State Dems as Watchdog

At 12/16/2004 02:31:34 PM, Kyle Michaelis said...

The problem is that our officially non-partisan legislature and the spirit on which it supposedly operates rob us of the only readily accessible platform to stage the hearings Heath suggests. If we, as the party, are doing it ourselves, without the legitimacy of elected office, (A) there's little guarantee of SUBSTANTIVE media coverage and (B) people will be inherently distrustful of our motivations.

We can research to our hearts content, but the power of the press release is limited. At least if we were to pay for independent studies of DEQ and the like or ultimately even file lawsuits against them on the public's behalf, there would be the seeming promise of some final,impartial judgment to vindicate our efforts. Without that, we've got nothing.

It's a shame we can't just organize community discussions/information sessions across the state. They would likely be the easiest and most successful route if only people would attend.

I guess you don't know unless you try (humor me for a second)...

As for a shadow state government, it's too gimmicky for my tastes. Maybe we could have a single appointed government watch dog whose job it would be to take complaints and conduct selective investigations (an alternative Attorney General or Democratic Party-provided People's Ombudsman). Taking it farther than that, though, would seem pretty tacky.

Nebraska Democratic Party Blog: The Much Needed Watchdog