Cracks in the Wall

"Do you want my job?!" crackled the voice on the phone. Excuse me? "Do you want my job?!" This was the greeting from Jan Simpson as she called to chastise me for requesting that the AIA South Carolina and Charleston Contractor's Association comments be published online. Both groups had supported my recommendation to make the "sealing architect" responsible for performing or coordinating the mandatory CA services noted in the proposed regulations. To date, the letters remain unpublished.

The LLR still has no clue how to accept comments in a public forum. They edit comments at will and both the staff and board have steadfastly refused to give credit to the authors of the comments. For some unknown reason, they determined that comments are really questions and that all questions should remain anonymous. Even after my specific request to add my name back to the letter they published, they said no.

What's up with these people? Jan actually asked me if I thought I was qualified to have her job. Realistically, I could only meet her qualifications if I gave up my architect's license and didn't practice any more. It's time for the tail to stop wagging the dog.

Jan could not publish the letters on the comment board because they were from the presidents of AIA South Carolina and the Charleston Contractors Association. She would then have to decide if the letters were to remain anonymous - which wouldn't make any sense. That both groups supported my position was bad enough, but I was about to prove a point - the comments could not remain anonymous. She would have to list the presidents' names and eventually everyone on the comment board. So she flipped out.

Her next move was to invite these people to the hearing. Then she could avoid publishing the letters, claim that the board heard the comments and considered them, and get out of the comment board problem without a fight. But she and the board misunderstood the public communication concept. To be effective, both letters should have been published immediately for all architects to review them. Then they would have time to add their own comments. Now the chance has been lost.

It will be my goal over the coming year to establish a public comment board that offers immediate publication, does not edit the content, and gives credit to the author.