar drop boxes seem to have already been employed in the lobbies of police departments all across our fair state:
Sadly, the idea didn't play out all that well in Ogden however, where Ogden City administrative departments oddly and jealously guard their turf against the perceived encroachment of our Ogden City legislative body, the City Council. Accordingly, Chief Greiner has come up with a set of vague and a half-assed formal excuses to oppose the installation of a cop-shop drop-box. Topping it all off we now find our Ogden City Council Chair, Ms. Gochnour, (not exactly a model of strong political will herself,) rolling over on the issue without so much as a whimper, and saying (with a completely straight face) that "having monthly collection events is a good compromise to a permanent disposal bin."
Our advice to Ms. Gochnour and the rest of our will-o-the-wisp City Council? Pass the danged ordinance as originally proposed, and explain to Chief Greiner that he can either live with a drug drop-box in his precious Public Safety Building lobby, or find new employment in a city where the Chief of Police sets overall city policy.
That's our take and we're stickin' to it!
So what say our gentle readers about all this?
We'd like to call attention to a revealing example of wacky Ogden politics this morning, as the Standard-Examiner reports that "the city council may adopt a resolution later this month asking police to hold monthly medication take-back events because of Chief Jon Greiner's reluctance to put a pharmaceutical collection box in the lobby of the Ogden Public Safety Building":
It seems to us that somebody on the council initially came up with a pretty good idea, an eminently sensible proposal to locate a permanent drop box for the disposal of unused prescription and over-the-counter medications in the Ogden Public Safety Building lobby. According to this Standard-Examiner graphic, the idea wasn't a novelty either, inasmuch as similar drop boxes seem to have already been employed in the lobbies of police departments all across our fair state:
Sadly, the idea didn't play out all that well in Ogden however, where Ogden City administrative departments oddly and jealously guard their turf against the perceived encroachment of our Ogden City legislative body, the City Council. Accordingly, Chief Greiner has come up with a set of vague and a half-assed formal excuses to oppose the installation of a cop-shop drop-box. Topping it all off we now find our Ogden City Council Chair, Ms. Gochnour, (not exactly a model of strong political will herself,) rolling over on the issue without so much as a whimper, and saying (with a completely straight face) that "having monthly collection events is a good compromise to a permanent disposal bin."
Our advice to Ms. Gochnour and the rest of our will-o-the-wisp City Council? Pass the danged ordinance as originally proposed, and explain to Chief Greiner that he can either live with a drug drop-box in his precious Public Safety Building lobby, or find new employment in a city where the Chief of Police sets overall city policy.
That's our take and we're stickin' to it!
So what say our gentle readers about all this?
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Sunday Morning Emerald City News Roundup
Plenty of interesting tidbits in today's Standard-Examiner
For our readers' eager consumption, we'll reel off these morning items one-by-one:
Undeterred by the closing of his flagship restaurant and the imminent departure of his political benefactor from the Ogden political scene, Friend of Matt (FOM) Mel Kemp still sees a bright future for the Ogden-Hinckley Airport, with multimillion dollars in private aviation development purportedly looming on the horizon:
Big changes coming up at the Dinosaur Park, as multi-gazillionaire park founder Bob Marquardt resumes management:
Spot-on SE editorial this morning, on the topic of OPD double dipping, wherein the SE editorial board focuses in on the key operative principle, in a manner most laser-like. Quadruple-dipping Chief Greiner should write down this paragraph (so he doesn't forget it):
Seems everyone in Emerald City recognizes the problem with this double-dipping scam... except our morally and ethically challenged OPD top brass. The question we guess is whether someone in authority, (the City Council for instance,) will ever get around to doing something about it.
The floor's open for your comments, O Gentle Ones. Time to let 'er rip.
For our readers' eager consumption, we'll reel off these morning items one-by-one:
Undeterred by the closing of his flagship restaurant and the imminent departure of his political benefactor from the Ogden political scene, Friend of Matt (FOM) Mel Kemp still sees a bright future for the Ogden-Hinckley Airport, with multimillion dollars in private aviation development purportedly looming on the horizon:
Big changes coming up at the Dinosaur Park, as multi-gazillionaire park founder Bob Marquardt resumes management:
Spot-on SE editorial this morning, on the topic of OPD double dipping, wherein the SE editorial board focuses in on the key operative principle, in a manner most laser-like. Quadruple-dipping Chief Greiner should write down this paragraph (so he doesn't forget it):
If a police officer is not serious about retirement, then their benefits should be delayed until he or she retires. In short, if a lieutenant retires, there should be no double-dipping; a qualified sergeant -- and Ogden has many -- should be promoted.Read the full editorial here:
Seems everyone in Emerald City recognizes the problem with this double-dipping scam... except our morally and ethically challenged OPD top brass. The question we guess is whether someone in authority, (the City Council for instance,) will ever get around to doing something about it.
The floor's open for your comments, O Gentle Ones. Time to let 'er rip.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Oops! E-Trade "Baby" (Boss Godfrey Lookalike) Loses Everything
Is your blogmeister the only one who conjures up an image of Boss Godfrey, every time he views the E-Trade Baby?
Anyone who even "dabbles" in securities trading has to love those ubiquitous E-Trade commercials, with the trading-savvy E-Trade baby putting everyone to shame with his online trading acumen. In light of this... and in observation of the slowest Emerald City news week in quite a spell... here's a little something more in line with how the market's been behaving for many traders lately:
Sodden thought... this (Godfrey) kid can invest any amount in ANYTHING! Boss Godfrey can essentially spend massive amounts of Ogden City money with a single "mouse click"... boom, boom, boom... "totally easy"...
Wait! Is your blogmeister the only one who conjures up a mental image of a completly spendthrift Boss Godfrey, every time he views these TeeVee commercials? Is life imitating art once again... or (shudder) vicey versey?
Don't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Ones...
Anyone who even "dabbles" in securities trading has to love those ubiquitous E-Trade commercials, with the trading-savvy E-Trade baby putting everyone to shame with his online trading acumen. In light of this... and in observation of the slowest Emerald City news week in quite a spell... here's a little something more in line with how the market's been behaving for many traders lately:
Sodden thought... this (Godfrey) kid can invest any amount in ANYTHING! Boss Godfrey can essentially spend massive amounts of Ogden City money with a single "mouse click"... boom, boom, boom... "totally easy"...
Wait! Is your blogmeister the only one who conjures up a mental image of a completly spendthrift Boss Godfrey, every time he views these TeeVee commercials? Is life imitating art once again... or (shudder) vicey versey?
Don't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Ones...
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Standard-Examiner: Harrison Boulevard Wide Enough for Now
We'll chalk this up as a victory for Ogden City self-determination, and a defeat for Utah's Stalinesque central planning transportation bureaucracy, we guess
Good news for Ogden East Bench neighborhood preservation activists this morning, as the Standard-Examiner announces the Wasatch Front Regional Council's abandonment of its knuckle-headed Harrison Boulevard widening plan. Here's the lead from this morning's Mitch Shaw story:
We'll chalk this up as a victory for Ogden City self-determination, and a defeat for Utah's Stalinesque "car-culture enamored" central planning transportation bureaucracy, we guess.
