Gil:

I picked one of your blog posts at random, so please don't think I'm trying to link these comments to this subject. I've been thinking about this for a while now, and I've finally decided that it is important enough to write about.

You have made some very good points in your blog, as well as in your Sunday News column. I usually agree with most of what you have written. Particularly in print, it is apparent that you think before you write, which is always important.

When you have written about local issues, you generally do a very good job.

But I wonder:

You often post in your blog half a dozen times a day, sometimes more. I know how long it takes me to write one post; admittedly, I'm not a professional writer like you, so I would expect that you can crank out posts much faster than I can. In any event, making these blog entries must be taking a fair amount of your valuable time every day.

Lancaster faces many issues, far more than the small handful that I've had the time and energy to focus on. Your employer has a number of reporters who do a very good job of reporting the facts fairly accurately (like Bernie Harris, Jennifer Todd, and Chip Smedley, to name a few). But few reporters have the time or the resources to dig any deeper than just the who, what, where, and when (with the occasional exception like Jeff Hawkes, when he doesn't get hung up on fluff). And rare is the article where local issues are analyzed to the degree that you analyze national politics.

If you could spend even half of the time that you write about national politics on local issues, it might actually make a difference right here in Lancaster. After all, none of use can possibly have even the slightest influence on national issues. But if enough people are made aware of local issues, perhaps enough pressure could be brought onto local politicians to actually make a real difference.

For example (and I don't know if this is a good example or not): I understand your employer is not too crazy about the streetcar proposal. I spoke with Tom Baldridge recently, and learned that he's not real happy about the streetcar project either. Rick Gray and Jack Howell seem to be obsessed with building a streetcar system in Lancaster City, no matter what most people might think - and most Lancaster City residents that I've spoken to are completely opposed to the proposal. But the vast majority of people seem to be resigned to the fact that government officials and civic leaders will get away with whatever they want to, no matter how people feel. Consequently, most people don't bother to attend public meetings; why should they, when their presence won't make a difference anyway?

Yet Rick Gray, like most politicians, does respond to significant public pressure. If an intelligent and widely-read columnist would take a serious look at issues, and report on their cost and consequences, a few people might be motivated to speak out. If you can get enough people fired up, you've changed our little world.

I implore you to consider expanding your horizons. Lancaster County is overwhelmingly conservative to ultra-conservative, and your columns and posts can only do so much to change minds. But if you would write in depth about local issues that affect us directly, you will get a reaction, one with much longer lasting results than your political perusals.

PLEASE carefully consider this. With your audience, you can make a difference.

With due respect Artie, why? (not Mrs. citydweller)

On the few times Gil has mentioned downtown Lancaster, it is with disdain for the most part. He doesn't live there, just works there.

Most of his blogs are just cut and pastes from other blogs, so he really doesn't spend that much time on day-to-day thinking about national concerns it seems anyhow.

Just trying to get a 'rise' out of what he perceives to be the right wing fringe.

Shock journalism at it's finest.

I really can see that Gil is a talented writer, but it seems to be wasted here in lil' ol' Lancaster County.