<html><head><base href="data:"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><base href="data:"><div><br></div>Hello All,<div><br></div><div>Below email copies FYI, but just to add a few additional thoughts to them:</div><div><br></div><div>I am concerned that some very right-wing social "critics" seem to be acting in our community as though guided excessively by ideology and insufficiently by knowledge and common sense. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; ">Likely they would deny the veracity of the many studies around the World which indicate that a successful LRT could <b>advance business </b>and other community interests much more than a bus system -- and be less expensive in the long term. </span></span></div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; ">And of course, like many of the columnists at the National Post, they would <b>deny any positive connection between a healthy economy and a healthy society and environment</b>. In fact they attack the idea of such interrelationships even though these progressive ideas originate with &/or are supported by leading-edge business organizations. They even seem similar to Al Qaida in their blind belief and strong aggressive action against moderates and heretics.</span></span></div><div><br></div><div>As to why they are like that, I leave to your own thinking and speculation. However, they do have some similarity to the aggressively enthusiastic "scientists" and economics who have been allegedly paid indirectly by EXXON to cast doubt on greenhouse-gas-caused climate change. In fact, at least one prominent local academic very actively espouses/supports both extreme right-wing-framed causes.</div><div><br></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; ">Why do the media continue to give them air time or space to express their misguided views to the gullible public who assume that an MA, PhD or some other source of status equates with truth-saying and wisdom? The media say that it is done to balance points of view -- and the conflict generated by this approach produces readers and viewers. Its something like violence in hockey fills more seats and attracts a bigger TV audience.</span></span></div><div><br></div><div>More generally, the idea that we can best progress or make a profit or ... by conflict in a World of increasingly powerful technologies -- including small technologies like a nuclear bomb in a suitcase -- has to be transformed to the idea of a World that progresses by harmonious cooperation and collaboration. This for survival's sake,</div><div><br></div><div><b>And the new social media seem to be great enablers here -- another reason for old media to creatively incorporate it.</b></div><div><br></div><div>Towards this more secure World, I might suggest that <b>the media enhance their selection criteria (and their ability to use these new criteria)</b> so as to include a concept of <b>responsible knowledge producer</b> that is based on such a person sufficiently having balanced, deep and broad knowledge that is relevant to the issue(s) under consideration.</div><div> <b></b></div><div><b>Then balance will be more within each person (responsible knowledge producer) rather than balance between unbalanced persons. </b></div><div><br></div><div>And all those who communicate from a knowledge-base that is primarily ideologically skewed or otherwise grossly inadequate should be excluded by the Hybrid Old/New Media until they appropriately re-invent themselves as more complete persons that meet the new <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; ">responsible knowledge producer <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; ">criteria. </span></span></div><div><br></div><div>But back to this Region's most important and expensive project. </div><div><br></div><div>If we do not enhance our LRT system design so as to make it much more cost effective -- currently too slow, too costly. too little capacity, too short a route, ... -- you can look forward to these extreme right-wing types to lead the charge in the 2014 municipal elections against all Regional Councillors who supported the very costly "white elephant", "boondoggle", etc. We could have not only a hellish LRT but a "deserved" hellish Regional Council in 2014! </div><div><br></div><div>Even for the 2010 municipal election we can see the beginning of this anti-LRT political effort. That is, to take advantage of the significant community doubt/concern about the success and cost of an LRT -- caused partly by the ideologues and partly by the sub-standard LRT system design -- there have been calls for an LRT referendum and there are some Regional candidates running against the LRT.</div><div><br></div><div>Robert</div><div><br></div><div><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Robert Milligan <<a href="mailto:mill@continuum.org">mill@continuum.org</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">August 12, 2010 8:00:01 PM GMT-04:00</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">"Haddrall, Lynn" <<a href="mailto:LHaddrall@therecord.com">LHaddrall@therecord.com</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Cc: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">"McCuaig, Paul" <<a href="mailto:pmccuaig@therecord.com">pmccuaig@therecord.com</a>>, "Holland, David" <<a href="mailto:DHolland@torstar.ca">DHolland@torstar.ca</a>>, "Honderich, John" <<a href="mailto:jhonderich@torstar.ca">jhonderich@torstar.ca</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Re: Various Concerns & Suggestions Re: Content of the WR Record Newspaper</b></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> </div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hello Lynn,<div><br></div><div>That was a very nice response from a person who has done much to improve the Record and maintain viability in these challenging times. </div><div><br></div><div>However, the success of your newspapers and other "broadcasting" (i.e. mostly one way communication) media across the World will depend on the ability to re-invent yourselves so that the creative potential of readers/listeners/viewers/customers/consumers/citizens/...</div><div>can be used more effectively.</div><div><br></div><div>The shift from a "dumbed-down control culture" to a "collaborative knowledge culture" -- necessary for the survival of complex Life on Earth -- requires such media (and other organizations) to re-invent/re-design themselves. Media need to become facilitators, catalysts, champions, ... so as to assist and collaborate with creative individuals, creative groups and creative organizations.