My First Editor's Journal
Good day Ojai Valley, and welcome to ojainews.com!
Watch this space! The Editor’s Journal is where I’ll be preparing a regular snapshot of our Valley’s news and issues so you can quickly see what’s going on. I am very excited to serve as this project’s first Editor, and to serve you in so doing. I’d like in this very first Editor’s Journal to let you know a little bit about who I am, how I see my role and that of this site, and address some specific groups to whom I feel especially connected.
My name is evan austin, and I live in Ojai City with my wife and soon-to-be-born child. I am 27 years old, and recently graduated from Santa Barbara City College with a degree in Graphic Design. I have lived in this valley for 10 non-consecutive years, and I currently have family in Meiners Oaks and Oak View, as well as friends all over. I am very active politically and culturally in creating a world at peace, most notably in my roles as director of the Ojai Peace Coalition and board member of the Ventura-based group Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions. I also enjoy music of many kinds.
The two-word mantra and goal of ojainews.com is beautiful in its simplicity: TRANSPARENCY and ACCOUNTABILITY. It is my hope that as a visitor to this space you will consistently find the information and tools that you need to be empowered as what I consider the highest role in our democracy: Citizen. I believe that the workings of our government Of, By, and For the People are meant to be in plain view of us all, and if the will of the People is truly at the helm, then holding those who are elected to represent us as accountable agents is both our right and our responsibility.
TO THE OJAI CITY COUNCIL: “Watchdog” is not a completely useful analogy, because it inherently puts one entity at odds with another, and is all about catching someone doing something wrong. I see ojainews.com as a partner with the City (and other level) government in providing Citizen-powered democracy by promoting the kinds of openness that democratic institutions are meant to embrace anyway. Sure, your actions and decisions for better or worse are going to be recorded and accessible, but you knew that when you took the job. Please help us catch you doing something right.
TO AUTHORS AND READERS OF THE OJAI POST (where this Journal will be cross-posted): Prepare to see my name more often, as my own personal posting will not be compromised by my new posting-role as the ojainews.com Editor. For balance, I invite the other authors to post more often as well!
TO REVOLUTIONARIES: Ojainews.com is not an opinion site, nor it is an alternative campaign site. We will do our very best to objectively provide all the information we can about the issues which concern our valley, with our goal and purpose of Transparency and Accountability at the forefront.
TO JANE AND JOE CITIZEN: Welcome, and stay a while! This is your valley and your democracy...your right and responsibility to be an engaged and educated part of it begins here.
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