Home | Featured | Politics | Kristen Brown abandons "Ask the Mayor" after she was "ambushed" to be Transparent

Kristen Brown abandons "Ask the Mayor" after she was "ambushed" to be Transparent

Source: Posted: 03.Aug, 2012 01:29:00 | Last Accessed: 2013-05-21 17:59:55 |

8 Comments Article Rating:0 | Read: 4466 | New today: 4 | Mobile Version

Tagged: Kristen Brown

It was May 2, 2012 when Kristen was last on WFIU's Ask the Mayor.

A segment the former Mayor, Fred Armstrong was on monthly from as early as February 2008 until his departure as Mayor of Columbus 2012.

Kristen has been on the show 7 times starting in October 2011, but she didn't want to participate any longer in the monthly interview about Columbus because she felt she was ambushed when an anonymous letter arrived at the desks of all the mayor media outlets pointing out allegations going on within Columbus.

When Kristen was asked on-air about some of the items listed, Kristen was caught off guard - you could noticeably tell by her tone she wasn't happy about what was being asked and she felt like she was being placed on the spot about 'transparency"; something that was her base of her campaign.

We messaged WFIU and asked why Kristen hasn't been on, their reply...

"For years, WFIU’s program Ask the Mayor has allowed listeners to speak directly each week with different municipal leaders from communities in our area. This week, we were pleased to have been joined for the first time by Sue Murray, the mayor of Greencastle.

Greencastle’s mayor took the spot held for some years by the mayor of Columbus. In late June, we received with regret the news that current Columbus mayor, Kristen Brown, did not want to participate in the program. The door remains open for her to return in the future. We feel Ask the Mayor is a program that enables an unusually deep and direct dialogue between elected representatives and constituents, thus fostering a stronger, more engaged democracy."

So get your book out if you're keeping track about the definition of transparency...

"Transparency, implies openness, communication, and accountability. Transparency is operating in such a way that it is easy for others to see what actions are performed. - or - When a government's meetings are open to the press and the public, its budgets may be reviewed by anyone, and its laws and decisions are open to discussion, it is seen as transparent, and there is less opportunity for the authorities to abuse the system for their own interests." Wikipedia

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Comments (8 posted)

Politics 101 03/08/2012 15:55:04

From http://www.brownforcolumbus.com/platform/

Be responsive and accountable to all citizens.

By reforming the way city hall governs.

Total transparency
Online availability
Citizen ready information
Public hearings
Townhall reviews

TOTAL TRANSPARENCY --- F
ONLINE AVAILABILITY --- F
CITIZEN READY INFORMATION --- UNKNOWN
PUBLIC HEARINGS --- F
TOWNHALL REVIEWS --- F

Transparency is not something you want to be engaged in when your agenda is SECRET political payback and a systematic undoing of everything that the previous administration did, whether it benefited this community or not.

-1

Sojourner Truth 03/08/2012 16:14:35

I don't think "transparency" is the issue you are reaching for here. It's "accessibility". Not that the lack of transparency isn't a problem with Kristen "Job Slayer" Brown. It's just that this is not a very good example.

Tax boy 03/08/2012 17:22:03

this isn't all that she is NOT participating in. worst mayor in columbus history!

I ♥ COLUMBUS 04/08/2012 13:26:56

Maybe she's too busy. It is a possibility. I truly hope things get better because I actually voted for Mayor Brown but a few her decisions and choices have me scratching my head.

concerned citizen 15/08/2012 10:09:39

Kristen doesn't like people questioning her actions.... She can't think that quick on her feet even with her ivy league degree because she can't think that quick plus she can't use the F word on the air like in city hall. She fired people that disagrees with her and now the city is paying $8k a month in unemployment because of her actions. Jim Klaus is the latest person to be fired. Lets only hope her mommy and daddy will give her some of the money they won so she can retire before her term ends.

Samantha 15/08/2012 10:14:08

Jim Clouse was fired?

Missy Wilson 11/09/2012 12:05:25

Yes, he was fired! The way he found out - they posted his job before they told him he was gone! Just another instance of the great way city hall is treating the employees there. So - included in those that are gone - and some not by their own decision - Jim Clouse, Rod Blasdel (one the way out), Robin Hilber, Joel Thacker, Theresa Henderson - and many others that have retired rather than deal with the nonsense at city hall. Unemployment payments are rampant. Wonder how they are paying the new airport manager?? Rod is not gone yet, and new manager is on board - ordinances say you can't pay both? City Council - are you aware of that? Once again, thanks for stopping the bonuses she wanted.

Missy Wilson 25/09/2012 21:45:35

Two letters to the editor in the Republic recently lauded the mayor and all of her accomplishments.

Also, it was noted that she was smarter and knew better than - the City Council, the County Council, the County Commissioners, the Hospital, and the legal expert she hired and learned that she could not fire someone (Gary Henderson) for no reason. Funny that the one name that is mentioned over and over again in these controversial debates is the mayor's.

I guess everyone else is wrong and she is right - oh by the way - even her own party is distancing themselves from her - ask Ted??? The one letter mentioned that the city was in so many words - close to going under - The mayor inherited a balanced budget and a lot of money from the State due to errors in tax collection - she fails to mention that when she brags about her fiscal responsibillity. Just remember - she said - 'those guys' - meaning the City Council - 'don't think I know what to do with $35,000.'

I guess they didn't because they refused to let her pay less for most city employees and more for the ones she hired/appointed.

Also, ask the Columbus Service League who had arranged that the mayor give the keynote speech recently - the mayor failed to show up - didn't call, didn't show up late - just didn't show up at all.

As someone said recently, the office of the mayor is just a really sad mess.

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