Why I attend all those meetings

By John Schweitzer

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Four times a month, and occasionally more, I trudge off to evening meetings. First and third Mondays, it's the Robins City Council. First and third Wednesdays, it's the Hiawatha City Council.

The sessions can be dry as dust, but there are occasional flashes of humor and pathos. It's average citizens working out the details of governing.

Audiences are sparse. At Hiawatha, I'm usually half the total audience - one other guy is a regular. Robins has a number of part-time employees who usually show up.

I'm a “stringer.” The Gazette calls us correspondents or independent contractors. Although we get paid for stories, we are not Gazette staffers.

My wife asks why do I do it. Why sit through often boring meetings that can last more than two hours? The answers:

First, it's better than television sitcoms because it's real. Second, the newspaper does pay a little. It's pizza and beer money for someone like me on a fixed income. Third, you meet some movers and shakers.

Most importantly, it's about the democratic process. If we don't watch what's happening locally, we will suffer - as did the citizens in that California city where the council members paid themselves outrageously high salaries.

So, I'm doing what I can for democracy by being a watchdog - asking questions and writing up what's important or interesting. What happens at Robins and Hiawatha council sessions usually is not news by the standards of radio and TV. It's simply a case of a newspaper doing what it does best - informing you and including the details.

John Schweitzer of Cedar Rapids has a long career in journalism as a college teacher, newspaper reporter and editor, and broadcast executive. Comments: johnogem@aol.com