Thoman’s recent posts on red-light cameras and the mayor’s response to Tuesday’s tax levy vote have raised the hackles of some readers. But in the words of the sage Stuart Smalley, “that’s okay.”
It’s also to be expected from a blog that encourages an active exchange of viewpoints. In case you’re wondering, no one expects everyone (or anyone) to agree with Thoman or with me or with DGreport commenters, anonymous or named. Everyone is welcome to his/her opinion and encouraged to (respectfully, sometimes heatedly) express it.
At intervals I have encouraged readers to take the opportunity to post here on a regular or occasional basis. To date, only Thoman and Meat — and, on one occasion, Tim Meaney — have accepted that offer, but it remains open to all comers. Heck, Lucy Lloyd is welcome to post here if she ever grows weary of “feeding the beast,” as I refer to the unrelenting effort required of daily blogging.
There are no barriers to entry on the DGreport, beyond the posted comment policy. You don’t have to agree with me, and I don’t have to agree with you, anymore than I always agree with Thoman or any other poster or commenter.
If my only interest was in putting my personal views on display, this blog wouldn’t allow comments, or it wouldn’t allow anonymous comments or it wouldn’t allow comments from those with differing opinions to see the light of day.
People of good faith are allowed to disagree at the DGreport. And for the record, it seems I must once again remind some of those who occasionally read this blog that I am not and never have been “against” a particular person or board or organization, although I sometimes openly differ with their tactics, views or modus operandi.
I’m not a particularly partisan person. Maybe as a result of spending my entire adult life in journalism, I’m aware that issues have many sides and in many cases, there is no single “correct” answer. I listen carefully to the local debate and I frequently modify my opinions as new information comes in.
In all cases, “who” holds office is far less important to me than “what” they do once elected or appointed: Whether they are willing to listen to, respond to and respectfully entertain comments and questions from the residents they represent. And I frankly expect whoever sits in those chairs to do it for the right reasons, which in my opinion doesn’t include a hunger for control.
In case you need reminding (and I know most of you don’t), that’s the issue I feel most strongly about. That, and government transparency, independent thinking and the willingness of elected boards to reflect the interests and concerns of the community first and foremost.
That about sums it up. Feel free to think differently — and to express your differing opinions here.
Oh sure, treat ol’ Socky like he don’t count. Who are you? An ACORN census taker? I claimed credit for dozens of stories I copied and pasted into other blogs…not wait, check that…I wrote at least three posts I was mostly sober and can remember hearing from my probation officer about. Boy, shows how little credit court-ordered journalism gets around here.
And you said you always agreed with me. I thought you meant it the way your eyes rolled up when you said it…