{"id":2034,"date":"2011-05-14T12:04:37","date_gmt":"2011-05-14T16:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2011\/05\/how-to-get-public-officials-to-respond-to-the-citizens.html"},"modified":"2011-05-14T12:04:37","modified_gmt":"2011-05-14T16:04:37","slug":"how-to-get-public-officials-to-respond-to-the-citizens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2011\/05\/how-to-get-public-officials-to-respond-to-the-citizens.html","title":{"rendered":"How to get public officials to respond to the citizens?"},"content":{"rendered":"Leigh Touchton\n\nasked me<\/a>,\n
\nMr. Quarterman, what can we do, do we have to go to the state legislature\nto get a law passed to force these so-called public officials to answer\nquestions and respond to the citizens?\n<\/blockquote>\nFirst of all, my compliments to anyone such as Leigh Touchton\nwho has been doing politics around here longer than me for asking\nmy opinion, because that indicates they are pretty good at it\nand are probably asking many people their opinions.\n

\n\n<\/a>\nMy answer: carrots along with sticks, and shine some light!\nThat all builds political capital, which will be needed for elections.\n

\nWe need many people building a community doing many things.\nIf I knew a simple answer that would change things magically overnight,\nI’d recommend it, but I don’t.\nI don’t even know if I know a long answer, but I’m pretty sure that\nany answer will require a community, because\n\n\nthe root of the problem\nwe have now is that a small group thinks it can act for the community\nwithout paying much attention to anybody else in the community.\n

\n\n<\/a>\nIt’s probably pretty obvious that one of the main things LAKE is doing\nis shining a flashlight in dark places.\nAs Gretchen told Joe Pritchard years ago,\n

\nIt’s like I’m going around with a flashlight without even knowing\nwhat I’m looking for.\n<\/blockquote>\nObviously other people and organizations are also doing that.\nThe VDT, for example, has done some excellent reporting.\nEventually maybe this will get an overhead light turned on in some rooms.\nMore open records requests: LAKE has a little list, for those who want to\nhelp file some.\nMore people asking local governments to video their own meetings\nand post them on the web.\n

\n\n<\/a>\nMore people videoing them anyway and putting them on the web,\n\nlike George Rhynes is doing.<\/a>\nMost people haven’t even heard of the Quitman 10\nbecause the local media don’t cover them.\n\nGeorge is doing it anyway!<\/a>\nYou may think a school board election in Brooks County doesn’t matter to you.\nBut I agree with \nMLK:<\/a>\n

\nInjustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere!\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n