Since the beginning, Save the Dells has worked to hold elected officials accountable to a standard of integrity, transparency, and respect in their interactions with the public that they serve. This non-negotiable part of the contract of public service applies not just to the halls and chambers of government buildings, but in the press, on the radio, and anywhere else in the public domain that individuals may leverage their power or status to make comments while they are serving their communities.
The resounding public response to transgressions of this standard of conduct underscores just how important this issue is to citizens across the Quad Cities. Thanks to public calls for accountability in the past few years, the Prescott council vacancy appointment process was made more transparent, the Prescott election process was clarified, deliberate misinformation was corrected and apologies issued, and Prescott voters ultimately had the last word with landslide election of three city councilmembers that ran on a platform of integrity, transparency, and respect for all of their constituents.
An engaged, passionate citizenry is essential to a healthy and thriving community. That's why it is disturbing to hear that Quad Cities citizens are still finding themselves feeling dismissed, disrespected, and ridiculed by those they have trusted to represent their best interest. Citizens have shared experiences of being rudely dismissed in public meetings, singled out in radio talk shows and media posts, and even been the subject of inaccurate or downright false statements made by public officials.See this letter submitted by The Ranch at Prescott resident and Sundog DISConnect member Ann Friday detailing experiences like these.
With a fresh slate of local and state officials elected in the November 2022 elections, it is up to these new and returning officials to measure up to this standard andprove to their constituents that they understand their commitments to integrity, transparency, and honesty are more than just campaign trail promises.
As much as we would like for integrity, transparency, and respect to be universally valued and implemented by our elected officials, the experiences related to Save the Dells make it clear that this is not the case yet.
The most effective thing we can do as citizens is to hold our officials accountable by bringing incidents of questionable or inappropriate conduct to light and demanding change.
Some ways to do this include
recording the details of and reporting instances of misconduct in any public forums, venues, etc. to the appropriate city contact for your community,
working together with other citizens to prepare letters or support or demands for accountability for more complex or long-running conduct issues, and
filing formal complaints with media platforms like KYCA radio when you observe the deliberate spreading of misinformation by elected officials.
Note: FIRST submit your concerns directly to the broadcaster at the linked button below. Do you want correction, retraction, and/or apology? IF you are not satisfied with the broadcaster's response and unable to find resolution, you may consider submitting a formal complaint to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
Complaints to the FCC should include the call sign and community of license of the station, the date and time of the broadcast(s) in question, a detailed description of the alleged distorted news, a transcript or recording of the broadcast(s) in question, and evidence that the broadcast news report was deliberately intended to mislead viewers or listeners.
Have you experienced a negative and denigrating interaction with an elected official, or witnessed another form of misconduct or misinformation? We'd like to know!
Save the Dells is tracking these occurrences and available to help you figure out how to best move forward with addressing your concerns!
Email info@savethedells.org.
There is good news: we don’t have to settle for repeatedly correcting and asking more from elected representatives that dismiss and de-value public input and public interests. While the next cycle of this year's local and state races is another few years off, the 2023 primary and runoff elections in Prescott are the next important opportunity to make the changes we want to see.
Consider your personal recipe for a good candidate. Ask yourself some of these questions: What things would you like to see in your city council, county, and state representatives? How would you like to feel after stepping up to voice your needs and concerns on local issues? What actions or values must a candidate exemplify in order to earn your trust? What does it look like for someone to serve the public?
Watch for all of these things in the coming months, and pay attention to the patterns, not just the promises.
City of Prescott Planning and Zoning Commission vacancy to open with Goligoski's election to Prescott Unified School District Governing Board. This is an incredibly important position with potential to impact the quality of growth and planning for the community long term. It is important that the perspectives on the commission are balanced and reflect the interest of the common good. We stronglyencourage interested citizens to apply for the opening here once posted.
Walk out into the Granite Dells on a crisp winter morning, and you are likely to hear the cheery notes of White-crowned Sparrows. These gregarious seed-eaters are relatively tame and thus easy to observe. North America has four species in the genus Zonotrichia, and a fifth species, the Rufous-collared Sparrow, has an enormous range from Central America to the tip of South America.
In this complex human world we navigate, taking time to get out in nature and observe birds is perhaps the best way to keep centered, to reduce stress and find happiness. Preserving wild places so we can do this is just plain smart.
"The White-crowned Sparrow is one of the easiest LBJ’s to identify with its striking black-and-white crown, and it is the Zonotrichia most likely to be seen in Arizona. Only a few breed in the state: San Francisco Peaks, Mt. Baldy in the White Mts., and the Kaibab Plateau north of the Grand Canyon."
-- Walt Anderson
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