Open Government

By Rob White

Today I read an article in Government Technology e-Magazine about the newly selected cities that will join Kansas City metro area in getting the next round of Google Fiber… Provo, Utah and Austin, Texas!  (The Google Perspective: Gigabit Internet in Local Government, May 28, 2013, by Colin Wood)

Though I am not really surprised that either city was selected – each has been recognized as an emerging tech center – I was surprised that the Google representative interviewed described that one of the leading reasons for selection was that local officials in each city “wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

(PAY PAL OPTIONS NOW AVAILABLE) – Dear Readers,

It was surreal being back in court this week, this time as an observer, watching Paul Boylan representing the Woodland Journal and Steve Kaiser representing former Fire Chief Rose Conroy.  The city of Davis wants to release the full fire report, about four and a half years after the most appalling vote in my time of observing the Davis City Council.

The fire chief, for a variety of reasons, wants to stop that from happening.  After watching the proceedings on Wednesday, I believe she will not be successful.  In a way, the push to disclose the full report is the continuation of a quest within a quest.  The broader issue started for me in early 2008, which was to curtail the power of the firefighters’ union, which had pushed the city’s compensation system to the breaking point.

It was just last year that the city of Davis released a less-redacted version of Bob Aaronson’s investigative report into the fire department, that followed a 2008 Grand Jury report with findings that included a hostile work environment and retaliation against dissenters within the department.

Following the Grand Jury’s report, the city commissioned then-police ombudsman (now Police Auditor) Bob Aaronson to conduct an investigation.  In December of 2008, the city council majority of Mayor Ruth Asmundson, Mayor Pro Tem Don Saylor and Councilmember Stephen Souza voted 3-2 not only to keep the report from the public, but not to read it themselves.

While many criticize the Vanguard for allowing anonymous or pseudonymous posters, we take the issue seriously.  We prefer respectful discourse, we also recognize that there are times in a small community like this one that people need to protect their identity and the ability to speak out without fear of retribution or social ostracism.

Longer time users will recall that the Vanguard has in the past, gone to court to protect the anonymity of commenters even when the Vanguard has been in support of the core issue.

I was a college freshman when a guy who lived down the hall in our dorm walked into our room, plopped a CD into my roommate’s disc player and blasted a track from a new and unknown band called Nirvana.  I was blown away by it.  I had never heard anything like that before.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit,” exploded a few weeks later, fueled by MTV and capturing the spirit of the times and, some might say, the spirit of a generation.  The lyrics are almost intelligible and once you translate them, they turn out to be unintelligible with hooks like “I feel stupid and contagious, here we are now, entertain us.”

by Matt Williams

Several months ago we had a lively discussion here on the Vanguard about empathy . . . what it is, and what its value is.  This Vanguard article is a follow-up to that discussion.

Anyone who watched the PBS Newshour last night on KVIE saw a very thought provoking segment that delved into the issue of teasing and bullying in schools, and an educational program called Roots of Empathy that is designed to address that significant challenge in our schools . . . and schools worldwide.  I sincerely hope that the Davis School Board, District Administration and Faculty members all saw the segment.  It is the kind of program that I believe Davis should move swiftly to implement in our schools.

by the Davis Vanguard Editorial Board

It has been no secret that the City is badly in need of a communications director.  I have been saying this for well over a year now.  The city leaders and even the city manager acknowledge this need.

However, given their focus on water, the impending election, and the city’s labor situation, adding a communications director is a thorny issue.  After all, how do you justify spending $100,000 to $150,000 on what will be called a PR person when you are asking existing employees to take concessions at the labor table?

Today’s question: What new features would you like on the Davis Vanguard site?  What problems are you having with the current site?