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PDF versionIn the race for Ogden City Council At Large Seat A between Mark Hains and Susan Van Hooser, the Standard-Examiner recommends a vote for Van Hooser.
Van Hooser is, simply stated, the type of individual that you want to see on the Ogden City Council. She has lived in the community for more than 30 years. A retired public educator, she is tireless community activist. Her resume shows that she has "walked the talk." She is the president of the Weber County Heritage Foundation, the vice president of the Egyptian Theater Foundation, a member of the Crossroads of the West Committee and a member of the Landmarks Commission; and that's only a partial list of this go-getter's accomplishments.
Even if one disagrees with Van Hooser's stance on a particular issue, we cannot dispute that she makes her decisions with Ogden's best interests at heart. Van Hooser wants to make sure that high-profile projects, such as the River Project and the Junction, meet their intended goals. She wants to make sure that Ogden's natural beauty is not threatened by excessive development. She is committed to making sure that the Marshall White Center meets the needs of its neighborhood patrons, and that includes a pool. We are also intrigued by her support of a streetcar transit system in the city.
Van Hooser was involved in a high-profile race for mayor two years ago. We believe Van Hooser has the leadership skills to be a major player on the Ogden City Council. We also believe that Van Hooser's commitment to Ogden will lead her to work for consensus and compromise with the administration, rather than isolation, which has been a recent trend. We do not want to see Van Hooser assume the role of a roadblock to progress by hindering new development to the city.
We believe Van Hooser when she says she's running for the citizens of Ogden. She has the communication skills, ideas and enthusiasm required for the job.
Related link: This article is a topic of discussion at Weber County Forum.
A vote for Susie...
Just in case you get busy and think other things are more important than voting tomorrow, remember the last Mayoral/Council election.
Sheila Aardema lost her bid for the Council seat to Blain Johnson by just 12 votes.
Funny money, misappropriated from the contributors to Envision Ogden, was used to bankroll Johnson and Royal Eccles' campaigns. BTW, Blain and Royal Eccles are at it again, forming a PAC called "Forward Ogden" that just donated $1479 to Mark Hains' campaign at the last minute. (The legal maximum is $1500). Is history repeating itself?
Susan Van Hooser lost to Godfrey by 452 votes out of 14,000 cast. There was documented voter intimidation and harassment at the polls. How many pro-Susie votes were challenged and eliminated? We will never know.
The take-home message is that every vote counts and yours might just make the crucial difference.
J47............I could not resist
As per above, I am not from OGDEN or even UTAH!
And since I do not LIVE in OGDEN, I cannot even VOTE in this Election. BUT..........I have been watching. For almost 5 years. AND wherever O-TOWN goes, so goes WEBER COUNTY. SO...........I applaud all the emotions that interested VOTERS who DO LIVE in Ogden, have voiced, in this SE online queue alone. Lots of them have been doing a great job.......SPEAKING UP. It reminds me of 1 year ago, nationally.
SO J47. I case you have not noticed, OGDEN CITY does realize it is a part of the USA. Even when other parts of Weber County is in doubt..........or DENIAL.
GO O-TOWN
I picked up this link from FACEBOOK. OK.........go figure. FB is very popular in O-TOWN and along the WASATCH.
This is great. I salute WEBER COUNTY FORUM people for jumping all over the STANDARD EXAMINER threads, in the last 2 weeks, and having at it. YEAH!...........you guys ROCK. About time you put all this info on the SE online. So that all..........who read the SE online.......... will read it.
I do not live in OGDEN, but I do not follow WT politics. Why bother, when O-TOWN politics are what really matter in WEBER COUNTY. I have only lived in greater O-TOWN since 12.2004. But.....in the last week.......... I have already beat UP! all the folks I know who live in O-TOWN and CAN VOTE for Susie Van Hooser. And Jesse Garcia.
What a relief that PHIPPS did not have the cojones to file his Campaign Finance report. And gave up his chance (not too much............) to win his O-TOWN Council Seat. HA! I would have voted for BLAIR anyway............IF I could have.
GO O-TOWN
I picked up this link from FACEBOOK. OK.........go figure. FB is very popular in O-TOWN and along the WASATCH.
This is great. I salute WEBER COUNTY FORUM people for jumping all over the STANDARD EXAMINER threads, in the last 2 weeks, and having at it. YEAH!...........you guys ROCK. About time you put all this info on the SE online. So that all..........who read the SE online.......... will read it.