</div><div><br></div><div>My constructive criticisms in the previous email were all in that type of direction. </div><div><br></div><div>Further, you might say that old media need to creatively incorporate new social media and their new ways to generate profits. e.g. a participatory newspaper/'social media' hybrid (keep a close watch on i-pad+ forms of new media). </div><div><br></div><div>Old media who do this well would have an advantage over "pure" new media because you still have the attention of many of the 30something+ -- and your changes could gain many of the younger set.</div><div><br></div><div>And all this could be at least aimed towards assisting the smart and enlightened part of the business community whose triple bottom line (or 3P) ideas suggest that economic health depends on social and environmental health.</div><div><br></div><div>But at the same time would not these new innovations be helping to realize -- in a now more business-acceptable way -- the dreams of Torstar foundational creators Joseph Atkinson Sr and Beland H. Honderich: "social reform" and "fair and accurate ... crusading" respectively?</div><div><br></div><div>Best wishes,</div><div>Robert</div><div> <br><div><div>On 12-Aug-10, at 4:22 PM, Haddrall, Lynn wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="blue" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"><div class="Section1"><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; ">Hello Robert,<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; ">Thank you for your email raising concerns about our coverage of light rail transit.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#000080" face="Arial" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br></span></font></div></div></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></div></span></blockquote></div></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>NOTE: MIDDLE 4 PARAGRAPHS HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO PRESERVE LYNN'S PRIVACY OF COMMENT</div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="blue" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"><o:smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"><div class="Section1"><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; ">We appreciate your ongoing interest on the light rail issue and we are committed to covering it as it progresses.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; ">As always, thanks for contacting us with your thoughts, Robert.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; ">Lynn</span></font></st1:city></st1:place><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; "><o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div><div class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center; margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><hr size="2" width="100%" align="center" tabindex="-1"></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; font-weight: bold; ">From:</span></font></b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; "><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Robert Milligan [<a href="mailto:mill@continuum.org" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">mailto:mill@continuum.org</a>]<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Sent:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Wednesday, August 11, 2010 6:27 PM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">To:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Haddrall, Lynn<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Cc:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>McCuaig, Paul; Holland, David; Honderich, John<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Subject:</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Various Concerns & Suggestions Re: Content of the WR Record Newspaper</span></font><o:p></o:p></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on"><font size="1" color="black" face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: black; ">Lynn</span></font></st1:place></st1:city><font size="1" color="black" face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: black; ">,<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="1" color="black" face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: black; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="1" color="black" face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: black; ">Especially as a former Media Consultant and independent light rail transit (LRT) researcher, I have a concern that some staff writers (perhaps mostly the key writer) appear to be subtly biased against the idea of an LRT backbone for our Regional transit system. I sense/surmise that this is true because of a combination of the harbouring of a dated ideology (I'm a pragmatist myself) and information-lack that impairs understanding and good judgement. <o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="1" color="black" face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: black; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="1" color="black" face="Helvetica"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Helvetica; color: black; ">The following web-article about Charlotte NC's very enlightened <b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Republican</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Mayor brings out situational nuances -- political, operational, ... -- that could help your staff raise their level of LRT-consciousness. And this example of the seeking out of higher community thinking & action from around the World could catalyze further similar steps towards helping distinguish your newspaper from its profit-draining competition -- be it other newspapers, traditional electronic media or the internet.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">"How<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Charlotte</st1:place></st1:city>’s mayor championed light rail"</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><a href="http://www.grist.org/article/2010-06-25-planning-politics-how-charlottes-mayor-championed-light-rail/P2" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://www.grist.org/article/2010-06-25-planning-politics-how-charlottes-mayor-championed-light-rail/P2 </a>(If any staff or free-lance writers decide to use some of the information in this web-article for future stories, perhaps it could be done with adequate context.)