Update: Voices too often missing in op-ed land: women's
via mal contends - One of my favorite political sites is WiscOpinion.
But take a look at WiscOpinion and you see a disturbing trend, echoed across the state: Few women writers expressing their political views in blogs.
It's not sexism by WiscOpinion or any other site, it's a lack of women expressing their voices.
Consider another of my favorite sites: Uppity Wisconsin.
I know women writers there, but they write under a pseudomyn, safety being an obvious concern.
There are notable exceptions:
- Milwaukee Rising
- Lost Albatross
- Dane 101
But they are the exceptions. And that's a shame.
Below is WiscOpinion's writers for 7/29/2008; note that some nine-in-ten writers is male.
Not sure what the solution is, but it is most definitely a problem.
7/29/2008
:::PM LINKS:::
Tim Schilke: Not accounting for reality?
Bill Wineke: We have to clean up our lakes
Russell Wallace: Jim Doyle leaving, Barbara Lawton to become governor!
Chris Lato: The GOP joins the Twitter generation
Eric Wentz: Use oil, coal and natural gas now
Mike Ivey: State ranks high for drinking, not for workforce talent
Christa Westerberg: Two steps forward and one step back
Steve Jagler: Imagine: Milwaukee the tax haven?
Michael Rosen: Wisconsin's prison costs crowd out higher education
George Lightbourn: Where are we going?
J.B. Van Hollen: Standing up for public safety in the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Don Pridemore: Virtual schools: Allowing technology and education to come together
Tom Foley: Leading Wisconsin blogger fails U.S. Constitution
Greg Kowalski: A nice comfy trip to Florida in January for free?
:::AM LINKS:::
James Wigderson: Get the lead out!
Dave Zweifel: Minimum markup helps the little guy
Owen Robinson: A gas retailer’s perspective
Ed Garvey: Election polls galore, who do you trust?
Chris Liebenthal: Going BaNaNas
Tracy Coenen: The Blog Net News controversy
John F. Ebbott: County stiffs the poor
William L. McReynolds: Tight economic times require tough choices
Roger Frank Bass: Still scared after all these years
John Nichols: Putting the "I" word on the agenda
Don Huebscher: Eau Claire arena questions far outnumber the answers
Susan Armacost: Abortion ban and human rights
Judy Kirkwood: A proactive Sunday drive
Showing posts with label women's safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label women's safety. Show all posts
Jul 30, 2008
May 8, 2008
Citizens' Committee Needed on 911 Center
Update: Dane County (Madison, WI) Board spins wheels on Zimmermann 911 call controversy
Two committees of the Dane County Board of Supervisors are meeting tonight to gather information on the performance of the Dane County 911 Communications Center in the wake of the murder of Brittany Zimmermann.
Board Chair Scott McDonell and others have called for an audit of the Center focusing on its procedures and whether its procedures are being followed.
It is suggested that such an audit be conducted by an outside firm, free of political considerations.
Good idea.
To complement this reasonable course of action, Dane County needs the establishment of a paid citizens' committee composed of broad communities of interests, devoid of elected officials, and certainly free of civil servants in Dane County, including those serving in the County Executive's office.
Such a committee ought to have as its deliverables:
- The establishment of specific directives to improve the performance of the 911 Communications Center
- A report based on testimony from citizens' use of the 911 service, testimony from UW officials in light of the administration's charge of in loco parentis (and the related duty to prevent the murder of UW students), and the testimony from law enforcement personnel on public safety.
Hard questions need to be asked.
The communities of interests ought to include representatives of the University administration, students, residents, bloggers, retirees, metaphorical bomb throwers, professors, and as wide a cross-section of the county as feasible, and should be fully funded by the City and County.
For example, the members ought include such people as the curmudgeon at the Rustic, the Vietnam vet on Butler Street, and most anybody free of 911-related career and political considerations, but indignant about the fact that We all failed Brittany Zimmerman.
Elected and non-elected civil servants, and law enforcement officials have been making statements today that they are saying too much, perhaps interfering with police investigations.
Maybe so, but many, perhaps most, residents feel a lack of trust toward the County and City on this matter, and secrecy in the absence of a citizens' committee is not the best course of action at this point.
It's worth noting that this issue came to light becaue of the investigative reporting of Jason Shepard in Isthmus and that the community and Shepard were obstructed during and after his piece.
Two committees of the Dane County Board of Supervisors are meeting tonight to gather information on the performance of the Dane County 911 Communications Center in the wake of the murder of Brittany Zimmermann.
Board Chair Scott McDonell and others have called for an audit of the Center focusing on its procedures and whether its procedures are being followed.
It is suggested that such an audit be conducted by an outside firm, free of political considerations.
Good idea.
To complement this reasonable course of action, Dane County needs the establishment of a paid citizens' committee composed of broad communities of interests, devoid of elected officials, and certainly free of civil servants in Dane County, including those serving in the County Executive's office.
Such a committee ought to have as its deliverables:
- The establishment of specific directives to improve the performance of the 911 Communications Center
- A report based on testimony from citizens' use of the 911 service, testimony from UW officials in light of the administration's charge of in loco parentis (and the related duty to prevent the murder of UW students), and the testimony from law enforcement personnel on public safety.
Hard questions need to be asked.
The communities of interests ought to include representatives of the University administration, students, residents, bloggers, retirees, metaphorical bomb throwers, professors, and as wide a cross-section of the county as feasible, and should be fully funded by the City and County.
For example, the members ought include such people as the curmudgeon at the Rustic, the Vietnam vet on Butler Street, and most anybody free of 911-related career and political considerations, but indignant about the fact that We all failed Brittany Zimmerman.
Elected and non-elected civil servants, and law enforcement officials have been making statements today that they are saying too much, perhaps interfering with police investigations.
Maybe so, but many, perhaps most, residents feel a lack of trust toward the County and City on this matter, and secrecy in the absence of a citizens' committee is not the best course of action at this point.
It's worth noting that this issue came to light becaue of the investigative reporting of Jason Shepard in Isthmus and that the community and Shepard were obstructed during and after his piece.
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