North Ogden City residents are still wrestling with the question about how much to spend on a new public works building. Should the city bond for the building and increase the debt load and corresponding tax burden on the citizens? Should the city establish a “pay-as-you-go” philosophy and reduce the debt burden?
Almost every candidate has stated, to one degree or another, how they want to be perceived. Some have been very clear that getting a bond and building a more elaborate building is what they support. Others are posturing and claiming that they are/were for eliminating or at least reducing the bond and the building size. As I’ve noticed the yard signs, it seems that residents of North Ogden are quite perceptive. With few exceptions, yard signs are grouped according to how these philosophies are endorsed by various candidates. Some yards have signs for candidates that support bigger government and more spending, and other yards have signs for candidates that support limited government.
In reality this seems to be the main issue at the heart of government at every level. We’ve all watched in absurd amazement as the federal government went into gridlock. At the heart of the gridlock was this very question. “Will the government become bigger and have increased debt load (add an additional social program and raise the debt ceiling,) or will the government be restrained and begin to curb the ever growing and threatening tide of spending and controlling legislation?
I think our legislators responded to the wish of our people across the nation and gave us more government control, more taxation and more debt burden. Why? It’s beyond my understanding. We either have to be terribly ignorant, or dishonest to not clearly see that our federal government is headed for a true shutdown if there is not a dramatic and proximate course correction. What will the dependent mothers and babies on WIC programs do then?
Locally, we have the opportunity to respond to the same question, but with different issues. The Sentinel asked each candidate to respond to various questions in an effort to help voters determine what philosophy each candidate is most likely to follow. Obviously, past voting record is the most accurate representation of how any candidate will act in the future.
In some ways the voters of North Ogden have a distinct advantage over the voters in other cities because the candidates have aligned themselves according to this single issue. This issue at least gives the voters some inkling about which philosophy each candidate is following. As for me, I’m voting for the candidates who favor limited government.
