Glenden BrownRocky Anderson: The Right Man at the Right Time
The flood of letters in both the Trib and D-News (written by people who don’t live in Salt Lake City) celebrating the end of Rocky’s term as mayor struck me as unsurprising and ill-informed. It seems many of the folks who live in surrounding cities still haven’t figured out that Salt Lakers like Rocky Anderson, what he does and what he stands for.Â
He’s been a great mayor for Salt Lake City. He was the right man at the right time in the right place for Salt Lake City. As the rest of Utah settled in for a long Bush induced nap, Salt Lakers were restive and unnerved. Rocky spoke for us. As our state legislator indulged its darkest desires, Rocky stood up to them. At a time when we needed a fearless advocate for progressive values, Rocky stepped into the limelight.
Rocky Anderson has been a key and important mayor, preparing our city for a time when we can move confidently forward. Rocky inherited problems and resolved them - it wasn’t always a clean, tidy thing, but it has put many issues behind us and we can move forward. Rocky has led an administration free of corruption (though not controversy). He has been forthright, honest, and at times a damned difficult man to have as Mayor. He is a workaholic, demanding, and tough.
I’m proud to say I voted for Rocky four times (two primaries and two general elections). Rocky Anderson has been the mayor Salt Lake City needed at the time we needed him. And while I will miss him - he had a comfortable, familiar and predictable way about him - I welcome the future he has prepared our city to embrace.
January 11th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
Right on, Glendon. And to think these same people become upset with me when I criticise their mormon, facsist and paternalistic leaders for being, well, mormon, facsist and paternalistic. As Ed. F. used to say in con-law class, “it all depends on whose ox is being gored.”
January 11th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
The other day on the radio I heard the words “former Salt Lake City Mayor, Rocky Anderson”. Oh how sweet the sound.
January 11th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
O supporter of the chimp, it’s not as though Becker’s one of yourn! The sane among you are ripping pages off thier count-down calendars with far greater anticipation.
January 12th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Ken, You’ve convinced me you can’t handle reality. Human society has always confronted the collision of myth and reality.
Many factors determine our personal paradigms. But none has shown to be more corrupt and destructive than myth and faith.
And it is the false promise of an ultimate vindication that keeps on on the corrupt path of self deception and group deception.
Can you think of any myths that inform your paradigm?
I think for you, Iraq has been a false myth.
And what about heaven? What if when you get to heaven, instead of sending all the homosexuals to hell, God sends all the mean people to hell?
What say you put down whatever testament of Jesus Christ you carry, and go for a walk.
January 12th, 2008 at 9:40 am
What is going on is so long running AND OBVIOUS EVEN THE BLIND COULD SEE IT!!
More than a few of us cannot handle reality.
“Our democracy is but a name. We vote? What does that mean? It means that we choose between two bodies of real, though not avowed, autocrats. We choose between Tweedledum and Tweedledee.”
Helen Keller, 1911
Perhaps her blindness helped her “see”.
January 13th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Anytime’s the right time for Rocky! He gave Utah something to be proud of in these years of American moral decline. Can’t imagine him not being there to temper the chill.
January 14th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Amen Glenden! I, too, am proud to have voted for Rocky. He did a lot of great things for our city — most of the people who live in the city are very much aware of it which is why he was so popular.