You may have heard that there is a new community "visioning" effort launching this summer called Chattanooga Stand. And they are asking ordinary citizens like us to share our "big ideas for the future" of our region.
So here's our vision for Chattanooga (and Chattanooga Stand):
radical transparency.
As we discussed during the municipal elections, there's a difference between merely abiding by the letter of disclosure laws and promoting rich, meaningful transparency. Both our county school system and municipal governments face important crossroads. Ordinary citizens, making their voices heard, can play a key role in how our region changes—though only if they are well-informed by uncensored access to the facts and data surrounding these issues. So how does this relate to Stand?
The broad support for Chattanooga Stand by community leaders and partner organizations is unprecedented in recent years. Business leaders, elected officials, and community foundations are co-sponsoring the initiative, suggesting a high level of institutional support. With that support, an initiative of Stand's scale has the potential to fundamentally alter the political, economic, and cultural landscape of our region for years to come. It is absolutely essential for the public at large to have a deep understanding of its process and its influences. This need presents Stand with an incredible opportunity.
For Chattanooga Stand to best live up to its stated mission of honoring every voice—and to point the way towards a better future—it must strive to become a model of meaningful transparency in the digital age.
What might that look like? Here are a few starting points:
- Open every meeting to the public. Make audio recordings and minutes available for download.
- Publish not only the names, but the biographies and roles of all key players.
- Disclose the details of relationships with all partner organizations, including financial arrangements.
- Release raw and tagged survey data in accessible digital formats.
Chattanooga Stand hopes to model itself after Vision 2000, another "visioning" effort from the mid-80's that continues to play an important role in the region. To say that Vision 2000 has been a success would be an understatement. But to ignore the legacy issues surrounding Vision 2000's flaws would be careless.
We firmly believe that radical transparency in this new process is the best hedge against repeating past mistakes.
— John Hawbaker and David Morton, Chattarati Editors.
David Morton
John Hawbaker
Larry Miller on May 8, 2009
I definitely agree on the importance to open every meeting to the public. However, in addition to audio recordings and minutes available for download, major meetings should be streamed live. Year back, I lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where the local community access TV facility had the city council, county government, & the school board on cable TV live. Many times someone from the community wouls show up at the meeting to make comments on what they were watchuing. that's democracy in action!
Robert T. Nash on May 8, 2009
TRANSPARENCY ALERT: Here's a look at a handful of decent folks and a whole lot of shitasses...
Community Leadership Luncheon Honors Graduates
The public is invited to attend the annual Community Leadership Luncheon on May 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The DoubleTree Hotel.
The event honors the 43 graduates of the 2009 Leadership Chattanooga class.
Highlighting the luncheon will be the presentation of five community projects coordinated by the class:
The program will also include reflections on the Leadership Chattanooga experience by class member Mike Dunne, external communications Manager for Hamilton County government.
Leadership Chattanooga is presented by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the Chattanooga Chamber Foundation.
“Leadership Chattanooga is a 10-month program designed to develop leadership skills in outstanding early- or mid-career professionals,” said Diane Parks, director of leadership and community development for the Chamber. “The program is informative, challenging and motivational, providing interaction with the community’s top leadership, familiarity with key agencies and institutions and community service team projects.”
The 2009 service projects include Buy Fresh Buy Local, an effort to encourage consumers to patronize vendors that sell food grown locally; Children Changing Chattanooga, an essay-writing contest allowing 8 th graders to describe how they would change the community for the better; Dress the Code, creation of a uniform clothing closet for children in need at Orchard Knob Middle School; Kids Can, a program encouraging young people to develop a sense of community service; and Green Affair, a campaign to encourage recycling at local festivals.
