More On Rockville Central's Comment Policy: Full Names Required

Dear Readers:Thank you for continuing to make >Rockville Central an important destination for information and opinion about what’s going on in Our Fair City. Yesterday we had 1,836 page views, which I believe may be a record for us. As a recent article made clear, we continue to try to hone our comment policy and to balance openness and responsibility. We discovered what looked like abuse of the commenting system and implemented some controls that we hope will put an end to it.

We also want to let you know about another control we are formalizing. As many know, we in general are opposed to people commenting under pseudonyms, even ones that are not meant to hide a person’s identity. But we believe that Rockville Central needs to be a forum where people truly own their words. We do not want things written in the comments that people would not say to one another face to face, in a public setting.

For that reason, we are going to be requiring comments to be attributed by first and last name before we approve them for publication. That includes pseudonyms like “Fred In Hungerford,” even if the comment is positive.

If feel you have a pressing need to remain anonymous due to personal safety reasons, please email us and ask ahead of time (rockvillecentral@gmail.com).

Cindy and I know that there are some people who will be made uncomfortable by this. We are sorry, but believe this is best for the overall health of the space. There are many forums where people can comment and express opinions anonymously or pseudonymously. This is not that place.

Thank you.

Comment Policy And Multiple Aliases

Dear >Rockville Central readers:

As many of you know, our comment volume has been going up and up, and with the volume we have had a number of challenges as we try to balance openness with the necessity of keeping a civil forum. Cindy Cotte Griffiths and I have felt that we have reached a good equilibrium where, for the most part, we have no completely anonymous commenting and relatively few over-the-line instances of bad behavior. There have been a few judgment calls, and recently we decided to get a little stricter with what we approve, as people’s emotions began to run higher. But by and large it’s been working.

We have a new issue and a new policy we want to draw your attention to.

We recently discovered through looking at our log files that we may have had instances where people have logged comments under multiple pseudonyms. These are called “sock puppets” in the online world, and there is no online forum where they are tolerated. Rockville Central is no exception.

The best way to make sure sock puppetry is not going on is to ban the IP address on comments where we detect what appear to be intentional multiple comment logins (after first looking to make sure it is not multiple people logging in at one place of business, or some other obvious legitimate reason).

We are posting this note to let the community know that, from now on, that is what we are going to do. We have added a warning to the brief instructions above the comment-entry box, and we will not allow comments from IP addresses where there is evidence of multiple comment logins. IP addresses where that is happening will be banned from commenting.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

My Thanks for the Candidate Forum

What a great honor it was to co-moderate our >Rockville Central Candidates Forum last Saturday. Thank you to the candidates who were able to attend: Piotr Gajewski, Carl Henn, Susan Hoffmann, Phyllis Marcuccio, Tom Moore, Bridget Newton, Virginia Onley, Waleed Ovase, Mark Pierzchala, and Max van Balgooy. Their willingness to share details about themselves as well as their viewpoints provided insight into how they will handle the next two years in office. Many people have told me the forum either helped them decide or confirmed their vote.

We didn’t know if spending a Saturday morning learning about the candidates would be of interest to our readers, but with over 70 in attendance, it seems that it was. I’m grateful to everyone who gave us a chance by showing up.

All of our questions were developed from the comment streams on Rockville Central, so our readers played a big role in creating this forum. You may hear mention of “chickens”. If you weren’t at the forum, you’ll have to watch the video when we post it. A question about allowing chickens for eggs and companionship was submitted. I had the idea of using it for a “workshop” to find out how candidates approach issues, so we wrote up a scenario and asked the candidates to explain what they would do. People can’t resist a chicken joke!

Mid-way through the two hour event, I realized our timekeeper, Jonathan Smith, had a much more difficult job than me. He had to intently watch his stopwatch almost every minute without missing a second and he managed to do it perfectly.

Tim Hampton of VisArts volunteered to video the event for us and we kept him busy going back-and-forth with that camera, while Tom Miner of the Digits handled the sound system loaned by The West End.