Good news for Ogden East Bench neighborhood preservation activists this morning, as the Standard-Examiner announces the Wasatch Front Regional Council's abandonment of its knuckle-headed Harrison Boulevard widening plan. Here's the lead from this morning's Mitch Shaw story:
CLEARFIELD — The Wasatch Front Regional Council has made some changes to its 30-year regional transportation plan in the Top of Utah.Read the full story here:
After receiving public comments from government officials and area residents, WFRC is no longer planning to widen Harrison Boulevard in Ogden from 20th Street to U.S. 89.
Now, the plan calls for only operational improvements on the road from 20th Street to Country Hills Drive in Ogden, and widening the road from four lanes to six from Country Hills Drive to U.S. 89
We'll chalk this up as a victory for Ogden City self-determination, and a defeat for Utah's Stalinesque "car-culture enamored" central planning transportation bureaucracy, we guess.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Standard-Examiner: Potential Ogden River Project Developer Hopes Unfair Advantage Won't Go to Competition
Looks like rival developers of the River Project are spittin' and feudin' already, and not a spadeful of dirt turned yet
By: Curmudgeon
Uh oh. Looks like rival developers [or would be developers] of the River Project are spittin' and feudin' already, and not a spadeful of dirt turned yet. The SE has an interesting story up this morning reporting that the development company (Millrock Capital) associated with the troubled Mr. Lesham is worried that the city may be about to give an unfair advantage to another development company that wants to buy six acres of Ogden City owned land in the River Project Area, and the Lesham-associated company is definitely not happy about it. All this emerged at a City Council work session on the proposed sale of those six city owned acres for town house development.
And Mr. Lesham his own self showed up at the work session. He said he just stopped by to be neighborly, and say "hi" to the council members. About the issue under discussion, he had no comment. [Surprise, surprise.]
The SE story can be found here:
The world-wide webosphere is sitting on the edge of its seat, awaiting word from our savvy WCF readers about the true meaning of all this.
By: Curmudgeon
Uh oh. Looks like rival developers [or would be developers] of the River Project are spittin' and feudin' already, and not a spadeful of dirt turned yet. The SE has an interesting story up this morning reporting that the development company (Millrock Capital) associated with the troubled Mr. Lesham is worried that the city may be about to give an unfair advantage to another development company that wants to buy six acres of Ogden City owned land in the River Project Area, and the Lesham-associated company is definitely not happy about it. All this emerged at a City Council work session on the proposed sale of those six city owned acres for town house development.
And Mr. Lesham his own self showed up at the work session. He said he just stopped by to be neighborly, and say "hi" to the council members. About the issue under discussion, he had no comment. [Surprise, surprise.]
The SE story can be found here:
The world-wide webosphere is sitting on the edge of its seat, awaiting word from our savvy WCF readers about the true meaning of all this.
A Quick Heads-up About Tonight's Weber County Heritage Foundation Special Event
A lecture and slide show of local Colonial Revival and Neoclassical Revival Architecture
At the request of one of our regular WCF readers, we'll provide a quick heads-up about tonight's Weber County Heritage Foundation special event:
At the request of one of our regular WCF readers, we'll provide a quick heads-up about tonight's Weber County Heritage Foundation special event:
Historic Lecture Series, April 27, 7 p.m. @ Weber County Library, Main Branch, Auditorium
Modest & Grand: Weber County's Colonial Revival
and Neoclassical Revival Architecture
Want to know more about Weber County's historic buildings? Architectural historian Richa Wilson will discuss the popular Colonial Revival and Neoclassical Revival styles of the early 1900s. You will learn about their origins, development, and characteristics. By the end of the slide show, you will be able to identify these buildings in your neighborhood! This lecture is free to the public, and is the first in a series sponsored by WCHF.
The Foundation also has some of Richa's photos posted at their website, just to put you in the mood: www.WeberCountyHeritageFoundation.org.
We hope that you'll all mark your calenders and plan to attend.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Deseret News: State Liquor Stores to Stay Open After All
In addition, stores won't have to reduce operating hours as initially planned
By: Ray
News Flash...Gov. Herbert and legislative leaders get their collective heads out of their a**es.
The Deseret News has the story:
Here's the lede:
Don't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Ones.
By: Ray
News Flash...Gov. Herbert and legislative leaders get their collective heads out of their a**es.
The Deseret News has the story:
Here's the lede:
SALT LAKE CITY — Nine state liquor stores won't run dry after all — at least not this year.The Tribune is carrying the story, too:
Gov. Gary Herbert and legislative leaders worked out a way for the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to shift $1.4 million within the agency to keep the stores open until February 2012. About 100 full- and part-time jobs were saved as a result.
In addition, the money means stores won't have to reduce operating hours as initially planned. All locations will maintain current hours.
"That's a big deal to people," said Vickie Ashby, DABC spokeswoman.
Don't let the cat get your tongues, O Gentle Ones.
Tuesday Morning Northern Utah News Roundup
Hopefully scofflaw Neal Humphrey's bold taunt won't land him in the slam
Nutritious Emerald City red meat news has been in exceedingly short supply over the past few days, so we'll offer our readers this Northern Utah News Roundup, just so's our readers will at least have something to chat about on WCF this morning:
1) There's good news on the Emerald City jobs front this morning, as The Standard-Examiner reports that Ogden entrepreneur and all-around good guy Alan Hall's "MarketStar Corp. will add 250 Internet advertising sales jobs in Ogden over the next few months to serve a major search engine client":
And in a shocking "man-bites-dog" twist to this Ogden jobs story, hold onto your hats for this:
2) Amidst the scores of HB 477 stories which have appeared on northern Utah print media pages over the past few months, here's a SLTrib story which particularly caught our eye this morning, wherein Trib reporter Brooke Adams cites "[t]he case of Kevin Tolton versus the Town of Alta" [as a case which] "is widely known as the mother of all records requests — the incident that access advocates, government officials and lawmakers alike hold out as the example of why Utah’s open records law needs revision":
We'll go along with this savvy reader comment, which appears beneath the story:
In closing, scofflaw Rev. Humphrey offers this bold taunt:
That's it for now, O Gentle Ones.
Who will be the first to chime in with your own 2¢?
Nutritious Emerald City red meat news has been in exceedingly short supply over the past few days, so we'll offer our readers this Northern Utah News Roundup, just so's our readers will at least have something to chat about on WCF this morning:
1) There's good news on the Emerald City jobs front this morning, as The Standard-Examiner reports that Ogden entrepreneur and all-around good guy Alan Hall's "MarketStar Corp. will add 250 Internet advertising sales jobs in Ogden over the next few months to serve a major search engine client":
And in a shocking "man-bites-dog" twist to this Ogden jobs story, hold onto your hats for this:
"The city did not offer MarketStar any incentives for the hiring initiatives."Hard to imagine, no?
2) Amidst the scores of HB 477 stories which have appeared on northern Utah print media pages over the past few months, here's a SLTrib story which particularly caught our eye this morning, wherein Trib reporter Brooke Adams cites "[t]he case of Kevin Tolton versus the Town of Alta" [as a case which] "is widely known as the mother of all records requests — the incident that access advocates, government officials and lawmakers alike hold out as the example of why Utah’s open records law needs revision":
We'll go along with this savvy reader comment, which appears beneath the story:
Just as the Westboro Baptists test our commitment to free speech, Mr. Tolton tests our commitment to open government. Yes, the Town of Alta needs to do a better job managing its records to reduce the cost of complying with requests. At the same time, it's perfectly fair to charge requesters a reasonable fee for locating and retrieving large numbers of records. And GRAMA currently allows such charges, especially when the request benefits a person rather than the public.3) And last but not least, we'll shine the spotlight on this sardonic Neil Humphrey SE guest commentary piece, which illustrates the sheer idiocy of the socialist liquor marketing monopoly, here in The People's Republic of Utah:
In closing, scofflaw Rev. Humphrey offers this bold taunt:
"You can catch me at it every Sunday morning, so come and get me. Just be ready to repent."Hopefully this won't land him in the slam.
