It's OUR Community Blog

There are a few things I’ve seen happening in the last few days that make me feel hopeful about the future of our community and its government.

1. The County Line, posted on the county’s own website, (http://www.pagecounty.virginia.gov/) is being published with good, possibly even excellent, explanations of the thinking and rationale behind important decisions the county government has been making. The point is not that I or any other citizen may or may not agree with the thinking. What’s important is that the thinking and rationale is explained. By offering the explanation, it allows citizens to prepare reasonable responses at public hearings. Without the information, all citizens can do is rant. With it, there is a possibility of a meaningful dialogue.

2. Planning Commissioners, (okay, ONE Planning Commissioner, but it’s a start) using their own name, are posting to this website, explaining the rationale and clarifying issues. This is tremendously helpful for citizens, as we have limited other avenues to get answers or clarification on topics discussed. By offering the insight of a commissioner, it allows the citizens to become more knowledgeable about the issues, so they can ask the right questions.

3. Anonymous posters are offering both sides of an issue. It’s not much of a debate if only one side is presented. Sometimes there is a tendency of “the party in power” to say, “I don’t need to muddy myself by answering that.” But the purpose of a public forum is to allow the public to hear both sides. If the side that has the upper hand refuses to post, the public can’t get the information required to draw rational conclusions. This website can be a tool to get the position of our elected officials understood in the general public. It’s possible they even have the best interests of the community at heart. With a tool like this, maybe the public could even be convinced that’s true. From the standpoint of the public, if they hear both sides, they have the opportunity to convince elected officials to change their minds.

There are positive things that can be done with this media, that will help the community become informed about the workings of our government. It’s next to impossible for me to moderate the comments on here. It isn’t the concept of a Blog to have comment moderation, as many have pointed out. To those candidates who were insulted and offended by the comments during the election --- people who run for office are public figures, about which the public has a right to debate. If you were refusing to answer, or telling your supporters not to answer, the “debates” only showed one side. As the Blogger, for me to selectively pick and choose comments is considered “no fair.” It’s not for me to judge and arbitrate among viewpoints.

For the other side, the ones who are accusing me of picking and choosing – I’m not. During the election, when you posted insults to candidates running for office, they were there. But you can’t extend that behavior beyond candidates for election, to regular citizens. If your posts don’t insult anyone by name, or inflame and incite to riot, or contain obscenities, I’m posting them. If you object to me not posting something you sent, or posting something you don’t like, you can email me at Research@PageCountyWatch.org and I will explain what specific language is preventing your post from being displayed.

I appreciate the participation by so many citizens in this forum. I believe it can evolve into a tool which will help the community self-direct its future. So tell your friends, speak your mind, and Stay With Me. The Blog is a community tool. If it works, it's because YOU made it work.

Alice