OFFICIAL SAYS:CITIZENS’ INTEREST IN GOVERNMENT HAS ‘GONE TO THE DOGS’ (VIDEO)
CITIZENS’ INTEREST IN GOVERNMENT HAS ‘GONE TO THE DOGS’ (VIDEO)
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
By Izzy Lyman/http://watchdogwire.com/
Tom Richards, city manager of Harbor Springs, wondered “Where have all the citizens gone?” when the big budget issues come up. His complaint came during a provocative lecture at North Central Michigan College, by media law attorney Robin Luce Herrmann, who is a strong advocate for government transparency.
“We can pass million dollar budgets and power sales contracts and so forth, but the only people I get in for a meeting – it’s about a dog park or a deer park or something like that. It’s really disappointing, and I get very frustrated,” said Richards.
A county commissioner interrupted his spiel. Jim Tamlyn gamely suggested, “We can reach more people by posting our minutes online, than we can with a declining newspaper.
While Richards has a point, and it’s refreshing that he spoke up, he likely doesn’t know about news venues like Watchdog Wire, where citizens who do care about keeping local public officials accountable have a voice – a platform – and use it. In fact, contributor Nancy Sarowski lives in Harbor Springs. She is more preoccupied with attacks upon private property rights than public animal parks.
So one wonders how Tom Richards would respond if he had to constantly deal with watchdogs barking about his budget, instead of citizens yipping about dog parks.
Let’s hope he finds out!
POSTED WITH PERMISSION http://watchdogwire.com/