That's it for now, O Gentle Ones.
Who will be the first to chime in with your own 2¢?
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Standard-Examiner: Issue of Repeated Double-dipping at Ogden Police Department Leads to Grievance
Isn't the current system of "recycling" "retiring" OPD top brass just plain wrong?
The Standard-Examiner follows up on its March 27, 2011 story this morning, and reports that aggrieved OPD Sgt. Blaine Clifford, "[a]n Ogden police sergeant who contends he was unfairly passed over for promotion in 2007 because of a double-dipping system is again taking his grievance to the city's Civil Service Commission":
The commission is scheduled to hear Sgt. Clifford's complaint on May 11.
So what about it gentle readers? Isn't this system of "recycling" "retiring" OPD top brass, at the expense of up-and-coming rank-and-file police officers just plain wrong? And shouldn't this issue be resolved once and for all by our Ogden City Council?
Have at it, O Gentle Ones.
Who'll be the first to throw in their own 2¢ concerning this issue?
The Standard-Examiner follows up on its March 27, 2011 story this morning, and reports that aggrieved OPD Sgt. Blaine Clifford, "[a]n Ogden police sergeant who contends he was unfairly passed over for promotion in 2007 because of a double-dipping system is again taking his grievance to the city's Civil Service Commission":
The commission is scheduled to hear Sgt. Clifford's complaint on May 11.
So what about it gentle readers? Isn't this system of "recycling" "retiring" OPD top brass, at the expense of up-and-coming rank-and-file police officers just plain wrong? And shouldn't this issue be resolved once and for all by our Ogden City Council?
Have at it, O Gentle Ones.
Who'll be the first to throw in their own 2¢ concerning this issue?
Friday, April 22, 2011
Standard-Examiner: And The Hunt Is On For Ogden Landmarks
Check out the Ogden City website, where you'll find more information, along with a downloadable contest entry form
Attention Emerald City architecture buffs! The Standard-Examiner provides a heads up this morning regarding a very unique competition, sponsored by a couple of highly-respected home town historic preservation entities.
Here's the lede:
WCF regular contributor Dan S. participated in this competition last year; and his shared experience yielded us some very interesting results.
For those of you who'd like to follow Dan's example and participate of your own accord this year, check out this page from the Ogden City website, where you'll find more information, along with a downloadable contest entry form:
Happy hunting, O Gentle Ones...
Attention Emerald City architecture buffs! The Standard-Examiner provides a heads up this morning regarding a very unique competition, sponsored by a couple of highly-respected home town historic preservation entities.
Here's the lede:
OGDEN -- City officials are encouraging area residents to keep their eyes on local architecture during the municipality's annual historic scavenger hunt that runs through May 17.Read the full SE story here:
The ninth annual hunt is being sponsored by the Ogden Landmarks Commission and Weber County Heritage Foundation and as part of National Historic Preservation Month.
The hunt is meant to get people out on the streets of Ogden to look at the city's unique historic buildings, said Sharon Smith, a city planning technician.
WCF regular contributor Dan S. participated in this competition last year; and his shared experience yielded us some very interesting results.
For those of you who'd like to follow Dan's example and participate of your own accord this year, check out this page from the Ogden City website, where you'll find more information, along with a downloadable contest entry form:
Happy hunting, O Gentle Ones...
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Breaking: River Project Land Sale Under Negotiation
69 townhomes and commercial spaces as part of the long-awaited Ogden River Project
By: Curmudgeon
Breaking... The Standard-Examiner just put up a story detailing the latest River Project development proposal, which begins with a plan by the Ogden RDA to sell about 6 acres in the Project area to a SLC developer (SouthRiver LLC) to build town homes. Part of the purchase price will be in cash, part will rely on tax increment funding.
Full story here:
Comments anyone?
By: Curmudgeon
Breaking... The Standard-Examiner just put up a story detailing the latest River Project development proposal, which begins with a plan by the Ogden RDA to sell about 6 acres in the Project area to a SLC developer (SouthRiver LLC) to build town homes. Part of the purchase price will be in cash, part will rely on tax increment funding.
Full story here:
Comments anyone?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Ogden Standard-Examiner Fails to Win Pulitzer Prize Again
This in spite of the extraordinary efforts on the part of Mayor Godfrey to hand it to them on a silver platter
By: Ozboy
Well it seems that for the tenth year in a row the Ogden Standard Examiner has failed to win a Pulitzer Prize for political investigative reporting. Here's the most recent news on this topic, a Salt Lake Tribune story, reporting on how the LA Times just won a Pulitzer for exposing political corruption in a small California town:
This in spite of the extraordinary efforts on the part of Mayor Godfrey to hand it to them on a silver platter.
The Mayor was overheard complaining to his sycophant in chief, John "Pure Heart" Patterson:
Although the Standard missed out on the Big Pulitzer, they did share the Putzliker award with the aforementioned ISS, along with the lesser known "Asleep at the Press" award. This last award was given by the Putzliker Committee under the theory that no single reporter could be so utterly lame and incompetent without full support and encouragement from top management.
So congratulations to all you folks over at the Standard; you might not have been in the hunt for the Pulitzer, but ya did us all proud with your outstanding achievements with the Putzliker.
By: Ozboy
Well it seems that for the tenth year in a row the Ogden Standard Examiner has failed to win a Pulitzer Prize for political investigative reporting. Here's the most recent news on this topic, a Salt Lake Tribune story, reporting on how the LA Times just won a Pulitzer for exposing political corruption in a small California town:
This in spite of the extraordinary efforts on the part of Mayor Godfrey to hand it to them on a silver platter.
The Mayor was overheard complaining to his sycophant in chief, John "Pure Heart" Patterson:
Jeeze Pure Heart, can't these losers ever get anything right? I give them endless lies, I give them FANURE, I give them practically every other sleazy political trick in the books and they still can't string together an article or two that connects the dots! I don't know what else I could do for them other than write the damn stories myself, but that wouldn't work because the Pulitzer selection committee has a rule against crooked politicians being awarded the prize for self reporting.On a brighter note, The Standard's local political reporter, Incurious Scott Schwebke, (aka ISS) was awarded the Putzliker Prize for the reporter with his head the furthest up a sleazy politicians kiester. This award was for his body of non-work over an extended period of time in spite of being exposed to a daily diet of scamming, lying and blatant cronyism on the part of the corrupt political machine known as the Godfreyites.
Although the Standard missed out on the Big Pulitzer, they did share the Putzliker award with the aforementioned ISS, along with the lesser known "Asleep at the Press" award. This last award was given by the Putzliker Committee under the theory that no single reporter could be so utterly lame and incompetent without full support and encouragement from top management.
So congratulations to all you folks over at the Standard; you might not have been in the hunt for the Pulitzer, but ya did us all proud with your outstanding achievements with the Putzliker.
