27
Sep
2005
Kathleen McCarthy's column (see "Access, Information Are Missing from Davenport Government," Issue 547, September 21-27, 2005) concerning the City of Davenport's Task Force on Governance conveyed the misimpression that I am participating with this task force in my capacity as a part-time assistant Scott County attorney, rather than as a citizen volunteer. Ironically, the employment affiliations of the task force's two co-chairs were not identified in Ms. McCarthy's article, but one active task-force member was singled out as a "realtor," when he is a municipal commissioner and independent small-businessman as well.
For the record, in addition to my part-time public employment, I am a full-time graduate student at the Iowa Law School in its master's degree program, and I also maintain a small, independent private law practice and consulting firm, the latter of which is a dues-paying member of DavenportOne. I leave it to Ms. McCarthy's readers to judge whether these activities make me a representative of "special interests," rather than an informed and concerned independent volunteer.
Our task force has met regularly on a biweekly basis in open session at city hall for some time now. As other press representatives have from time to time sat in on our actual meetings, we would welcome Ms. McCarthy's attendance (and her readers as well) now that she has successfully navigated the city's Web site to ensure her ready access to our task force's minutes and proposed agendas for further regular meetings (and explained same to her readers).
Thomas C. Fritzsche
Davenport
For the record, in addition to my part-time public employment, I am a full-time graduate student at the Iowa Law School in its master's degree program, and I also maintain a small, independent private law practice and consulting firm, the latter of which is a dues-paying member of DavenportOne. I leave it to Ms. McCarthy's readers to judge whether these activities make me a representative of "special interests," rather than an informed and concerned independent volunteer.
Our task force has met regularly on a biweekly basis in open session at city hall for some time now. As other press representatives have from time to time sat in on our actual meetings, we would welcome Ms. McCarthy's attendance (and her readers as well) now that she has successfully navigated the city's Web site to ensure her ready access to our task force's minutes and proposed agendas for further regular meetings (and explained same to her readers).
Thomas C. Fritzsche
Davenport
