Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Blogging For Michigan, Not Against It

Coverage of the Senate blog blocking has widened.
Battle Creek Enquirer
WOODTV, Grand Rapids
Michigan Technology News
Red Tape Blog (geared to government documents librarians in Michigan)

In a partisan world there are us and them. It's quite binary like the ones and zeros that make cyberspace possible. Thumbs up or thumbs down. Boys on the bus and the rest of us slobs.

On election day, winner and losers. The blocking of Blogging for Michigan looks partisan. And that's a shame for the state of political discourse, policy making, public trust and transparency in Michigan government.

Now, of all times, we must come together for the sake of our state's future. Diverse opinion represents constituents' opinions. Legislators represent all their constituents not just the ones they agree with. Mature governing can tolerate, integrate and synthesize different perspectives into policy outcomes that move us forward. There's politics and then there's governing. Right now Michigan needs far less of the former and a vast helping of the latter.