Civic Participation
By: Alan Bedenko
Date: June 1, 2006
Yesterday, the Erie County Revision Commission held its first public hearing at ECC North. 4 people spoke.
From Tonawanda to Akron; 4 people.
Today, after coverage by channels 2, 4, 7, plus an article and editorial from the Buffalo News, at the second hearing at ECC South, 5 people spoke.
From Hamburg to Springville; 5 people.
But last year was such a big difference. Last year, so many people clamored for evening legislative meetings, to enable greater civic participation. Not just evening meetings, but remote evening meetings, so that people could come after work, and not have to travel far.
Well, this isn’t the legislature, but there is an opportunity to reform county government to help prevent crises like the one we experienced in 04-05.
When the red budget threatened libraries, people came out en masse. Well, this issue is arguably as important in the long term to the political and fiscal well-being of Western New York.
So, why no speaking up, Speakupwny? Not a peep from Free Buffalo? Bauerle/Beach listeners stayed away in droves. This is what you guys said you wanted - a government that listens.
Well, they were ready to listen.
But not a lot of people were ready to speak.
There was one guy at ECC South today who looked like he had never been to something like this before. He spoke with passion and really cared about the community. He had spoken with his legislator (who was in the audience, incidentally) about budget issues. He’s an average guy who’s fed up. I didn’t agree with a lot of what he said (it was a Sandy Beach show synopsis, and little of it was relevant to charter revision), but I respected him for taking the time to come down and having the courage and conviction for throwing in his 2 cents.
The next (and last) public hearing is on June 6th in Buffalo. I will plug it. I will plug it on Buffalo Rising. I am asking other bloggers to plug it. I want 50 people to speak; not 5.
Alan Bedenko is the author of the website BuffaloPundit.com and a contributing author to Buffalo Spree Magazine. This column originally was posted on BuffaloPundit.com
© Alan Bedenko, 2006.
The opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the WNY Coalition for Progress.
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