We are entitled to have opinions about facts, but not to our own facts that are based upon our own opinions.
Recently, I was quite amazed when I was introduced to the Sierra Nevada Forum, a group of local people who organize assemblies to inform the citizens of Carson City about important current issues. The amazing part is that the group finds experts in each field who respond to questions from the Forum and audience and are held firmly to fact-based responses.
With normal dialogues being fraught with such a complex mix of experience, emotion, political, professional and family loyalties and tradition, a rational discussion of issues is often impossible. The Sierra Nevada Forum has come very close to overcoming these barriers to intelligent dialogue by surrounding the public information process in a rational, controlled process
Carson City can thank "founders" Kathy Bartosz and Donna Curtis for creating the idea. Formerly known as "Rising Above Partisanship," I recently interviewed two of the Forum members and was delighted to hear how adamantly the group is dedicated to fact based public disclosure. Can you imagine a group of government or industry experts responding to a moderator who holds the discussion to verifiable facts as compared to conjecture, guess, speculation or supposition?
Forum members were quite blunt with me about their absolute adherence to anchoring the content with facts so that citizens can analyze each issue with pure information not based on political bias or uninformed opinion. Thus, the program is purely apolitical. This is why, even while taking on some of the most politically charged issues of the day, they have not received criticism for lack of fair and open dialogue
MISSION STATEMENT
TO PROVIDE CITIZENS WITH FACT-BASED, VERIFIABLE INFORMATION TO ASSIST THEM IN MAKING WALL INFORMED DECISION ON ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO OUR COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.
It’s difficult to say that only facts are put forth by the panel members. That’s obviously not easy.
One person’s fact is another person’s opinion. So, how do they do it? When the Forum identifies an issue the complexity of which needs better community understanding, a steering group is formed with community participants to identify speakers and draft a set of questions to be asked during the Forum colloquium. First, they control the debate. This is done by asking difficult pre written questions, second by collecting written questions from the audience and, third, by choosing a moderator skilled in handling spin, emotionally charged questions, changing the conversation away from the subject, etc. The pre written questions are formed in such a way as to help panel members respond with a fact based response.
Past Forums were the “Affordable Care Act,” “Global Warming” and “Mental Illness and Public Safety.” The next Forum will be held on Tuesday, July 16, at 5:00 at the Community Center. The subject is “Carson City Public Works Improvements To Water Supply And Wastewater Reclamation Plant.”
Even if you are not interested in the subject, I recommend that you attend just to experience how the Forum practices what they speak. For further information, contact Judy Plume Welch at judy.plume@cbselectre.com or telephone her at 775-721-1731.
