Joyce Edelfsen's article in the Standard Journal on May 29th, 2010 entitled, "Barn Owner: Cease and Desist," got me to thinking. First of all, it involves the City of Rexburg's Finance Director, and second of all, it fails to mention that others potentially involved in the fiasco are Val Christensen and Stephen Zollinger, the City of Rexburg's Building Official/City Planner, and the City's Attorney, in that order. I beleive if you look into the ownership of the property, it would include Mr. Christensen as a partner. I beleive this was the fiasco that incolved the three listed guys above in meetings dating over two years ago. Joyce would know better.
What disturbs me is that this is apparently an illegal land use invovling a Bed and Breakfast made from a converted barn. The place is listed on a website for rent, according to the article. The article also states the place can house up to 60 people per night. It rents for $800 per night, apparently.
Val Christensen is the Building Official/Planner for the City of Rexburg as I have mentioneed. How does he not know how to follow building codes or land use laws. If he is invovled, this would be akin to a City of Rexburg Police Officer getting pulled over in Fremont County for drunk driving and then claiming that he was not doing anything knowingly against the law. How would he be dealt with as a police officer? I bet the City of Rexburg would fire his behind! Not so with Mr. Christensen, the City of Rexburg probably doesn't even care. I think this speaks to his ability or willingness to follow and enforce building codes and land use codes for the City of Rexburg. Is Zollinger a partner in this Shootout Barn? Has he received any money as part of this process? I don't know, but it would be interesting to find out.
Positive Info: I am exicted for the new Chinese food restaurant to open behind Zions Bank. School is out for the kids. Plants are green and growing. Temps have been mild. This is why we endure the eastern Idaho winters, to enjoy all of this.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Rexburg City Council- what about the spirit of the law too?
Today's paper was no surprise to me. I knew that somehow the City's attorney would get the Council out of this jam. The prosecutor found that the City did not violate any open meeting laws, "technically," but did, in here opinion, fail to follow the "spirit of the law." This is exactly how this City is run. They push everything to the point that it borders on illegal and then back off just enough to to avoid prosecution. Is this how the City should be run?
In the article, the new Mayor, Woodland, even lost some credibility with me. He still denies that anything wrong occurred. He also denies that the City needs more education on open meeting laws, which is what the prosecutor recommended. Instead, he says that the Council should only get education on public perception and such. In other words, he wants to be educated on ways that the Council can manipulate the public and "get away" with crap. What happened to just being honest and working within the system. That is why elected you people to represent us. How can we know if you are representing us if you are holding back door meetings with each other and making deals and agreements with out being accountable.
The paper listed that one of those involved in the questionable meetings was Adam Stout. Now, I have sort of given him the benefit of the doubt in the past, but in this case, I have to come down on him a bit. During the selection process for the new mayor. Adam's Facebook account had posts from him soliciting votes from his friends to vote for him in an online poll on who should be our next mayor. He was really begging his friends right up until the almost the day of the Council meeting that decided the next mayor. It is funny that he suddenly pulled his name from being considered as mayor and then was the first to nominate Rich Woodland as mayor. Why the sudden change of heart. I think it is because he had been lobbied by other Council members. I won't say who I think approached him, but you could probably guess who I would pick.
Also, if you had attended that night's meeting, you could feel the awkwardness. The Council, I think, was trying there best to disguise from the those in attendance the fact that they had already decided who the next mayor would be. In fact, Chris Mann asked if Rich could be sworn in that night and if he had brought his wife, as they had talked about earlier. What!!! Mann actually right there admitted that they had already figured out who was going to be mayor and actually talked to the person beforehand about it. What part of that didn't technically violate the "letter" of the law. What a slap in the face to all those candidates who had applied to be appointed mayor and had honestly thought this would be a legitimate process.
Okay, so now we are past the open meeting law violation and the newspaper's following up on the Mayor Larsen scandal. Personally, I feel that both issues were not explored fully. What next? I think all this has done is empowered the Council and Zollinger. They will continue to push the limits of the law and disregard honest to goodness openness. People like Rex, who already think they are above the law, will now have new found confidence in this view. What a shame. I guess you just have to know that sooner or later the "stuff" will really hit the fan, like it did for good ole Shawn Larsen who gave up his aspiring political career to work for a mult-level marketing scheme in Utah (you know, Amway by another name). Yeah right!!! He ran away because he was so afraid of what was going to come out if he didn't. His biggest fear has always been bad press.
I think I'm going to need some input on what good things are happening in Rexburg. I know there is tons of it, I am just focusing in on the political junk right now, my apologies.
