I was relieved to find, after quickly scanning the letters to the editor in today's Southland Times, that none of my detractors (I'm thinking of you Mr Menzies :-) had penned anything critical of my blog or blogging (I value a calm and supportive household, especially around breakfast time), nor had any mayor, chairman or CEO called for my expulsion from the council for my chattering on-line. When finally I got to the editorial (I always save the best til last. Whether it's Mr Tullett or Mr Fallow who writes them, they're excellent and I note that others have noticed too, the value of the comment therein) I found that it was all about transparency in local government and the role of communications. I got a mention, and it was as supportive as ever I could have hoped (I got to eat my breakfast in peace).
I'd like to cut'n'paste the comment,
"Robert Guyton is a rarity in Southland local Government, perhaps in Southland generally, in the extent in which he lives out loud. He's a diligent blogger ...etc"
but it might seem vainglorious, so I'll link to the editorial here and hope that you'll have a look at the Southland Times website and the whole editorial.
7 comments:
I don't aggree with everything you've said or done ,RG, but I think you are a breath of fresh air in the Southland political scene which needed a bit of a shake up. You making a valuable contribution.
Talking about shaking up the political scene Brunette at Roarprawn says Cactus Kate and the Act party are talking(Seriously it seems!)
How do you think you would go in the political ring with Cactus Robert?
Hey FBB - thanks for that - Cactus Kate's a straight-shooter (she's shooting at Hilary Calvert right now and while Calvert's an easy target, I suspect she'll be a Rasputin to finish off) and I'd relish a round or two with the Prickly One. I've crossed light-sabers with her a time or two and while she's tough, she doesn't always gather in all the information she needs before commenting, but that might be true of most outspoken people.
As to Act talking seriously about anything, you'll have heard Calvert's comments about chickens and Hide's nonsense on climate change, so we know already that we can't take them seriously :-)
Great editorial, and it just confirms my view that it's what you say that counts, not the forum you use to say it through. Your ES colleagues need to point out the views you express that are contrary to your collective decisions rather than getting jumpy about whether blogging at all is appropriate.
What do they think about mass TXTings or Tweeting, I wonder. I think face to face discussions with the public are even more dangerous because there will be no record of what you said.
Next week's council meeting should be interesting bsprout.
Hope people aren't too guarded in what they say :-)
That is a very good editorial.
So are you going to tell us which post was the (allegedly) secret one ;-)
Meh. There wasn't one, unless you count reporting on the 'stropping'. It's all quite droll but has sparked a lot of discussion here and there. Shunda's comment on Frogblog was a cracker and I'd like to paste it here but that'd be a bit self-serving :-)
"Those who think a blog is some kind of toilet"
LOL.
It does seem a good opportunity for a good robust discussion about councils, transparency, democracy ,all that.
Post a Comment