Shame shame shame...
Perhaps it wasn't advertised enough. I mean, it was on radio, in the paper, on the web, and of course on the marquee, but you know, people just don't see any of those things.
Perhaps it was the time for holding it. I mean, 5:30 to 7:00 PM in this town is dinner time, right?
Either way, the Carson City town-hall meeting, held by 11 heads or assistant heads of city departments, attracted a total of THREE DOZEN people -- two thirds of them consisting of the mayor, two supervisors, and city employees. ONE dozen were "normal citizens." Abnormal, if you ask me, because they showed up.
The meeting was moderated by the Dean of Students of the WNC. He read the questions that were pre-submitted, and various panelists read what seemed to be obviously prepared answers.
* Does the city have a disaster team?
* What is the city doing about the accidents and fatalities on US 50?
* Why is there a fee for paying the water bill on-line with a credit card?
* What is the average per-capita tax paid by residents?
* Why did the animal shelter pay out $41K as a fine or settlement?
* Why is the sheriff's department so top heavy with management?
* What is the city doing about unregistered (and therefore uninsured?) cars?
* What is the expiration date on the building permit for the unfinished Ormsby House?
* Why is the Jack's Bar building allowed to be vacant for so long?
* Why do we have so many unfinished runs of sidewalks?
* Why do both a fire engine and an ambulance respond to a medical call?
* Why does the city issue so many frivolous traffic tickets?
It took a lot of coaxing from the podium before a couple of high schoolers came to the microphone to ask,
* What is to be done with the traffic jam at Saliman and Robinson every morning and afternoon?
* How do kids learn about the functions of the many city departments?
The meeting was recorded for posterity and you can go on-line or watch it on TV, and get the answers there.
What impressed me was that the answers seemed to follow some kind of formula, as if one prerequisite for, or result of, being employed in government is the ability to reply with a polished answer using proper bureaucratese. Do they teach that somewhere? They don't talk quite that way one-on-one, when you get to talk to them in person before or after the meeting.
Anyway, yes, we should have more of these town halls. Just find some way to drag more people in to participate.
But hey, Carson City, what is your government -- that is, people who work to fulfill those presumably critical functions -- supposed to conclude from the fact that in a city of 56K residents only a dozen show any interest in its workings? Why, they might get the idea that they can do whatever they want, because nobody cares... What kind of government will you get if THAT happens? The people who were up on the stage tonight seem like decent enough people, they are your friends and neighbors. The least you can do is show up, look them in the eye and talk to them once in a while.
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- Show
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