Man of the people

According to the Tennessean, CM Mike Jameson values the public input he gets from forums unlike any other leader:

Councilman Mike Jameson, who represents parts of downtown and East Nashville and is highly skeptical of the proposal, said he doesn't understand why some of his colleagues aren't meeting their constituents in a public forum. He and a few other council members will hold a joint meeting Tuesday night, while the full council will hold a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. Monday.

"These are the sorts of things council members do," Jameson said. "I hold them to rezone coffee shops. There are Norman Rockwell paintings depicting community meetings."

I've got a suggestion for those other CMs interviewed for the story who say they aren't holding public meetings because they are more likely to attract outsiders instead of constituents. Perhaps if you developed public forums as a habit like CM Jameson instead of a one-shot, special event, then the constituents would outnumber the special interests in these more controversial meetings. No excuses.