I should have posted about the Town Hall meeting held by Council members Wylie and Rushefsky tonight. I don't expect I have that huge a readership, but maybe a few more people might have read about it and attended if I had posted a notice about it before hand.
There were an equal number of citizens and City officials attending.
8 citizens
8 City officials
...and I thought last year's turn out of about 50 people was a poor turn out....
Oh, well. There's always next year.
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6 comments:
I must confess that I forgot about the meeting but after attending the meeting last year, I suspect I didn't miss a thing. In some ways, it's similar to attending City Council meetings in that it perpetuates the claim that Council wants input from the general public. My experience is that it has to be a preponderance of citizen input before Council members pay attention. arainbo
Arainbo wrote:
"My experience is that it has to be a preponderance of citizen input before Council members pay attention."
I don't disagree but I would make one comment, or pose one question...how can such attendance ever become a "preponderance of citizen input" unless people show they are willing to show up when such meetings take place?
I don't think it is apathy, in every case, sometimes I suspect it is hopelessness, rather than apathy.
At any rate, when necessary, certain special interest groups ARE able to turn out numbers in support of things they wish the Council to approve, but, when it comes to opposing certain legislation, the opposition is not turning out the numbers which would be necessary to equal the special interest groups' turn out.
Why? When people try to form a central clearinghouse of information to mount opposition which is dependent on individual will power to attend, THOSE events are poorly attended too.
I'm not a member of that "central clearinghouse," (Missouri Liberty Coalition) but as a journalist, I am an observer of it and that is what I have observed, having been a regular attendee, myself, as a part of my job.
I do believe that some Council members really want to hear from the public at large, maybe not all, but, at least some (and note I wrote "council members," not city officials, but perhaps SOME city officials would welcome it. I'd be loathe to state NONE of them would welcome citizen input).
When Council members offer opportunities and they are poorly attended, those who arrange them, for sincere reasons, become as frustrated with the low turn out as those who feel as you wrote: "In some ways, it's similar to attending City Council meetings in that it perpetuates the claim that Council wants input from the general public."
I have reason to believe Council members, also being human, are frustrated when they offer themselves, and an evening out of their schedules, and make available City Dept. Heads who could answer questions from the public, when those constituents and the public do not avail themselves of the opportunity.
These Council members (Wylie and Rushefsky) hear complaints on the radio, they read complaints in the News-Leader forums and they have given constituents an opportunity to actually discuss those complaints.
I would also remind readers that Wylie does it because he made a promise to do it when he originally ran for Council. He is honoring a promise. I simply can't find any reason to complain when a man actually follows through on a campaign promise, and I'm sure it's frustrating to him. One of those danged if you do, danged if you don't moments.
I don't have an answer, Arainbo, but I do know that if citizens simply don't attend, it is a greater offense (not just to Council but to the public) than if they had attended and then later could make a, possibly, legitimate claim that, "I was there and I made my voice heard but it didn't have effect."
Know what I mean? The public doesn't, or shouldn't, have an option to give up, for whatever reason. People have to keep trying even if it seems like they are "John the Baptist," "crying in the wilderness," all alone.
Neither does, or should, Council have an option to give up.
Wylie's Town Hall meetings are a service and a great opportunity to his constitutes (and Rushefsky's constituents) and could be a learning experience for the public, even if they are not residents of zones 2 and 4.
I believe you learned a lot when you attended last year? You asked questions and you got answers and others in attendance were awarded the great pleasure of learning from that experience.
BUT, all that said, your complaint is a legitimate one, in my view.
I believe most of these people will be voted out soon, which might have hurt attendance.
Jackie, I basically agree with you but needed a "pep" talk today (thank you.) This morning I seem to have been caught up in "p" words and thoughts,including "poor" citizens of Springfield because no one seems to hear their words. However, I refuse to be a victim! Sooner or later we will "punch" through that curtain of "pessimism" and come out in larger numbers to have our voices heard. The whole issue of the "proposed" trailer and container ordinance is a "prime" example of "public" input. Yeah People!!!!
"Sooner or later we will "punch" through that curtain of "pessimism" and come out in larger numbers to have our voices heard. The whole issue of the "proposed" trailer and container ordinance is a "prime" example of "public" input. Yeah People!!!!"
Now, THAT'S more like it! :)
Not that many people pay attention to local political circles, they(the one's that are actually politically motivated)are much more in tuned to the national scene then local. This is quite a shame since the national scene should not have that much to do with us, however through the process of the federal government usurping the power of everything people are paying much to much attention to the federal elections instead of how badly the local scene is doing.
On the other hand if the council members appear not to pay attention during council meetings why should people waste there time and effort talking to them one on one. Ms Rushefsky always appears to be listening and thinking, however on numerous occasions Mr. Wylie appears to be "lost in space" or NOT very concerned with the citizen input. His actions while seated on the round table might just be his demise.
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