Mayor's lawyer/campaign contributor supports mayor's efforts to squelch speakers

GREENSBORO, NC -- Billy Jones takes issue with a letter to the editor in the News & Record in which the writer, Reid Phillips, launches a mean spirited personal attack against people who speak at city council meetings whom he deems to be "cranks." Phillips does so in support of Mayor Robbie Perkins' proposal to place additional restrictions on citizens speaking during the public comment period of city council meetings.

Billy's beef with the writer is Phillips' claim that the "cranks" are crowding out other speakers. Not true says Billy, and I have to say I think Billy is right. In recent memory, I've not noticed anybody being denied the opportunity to speak because there were too many speakers. In fact, at the last city council meeting, there were only three such speakers.

I have another beef though, with the N&R: It should do a better job of identifying letter writers' relationships to the subject or parties about which they write. In this case, Phillips is not just some unconnected mean old fart*. No. Phillips' law firm is employed by the mayor and Phillips was a campaign contributor to the mayor's campaign.

Readers might decide that those relationships don't shade their consideration of Mr. Phillips' opinion—or they might—but the N&R should have made those relationships known.

(*This is strictly a rhetorical flourish for effect, I have no evidence that Phillips is not nice, youthful and sweet smelling. I mean, I doubt it, but you know... lawyers -- especially those hostile to the First Amendment -- you have to be careful.)