I do not live in OGDEN, but I do not follow WT politics. Why bother, when O-TOWN politics are what really matter in WEBER COUNTY. I have only lived in greater O-TOWN since 12.2004. But.....in the last week.......... I have already beat UP! all the folks I know who live in O-TOWN and CAN VOTE for Susie Van Hooser. And Jesse Garcia.
What a relief that PHIPPS did not have the cojones to file his Campaign Finance report. And gave up his chance (not too much............) to win his O-TOWN Council Seat. HA! I would have voted for BLAIR anyway............IF I could have.
follow the money
This probably won't make it into the paper before the election, but voters ought to know: Mark Hains has accepted a total of $3000 in campaign contributions from the Utah Association of Realtors (UAR), in apparent violation of the $1500 contribution limit. The violation isn't quite obvious because $1500 came from the UAR's local chapter, the Northern Wasatch Association of Realtors (NWAR). However, NWAR's disclosure statement (on file with the Lt. Governor's office) shows that 100% of its funds came from its parent organization, the UAR.
The correct remedy, I believe, is for Mr. Hains to return the excess $1500 and file an amended disclosure statement.
I have informed the city recorder's office of this violation, but have not heard whether any action will be taken. I have also written to Mr. Hains, asking if he intends to return the excess $1500, but have received no reply.
Watch the videos
I would encourage any undecided voters to watch the videos of the Standard-Examiner interviews with Van Hooser and Hains. I think you'll agree that Van Hooser is far more knowledgeable and also far more enthusiastic about serving on the council. Hains just recites vague platitudes, or admits he's ignorant. He sounds like he doesn't especially want the job.
Too Close to election
I’m not from Ogden, so I typically don’t care about Ogden's political bickering that seems to endlessly fill the pages of the Standard. But in this case I must speak up. The Standard has no business using its pages to support a political candidate two days before the election.
J47 nails it!
I totally agree with J47 on this one.
This late in the game endorsement does smack of ambush electioneering, especially as it concerns the Standard and it's history of supporting the Godfreyites. They caught the Grand Godfrey Vision early, got themselve's invested in that vision, made out real well on their new digs at the BDO and they have a lot of income from the same sources that support that Godfrey Vision. The concept sounds reasonable, but the bizarre part of this particular vision is having a penny arcade and day glow bowling alley as the anchor of a mega million dollar commercial redo of down town.
Course now it was just citizen's money that was laid on the line for this wild and crazy vision that included turning the tax payers of Ogden into high risk venture capitalist with out them ever knowing jack about the risk they were having laid on their wallets. In the beginning it was all done with tons of unkept promises, smoke & mirrors and the rubber stamp council of the time. The Standard was a big booster of the vision even though their own polls of the time showed a fairly significant majority of the citizens didn't think it was such a great idea.
The top Standard guy down there in them fancy new digs is what we home boys think of as a "Suit from Sandusky", or just "Suit" for short. He calls all the shots in all the paper, so the Standard's editorial and news pretty much reflects him and his wishes. He is strongly motivated to send as many dollars a month as he possibly can on back to Sandusky. The business of the news business is under assault and many papers are fighting for their very lives. Fortunately for the Standard, and Ogden, they seem to be holding their own and even edging up in their numbers of late, so this Suit is sort of shining these days in that regard.
However, his endorsing candidates, especially late in the game when they control the medium - and the ones so un-endorsed don't have much chance for rebuttal - is pretty "chicken s____" in my opinion. I feel it throws a shadow over all the good stuff the big Suit and his troops are doing - as reflected in their improved numbers.
I think that their split endorsements - two for the Godfreyites and two for the Sanity Seekers side - was a safe way to squeak by the predicament they got themselves into with this endorsement stuff. The guys around these parts that contribute a lot of money to the Standard's bottom line in one fashion or another - the developers, bankers and real estate guys - most likely put a bit of pressure on the "Suit" to dish them up a full four sweet tasting ambush endorsements for the Godfreyite slate - Hains, Phipps, Garner and ? The same folks that donated all that big money to these Godfrey guys are the same ones most likely to be buying ad time in the Standard.
On the other hand there are the Crusaders for honest and sane city government, the "Sanity Seekers", who want the "Suit" to finally look in the mirror, ask hisself the real question, come to his senses and have the paper endorse the whole sanity ticket of VanHooser, Blair, Garcia and ?
So I see this split endorsement as a slight awakening to reality on the part of the Main Suit at the Standard. He still wants to hold on to the ever so slim possibilty that the Grand Godfrey Vision will still come true, some dreams die hard you know. But he, being obviously a damn smart man, has to see the truth marching firmly on with the ethically challenged and completely incompetent Godfreyites squarely in its sites. So I think the man hedged his bets and gave two to each side. I guess that makes the Suit guy a sort of real Solomon now. Some of us Sanity Seekers had him figured only as the foundation of the Solomon Center, but with this turn of events I guess he is actually both.
