...by someone who is apparently very interested in keeping the system as closed as possible. YPP's Ray Murphy responds to the response, while his commenters do what I just don't have time to do today: break it down point by point.
Two old sayings come to mind while reading the letter written by someone who works in the Commissioner's office but who, according to the letter's editor is expressing his "personal opinion."
1. It is difficult to convince a man of something when his paycheck depends on his not understanding it. (Upton Sinclair said that. He wasn't the muckraker who called Philadelphia corrupt and contented.)
2. Follow the money.
The Commissioner's office has, for years, charged media outlets for access to this information. I don't know exactly how much since last time I needed it (blogging primary night, 2006) I just called them up and asked nicely while saying that I work for public radio/tv. They were more than happy to help me out. Regardless, the commercial outlets here probably haven't been too quick to change the system because it means that web users (and television viewers) would continue to depend on them for their results.
At the same time, the Commissioner's office has been able to get money for something that other jurisdictions have been providing for free. While we sometimes rip on our city government - especially the bureaucracy - for its lack of vision and creativity, I have to say that I'm impressed that the Commissioner's were able to do something that most news outlets have been unable to do - make money on the web.
Now, if only they weren't doing it with a product that is essentially owned by all of us taxpayers.