Cleveland City Council members (not all) seem to avoid even the whispers. The computer should be at the top of the list of communication devices for staying in touch with the public. Some council members do use e-mails for inner office contact, close constituents, behind the scenes campaign contributors, etc. But to the general public don't say E-mail to loud. All members will say they have e-mail addresses but phone numbers it seems is the preferred choice.  Whispers. Don't say computer to loud.

Every registered voter is important at election time. Thy are VIP's. Candidates seem to be every where during this time visioning a better tomorrow. They are at bingo, dance, and church socials, wherever groups are gathered. And it may be the only time the general public gets a chance to speak to them. Once the election is over, the VIP spotlight goes dark and so may the dreams of a better tomorrow. A candidates public isolation begins after he leaves the church and bingo halls and makes a made rush to campaign headquarters and waits to either hear church bells ring or the number count of votes that didn't cause anyone to shout “Bingo!” But either way the public knows after the candidate leaves the building, a degree of isolation begins. Before exiting, candidates will say, “Thank you all for the votes!” But somewhere down the road of many tomorrows voters may start moaning words like, “ What ever happened to my VIP standing? ” 

And the, “ What ever happened to my VIP standing? ”, relates of course to the “pushing away effect ” some citizens feel coming from politicians. The following scenarios are echoes from the community.

Citizen (not insiders) meets council member and shares concern. The meeting is cordial with no promises from official but will do whatever if possible to resolve the problem. Time passes but no response. A call is placed to the office of the member. Citizen crosses fingers in hope. Another call, maybe several than frustration sets in. Now hope has been replaced with no hope. Of course this is not always the case. But the echoes I have heard including one from a dear friend of mine, makes the above more believable then not. She even lied to her councilman to be heard but it didn't help any.

She called his office and left a message for him to call her. Much to her surprise, he did. She started explaining to him the problem she was facing. He interjected, “Did you vote for me?” Somewhat startled over the remark she responded, “yea” in a tone that didn't sound very convincing. From this point on you can imagine where the conversation was leading. Nowhere. The councilman’s remark was very unprofessional. What should have mattered to him was here is a citizen with a concern, irregardless of who she voted for or even if she voted at all. She was no different than other citizens who pay taxes and that alone deserves the respect from all politicians! Now if I included the councilman's name who made the self-centered remark, he no doubt would deny saying it, and may even vision dollar signs in a lawsuit against me. Anything can be said in a phone conversation and later denied.

When communications relate to face to face meetings, phone calls, letter writing, fail to gain the attention of councilmen there is an alternative. The alternative is computers. When they are used to send your concerns via e-mail to politicians, the computer retains the information that could come in handy if a council member accidentally deletes it. E-mails have an advantage letters do not. Letters can accidentally get tossed in the waste basket or claimed never received. Politicians may also decide the best way to handle letters is to simply ignore and place them in a pending file just in case the sender has some clout. You can send a copy of the letter again and hope. If the silence continues what than? Officials already know the answer if they ignore you enough. In most cases what comes next is discouragement. Its over. Remember the cliché, “You can't  fight city hall.” E-mails may not totally wipe out the cliché but they can help in opening better pathways in achieving accountability from councilmen.

How can you tell which council members are the most likely to want closer contact with the public through the use of websites and e-mails? Listen for the whispers or dead silence against them. In other words, carefully listen for possible excuses to ease out of using computers for public access. But I feel the loophole excuses seem pretty slime against using websites to inform citizens of important ward and city council meetings people may wish to know about. What about social functions? Councilmen seem to know all about them at election time? Make the website into a ward community news happening. I have heard many complaints from people about knowing nothing of what councilmen are doing in the wards. Now, maybe I can close some of the loophole excuses that could surface if council members continue to whisper in hush tones. Do not have the money in the budget. The Websites can be placed on the internet free of charge. Building a website takes a specialist to set it up. Will I am not a wiz at computers but would gladly put one together for any council person who needs the service...free. Don't have the time to fuss with a website. Poor excuse. Citizens deserve better. All councilmen either have paid or volunteer helpers. If they do not know how to add or delete information from a website, I can teach them...free. Did I cover all the loophole excuses? Councilmen who really listen to what citizens would like to see on a website related to happenings in each ward, is actually helping to build a foundation toward re-election.

Now lets take a closer look and see if I am right about council member whispers of disinterest in websites and e-mails. Did you know members of Cleveland City Council already have a Website? Will if you didn't that's part of what I call “whispers.” Every so often Cleveland City Council sends out to citizens in the community a pamphlet with pictures of members with names and wards they represent. At the bottom is listed “Important Phone Numbers” to various branches of city services and Cleveland City Hall. Nowhere will you find the councils website. Why? What is the real purpose of this website anyway? Is it merely for show. You know something to talk about above a whisper but not to loud.

Take a look at it for yourself before someone in council decides to either improve on it or remove the site completely. (http://cityhall.nhlink.net/council/) The site provides one e-mail address for all 21 members. The e-mail address is, (webmaster@clevelandcitycouncil.org.). It's hard to believe all 21 members looking at this site to retrieve e-mails do not care to make changes to pages that haven't changed in months. In looking at this Website from a citizens point of view, it does not provide much information.

