Hello and Happy Spring,
If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I aspire to use my voice for constructive dialogue by harnessing the power of optimism in navigating controversies. Before submitting my conspiracy theory story to the Huffington Post, it took me months of re-writing to get to a place where I was satisfied. Other times, I worry that watered-down rage is a cop-out. I hope I’m getting more efficient at finding a balance, but I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Today’s post asks you, my thoughtful readers, to be a reality check for me before I submit a letter to the Jackson Hole News and Guide editor on Monday. Please read no further if radical housing solutions, community conversations, and small-town drama don’t interest you or you don’t have the time. I wouldn’t blame you in the least!
PS: if you aren’t interested … I suggest you cruise over to this post from Erik Rittenbery for Poetic Outlaws, which I wish I had written this week.
Last week, this lovely little article was written about myself and my fellow Victor City Council members recognized as Idaho's first all-woman council.
This week, our integrity was attacked in an article in our local weekly Jackson Hole News and Guide, full of bias and misinformation.
I found out about it the article in question via a text from a friend. I read the story and thought, Oh well, no big deal. Then I reread it. And reread it. And then got sucked into Facebook blather. Then I got pissed.
Despite a week with a long list of deadlines and other work I should have done, I could only focus on my letter. After excellent advice from a writing workshop many years ago, I started titling my brainstorms “1st Shitty Draft.” This is how I felt at the start of the process (what is in the body is unfit to share).
Inspired by this week’s Ezra Klein Show podcast - I realized this was the perfect opportunity to try ChatGPT4 advice to help turn my letter into something submittable.
After realizing my 1st shitty draft was just that, here are some of the questions I asked my AI friend:
Compare and contrast these two articles written by two different authors on the same thing. Point out bias in how they present statistics ... Additionally, make the distinction between workforce and affordable housing. This is for a letter to the editor in my name; I am Sue Muncaster, mentioned in the article, and I support the project.
Pick out the statistics that are represented differently.
Help me re-write in my voice about how hard it was to write this letter to the editor about this controversy and keep it positive and constructive, stick to the facts, and not rely on convincing with inflammatory language or emotion.
In the end, I took half of what was in the first shitty draft and half of what ChatGPT4 helped me rewrite to come up with a final draft below, which is what I’m hoping to improve further.
My questions to you, dear readers who have stuck with me this far are:
Do you think this is effective? Is it forceful or weak? Will anyone even care?
Suggestions for things to leave out or add that might make it better? Shorter?
What other questions could I have asked ChatGPT4?
Guest Shot: Opinion or Fact?
Sherman Park Workforce Housing Project Article misses the mark when tested for bias in reporting.
As a Victor City Council member deeply invested in the well-being of our community, I feel compelled to address the coverage surrounding the Sherman Workforce Housing project. The recent article by Jeanette Boner in the Jackson Hole News and Guide and the contrasting depiction in the Teton Valley News by Danielle Clegg and Buckrail by Lindsay Vallen highlight a crucial issue: the necessity for comprehensive and unbiased journalism.
The foundational principles for unbiased reporting that media outlets should strive to uphold are listed below as a reminder of the importance of critical news consumption as we move into what’s lined out to be the most divisive election season in US history.
Accuracy: Ensure all information is fact-checked and reliable.
Balance: Present multiple perspectives on an issue, especially when community interests are at stake.
Transparency: Disclose sources (and relationships with them) where possible, and clarify when certain information cannot be fully verified.
Fairness: Avoid language that implies judgment or bias, sticking to factual reporting.
Context: Provide background information to help readers understand the broader implications of news stories.
Accountability: Be willing to correct errors and promptly address any unintended bias or misinformation.
The article in question failed all these principles. As an elected official, I welcome diverse and critical opinions and criticisms, but only when they are presented as such. Starting with the carefully worded inflammatory headline that included “Victor Goes it Alone” and “Ohio Developer…” the portrayal in Boner’s article omits key aspects of the project that were thoroughly addressed in the planning and approval processes. Notably, the extensive efforts by city staff, council members, legal teams, and Teton Valley Idaho Joint Housing Authority representatives to ensure this development serves the Teton Valley, significant community support from various employers in health care, public safety, education, and economic development sectors, and the concrete measures in place to prioritize Teton Valley employees for housing.
Moreover, the coverage underrepresents the strategic decision to allocate an unprecedented 55 units for workforce housing within the 80-120 AMI range, a critical need identified in the Teton Regional Housing Needs Assessment that aligns with Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines. This approach ensures the project meets specific community needs by providing affordable housing to a defined income bracket, emphasizing support for middle-income residents who contribute significantly to the vitality of our community yet often find themselves priced out of the housing market.
Much like income tax rates, these numbers and formulas are averaged out over large populations and, by design, take the “opinions” out of decision-making. Are they perfect? Absolutely not. But they are the agreed-upon numbers the Victor City County and Teton Valley Joint Housing Authority used in the original RFP and for which the developers have committed from the beginning of the process.
A balanced investigation into the integrity of the“developers,” whom Boner portrays as greedy extractors, might have reported that the Snavely group based in Ohio is a family-run and has a notable track record in developing similar housing projects, including one in Crested Butte. She might have discovered how excited Pete Snavely was to go on a backcountry ski trip the week after the Victor presentation but was nervous, feeling out of shape from working too hard, and overheard him say with admiration for our Teton Valley lifestyle, “I really want to become a part of this community.”
Rather than emphasizing multiple times Freddie Botur was from Sublette County, she could have mentioned his conservation efforts, deep family ties here in the Tetons, and his appearance in the documentary End of Snow, which labels him “a visionary” for his innovative ideas for grazing cattle and managing rangelands to foster a more sustainable future.
I learned many things during this process, but what surprised me most was that NIMBY-ism is a huge problem when it comes to housing projects - and often, it is disguised by asking for so many requirements on a housing solution that it kills the viability of a project altogether. In my elected role in the Victor City Council, I am determined to ensure this doesn’t happen.
Bold decisions often entail navigating uncertainties, yet they are necessary for significant progress. Applying this wisdom to the Sherman Workforce Housing project, moving forward decisively, despite the challenges and complexities, reflects our commitment to addressing the community's housing needs. This approach embodies the spirit of leadership that embraces risk for the greater good.
As we navigate the complexities of community development, I sincerely hope we can all commit to critical media consumption and constructive dialogue, always striving towards a community that understands and supports its diverse needs and aspirations. Finalizing the development agreement is the next step in this process, and we welcome widespread public and media participation in our upcoming public hearings, which will be posted at victoridaho.gov.
With deepest gratitude for caring and reading my work,
Have a great weekend! Sue
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