Theresa Defino has been such a strong supporter of Rockville Central and was quick to jump in and help which meant we sent her for coffee and donuts bright and early. Thanks to her for all her efforts with Rockville Central, and also to Jacquie Kubin who joined her for the pickup and Andrea Jarrell who greeted everyone.

I know I missed John Britton who was at his daughter’s college parents’ weekend and Trapper Martin who had to attend his aunt’s funeral in North Carolina but I was able to read a statement from both of them.

As I stated in our closing, online communities can feel anonymous. Sometimes people are inconsiderate when stating their opinions or leaving comments because they are not thinking about the people behind the words. When we all gathered at the Thomas Farm Community Center, we made our online community a bit more real. Now we can picture a roomful of faces when we’re reading.

The past two and a half years working with Brad Rourke on all things Rockville Central has been such an adventure. From the very beginning, I wanted to get people interested in our local civic life. The low voter turnout has always bothered to me. I hoped Rockville Central would inspire people to get involved, volunteer and vote. Some people who have never attended a forum came and I’m glad.

Thank you to everyone who made the forum something special.

Comment Policy: Focus On The Civil

Dear >Rockville Central readers:

As some might have noted, there is an election coming in a few weeks (November 3, in case you wondered). As happens when it’s campaign time, emotions are running a bit high. Editor Cindy Cotte Griffiths and I have been amazed at the volume of comments and gratified that so many readers see Rockville Central as a good place to discuss issues.

However, with the increase in comment volume, we feel the need to refine our comment policy in order to protect the civil and respectful qualities of this space. Rockville Centralhas always been intended to be a blog where we can discuss issues in a measured way. Sometimes we worry it may have lost sight of the “measured” part of that goal, in favor of being open to all.

Moving forward, we plan on tightening our moderation of comments. That means fewer comments will be approved. We will not approve comments that are clearly mean spirited or do not add to the discussion. We will be especially careful of comments that are critical of individuals. There are ways of criticizing behavior without criticizing people.

Our suggestion to people who wish to leave comments is to stop a moment and think about whether and consider whether you would really say what you are writing to an acquaintance or friend. That’s the bar we want to adhere to.

We will continue to actively seek out views that differ from our own, and to try to maintain a fair and impartial policy — both in attitude and in practice. We do not moderate comments based on ideology or because we disagree on the viewpoint of a writer.

We recognize that this policy refinement may cause some to lose interest because the comments will get less active. We accept that. We hope that it will also cause some readers togain interest, because there will be more room for thoughtfulness.

Thank you.

My Opinion: Watch A Candidate Forum

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The first of the televised Mayor and Council forums was held last Thursday evening, October 8, 2009, by the West End Citizen’s Association. If you missed it, you should take the time to watch it on demand from Rockville Channel 11, or if you have cable check the schedule for air times.

Although responses were brief, the forum provided a good introduction to the candidates. You could get a feel for their personalities and priorities. The questions indicated which topics are of interest to voters in the West End, which is my neighborhood. Since this was the first formal candidate forum, I was keen to find out what would be considered important in the election.

In the opening 40 minutes between the mayoral candidates, Susan R. Hoffmann and Phyllis Marcuccio answered questions concerning the success of the Town Center businesses, the budget for Fiscal Year 2010, funding for the arts, the lack of protection for Chestnut Lodge, the parking fees for Town Center, the plans for the Victory Housing and Beall’s Grant II affordable housing developments, the increasing failures at busy intersections, the hometowns of campaign contributors, and the deficit from the Redgate golf course.

The city council forum allowed each candidate John Britton, Carl Henn, Trapper Martin, Tom Moore, Mark Pierzchala, Bridget Newton, Virginia Onley, Waleed Ovaseand, and Max van Balgooy to briefly introduce themselves and say a couple of summary sentences. Councilmember Piotr Gajewski had a prior longstanding work commitment and did not attend. The candidates were asked to speak about the changes occurring over time in Town Center, the massing of affordable housing and zoning regulations, the salary increases in the FY 2010 budget, the best way to solve the parking issues for Town Center, and the preservation of green space as it pertains to the Victory Court location.