This year’s Leadership Chattanooga graduates are: Cathy Barrett, Unum; Blair Bennington Cannon, Patrick, Beard, Shulman and Jacoway; Darlene Boyd, Regions Bank; Kelly Brexler, Office of Senator Lamar Alexander; Lilian Bruce, EPB; Linda Bullard, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee;
Adam Clagg, Covenant Church; Danielle Clark, Hamilton County Department of Education; April Crenshaw, Chattanooga State Technical Community College; Tony Dahlberg, The Samaritan Center; Mike Dunne, Hamilton County Government;
Kelly Fitzgerald, Artech Design Group; Dawn Ford, Chattanooga Hamilton County Health Department; Kathryn Foster, Chattanooga Hamilton County Business Development Center; Brian Frye, Legal Aid of East Tennessee; Amanda Galas, Waterhouse Public Relations;
Richard Gary, Orange Grove Center; Valerie Gifford, Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union; Stacy Johnson, La Paz de Dios; La'Nita Jones, Tennessee Valley Authority; Deborah Luehrs, Siskin Children's Institute;
Travis Lytle, Cornerstone Community Bank; Deborah Maddox, Community Impact of Chattanooga, Inc.; Angela Lee McClister, WTCI-TV (PBS); Jaime Melton, St. Peter's Episcopal School; Glenn Morris, M & M Industries, Inc.; Pam Morris, LBMC Technologies; Ivan Patton;
Veronica Peebles, CARTA; Brad Pierce, The Johnston Southern Company; Tara Poole, CreateHere; Philip Pugliese, City of Chattanooga; Mark Reina, SunTrust Bank; Mary Robinson Roland, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Josiah Roe, Medium;
Ken Smith, episode49, LLC; Craig Smith, Miller & Martin, PLLC; Derrall Stalvey, WRCB TV3; Matt Stovall, Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon; Shalin Tejani, Hamilton Plastics, Inc.; Chinyere Ubamadu, Ronald McDonald House Charities; Jason Underwood, Joseph Decosimo and Company, PLLC; Jerri Weary, Chattanooga Police Department.
Tickets for the luncheon are $40 per person and $400 for a table of eight. For reservations contact Christie Kelly at
ckelly@chattanoogachamber.com or 423-763-4366.
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Tim Cofield on May 9, 2009
Good idea - opening every meeting to the public. And making audio recordings available for download is a "must" with the amount of immediately accessible information (in the palm of your hand) now.
If all key players names and bios were published i would log on.
Sarah Lester on May 10, 2009
Stand's next planning meeting is Wednesday, May 13th, at 4 PM at Bluegrass Grille, two doors down from Stand HQ. Would love to talk more about the possibilities and opportunities for radical transparency.
Committed to being hopeful & helpful, part of & proud of? Please, join me!
facebook-146900541 on May 10, 2009
Surely Benwood can kick in for a stenographer? :)
Kordax on May 11, 2009
The Tennessean featured an expose of the Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund & its shadowy operations -- [link] -- http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090510/NEWS0201/905100376/Loans+to+cities+escape+scrutiny
For every ostensible good idea related to changing a city (ideas require funding most of the time), there seems to be room in the shadows for venal cronyism & sel- dealing.
Is that what we want this time around?
Michael Morrison on May 11, 2009
Tennessee has the second lowest rate of voter turnout in the country.
Even if the meetings are open, will people show up? Will they even care?
So many people think they are making profound comments when they say "All politicians are crooks," which isn't true, or "I just don't care about politics."
No matter how little you care about politics, politics cares about you, even if politics sees you merely as a sheep to be sheared.
And you will be sheared if you don't do something to take those sharp blades away from the power-mongers.
Politicians generally see us as nothing more than an open purse and a cog in the giant machine they are the chosen to operate.
More and more people are coming around to the idea the federal government needs to be reduced, but they haven't made the connection that ALL governments need to be reduced, including city and county and state.
Sarah Lester on May 29, 2009
Many thanks for your sharing your vision and pointing out the opportunity to create a deeper understanding of Stand's processes, people and partnerships.
ChattanoogaStand.com's About page has been updated to include more details about meetings, strategy, funding, partners, Board & the roundtable and data. http://chattanoogastand.com/index.php/about
As Campaign Coordinator for Stand, I personally welcome your questions, concerns and challenges regarding the process itself - along with your input and idea about what's next for Chattanooga.
You can contact me:
by email [sarah@chattanoogastand.com]
in person [55 E Main Street, Suite 105]
by twitter [@StandHQ, @bridgesoverblue]
by phone [423-648-6499].
John Hawbaker on June 20, 2009
Mr. Nash,
I agree on your point regarding Ms. Lester. I have spoken with her on
several occasions and found the same to be true.
I have heard of, but not actually seen, the roster you mentioned. If
the information is interesting and relevant for our readers, we may
publish it. I will note that it would likely be more interesting _in
context_ with other information on the committee and its work.
Best,
John Hawbaker
Allison on June 21, 2009
Stand did attempt to be transparant and listed the board members, and all involved. The players in Stand are all to familar, and frankly the group has the make up of teh Coulter campaign. Could she be reorganizing and building a "vision: for her next campain. The list of organizers and funding sources STANDS for itself.
John Hawbaker on June 22, 2009
First, we're talking about two different things here. Our call for Stand to be more transparent is a completely separate issue from decisions about what we publish on this web site.
As a group of bloggers who write in our spare time, we've never been able to publish stories on every tip or story lead we receive. We have to make decisions about what to spend our time and energy writing about. That is simply the reality of our situation.
