Tt post aug 5 2017 - b

"And again I ask: where are the local media watchdogs?"

Local media orgs don't have the resources. Digging takes time and money. And the orgs know that detailing the wastefulness, incompetence, and possible malfeasance of local government does not play well on social media. Such stories don't garner the desired number of shares, likes, referrers, etc. It seems that journalism today creates stories based upon metrics and not based upon informing the public.

In my opinion, Ignazio Messina at the Blade is the only person
in this area capable of knowing what crevices to search for the gory details about our local politics. For him personally, it's unfortunate that he toils in an area infested with extreme apathy.

Anyone of us can make Freedom of Information Act requests of our government. But government only needs to respond in a "reasonable" amount of time. How many days and weeks are in a "reasonable"?

Unless a private citizen is wealthy enough to hire a legal team, local government can stonewall a FOIA request indefinitely. When that happens to an org like the Blade, the Blade wakes up its lawyers and sues the government for the info.