The 2008 presidential election (all elections really) makes me want to be more politically aware, not just nationally but locally as well. Watching political pundits on TV and listening to water cooler chat at work have reminded me that democracy works best when citizens are engaged and informed, but becoming engaged and informed is easier said than done.
I find the evening news does me more harm than good. I have to wade through 12 depressing minutes of killing, raping, and pillaging before I get 2 minutes of coverage on the goings-on at City Hall. Reading the newspaper everyday takes a lot of time (maybe I’m a slow reader?). I envy the people who read the paper everyday as I assume they have some sort of job that allows them to take three hours to read the paper from cover to cover each day. Don’t get me started on the relentless City Council meetings that take place every Wednesday. I still haven’t figured out how regular people are able to take time off work to attend Council meetings. Council meetings start at 9am and last all day. All this might leave me feeling defeated and helpless if it were not for a little gem I discovered a few months ago on http://www.dallasnews.com/ : the Dallas City Hall Blog. http://cityhallblog.dallasnews.com/
The Dallas City Hall Blog is a wonderful resource for anyone who wants to keep up with the votes and controversy going down at City Hall each day. There is news of appointments and resignations; budget crises; pet projects of Council members, Mayor Leppert, and City Manager Mary Suhm; but my favorite feature is the live blogging that takes place all day every Wednesday from the “peanut gallery” of Dallas City Council meetings. Dallas Morning News staff sit through those long meetings and give a blow-by-blow account of who said what to whom and why. In 15 minutes (or less) I can learn everything newsworthy that transpired during a City Council Meeting without having to sit through all eight hours of it or suffer through watching it on TWC public access.
Because of Dallas City Hall Blog, I can speak with confidence about matters such as Jenny the Elephant; Industrial Boulevard, Ross Avenue, and César Chavez; and whether Angela Hunt is secretly gearing up to challenge Mayor Leppert during re-election. As the name implies, Dallas City Hall Blog is concerned only with local news. If you want national news, I’m sure CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and the behemoth that is Google News are happy to oblige.
I’ll let you in on a little secret: I work at City Hall (location and department are top secret) and I start and end each work day by reading the Dallas City Hall Blog. It’s my little way of staying ahead of the game.
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5 comments:
What would be your advice for people supporting the change of Ross Avenue to Cesar Chavez Avenue?
I think what you must do is 1) be vocal. The opponents of the name change have already started their own website. You've got to get your message out there and keep getting it out there. 2) You must refute all the arguments out there against the name change. If your opponents argue that it would create a burden on business owners, prove to them that the expense is minimal. If your opponents say that Ross Avenue has historical significance, you must prove that it does not or show that Cesar Chavez is equally significant. You get the idea. Hope this helps.
Why did you remove my post? There was nothing objectionable in it. Was it done by accident?
Hey Bill. It wasn't an accident. This blog is decidedly apolitical. I don't want it to be a launching pad for specific opinions/positions. I hope you understand and that there are no hard feelings.
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