If the Founding Fathers had used Poll Everywhere at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia — would the final result be a better Constitution? It might have depended on how fast they could type. Illinois tollway consultants are using Poll Everywhere, a web-based audience participation system, at meetings with a group of local officials and others advising the agency on whether to extend Route 53 into Lake County. The question has roiled Lake County for years, dividing residents over weighty problems like right of way, traffic, pollution and cost. At a meeting Thursday, those divisions extended to use of the smartphone app to conduct the meeting, with some opponents of the new highway saying the technology is silencing their voices. “I am extremely frustrated with how the tollway has engaged the stakeholders overall,” said Mayor Joseph Mancino of Hawthorn Woods, which could be bisected by a Route 53 extension. “Not only is the application unstable at best, it severely limits our input and quite frankly is a bit insulting to the stakeholders who are forced to use it.” He said a feature allowing audience members to vote up or down on other audience comments or questions prevents a healthy exchange of ideas. Tollway officials said they used a mix of round-table discussions and Poll Everywhere at three meetings with stakeholders — representatives from communities, organizations and other interests providing input into a $25 million environmental impact study of the Route 53 project. There are 145 identified stakeholders, but only about 60… [Read full story]
Leave a Reply