Obviously, this is only a summary of topics and you should watch the forum. I found myself curious about what exactly the candidates meant in their brief responses. Some issues needed a longer dialogue. There seemed to be a definite disagreement on whether the budget was actually balanced. Candidates had differing views on development. Some offered concrete suggestions about the Town Center parking issue and possible new programs.

Lately when I try to talk about the election to people who are not involved with city issues, their eyes glaze over. This is true! I hope many more people become interested before the election. If you have cable, listen to the forum while you do something else around the house. Run it on demand from your computer or laptop while you straighten up, clean, or cook. The City is spending your money! Make sure you know what’s going on and whether your elected officials are voting the way you would. I can’t emphasize enough that there are definite differences between the candidates and the direction they will take our City.

Rockville Central will be having our own candidate forum on Saturday, October 24 at 9:30 a.m. in the Thomas Farm Community Center. I strongly encourage everyone to attend. On the 23rd, you’ll only have 11 days until the election on November 3, 2009, when we all need to vote.

My Opinion: Why You Should Vote November 3

On Tuesday, November 3, you will have the chance to vote for mayor and to vote for four fellow Rockville residents to represent you on the City Council. Most people who vote get jazzed and vote in presidential years, when interest is high (like in 2008). Fewer vote in the off-years, when we vote for our members of Congress and state representatives (like in 2006).By comparison, very, very few people vote in the off-year municipal elections that are held on ODD years. In our last Rockville city elections, >in 2007, we had about 20% turnout. Our city has 57,100 people, of whom 29,535 were registered to vote in the 2007 election. That translates to 5,887 votes total in the Mayoral race.

When it comes to City Council, the number of votes that separated the lowest vote-getting winner and the highest vote-getter who did not win was 113 votes: Phyllis Marcuccio beat out Carl Henn 2,397 to 2,284 votes.

Given this, it boggles my mind that people are not enthusiastically beating down the door to go vote in Our Fair City’s elections.

People like their vote to count. In presidential elections, in all but the swing states, people’s individual votes do not carry a lot of weight. But, in our city elections, man do our votes count! 113 people would have changed the character of the City Council dramatically. That’s not a lot of people. It’s about the number of folks who might come to a church service, or visit your garage sale over the course of a day.

But even more than that, even in our suburban DC setting, what happens inside the Beltway can sometimes seem quite distant. Yet, look at the issues that our Mayor and Council make decisions about:

• Our property taxes
• The costs and fees for our City services
• What we can be built, where, and how
• What kinds of neighborhood parks we have
• What kind of police force we will have
• And much, much more

All of this hits very close to home. The decisions that the Mayor and Council make have a direct effect on our day-to-day lives. They aren’t theoretical.

There are plenty of ways to learn about the issues and where people stand. Follow the election on Rockville Central. Attend the upcoming televised candidate forums. Attend the Rockville Central candidate forum on Saturday, October 24. Go directly to the candidate web sites and take a look at what they have to say.

There are so many more ways to learn about the candidates. It just take for each of us to decide that we ought to make the effort.

And so, I urge my Rockville neighbors and friends to remember this, as we head into the home stretch of our biannual city elections: You have a chance to be heard loud and clear. Your vote counts and, given the importance of the issues, there is little argument to be made that you have something more important to do that day. We will miss you if you don’t show.

As I am fond of saying, we live in the longest-running experiment in self-governance on the planet. The fundamental building block of this experiment is the individual citizen. It’s our responsibility to play our part in self governance.

Will you join me?

Between A Rock And A Hard Place: Parking In Town Square

As many readers of >Rockville Central know, because of some of the lengthy comment trails on a a number of articles, there’s a storm brewing over the parking in Town Square. Until recently, it’s been low-level, but on October 5 the time when people have to pay to park is set to be extended.

