Worcester City Council Cell Phone Use Becomes a Campaign Issue
By-Hank Stolz
Photo-Radio Worcester
WORCESTER, MA– The Radio Roundtable debated if city councilors spend too much time on their phones during meetings, which has become a campaign issue. Hank wonders if it’s just a “gotcha” issue as only a few councilors were singled out when probably all councilors do it at times. Matt Wally argued that while councilors using phones during meetings could be seen as disrespectful, it was possible they were communicating with constituents. He believes in “active listening” but ultimately felt that voters could decide at the ballot box if a councilor’s behavior was inappropriate. Guillermo Creamer suggested that an attendance policy for councilors was a more pressing issue than a cell phone policy. While acknowledging the need for respect, he noted he often used his phone for work and proposed that if a rule were made, councilors should be restricted to using city-issued phones that could be subject to public records requests. Randy Feldman expressed a firm view that using phones during public meetings was “completely disrespectful” and a matter of concentration. He viewed it as a generational issue and drew a parallel between modern cell phone distraction and his own generation’s distraction by television.
This led to a broader conversation about establishing an attendance policy for councilors, sparked by one member’s frequent absences. The topic of phone use shifted to schools, with panelists offering differing views on whether students should have access to their phones during the school day, touching on themes of safety, concentration, and generational differences. The group also analyzed a report on teacher absenteeism in Worcester Public Schools, discussing its potential causes and impact. Finally, they critiqued the format of local political debates, wishing for more direct engagement between candidates, and briefly discussed the city’s preparedness for the upcoming winter snow season.
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