Local Government TV

▼

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Fifteen Northampton County Municipalities Have No Web Pages

There's really no excuse for this.

If a total nitwit like me can blog, all of the local municipalities around here should have their own web pages. That would demonstrate at least some minimal effort to keep us involved. A good Internet site provides both accountability and access. It makes government more transparent, and available 24 hours every day.

Incredibly, fifteen Northampton County municipalities have no web pages at all!

These are Bangor Borough, Chapman Borough, East Allen Township, East Bangor Borough, Glendon Borough, Lehigh Township, Moore Township, North Catasauqua Borough, Northampton Borough, Portland Borough, Roseto Borough, Stockertown Borough, Tatamy Borough, Upper Nazareth Township, and Walnutport Borough.

If these municipalities are unable to provide this basic service to its citizens, why are they here at all?
at

2 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 24, 2007 at 8:50 AM

    From personal experience I can tell you that some of the employees of my municipality don't know how to use a computer and have no desire to learn. What is a township to do when the longtime secretaries are unwilling to learn how to use even basic email?

    This brings up a valid question Bernie, should township office employees be required to learn how to use a computer?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bernie O'HareJuly 24, 2007 at 9:25 AM

    Anon 8:50,

    Most of these are smaller communities, but Moore is pretty big. There's just no excuse for it. What happens in the private sector when a secretary or clerk refuses to learn new things? I can't think of a single community who doesn't have a geek that could set something up even if the borough clerical staff won't do it. The cost can be next to nothing, and in some cases, nothing. How hard would it be to post a calendar, newsletter, and give citizens a spot in which to pose questions? It makes the local government more transparent and available.

    If they can't do this, then it just proves that Brookings is right and this area is so fragmented it can't properly govern.

    ReplyDelete

You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.