Monday, April 18, 2011
An Emerald City Tuesday Evening Council Meeting Heads-up
Godfrey is desperate to say he got something done on the river, but this latest development proposal is a poor last ditch effort and not in the best interests of the city
Editor's Introductory preface: In anticipation of tomorrow night's Emerald City Council work meeting, we're pleased to promote to the front page gentle reader Looks like we’ve been sold down the river again's Thursday comment, which alerts us to some serious and troubling Ogden River Project mission creep, which will be discussed at Tuesday's meeting:
By: Looks like we’ve been sold down the river again
The latest proposal being presented to the city council in the upcoming work session for the river development appears to no longer be a mixed use project with nicely laid out garden lined paths with small parks along the way that follow the meander of the river on one side and small boutique shops and restaurants lining the other side of the path... a show place in the city that would draw locals and non-locals alike to the downtown area and as an excursion for those people that come to Ogden for conventions. This concept has given way to a housing project disguised as a mixed use project.
Here's a link to tomorrow night's council packet, for those WCF readers who'd like to examine the original source documents:
The city council is first being asked to redefine the current language as to what is a mixed use area in the city ordinances. Specifically the current wording for mixed use states that no more than 60% of the area will be allowed to be used in any one specific type of use, such as residential, commercial, office building or retail. This is to ensure the area actually functions as a true mixed use area.
What is being proposed to the city council to change is the language that would define a mixed use area as an area where no more that 60% of any one HOUSING TYPE is used. With this change the river project can be 90+% housing. Defined in the latest river project development proposal as 28 carriage houses, 24cottage houses, 383 townhouses, 283 apartments, 23 (in 9 buildings) live/work residents and 9 mixed use (commercial with residential) buildings. Once the language is changed then the whole area becomes a housing project. Then the council will be asked to approve the river project development agreement and if they do, the whole concept of a true mixed use area within the city that would attract people from all over to enjoy its beauty will have been lost.
Some of the concept drawings show large park areas along the river (being totally surrounded by residential complexes) rather than what most people envision as true mixed use and later in the presentation they show build outs of these same park areas into residential projects as the whole area gets completed.
One has to wonder to with all the effort put into restoring the river back to a natural state in anticipation of a true mixed use setting how the river will fare with the new pressures of some additional 1500 plus people living in close proximity to the river. Council should seriously review the changes being proposed to the mixed use ordinance and council should seriously review the current development proposal to see if a housing project is really what they envisioned for the river project.
In MHO, Godfrey is desperate to say he got something done on the river, but this latest development proposal is a poor last ditch effort and not in the best interests of the city. This is just too valuable an asset to the city to simply turn this area into a housing project.
Editor's Addendum: For those readers who'd like to voice their objections to the administration's desperate proposal to abandon Ogden City's carefully crafted, original mixed use development intent, and to swap it (bait and switch-style) for high density housing project parameters, which will inevitably lead to the "instant ghettoising" of Ogden's River Project Area...
Imagine something like this along the Ogden River. This is what cheap, high density residential rental property looks like:
Here's what cheap and developer-profitable
high density residential housing looks like, People!
Here's your Ogden City Council contact information. Need we say more? AHEM!:
Remember, your Ogden City Council representatives love to hear from you, their constituents, even when you're only writing to gripe.
Editor's Introductory preface: In anticipation of tomorrow night's Emerald City Council work meeting, we're pleased to promote to the front page gentle reader Looks like we’ve been sold down the river again's Thursday comment, which alerts us to some serious and troubling Ogden River Project mission creep, which will be discussed at Tuesday's meeting:
By: Looks like we’ve been sold down the river again
The latest proposal being presented to the city council in the upcoming work session for the river development appears to no longer be a mixed use project with nicely laid out garden lined paths with small parks along the way that follow the meander of the river on one side and small boutique shops and restaurants lining the other side of the path... a show place in the city that would draw locals and non-locals alike to the downtown area and as an excursion for those people that come to Ogden for conventions. This concept has given way to a housing project disguised as a mixed use project.
Here's a link to tomorrow night's council packet, for those WCF readers who'd like to examine the original source documents:
The city council is first being asked to redefine the current language as to what is a mixed use area in the city ordinances. Specifically the current wording for mixed use states that no more than 60% of the area will be allowed to be used in any one specific type of use, such as residential, commercial, office building or retail. This is to ensure the area actually functions as a true mixed use area.
What is being proposed to the city council to change is the language that would define a mixed use area as an area where no more that 60% of any one HOUSING TYPE is used. With this change the river project can be 90+% housing. Defined in the latest river project development proposal as 28 carriage houses, 24cottage houses, 383 townhouses, 283 apartments, 23 (in 9 buildings) live/work residents and 9 mixed use (commercial with residential) buildings. Once the language is changed then the whole area becomes a housing project. Then the council will be asked to approve the river project development agreement and if they do, the whole concept of a true mixed use area within the city that would attract people from all over to enjoy its beauty will have been lost.
Some of the concept drawings show large park areas along the river (being totally surrounded by residential complexes) rather than what most people envision as true mixed use and later in the presentation they show build outs of these same park areas into residential projects as the whole area gets completed.
One has to wonder to with all the effort put into restoring the river back to a natural state in anticipation of a true mixed use setting how the river will fare with the new pressures of some additional 1500 plus people living in close proximity to the river. Council should seriously review the changes being proposed to the mixed use ordinance and council should seriously review the current development proposal to see if a housing project is really what they envisioned for the river project.
In MHO, Godfrey is desperate to say he got something done on the river, but this latest development proposal is a poor last ditch effort and not in the best interests of the city. This is just too valuable an asset to the city to simply turn this area into a housing project.
Editor's Addendum: For those readers who'd like to voice their objections to the administration's desperate proposal to abandon Ogden City's carefully crafted, original mixed use development intent, and to swap it (bait and switch-style) for high density housing project parameters, which will inevitably lead to the "instant ghettoising" of Ogden's River Project Area...
Imagine something like this along the Ogden River. This is what cheap, high density residential rental property looks like:
Here's what cheap and developer-profitablehigh density residential housing looks like, People!
Here's your Ogden City Council contact information. Need we say more? AHEM!:
Remember, your Ogden City Council representatives love to hear from you, their constituents, even when you're only writing to gripe.
Standard-Examiner: OPD Awaits New Crime-fighting Tools
A crime fighting, aerial surveilance blimp for Ogden? Oh the Huge Manatee!
Despite the fact that Boss Godfrey's aerial survellance blimp has become a side-splitting punchline on both the local and national levels, The Standard-Examiner still continues this morning, (with an apparent completely straight face), to assist the administration in flogging this idea as a legitimate crime-fighting tool:
Interesting crime statistics side-story emerges from this morning's Scott Schwebke writeup, too:
The "Ogdenburg"
Please feel free to continue to discuss this topic, or alternatively to consider this an open-topic thread.
Despite the fact that Boss Godfrey's aerial survellance blimp has become a side-splitting punchline on both the local and national levels, The Standard-Examiner still continues this morning, (with an apparent completely straight face), to assist the administration in flogging this idea as a legitimate crime-fighting tool:
Interesting crime statistics side-story emerges from this morning's Scott Schwebke writeup, too:
In 2010, violent crime incidents, including homicide, rape, robbery and assault, in east-central Ogden decreased 24 percent. Property crimes, such as burglary and auto theft rose by 20 percent over those recorded in 2009, according to a newly issued CRU report.A crime fighting, aerial surveilance blimp for Ogden, to respond to the disturbing 2010 uptick in property crimes?
