tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2244295561839420640.post3350451567360432474..comments2007-10-24T09:42:45.872-07:00Dan Hubbellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18202651663388452774noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2244295561839420640.post-88082612005657681982007-10-24T09:42:00.000-07:002007-10-24T09:42:00.000-07:00Dan, <BR/><BR/>This is a great post. I don't know if I've told you that you appear to be one of a very few public officials who write a blog - and this itself is a great service to keep people informed and maintain great lines of communication. <BR/><BR/>We maintain a blogroll of public officials' blogs at the blog/wiki I write, http://www.DemocracySpace.org. Please let me know if you know of others like yours.<BR/><BR/>Julie FanselowJulie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2244295561839420640.post-46440131787973952012007-10-08T18:16:00.000-07:002007-10-08T18:16:00.000-07:00Dan,<BR/><BR/>you are right on with this observation. That's precisely what I encountered when I was on the city council. <BR/><BR/>I would ask people why they didn't come to our meetings and they told me that they really had no reason to. For the most part it was because they trusted the people on the city council to understand the difficult issues. After all, <I>"Isn't that why we elected you?" </I>, I was often told.<BR/><BR/>The "season ticket-holders" are the ones that are the most vocal. But, they are <B> NOT </B> representative of the general public. Your contacts with the public via phone calls, emails, chance meetings at the grocery store are far more representative of the public opinion.<BR/><BR/>--Stuart Liddle, former Newcastle councilmember and Deputy-MayorAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com