Saturday, March 26, 2011
Editorial by Ralph Tieleman March 26,2011
Here's an idea....why don't councilor's have their own blogs ? before wasting council and staff time with ideas like municipal campsites and electric quads they could quickly post their thoughts on their blog and respond to public opinion.Blogs are relatively easy to run and they would have a good idea of public sentiment before they bring up motions at a council meeting.
I found it interesting that I had more feedback on council's decision to crush two small food outlets than I did on high water rates,Olympic spending or Tsunami sirens.
It was a single fruit seller in Tunisia that was harassed by local government and bylaw officers that led to the uprisings in the Middle East. After a bylaw officer seized his scales so that he couldn't operate his fruit stand he committed suicide by setting himself on fire.The response was overwhelming and the revolt was on.....
Here we have a functioning democracy so such extreme measures aren't necessary but it is clear that between elections democracy is not working.
Council has embraced Skype and other modern technology so why not blogs. It would work well as they could get information out to the people and the people could respond.
Hopefully it would lead to more open and accountable government.I would be more than happy to help set up the sites. thanks,Ralph
This council is also obsessed with secrecy.It makes them feel important and powerful.
ReplyDeleteit wont work.
ReplyDeletethe purpose of the hourglass is to make it seem like the CAO is in charge and look like he is capable of doing whats best for the residents of tofino.
to have renegade blogs opening dialogues with the public( heaven and the CAO forbid)is as bad as saying" the king has no clothes on".
actually its good.
it wont work.
ReplyDeletethe purpose of the hourglass is to make it seem like the CAO is in charge and look like he is capable of doing whats best for the residents of tofino.
to have renegade blogs opening dialogues with the public( heaven and the CAO forbid)is as bad as saying" the king has no clothes on".
actually its good.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1305751--culture-of-secrecy-keeping-canadians-in-the-dark
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1305751--culture-of-secrecy-keeping-canadians-in-the-dark
ReplyDeletethe culture of secrecy?
ReplyDeletereally?
we pay elected and employee people to collect info and record and store the business affairs of our DOT. its our info and records.
the same people we pay decide they dont want us to see our information or have access to our records.
does anyone remember seeing or reading anywhere that the classifying of certain information as secret is part of anyones job description or strategic mission statement?
anyone? george? josie?
btw. merry xmaz
Your suggestion is interesting. It is evident you equate the term "democracy" with direct democracy.
ReplyDeleteThe council can still operate as a democracy without making all decisions strictly based on public opinion. I agree it is critical that there be some mechanism or apparatus through which the public opinion may be sought out by the council or relayed to the council in an effective manner. This, too, would function as an instrument of accountability. Nevertheless, all policy decisions need not be made on the basis of public opinion (where the public actively provides their input on every policy decision) for the system to constitute a democracy. The Tunisia analogy is interesting, though again, democracy is not black and white. It would be a rather inefficient, conflict-ridden, and somewhat chaotic process to seek public opinion on every single policy decision.
11:29
ReplyDelete" It would be a rather inefficient, conflict-ridden, and somewhat chaotic process to seek public opinion on every single policy decision. "
So yeah, let's just keep the status quo.
(heavily intended sarcasm)