The "Ogdenburg"Please feel free to continue to discuss this topic, or alternatively to consider this an open-topic thread.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Salt Lake Tribune: VesCor Investment Scam Associate Gets Year in Jail
Still surprised that Hammons has people telling the judge what an honorable man he is
By: What will it cost us
William J. Hammons, 67, was sentenced on Friday after being convicted in February of seven counts of felony fraud. Hammons worked with Boss Godfrey crony Val E. Southwick, an Ogden businessman now in prison for a real estate investment scheme that bilked hundreds of investors out of more than $180 million. He received a year in jail and was ordered to pay restitution.
Still surprised that he has people telling the judge what an honorable man he is; but his victims wanted more jail time.
By: What will it cost us
William J. Hammons, 67, was sentenced on Friday after being convicted in February of seven counts of felony fraud. Hammons worked with Boss Godfrey crony Val E. Southwick, an Ogden businessman now in prison for a real estate investment scheme that bilked hundreds of investors out of more than $180 million. He received a year in jail and was ordered to pay restitution.
Still surprised that he has people telling the judge what an honorable man he is; but his victims wanted more jail time.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Salt Lake Tribune: Fire Waddoups
Members of the Senate majority might be well-advised to put out a help wanted sign for a new president
Hmmm... It's not just the Standard-Examiner who believes state senator Mike Waddoups is clueless. The Salt Lake Tribune also lays into "the incredibly callous" Utah Senate President this morning:
The Trib editors sum it all up thusly:
Hmmm... It's not just the Standard-Examiner who believes state senator Mike Waddoups is clueless. The Salt Lake Tribune also lays into "the incredibly callous" Utah Senate President this morning:
The Trib editors sum it all up thusly:
It is that cluelessness about those in circumstances less favorable than his own that should clue other members of the Senate majority that they might be well-advised to put out a help wanted sign for a new president.Are you listening, Weber County Senators Christensen, Jenkins and Reid?
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Breaking News: Godfrey Releases List of Potential Fieldhouse Donors - UPDATED
Now we know why Godfrey worked so hard to keep the list of potential donors secret
By Curmudgeon
Hizzonah, Mayor Matthew Godfrey has turned over the list of donors the city's GRAMA review committee told him was a public record to the Standard Examiner, which just put the story up on its website:
The story's most telling sentence: "None of the donors the newspaper talked with agreed to provide money for the field house."
Now we know why he worked so hard to keep the list of potential donors secret. It seems most of them had not committed a dime.
Update 4/14/11 9:58 p.m.: The SL Trib has the story too:
Update 4/14/11 11:44 p.m.: Dan Schroeder has just transmitted to us a scan of the original Boss Godfreypatsy donor list received from Ogden City in the mail on Monday:
By Curmudgeon
Hizzonah, Mayor Matthew Godfrey has turned over the list of donors the city's GRAMA review committee told him was a public record to the Standard Examiner, which just put the story up on its website:
The story's most telling sentence: "None of the donors the newspaper talked with agreed to provide money for the field house."
Now we know why he worked so hard to keep the list of potential donors secret. It seems most of them had not committed a dime.
Update 4/14/11 9:58 p.m.: The SL Trib has the story too:
Update 4/14/11 11:44 p.m.: Dan Schroeder has just transmitted to us a scan of the original Boss Godfrey
Salt Lake Tribune: Waddoups Backtracks on Jobless Remark
How dumb is Mike Waddoups? VERY DUMB??? Or Worse???
Here's the latest from the Tribune's Robert Gehrke, regarding one of the Utah Senate's most powerful Single Digit IQ corporatist legislative overlords, regarding another idiotic statement issued during his hopelessly botched Senate Presidency tenure:
We swear... NOBODY could make this shite up!
How dumb is Mike Waddoups? VERY DUMB?... Or worse?
Here's the latest from the Tribune's Robert Gehrke, regarding one of the Utah Senate's most powerful Single Digit IQ corporatist legislative overlords, regarding another idiotic statement issued during his hopelessly botched Senate Presidency tenure:
We swear... NOBODY could make this shite up!
How dumb is Mike Waddoups? VERY DUMB?... Or worse?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Standard-Examiner: Ogden Council Rejects River Project Agreement
Anyone want to lay odds on whether a groundbreaking will occur for this project prior to Godfrey's departure from the mayoral office in January 2012?
Whoa, people! Seems like only yesterday that the Godfrey administration was crowing about the selection of Marina del Rey-based Lee Homes as developer for the moribund Ogden River project; and now we learn from the Standard-Examiner this morning that this once highly-touted California company is out on its ear:
Anyone want to lay odds on whether a groundbreaking will occur for this project prior to Godfrey's departure from the mayor's office in January 2012?
Whoa, people! Seems like only yesterday that the Godfrey administration was crowing about the selection of Marina del Rey-based Lee Homes as developer for the moribund Ogden River project; and now we learn from the Standard-Examiner this morning that this once highly-touted California company is out on its ear:
Anyone want to lay odds on whether a groundbreaking will occur for this project prior to Godfrey's departure from the mayor's office in January 2012?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Get the Real Poop!
I am changing my list of required financial publications so I will get the real poop!
By: Dorothy Littrell
No more Wall Street Journals for me!
Read this, from the Rolling Stone e-magazine, no less!
Read up!
Dorothy
No more Wall Street Journals for me!
Read this, from the Rolling Stone e-magazine, no less!
Read up!
Dorothy
Monday, April 11, 2011
Liberal vs. Conservative: Does the Difference Lie in the Brain?
Larger than normal brain parts (anterior cingulate cortices and/or amygdalae)... neuroscientific reasons you may or may or may not be a political "fraidy cat"
By Ozboy
I just read an article on the Time magazine site about a study that identified some differences in the brain structure between liberals and conservatives.
One interesting paragraph reads:
Read more:
Liberal or conservative... "size" may actually mean something.
Don't let the cat get your tongues!
By Ozboy
I just read an article on the Time magazine site about a study that identified some differences in the brain structure between liberals and conservatives.
One interesting paragraph reads:
In the study, led by Ryota Kanai of the University College London, people who identified themselves as liberals generally had a larger anterior cingulate cortex — a comma-shaped region near the front of the brain that is involved in decision-making. By contrast, those who identified as conservatives had larger amygdalas — almond-shaped structures that are linked with emotional learning and the processing of fear.This seems to explain why "liberals" when confronted with a situation will think it through and come to an intelligent understanding of it, while "conservatives" usually just react in fear and circle the wagons - ala the current Tea Party Tin Hat crowd.
Read more:
Liberal or conservative... "size" may actually mean something.
Don't let the cat get your tongues!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Standard-Examiner Guest Commentary: GRAMA Request Reveals Details of "Sweetheart" 21st Street Pond Deal
Ogden City activist David Smith nabs the mayor
By: TLJ
Ogden City activist David Smith nabs the mayor:
21st Street Pond is deeded to the city of Ogden, but we the citizens can't use it until 2058! Two someones named Matthew Godfrey and David Goode signed a memorandum of general intent, stating that Goode's company would have exclusive use of the pond for its watercraft until 2058. All in exchange for a $5,000 campaign contribution to the mayor.
Do the math? That works out to about $92.50 per year to keep the good citizens of Ogden out of Goode Ski Lake. Yes, David Goode even got naming rights in the memo.
