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New forum lets elected officials connect with constituents

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When we cast our vote for one candidate or another, in one election or the other, we expect them to do the job they promised to do, right?

Unfortunately, we do not often know how those we elect into office are going about those jobs, what decisions they are making even though they supposedly are making them on our behalf, or even what they do on a daily basis.

That isn't any fault of the elected official. There simply isn't a way to know those things short of following them around all day with a camera and microphone. I don't have time for that and really, neither does anybody else.

But here at The Peorian, we started thinking that if the elected officials could just tell people what they are doing, what tasks of their office they are completing — no matter how mundane they may seem — and what decisions they face it might mean something to their constituents.

It would mean more if it is in their own words and if they could simply tell constituents the information without worrying about the cynics and such being able to post comments and start wars of words with other cynics and such. That could cause the elected official to lose control of his or her own space and eventually, they would probably stop.

A blog that provides the elected officials this opportunity can also put their feet to the fire, for lack of a better cliché, because whatever they write about, whatever they say they've done or will do, can be checked.

So we have started, on our website, www.ThePeorian.com, what we are calling the "good government" forum. It is a site where elected officials can blog about their office, what they are doing, decisions they are making, etc.

So far it includes state legislators, including State Senators Dave Koehler and Darin LaHood and State Representatives Jehan Gordon and Mike Unes. We have Peoria City Council and other officers signed up, Peoria County Board members and office holders, and some from Tazewell County.

U.S. Rep. Aaron Schock has said he will participate, as have others. Invitations to participate have been sent to officials of surrounding counties and towns.

We plan to start a separate blog site for mayors of the various towns in central Illinois. Eventually we want to reach township and village officials in the area.

It is important to note these blogs are not to be used as campaign tools for elected officials running for re-election. As we told the elected officials up front, it is our sandbox, our rules. We reserve the right to take down any blog used solely for that purpose.

They need to save the campaigning for paid ads, candidate forums, debates or public appearances. The good government forum is about the process of running the government, not about running for office. We want the elected officials to draw the distinction between the two.

Those elected officials we have talked with about this forum have said they believe it's a good idea and could be a very effective way to reach constituents and let them know what is happening.

"When I was first asked to contribute to this blog, I thought that it was a wonderful idea," wrote Jehan Gordon. "So often elected officials use talking point that don't get too deep into an issue and this blog allows for a little more examination into the issues that impact our state."

Her first blog reviews education reforms passed by the General Assembly this year. It's good information.

Dave Koehler wrote, "When the editors of The Peorian contacted me about writing articles for their new website, I realized that they were giving me an opportunity to get the whole story out to the local community about complex and controversial issues. I'm happy to have the chance to delve deeper into complex issues that I don't always have time to fully explain in other media venues."

His first post discusses an issue the General Assembly tackled in the recent fall session, updating Illinois' electric grid.

We look forward to following other elected officials as they blog. We hope you, our readers, do, as well. We also hope you will tell elected officials not participating yet that you want to see their blogs on our website.

And make sure you spread the word about our good government forum so your friends can read it, too.

Paul Gordon is editor of The Peorian. He can be reached at 692-7880 or editor@thepeorian.com

About the Author
Paul Gordon is the editor of The Peorian after spending 29 years of indentured servitude at the Peoria Journal Star. He’s an award-winning writer, raconteur and song-and-dance man. He also went to a high school whose team name is the Alices (that’s Vincennes Lincoln High School in Indiana; you can look it up).