Winnipegger says be proud GF Comments
So why is it all but impossible to find out how the EDC is spending our money? What are the hiding?
Posted by: The Whistler on 2/18/2009 5:51 PM
Maybe the Herald, which is an EDC supporter, doesn't want you to know how they're spending our money. The EDC is a private group not a public group so disclosure requirements are different.
"What are they hiding?" That's rich coming from an anonymous blogger.
Posted by: Tu-Uyen on 2/18/2009 8:55 PM
http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/grand_forks_herald_reporter_its_none_of_your_business_how_your_tax_money_is/
Posted by: The Whistler on 2/19/2009 12:31 PM
That is a wrong answer Tu-Uyen. The public needs accountability of their leaders.
Posted by: Jeb on 2/19/2009 1:25 PM
Exactly how is the Herald a supporter of the EDC? Financially? Morally? Editorially?
Does that support abrogate its journalistic responsibility to keep the public informed and leaders accountable?
Does that support mean that the Herald has a conflict of interest in this story?
Can you answer these simple questions, or will you just attack me (as you have others) to distract from the fact that you don't answer hard questions?
Tran, if you don't like anonymous comments, don't allow them on your blog, otherwise STFU about it.
Posted by: Who's on First? on 2/19/2009 2:40 PM
I took that first part (and the last) as a dig on me. I get on Tu Uyen's skin for some reason. (Wasn't the question on my first comment a fair one to ask?)
On the other hand the part in the middle is the real rank thing. I don't agree at all that they are a private party that we have no right to know how our money is being spent.
The EDC is a fiction to launder money from the government to preferred private charity businesses. We have every right to know what they are doing.
Posted by: The Whistler on 2/19/2009 2:44 PM
Whistler is right about wondering what the EDC did with the month. I have the same question in Minot. Where did Oralogic go and what happened to the money?
Posted by: Carol on 2/19/2009 3:04 PM
silence is acceptance
Posted by: CRICKETS on 2/19/2009 3:23 PM
People, I was being flip about our desire to keep things quiet. We are, in fact, a financial supporter. If you've been to this page, http://www.grandforks.org/gfredc/partners.php, you'll see we are a "platinum member."
The point is this is just because there is public funding involved doesn't mean it's legally required to be wide open like City Hall is. Members of the group gets to set policy and the city is not the only entity involved.
The city could insist that any entity that it funds be wide open, but that would probably limit partnerships that it can get into -- partnerships that can benefit taxpayers either by expanding the tax base, which is the point of economic development, or reducing social problems before they worsen, which is the point of social service nonprofit groups.
With the EDC, there's a reason it's a public-private partnership rather than a purely public organization. Businesses don't always want to attract attention to their expansion plans until they're ready to pull the trigger. Bear in mind that if any city dollars, i.e., from the Growth Fund, were to go to these businesses, their identities and intentions would have to be wide open.
One of the EDC's job is to vet these businesses before they go to the Growth Fund. It's other job is to simply show businesses that are ready for expansion what the city (not City Hall, necessarily) has to offer.
As for the dig about anonymity: I don't care about anonymity but if you're going to be anonymous, at least have the decency not to question other people's integrity and intentions. Asking if someone has "something to hide" is an assumption of dishonesty.
How do we know, for example, that the Whistler isn't actually a council member forwarding his own agenda? (I know that he isn't.) How do we know that he's not a disgruntled city employee with an axe to grind? Maybe he hasn't paid his taxes and he's griping about how tax dollars are spent?
As for critiques about journalism: First, I disclosed that the Herald is a supporter, which tells you that, as an institution, we give the EDC money. I can tell you that there is no pressure on me to write one thing or another.
Second, I will generally cover stories that have a broad public interest, that is, stories that will get me the most readers, subscribing or otherwise. Just because some people have a philosophical disagreement with the economic development approach in Grand Forks doesn't mean that the rest of the public is interested.
So "keeping the public" informed doesn't mean keeping you or you or you informed. It means keeping the broad majority informed.
I should also say that, in an age of declining newspaper circulation, I have to focus my time and energy in a smart way. Just because you are curious about how one agency or another works doesn't mean that there's actually a story there. If I spend a week digging into some agency's finance only to turn up with no story, then I've wasted many opportunities for more interesting stories. This would actually result in less information going to readers rather than more.
I'm not sure why these things are so difficult to fathom for some of you that I actually have to explain them in detail.
But you realize I respect you enough that I've spent 45 minutes writing this answer whereas you probably took a minute to blast off something snide.
Posted by: Tu-Uyen on 2/19/2009 4:41 PM
Just a little background for you, Tu-Uyen...
You may want to ask around about some history before you make reference to The Herald, the EDC, and a "relationship".
Posted by: Anon on 2/19/2009 5:38 PM
I responded over on my post on Say Anything. I guess I could cut and paste it, but it'd take several comments.
I'll just say that we have every right to know where our money goes, and that I think the Herald is missing the boat not covering that now and then.
I have to wonder why they don't want to cover it. I mean don't you think it'd make your guys look good to see that they brought in websmart for only x hundred thousand dollars?
http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/grand_forks_herald_reporter_its_none_of_your_business_how_your_tax_money_is/
Posted by: The Whistler on 2/19/2009 8:26 PM
If the research takes too long, have the city's Info Center do it for you. It's their job to provide info isn't it?
Posted by: gf herald reader on 2/20/2009 11:49 AM
The city info office should be providing that information whether or not the newspaper wants to give it any ink.
Posted by: The Whistler on 2/20/2009 11:56 AM
