New Web Site Allows Central Texans to Get Heard on Key Issues
GetHeard.org originated from last year's Alpha.360 summit
AUSTIN, Texas - January 27, 2000 - As an outgrowth of last year's Alpha.360 Summit, community and high-tech leaders across Central Texas have developed www.getheard.org to involve the public in decisions that will affect the entire community. The site, which officially launches Wednesday, January 26th as part of the 360.00 Summit, will provide direct email links to area elected and public officials, voter services tools, as well as non-partisan, fact-based information on key issues in the region.
The need for GetHeard.org originated at last January's 360.Alpha Summit when more than 300 technology executives gathered to discuss a number of community issues, such as transportation, the environment and Austin's labor market. The disconnect between Austin's technology community to community issues overall was immediately obvious to Catapult Systems President Sam Goodner and Larry Warshaw, who was then the Executive Assistant to the Mayor. Goodner and Warshaw both attended the 1999 summit. Originally suggested by Goodner as a market research tool to improve community dialogue, GetHeard.org developed into an interactive forum on community-based issues with the further assistance of FG2 President Jason Fellman.
"The Alpha.360 Summit was a tremendous opportunity for high-tech executives to gather and define what issues we care about most and GetHeard.org is one of the most tangible outcomes from that discussion," said Goodner.
Goodner added, "Our goal is to give Austin's wired community an Internet gateway for civic participation. Initially, our focus is on linking Austin's technology community more closely with the 'overall community,' but the site is open to all Central Texans who might want to use the Internet to be more civically involved. We want everyone to get heard."
GetHeard.org Provides Central Texans with Community Issue Information
GetHeard.org will provide non-partisan information and news articles reflecting all sides of key issues in the Central Texas region, including transportation, the environment, education, elections, parks and recreation, local politics and more.
Connecting Austin's wired community with Austin's political community, GetHeard.org will track the responsiveness of elected officials back to member constituents, offer members easy access to online voter registration and provide electronic reminders to vote in local elections. GetHeard.org is the first site of its kind to offer citizens these types of personalized civic tools on a regional basis.
To access the site, users simply visit www.getheard.org, fill out a confidential user profile and select the type of information they wish to receive on their personalized home page. When public officials receive an email from a member of GetHeard.org, the officials will reply to the email through the GetHeard.org system that will automatically track responses for members.
Once a member, the GetHeard.org user will have access to direct email addresses for area city council members, public utility officials, regional city and county commissioners, area school board trustees, political party officials, state and U.S. representatives, key non-profit organization directors and local media outlets. The site will also allow visitors to receive periodic emails to notify them of upcoming public meetings, elections and when new articles and information are added to the site.
"GetHeard.org is designed to allow busy people, especially those in Austin's technology sectors, to get involved on their own turf and on their own terms," said Fellman. "The system also holds people accountable. When someone sends an email to the Mayor, we know they want a response. GetHeard.org will automatically track that response for members."
GetHeard.org Provides Central Texans with Community Issue Information
Austin Mayor Kirk Watson serves on the Advisory Board for GetHeard.org along with a dozen other high-tech and community leaders. "Austin welcomes 30,000 new residents each year and the region is poised to add another 200,000 people in the next decade," said Watson. "If we're going to keep the community spirit alive, we need all Austinites to get involved in the issues that will effect them. GetHeard.org uses cutting edge technology to reach this goal."
Eventually, the site will offer the ability to mail members sample ballots, direct them to voting locations and even deliver content specific to their neighborhood.
"We want this site to offer people more than just information. We want the site to engage more people in the local decision-making process, " said Warshaw. "Unfortunately, voter turnout rates have been consistently falling for the last decade and have been under 10 percent in almost all of the recent local elections. GetHeard.org will help reverse this trend by offering people an electronic toolbox for increased civic participation."