Two weeks ago the Eagle-Tribune ran a short article in the Sunday section of "Don’t Print That" criticizing Lawrence Residents who care enough to attend City Council meetings. "Don’t Print That" is a weekly column put together by the writers and editors of the Tribune. Here’s how it works; Writers submit short, usually funny, sometimes viscous little side notes about the behind the scenes happenings in local politics. If a reporter submits something to the editors and it is printed they get an extra $5 or $10 in their paychecks that week. The authors of these humorous or negative attacks are not identified.

Knowing how things work up on the hill in North Andover, I will tell you that education pieces in "Don’t Print That" will almost always come from the education reporter Rebecca Griffin or whomever is covering the schools that month. This leaves us to believe quite strongly that the attack on Lawrence City Council meeting attendees came from city hall reporter Mark Vogler.

Here’s what it said, in part; "The Council’s Personnel Committee was set to meet last Tuesday but postponed its session, apparently leaving a small group of meeting junkies standing in the rain. It made a few of these get-a-lifers mad enough to call the Eagle-Tribune to complain that the Personnel Committee had ruined their evening."

Get a lifers? That’s a great way to encourage public participation and citizen involvement in local government isn’t it? The Tribune constantly tries to portray itself as a publication which encourages local involvement and grass roots activism. But this article clearly showed contempt for the people of Lawrence who take time out of their busy schedules partake in their civic responsibility by keeping a watchful eye on our local politicians. Perhaps Tribune reporter Mark Vogler believes that only the Trib should perform that function. Vogler is a reporter who doesn’t live in Lawrence and is often caught sleeping during council meetings, misrepresenting votes that are taken, inaccurately reporting on public comments at public participation and rarely presents his information in a fair or impartial manner. Maybe Mr. Vogler should look for another assignment. Or, maybe he needs a new line of work.

Later in Voglers insightful piece he continues to show his true feelings for our local government and our citizens; "…now there is a push to get every single government meeting held in Lawrence broadcast on cable television so that the diehards don’t miss a minute of exciting council deliberations, which are as fun as watching paint dry."

Nobody said local government was supposed to be fun. But some people find it interesting or crucial to the improvement of our city to keep a watchful eye on the politicians who make decisions that effect our daily life. It is more than disappointing that the Tribune editors allowed this attack against Lawrence Taxpayers to be published. The only way to improve the dismal conditions and lack of leadership that exists in the City of Lawrence, is for average citizens to get involved, pay attention, and hold our officials accountable for their actions, and inaction. Many people cannot go to council meetings because they are elderly, incapable, working, busy, or just unable to attend. Showing Council meetings, including sub-committee meetings on television allows caring and concerned Lawrencians to set their VCR and catch up on local happenings when they have the time to do so. Another reason televised meetings are so important is because it allows people like myself to keep a video library of each vote and some of the ridiculous statements made by our so called city leaders.

There is nothing better than catching a politician saying something at election time that is in direct conflict with something they said or did months earlier. There is no better way to hold their feet to the fire than to let them know the public is paying very close attention to their actions when it is not an election year. I know Mr. Vogler and some of his pals at the Trib would rather the council meet with no cameras and no cable access so that you the voters will only see things through their eyes and their political view. Mr. Vogler cares nothing about our city and has written numerous articles portraying Lawrence in the most negative light possible. Maybe he doesn’t know any better, but the editors who profess to encourage fairness and accuracy sure do.

Voglers Don’t Print that article was irresponsible and serves only to insult and discourage those who care enough about our city from getting involved. Coming from a man who routinely provokes meeting attendees and shows little regard for the truth in his reporting, we here at Rumbo would hope that the Lawrence residents will take it from the source and pay NO attention to these viscous remarks. Mark Vogler should be ashamed of himself and so should the editors who allowed this insult to appear in print.

I am the very first person to agree with the right of the Tribune to present differing points of view and disagree with political officials on public issues. I have deep respect for their first amendment right to call things as they see them, as long as it is in the form of an editorial. But there is no respect earned or given when a piece is published in the Sunday paper which only serves to insult and incite our citizens while presenting no news value whatsoever. Especially when the author doesn’t have the guts or integrity to put his name on what he wrote. Mr. Vogler has become a perfect living example of what the Eagle Tribune says they are trying to get away from while they restructure their paper and try to make it better serve the community.

Their article called "Meeting Junkies" only served to denigrate caring people and shows us a side of the Eagle Tribune we had hoped was long gone. Apparently they have a lot more work to do with their new philosophy of serving the community than we thought.