In my last two appearances before the Dayton Daily News Editorial Board, I attempted to make a case for this site being an important part of representing the people- of having an open discussion with constituents about the issues facing their representative. I was written off as “a blogger” – as if it was a mark of shame. (City Commission Endorsement [1], Congressional Endorsement [2])
However, the rookie member of the board actually complimented an elected official for maintaining a blog the other day- hath hell froze over?
As a state board member, Ms. Haverkos has diligently studied the issues and was a thoughtful voice in debates. She even launched a blog with another state board member (www. stateofohioeducation.com [3]) that tracked state education issues, a great service for constituents.
via Editorial: Voters should be watching school race | A Matter of Opinion [4].
Of course, because “blogs are bad” this is the first we’ve heard about it in the DDN- and, it would seem that Susan Haverkos is no longer involved with the site.
There are very few representatives locally who are blogging. One exception is the Mayor, whom the Dayton Daily News didn’t endorse, Gary Leitzell [5]. Although infrequent in posting, it still serves as a vehicle for hearing positions straight from the horse’s mouth. Of course, when Gary uses it to publish his letter to the DDN that they didn’t choose to publish [6], you start to understand why the DDN isn’t too happy about blogs- it’s a way around its self-assumed “power” over the region.
Congressman Mike Turner even has a blog [7]– but it’s probably not written by him- nor are there any comments or discussion (in other words- it’s not really a blog). It’s his press releases- on which you may “leave a comment”- but nothing will come of it.
Social media have been used to run campaigns- but almost always seem to be forgotten once the prize has been won. It’s sad that when elected, most representatives stop communicating with the people they represent the moment they start “representing” them.
I almost believe it should be mandatory for all candidates to maintain an active online forum, before and after they get elected- if for no other reason than that we can no longer trust the media to get it right.
(If you know of other local active blogging elected representatives- please leave a link to their site in the comments- thx)
Here Here !
The Rest of the WORLD knows that Blogs exist… and “bloggers” are an integral means of communications – even to the National Press alliances. David is Right on – – and the DDN is off the mark, again !
Bob VL
Good article, and it’s true, only two comments here, LOL! Good Luck David!
Blogging is an important and fascinating new experiment in Democracy – the DDN themselves have been using blogs for years so it’s hard to understand some of their previous views on the matter, except that of course the traditional media outlets are hesitant to share what was an exclusive role for them with ordinary folks like us.
My biggest worry is that the abandonment of Net Neutrality may push ordinary folks right off of the Internet and take us back to where we were 25 years ago.
Let’s all blog to the mayor asking him where are the jobs in Dayton!
http://garyvl77.blogspot.com/ Here’s my blog!
The city commissioners act like everything is cool in Dayton, well I ask them, where are the jobs!
Blog this city counsil, stop acting like everything is so hunky dory in Dayton when many people are out of work!
g-unit
It’s clear that DDN is inconsistent. They think blogs are cool only when politicians they like are running them. Susan Haverkos has the favor of DDN because she’s cozy with the “school choice” crowd–which means that her thoughtful contributions to debate include promoting an experiment that failed, essentially thinking wrong-headedly that parents know better than professional educators what and how children need to learn, wedding the state to the notion that public education exists to serve individuals and not the public.
We’d be better served if the Haverkos family kept their benighted notions to themselves.
…essentially thinking wrong-headedly that parents know better than professional educators what and how children need to learn, wedding the state to the notion that public education exists to serve individuals and not the public. (truddick)
Yessir, dear truddick, for an educational success story in the Buckeye State one need only load their horse driven carraige and drive to Shelby County to study the Amish. There, and in other Old Order laden locations such as Holmes County, the students are not only proficient in their readin, ritin and rithmathic, but are fluent in two languages. However, this success could probably be linked to the fact that the Amish would rather throw a Sunday house-raising for Satan himself than be involved with your sainted and all-knowing “professional educators.” The Amish educate their kids in the community, in donated classrooms taught by volunteer teachers. And since the Amish go no farther than the eighth grade, they are taught by those lacking state certification and not much older than the students themselves. Once out of school, they enter apprenticeships, and become master farmers and craftsman whose goods, despite selling for high prices, can barely keep up with demand. Not that the state hasn’t tried to make the coerce the Amish into their educational umbrella, but several trips to the Supreme Court left the state impotent against this hard-working and highly educated community. No dear truddick, it is the state’s education apparatus that has failed us, and if parents choose to abandon these failing institutions if for no other reason than safety, it is their choice……
Amish schools are parochial schools and as such are not subject to state proficiency testing. They have nothing to do with the modern “school choice” movement whose main contribution to education has been state funded charter schools.