As Samuel Johnson said, “Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” People are, for want of a better word, focused.

By and large, the Town Square merchants would like to make it as easy as possible for people to park and be customers. (This stands to reason.) Many merchants are concerned that additional parking fees will drive people away. Furthermore, one merchant who has been very active in this issue of late is a candidate for City Council (Trapper Martin). That is neither good nor bad, but it does complicate things when it comes to decision making.

In the midst of all this, the Mayor and Council as a body appears reluctant to act. (I am not talking about individuals, but the whole.) Not only that, but this particular iteration of the parking issue has become a heated political issue. The Gazette has a good recap of the situation.

But my favorite update is by Roald Schrack of the Alliance of Rockville Voters, who writes:

The September 21 , 2009 meeting of the Mayor and Council epitomized the past two years experience with this M&C. The Citizen’s Forum was largely taken up by a plea from the restaurateurs of Town Center to delay the onset of regular parking fees that had been scheduled for October 4 . It seems that a big coordinated advertising campaign has been arranged for “Restaurant Week in Rockville” starting on October 5. The restaurateurs felt that the success of their campaign would be seriously hurt by the need for their customers to pay for parking. The Mayor [Susan Hoffmann] said they would take up a solution under New Business later in the evening. When it came time for New Business John Britton made a motion to delay the imposition of paying for parking (after 7:00 pm) for one week to avoid being coincident with “Restaurant Week”. The motion failed for want of a second (the Mayor cannot introduce a motion or second it according to Robert’s Rules of Order). [Phyllis] Marcuccio, [Piotr] Gajewski, and [Anne] Robbins gave various reasons for objecting to the motion. . . . [T]here it sat with no action taken to soften the blow of parking fees on “Restaurant Week”. Everyone on the M&C knows that the survival of the Town Center restaurants is vital to the success of Town Center but the M&C fear that citizens would see any compromise on the parking fees as a further burden on the taxpayers. It is estimated that the additional parking fees earned from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm would bring in $400,000 a year. Delaying the fee for one week would only cost about $8000 and could be absorbed by the city. But the problem remains after the week is over. The restaurateurs would return after the week and again ask for continuing relief from parking fees. The City is between a rock and a hard place. It isn’t just $400,000, There is an additional $2,400,000 that the city must trim from the budget because of the recession’s impact on state revenues. Why anyone would want to run for M&C in this environment is hard to see. The next two years are going to be very difficult for the city.

Roald makes good points. As many know, I am in favor of people having to pay for parking in Town Square. The Mayor and Council are indeed between a rock and a hard place. At some point, the parking lots must get paid for. But a week delay seems as if it might have made sense all around.

If it had been raised earlier that waiting one week (until after a major retail event) might help things, it is likely there would have been enough time to deal with the one-week delay. Of course, it may not have — it might take the October 5 deadline to actually spur action. Furthermore, someone might have raised it already and it fell on deaf ears.

In any event, many Town Square merchants are hoping for a reprieve so that Restaurant Week can take place without the added burden of the extended paid hours. It is unclear whether that is possible.

What's Up From Our Boards and Commissions

Monday night I had the opportunity to join with representatives from the >City of Rockville Boards and Commissions for a work session with the Mayor and Council. Tables were arranged during the regularly scheduled Mayor and Council meeting so we could sit facing each other, review our accomplishments, and propose our work plans for the next Fiscal Year 2010.

This work session grew out of the recommendations from last year’s work group on boards and commissions. The work group recommended regular meetings and more interaction with the mayor and council.

Taken as a whole, the accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2009 were quite extensive. For a broad overview, you can read all the reports from the Boards and Commissions in this one document on the City’s website. Take a glance. You might be surprised by all that goes on!