On the Homepage, you will read in part “This website is still in the process of being created, and we expect the contents to change, so please bear with us as we improve and expand.” Mr. Michael D. Polensek, Council President. Now here is the Ripley's...Believe it or Not!) interesting part of this page. Since I started monitoring the website six months ago the, "process of being created" and “as we improve and expand.” had not “expanded“. Now before council members wake up from a long Rip van Winkle sleep, (I'm repeating the web address) go to it (http://cityhall.nhlink.net/council/) before the website is either shut down or modified. And of course if they do neither, listen to the whispers.

On the Calendar page. You will read the following, “This section of the Cleveland City Council web site is currently under revision. For information on currently scheduled committee meetings, please visit the City Council offices at City Hall, Room 216.” Ms Sandra Franklin, First Assistant Clerk.

WARNING. The following paragraph or extra long sentence was rated R for Restricted Reading. To be read by politicians only, [or English teachers with red markers in hand].

Now how many people other then ones working close to City Hall are going to drive downtown and park in a garage city building inspectors should have condemned (across from the Justice Center) years ago pay seven dollars walk over to City Hall pick up a schedule of committee meetings don't whatever you do go to the basement oops I guess it's called the ground floor by now your probably thinking my sentence structure here is appalling and if you been into the pit of City Hall you may shake your head and moan why cant it look as nice as the first floor disbelief after looking around and groan " This is appalling!" with schedule in hand you make a dash to your car and start praying the cars on the rickety floor above doesn't come crashing down on your car by this time your nerves are really rattled before stopping at the gate to pay money city should be paying you for parking there in the first place that's probably going into the cookie jar to buy all those 400 plus American Dream homes many citizens worked lifetimes paying off only to be stripped of the land boy I bet our American Indians are having the last laugh on white men fighting other white men for land taken from Indians by greedy white men who now with comrades are claiming the land is needed for a third runway for Cleveland Hopkins Airport although the handwriting is not on the wall and Moses is still debating the ethics of it all before choosing a corner stone to chisel "Thus sayith the..." and place it in the corner of a runway that oop! been replaced by...hotels or motels with sound proof walls...no industrial parkway... no a runway! who knows maybe the military can provide some clues they already have planes that take off vertically in fifteen years down the road why a runway for planes that may take off vertically government first had computers now vertical planes today the public can type on computers tomorrow they may be flying in planes that takes off vertically some people that finally make it home with council schedule in hand shaking with anger go to computers look up web address for Cleveland City Council that has not changed in six months and still finds one e-mail address for 21 members what kind of nonsense is this one cry's out in frustration where is that vertical plane I just want keep going strait up in search of E.T. The Extra-intelligent.

On the Member page you will find pictures of each member of council. Below the photos are brief biographies of many but some list none. Next to the pictures are listed phone numbers to City Hall, ward offices, and homes. No e-mail information listed.

On the Committee page, I was really impressed. The information and layout of the page is excellent.

Now if the Cleveland City Council website goes CRASH! in the night, the e-mail address goes CRUNCH! with it. But never fear, City Hall! is near. Just click (http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/city_council/councilphonelist.html).Here we go again. Phone numbers for each member is good but e-mails would certainly make the page look professionally great. But there are two e-mail addresses that look promising. The first is, (mpolensek@clevelandcitycouncil.org) Mr. Polensek. And the second is (rmoss@clevelandcitycouncil.org) Ms Ruby F. Moss - Clerk of City Council. But please I do not advocate sending e-mails to her. She has enough to do dealing with 21 members who may still think Microsoft Outlook Express has nothing on the Inlook of the Pony Express.

If Mr. Polensek starts getting e-mails intended for other council members, maybe, just maybe e-mails will begin appearing along side of members phone numbers.

Why am I pushing e-mail addresses so much? For the same reason council members seem to be pushing them away. E-mails bring members closer to citizens in the community. E-mails could help move the government snails pace way of delivering services, to at least move a tadpole bit faster. It does what phone calls can not do. With e-mails you have a record of your transaction even if it's deleted on the other end. You may ask, so what is the point if council members still ignore them? Hold that thought.

Although Mr. Polensek did place an e-mail on the website I do not advocate sending him or other members nonsense stuff. E-mails should only contain concerns related to city services. They could be personal happenings that need attention from award leader or issues to be expressed from a larger perspective such as ward or city wide. Yet no matter what the issues are to be placed in e-mails, people need to be reasonable. I repeat, council members do not deserves to be sent lame-brain e-mails.

My proposal. If you have reasons to contact a councilman by e-mail, (via Mr. Polensek e-mail for now) expect a response in return. The e-mail is dated with the time it was sent. Wait a few days before sending another but don't assume you got zapped into space. E-mails can be deleted accidentally. I get junk mail all the time and have done it. Give your councilman the benefit of a doubt. Send the E-mail out again. You may wish to add, “This is a second reminder.” If the silent treatment continues, chances are good you are being ignored. However, try one more time.“ This is the third reminder.” No need to send anymore. But this doesn't mean, “three strikes and your out!”

If citizens so choose, they can send copies of ignored e-mail to me, along with any responses council members may have sent. But keep in mind, council members are not miracle workers. After receiving copies of the three e-mails with any type of response, along with written permission  I will e-mail a notice that unresolved concerns between Mr. Citizen and Mr. Councilman could end up on this website in the Community Billboard section. The echoes will stay there until either the issue is resolved or remain on the website and than passed to voters at election time in the council member wards.