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Show ffoijgues 1 bv and I JayWamsley ClCCksJ public input in "preliminary proposals." Then when the input period is completed, the findings or conclusions are announced and they don't vary two degrees from what was originally proposed. Again, it is as if the agency is saying, "We are calling for public input becuase we have to. But don't worry, our mind is made up." A similar thought crossed my mind when Don Smith, Director of the State Division of Wildlife Resources had one of his public meetings in Cedar City last fall. I think the act of Mr. Smith going statewide for these public meetings was very commendable and I don't intend to poke fun at Mr. Smith, but as persons would ask questions, Mr. Smith would have his answer an-swer predetermined and ready to go, even before the entire question was out sometimes. This, to me, was also an example of asking for input but then not taking One of my pet peeves reared its ugly head this week and as I mention it, I do not intend to deride any of the groups, organizations, or agencies that sometimes fall into this category, But . . . ... I think it is sometimes amusing the way groups call for input from their members mem-bers or from the public. At the Chamber luncheon held this past week, a plea was made for members to respond to a small ballot, describing the need for an industrial park. Now I personally think that is a commendable notion, but I also thought it was interesting in-teresting the way the Chamber members asked for input. He said he wanted all interested parties to respond to the questionairre - giving reasons for and against the idea. Then, in the very next breath, the member said, "We are taking as a proposal to establish such an industrial park to the city council next month." So what good is the input ' In other words, anyone who makes this mistake might as well say "We wa nt your input, pro or con, but our mind is made up and u e are going ahead as we wa nt anyway. I feel the same way oft times when federal agencies, agen-cies, in particular, call for advantage of it. The same thing often is seen at utility rate hearings as members of the public are rushed through their input in order to "carry on." Is the input really doing any good? Oh well, maybe I shouldn't let it bug me so much, but watch and see how often you see a similar situation occur. I think you'll find a few. |