In the article, the new Mayor, Woodland, even lost some credibility with me. He still denies that anything wrong occurred. He also denies that the City needs more education on open meeting laws, which is what the prosecutor recommended. Instead, he says that the Council should only get education on public perception and such. In other words, he wants to be educated on ways that the Council can manipulate the public and "get away" with crap. What happened to just being honest and working within the system. That is why elected you people to represent us. How can we know if you are representing us if you are holding back door meetings with each other and making deals and agreements with out being accountable.
The paper listed that one of those involved in the questionable meetings was Adam Stout. Now, I have sort of given him the benefit of the doubt in the past, but in this case, I have to come down on him a bit. During the selection process for the new mayor. Adam's Facebook account had posts from him soliciting votes from his friends to vote for him in an online poll on who should be our next mayor. He was really begging his friends right up until the almost the day of the Council meeting that decided the next mayor. It is funny that he suddenly pulled his name from being considered as mayor and then was the first to nominate Rich Woodland as mayor. Why the sudden change of heart. I think it is because he had been lobbied by other Council members. I won't say who I think approached him, but you could probably guess who I would pick.
Also, if you had attended that night's meeting, you could feel the awkwardness. The Council, I think, was trying there best to disguise from the those in attendance the fact that they had already decided who the next mayor would be. In fact, Chris Mann asked if Rich could be sworn in that night and if he had brought his wife, as they had talked about earlier. What!!! Mann actually right there admitted that they had already figured out who was going to be mayor and actually talked to the person beforehand about it. What part of that didn't technically violate the "letter" of the law. What a slap in the face to all those candidates who had applied to be appointed mayor and had honestly thought this would be a legitimate process.
Okay, so now we are past the open meeting law violation and the newspaper's following up on the Mayor Larsen scandal. Personally, I feel that both issues were not explored fully. What next? I think all this has done is empowered the Council and Zollinger. They will continue to push the limits of the law and disregard honest to goodness openness. People like Rex, who already think they are above the law, will now have new found confidence in this view. What a shame. I guess you just have to know that sooner or later the "stuff" will really hit the fan, like it did for good ole Shawn Larsen who gave up his aspiring political career to work for a mult-level marketing scheme in Utah (you know, Amway by another name). Yeah right!!! He ran away because he was so afraid of what was going to come out if he didn't. His biggest fear has always been bad press.
I think I'm going to need some input on what good things are happening in Rexburg. I know there is tons of it, I am just focusing in on the political junk right now, my apologies.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Rex the King, oh and Adam Stout Too
Okay, so I read about the reappointment of Adam Stout to the City Council. This was no surprise. I think Adam is only guilty of bad timing and not really knowing how people are naturally suspicious of anything in politics, especially the actions of a politician. To his defense, I believe that he is just a guy who is going to school to basically become a City Manager some day. His graduate degree will be in Public Policy or something like that. He is on City Council for his resume, and some to give back to the community. But he has to be thinking of his family first, so he needs to be looking at the best route to getting a job in Government. Stepping down from Council was a natural step, especially to apply for a job that would look great on his resume, such as the Community Development Promoter person, or whatever it was. It was a chance to get a good job in government. Council is volunteer. So, I can't ding him for wanting to get back on Council, so that he could continue to build his resume, and give back to the community.
Again though, the whole thing on the surface looked awful. When the paper reported that Adam wanted to get back on the Council should he not get the job, just sounded bad. He should have just resigned and left it at that. I think of when Benfield had to step down as Council President just to run for mayor. She didn't say that she hoped that if she didn't become mayor that she would get re-appointed to Council. Look at the federal level too, if you want to run for president. You take your chances.
The thing that really bothers me about this whole thing is good ole Rex Erickson. It is no surprise that he had to get worked up and bark loudly at any who oppose him. Why does he get to intimidate the citizens while he sits on his throne. Does he really believe that he is all powerful and invincible. And worst of all, does he really think he speaks for the people? A citizen gets up and speaks his mind and Rex tears into him. Rex is wrong when he thinks just because someone or some group is saying things that hurt him or the Council he can strike back in such a manner. No, he is an elected official, a local celebrity, if you will. Legally he less protected and able to come under more scrutiny and criticism, publicly, than the average Joe. He needs to sit back and take the hits from "his" constituents. If they want to vent, then so be it. He is not a tyrant, no matter how hard he wants to be. He wanted the limelight, sorry it gets too hot sometimes. He needs to control his temper. He and his boy have horrible tempers.
And what is this conspiracy junk? Rex is accusing the citizen of being part of some small group causing trouble in town. Rex is becoming paranoid. Maybe he is finally realizing that this town is on to him and his unacceptable behaviour. What he should be thinking is that maybe this small "group" is really a much larger group of just average citizens who are no longer going to put up with the good ole boys. Maybe Rex will realize this at the next election. Maybe, just maybe, the plebs will dethrone him. I told you that I would talk more about Rex the King in my future blog entries.
Positive note: It is great to see people coming out to Council meetings and expressing their points of view. We need more community activists. Gone should be the day of apathy in Rexburg citizens towards the politicians and the political process.