I was struck by how many volunteers dedicate their time to all the different areas of our public life. The Boards and Commissions are quite diverse and you could tell the work ebbs and flows. Some described themselves as opinionated. Others seemed to be dedicated to specific tasks for the City. The Personnel Appeals Board didn’t send a representative because they hadn’t met in the last year, while the Board of Appeals recently met for nine hours on a Saturday. The Cultural Arts Commission has many subcommittees. Landlord-Tenant Affairs Commission has alternates.

You can listen to all the reports On Demand from Channel 11. Just click on the September 21, 2009 meeting. You’ll also hear the responses from our elected officials on such topics as the historic designation of private properties and citizen input during the development process. My report on the Human Services Advisory Commission is about half way through, as we went in alphabetical order.

I enjoyed putting faces to all the names you often see referenced around the City. Thanks to all of the Boards and Commissions for their efforts.

Submit Your Photos For City's 150th Celebration

Gentle Readers:>From the beginning of Rockville Central, in the misty days of June 2007, we have run a “Picture Of The Day” (POTD) on every weekday. I do not believe we have missed a single day. (Here is the first one.) Most of the shots are taken by me (Brad) and some by Cindy, but we are especially thankful that readers occasionally submit their own work for publication. Some of that reader-submitted work has been astounding!

Now’s your chance for wider recognition. As you may know, Rockville turns 150 next year! The City is running a photography exhibit at Glenview Mansion starting in march, and they have called for photographic entries! (Cindy originally wrote a piece on this.) The City has now extended the deadline until October 16 for submissions.

Here’s their press release:

Rockville will celebrate its sesquicentennial – occurring at 150 years – anniversary of its incorporation on March 10, 2010. The City received its incorporation from the state legislature on March 10, 1860.

Already, the City has put out a call for entries for a photo exhibit to be displayed at Glenview Mansion in January. The exhibit is a chance for individuals of all ages to capture the city through their eyes. The juried photo exhibit is open to all ages and all ability levels.

Photographs should be taken within the corporate City limits of Rockville and must have been taken between Jan. 1 and Oct. 16. The three categories for submission are people, nature and architecture. Entries are due by Oct. 16.

Submissions should be sent to the attention of Colleen McQuitty, Rockville City Hall, 111 Maryland Ave., Rockville MD 20850.

There is still more that will happen in the months before March 10 and in those to follow. Now, the City is looking for businesses and community organizations to incorporate themes associated with the 150th anniversary into activities they may be planning.

Restaurants could designate a menu item to the 150th anniversary. Community groups could host an event or program that highlights the sesquicentennial. Applications forms are available online and give more details.

Everyone in Rockville is encouraged to participate in the yearlong celebration. Information will be available through Rockville Reports, the weekly E-Letter and the City Web site.

Some activities planned for this coming year include the following:

• Planting flowers designated for the 150th
• Creating a float for area parades
• Planning neighborhood events
• Decorating pre-determined City fire hydrants
• Lending photos, letters or artifacts to the City, or sharing their stories and memories, especially any from 1910 and 1960.

If you have items for submission, call Colleen McQuitty at 240-314-8616 or e-mail rockville150@rockvillemd.gov.

The City has a main page for the sesquicentennial festivities, and it is here.

Quick! Vote For Rockville In Bethesda Magazine!

Even though it is named for a neighboring town, >Bethesda Magazine’s annual readers survey is fair game for all of Montgomery County, including in Rockville, Our Fair City!

Simply go here to the survey vote on your favorite example of any number of things. Voting closes tomorrow so hurry!

Here are the official rules:

One ballot per person.

To have your ballot included in the results, you must answer a minimum of 25 questions and provide your name and address.

Survey will close at 5:00 p.m. on September 18, 2009.

Thanks very much to Rockville Central friend Christina Ginsberg for originally bringing this to folks’ attention. She suggested this might be a good way to highlight Town Center. We agree! And, in fact, we think it is a great way to highlight businesses all throughout Rockville.

Take the survey.

