We need LOCAL and REGIONAL watchdog reporters back again. Without them, officials reign unchecked and all the mockingbirds are just regurgitating what comes out of the wire services. But who gets an actual newspaper delivered to their door anymore? We're all getting our news from muh internet.
I'm sorry, Anon.
Decades ago I moonlighted as a stringer reporter for a very large newspaper on the East Coast. Got paid $45 to cover local council meetings, planning board meetings, school board meetings. Oftentimes I was the only person in the "audience." I had to stand and introduce myself and the fact that I was covering for such and such a newspaper. At the end of the meeting, I had to call in the facts by 11 pm and myself and a copywriter composed the article over the phone. I didn't get a byline and these were short write ups included in classified-size print toward the end of the county section. More often than not, the stories were dry. What was voted on, who voted how, how much was spent. Now and then something scandalous would happen – such as a proposal to cut the new football uniforms from the school budget – and a large crowd would show up. Point is: I learned decades ago that elected and even non-elected officials were more on their toes when a reporter was in the room. And your average person is just too damn busy trying to pay bills to make a habit out of monitoring their local officials. They will only come out when it is an issue that immediately effects them. Long term implications? Not so much.
Hurricane "Barry"
Well all I can tell you is parents really need to keep their eye on the curricula and ask their kids how things are being taught. I've seen total policy changes happen just because five soccer moms got together and pestered the local school board about summer reading assignments during the public comment section of the agenda. Imagine what would happen if parents were to consistently do that? Likewise with local taxpayer interests in local government. Get together in groups and take turns monitoring different aspects of the governance. I've seen officials about shit their pants when a crowd shows up to contest something that's being decided. But we shouldn't wait until a hot topic issue arises. That's how things get done w/seemingly no citizen opposition.
>Her district had Another AG found dead on a beach..just a couple years ago..(forgot his name)
I remember that. Right around the time the Awan bros were the hot topic.
May 2017 This guy, I believe.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/05/federal-prosecutor-investigating-fraud-found-dead-debbie-wasserman-schultzs-district/