Game Changer? Councilman's Staff Begin to Live Blog

Photo by Dave Mayerhofer via Flickr

Photo by Dave Mayerhofer via Flickr
L.A. needs more engagement like this and from all sides of the gameboard. The newly elected Councilman Paul Krekorian is now publishing a policy blog, which is meant "to enhance what should be the free flow of policy discussions as it concerns the city’s second City Council district and the rest of Los Angeles." To that end, Krekorian's Education and Neighborhoods Committee meeting today is being liveblogged. Committee meetings often fly under the radar, yet this is where a lot of the real city decisions are hashed out. Having the council office communicate these ongoings in real time is exciting news--and quite possibly a first for city hall--but that shouldn't be the end of it. Hearing from Krekorian's staff is just one piece of the puzzle, but much more is needed from the media and activists alike to balance the news. One will often find bicycle and neighborhood council activist Stephen Box live tweeting meetings, yet sometimes it feels like he is a lone voice out there.

L.A. needs more people willing to watch policy through and through. Does anyone constantly update the ongoings of environmental policy in Los Angeles? Chicago has a parking ticket geek, but where is ours? And, albeit a bit dry sounding, we could only wish for a blog that follows the billions of dollars flowing through the Port of Los Angeles.

In any case, the point is this: the time is ripe to follow issues closely. With blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other social media tools, the power is truly in the hands of the people.

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But who has time for all of this?

One of the great things about city council committee meetings is that the audio is not only broadcast over the phone and web, but podcasted afterwards with most documents found in the online file management system (additionally, full council meetings are aired on Channel 35). This means you literally can follow city council policy in the making while on your couch in your underwear (ahem).

So, L.A., are you ready to step up to the plate?

Note: for transparency reasons, it should be noted that Krekorian's public information officer is also an LAist staff volunteer who contributes to the site for music and arts stories.