COLLINS: Council getting a lot done amid the crap
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THIS PAST WEEK GOING THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, I saw a comment that made a lot of sense. I wasn’t able to find it again, but the essence of the comment was that we were spending way too much time talking about the infighting at City Hall. This person said they didn’t care about the bickering — they were more interested in finding out what council was accomplishing.
I spent time going through the council highlights and motions since the new council was installed, and while we’ve reported on most of these items, there’s no question the crap that’s taken place has hogged the spotlight. And why not? It’s far more indicative of today’s style of journalism (the Fox News style) than the style where we actually report on newsworthy items in a way that doesn’t smack of sensationalism. The bickering is news, but there are a number of things that also need coverage.
Some of these items are boring on paper but learning about the city’s vision for the future is kind of important. And while council is far from perfect — as opposed to journalists who can do no wrong — they are dealing with really critical issues. Homelessness, drug addiction, drought and wildfire prevention, interference from senior levels of government, large tax increases, planning for new cultural and recreational facilities, dealing with transportation options — and the list goes on.
And while it’s important to know in a recent third-party report that the mayor has misled us, it’s also important to know how we’re doing with our new recycling program and work on our water system and other topics that gain fewer glamorous headlines. Those are far more important in the longer term than the headlines made by councillors who spend a lot of time disputing procedural matters with the mayor than touting the good work they’re doing to move the city forward.
