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.
