The drive to be timely shouldn’t preclude common courtesy, even in this age of instantaneous information.
Walter Neary seems to agree. He’s the Lakewood city councilman cum blogger whose posts about city affairs, community events and his personal views on his blog, Neary-Sighted, are a welcome addition to civic discourse.
Neary generally isn’t known as a rude guy, but that’s how he came across during a recent City Council meeting when he tried to live blog from the council dias.
Parents had showed up to complain about the Clover Park School District. Neary posted their complaints – and his take on them – to his blog before the council meeting adjourned.
At least one parent took offense, which is understandable. Trying to carry on a conversation with someone who is banging away on a laptop is frustrating, especially when that person was elected to represent your interests.
Neary says no offense was intended and that from now on, he’ll wait to blog until after the meeting.
It’s the right move. Trying to look a public official in the eye is difficult when he keeps glancing at a computer screen. People who take the time to turn out to meetings deserve the council’s full attention. Using a computer to log notes is one thing, but composing a blog post takes focus that should be on the matters at hand.
But give credit where credit is due: It’s nice to see a public official err on the side of too much openness for once.
Neary’s blog offers not just a sense of community – he recently posted about the passing of Jo Harrison, Lakewood’s former first lady – but also another window on city government. Residents who don’t have the time or inclination to dig through council agendas or planning commission meeting minutes can still stay abreast of what’s happening.
More informed citizens can’t be a bad thing. Neary should keep the blog posts coming – but do his typing after the gavel has landed.
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