<o:p></o:p></span></font></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Please note that I strongly support an LRT only if the current system design is enhanced so as to optimally intensify road corridors <b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">and</span></b> optimally attract middle-class ridership from their cars. My analysis suggests that neither interrelated LRT goal would be sufficiently realized. <o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Our Region's cherished leading-edge innovative image would be thereby tarnished. And this great lack of success would be rubbed in our face every time we hear of a story written/broadcast somewhere in the World about our LRT's unexpected failure to adequately innovate in our LRT system design.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Being a constructive critic, I have found and developed many new IDEAS that could "tweak" the current LRT system design -- it does have great potential for leading-edge enhancement -- towards a very high degree of goal realization within a reasonable budget.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">That the Record shows absolutely no interest in what I have written -- except for an incompetently edited 200 word letter-to-the-editor -- does show gross negligence in serving the best interests of our Region!!</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Increasingly the general public are being recognized as a source of good critiques and IDEAS that could help advance our community. While you are to be commended for your <b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Community Editorial Board</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(which I lobbied for over many years beginning with former publisher KA Sandy Baird) --<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">whose membership would be better if voted on by the readers<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b>-- there are many people in our community, beyond professors & other prominent people, who can critique and suggest IDEAS towards community advancement. Greater involvement of these people in writing op-ed articles would also help make the WR Record more relevant to more people, especially if web linkages are integral. <o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">The potential for greater citizen involvement -- especially involving new technologies -- is suggested is this report from the prestigious<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Woodrow</st1:placename><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:placename w:st="on">Wilson</st1:placename><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:placename w:st="on">Center</st1:placename></st1:place> for Scholars, "</span></font><span class="apple-style-span"><b><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold; ">Reinventing Technology Assessment: A 21st Century Model". </span></font></b></span><span class="apple-style-span"><font face="Helvetica"><span style="font-family: Helvetica; ">The subtitle says it all, "Using citizen participation, collaboration and expert analysis to inform and improve decision-making on issues involving science and technology". </span></font></span><o:p></o:p></div></div><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><a href="http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1414&fuseaction=topics.documents&group_id=271875" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://www.wilsoncenter.org/index.cfm?topic_id=1414&fuseaction=topics.documents&group_id=271875</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">"<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">(I would hope that<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Chair Honderich</span></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>would have a special interest in the continuing innovative success of Waterloo Region where his father<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">Beland<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></b>-- a great social innovator -- grew up on a farm near<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:place w:st="on">Baden</st1:place>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b><span style="font-weight: bold; ">John</span></b>, your help in making the WR Record a better community-advancing medium would be most appreciated -- more future-considering progressivism please as in the above<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Charlotte</st1:place></st1:city><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>piece).<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/10/business/media/10honderich.html?_r=1" style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline; ">http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/10/business/media/10honderich.html?_r=1</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Note: bcc's to other parties who may be interested are also being sent.<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Best wishes,<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Robert Milligan (New Dundee in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Wilmot</st1:placename><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><st1:placetype w:st="on">Township</st1:placetype></st1:place>)<o:p></o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><b><font size="3" face="'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: '\'Times New Roman\''; font-weight: bold; ">Robert Milligan</span></font></b><font face="'Times New Roman'"><span style="font-family: '\'Times New Roman\''; "> is a member of Transport Action Ontario (formerly Transport 2000). He has a BSc in math-physics. a Graduate Diploma in Education and has completed many other courses including ones in industrial engineering, operations research, journalism and environmental health. He was a high school teacher, business systems analyst, media consultant, and environmental health analyst. Much of his time in retirement is now given freely to action-research for public projects, especially those with significant environmental and health features.</span></font><o:p></o:p></div></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; "><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "><o:p> </o:p></span></font></div></div></div></div></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></o:smarttagtype></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></div></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>