More Than Music At Strathmore

>The September edition of Strathmore News really caught my attention. The fine art, gift shops, dance classes, and teas go beyond the music for which Strathmore is renowned. The variety surprised me.

Afternoon Tea
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, a light lunch, dessert and Strathmore Signature Blend Tea are served with live music in the Shapiro Music Room at the Mansion. $21 Afternoon Teas, $26 Specialty Teas, pre-paid and non-refundable. 301-581-5108. Doesn’t it sound so refined for a special afternoon?

20th Annual Museum Shop Around
In addition to the usual the Shops At Strathmore,from Thursday, November 12th to Sunday, November 15th the gift shops of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Decatur House, National Archives, Herb Cottage at The National Cathedral, VisArts, Just Imagine-Imagination Stage, Shakespeare Theatre Shop, Audubon Naturalist Society, and the Shops at Strathmore will all come together for a gigantic sales experience! These are unique and wonderful shops which will be sure to supply amazing gifts for the holiday season. They are all in ONE PLACE. Admission is $8 and benefits Strathmore’s artistic and educational programs.

Fine Art
Strathmore has a robust exhibition schedule. The galleries will show four exhibitions by next year:
From Intimate to Monumental: John Francis Murray and Julio Salazar
Shades of Pastel: Maryland Pastel Society’s Biennial National Juried Exhibition
Near and Far: Landscapes by the Washington Society of Landscape Painters
76th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature

Art Tours
If you want to really learn more about any of the exhibits, special guided tours provide background and insight for each exhibit:
Murray & Salazar – September 12
Shades of Pastel – October 10
Landscape Painters – December 12
Children, ages 5 and over, can make art during the Children’s Talk and Tour on these days which is free at 10:15 AM but requires reservations. 301-581-5109.
The adult Art Talk is also free on these days at 1 PM and doesn’t need reservations.

Art Lessons
You can learn how to create art too. Strathmore Education features a Friday Pastel Workshop with Jean Hirons starting in October along with many other classes with felt, clay and glass.

Make Books
One Sheet Wonders with Karen Brown, who will show you how to fold a book in more ways than one on October 5th. $25 with $8 for materials.

Dance Instruction
The Fall Session starts Monday, September 14, 2009 at the CityDance Center at Strathmore open to children, youth and adults. Modern, ballet and hip hop.

The 2009 Wine, Women & Song with a Jazz Twist
Enjoy fine food and jazz to raise money for Strathmore’s arts education and community programs during this auction of trips, wines and special event raffles. Tickets $125 & $500.

Music
Not just classical, these musical selections are for everyone. Gaelic Storm, Cathy and Marcy, Engelbert Humperdinck, Suzanne Vega and Marc Cohn, Epic Hollywood Soundtracks, and, of course, the National Philharmonic. There’s even a Pink Floyd Experience.

So I most whole heartedly agree, Strathmore is “At the Intersection of Art and Life”. Click here for the full calendar.

Back To School Shopping

Summertime’s winding down and it’s time for the kids to head back to the classroom. Due to >our media partnership, the Census Bureau sent along some statistics from the Monthly Retail Trade and Food Services on Back to School shopping. Americans spent $7.6 billion at family clothing stores in August 2008. Only in December were sales significantly higher than August. Sales at bookstores last August totaled $2.4 billion, an amount approached only by sales last January. So, this is a big buying season if you have kids.

Throughout the United States in 2006, there were 25,430 family clothing stores, 6,417 children and infants clothing stores, 26,699 shoe stores, 9,425 office supply and stationery stores, 23,270 sporting goods stores, 10,989 bookstores and 9,969 department stores. Here’s Rockville Living’s Directory for comparison.

We set out with our school shopping lists and tried to Buy Rockville. We could easily purchase most of our elementary and middle school lists within the City limits, especially at Staples on Rockville Pike. We also needed to stop in Office Depot (which is right on the border), and if need be there’s always all the CVS stores for some of the school supplies. We couldn’t find backpacks to our liking on Rockville Pike so we needed to go to Target, which is also just outside the City limits or all the way up in Gaithersburg. While we were there, we bought socks. You can get sneakers at Pay Less but there really aren’t any other kid shoe stores in Rockville, so that requires a trip to a department store too.