Back to your original question, my choice of words -- "if" and "may" -- simply reflects the fact that I was not going to absolutely agree to publish something sight unseen. While you may call this gatekeeping, I call it prudence.
stephen42 on June 22, 2009
RTN, How is this any different from you choosing what you mention on your show? No one expects you to cover every single scrap of information in the city. What would you propose this site do, spend all its time aggregating data?
Robert T. Nash on June 22, 2009
What I am saying is I supplied a public document to Chattarati that I went to great lengths to obtain that is filled with good info that continues to languish...
DavidMorton on June 22, 2009
And what we're saying is that neither John or I have seen it. It has not been forwarded to either one of us.
As of 10:26 AM on Monday, June 22, the document to which Mr. Nash refers is not in my inbox. And the last time I spoke with John, he did not have it either.
In my experience, the best way to get information disseminated to the public is to first provide it to the people you expect to put it out.
Robert T. Nash on June 22, 2009
Oh, and I'm also saying it's my belief there is nothing more meaningless/soulless than concluding a missive with "best"...
Allison on June 22, 2009
Stand Info from their website
Board* & Community Roundtable
all planning meetings are open to the public and take place every other Wednesday at 4 PM at Bluegrass Grille (55 E Main Street), unless otherwise noted.
Approved Lyndhurst Foundation $330,000
Pending $170,000
TOTAL $500,000
Valoria Armstrong
Dan Bowers
Tiffanie Campbell
Laurie Cook
Ann Coulter
Elizabeth Crews
Stephen Culp*
Danny Fell
Lisa Flint*
Dawn Ford
Wade Hinton*
Sarah Ingle*
Stacy Johnson
Greg Laudeman
Ashley Leinbach
Sarah Lester
Philip Luckey
Caleb Ludwick
J.Ed. Marston*
Josh McManus*
Benjamin Pitts
Karen Rennich*
Justin Wilkins
Stand HQ Staff
Fynn Glover, Field Organizer
Tia Goins, Field Organizer
Ashley Leinbach, Data Coordinator
Sarah Lester, Campaign Coordinator
Taylor Thul, Field Organizer
Craig Van Korlaar, Field Organizer
Blair Waddell, Field Organizer
Supporting Organizations
CreateHere: physical space for HQ, staff support through the LeadHere program and shared organizational resources
The Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies: data entry, coding and analysis; strategic advice
La Paz de Dios: outreach to the Latino community
UTC: research efforts and data sharing through Dr. Barbara Medley, Director of Center For Applied Social Research, and Dr. Andy Novobilksi, Chief Research Officer
Widgets & Stone: brand development
Advocates & Volunteers
Valoria Armstrong
Education, Arts & Culture / Teen Scene
Blythe Bailey
Danna Bailey
Rich Bailey
Veronique Bergeron
Dan Bowers
Ashley Burns
Tiffanie Campbell
Laurie Cook
Ann Coulter
DeDe Dubose
Chuck Cantrell
Elizabeth Crews
Stephen Culp
Anne Davis
Danny Fell
Lisa Flint
Jim Frierson
Patti Frierson
Dawn Ford
Fynn Glover
Tia Goins
Adam Green
Paul Grove
Elana Gulas
Dave Haddock
Gina Hatler
John Healy
Melissa Hefferlin
Wade Hinton
Jean Huddleston
Karen Hundt
Reeve Hunter
Sarah Ingle
Helen Johnson
Stacy Johnson
Andrew Kean
Cindy Kean
Tim Kelly
Greg Laudeman
Ashley Leinbach
Sarah Lester
Karen Liwanpo
Philip Luckey
Caleb Ludwick
Michael Mallen
J.Ed. Marston
Frank May
Kevin Maxfield
Brad McCallister
Andrae McGary
Josh McManus
Trey Meyer
Tom Montague
New City Fellowship (PCA)
Amanda Niel
Erik Niel
Katherine Nielsen
H. Maria Noel
Heather Palmer
Ben Pitts
Karen Rennich
Chantelle Roberson
Larry Roberts
Armando Rodriguez
Tahnika Rodriguez
Josiah Roe
Karen "Rudy" Rudolph
Daniel Skolfield
Trey Stanley
Rachel Staven
Cynthia Stroud-Watson
Melinda Taylor
Taylor Thul
Tom Trevor
Craig Van Korlaar
Blair Waddell
Laura Jane Walker
Stroud Watson
Kate West
Justin Wilkins
Rick Wood
Missy Luce
Catherine Martin
Erik Zilen
Robert T. Nash on June 22, 2009
The one or two times I've personally encountered Stroud Watson he reeked of Body Odor...
T. Cartter Lupton on July 6, 2009
The Lyndhurst Foundation, funding The Entitlement Generation with the hardwork of their grandparents for the last two years.