Editorial: Speak, but be succinct

Monday, July 2, 2007 | 7:08 a.m.

Very little would ever get accomplished at a Clark County School Board meeting if people were allowed to step to the microphone and speak as long as they wished.

We have learned from our own experiences attending public meetings that citizen speakers range from those with something succinct and purposeful on their minds to those who step forward just to hear themselves talk.

The Clark County School Board, like most public boards, has a set of rules for speakers to follow. We understand why such rules are necessary.

Now the board is considering changing the rules in order to further streamline their meetings. The board will invite comment on the changes at its next two meetings, July 12 and Aug. 9.

One change would be to limit all speakers to three minutes. Now, those speakers who sign up to address multiple issues may have five minutes, instead of three. The board says many people abuse this extra time. They will sign up to speak on two or three agenda items, securing an extra two minutes, but use almost all of their time speaking on just one topic.

This is a reasonable change, in our view, considering that individual School Board members are allowed to give speakers another two minutes if they really need it.

Another change is not so reasonable. The board wants to formally ask large numbers of people interested in speaking on one item to designate one or two people to speak for all of them.

We feel this would not be fair to people who made the effort to personally participate in a school issue. School Board members should be welcoming toward all people who care enough to stop by and express themselves for their three minutes. To ask them to choose spokespeople, when they might not even know what the others are going to say, would be an insult.

Public participation is essential to good public policy. We hope the School Board members hear from many people about their proposed changes.