I’m not sure I could purchase everything in Rockville but if I looked real hard in lots of locations, I might. We visited five stores in one day which was enough!

How did you do Buying Rockville for Back to School?

August In Our Fair City

Gentle Readers:In newspaper circles, they call late August the “silly season.” This dates from days of yore when summer really changed the landscape of things. People went on vacation, offices closed. It was the time of year when not much happens. It’s called the silly season because newspapers, which had to fill page after page of newsprint every day, would choose this time to trot out the silly stories that made you scratch your head: >This is news?

Well, no, it wasn’t, but there were inches to fill. In the world of online volunteer local news sites, we don’t have that problem!

And so, while the world no longer slows down as much as it did, in many ways summer is still a slow news time. It’s also a time when people take a bit of a break! And so you may see our volume of stories decrease as we head into the bottom innings of summer.

Rest assured, we’re still here, and as things pick back up (typically when school starts up again) the stories will become more plentiful.

Meantime, enjoy your silly season.

Here is one way you can help: Send us news tips! This is a community resource!

Your friends at Rockville Central

People: BE CIVIL IN YOUR COMMENTS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

It is just a few days since I posted a >reminder about our comment guidelines. In a nutshell they are:

• Only write what you would say to someone’s face
• Be civil; criticize people’s ideas but not the person him or herself
• Hurtful comments are NOT HELPFUL

If anything, since then, the tone of some comments has gotten worse. This is hugely disappointing. I am hopeful that we can lift ourselves up, instead of sink down further.

This is a community space, provided free for all, meant to be helpful to all. Your right to express your opinion does not extend to mocking and berating others.

Honestly, this behavior is beginning to disgust me. There is no excuse for calling someone names. You may as well be writing on a bathroom wall.

So I am giving fair warning: If this continues, I will begin to aggressively filter comments and I will consider shutting down all comments.

Editorial Opinion: Why You'll Find Our Names On Nomination Petitions

As election season is heating up this summer, candidates are circulating >Nomination Petitions to appear on the ballot. All petitions must be filed by September 4, 2009 and have the signatures of 100 voters who live within the City limits. You will find my name, along with my address and birthday, on a few. Although these petitions are on public record, I would like to acknowledge my signatures and explain why.

With the election season starting, Brad Rourke and I want to be fair to each candidate and honest with our readers. We’ve been debating whether to sign the petitions, since we do not want to appear to favor candidates.

My signature doesn’t reflect my support or my eventual vote. Since I’ve already signed four, there’s a very good possibility I’ll sign more than four for council and more than one for mayor. When someone asks, I sign the petition because I desire a healthy system with a diversity of candidates representing different viewpoints.

When someone asks me, typically in a public place, I can’t learn enough about the candidate to decide if he or she will get my vote. After the debates, forums, and interviews I’ll have a much better idea, so I want the person to enter the race and have a chance to explain their positions. A healthy democracy depends on people running for political office. I would never want to stop someone from participating and expressing their viewpoints when they desire to contribute to our civic life as an elected official. We need challengers to challenge our beliefs and the status quo. I consider signing petitions a public service that keeps our system strong.

Candidates will often start with friends and family but they need 100 people to sign. The process of obtaining these signatures insures the candidate is serious and has demonstrated a desire to actively participate in a campaign. If there were no such hurdle, we could have idle candidates on the ballot in name only.

After we considered the issue, Brad replied to me:

I was not signing anyone’s petitions so no one would think I was being biased, but you’ve convinced me that it’s also a community benefit to encourage all candidates to run. So I’ll hereby sign anyone’s petition who asks me, as a matter of course.

So when you are collecting signatures, keep us in mind! If you see our names, you’ll understand why.