On "Homework"

Anyone who attends Evansville Common Council or Planning Commission meetings notices that citizens who attend get a white agenda sheet, and council members get a thick pink packet of paper----they call it fondly, "HOMEWORK,"

Years ago, it might have been possible for those who serve local government to come to a meeting and just arrive at the meeting and "wing it." Not so today! The risk of embarrasment is high. Preparation is really required.

Thus, the Observer leaves to others to document via tape recording what the nitty gritty of the votes and motions are. I am just trying to figure out what is happening and what it might mean for my readers. It is not always obvious.

So, however one might disagree with any public servant on any one issue, one must respect the preparation time these folks have to endure just to function in a more complicated world. I do salute them for it!

The one thing I would like would be for that stack of "HOMEWORK" to be placed on the web site so that the public can do "HOMEWORK" too. The public does not ask ignorant questions by design----the public would like to understand what the proposed ordinance language consists of and can do this if the documents were scanned and placed on the web. This is very doable. I know cause my brother in law invented the software that does it. Bravo, Chris.

What do you think? Could the public handle a little more HOMEWORK? You make the call.

P.S. Ditto for the School District.