The post-election glow has faded, as Nashville’s politically addicted class mulls over Metro Council committee appointments and lobbyist ties, clashes over pending legislation, featuring views from progressives and those less so, assigns way too much meaning to a yardstick, and even notes Council’s bravery in endorsing non-violence as a preferable method to resolve disputes so early in their term.
Before the debate over what Council does is fully joined, I’d like to focus on how our local government goes about its business. In past years, my two major concerns were the habitual failure to seek public input and the frequent rubber-stamping “aye” votes by Council members of colleagues’ legislation with which they were not familiar. Thus, I was a bit concerned when, in the Vice Mayor’s letter to the Council (pdf), I read this:
Committee meetings are where questions should be asked, not on the floor during the Council meeting.
While I am all in favor of efficiency, I fear that this may have the unintended effects of curtailing much-needed debate and, more importantly, diminishing the ability of the public to hear these concerns. What should Council do to make the process more participatory, contemplative, and transparent? Of course, some of this could be resolved if more Council members follow the lead of Emily Evans and start their own blogs.
As an aside, I’m obviously new here, though I prefer to avoid big introductions and the requisite meta-posts on my philosophy of blogging. For those with insatiable curiosities or monotonous day jobs, you can read my highly sporadic musings at www.dis-equilibrium.com (the title of which is a double entendre for economist geeks). More than likely, you’ll find my continuing rant about the liquor wholesaler cabal in Tennessee. Here, I expect to concentrate on local politics. When writing, I don’t set out to offend, but it sometimes happens. It is the New Jersey in me. Advance apologies.
No comments:
Post a Comment