When technology removes democracy

In a CBC report about parking kiosks, Charlottetown city councillor George Trainor made an odd comment:

He said the city’s website will soon have a place for citizens to put their comments in writing. Trainor said stopping a councillor on the street won’t help. “I don’t want to talk to them on the street. I want to talk to them on the computer or put it on paper or something.”

When we use technology as an intermediating crutch like this, we remove its essential human element. If you don’t want to be stopped on the street, get off city council: it’s your job to get stopped on the street.