The people on my block never report lack of return calls. They get answers,
though not always from Herron personally. Sometimes they come from his
assistant or his aide. The last study of the Ward 8 office, done by Vernon
Wetternach, I think, showed that the ward gets at least 160 calls a week, plus
letters--and now plus e-mails. Wards 5, 6, and 9 also get substantial calls.
If you called to complain about something, it was forwarded to the department
which handles the problem (i.e. public works, forestry, etc.). If you called
to give him your opinion on an issue, there's no reason to return the
call/letter/e-mail. If you called to give him informtion, it was checked out.
I usually send e-mails or leave a message on the phone. Many times I talk to
either Connie Kiser or Vickie Brock instead. It's a team effort office, so
that works too. Course, I never try to front him off in public meetings or
call to cuss him out.
Wizard Marks, Central
Rosalind Nelson wrote:
> My reasons for trying to contact Brian Herron are not the same as Karen
> Forbes' reasons. I live in the Bancroft neighborhood, not Central. I can
> certainly appreciate that Central neighborhood concerns could be time
> consuming, and since I don't live very far from Central, I believe that
> positive developments in that area will benefit me, too.
>
> However, Brian Herron is my representative to the city government. That's
> _his_ job. When I approach other council members instead, I am taking them
> away from the time they can give to their own constituents. If Mr. Herron
> didn't agree with me about anything, that would be a bitter enough pill to
> swallow. But it might at least represent honest disagreement. Since he
> has never, ever responded to a letter, email, or phone call, I am forced to
> conclude that he just isn't paying attention.
>
> I haven't tried whining, wheedling, yelling, or screaming. Maybe those are
> the things people need to do in order to get him to listen to them.
>
> Rosalind Nelson
> Bancroft
>
> Wizard Marks wrote:
>
> > My return rant follows: I've watched as Central
> > neighborhood ran to the council member as though he were
> > daddy and would soothe all the owies and fix everything.
> > That's not the council members' job. His is to listen to
> > the cohesive voice of the whole neighborhood, work with all
> > parties, and contend with his fiduciary duties at the same
> > time. Were I in his shoes, I'd be mighty sick of hearing
> > the whining, the wheedling, the insults, the yelling and
> > screaming, and the nastiness which greets him when he's
> > asked to do the impossible.
