Leftovers Column: Evaluating worth of information officers

WEST Covina Councilman Roger Hernandez had an interesting idea last week about how to save the city some dough: Get rid of the public information officer.

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[Tom S]

Since the responsibilities of the Cable broadcast are gone, and I believe the Discovery newsletter are being cut back, what additional duties are being handled? I think the PIO is nothing but a paid mouthpiece to tell us not the straight truth, but to give us spin. I think that the PIO job should be eliminated, the Discovery newsletter be toned down (perhaps a newpaper type format, or a paid part of (i.e. incorporated into) one of the West Covina throw aways like the Highlander, Examiner or whatever and with the savings from these two areas bring back the cable of the council meetings where we get the unbiased truth of what is happening.
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I am sorry for this, but the "value" of what the PIO position in a city like WC is not worth $100,.000 to me. This is not to be a slight to Ms. Williams as I do not know her nor have I followed her work. I just think my tax dollars need to be spent on what I need when we have to deal with cutbacks, and unfortunately the PIO and magazine format seperately distrubuted Discovery are the luxuries that should be cut back.

[WHAT]

I AGREE CUT BACK ON BS POSITIONS AT CITY HALL IS A GREAT START, DO NOTHING PAPER PUSHERS IS NOT JUSTIFIABLE. MAY BE NOW WE CAN FIX THE GOOFY TRAFFIC SIGNALS NO ONE WANTS TO ADDRESS I SIT AT INTERSECTIONS FOR MINUTES EVEN WHEN THERE IS NOW TRAFFIC WHAT HAPPEN TO THE SMART SIGNAL