Pugmire keeps focus on Jensen's attendance
Pugmire touted two decades of policy work and eight years on the Rexburg, Idaho, City Council before using a "sacred covenant" adage passed down to him by his grandfather to broach the attendance topic again.
"You need to listen well to what people are saying, you need to speak clearly and ... truthfully, and above all, you've got to show up," Pugmire said. "If you don't show up, there is no representation."
The barb revisits the gist of a press conference held last Monday that slammed Jensen's attendance record at the formal council meetings that follow the body's weekly work sessions. Pugmire has cited a 30 percent absence rate for the two-term councilman — a number Jensen does not dispute.
Jensen countered the ongoing criticism with the assertion that his involvement on other agencies' boards, his full-time responsibilities as a firefighter/paramedic and deputy chief of the Unified Fire Authority and responsibilities as a parent of two children with medical challenges are the cause of his absences. Jensen also attempted to deflate the issue with the contention that the formal meetings are largely "ceremonial" and held up his leadership position on the council and his record on the issues, as evidence that the missed meetings haven't effected his performance.
Jensen serves on the boards of the Redevelopment Agency, Central Utah Water Conservancy District, Council of Governments and Wasatch Front Regional Council. These positions, Jensen said, are crucial in his task of representing the county's west side and will allow him to shape the policy required for dealing with booming growth expected in the area.
"I'll have the number one seat at the table for the ... organization that's going to do the planning," Jensen said. "We're talking half a million more people on the west bench."
Pugmire, who serves on the South Jordan Planning Commission, sided with Jensen on the issues of a unified police department, townships, east-west transportation solutions and support of community theater. But he took the incumbent to task on his vote to deny Oxbow Jail funding and said he should have done more to advocate against last year's Jordan School District split.
"Jensen did a very good job for the first seven innings," Pugmire said. "But the game kept being played ... talking to the good people of the east side would have gotten a different result, and that was not done."
Monday's debate was one in a series hosted by the Salt Lake Chamber, which continues through October and will include faceoffs for the Utah Senate District 1, Salt Lake County mayor and gubernatorial races.
E-mail: araymond@desnews.com
Recent comments
I find it interesting that Pugmire talks about doing things truthfully…
mythoughtsexactly | Oct. 1, 2008 at 12:56 p.m.
Pugmire did make some good points - Jensen's vote on Townships, school…
Paul Who? | Sept. 30, 2008 at 7:47 a.m.