Read all about it in this morning's SE guest commentary, (which also has more details and information of where the GRAMA'd documents can be found):
No new news on Goode's website for 7 months ... the last one being about some water ski event in Florida.
One wonders if they are even using the 21st street pond.
By: TLJ
Ogden City activist David Smith nabs the mayor:
21st Street Pond is deeded to the city of Ogden, but we the citizens can't use it until 2058! Two someones named Matthew Godfrey and David Goode signed a memorandum of general intent, stating that Goode's company would have exclusive use of the pond for its watercraft until 2058. All in exchange for a $5,000 campaign contribution to the mayor.
Do the math? That works out to about $92.50 per year to keep the good citizens of Ogden out of Goode Ski Lake. Yes, David Goode even got naming rights in the memo.
Read all about it in this morning's SE guest commentary, (which also has more details and information of where the GRAMA'd documents can be found):
No new news on Goode's website for 7 months ... the last one being about some water ski event in Florida.
One wonders if they are even using the 21st street pond.
TLJ
Saturday, April 09, 2011
Standard-Examiner: Ogden Lawmaker to Introduce Bill, Saying State-run Liquor Stores 'Anti-capitalist and Anti-free Market'
Reader query: Is it reasonable to expect that the Utah liquor market could achieve free market efficiency, while a state monopoly is preserved at the supply chain apex?
Tantalizing front page story (for civil libertarians at least) in this morning's Standard-Examiner, announcing that one Mormon Weber County legislator, House District 7 Representative Ryan Wilcox, is proposing... get this... the privatization of "the retail sale of liquor in Utah":
Gotta say we were gobsmacked by the headline, wondering how this relatively inexperienced "Mo-Mo" Wilcox kid would have summoned up the audacity to present a bill like this before a decidedly "Mormon" Legislature"... until we got down to the "fine print" contained in the last paragraph of today's Loretta Park story:
A "move toward free market capitalism?" That's so funny that your blogmeister forgot to laugh.
Seems to us that if representatives Wilcox and Richardson were really serious about adhering to the principles of free market economics (rather than engaging in mere sloganeering), they'd be sponsoring a bill to get the state government out of the liquor business altogether.
So what about it O Gentle Ones? Is it reasonable to expect that the Utah liquor market could achieve free market efficiency, while a state monopoly is preserved at the supply chain apex?
Tantalizing front page story (for civil libertarians at least) in this morning's Standard-Examiner, announcing that one Mormon Weber County legislator, House District 7 Representative Ryan Wilcox, is proposing... get this... the privatization of "the retail sale of liquor in Utah":
Gotta say we were gobsmacked by the headline, wondering how this relatively inexperienced "Mo-Mo" Wilcox kid would have summoned up the audacity to present a bill like this before a decidedly "Mormon" Legislature"... until we got down to the "fine print" contained in the last paragraph of today's Loretta Park story:
Wilcox said his proposal would include maintaining the same standards and control the state currently has over the sale of liquor, but with private businesses operating the liquor stores.It thus becomes even more explicit when you read this language from today's SLTrib story on this topic, which basically, although more thoroughly than the Standard-Examiner, covers the same ground:
Wilcox said Utah’s model for privately run stores could come from so-called package agencies, run by private individuals. The agencies, which date back to the 1930s, are in small towns and rural areas where it’s not economically feasible to open a large, state-controlled store. [Emphasis added.]Too funny people. Looks to us like this Wilcox kid is playing fast and loose with the facts, when he characterizes his new bill as a move toward "free market capitalism." It looks more like Soviet-style communism to us, with his bill preserving the state liquor monopoly right down through wholesaling/buying/warehousing/ distributing... to the "state package store" level, where private contractors would handle the retail marketing. Here's what this Wilcox fella is proposing people... The way it is set up by Wilcox, private business will pay all the retail costs and overhead and the state will still have all the control and reap all the spoils.
A "move toward free market capitalism?" That's so funny that your blogmeister forgot to laugh.
Seems to us that if representatives Wilcox and Richardson were really serious about adhering to the principles of free market economics (rather than engaging in mere sloganeering), they'd be sponsoring a bill to get the state government out of the liquor business altogether.
So what about it O Gentle Ones? Is it reasonable to expect that the Utah liquor market could achieve free market efficiency, while a state monopoly is preserved at the supply chain apex?
Friday, April 08, 2011
RIP Bill Critchlow! Sad to SeeYou Go
Dang! Bill C... he had a stroke and passed within the last couple of hours
Got this missive from one of WCF juggernaut Bill Critchlow's pals earlier today, which has even put your hard core jaded blogmeister into the deep emotional dumps:
Needless to say, words are hopelessly insufficient.
[Sniffle]
Update 4/10/11 9:02 a.m.: Bill's obit is in today's Standard-Examiner:
Funeral will be Tuesday at 1 pm at Myers Mortuary, 845 Washington. Viewing Monday night 6 to 8 and Tuesday 11:40 to 12:40.
Got this missive from one of WCF juggernaut Bill Critchlow's pals earlier today, which has even put your hard core jaded blogmeister into the deep emotional dumps:
Rudi:Rest In Peace, Bill Critchlow, my dear friend.
Though you may have heard, just thought your forum would like to know our beloved Bill C. passed away this morning. Been battling cancer. Heard he had a stroke and passed within the last couple of hours. Details on arrangements to follow.
He was family to me, and a friend to countless.
Thanks,
Beaver
Needless to say, words are hopelessly insufficient.
[Sniffle]
Bill Critchlow (1955-2011)
Update 4/10/11 9:02 a.m.: Bill's obit is in today's Standard-Examiner:
Funeral will be Tuesday at 1 pm at Myers Mortuary, 845 Washington. Viewing Monday night 6 to 8 and Tuesday 11:40 to 12:40.
Standard-Examiner Editorial: OUR VIEW: Fix Liquor Stores Fiasco
Daily Utah Chronicle: Voting on autopilot hurt citizens’ rights
And over at the Utah Daily Chronicle, columnist Stewart Thorpe has another great idea. After the legislature gets done fixing this year's bad legislation, maybe it's time for knee-jerk GOP voters to help fix up the Utah legislature itself:
Seems our Utah legislature gets loonier with each passing year. Perhaps the time has come, even for GOP loyalists, to turn off the autopilot and "cull the herd."
Just a thought.
We have no doubt that it gives the overwhelmingly Republican Legislature a lot of satisfaction to include the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control in its budget-trimming. But even the most "moral" budget cut needs to make sense. No matter how many times you figure it out, it is not thrifty to save $2 million and lose potentially $18 million.
Standard-Examiner Editorial
OUR VIEW: Fix liquor stores fiasco
April 8, 2011
I've referred to the political principles of the Utah Republican Party before as "Big Brother Republicanism." In light of this session, a better term fits—feudalistic Republicanism. The term captures the Utah Republican Party's disdain for public oversight, input, checks and balances of and to its government. It captures the spirit of expanding the power of the government and rich lobbyists (the noble families) and shrinks the power of the public (the serfs). It also captures the feudalistic spirit of contempt and condescension that the Utah Republican Party has for the voting public.
Stewart Thorpe, The Daily Utah Chronicle
Voting on autopilot hurt citizens’ rights
April 5, 2011
And over at the Utah Daily Chronicle, columnist Stewart Thorpe has another great idea. After the legislature gets done fixing this year's bad legislation, maybe it's time for knee-jerk GOP voters to help fix up the Utah legislature itself:
Seems our Utah legislature gets loonier with each passing year. Perhaps the time has come, even for GOP loyalists, to turn off the autopilot and "cull the herd."
