HomeMy WebLinkAbout01-05-15 Maxwell-Publication of public commentsFrom: Blake Maxwell
To: Agenda
Subject: Publication of public comments
Date: Monday, January 05, 2015 7:26:57 AM
Mayor Krauss and the Bozeman City Commissioners,
In light of the recent Chronicle article on the selective publication of written public
comment to the commission, I wrote the following to the newspaper:
"I liked the originality of this article—Dietrich's got a knack—but publishing the names and
letters of every citizen's submittal to the Bozeman City Commission will certainly deter
public comment, a result that's bad for self governance. I know that when I wrote my
letters to the CC, I addressed them to those officials, specifically, with no intention for them
to be either made available by the City for open viewing or distributed by the local
newspaper. (Before anybody leaps, I read my two letters again and there's nothing I regret
writing.) To any detractors out there muttering to the effect of "it's PUBLIC
correspondence," I would argue that unless ALL the comments made verbally during the
commission meetings are publicized in the exact same manner, then the end result is
selective in whose commentary is released. That's unjust, the action almost certainly
promotes a punitive socio-economic result, and both the City and Chronicle should
immediately rectify their lapse in judgment by presenting all verbal comments or taking
down the written comments."
I've linked Dietrich's article below.
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/city/hot-topics-bozeman-s-public-
comment-by-the-numbers/article_a875241a-93d4-11e4-bf62-5fe6a971e901.html?
utm_medium=desktop&utm_source=block_801085&utm_campaign=blox
Regards,
Blake Maxwell
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email: bozemanmagpie@gmail.com
The Bozeman Magpie