THIS
THIS!!!! The SE should be thinking about how their opinions unfairly sway last minute voters based on the voters inability or unwillingness to vet the campaigners in their wards.
All the bickering that goes on in these comment sections are made by desperate individuals that are less interested in getting out from behind their computers and actually doing civic minded projects, than having internet tough guy battles! The only people reading these arguments are people who are sadly trying to defend their internet honor.
Disagree/agree
J47:
On endorsements, sorry, but I think you're wrong. Newspapers have been endorsing candidates since the age of Washington and Jefferson in this land. Nothing worng with it. People can assess the endorsements and make up their own minds, in light of the case the editorials make for the candidates endorsed, and the reputation of the paper's editorial operations.
The SE did one thing in its endorsements this time that it did not do last time: it offered reasons why it was endorsing the candidates it did. It did not include attacks on the candidates it was not endorsing, as it did two years ago. Given the very short time between publishing the endorsements and the election --- two days --- meaning no time for a candidate who was attacked in an editorial to reply, that was both wise and fair.
I'd suggest in the future endorsements should run nine days, not two, before the election, in order to give candidates not endorsed the opportunity to reply, and candidates endorsed the opportunity to let people know. Only quibble I have about endorsements by the SE is the lateness of the date, which you noted too.
Too Close
I’m well aware that newspapers support candidates, and It's not that they didn't give reasons, its that there is no time for any type of rebuttal. Fair is fair. And we seem to agree.
YOSSARIAN TOTAL COWARD
Hey I post under my own name, I'm not some total wuss that hides who he is and talks endless trash.
Your postings have been brought to my attention. SINCE YOU SEEM TO KNOW WHERE I LIVE I URGE YOU TO COME OVER AND TALK YOUR TRASH TO MY FACE.
Prediction: You won't. Because you're gutless, and a coward. You'll just post more trash HIDING who you are like the total wussy you are, shivering behind your monitor screen thinking about how it might be if you were a real man who would actually show up and back up your talk.
If you have some issue with someone's actions don't hide and call them names like a 5 year old.
Anonymity
But Blake, I thought we were posting as May Smith?
Everyone saw Abe Shreve (who works in the same office as Mark Hains and Rick Southwick) filming Ms. VanHooser at the Meet the Candidates session. You would have to be blind to miss that camera with the telephoto lens. So we know that he is involved in producing the untruthful, cowardly, anonymous video we keep flogging. Since we two are so close, it's logical for people to assume that you too are involved.
Speaking of anonymous actions, what about the campaign contributions from FNURE to Blain Johnson and Royal Eccles' campaigns two years ago. The contributions to your other Realtor buddy, David Phipps, from two organizations with no human beings' names given are anonymous and illegal as well.
"OgdenBusiness" is a fraud artist
It is interesting how "OgdenBusiness" keeps touting the hatchet job video he and his equally bush league propagantists cooked up in an effort to take down Mrs. VanHooser's campaign. These guys really are pathetic in their amateuristic approach to the election process. By this time there really is no one new to peddle this silly trash to, but they keep flogging it none the less. Any thinking person who has seen it recognizes it for the dishonest drivel it is. The longer Hains goes without denouncing the mud slinging video the more people realize his finger prints are on it along with these morally bankrupt punks of Godfrey who actually made it. This video alone demonstrates, like nothing else does, that Hains is integrity challenged just like the rest of the Godfreyite inner circle.
As one more example of the disingenuous nature of this class of clowns, I would like to comment on their repeatedly making referrence to Mrs. VanHooser's statement that she would vote for Godfrey. I was there at the debate at Weber State when she made that statement. She said it in jest to the mayor after he had just reeled off a long and dissembling statement. He made the lie he was telling at the moment sound like something reasonable, this he is real good at, and in a joking reference to the mayor's skill at lying Mrs. VanHooser said he sounded so sincere that even she would vote for him if that is all she knew about him. The statement was a gentle put down of the lying punk, yet his moronic propaganda machine has taken the words totally out of context, as usual, and are now trying to convince people that she meant it and thus endorses the crooked and insider dealing Godfreyites!
On the contrary
On the contrary, Abe, this Van Hooser supporter wants people to watch your video. It's a pretty good example of how cynical and mean-spirited you are, and how you're badly out of touch with what Ogden wants and needs.
