Vacation Time

With the investigation completed and the documents mailed, it is time to sit back and relax. As said many times on this blog, the issues before the City and the Citizens of Toledo are serious ones. They would not have been pursued if they were not. All of the dissimulation coming from the opposing camp is simply a manuever to turn the discussion to something else. None of the issues have been debated. But when in doubt--or fear--one can always shoot the messenger. Or insult. Or demean. Or slander. Or name-call. Or threaten. All who have followed this discussion know full well where to find rational thought. The denizens of the fever swamps will never "get it". When the issues are finally, and hopefully, resolved we can all begin the healing process. Who knows what new directions will be taken. Whatever happens, we here at The Watchdog will be content to know that when reviled, we did not go on reviling. We stuck to the issues, we made the case, we submitted documentation and left it in the hands of the appropriate agencies. Their decision will be binding on all of us. We now let it rest.

Thanks for reading. It's been an interesting endeavour. I never thought over 300 unique visitors to this site would stop by. We sincerely hope we haven't let you down. It is also hoped that you learned something about the process of open government. Posting will be infrequent now, as our job is essentially over. Thanks again, to those who found these posts interesting.

More on Citizen Journalism

The following article appears on the site http://www.pewcenter.org/doingcj/pubs/cjis/marimow.html

It is written by Bill Marimow, Managing Editor of the Baltimore Sun:

"In my mind, civic journalism and public service journalism ought to be synonymous. To me, that means a news organization takes its big spotlight and shines it on a very important public issue that requires attention. And by shining a spotlight on that issue, it compels public officials to do the right thing. [...] And that is what good journalism can do: By shining the spotlight, it prods, nudges and cajoles public officals to act."

The time is up for the City Manager to obey the order of the Special Prosecutor, Rob Bovett. Mr. Neal is within the law to ask for the records and the City is now in defiance of a legal order from the County District Attorney's office. Is there still "stonewalling" at City Hall? What do they have to hide?