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MR. HOFFMANN: <br />Well, again, I guess, it goes back to the things that I mentioned <br />before. Anything that enhances public participation in government is not bad. I’m <br />amazed and continue to be almost everyday that I go to some type of a meeting and <br />someone would come up to me and say, Oh,I saw you on TV the other night. <br />Regardless of what the comment was, good, bad or indifferent, I’m amazed at how <br />many people do that. And then my comment is, oh, the programming at that time must <br />have been really poor for you to turn to public access TV to see us in action. It’s almost <br />like watching grass grow. But the comments that I received from them, from most of my <br />constituents who do tell me that, then come up with the discussion of a particular issue <br />that they saw. So they remember that. I’m surprised as many people look at that as <br />I’ve experienced in the six years I’ve been on the council. And that goes to the heart. I <br />recognize some people will say and have told me since the new council is on board, <br />well, we’re not going to get so much comic relief as we had before. And it hurts me to <br />think that way or that they would say that. Because you know what that does? Think of <br />how badly that reflects on all of us in county government. Regardless of who did it or <br />why, or what the issue was, that type of behavior and conduct, the reorganization I go <br />back to as being the low point of, certainly my council career up to this point. It reflects <br />on everybody in county government. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the council doing this <br />or anything else. It reflects on the mayor. It reflects on the administration. That the <br />figment of no leadership or lack of strong leadership at this point to stop that nonsense, <br />that's reflected on the TV too. I’m embarrassed. I’m embarrassed for myself. I’m <br />embarrassed for each and every one of my colleagues who are trying to do the job. <br />And I’m embarrassed for you who are part of county government in some way shape or <br />form. Now would I want to see it reigned in? No. The system is not broken. Some <br />people need to be changed and their attitudes need to be altered. This is a good tool <br />and a good vehicle. And I would never see or never advocate a change in our public <br />access contract. I think that’s a worthwhile investment. And over an extended period of <br />time, it will be reflected that way. <br />MS. WONG: <br />Then to take a different tack, it’s contracted at this point. If you want that <br />continuous service, might it be advisable to assess the cost of creating a position, <br />buying the equipment, and then having it done in-house as an employee? <br />MR. HOFFMANN: <br />I don’t think I’ve thought of that, but yes, it certainly would be <br />worthwhile to examine that. <br />MS. WONG: <br />I’ve heard of the rates of the contract and I’ve been a video crew and it’s <br />somuch cheaper to have an employee than a contract. <br />MR. HOFFMANN: <br />Again, I must admit I don’t remember having thought of that. When <br />I was chair, I didn’t think of that. I don’t think I did or if so, I’ve forgotten it. We went <br />ahead with what we had. Although in my time we were up in the Ben Franklin building <br />so we were working with a different type of a set up for a while. And maybe that <br />restricted my initiatives on that a little bit. I would not want to see that service <br />terminated or restricted in any way. In the long run, if we can get a more educated <br />populace, regardless of whether they agree or disagree with all the things you see with <br />the administration or the council members are coming up, that’s good. I can’t imagine <br />that that’s a disadvantage in any way. And I can’t think that that’s a bad investment for <br />us as a county government to have. <br />23 <br /> <br />