People, go watch Abe's video. Maybe then he'll shut up about it. (If it were really worthwhile, he wouldn't need to constantly flog it, would he?) Then watch his other videos. Read about Abraham Shreve and how he is proud of how he manipulates Ogden politics.
http://www.usu.edu/ust/pdf/2009/april/itn04230912.pdf
Get the facts for yourself, read about how Abraham Shreve is trying to destroy Ogden (aided and abetted by his coworkers Mark Hains and Rick Southwick), and then decide. Watch his video, and then decide if that's the vision of Ogden's future you would choose.
Mrs. Van Hooser will not openly communicate
For all of the personal attacks, it is clear that Mrs. Van Hooser's supporter do not want you to watch this video. To see what all of the fuss is about click on the video link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXld78phHQ4
We have other videos up now
Ah, OB, thanks to the SE there are now other videos up for people to watch. The SE editorials link to them. In them, Mr. Hains and Ms. Van Hooser answer questions put to each by the paper. If you watch the Hains and Van Hooser videos --- which have each candidate given full answers, not clips chopped out of their statements to remove context, and without flat out dishonest commentary such as typifies the video clip you like so much --- then I think it becomes clear why the SE endorsed Ms. Van Hooser. She seems considerably more knowledgeable about Ogden affairs than Mr. Hains, just for openers.
Watch the videos of Hains and Van Hooser, done openly by the SE in which each candidate got the same questions in advance, and was permitted to answer each question fully as the chose. The reasons for the SE's endorsement then become not only clear but obvious.
Or you could, OB, prefer to rely on the anonymous YouTube hit piece that took sentences, and parts of sentences, from one of Ms. Van Hooser's debate appearances, twisted their meaning, and then made demonstrably false statements about them --- e.g. OB, there is a law banning un-recorded meetings by a quorum of the Council members, just as Ms. Van Hooser said. And of course the YouTube hit piece you like so much provided no film of Mr. Hains' performance at the same debate. Imagine that.
The Standard's posting both videos is a public service. The YouTube ax job you like so much is a piece of dishonorable hackwork. I suspect even you are capable, if you try, of understanding the difference.
OGDENBUSINESSBLAKEABERICK
BOY, RICK AND ABE sure are making SITNKY DOUGHBEY HAINS look bad-almost as bas as he smells! RICK, you need to quite GROOMING ABE's GOATEE and taking JOOOOSE with BLAKE, and go back to being an inept socially retarded doofus and fool and JERK who couldn't GRADUATE from REALTOR SCHOOL, IDIOT! STINKY HAINS should really be embarssedby realtor pals who stink as bad as he does. BLACK FOG! RICK IS DRUNK ON YOOHOO! RICK SMELLS AS BAD AS HAINS! Hm. Nice. Ra ra. HOrese patoots, RICK AND BLAKE!
Van Hooser Represents the Truth on Video
Just remember as you watch it that this "shocking" video is all part of a Realtor® marketing plan.
Once you've seen the video, send your money to:
Abe Shreve
Keller-Williams Realty
c/o my coworkers Mark Hains (Van Hooser's unendorsed opponent) and Rick Southwick (President of NWAR and Mr. Moneybags)
SOUTH OGDEN (because we don't want to contribute to Ogden's growth by actually paying taxes there), Utah
In return, we'll buy Mt Ogden Park for a song, divide it up into McMansions and condos, and laugh at you rubes all the way to the bank. We have nothing but contempt for Utah, but love the money we make here.
Van Hooser misrepresents the truth on video
For all of the crazy comments you will see here, don't forget to watch the following shocking video of Mrs. Van Hooser messing up the facts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXld78phHQ4
von Hooter for council
I wish von hooter would just give it up, She said that she would vote for the mayor if she were not running for mayor, this just show what an idiot she is and this endorsment is just that a kiss of death. I bet the mayor is licking his chops over this one.
Heard of sarcasm?
She was being sarcastc, which you either did not understand or chose to ignore. Godfrey was doing his usual snake-oil/used car salesman spiel and was being made fun of.
Between your ears and your fingers, there is supposed to be a brain. You might spend some time looking for yours.
Hilarious
Oh, wow, Ogdentaxpayer. That's hilarious. Really.
Very adult. This is how adults discuss politics, by making fun of people's names.
Hooray
I am so excited that Ms. Van Hooser [my real name is Abe Shreve] has been endorsed by the Standard. I guess my stupid video [my real name is Abe Shreve] did a good job of convincing them what a jerk [my real name is Abe Shreve] I am.
Excellent Choice
What a great choice. Ms. Van Hooser is a wonderful woman who wants what's best for Ogden. She will do a fantastic job.