Thursday, I presented a timeline drawn from emails produced by the City of Wilson in partial response to two public records requests. Today, I insert my own thoughts about what these documents reveal. My overarching reaction is deep disappointment. I searched the pages for any expression of compassion, sympathy, empathy. Anything other than the callous indifference and deflection that I read. I found none.
We’ve been focusing on reaching the hearts and minds of elected officials, but it’s the career powerbrokers we need to be taking hard looks at. The city manager, the department heads, the communications director who gate-keep and decide whether elected officials — and local press — get information at all.
It’s spelled …ACCOUNTABILITY.
Mic check.
One more time for the people in the front.
Yes .. all apparent. This is a classic example of a well oiled but grasping language revealing of a thick glue that binds “we” “not me” (city management) and “thee” (the Council and citizens living and dead) into a contract of stupefaction!
I did not attend council meeting last week, but wonder if Mayor Stevens commented on the forum proceedings. The question I asked him regarding the cost of transitioning ownership and oversight management etc. to a city department relieving the cemetery commission of such a demanding and complex service to the citizens is on my mind. He said he would do that, but didn’t mention how he would go about it. Charlie Pat’s follow-up was published in a Times letter repeating his ongoing plea for the change. Rodger Lentz acknowledges staff’s awareness and sensitivity on this issue in his “use this to answer repeated letters to editor”. Sorry but I’d still like to know who was responsible for the construct of the language of the original contract of the 1994 “recovery” and more details of “something about the alleged ‘mismanagement’” of it, as he so aptly put it.
Also would have missed any discussion following your conversations with the Mayor re first steps needed in properly recovering what has been lost.
Thanks for the heart wrenching hard work of your exposés!
Briggs Sherwood
Lane Street Project Volunteer