Dial-The-Mayor a Ringing Success
From Lane Co Oregon
Revision as of 20:36, 13 December 2008
Springfield News, Date Unknown
Calls from San Diego, Chicago
DIal-The Mayor a 'Ringing' Success
By Don Wilt
Springfield's "Dial-the-Mayor" program began its second week of operation Monday morning and it's no wonder that City Manager N.L. "Pat" Teague is wearing a smile.
After all, it was Teague's idea to have a special number at city hall reserved for the public to phone in gripes, comments or accolade. And the first week of the program's existence has proven it to be an ostentatious success.
More than a score of callers dialed 74-MAYOR during the week to register comments with Springfield Mayor John McCulley via a recording device, "And," admitted Teague Monday morning, "we had the usual number of nuts and profanity" but an impressive majority of calls were legitimate.
And of those that were not exactly what the good mayor and city manager had hoped would come in over the "hot line," the majority were at least amusing.
For example, one radio station in San Diego got hold of the "Dial-a-Gripe" number via associated press releases. The following message, parody of the short spiel presented at the beginning of each "Mission: Impossible" program on television came from a disc jockey at that station.
"Good Morning Mr. Mayor. The picture you see before you is the would-be dictator of KDEO Radio in San Diego, Perry Allen. My grip is "Why is Dial-a-Gripe unlisted?" Please call me on Monday morning at 7:40 to discuss this matter. My number is 583-5300, the area code is 714... This message will self-destruct in five seconds."
Mayor McCulley returned the caller's call.
Another radio station-- this one in Chicago-- said, "We are calling from Chicago and we didn't believe it. I guess about all we can say to the Mayor out in Oregon is that Radio 78 Chicago called. Sounds like a good idea for some city to be doing and it is for real. There you go."
