Dear Editor,
The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place, that is the mirage that the people of Kingman have been facing for decades when addressing the City Council. This illusive phenomenon is both rhetorical and optical in perception but at the end of the day, the month or the years, the only ones being deceived are the good people of our town.
It was but merely a few days ago that I authored a very revealing publication calling out the city for its failure to communicate, and once again, they have responded by promoting the illusions on the front page of our Kingman newspaper. At this point, I think folks may become confused with all the chat and rumble regarding a town hall meeting, a forum where open two-way communication could actually take place with citizens. (This was my idea publicized back in Feb. 2024 which was ignored with smoke and mirrors until the council recently alluded it was their idea.)
I also questioned the city about its in-house survey, concluding that the two biggest concerns of Kingman’s people were crime and homelessness. I asked how many people were surveyed and what percentage of Kingman residents participated. The city refuses to respond to me or my questions directly, but low and behold, the newspaper goes into great detail about hiring a firm to conduct a survey with several options on the number of people that would be polled. Without admitting it the city must agree its current in-house surveys are inaccurate and have always been an erroneous mirage that has now been exposed.
The city is now considering surveying 5000 people (only 1/3 of all Kingman households), which cost a whopping 25 thousand dollars, mostly because they fail to communicate directly with people in a two-way conversation.
One breath of fresh air on the issue of communication is Councilmember Jamie Scott Stehly, I think she understands both the need and the nature of successful communication. I would fully endorse her idea to advertise and robustly promote the completion of a survey. My idea would be for the city to develop a good in-house survey and include it in the envelope with the water bills for a few months. This would get the survey out to all 14000 city homes and cost only 1400 dollars (an extra ten cents each to print the survey).
I think we all agree since the city appears to be fearful of talking to the people, a survey might unveil some very incriminating information about what is really on the minds of Kingman’s people, such as the dozen or more outstanding and critical issues I have outlined many times in my publications as a candidate for city council.
I feel it is important to alert the people that surveys can be manipulated, biased, and leading, and they are best if closely timed with the issues being surveyed. A good in-house survey can simply enumerate all known issues, concerns, and the illusive problems one by one, allowing the people to rate the level of importance to them individually and also make comments and suggestions.
Kingman is in critical condition with many problems spurred by uncontrolled growth, the interference of the Kingman Establishment, Big Builders, Big Land Owners, and fighting politicians. It is only fair to say that the current city council and city manager have inherited many serious issues because former councils were malfeasant in foresight. In all cases, the failure to communicate and facilitate a pathway for formal, one-on-one, two-way conversation promulgates clouds of delirious illusions and a mirage of downhill double-speak to the people of Kingman whom I believe the city council fears.
Don’t fall for the illusion that communication is or has taken place, make sure it has by keeping all of the city leaders’ feet to the fire. Make them accountable, and make them talk to you, this is our town, no theirs.
Elliot Chalew
