Editor's note: Last Word is an occasional column in which two people dialogue about a single issue. In this edited transcript, Pioneer resident Gary Slade and editor Raheem Hosseini discuss Ledger Dispatch coverage of the Upcountry Community Council.
GS: I am astonished that you continue to provide a forum to a board member of the Upcountry Community Council in the guise of "reporting." Even the most basic journalistic ethics should prevent this from occurring. In addition, now that Ms. Dunn is an elected official of a public agency, rudimentary conflict of interest rules would require her to cease participation in this group, other than speaking on behalf of her agency.
I continue to smile (or perhaps smirk) when I read "reports" in your newspaper of the Upcountry Community Council presenting "the position" of upcountry residents on various issues to the board of supervisors, having previously read that the meeting at which the position was decided was attended by 30, 40 or sometimes as many as 50 people. How 30 to 50 unelected people can claim to represent "10,000" upcountry residents is beyond me.
Anecdotal evidence indicates that on any given evening, there are 30 to 40 upcountry residents gathered, discussing community events and issues at the Buckhorn Lodge. Perhaps their "leaders" should be authorized to speak before the board of supervisors and Supervisor Novelli should attend this gathering one evening a month, too.
RH: Thanks for the letter. I wonder, though, about your point about conflict of interest rules. For instance, many of our elected officials sit on various other boards. Many of these secondary groups, like the upcountry council, may have influence, but they have no power to enact or alter policies. That doesn't totally negate your point, but is worth considering.
Also, Debbie Dunn and I have already discussed the potential conflicts that may await her as a contributor, which is why we agreed she would no longer cover the board of supervisors, county planning commission, transportation commission or other local governing groups that may one day intersect with water agency business. At most, aside from the occasional feature or guest commentary, we felt it OK for her to continue with a monthly wrap-up of Upcountry Community Council business, though this, too, may eventually fall to someone else.
And herein lies a quirk of local community newspapers (although some larger ones are following suit), in which citizen reporters are relied upon more and more. The sentence that concludes every one of Debbie's upcountry council stories (Debbie Dunn is a member of the Upcountry Community Council.) is an attempt at full disclosure, so that readers know where the news is coming from and can judge for themselves how to take it. I, personally, haven't seen in Debbie's stories where the council assumes it is speaking for all 10,000 upcountry residents, only that it takes public input into consideration when the council makes recommendations. Much like how our board of supervisors or any of the city councils can't claim to reflect the will of their respective constituents after holding court in a room of 20 or 30.
GS: Thanks for your prompt reply. I'd only like to take issue, a bit, with your last paragraph. Perhaps Ms. Dunn's stories have not mentioned what the council represents, but in most of their communication that I have seen they do claim to speak for "the under-represented upcountry population." In addition, when, in the past, I read that the council was seeking some kind of recognition to speak before the board of supervisors, the same rationale was given. And as to your last sentence, the point is that the members of these entities were elected and therefore, by definition, represent their constituents.
RH: That point is certainly well taken. And I would hope that if the board of supervisors ever agreed to grant the council formal recognition, it would also stipulate that elections be required to choose council members, similar to the community services districts unincorporated communities like Pine Grove and River Pines have. Until that time, I suppose I view it as a wash: The council doesn't elect its members, but neither does it have any formal powers. I do think the overall goal of bringing greater representation to the upcountry populace is worthwhile, however.
GS: I guess I thought that we were represented by our elected supervisors. And we have many ways as individual citizens to communicate with them. If we need more representation, then maybe someone should start a drive to increase the number of supervisors so that each one represents fewer people. I'm not advocating this, only saying that, if people believe that they are not represented, they should go meet their elected officials and put them on the spot, rather than forming tiny groups that claim to speak for a large population. After all, we already have such groups; they are called political parties.
RH: As for being represented by our elected officials, I guess I only see that working when the public acts as watchdog, either individually or in a group like the Upcountry Community Council.
| Raheem Hosseini |