Just a thought.
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Standard-Examiner: Hansen Announces Run for Mayor of Ogden
One of the very few honest and sincere politicians in the whole damn state
By Ozboy
I see on the Standard site that Neil Hansen has thrown his hat in the mayoral ring today:
I wish him well, he is one of the very few honest and sincere politicians in the whole damn state. Hopefully he will find the keys to the east side this time around.
By Ozboy
I see on the Standard site that Neil Hansen has thrown his hat in the mayoral ring today:
I wish him well, he is one of the very few honest and sincere politicians in the whole damn state. Hopefully he will find the keys to the east side this time around.
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Standard-Examiner Editorial: OUR VIEW: Waddoups is Clueless
Kudos to the Standard for tellin' it like it is
Spot-on editorial in this morning's Standard-Examiner, dealing with the state legislature's misguided failure and refusal "to accept almost $100 million from the federal government to extend unemployment benefits to 23,432 Utahns for 13 more weeks." This morning's editorial bears this concise and accurate headline, which, (now that we think about it,) pretty much summarizes the whole story of the Utah legislature this year:
Loved the scatological reference, a drastic departure from the SE Editorial Board's usual staid and Sunday school-style delivery:
Thanks to folks like Mike Waddoups, cluelessness abounds in the Utah legislature, no?
Kudos to the Standard for tellin' it like it is. And watch your step... so's you don't trip over Sen. Waddoups' "road apples," which are scattered everywhere from Logan to St. George.
Update4/6/11 12:00 p.m.: Per the Ever-Gentle Curmudgeon:
The SL Trib this morning has a story up about "Last Minute Lockhart," who conceded that "the audit" the legislature did on the state liquor store monopoly's budget "may not have been" quite as thorough as it should have been:
And another story on a bill to allow health insurance companies to raise premiums for old folk and large families which Speaker of the House "Last Minute Lockhart" got introduced in the closing moments of the session and rushed to adoption without debate [sound familiar] which the Guv vetoed. Last Minute Lockhart and the boys are of course planning a veto-override session:
Clueless Waddoups, Last Minute Lockhart and Free Lunch for Me Dee are beginning to look like they're trying out for the part of Steve Urqel by repeating the line: " Did I do that?"
Spot-on editorial in this morning's Standard-Examiner, dealing with the state legislature's misguided failure and refusal "to accept almost $100 million from the federal government to extend unemployment benefits to 23,432 Utahns for 13 more weeks." This morning's editorial bears this concise and accurate headline, which, (now that we think about it,) pretty much summarizes the whole story of the Utah legislature this year:
Loved the scatological reference, a drastic departure from the SE Editorial Board's usual staid and Sunday school-style delivery:
We've had to deal with a lot of horse manure coming from the Utah Legislature this year and unfortunately the piles continue to emanate from its leadership.And speaking of reeking barnyard "cluelessness" "emanating in piles from legislative leadership," check out this morning's ABC4 story, which deals with yet another legislative "false economy," i.e., the legislature's genius attempt (another Waddoups brain-child) to "save just about $2 million" by closing down "nearly a dozen" state liquor outlets this summer:
Thanks to folks like Mike Waddoups, cluelessness abounds in the Utah legislature, no?
Kudos to the Standard for tellin' it like it is. And watch your step... so's you don't trip over Sen. Waddoups' "road apples," which are scattered everywhere from Logan to St. George.
Update4/6/11 12:00 p.m.: Per the Ever-Gentle Curmudgeon:
The SL Trib this morning has a story up about "Last Minute Lockhart," who conceded that "the audit" the legislature did on the state liquor store monopoly's budget "may not have been" quite as thorough as it should have been:
And another story on a bill to allow health insurance companies to raise premiums for old folk and large families which Speaker of the House "Last Minute Lockhart" got introduced in the closing moments of the session and rushed to adoption without debate [sound familiar] which the Guv vetoed. Last Minute Lockhart and the boys are of course planning a veto-override session:
Clueless Waddoups, Last Minute Lockhart and Free Lunch for Me Dee are beginning to look like they're trying out for the part of Steve Urqel by repeating the line: " Did I do that?"
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
Tuesday Morning Emerald City News Roundup
Plenty of Ogden-centric news in the Standard-Examiner and Tribune this morning
Quipping that "[m]y transmission doesn't have a neutral," Boss Godfrey announces his ambitious plan for the final nine months in office, adding that he will step up his workload over the next nine months, leaving us all to wonder if you're going in the wrong direction and you step up your workload, where, exactly, do you wind up?
Eight long years since the commencement of the Ogden River Project, the Ogden Planning Commission will finally get around to considering on Wednesday whether to recommend that the city's Redevelopment Agency Board adopt a proposed project master plan:
Odd editorial in this morning's Standard, heralding the beginning of the 2011 Ogden Mayoral race, and touting outgoing mayor Godfrey's chief weakness, self-centered hubris, as if it were a positive trait:
And speaking of the mayoral race, we learn from the Standard this morning that former Weber County Commissioner Ken Bischoff has thrown his hat into the ring:
And last but not least, Ogden based Senator Stuart Reid tells the Salt Lake Tribune "he voted against repealing a controversial open records law for one reason: To protect private communication that staff attorneys warned was subject to public disclosure," leaving us to wonder whether he missed Paul Rolly's Saturday column:
That's it for now, O Gentle Ones...
Time to throw in your own 2¢.
Quipping that "[m]y transmission doesn't have a neutral," Boss Godfrey announces his ambitious plan for the final nine months in office, adding that he will step up his workload over the next nine months, leaving us all to wonder if you're going in the wrong direction and you step up your workload, where, exactly, do you wind up?
Eight long years since the commencement of the Ogden River Project, the Ogden Planning Commission will finally get around to considering on Wednesday whether to recommend that the city's Redevelopment Agency Board adopt a proposed project master plan:
Odd editorial in this morning's Standard, heralding the beginning of the 2011 Ogden Mayoral race, and touting outgoing mayor Godfrey's chief weakness, self-centered hubris, as if it were a positive trait:
And speaking of the mayoral race, we learn from the Standard this morning that former Weber County Commissioner Ken Bischoff has thrown his hat into the ring:
And last but not least, Ogden based Senator Stuart Reid tells the Salt Lake Tribune "he voted against repealing a controversial open records law for one reason: To protect private communication that staff attorneys warned was subject to public disclosure," leaving us to wonder whether he missed Paul Rolly's Saturday column:
That's it for now, O Gentle Ones...
Time to throw in your own 2¢.
Monday, April 04, 2011
Charlie Trentelman: Custom Ordered For a Slow News Day
How evil is Boss Godfrey, actually?
By: Curmudgeon
Charlie Trentelman has a blog column up over at the Standard-Examiner website entitled:
And he's drawn some replies. Some of them interesting.
Just FYI, hehehh.
By: Curmudgeon
Charlie Trentelman has a blog column up over at the Standard-Examiner website entitled:
And he's drawn some replies. Some of them interesting.
Just FYI, hehehh.
Big Emerald City Council Meeting Tomorrow Night
Proposed CIP ordinance amendments would reduce Emerald City government transparency, hand Boss Godfrey even more discretionary power and much more...