Again though, the whole thing on the surface looked awful. When the paper reported that Adam wanted to get back on the Council should he not get the job, just sounded bad. He should have just resigned and left it at that. I think of when Benfield had to step down as Council President just to run for mayor. She didn't say that she hoped that if she didn't become mayor that she would get re-appointed to Council. Look at the federal level too, if you want to run for president. You take your chances.
The thing that really bothers me about this whole thing is good ole Rex Erickson. It is no surprise that he had to get worked up and bark loudly at any who oppose him. Why does he get to intimidate the citizens while he sits on his throne. Does he really believe that he is all powerful and invincible. And worst of all, does he really think he speaks for the people? A citizen gets up and speaks his mind and Rex tears into him. Rex is wrong when he thinks just because someone or some group is saying things that hurt him or the Council he can strike back in such a manner. No, he is an elected official, a local celebrity, if you will. Legally he less protected and able to come under more scrutiny and criticism, publicly, than the average Joe. He needs to sit back and take the hits from "his" constituents. If they want to vent, then so be it. He is not a tyrant, no matter how hard he wants to be. He wanted the limelight, sorry it gets too hot sometimes. He needs to control his temper. He and his boy have horrible tempers.
And what is this conspiracy junk? Rex is accusing the citizen of being part of some small group causing trouble in town. Rex is becoming paranoid. Maybe he is finally realizing that this town is on to him and his unacceptable behaviour. What he should be thinking is that maybe this small "group" is really a much larger group of just average citizens who are no longer going to put up with the good ole boys. Maybe Rex will realize this at the next election. Maybe, just maybe, the plebs will dethrone him. I told you that I would talk more about Rex the King in my future blog entries.
Positive note: It is great to see people coming out to Council meetings and expressing their points of view. We need more community activists. Gone should be the day of apathy in Rexburg citizens towards the politicians and the political process.
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Horner In the Standard Journal
Yesterday's paper (March 4th), had a guest opinion, or whatever it is called, by Richard Horner, the Finance Director for the City. He has been there 30+ years. Horner's M.O. seems to be sending a convoluted message about how finances work and then looking at us like we should know what he is talking about. Now, I may be no financial wizard, but I've seen accountants in his presence be confused by what he is saying. I beleive part of his problem is that he has been around the City's finances so long that he has become one with them, in an unfortunate way. I think of Gollum on Lord of the Rings, "My Precious." I think Horner rubs his hands together and thinks those words about the City's finances. I think it has reached an unhealthy point. I think like Gollum he has an attachment that needs to be broken. Rexburg needs to have a new person in charge of finances. Someone who can objectively look at what is happening. Also someone who has not been involved in business dealings with the City attorney (Zollinger) and the Director of Community Development (Christensen).
And a positive note. Things are finally warming up here! Snow is finally starting to melt.
And a positive note. Things are finally warming up here! Snow is finally starting to melt.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Tabernacle Concert and other
Tonight's (well I guess I'm writing this after midnight) concert was amazing. Such wonderful talent and all found locally. Natalie Blackburn did outstanding on her solo!
Wonder what happened at tonight's city council meeting. The good ole boys making decisions, scary thought. I wish more people knew what was really going on at City Hall. I hope the Post Register uncovers some junk and then we can finally start cleaning house. Get rid of the good ole boys on Council and the Department Heads, including the City Attorney! Rexburg deserves better. There are great people here with good hearts and good intentions.
The problem as I see it is that the common person in Rexburg has too much faith in who they elect. These people are just a corruptible as the next person. Those elected officials soon forget that they are speaking for their constituents and they start to make decisions based on their own self interests, e.g. businesses they own. How many times has Erickson Pontiac been brought up in meetings? Do you think the average Joe in Rexburg cares about that dealership? NO! Rex will push his agendas so hard. How can he possibly be representing the people. He is loud and cuts people off. That is his M.O. More about Rex, the King later.
Wonder what happened at tonight's city council meeting. The good ole boys making decisions, scary thought. I wish more people knew what was really going on at City Hall. I hope the Post Register uncovers some junk and then we can finally start cleaning house. Get rid of the good ole boys on Council and the Department Heads, including the City Attorney! Rexburg deserves better. There are great people here with good hearts and good intentions.
The problem as I see it is that the common person in Rexburg has too much faith in who they elect. These people are just a corruptible as the next person. Those elected officials soon forget that they are speaking for their constituents and they start to make decisions based on their own self interests, e.g. businesses they own. How many times has Erickson Pontiac been brought up in meetings? Do you think the average Joe in Rexburg cares about that dealership? NO! Rex will push his agendas so hard. How can he possibly be representing the people. He is loud and cuts people off. That is his M.O. More about Rex, the King later.
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