On the heels of the 2/15/11 Ogden City Council meeting, we'll provide an additional heads-up concerning tomorrow night's Regular Council Session, wherein the Council will give further consideration to pending proposals to substantially (and detrimentally) amend Ogden City's Capital Improvement Project rules.
As we noted in our 2/14/11 article on this topic, these proposed amendments for the most part fall into two chief general classes:
1) Raising of Capital Improvement Project Limits. The Administration proposes to raise the threshold for discretionary Administration capital expenditures "from the current $10,000 to $30,000 before the administration is required to go to the City Council for permission to spend additional taxpayer dough." Raising this threshold would have the obvious effect of allowing more money to be spent by the Administration on projects without prior public knowledge, of course.
2) Establishment of "Slush Funds." The Administration proposes the establishment of an array of new self-administered "accounts":
For those readers who'd like to consult the Council Packet for tomorrow night's meeting, click the link below:
Once you've had a chance to check out these documents we're certain you'll agree that these ordinance changes would reduce transparency, allow more money to be spent on projects without prior public knowledge, substantially and detrimentally relinquish existing Council financial oversight and and unreasonably hand even more discretionary spending power over to Boss Godfrey.
We'll invite you all to throw in your 2¢; but before we do, here's a little something extra, a query tossed into the CIP ordinance amendment discussion in one of our lower comments sections:
The floor's open, O Gentle Ones.
Who will be the first to chime in?
Update 4/6/11 7:33 a.m.: Scott Schwebke reports that the Council bought the full proposed CIP amendment package, hook line and sinker, by a 6-1 vote:
Fiscal prudence in Emerald City? Fuggedaboudit.
On the heels of the 2/15/11 Ogden City Council meeting, we'll provide an additional heads-up concerning tomorrow night's Regular Council Session, wherein the Council will give further consideration to pending proposals to substantially (and detrimentally) amend Ogden City's Capital Improvement Project rules.
As we noted in our 2/14/11 article on this topic, these proposed amendments for the most part fall into two chief general classes:
1) Raising of Capital Improvement Project Limits. The Administration proposes to raise the threshold for discretionary Administration capital expenditures "from the current $10,000 to $30,000 before the administration is required to go to the City Council for permission to spend additional taxpayer dough." Raising this threshold would have the obvious effect of allowing more money to be spent by the Administration on projects without prior public knowledge, of course.
2) Establishment of "Slush Funds." The Administration proposes the establishment of an array of new self-administered "accounts":
- Contingency Fund (Cost overruns - $100k expenditure cap)
- Future Projects Account (No $ cap)
- Study Account ($60k cap)
For those readers who'd like to consult the Council Packet for tomorrow night's meeting, click the link below:
Once you've had a chance to check out these documents we're certain you'll agree that these ordinance changes would reduce transparency, allow more money to be spent on projects without prior public knowledge, substantially and detrimentally relinquish existing Council financial oversight and and unreasonably hand even more discretionary spending power over to Boss Godfrey.
We'll invite you all to throw in your 2¢; but before we do, here's a little something extra, a query tossed into the CIP ordinance amendment discussion in one of our lower comments sections:
Currently as the CIP budget is now put together the projected expenditures are of some 2.25 mil for next year, with 1.0 mil of that amount being for the field house.Great question, Ogden Resident, BTW! How the hell DID $1 million in Fieldhouse Project funding wind up on the CIP list, actually?
Why would we be committing this much money to the field house when we haven't even decided whether we're going to build it or not?"
The floor's open, O Gentle Ones.
Who will be the first to chime in?
Update 4/6/11 7:33 a.m.: Scott Schwebke reports that the Council bought the full proposed CIP amendment package, hook line and sinker, by a 6-1 vote:
Fiscal prudence in Emerald City? Fuggedaboudit.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
Sunday Morning Emerald City News Roundup
Plenty of interesting tidbits in this morning's S-E
By Dan Schroeder
Plenty of interesting tidbits in today's Standard-Examiner:
Trentelman tells us what a nice guy Sen. Knudson is even though he voted for HB477 twice. No sympathy for Sen. Reid, however:
Schwebke tells us that there's an open space plan under consideration, but doesn't tell us much about it:
Grondahl depicts our mayor running down a sports field in spiked shoes, trampling everyone in his wake:
Saal ridicules WCF (no such thing as bad publicity, right?), and speculates on the mayor's goals for his last nine months in office:
And the fine-print agenda list includes a tiny item informing us that on Tuesday the council will voluntarily hand the mayor even more power to divert funds to his pet projects:
Update 4/3/11 8:30 a.m.: The SE editorial board slams the Ogden Police Department's "dysfunctional" "double-dipping culture":
By Dan Schroeder
Plenty of interesting tidbits in today's Standard-Examiner:
Trentelman tells us what a nice guy Sen. Knudson is even though he voted for HB477 twice. No sympathy for Sen. Reid, however:
Schwebke tells us that there's an open space plan under consideration, but doesn't tell us much about it:
Grondahl depicts our mayor running down a sports field in spiked shoes, trampling everyone in his wake:
Saal ridicules WCF (no such thing as bad publicity, right?), and speculates on the mayor's goals for his last nine months in office:
And the fine-print agenda list includes a tiny item informing us that on Tuesday the council will voluntarily hand the mayor even more power to divert funds to his pet projects:
Update 4/3/11 8:30 a.m.: The SE editorial board slams the Ogden Police Department's "dysfunctional" "double-dipping culture":
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Paul Rolly: Legislators’ Privacy’ Argument for GRAMA Overhaul is a Ruse*
*English Translation: All BULLSHIT!!!
Paul Rolly this morning uncovers more unadulterated B.S. from the GOP Corporatist thug faction in the Utah legislature, who still cling to their paranoid pro HB477 lies and delusions, despite the stinging bitchslap they received from Utah civil libertarians and just plain ole regular Utah voters this week:
Full disclosure, folks. Your blogmeister is a life-long Republican who's sickened by the marked general deterioration in quality of Utah GOP office holders within the past ten years.
And no. And in spite of recent attempts by some Utah GOP "Leaders" (so called) to sway your blogmeister back onto the Utah GOP "straight and narrow," these highly paranoid GOP authoritarians will soon learn the hard way that they won't be able to bring your blogmeister to toe.
Wake up Utah Republicans! Our party has been captured by a claque of lying anti-liberty corporo-fascists, to whom we cordially invite to engage "old time Republicans" like us, so as to box their traitorous neoCON Cauliflower EARS!
Paul Rolly this morning uncovers more unadulterated B.S. from the GOP Corporatist thug faction in the Utah legislature, who still cling to their paranoid pro HB477 lies and delusions, despite the stinging bitchslap they received from Utah civil libertarians and just plain ole regular Utah voters this week:
Full disclosure, folks. Your blogmeister is a life-long Republican who's sickened by the marked general deterioration in quality of Utah GOP office holders within the past ten years.
And no. And in spite of recent attempts by some Utah GOP "Leaders" (so called) to sway your blogmeister back onto the Utah GOP "straight and narrow," these highly paranoid GOP authoritarians will soon learn the hard way that they won't be able to bring your blogmeister to toe.
Wake up Utah Republicans! Our party has been captured by a claque of lying anti-liberty corporo-fascists, to whom we cordially invite to engage "old time Republicans" like us, so as to box their traitorous neoCON Cauliflower EARS!
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